The Morning Edition

For decades, analysts have been predicting the moment when China would inevitably overtake the United States as the world’s strongest power. That moment still hasn’t come. But then came last week, when Donald Trump’s economic threat against China backfired spectacularly.

Today, Peter Hartcher on the political turmoil in China that is stopping the country from realising superpower supremacy, for now. And whether Australia - unexpectedly thrust into a power position in this fight thanks to Anthony Albanese’s triumph with Trump this week - moves us out of our spot as a “middle power”, and nudges u...

It was the meeting that has been hanging over our prime minister’s head for nine months. But Anthony Albanese’s face-to-face with Donald Trump, on Tuesday morning Australian time, was never going to be easy.

It wasn’t just the presence of our American ambassador, Kevin Rudd, who once called Trump a “village idiot” and a “traitor to the West”. But how would Albanese handle the most mercurial of world leaders?

Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol, who was in the White House with Trump and Albanese, on what Australia gained, or lost, from this meeting. An...

They are the heroes who might be called to winch you to safety, if you fall into a crevasse, get stuck in a bushfire, or find yourself circled by sharks at sea. 

But behind the daring rescues by members of the Westpac Rescue service in NSW, multiple staff members have made allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and lack of safety compliance at the organisation. 

Today, investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw, on the months-long investigation he led, along with 60 Minutes, into the rescue service where staff members treated like “god amongst men” are alleged to have engaged in beh...

Victoria is on the cusp of legislating a treaty with Indigenous people.

When it's enacted, Victoria will become the first state in Australia with such an agreement. It's also noted because Australia is the only developed Commonwealth country without a treaty with its First Nations peoples.

Today, Gunditjmara elder Aunty Jill Gallagher, AO, the chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, explains what treaty is and what Victoria’s historic one will entail.

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They said he couldn’t do it, but he’s doing it. In a few days, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, fresh from a week’s holiday, will be flying to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. 

And also, what really went on between the PM and his Treasurer over the super reforms that Jim Chalmers abandoned this week. Paul Sakkal says the Treasurer had his pants pulled down by the PM. Is he right? 

Joining Jacqueline Maley is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and chief economics correspondent Shane Wright.

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Remember when Donald Trump began a tariff war with ... the world?

We thought that was old news. But over the weekend, the US president and Chinese President Xi Jinping made announcements that could – if they follow through with them – lead to what our international editor calls “mutually assured economic destruction”.

Today, Peter Hartcher on China’s cartel-like squeeze on the supply of rare earths, the minerals every country is beholden to for its defence and technology. And whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese might emerge as a key dealmaker in this space when he meets Trump in Washing...

It was the superannuation tax plan that helped Labor achieve a landslide victory in the last election. Though some of Australia’s wealthiest Australians - who were hit hardest by the plan - cried foul, the government has been saying, for more than two years, that it would NOT change its super proposals.

Flash forward to this week, when, in an embarrassing political backflip, treasurer Jim Chalmers announced, yep, major changes to it.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on what these changes are, and how you’ll be impacted by them.

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The 20 surviving Israeli hostages who had been held captive by Hamas in Gaza, have finally been released.

The Israeli Defence Force has released the first images of freed hostages, including the embrace of twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman. The pair were reportedly separated on their first day of captivity in Gaza.

Meanwhile, American president Donald Trump has declared the war in Gaza is over. But the truth is far more complicated.

Today, Amin Saikal, emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies and founding director of the Centre for Arab and...

It is one of the most unspeakable crimes a parent can be accused of – shaking their vulnerable baby so badly, that they sustain brain damage, or in the worst cases, die.

Diagnosing Murder is a new investigative podcast by senior writer Michael Bachelard, and producer Ruby Schwartz, that questions whether we can trust the science behind shaken baby syndrome.

Today, Bachelard explains why the diagnosis is in question and whether innocent people are being locked up for a crime they never committed.

And just a warning, some listeners may find the contents of th...

The member for Goldstein, Tim Wilson, is a guest on the podcast this week during a very interesting time for the Liberal Party. Last week, home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie quit the front bench, followed by infighting and internal leaking.

Wilson talks about his relationship with Hastie and the former frontbencher's 'fraught' decision to step back, and where the party's soul-searching could possibly lead.

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Japan is preparing for its first ever female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi, the 64-year-old hardline right-wing conservative, likens herself to Margaret Thatcher, and was a drummer in a metal band in her youth.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher on whether Takaichi's ascension marks progress for Japan, and what her leadership could mean for China, Donald Trump’s impact in the Indo-Pacific, and Australia.

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If you’re lucky enough to be on a plane these days, flying somewhere, it’s so easy to feel ungrateful. Does anyone need to watch the film Red 2, again? And why do we get so sweaty?

But sitting way up high in the air for a long time, you can experience actual peace of mind. To concentrate, work, relax. Or - here’s a surprising benefit - just be … bored. 

Today, senior reporter Chris Zappone, on the joys of his recent 17-hour long-flight from Singapore to New York City. And the new technology that might brin...

Can we trust food labels? As in, is the chicken in the supermarket fridge really free-range like it says it is? Are the "local" prawns from a fishmonger at the market really Australian?

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton talks about new technology developed by Australian scientists that can uncover where food truly comes from, and the results may well lead you to question what you’re buying on your weekly shop.

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Almost seven years ago to the day, on the NRL grand final weekend, a bizarre set of events unfolded.
An injured woman knocked on the door of a stranger, saying she was escaping from two men, and that she needed help.
The 19-year-old air force cadet who answered the door let the woman in and called emergency services before the men forced their way into the home.
The slightly built teenager armed himself with a knife, and the end result? The two men were killed.
It seems like a case of self-defence, but a new pod...

For decades, families in Australia and overseas, have been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable – child abuse. Diagnosing Murder is an investigative podcast about parents who've had their children taken away, sat in the dock and even done time in prison. All for something they insist they didn't do – shake their baby. Can we trust the science behind shaken baby syndrome? Or are innocent people being locked up for a crime they never committed? 

Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diagnosing-murder/id1843555473
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LqYqSCZHW4vtA0y...

The prime minister has just returned from 10 days of high-wire diplomacy, initially at the United Nations in New York before swinging through London and stopping by Abu Dhabi on his way home.

He’s claimed some credit for helping push along a potential peace plan for Gaza, spruiked Australia’s social media ban on the global stage, and drummed up interest in Australia’s green transition and critical minerals reserve.

Foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott was on the PM’s plane and, with Jacqueline Maley away this week, he joins chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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On the weekend, Denmark reported unidentified drones had appeared above its major military bases. It was the country’s third drone alarm in a week and one of five European nations in a month to experience incursions - from either drones suspected of Russian origin or from the Russian Air Force itself.

So why is Russia violating Europe’s skies, seemingly with impunity?

Political and international editor Peter Hartcher says it’s all part of a "hybrid war", and one that Australia is no stranger to. And, Hartcher argues, the West has been blind to these...

We all know how annoying it can be to cancel a subscription, whether to a streaming service or gym membership, but when do ‘'subscription traps’', as they’re known, legally cross a line?

Consumer advocates, businesses and legislators are puzzling over the question as the government formulates new laws on unfair trading practices.

Today, national consumer affairs reporter Elias Visontay on what a ban on subscription traps may actually look like.

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Researchers say they have, for the first time, dramatically slowed the progression of a cruel and devastating neuron condition called Huntington’s disease.

For sufferers, this potentially means getting years of their life back or the lessening of symptoms of a condition that robs them of physical movement and kills their brain cells.

Today, Professor Julie Stout from Monash University’s Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, on why this clinical trial, which involved a small number of patients in London, has the medical world so excited.

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There was a time when people who believed that the government can control the weather, or that Wi-Fi causes cancer might have been social pariahs. 

Now, they sit in the higher echelons of power in the United States.

So, why are conspiracy theories flourishing now?

Today, British journalists Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey, authors of Conspiracy Theory: The Story of An Idea, on the history and psychological pull of conspiracy theories. And the destruction they can cause, when they move from the fringe to the mainstream.

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Today we are bringing you a special international episode of the pod. The prime minister has spent the week in New York addressing the United Nations, recognising Palestinian statehood and chasing Donald Trump around Manhattan trying to get a meeting.

We talk about all these capers with host Jacqueline Maley and our chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, who are joined by foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott from New York.

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How to make sense of the last two weeks?
Because it isn’t just that Russia has stepped up its global aggression by invading the airspace of various European countries with drones, fighter jets and a surveillance plane.

It’s also the tirade US President Donald Trump let rip yesterday to 150 world leaders at the United Nations – a blistering one, even for him. And his silence after King Charles rolled out the red carpet for him in the UK.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher helps us connect the dots, which he says amount...

For many people who watched the coverage of Charlie Kirk’s memorial, it was the sounds that struck them the most.

The triumphant 60,000 conservatives who erupted with yelps and claps after messages of forgiveness… and hate.

Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol, who attended the memorial, on what Donald Trump and members of his administration said in the Arizona arena, and what it might mean for their agenda, going forward.  And what life on the ground in the US, after Kirk’s assassination and this highly charged memorial, feels like, right now.

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Optus is in the firing line once again over an outage that left customers unable to call Triple Zero for 13 hours.

In that time, four people died – including an eight-week-old baby.

Authorities later said they don’t believe the baby’s death is linked to the outage. 

Today, technology editor David Swan on whether the telcos can be trusted to run Triple Zero.

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Once upon a time, the dangers of eating too much fast food were at the front of our minds thanks to documentaries like Super Size Me. But that was more than 20 years ago.

Since then, the topic may have fallen off the front pages, but fast food chains have been on the march, opening up across Australia.

Today, regional editor Benjamin Preiss and senior health reporter Henrietta Cook on the growing movement to halt the growth of the "golden arches" in regional areas.

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The government announced its 2035 emissions reduction target this week, committing Australia to climate action despite a retreat from the United States. Meanwhile, the Coalition looked a lot like it was about to take up arms in the climate wars - again.

Chief political commentator James Massola joins host Jacqueline Maley.

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A flurry of numbers relating to climate change have been tossed around all week.

But what do they mean?

Today, environment and climate reporter Bianca Hall and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley on what impact the government’s climate emissions target for 2035 will have on all of us.

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Three years ago, mainstream newspapers in the West had a bit of fun ridiculing so-called nepo-babies, and the unfair advantage enjoyed by the children of the rich and the powerful, like Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple, or Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe.

But in Nepal, nepobabies are no joking matter.

They have just, in part, sparked the most widespread social unrest that the nation has seen in recent years. Last week, this left the prime minister toppled, and the wife of one former prime minister in critical condition.

Today, Griffith University International Relations Professor Re...

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s charisma has led to her meteoric rise, and also, to her recent relegation to the back bench.

Lambasted for her position on various issues including the Stolen Generation, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more recently, immigration, the Indigenous senator is celebrated by some of the most powerful conservatives in the country, and has become the most followed Coalition MP on social media.

Today, investigative reporter Patrick Begley and federal political reporter Natassia Chrysanthos track plain-speaking Price’s journey from children’s entertainer to political celebrity.

You can read their...

US President Donald Trump is a fascist, running an authoritarian regime.

We hear this allegation a lot, now. But is he? Really?

Fascism expert Jason Stanley says he moved with his family to Canada so that he could leave behind, and protest against, the political climate in the United States.

Today, Stanley, a University of Toronto philosophy professor, and author of Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future, argues that American exceptionalism has blinded many Americans from thinking fascism could ever take root in their country. And he discusses...

Controversial Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was sacked from the Coalition frontbench this week. Price left Opposition Leader Sussan Ley with little choice, after she refused to apologise for comments she made about the Indian community, and then refused to publicly affirm her faith in Ley’s leadership.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos discuss the inside story of the sacking with host Jacqueline Maley, and they also check in on the climate debate, before a key climate policy measure to be decided next week.

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When we think of countries trying to show the world their power and influence, we might think of muscular shows of force, like China’s army parading its newest nuclear weapons, missiles and lasers in a military parade in Beijing, last week.

But then there was our government scrambling to out-deliver China with a tit-for-tat over, of all things, cars, for a tiny but crucial Pacific nation.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on why the region Australia long thought was least important is now the region that matters the most.

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More than a year ago, the CFMEU – one of Australia’s most powerful unions – was placed into administration, after an investigation by our mastheads, and 60 Minutes, revealed that it was infiltrated by bikie gang members and criminals who were guilty of corruption and cronyism. But now, some of the very union officials who have been tasked by the government to stamp out the corruption have themselves been threatened - via arson attacks, vandalism and threats. 

As one union leader puts it:  “I was gobsmacked. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Sopranos. It’s bizarre".

Today...

So now we know: Erin Patterson will be 82 before she gets the chance to get out of jail; if she gets out at all.

This will make her one of Victoria’s longest-serving female inmates.

But the revelations from Patterson’s sentencing hearing, in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday morning, leaned less to the historic, and more to the primal.

Today, crime and justice reporter Erin Pearson, on the people impacted by Patterson’s premeditated and pitiless cruelty, and what the judge made of them. And the unexpected moments of mercy and fo...

Year 9 debaters in South Australia were given a topic for the third round of their debating competition a few months ago. The topic was whether the ''tradwife'' movement, a lifestyle in which women embrace traditional gender archetypes, was good for women.

While it was deemed offensive by some, senior writer Jacqueline Maley today outlines why such a debate is worthwhile, and whether the movement is a "frilly version of fascism" or a way to reclaim motherhood.

For more, read Maley's article, 'Year 9s were asked if women should stay in the kitchen. People were outraged...

Political debate was dominated this week by the topic of immigration after anti-immigration rallies in major cities last weekend.

Politicians from both major parties tried to strike a balance between listening to people’s legitimate concerns while condemning the extremist fringe of the anti-immigration movement.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos join host Jacqueline Maley.

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Almost immediately after Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny was murdered by the Kremlin last year, in an arctic penal colony, Russian president Vladimir Putin turned his eyes to Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya. 

She knows that nowhere is safe for her; not even flying to Australia, as she did this week. She was once a victim of poisoning. And a Russian court has issued an arrest warrant for her, on charges of extremism.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher joins me to discuss how Yulia Navalnaya is combatting Vladimir Putin and fighting for a “norma...

The whispering forests and deep valleys of Victoria’s high country have long provided refuge for those on the run. 

Think of Ned Kelly and his gang, who roamed the north east Victorian ranges, before finally being captured by police in a shootout at the Glenrowan Inn. 

And, conspiracy theorist Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for the last week in this area, after allegedly killing two policemen and injuring a third. 

Today, associate editor and special writer Tony Wright, who spent the last few days in this area, on how this...

Violent clashes, police with pepper spray and chants of “Heil Australia”. These were the scenes we saw over the weekend, as thousands of Australians marched in anti-immigration rallies, which have been endorsed by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. Why did this violence erupt now? And what does it mean that two prominent politicians attended the rallies?

Today, senior writer Michael Bachelard and Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor at Deakin Law School, on whether our laws are up to the challenge of protecting all Australians from vilification.

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Venture to a pro-Palestinian rally at one of Australia’s capital cities, and you’ll invariably hear calls to “end the genocide” in Gaza.

And in the international court of justice, South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide as well. It’s a claim Israel strenuously denies.

So what is a genocide?

And what evidence is needed to prove that one is happening?

Today, we bring you a special episode with Geoffrey Robertson, KC, a former United Nations war crimes judge and now a human rights barrister and author, who tells us w...