Episodes
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In a busy week for the prime minister, Anthony Albanese will meet with the leaders of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and India. On Monday he signed a new defence alliance with Fiji, advancing the government’s strategy to limit China’s influence in the Pacific. Later this week Albanese will also host the leaders of PNG and Tonga at the State of Origin in Brisbane. Meanwhile, back home, Albanese’s team are dealing with criticism of the PM for comments he made about Kylie Minogue on a popular podcast. Nour Haydar speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about the PM’s strategy to bolster Australia’s ties in the region, what he hopes to achieve with rugby diplomacy and whether comments made on a podcast could overshadow international relations
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More than a year ago, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic nomination and went on to become the mayor of New York City. Now, his influence is spreading. Progressive and democratic socialist candidates endorsed by Mamdani have toppled established Democrats in New York and Colorado. But will this new way of doing politics connect with voters across the country?Nour Haydar speaks with the Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, about whether the Democrats are still fit to take on Trump
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The 2026 political year has already been surprising. Labor passed changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, which they had previously ruled out. The Liberals changed leaders again, and One Nation has seen a surge of support in multiple polls. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to press gallery colleagues Michelle Grattan, the chief political correspondent at the Conversation, and Melissa Clarke, political correspondent with ABC Radio National. They discuss their report card on the year so far, and the political contests to watch in the second half of the year
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Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry discuss what led to the first drop in One Nation’s poll numbers in more than a year, and why the voters turning away from Pauline Hanson are not turning back towards the Liberal party. They also examine the politics of falling house prices and why it may end up being a challenge for Labor
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An Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, 45, was charged over the weekend with the alleged murder of Thunchanok Donhomla. Her body was found in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya, on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast, in the early hours of Saturday. Carman has denied the charges. Guardian reporter Natasha May speaks to Matilda Boseley from Pattaya about the arrest and the questions it raises about Thailand’s sex tourism industry
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How much do our genes determine about our lives, and could they influence traits like risk-taking, antisocial behaviour or even violence? Ian Sample talks to Kathryn Paige Harden, a behavioural geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin who studies how genetic factors shape human behaviour. In her book Original Sin she explores how nature and nurture combine to influence our likelihood of committing crimes, and asks whether the ‘cause’ of our actions matters for how we think about culpability
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In September 2025, Melbourne wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke decided to give birth at home, free of all medical help. No one else was present when she went into labour except her husband and a woman named Emily Lal. Warnecke later died in hospital. Lal, who describes herself as a ‘birth keeper’, had no formal medical training and had taken an online course offered by the Free Birth Society – a multimillion-dollar business that trains unregulated birth support workers. Warnecke is one of a growing number of women choosing medically unassisted births, known as ‘freebirths’, and non-medically trained supporters for their pregnancies. Unpacking why is a key question being considered by a coroner, Therese McCarthy. Reged Ahmad speaks to the medical editor, Melissa Davey, and investigations correspondent Sirin Kale on the inquest so far and what we know about the Free Birth Society
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Jenny Kleeman investigates ‘Biotech Barbie’ Cathy Tie, the controversial entrepreneur hoping to revolutionise human reproduction by letting parents edit their embryos
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Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy examine a big week in politics. Will Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender prove successful with their new centrist political party? Is Angus Taylor in trouble after a week of stumbles responding to One Nation policies? And what lessons should Anthony Albanese learn from Keir Starmer’s downfall?
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This week, Anthony Albanese’s UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, succumbed to mounting pressure and resigned as prime minister. A number of comparisons have been made between the pair, including resounding election wins followed by a decline in the polls while insurgent rightwing parties gained ground. Josephine Tovey speaks with Mike Ticher, Gabrielle Jackson and Guardian Australia’s international editor, Virginia Harrison, about how Albanese can avoid Starmer’s fate
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Earlier this year, Karl Stefanovic launched his own independent podcast, which has hosted a range of guests from the Anthony Albanese to Pauline Hanson. In one of his latest episodes, Stefanovic was in the UK to interview the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, a man with numerous criminal convictions who promotes Islamophobic conspiracy theories and is accused of inciting violent race riots. The episode was online for several hours before being taken down. Nour Haydar speaks to media correspondent Amanda Meade and senior correspondent Ben Doherty about why Stefanovic is embracing the far right and whether his future at Nine is in doubt
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Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy are back after a short break and in this episode they examine the on-again, off-again talks to end the Iran war and why Donald Trump says it’s now all up to his deputy to deliver an outcome. Jonathan looks at the latest Kennedy to run for public office and asks: are Americans tired of political dynasties? And will Trump get his reflection pool finished in time for 4 July celebrations?
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Having wiped out millions of birds worldwide and devastated wildlife populations around the globe, Australia has watched as the H5N1 strain of bird flu crept ever closer. And now it’s here, on the last continent to be hit. Birds have been discovered on beaches in Western Australia and tested positive for the virus. Reged Ahmad speaks to Graham Readfearn about how governments and wildlife experts alike are anxiously waiting to see if this is just the beginning
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Keir Starmer has announced he will stand down as prime minister less than two years after his election victory, kickstarting the race for who will be the next Labour leader. And with MPs nervous about the growing threat from Nigel Farage’s Reform, many are speculating that the ‘King of the North’, Andy Burnham, could be next in the top job after a thumping victory in a local byelection last weekend. Reged Ahmad speaks to the North of England editor, Josh Halliday, about the man expected to become the next British prime minister and why he says this next week could define UK politics for years to come
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Last week, the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold but the decision was followed by a warning that a future rate rise was on the table because prices are still rising too fast. It came as the US and Iran signed an initial agreement to end more than three months of war, which had sent global supply chains into chaos. Meanwhile, Australians are feeling the pinch and deepening economic disaffection has coincided with rising support for Pauline Hanson’s rightwing One Nation party. Nour Haydar speaks with Greg Jericho about why so many Australians are feeling pessimistic about the economy
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Socceroo Nestory Irankunda is part of a new generation of players who have renewed hopes for Australia’s chances in the Fifa World Cup. Multimedia journalist Bertin Huynh says as One Nation surges in the polls, those who represent us deserve celebration
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Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry dissect Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club appearance this week and ask: is the leader of One Nation treated differently to other political leaders by the media? They also give their take on Hanson’s attacks on minorities, her pledge to dismantle public broadcasting and they meditate on whether appealing to people’s prejudices will backfire. And also: will the government’s backdown on tax be enough to silence Anthony Albanese’s critics?
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Pauline Hanson’s ascendancy in Australian politics was underscored this week by her first address to the National Press Club. In a lengthy speech, the leader of the rightwing party railed against multiculturalism and Islam in particular, pledged to slash public broadcasting and asserted the so-called ‘hoax’ of global warming was the driving factor behind poverty in Australia. Josephine Tovey speaks with Mike Ticher and political editor Tom Mcllroy about Hanson’s ‘ugly’ vision for Australia
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Mason Jet Lee died at 22 months old after his stepfather punched him so hard his bowel ruptured. An exclusive Guardian Australia investigation has found that repeated warnings about his killer were ignored. Could an unpublished submission to the inquest of his death hold evidence of police failings? Nour Haydar and Queensland correspondent Ben Smee discuss what the violent death of Mason Jet Lee reveals about a broken system
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Russian affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer on Vladimir Putin’s increasing isolation – and seeming paranoia – as ordinary Russians become more restive over the toll of the war in Ukraine and a struggling economy at home
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