Episodes

  • Australia’s power struggle with China in the Pacific

    Australia’s power struggle with China in the Pacific
    Jul 6 2026
    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
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • On the ground in Thailand: what we know about the Australian man charged with murder of a teenager

    On the ground in Thailand: what we know about the Australian man charged with murder of a teenager
    Jul 1 2026
    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
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Have social media platforms fuelled antisemitism?

    Have social media platforms fuelled antisemitism?
    Jul 7 2026
    This week social media giants have faced questioning at the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion as it asks: what more needs to be done to combat online hate? Reged Ahmad speaks to senior reporter Tory Shepherd on what the platforms have to say about accusations they have fuelled antisemitic content online
    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • Back to Back Barries: The Liberal party needs more than a rebrand

    Back to Back Barries: The Liberal party needs more than a rebrand
    Jul 2 2026
    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
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Michelle Grattan and Melissa Clarke on the political year so far

    Michelle Grattan and Melissa Clarke on the political year so far
    Jul 4 2026
    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
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Will the Mamdani effect make 2028 the year of the leftwing president?

    Will the Mamdani effect make 2028 the year of the leftwing president?
    Jul 5 2026
    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
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Decoding America: Behind the scenes of Trump’s red card call

    Decoding America: Behind the scenes of Trump’s red card call
    Jul 8 2026
    Co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy look at the reported details emerging about Trump’s Fifa World Cup intervention and whether it will change the ‘beautiful game’. They also discuss the growing calls for Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to drop out of the race
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Will Trump invade Cuba?

    Will Trump invade Cuba?
    Jul 8 2026
    Since Donald Trump threatened to ‘take’ Cuba, the Caribbean island has been on edge. Escalating US sanctions and an oil blockade has crippled essential services, plunged the country into blackouts and ground life for its 10 million people to a near halt.Nour Haydar speaks with Ruaridh Nicoll about what life is like on the ground in Havana – and if US military intervention could be next
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins