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Last week for 48 hours, and without any warning, Afghanistan was in a total internet blackout. It was a telecommunications shutdown imposed by the Taliban and one that had an immediate and profound impact on the population. Journalist and Full Story producer Shadi Khan Saif speaks to Reged Ahmad about the regime's calculated effort to silence dissent
The US supreme court starts a new term on Monday, and the nine justices are preparing to take on cases that could prove crucial to the future of American society and democracy. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Prof Leah Litman about what exactly motivates the nine judges who are supposedly tasked with upholding the US constitution. When did the highest court in the land become so apparently partisan? Is there any coming back from this?
The Australian government is considering letting AI companies steal the work of thousands of creatives and journalists. Tech giants have put the potential value of AI on the economy at $116bn over the next decade, but only if governments get out of the way and don't allow regulation to stifle its growth. A recent report - backed by big tech, and being considered by the government - suggests that companies should be allowed to freely access and use Australian content to train their AI models, putting aside copyright laws.Bridie Jabour speaks with editor Lenore Taylor, and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about the need to regulate AI and the threat it poses to journalism
On Monday, Donald Trump and Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stood together as they unveiled their plan to end the war in Gaza. But it was a 20-point proposal with precious little detail , drawn up with no involvement from Hamas or other Palestinians. The Guardian's Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, speaks to Reged Ahmad on whether this proposal is a roadmap to peace or just theatrics by the US president
After seven years, the Ben Roberts-Smith v Nine newspapers defamation case is finally over, with the high court dismissing his bid for an appeal against a ruling in the federal court that found on the balance of probabilities that he committed war crimes. Guardian Australia senior reporter Ben Doherty talks to Reged Ahmad about what this means for Roberts-Smith, who continues to deny the allegations, and the wider ramifications of the long-running case
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie's hardline rhetoric on migration and manufacturing have led many to question whether the opposition frontbencher plans to pull his party to the right and go for the leadership. Guardian Australia political reporter Dan Jervis-Bardy speaks to Nour Haydar about the rise of the SAS soldier turned politician and if he could be successful in importing US-style politics to Australian shores
When the US president stood up at the podium and announced a link between autism and paracetamol, he sent alarm through the medical community and the public. Guardian science correspondent Hannah Devlin speaks to Reged Ahmad about what the science actually says about the painkiller and why experts fear Donald Trump is deliberately fostering a narrative of distrust
In their penultimate episode for the year, Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry unpack an eventful week at the UN and look at how Australia is dealing with a new reality with the United States. They also discuss Andrew Hastie pulling the Liberal party to the right and why politicians need to court social media influencers if they want to increase their vote
Anthony Albanese was at the United Nations this week, taking to the stage to call for unity in times of global conflict. But the headlines were dominated by Donald Trump, whose words told a much different story. At times, the lies and mistruths came so fast it was difficult for journalists to keep up. So how do journalists cover disinformation when it spreads to Australia so rapidly? Bridie Jabour talks to the editor, Lenore Taylor, and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about the globalisation of misinformation and why facts are more important than ever
The race discrimination commissioner, Giri Sivaraman, speaks to Nour Haydar about the recent spate of anti-immigration rallies, how he is ‘attacked all the time' for calling out racism, and why some politicians don't want to talk about the issue
On Thursday, Optus users across four states attempted to call for help – but they couldn't get through. The 13-hour outage has been linked to three deaths and met with outrage. RMIT telecommunications expert Mark Gregory speaks to Reged Ahmad about what went so terribly wrong that day, and why it's time for urgent reform to ensure it never happens again
On Monday, standing outside the UN headquarters in the US, Anthony Albanese announced Australia's formal recognition of Palestine as a sovereign and independent state. Guardian Australia's political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Nour Haydar from New York on why the prime minister chose this moment to make the landmark decision and whether the move will deepen the divide between Australia and the US on the war in Gaza
Netball is the highest-participation sport for women and girls in Australia, but with only a handful of spots available in the Super Netball – the world's best professional league – it's a hard-fought battle at the top. Netball and football commentator Georgia Rajic tells Reged Ahmad how the rise of other viable sporting careers such as AFLW is causing some netballers to look elsewhere for opportunities rather than spending years waiting on the sidelines
The Albanese government has put a number on its climate ambition: a target of a 62-70% emissions cut compared to 2005 levels. It comes after the release of the national climate risk assessment, which described a disastrous future for Australians on a warming planet. In this bonus episode of the Australian Politics podcast, climate and environment editor Adam Morton speaks to the chair of the Climate Change Authority, Matt Kean, on the advice that informed the government's long-awaited emissions reduction target for 2035 Read more: What is a climate target, and how does Australia's new one for 2035 stack up against other countries? Albanese's Oprah-style emissions target aims to please almost everyone but risks falling short on climate action How vulnerable are Australia's cities to extreme heat? Explore our maps
Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry examine the politics of climate policy after Anthony Albanese revealed Australia's 2035 emissions target. They also discuss the prime minister's failure to secure a defence treaty in Papua New Guinea, Donald Trump's clash with an ABC journalist and why recent polling shows some voters are moving to the right.
This week Anthony Albanese left the comforts of his high approval rating at home to land in the Pacific, hoping to sign historic defence agreements with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. But he has returned to Australia empty-handed, with the influence of China looming large over negotiations. The prime minister now heads to the US where a high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump poses its own challenges. Bridie Jabour talks to deputy editor Gabrielle Jackson, head of newsroom Mike Ticher and political editor Tom Mcllroy about the tricky diplomatic tightrope the PM is walking
In 2016, Australian mother Sally Faulkner made global headlines after a botched attempt at retrieving her children from her ex-husband in Lebanon. Now, after a decade of separation, documents released to the Guardian by a US court show she's been reunited with her children. Nour Haydar speaks to Michael Safi, the presenter of Guardian Investigates, about this extraordinary case and how Faulkner returned to Queensland with her children
The Trump administration has vowed to take vengeance after the killing of far-right commentator Charlie Kirk. Twenty-two-year-old Tyler Robinson is accused of carrying out the shooting and remains in custody. Washington DC bureau chief David Smith tells Nour Haydar how Donald Trump and his allies have ramped up their attacks on ‘the left' in the wake of the shooting
The national climate risk assessment has painted a challenging and confronting view of the future for Australia under global heating. Anthony Albanese says the landmark report is a ‘wake-up call' that reinforces the need for ‘serious' action on the climate emergency. But with the government's soon-to-be released 2035 emissions target still unknown, will Labor's action on the climate crisis match the risk?Nour Haydar speaks with climate and environment editor Adam Morton about how the government will respond to its biggest climate challenge
Many had hoped that a global UN plastics treaty would finally curb pollution. But last month talks between representatives from more than 180 countries failed to reach a deal. Climate and environment reporter Petra Stock tells Nour Haydar about Australia's rising plastic waste problem and what needs to be done to tackle one of the biggest environmental threats of our time You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport
Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry unpack another bad week for the Coalition after Sussan Ley sacked senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price from the shadow cabinet. But that wasn't the only political story this week – the Barries also examine Victoria's historic treaty with First Peoples and the prime minister's attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum.
After a week of infighting, Sussan Ley was left with no other choice but to sack controversial conservative Jactina Nampijinpa Price. As Price and her supporters push for a more Trumpian turn, Ley is fighting to bring the opposition back to the centre. But as the Coalition continues to tear itself apart, should the media's attention be more focused on the party in power? Bridie Jabour talks to the Guardian Australia editor, Lenore Taylor, deputy editor Patrick Keneally and the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, about who is holding Labor to account when the Coalition is constantly in chaos
On Monday, four years on from taking his three children and fleeing into the bush, Tom Phillips was shot dead by police after opening fire on an officer on a rural road. His children are now with authorities. Journalist Michelle Duff speaks to Nour Haydar from Waitomo about how Phillips managed to survive in the remote wilderness and why many questions remain unanswered
The Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, is in crisis control after senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price falsely claimed that Labor is letting in large numbers of Indian migrants to bolster its own vote. Price now faces growing calls from colleagues and the community to apologise, but the saga has once again exposed deeper problems within the party.Nour Haydar speaks with political reporter Dan Jervis-Bardy about the fallout from the senator's comments and how the Liberal party continues to alienate migrant voters
Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years after murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth with a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms. Justice and courts reporter Nino Bucci tells Nour Haydar how Justice Christopher Beale arrived at his decision and how Patterson reacted when she learned her fate
It's been more than 200 days since Donald Trump's return to power, and many have been left asking: are we seeing authoritarianism normalised in the US? Global affairs correspondent Andrew Roth talks to Reged Ahmad about whether the US is at a point of no return for democracy under Donald Trump
Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry discuss this week's immigration debate and why politicians from all sides need to speak up strongly on the benefits of immigration. They also take a look at Dan Andrews' ‘photo bomb' alongside some of the world's most powerful men, aged care and whether PMs should have longer terms
The violent and confronting scenes that took place at anti-immigration rallies across the country last weekend continue to reverberate throughout Australian politics. Protesters said they marched because migration levels have reached record highs. Despite the real figures telling a different story, some sections of the media ignored the issue of racism and claimed those taking to the streets were motivated by legitimate concerns. Bridie Jabour speaks to Guardian Australia's editor, Lenore Taylor, and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about the challenges of covering the far right without amplifying their dangerous views
Tens of thousands of spectators packed the stands to witness Xi Jinping's military parade marking 80 years since the defeat of Japan in the second world war. And watching from above, along the Chinese leader, were some of the world's most powerful men, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un. The parade follows diplomatic meetings with other non-western leaders, including India's Narendra Modi.Helen Davidson talks to Nour Haydar about why Xi has invited some of the world's most powerful men to China – and how these alliances are reshaping our world
Thousands attended the ‘March for Australia' anti-immigration rallies around the country on the weekend. Among those there were neo-Nazi groups and far-right figures who have captured the headlines. While the organisers have distanced the events from white supremacists, and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said some good people attended too, the protests have still been widely condemned as hateful. Reged Ahmad speaks to independent researcher into rightwing extremism Dr Kaz Ross on whether we are seeing a growing anti-immigration movement in Australia and an emboldened far right
On Friday, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, released a six-line statement announcing a new deal struck with Nauru. The deal allows the government to deport about 280 members of the NZYQ cohort, a group of noncitizens living in Australia whose visas were cancelled on character grounds. And despite costing hundreds of millions of dollars, the public have been told little detail about how the arrangement will work. Senior reporter Ben Doherty speaks to Nour Haydar about why critics have labelled the government's plan to deport people to its Pacific neighbour ‘discriminatory, disgraceful and dangerous'
Treating an iron deficiency can be elusive and frustrating. That's particularly true for women who may have been misdiagnosed with depression and other chronic illnesses, until those low iron levels are finally picked up. Reged Ahmad speaks to health reporter Natasha May on why so many women have to wait years to find out what's wrong, and whether a new test could be the solution
Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry discuss the expulsion of Australia's Iranian ambassador and Anthony Albanese's plan to help first home buyers. They also examine what the Coalition could do to get out of its post-election slump
Since Tuesday morning, police have been searching for Dezi Freeman, a so-called ‘sovereign citizen'. Police say he has fled into bushland after the killing of two police officers, allegedly in ‘cold blood', at a property in the Victorian town of Porepunkah. Reged Ahmad speaks to Catie McLeod, who is on the ground in Porepunkah, and Nino Bucci about what we know of the suspect and the manhunt for him
Iran directed at least two attacks against Australia's Jewish community, the domestic spy agency has determined, prompting the Albanese government to expel Tehran's ambassador from Australia. The prime minister announced on Tuesday that Asio had ‘credible intelligence' to determine the Iranian government was behind the attacks against the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne and Lewis's Continental Kitchen in Bondi, Sydney. Iranian diplomats posted to Australia were not involved, the Asio director general, Mike Burgess, said. Nour Haydar speaks with political correspondent Tom Mcilroy and senior reporter Ben Doherty about why the Albanese government has taken this historic step against Iran
Earlier this month an Australian-based Uyghur group launched legal action against Kmart in the federal court. The case has put the retailer's supply chain under scrutiny for potential links to forced labour in China's Xinjiang province. Nour Haydar speaks with senior reporter Ben Doherty about the legal action against Kmart and the warnings that Australia could become a dumping ground for products linked to forced labour
Australia's gun laws are often called the gold standard for community safety, but almost 30 years on from the Port Arthur massacre that led to decisive reforms, there are more legal firearms in the country than ever before. Nour Haydar speaks with senior correspondent Sarah Martin and investigations reporter Ariel Bogle about why the number of guns in Australia is on the rise, the escalating threat of 3D-printed weaponry and why the gun lobby claims it's ‘winning' the fight against firearm control
Barrie Cassidy, Tony Barry, and George Megalogenis discuss how productive the economic roundtable in Canberra was this week, and which ideas the government will act on first. They also discuss how the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has handled Benjamin Netanyahu's continued attacks on his leadership
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has launched a diplomatic attack against his Australian counterpart – calling Anthony Albanese ‘a weak leader' who betrayed Australian Jews. The row kicked off when Australia pledged to recognise a Palestinian state alongside international allies in response to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. At the time, Albanese claimed Netanyahu was ‘in denial' at the suffering of civilians in Gaza. Bridie Jabour is joined by the editor, Lenore Taylor, the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, and deputy editor Patrick Keneally to discuss Australia's relationship with an increasingly isolated Israel
Calls for childcare reforms have become louder since revelations surfaced of multiple sexual abuse charges laid against a Victorian worker. Federal and state education ministers are set to meet on Friday in an attempt to restore faith and safety to a service few can live without – but is real change possible? Senior reporter Kate Lyons talks to Reged Ahmad about whether the government's next moves will give parents and carers the reassurance they desperately need
Six months on from their explosive meeting in the White House, Volodymyr Zelenksyy once again met with the US president, Donald Trump, in Washington. But this time the Ukrainian president arrived with the support of key European leaders, who dropped everything in the hopes of securing a potential deal to end the war with Russia. Washington DC bureau chief David Smith speaks to Nour Haydar about whether Europe's united front managed to steer Trump away from the Kremlin, what chance is left of a ceasefire and how Trump welcomed Vladimir Putin back on to the world stage
As Labor's much-hyped economic summit begins, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, say they want to hear big ideas to bring about the reform Australians are hungry for. But does the government's talk match its political ambition? Reged Ahmad speaks to chief political correspondent Tom McIlroy about how Labor's economic roundtable will shape the future of Australia