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
The failed promise of lab-grown meat, plus digging up the campsites of Queensland's Native Mounted Police
By now lab-grown meat was supposed to be a tasty, affordable, ethical food option, reducing the harms of industrial livestock farming. But these hi-tech ventures have failed to deliver on the hype. Plus, revelations from archaeological work at the old campsites of Queensland's notorious Native Mounted Police.Guests: Erin Somers, writer, essayist, critic and novelist. Author of 'W
When corporations harm, who pays? Plus, the man that looted Cambodia
Corporations can cause enormous harm, yet the law often struggles to hold them to account. Law professor Penny Crofts argues that horror helps us understand the scale of corporate wrongdoing. Plus how a British art dealer looted Cambodia’s ancient treasures during the Khmer Rouge era, and sold them to the world’s most prestigious museums and collectors.Guests:Penny Crofts, Profes
Ian Dunt's UK, and the radical life of writer Lesbia Harford
There's been a big Tory reshuffle, a bloody one. Our UK politics commentator Ian Dunt analyses what's behind it. And Jeff Sparrow on the radical, socialist, unionist life of Australian poet and writer Lesbia Harford. Guests: Ian Dunt, columnist with i-news; co-host of the Origin Story podcastJeff Sparrow, journalist, writer, editor, author of the biography 'Somewhere Here the Fut
Anna Henderson's Canberra, separatists in Canada, plus how GPS really works
Anna Henderson looks at One Nation's historic win in Western Australia, securing its first lower house seat in the state. In oil-rich Alberta, a growing separatist movement is asking a once unthinkable question: should the province leave Canada and become an independent country? Plus, how GPS (Global Positioning System) now underwrites everything from rideshares to traffic light
How the US became a country for old men, plus the extraordinary encounters of a 1900s cattle station girl
Yale Professor Samuel Moyn argues that the old in the United States have hoarded wealth and power, and that something needs to give. Plus, Australian historian Tom Griffiths corroborates the extraordinary encounters of a 1900s white cattle station girl, Alice Duncan-Kemp, who learned from Indigenous Mithaka people in outback Queensland. Guests:Samuel Moyn, Professor of Law and Hi
Simon Sebag Montefiore on the making of the modern Middle East
Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore traces 125 years of war, revolution, upheaval and revival in the Middle East. From the final days of the Ottoman Empire to to the current Iran-US conflict, Simon's new book The Cauldron examines the forces, characters and calamities that have shaped the region.Guest: Simon Sebag Montefiore, writer and historianProducer: Ali Benton
Bruce Shapiro's USA, who's supplying weapons to Sudan, plus the first camera in Australia
Bruce Shapiro asks if US President Donald Trump has betrayed American cattle farmers, after he eased tariffs on foreign beef. Australia sells weapons to the United Arab Emirates, but could those weapons be ending up in Sudan? Plus, the story of the first camera that made it to colonial Australia in May 1841. Guests:Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor for The Nation, executive dire
Anna Henderson's Canberra, the Israeli ambassador on Zomi Frankcom, plus the music in our names
One Nation is mopping up after new MP David Farley's 'rookie mistake' on his party's net migration target. Veteran Jerusalem correspondent examines the work of the Israeli ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman, after an IDF report found that no one would be held criminally liable for the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues in Gaza in 2024. Plus, compos
John Cameron Mitchell wants kids to be more punk, plus an apartheid 'native' hospital in Australia
John Cameron Mitchell, American actor, playwright, and film director, directed some of the more outrageous movies of the 2000s, like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Shortbus. He argues that punk is as relevant than ever, and it is much more than a look. Plus, in the first half of the 20th century, up on the far north coast of WA, Wyndham Native Hospital incarcerated and treated Ab
Is a classless society impossible? Plus, fresh dirt on the Cambridge Five spies
German philosopher Hanno Sauer argues that class hierarchies are a permanent feature of human societies. So if true equality is elusive, how do we live with class? Plus new revelations on the Cambridge Five - the young men who spied against Britain from the 1930s to the 1950s. Guests: Hanno Sauer, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy & Religious S
Ian Dunt's UK, the KPMG scandal, plus 500 years of nightlife
Our regular UK correspondent on the death of former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday. An accounting and ethics expert who has been following the KPMG case explains why some of the firm's activities are so controversial. And 'going out' - a colourful romp through the many ways that many cultures enjoy night life.Guests: Ian Dunt, columnist with i-news; co-host of the Origin Story p
Anna Henderson's Canberra, Jordan stuck in the crosshairs of war, plus Gina Rinehart and the press
Political correspondent Anna Henderson surveys a busy sitting week, with the government eager to pass NDIS reforms. The Kingdom of Jordan, a neighbour of Israel, is trying to stay neutral in the Middle East war, but is caught between the US and Iran. And a look at how mining magnate Gina Rinehart attempts to control her public image. Guests: Anna Henderson, chief political corres
Inside the world of sovereign citizens, plus the magic of night music
Sovereign citizens believe they’ve discovered a hidden legal system that can set them free from the state. The new book Outlawed explores the strange world of pseudolaw, and what its rise tells us about trust, power and the law. Plus Late Night Live looks at the abiding popularity of calming 'night' music to help people sleep, and how 19th century composers like John Field, Chopi
James Baldwin: The loves that shaped a literary giant
James Baldwin’s writing was inseparable from the people he loved, mentored and collaborated with. A new biography explores the intimate relationships that shaped his novels, essays and plays, and his role in Black and queer literary history.From Harlem and Paris, to Istanbul and the American South, it reveals the private life behind one of the 20th century’s most influential writ
Bruce Shapiro's USA, Marwan Barghouti to run for Palestinian president, plus a lost cantata rediscovered
Bruce Shapiro looks at the fight inside the Democrats between emerging populists and a conservative group called The Third Way. Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti's son talks about his father plans to run for president of the Palestinian Authority, from jail. Plus how an Australian harpsichord player discovered a three-hundred-year-old cantata by a Venetian contempor
Anna Henderson's Canberra, the Mecca defence pact, and the history of punctuation
PM Albanese and Opposition Leader AngusTaylor are doing a deal on gambling. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have just signed a new NATO-like defence pact which commits each country to respond in the event of an attack on the other. So what are the implications for the Gulf conflict? Plus, from hieroglyphs to hashtags, the hidden history of punctuation and the tiny marks that
Peter Garrett on AUKUS, plus Australia's sugar slaves
Peter Garrent discusses the testimonies being presented at the crowdfunded AUKUS public inquiry which has so far recieved over 500 submissions, and heard from former PMs and ministers. Plus decades after Britain abolished slavery in its colonies, Australia was using Pacific island workers to harvest sugar, with many essentially held captive.Guests:Peter Garrett, Lead Commissioner
Bernard Keane on Australia's opportunities, plus how wine shaped civilisation
In his new book, Crikey’s political editor, Bernard Keane, turns his eye not just to where Australia has gone wrong, but to how we can best position ourselves to navigate the triple threat of Trump, China and AI. Plus the eight thousand year history of wine - from Georgia to the present day.Guests: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey, and author of ‘Seize the Moment - Austral
Ian Dunt's UK, boycotting The Odyssey, and the last cats of Kangaroo Island
Ian Dunt on Nigel Farage's planned 'Operation Fortress', stopping all illegal boats. The Odyssey film-makers caused offence in an indigenous-owned region that Morocco claims as its own. And the push to rid Kangaroo Island of cats, both feral and pet.Guests: Ian Dunt, columnist with i-news, co-host of Origin Story podcastSarah Yerkes, North Africa specialist and senior fellow with
Anna Henderson at Garma, reunifying Cyprus, plus the last butterfly collectors
Anna Henderson recaps an eventful Garma festival in Arnhem Land, which included a blistering speech from Noel Pearson. Is there hope for a reunified Cyprus, amid planned UN talks? Plus, why butterfly collectors are a dying breed.Guests:Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBSDr. Erol Kaymak, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Eastern Mediterrane
Encore: Oscar Wilde's grandson on the scandal that ruined him
The famous writer Oscar Wilde died alone in a French hotel in 1900. Since that time, so much has been written about the man - much of it rumour and speculation. In his new book, 'After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal', Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland sets the record straight. The book is thirty years in the making and is an exploration of Wilde’s posthumous reputation and ho
Russia's far-right bikies, plus the afterlives of Sarah Baartman
Established in Moscow in 1989, the 'Night Wolves' motorcycle club continues to operate as a powerful propaganda arm of the Putin regime. Plus, the writer Sisonke Msimang defends the legacy of Sarah "Saartjie" Baartman, the African woman trafficked through early 19th Century Europe as a 'freak show' spectacle. Guests:Dr Olga Boichak, Senior Lecturer in digital cultures, Sydney Uni
Bruce Shapiro's USA, controversial weed killer Paraquat, and curly questions in the Census
Our regular US commentator, Bruce Shapiro, looks at how President Trump is caught between pressure at home to get out of the Iran war, and pressure from Israel to stay in it. Plus why use of the agricultural weed killer Paraquat has just been allowed to continue in Australia, despite being banned in many other countries. And this year's Census is getting more personal. Guests: B
Anna Henderson's Canberra, how tech is transforming warfare, and the dark side of Route 66
Anna Henderson on Pauline Hanson's discrimination court loss, and Labor rejecting Ed Husic's genocide motion at their national conference. How technology is transforming modern warfare and creating a new global arms race. Plus, one hundred years on, LNL looks at the dark side of Route 66. Guests: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club D
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
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