Late Night Live — Full program podcast
Late Night Live is a nightly program hosted by David Marr that offers incisive analysis, fearless debates, and nightly surprises. It explores serious, strange, and profound topics, featuring interviews and discussions on current affairs, culture, and ideas.
Episodes
How British slave money flowed to Australia, plus Trump's grand designs
Australia likes to think it has no history of slavery, but two-thirds of Australia's colonial governors had links to the slave economy of the British Empire. A new book, Legacies of British Slavery in Australia and New Zealand reveals how slave money shaped the colonies. Plus, veteran architecture critic Paul Goldberger examines what Donald Trump's building agenda says about his
One Nation's reinvention, plus the fierce women who built democracy
One Nation is on a transformative mission, intent on professionalising its operation. But can they? Plus the trailblazing, and sometimes gun-blazing, women who built democracy around the world - they’re all fierce, all feminists, but not all of them were progressives.Guests: Jordan McSwiney, Senior Research Fellow, Canberra University, who specialises in right wing politicsPaula
Britain's Burnham era begins, the Pentagon's pollution, plus the case for tighter means-testing
Britain has its seventh Prime Minister in ten years as Andy Burnham moves into 10 Downing Street. A new documentary counts the staggering emissions of US military operations globally. Plus, is Australia becoming a nation of handouts for the rich? A leading economist makes the case for tighter means-testing.Guests:Naomi Smith, commentator and CEO of Best for BritainAbby Martin, jo
Anna Henderson's Canberra, US attacks in Somalia, and demolishing Nazi bunkers
Anna Henderson looks at the government's decision to go on the front foot with their AI policy and how it will play out at Labor's upcoming national conference. The Guardian investigates a US air strike in Somalia which killed and injured 12 civilians, including children. Plus the Nazi bunker that could be destroyed to make way for a block of flats in Berlin.Guests:Anna Henderson
Why India is threatening Pakistan's water supply, plus the destruction of olive trees in the West Bank
After a terror attack in Kashmir in 2025, India suspended a key water treaty between the nations, threatening to cut Pakistan’s water supplies off by building a series of hydro-electric dams which can divert water away from Pakistan. Pakistan has threatened nuclear retaliation if it goes ahead. Plus in the West Bank Israel has stepped up the bulldozing of olive groves, which the
Australia's new treaties in the Pacific, plus do we really want to colonise space?
Australia's new treaties with Fiji and Vanuatu are being hailed as a diplomatic triumph. But how meaningful are they, and are they in the best interests of the wider Pacific? And a philosopher's take on why the push for the New Space Age, when humans will someday be living, working, and vacationing in space, is a mistake.Guests: Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security,
Bruce Shapiro's USA, how sustainable is Ikea's wood, and the gossip and scandals of Australia's past
US commentator Bruce Shapiro looks at the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, Trump's attack on New York Times journalists over their Air Force One reporting, and how the US's latest attacks on Iran are being seen ahead of the November primaries. Plus a new documentary by Danish journalist Tom Heinemann investigates Ikea's claims that it's wood from a Romanian forest is sustainable.
Mark Kenny's Canberra, death penalty methods in the US, and why more of us are using subtitles
Canberra columnist Professor Mark Kenny examines Liberal leader Angus Taylor's fresh criticism of One Nation. In Alabama, there's debate over the use of nitrous oxide as a method to execute death row prisoners. And why are more and more of us watching TV and film with the subtitles on? Guests:Professor Mark Kenny, columnist with the Canberra Times; Director of the Australian Stud
Songs and stories with Roger Knox, the 'Koori King of Country'
Uncle Roger Knox joins David Marr in the studio for an hour of stories and songs: from growing up on the mission, to making his name in Tamworth, surviving two plane crashes, and singing the truth about frontier violence. Guest: Uncle Roger Knox, Gomeroi Elder and musician; joined by collaborator Toby MartinProducer: Catherine ZengererSound Engineer: Tegan Nicholls, Harvey O'Sull
Jonathan Swan inside Trump's regime, plus Thomas Jefferson's slavery paradox
The hit new book Regime Change offers staggering insights into Donald Trump's second presidency, revealed by New York Times journalists Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman. Plus, historian Nicholas Guyatt exposes the paradox of founding father and early US president Thomas Jefferson - who opposed slavery politically, yet enslaved more than 600 people. A new book explores his visio
Ian Dunt on Nigel Farage's future, anti-gay laws in Africa, and the right to safe footpaths in India
UK commentator Ian Dunt joins Late Night Live moments before Reform leader Nigel Farage's fiery resignation as MP. Human rights researcher Larissa Kojoue says many African leaders are outlawing homosexuality because they don't want to seem 'Western'. And an Indian Supreme Court ruling establishes that is a human right to walk safely on a footpathGuests:Ian Dunt, columnist with i-
Mark Kenny's Canberra, the age of manipulation, plus collecting ancient coins
Prof Mark Kenny surveys the Coalition's ongoing struggles to handle the surging popularity of Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Israeli philosopher Assaf Sharon studies how states coerce and manipulate their citizens. Plus, a look inside one of Australia's premier ancient coin collections. Guests:Professor Mark Kenny, Director of the Australian Studies Institute at ANU, host of the De
Did America's Revolution spur Australia's colonisation?
As the US celebrates 250 years since its Declaration of Independence, what links can we draw between America's Revolution and Australia's colonisation? Plus, the 'Indian' world of George Washington: founding father and aggressive land speculator. Guests:Professor Kate Fullagar, historian at ACUProfessor Colin G. Calloway, historian at Dartmouth College, author of The Indian World
When Australia had the world's first euthanasia laws, plus the huge potential of tiny gardens
30 years ago today, the Northern Territory briefly became the first place in the world where eligible patients could access voluntary euthanasia, until the laws were scuttled at the federal level. Former Chief Minister Marshall Perron reflects on the political fight. Plus, with a third of the world's fertilisers held up in the Strait of Hormuz, a new book reminds us of a time whe
Bruce Shapiro's USA, Japan's military woes, and vigilante cactus smugglers
Bruce Shapiro on the USA turning 250 and why a new Supreme Court decision means US President Donald Trump will have even more firing powers. Japan is struggling to recruit people to its militar as its population ages. Plus the booming global trade in rare succulents and cacti across the Mexican border.Guests: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine and Directo
Anna Henderson's Canberra, France ditches Palantir, plus Italy's expanding forests
Anna Henderson (chief political correspondent, SBS) surveys the latest polling figures, as the Coalition records a historically low primary vote of 17 per cent. Why is the French government ditching the services of American tech firms Palantir and Microsoft? Plus, Italy now has more woodland than farmland. As Italians abandon rural village life, trees are sprawling into forgotten
How Murdoch's media wields power, plus the epidemics we've averted
A new book interrogates how Rupert Murdoch's global media empire shapes politics and public opinion in Australia and beyond. Plus, as the current outbreak of Ebola in DRC grows, an annual report reminds us of the epidemics we've successfully averted.Guests:Andrew Robb and Matthew Ricketson, co-authors of Getting Murdoched: How Murdoch's Media Wields Power and PunishmentAmanda McC
UN to leave Lebanon, and should we ever bring lost species back to life?
UN peacekeepers will be leaving southern Lebanon after 40 years of service in the region, which dismays former peacekeeper, Professor Ray Murphy. Plus, "de-extinction" - the controversial science of reviving vanished species - raises myriad ethical and environmental questions. Guests:Ray Murphy, former UN peacekeeper with UNIFIL in Lebanon and Professor with the Irish Centre for
Anna Henderson's Canberra, economist Mariana Mazzucato on the common good, and Australia's first soccer match
After Pauline Hanson declared Australia should be 'monocultural', Coalition leader Angus Taylor has refused to commit his support for a multicultural Australia. International economist Mariana Mazzucato urges a whole new approach to economics which prioritises the common good. Plus Australia's passion for soccer goes back further than you might think.Guests:Anna Henderson, chief
Ian Dunt on Keir Starmer's resignation, plus the rise and fall of Islamic State
After months of political pressure, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has resigned. Late Night Live's UK correspondent, Ian Dunt, joins the show for breaking analysis on what's ahead for British Labour. Plus, what happened to Islamic State since the fall of their caliphate in 2019? Guests:Ian Dunt, iNews columnist and regular LNL commentatorGreg Barton, Chair In Global Islamic
Whatever happened to the Australian Sex Party? Plus, the drawings that rewrite Aboriginal art history
A new tell-all book recounts the colourful escapades of adult industry lobbyists Robbie Swan and Fiona Patten, in the lead up to the formation of the Australian Sex Party. Plus, a new book celebrates the rediscovery of some 800 beautiful crayon drawings, made by Indigenous stockmen on Birrundudu Station NT, 80 years ago. Guests:Robbie Swan and Fiona Patten, co-founders of the Aus
Anna Goldsworthy on being human in the era of AI, plus the wonders of the Paris Menagerie
The rapid advance of artificial intelligence is making writer and musician Anna Goldsworthy feel both more human - valuing what it is that differentiates us from algorithms - and simultaneously worried about the capacity of AI to reduce human agency. And, established in 1793, the Paris zoo captured the essence of enlightenment thinking, where science, spectacle, and shifting ide
Bruce Shapiro's USA, the Indian sailors killed by the US, and First Nations anger at Brisbane Olympic site
Bruce Shapiro on the Iran-US deal, and where Benjamin Netanyahu sits within that. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under pressure to confront Donald Trump after US strikes killed three Indian seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz. And why First Nations people in Brisbane are upset by the siting of Brisbane's key Olympic venue. Guests: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor of The N
Laura Tingle on Israel's response to the US-Iran deal, Trump vs South Africa, and Google's mosquito hunt
ABC's Global Affairs editor, Laura Tingle returns to Late Night Live, to examine Israel's response to the US-Iran peace deal. Can it hold? And Donald Trump's decision to welcome white South Africans as refugees has become one of his most controversial immigration moves, raising questions about who qualifies for protection and whether politics is shaping refugee policy. Plus why i
'Serbia's Iron Lady' unrepentant for war crimes, plus how humans read faces
Biljana Plavšić became the only woman convicted for mass atrocities in the Bosnian War. Still alive, in her 90s, a Bosnian-Australian law professor meets her face to face. And cultural historian, Dr. Fay Bound-Alberti explores the ways humans have interpreted faces and how they have shaped our ideas of morality, social hierarchy and psychology.GuestsOlivera Simic, Professor in L
Saving the Sepik river, and remembering the Soweto uprising
When a proposed mine threatens Papua New Guinea’s Sepik River, the Sepik people resist the mine on their own terms, but will they succeed? And fifty years since the Soweto uprising, how South Africa has reckoned with its past.Guests: Emmanuel Peni, director of the PNG NGO Project Sepik, and co-Producer of the film.Theonila Roka Matbob, former PNG MP from Bougainville and winner o
Ian Dunt's UK, America's 'masculinist' movement, and could Switzerland cap its population?
Ian Dunt on the continued fallout over the death of 18 year old Southampton University student Henry Nowak. In the US, a radical movement known as ‘masculinism’ wants to repel the advances of feminism. And this weekend (June 14), Switzerland will vote on a referendum proposal to cap its population at 10 million. But it remains unclear how such a “cap” would work, particularly in
Finishing La Sagrada Familia, plus why people still love Spam
Against the odds, the exterior of Antoni Gaudi's extraordinary Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona is finished, and Pope Leo will bless the newly completed final tower on the centenary of the famous architect's death. Plus, why Spam is considered a luxury good in Korea and is a beloved staple across Asia and the Pacific. The answer lies with the US military. Guests: Professor M
How Australia changed course on drug policy, and the forgotten boat people of East Timor
Teenage vaping, pill testing, injecting rooms, medicinal cannabis and the opioid crisis: a look at Australia's efforts to manage illicit drug use. And the little boat of East Timorese asylum seekers that strained Australia's relationship with Indonesia.GuestsProfessor Des Manderson., Director of the Centre for Law, Arts and Humanities at the ANU. Author of 'High time: how Austral
Is Muskism the new Fordism? Plus, the maverick psychiatrist who studied life after death
Elon Musk looks set to become the world's first trillionaire when his company SpaceX goes public on the stock exchange. A new book asks if we're living in an age of 'Muskism'. Plus, the story of Dr Ian Stevenson, the distinguished 1950s psychiatrist who become a leading figure in the controversial field of 'parapsychology'' where he tried to prove the existence of consciousness a
Bruce Shapiro's USA, an Ethiopian philosophy of running, and a Glasgow protest gives hope
Bruce Shapiro looks at the Republican backlash to Donald Trump's so-called IRS slush fund. How Ethiopian runners win over performance enhanced athletes and a protest in Glasgow took over Kenmure Street, and stopped immigration officers in their van. Guests:Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with the Nation, Executive Director at the Global Centre for Journalism and TraumaFelipe B
Mark Kenny's Canberra, Syrians return home and Lord Howe Island cockroaches
A new poll published in the Australian Financial Review has Pauline Hanson's One Nation ahead of Labor and the Coalition on primary vote, and Mark Kenny says political parties can't agree on how to respond. Meanwhile the government is bogged down in budget backlash. Millions of Syrians forced to flee the brutal Assad regime are now returning home, but with much of Syria destroyed
When America admired Iran, plus what are conservative environmentalists fighting for?
Historian and author John Ghazvinian argues that the past fifty years of hostility between the U.S. and Iran are an exception in a much longer relationship marked by fascination, cooperation, and mutual admiration. And an American journalist embeds with a group of young Republican conservationists, to try to pin down what they really value. GuestsJohn Ghazvinian, historian, forme
Reckoning with war crimes, plus the women at the Nuremburg trials
Veteran war correspondent Janine di Giovanni has set up a project that trains journalists and researchers to gather evidence that can be used to prosecute war crimes in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and Syria. And the women who played a critical role behind the scenes at the Nuremberg trials.Guests: Janine di Giovanni, war correspondent, CEO and co-founder of The Reckoning ProjectNatalie
Ian Dunt's UK, Spain's defiant PM, and Pavlova's tour of Oz
Ian Dunt surveys the unfathomable political turmoil in the United Kingdom, as a monumental by-election looms for Andy Burnham, the key Labour rival of embattled Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Journalist Maria Ramirez examines the left-wing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. a defiant political voice on the world stage. Plus, it's been 100 years since Russian ballerina Anna P
Anna Henderson's Canberra, Bhaskar Sunkara on the Left in America, plus why ancient Roman gossip mattered
Anna Henderson looks at how likely it is that independents like the Teals could form a new centrist party. Does the success of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani herald a new era of popular Leftist politics in America? US socialist Bhaskar Sunkara surveys the future. And far from being worthless trivia, the gossip of Ancient Romans revealed a lot about the society and politics o
Satayjit Das on how the war in Iran has rocked global markets, plus queer Palestinian writer Tareq Baconi on finding home
Global financial analyst Satyajit Das looks at how the double whammy of Trump's economic warfare and the war on Iran is playing out here and around the world. Writer Tareq Baconi reflects on life growing up as Palestinian refugee in Jordan, coming to terms with being gay. Guests: Satyajit Das, global financial analystTareq Baconi, Hamas expert and author of Fire in Every Directio
Roddy Doyle on a lifetime of writing the characters of Dublin
Roddy Doyle reflects on a lifetime telling the stories of working-class people in Dublin, with themes of domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy and life in the IRA. Guest: Roddy Doyle, author of The women behind the door, published by Penguin Random House. Roddy is in Australia for Sydney Writers' FestivalProducer: Catherine Zengerer
Bruce Shapiro's USA, John Safran on when offending goes too far, and was Blind Freddy real?
Bruce Shapiro looks at the Republicans' shaping of South Carolina's congressional districts, in an effort to win the November mid-terms. John Safran's new documentary for SBS explores the notion of offence, and what can and cannot be said in Australia today. A new book says he may have been an aristocratic Aussie trooper. Guests:Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor for The Nation,
Anna Henderson's Canberra, and translating Shakespeare
Anna Henderson looks at why the government remains unpopular despite popular support for changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax in the budget.Dr. Guy Shalev, CEO of Physicians for Human Rights Israel, on why the IDF continues to hold fourteen Palestinian doctors in detention, including Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. And Daniel Hahn discusses the art and the magic of translatin
How royal commissions make a difference, plus cuisine in conflict zones
There have been 141 royal commissions in Australia since Federation, but not all of them have brought about meaningful policy change. Plus, a new book tells the stories of people who have struggled to protect their food culture in the face of war, genocide, and violence.Guests: Michael Mintrom, Professor of public policy at Monash UniversityMichael Shaikh, author of The Last Swee
Ian Dunt on Starmer's demise, Antoinette Lattouf on women who win, plus 50 years of Australian film at Cannes
Ian Dunt on the political demise of Keir Starmer: even if he hasn't yet resigned, Ian says, he's already dead. How Antoinette Lattouf found inspiration in the stories of other Australian women who challenged power structures when she was fighting her own case against the ABC. And Australia is celebrating fifty years at the Cannes film festival, so why are there no Aussie films in
Australia's first political assassination, plus the man who led Japan into war
Journalist Debbie Whitmont revisits the 1994 murder of John Newman MP - a crime billed as Australia's first political assassination - and the man still behind bars, Vietnamese refugee and political aspirant Phuong Ngo. Plus, a new biography of Hideki Tojo challenges assumptions about Japan's ruthless wartime leader. Guests:Debbie Whitmont, journalist and author of The Man Who Cou
Anna Henderson's Canberra, six months in a submarine and the ethics of crisis reporting
Anna Henderson looks at One Nation's victory in the Farrer by-election. What does the result say about the growing frustration with the major parties? The British nuclear submarine that's spent a record-breaking six months submerged and a look at the ethics of reporting in a crisis zone. Guests: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club Di
Fintan O'Toole on Trump's brand of 'crazy,' plus how to escape the Taliban
Acclaimed journalist and author, Fintan O'Toole argues Trump’s political power lies in projecting the “right amount of crazy”. Plus how to help an Afghan woman and her five daughters escape the Taliban. Guests: Fintan O'Toole, regular contributor to the Irish Times and advising editor to the New York Review of Books.Mij Tanith, playwright, teacher, refugee advocate and author of
Netanyahu faces a new opposition party, plus the lives of those liberated from the Nazi camp Bergen-Belsen
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu may come up against a rightwing-centrist super coalition in elections later this year, after two of his biggest political rivals - former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid - combined forces to form a new party. Plus, the Australian writer Nadia Wheatley's new book sheds light on the ordeals experienced by prisoners libera
Bruce Shapiro's USA, why community radio matters, and an historic Pitcairn Island document returned
Our regular US commentator looks at recent political attempts to use defamation law to silence American media. 2SER, a Sydney community radio station with a long history of training professional broadcasters, is under threat. And descendants of the Bounty mutineers, who lived on Pitcairn Island in the Pacific, crowdfunded to get an important document returned to them from London.
Anna Henderson's Canberra, Kim Jong Un's comeback and classical marble statues - in colour
Anna Henderson on the Japanese PM's visit and the tragedy of Kumanjayi Little Baby's death in Alice Springs. Plus 2020 wasn’t a good year for North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un - there were reports he was seriously ill, and speculation ran wild about his future. But nearly six years later, Kim has defied the doubters, exploiting global instability, drawing closer to both Pu
Australian writers celebrate David Malouf - friend, mentor, inspiration
David Malouf, who died last week at 92, was a hugely influential figure in Australian culture. A novelist, poet, teacher, arts advisor and board member, 'Boyer lecturer, and enormously generous mentor to many other writers. His friends and peers pay tribute.Guests: Peter Goldsworthy, Adelaide-based poetNicholas Jose, Adelaide-based novelistKate Grenville, Melbourne-based novelist
Ian Dunt on the King's speech to Congress, plus the scandalous life of Dick Meagher
Ian Dunt looks at King Charles' address to US Congress and the subtle anti-Trump messages within it. Plus, a new biography details the life of Richard 'Dick' Meagher - a talented young Australian solicitor with political ambitions in Federation-era Australia, who was embroiled in scandal for his handling of a high-profile murder trial. For the rest of his life, Meagher worked to
Pakistan the negotiator, and reporting mass shootings
Why is Pakistan the new deal broker in the US-Iran war? And what do cryptocurrency and critical minerals deals have to do with their new-found role? And the ethics of media coverage of mass shootings, or attempted shootings, as with President Trump over the weekend.Guests: Dr Farzana Shaikh, Associate Fellow with the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, author of MAKING SENSE
How war fired up indigenous soldiers, and Japanese espionage - fact or fiction?
Indigenous soldiers who fought in WW felt betrayed when they returned, then formed the first radical Aboriginal political organisation. And, before the Pacific War, Australia had a strong business relationship with Japan. But were there spies in the mix? Guests:John Maynard, historian, author, Emeritus Professor at Newcastle University. Contributor to the book ‘Challenging Anzac:
Who are the British elite today? Plus, memories of polio in postwar Australia
How the British elite see themselves is not what the data reveals. An historian of medicine, who's mother had polio, is revisiting the experiences of polio for thousands of people, via archival records. And a brief tribute to the Australian writer David Malouf.Guests:Professor Sam Friedman, a sociologist of class and inequality at the London School of EconomicsProfessor Catharine
NZ PM's leadership struggle, and the Weintraubs Syncopators' sad end
New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon survives a no confidence vote, but how long can he hang on to the leadership? Plus why the Musician's Union of Australia put an end to the career of popular 1930's Jewish jazz band, The Weintraubs' Syncopators.Guests: Henry Cooke, Deputy political editor, The Post, based in WellingtonAlbrecht Duemling, historian and author of From Berlin to Sydney
Bruce Shapiro's USA, Chernobyl's wildlife thriving and the great convict escape on the Catalpa
Trump contemplates his next move on Iran as the ceasefire deadline looms, while at home his administration is dealing with yet more scandal, this time in the FBI. 40 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Exclusion Zone has become a thriving wildlife refuge. Plus the story of Australians most daring convict escape on the whaling ship Catalpa, which sailed from America t
Anna Henderson's Canberra, how best to commemorate war, plus Lake Eyre tourists need fuel
Our regular Canberra correspondent on the latest polling, and Independent David Pocock's new focus on taxing gas. Historian Peter Stanley argues for a new way to do war commemoration, and the spectacle of a flooded Lake Eyre/Kathi-Thanda is alluring, but fuel anxiety may limit the number of visitors. GuestsAnna Henderson, SBS chief political correspondentPeter Stanley, former Aus
A Jewish Australian lawyer reckons with state violence. Plus, can corporate scandals be good for the world?
The Melbourne legal scholar Marika Sosnowski spent many years researching violence and the law in Syria. Now she reckons with her own family's proximity to state violence in 1950s Palestine. Plus, it's easy to be cynical about the impunity of corporations that commit great financial crimes. But political scientist Pepper Culpepper thinks that, in the long run, corporate scandals
Ian Dunt's UK, the Colombo plan, and AI publishing scams
Ian Dunt examines what Viktor Orban's loss in Hungary means for the EU and looks at questions around Donald Trump's mental capacity. There once was a plan that brought disparate countries together, to work for their common good, in Asia and the Pacific. And an author and scholar has been getting some very flattering emails from 'people' keen to promote his books.Guests: Ian Dunt,
Jon Lee Anderson on Trump's Cuba threats, plus how chokepoints like Hormuz have shaped history
Cuba's leader is defiant in the face of the country's worst humanitarian crisis in decades, while President Trump hints at inflicting more pain. And the Strait of Hormuz is the latest of many maritime chokepoints which, in the past, have destroyed or saved civilisations. Guests:Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer with The New YorkerDamien Valdez, historian from the University
Australia's fuel import dependency, gay conservatives backing Trump, plus damaged treasures in Iran
Professor Mark Kenny reflects on Australia's record fuel price hike and the Australian government's unfolding response. We meet the Log Cabin Republicans, a prominent organisation of gay conservatives that continues to support US President Donald Trump. Plus, amid reports of damage to cultural heritage sites in Iran, Australian archaeologist John Tidmarsh reflects on the beauty o
The making of poet A.D. Hope, Australian literary giant
Alec Derwent Hope (1907–2000) was one of Australia's most acclaimed poets. His first collection was not published until he was 48 years old, but its release cemented his reputation as the pre-eminent Australian poet of his time. The literary scholar Susan Lever knew Hope, and has written the first biography of his life - from rural Tasmania, to the halls of Oxford, and the height
Sebastian Smee on being laid off by the Washington Post, plus the secret life of famous author Daniel Defoe
Pulitzer prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee, recently laid off by Jeff Bezos's Washington Post, looks at the state of the arts in Trump's America., Plus, the story of Daniel Defoe's secret life as a spy, against Scottish independence, in the early 1700s, before he became the author of the famous 'Robinson Crusoe'.Guests:Sebastian Smee, writer and art critic, formerly with Th
Bruce Shapiro's USA, antibiotic resistance in India, plus Marralwanga's bark paintings
Bruce Shaprio on the US President's latest ultimatum for Iran. Prof.Assa Doron reveals how India has become the global epicentre for the world's antibiotic resistance problem. And anthropologist Luke Taylor celebrates the artistic legacy of the late Peter Marralwanga, the master bark painter of West Arnhem Land. Bruce Shapiro, Executive Director at the Global Centre for Journali
Henry Reynolds turns Australian history upside down
The writing of Australian history has tended to focus on the south-eastern corner of the continent, but the story of colonisation north of the Tropic of Capricorn paints a vastly different picture of this country, its people, politics and ambitions. Guest: Henry Reynolds, historian and author of Looking from the North: Australian History from the Top Down
Robert Reich's America, plus ten years since the release of the Panama papers
In his new memoir, Former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, Robert Reich, traces how the Democrats lost the working class and paved the way for Donald Trump. Plus ten years on since the release of the Panama Papers, has anything changed in the global financial system?
Ian Dunt's UK, and the Shahs and Ayatollahs of Iran
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his plan to address fuel prices. And 'The Shah's party, and the Iranian revolution that followed'. Bob Templer on how Iran's recent history explains the deep divisions and violence that occurred in February, leading to the current war. Guests: Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL commentatorRobert Templar, author of 'The Shah's last p
Western Australia's GST wins, Israel death penalty for West Bank, and mapping the wilderness
The only Australian state with a budget surplus will get an extra $6.6 billion from Australian taxpayers in the coming financial year, under its special GST deal. Israel's parliament has passed a law that makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who have been found guilty of killing Israelis. Australia's wilderness has just been ma
Anna Henderson's Canberra, Ash Sarkar critques the modern Left, and should daylight savings be permanent?
The Australian government will halve the fuel excise for three months, as the energy crisis triggered by the Iran war looks set to drag on. UK journalist, commentator and self-identified communist Ash Sarkar offers her critique of the modern liberal-Left, and its tendency to fall into culture war traps that do not serve people's material needs. Plus, why has the Canadian province
The struggle to get aid into the Middle East, plus a great Australian librarian retires
Millions have been made homeless by wars in the Middle East, but with access severely limited, humanitarian agencies are struggling to get aid into the region. Plus, the National Library of Australia's departing General-Director Marie-Louise Ayres reflects on a decades-long career at this cherished public institution, where she's overseen the digitisation of millions of precious
Bruce Shapiro's USA, Trump’s business in the Gulf, plus the Museum of Failure
Bruce Shapiro on whether Trump now looking for a way-out of the war in Iran, and why the Pentagon has lost its defence of media shut-out rules. Plus the New York Times has investigated Donald Trump’s private business footprint in the Gulf, and found luxury real estate, golf courses, and high-profile partnerships. And why we should celebrate failure. Guests:Bruce Shapiro, contrib
Anna Henderson's Canberra, a tribute to Rhoda Roberts, and making floristry more sustainable
The South Australian election result has got the major parties elsewhere scrambling to understand what the One Nation phenomenon means for them. In tribute to the late Rhoda Roberts, we replay an interview she did with David Marr on the 'Welcome to country' backlash. Plus the downsides of pretty flowers, and what the industry is doing to clean up its act.
Guns and God in the USA, plus fresh scrutiny on weedkiller Roundup
Journalist and author William J. Kole examines how white evangelicals in the United States have fused the gospel and guns - and are standing in the way of reasonable restrictions on firearms. Plus, fresh scrutiny on the makers of the herbicide Roundup - and the widely-cited research used as evidence of its safety.Guests:William J. Kole, journalist and author of In Guns We Trust -
Please explain: Niki Savva, Paul Kelly and Antony Green on the resurgence of Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson rose from Ipswich City Council in 1994, to win the federal seat of Oxley in 1996, as a disendorsed Liberal turned independent. Her maiden speech ignited national controversy, and after just two years in Canberra, and a string of failed comebacks, she’s now back at the centre of Australian politics — with One Nation now polling at 24% of the primary vote (Resolve St
Ian Dunt's UK, Geoffrey Watson finds the NACC wanting and the power of presidential pardons
Ian Dunt on why UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to be drawn into the "wider war" in the Middle East. Geoffrey Watson reflects on the findings of the National Anti-Corruption Commission into Robodebt - and finds them wanting. And why a law professor thinks the power of presidential pardons in the USA should be curtailed.Guests: Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL
The new Nationals' front bench, where Saudi Arabia sits in the Middle East war, and meet veteran protestor Mag Merrilees
Our regular Canberra correspondent Anna Henderson on the new-look Nationals. Saudi Arabia is playing a quiet hand so far in the war. And a longtime radical feminist reflects on the need to keep protesting.Guests:Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBSSimon Mabon, Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University, specialising in Saudi-Iranian relationsMargar
Acclaimed historian and author Antony Beevor on Rasputin, and Elon Musk's facilitation of making fake porn with unauthorised images
The so-called 'mad monk' Rasputin bewitched Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. But their strange and scandalous relationship conceals a riddle, which casts an intriguing light on the controversial 'great man' theory of history. And, in a push to deepen engagement with Grok, the chatbot on the X platform, Elon Musk allowed AI to generate porn from public images of people, i
Funding Australian TV, and conspiracy theories in Irish politics
Australian TV now has to compete with social media, on-demand streaming, and, soon, AI. Our government supports the industry, but the amount of Australian TV being made has continued to drop. What can be done to keep Australian stories on screen? Plus: why do the Irish have such pervasive belief in conspiracy theories?
Bruce Shapiro's USA, Christian rhetoric in the US military, and Vanuatu's lost numbering system
Donald Trump's war in Iran is certainly taking the world's attention away from the scandals of his administration, including the firing of former Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, and the latest allegations about Trump in the Epstein files. Speaking of the US military, what role does Christian nationalism play in the most lethal military in the world? Any role is too m
Anna Henderson's Canberra, Economist journalist Sophie Pedder on President Macron's support for Lebanon, and why the power of the mafia - in multiple cultures - still prevails.
Our Canberra correspondent on Australia's delicate positioning with the Middle East War. Why the French President is passionately arguing for no further attacks on Lebanon. And the mafia, even after all these years, still holds sway in Japan, the US, and Italy.
Yanis Varoufakis on war and drugs, and 200 years of the State Library of NSW
Yanis Varoufakis, the firebrand economist and former Greek Minister of Finance, joins David for a talk about the Iran war, Trump's tariffs and the new drug charges against him. Plus how our oldest library has been reflecting us for 200 years. The Mitchell Librarian, Richard Neville, talks about the living collection under his care.
