Podcasts by Please Explain

Death threats, an angry prime minister and corrupt politicians: Kate McClymont on her career in journalism (bonus episode) from 2023-11-24T01:07:16

Kate McClymont has been one of the most respected figures in Australian journalism for more than three decades. Her fearless investigative reporting has held the powerful to account and uncovere...

Inside Politics: How the Israel-Hamas war is dividing Australian politics from 2023-11-23T18:01

This week, a hostage exchange deal was brokered between Israel and Hamas. In Australia, we saw divisive protests over the Middle East conflict, and a strong political backlash from those protest...

Will Gladys Berejiklian be Optus’ next CEO? from 2023-11-22T18:01

When Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigned as the CEO of Optus, earlier this week, it wasn’t a surprise. This came only days after Optus unleashed one of the worst ever telecommunications outages in our...

Australia’s connected to three wars, but only one of them will be measured in decades from 2023-11-21T18:01

Three different wars are being fought across the world right now. And Australia is connected to each one of them.

Each war threatens our security, and it’s arguably the first time we’ve b...

The cold case that reached Canberra, Part 2: Moses Kellie from 2023-11-20T09:00

This is a story of two men from vastly different backgrounds whose lives and deaths would see no justice and reveal bigger questions about the institutions that underpin Australian society.

The cold case that reached Canberra, Part 1: Anthony Cawsey from 2023-11-19T09:00

In this two-part series, we look at a police investigation into a Sydney murder from 2009 – and what came next.

Through interviews with dozens of insiders and hundreds of documents – we l...

The Drop: The Killer is a stylish, thrilling hit. Plus, Nathan Fielder is back with the wildest show of the year from 2023-11-17T18:01

David Fincher's The Killer is deservedly the most popular film on Netflix right now. Osman, Thomas and Mel unpack this stylish, cold-blooded thriller starring Michael Fassbender and dis...

Inside Politics: The ugly fight over immigration from 2023-11-16T18:01

This week the government rushed through legislation placing tough restrictions on more than 80 people who have now been released from indefinite immigration detention.

Those detainees wer...

David McBride trial: The latest on the war crimes whistleblower from 2023-11-15T18:01

It was big news at the time. In 2019, Australian Federal Police officers, wearing black suits and clutching briefcases, raided the ABC’s headquarters in Sydney before an array of journalists and...

Peter Hartcher on why Israel is winning the battle, but losing the war from 2023-11-14T18:01

We’re now more than five weeks into the war between Hamas and Israel, and time is not on Israel’s side. At least in the realm of public opinion.

As more and more people around the world c...

The Optus outage: What not to do in a crisis from 2023-11-13T18:01

Last week, 10 million Optus customers woke to no phone or internet coverage. 

And then the problems dominoed from there.

Melbourne’s entire train network came to a screeching halt,...

A UN expert on why Israel cannot invoke the right to self-defence from 2023-11-12T18:01

Will there ever be peace in the middle east? And if so, how can it be accomplished? This is one of the great questions of our time. Multiple, deadly wars have been fought to try and achieve last...

Inside Politics: Spectacle aside, has Albanese thawed China's deep freeze? from 2023-11-09T18:01

This week Anthony Albanese completed his first visit to China as prime minister - the first official top-level visit in about seven years.

Greeting Albanese in the Great Hall of the Peopl...

‘Terror alone can kill you’: Life in Gaza now from 2023-11-08T18:01

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will retain "security responsibility" for Gaza, once the fighting stops.

But when will that be? The war with Hamas is now in its ...

Peter Hartcher on Australia’s reliance on Chinese trade from 2023-11-07T18:01

When Anthony Albanese visited Beijing over the weekend, it was a victory lap, according to some commentators. This was the first visit from an Australian Prime Minister to China in seven years. ...

How Elon Musk changed X — and what he plans to do with it from 2023-11-06T18:01

It was the deal of a century. Because, when Elon Musk finally bought Twitter for a whopping $44 billion a year ago - and this came only after months of drama, and waffling, and a lawsuit - it us...

What happens now in the deadly mushrooms case from 2023-11-05T18:01

It was the quiet country lunch that ended with three people dead, and the town’s pastor fighting for his life after police suspect the food they ate was laced with death cap mushrooms.

La...

The Drop: The Hasan Minhaj controversy, Netflix’s OneFour doco, and a new fine-dining TV drama from 2023-11-03T18:01

They say never let the truth get in the way of a good story, but what about a funny joke? Following on from the New Yorker’s allegations that comedian Hasan Minhaj fabricated stories in his Netf...

Inside Politics: Why Albanese's first China trip will be a balancing act from 2023-11-02T18:01

On Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will touch down in Beijing for an official visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It’s the first time in six years that an Austral...

How Palestinians and Israelis are viewing this moment from 2023-11-01T18:01

Over the last few days, the war between Israel and Hamas has entered a new stage. The Israeli Defence Force has sent tanks, and troops, into Gaza. At the same time, rage, over civilian deaths, i...

Peter Hartcher on Australia’s global power move from 2023-10-31T18:01

Decades ago, the idea that American political leaders might care about what Australia does, or doesn’t do, with its foreign policy decisions was laughable. In fact, former American secretary of ...

The murder of Lilie James and the conversation we can't keep having from 2023-10-30T18:01

Last week, Lilie James, a water polo coach at an elite school in Sydney, was found dead. Her death sent shock waves not just through her school community, but across Australia. 

In part, ...

This year will likely be the hottest in 100,000 years from 2023-10-29T18:01

Many of us know that the last year has been calamitous. We know this from our own visceral experience - the unseasonably warm days in winter and even in spring, that tell us that the climate has...

Inside Politics: Albanese goes to Washington from 2023-10-26T18:01

This week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to Washington, DC, for meetings with US President Joe Biden.

Top of the agenda for discussion was the AUKUS submarines deal. Albanese a...

The models boycotting Melbourne Fashion Week from 2023-10-25T18:01

For years, we’ve been hearing about how the Australian fashion industry has changed. How it’s increasingly embracing diversity, in magazine shoots and on the runway. 

But behind the scene...

Peter Hartcher on what history can tell us about what's next for Gaza from 2023-10-24T18:01

It’s been nearly three weeks since Hamas launched its bloody attack on Israel. And a ground invasion of Gaza is “inevitable”, the Israeli Defence Force said the other day,  unless Hamas surrende...

Should electric vehicle owners pay tax like everyone else? from 2023-10-22T18:01

Last week, a High Court ruling sent many state governments into a tailspin.

It was Victoria that was rapped on the knuckles, legally, after the court ruled that a tax it imposed on users ...

Donald Trump, an Australian billionaire and the secret tapes from 2023-10-22T18:01

Anthony Pratt, one of Australia’s richest men, was once given advice by the boxing champion Muhammad Ali. If you get in a fight  - run. But now, Anthony Pratt might not have that chance.

...

The Drop: Why Killers of the Flower Moon is Martin Scorcese's most important film from 2023-10-20T18:01

From Goodfellas to Taxi Driver, The Wolf of Wall Street to The Departed, Martin Scorcese has made some of the biggest and best films in Hollywood history. But his late...

Inside Politics: After the referendum and amid a war, it's not a normal week in politics from 2023-10-19T18:01

Politics this week was dominated by the aftermath of, and the fallout from, the contentious referendum on the Voice. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced pressure from the Opposition to explain...

Israel's 'devilish' choice: What an army expert says about rescuing the hostages from 2023-10-18T18:01

It is, say many, the most complicated hostage-taking situation in recent memory.

When Hamas first attacked Israel nearly two weeks ago, it took what was believed to be around 100 hostages...

Peter Hartcher on why Israel needs to show restraint, and what happens if it doesn't from 2023-10-17T18:01

It’s now 11 days since Israel began bombing Gaza, in retaliation for the gruesome attack on Israel by Hamas.

Until recently, Israel’s allies have been reluctant to call on the country to ...

What an Israeli ground offensive will mean for Gaza from 2023-10-16T18:01

The Israeli Defence Force is preparing to invade the Gaza strip, and attack by “air, sea and land.”

This comes days after the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched an unprecedented ...

The Voice failed in under 90 minutes, but it’s been failing in slow motion all year from 2023-10-15T05:31:37

The Australian people have spoken. They do not want an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to parliament enshrined in our constitution.

But how did we come to this result? Were ou...

Inside Politics: Is Australia really prepared for the outcome of the Voice referendum? from 2023-10-12T18:01

Tomorrow, Australia will decide the fate of the Voice to parliament, when we turn out to vote in the historic referendum on Indigenous recognition. All the polling shows that the Voice referendu...

'A constant state of panic and fear': The fight to stamp out gay conversion therapy in Australia from 2023-10-11T18:01

It is a practice that some people say has ruined their lives. For others, it has led to long-lasting mental and physical anguish. So why is gay conversion therapy banned in some states of Austra...

Why this Israel-Hamas war is different, and what’s next from 2023-10-10T18:01

Over the weekend, the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, achieved what no one thought was possible. 

Under the cover of a hail of thousands of deadly missiles that overwhelmed Israel’s va...

Revealed: The key reasons Australians are voting No on the Voice from 2023-10-09T18:01

Just days away from one of the most significant referenda on the rights and recognition of Australia’s Indigenous people, new polling is still showing the proposal is heading for a defeat.

Australia’s energy debate is going nuclear from 2023-10-08T18:01

When many of us think about nuclear energy, disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima naturally come to mind.

But now, some of our most powerful politicians are arguing that nuclear energ...

The Drop: 'Beckham', the problem with celebrity docos, and a hidden prestige TV gem from 2023-10-06T18:01

Netflix's latest blockbuster sports documentary, directed by Succession's Fisher Stevens, is about the life and career of David Beckham, and his relationship with Victoria (aka Posh Spi...

Inside Politics: Was Peter Dutton as tough on borders as he seemed? from 2023-10-05T18:01

On Wednesday, the Albanese government announced the biggest reforms to Australia's visa system in more than a decade.

The government crackdown will see $50 million spent on tougher compli...

What Australia's history of failed referendums says about us from 2023-10-04T18:01

This week, early voting began for the Voice to parliament referendum at centres across the country.

Support for an Indigenous voice to parliament seems to have been in a steady decline si...

Why the US is abandoning Ukraine from 2023-10-03T19:00

Over the weekend, the American government narrowly avoided - by only a matter of minutes - a total shut-down. This might not be uncommon these days. It’s happened numerous times over the last de...

What Anthony Albanese’s COVID inquiry won’t tell you, but a new book will from 2023-10-02T18:01

Ever since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a long-anticipated inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, accusations about it have ricocheted across the nation.

Why aren’t the state an...

How an assassination triggered a stand-off between two of Australia’s closest allies from 2023-10-01T18:01

For the last couple of weeks, the relationship between India and Canada has been crumbling, with each government lobbing extraordinary accusations against the other. They claim acts of espionage...

The Drop: How Taylor Swift conquered... everything from 2023-09-29T19:01

Taylor Swift has already dominated the cultural conversation in 2023 and now she's turning her attention to professional sports, with a surprise appearance at an NFL match leading to a global me...

Inside Politics: The end of the most powerful man in Canberra? from 2023-09-28T19:01

Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo became widely known this week when The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes published a cache of text messages between him and a fo...

Has Rupert Murdoch chosen the right successor? from 2023-09-27T19:01

Rupert Murdoch has long been more than simply an uber-wealthy media magnate. As the owner of influential outlets like Fox News and a global stable of newspapers, he has helped put presidents in ...

Why did Daniel Andrews resign early, and what’s next for Victoria? from 2023-09-26T19:01

Yesterday Daniel Andrews announced his resignation as the Victorian premier. This was a snap declaration, made in a press conference outside the Victorian state parliament, and was organised onl...

How bad will the bushfires be this year? from 2023-09-25T19:01

The Climate Council already warned us in February that Australia was “primed to burn” this summer. 

But just how bad are things likely to get in NSW and Victoria? Are we likely to see a r...

How a top public servant used WhatsApp to reshape governments from 2023-09-24T19:01

For months our newspapers have been laying out the operational failures in the federal Department of Home Affairs. 

Now, an exclusive investigation conducted by The Age, The Sydney Mornin...

The Drop: The Russell Brand allegations and the cult of celebrity from 2023-09-22T19:01

A years long investigation into Russell Brand has seen the actor, comedian and controversial commentator accused of sexual assault by multiple women. Brand denies the allegations, but this week ...

Inside Politics: Win or lose, what comes after the Voice? from 2023-09-21T19:01

The countdown to the Voice referendum is on - it is only three weeks away this Saturday. This week we saw a fragmentation of the No campaign with a dispute over the issue of treaty, as well as a...

Could Hunter Biden be Joe Biden’s undoing? from 2023-09-20T19:01

For four years now, Joe Biden has had a niggling problem that has threatened his ability to function as president.  

Since 2019, there have been rumours floating around that his son, Hunt...

Peter Hartcher on what Australia stands to lose in the Pacific from 2023-09-19T19:01

A number of Pacific Island nations, which sit right on our doorstep, are dangerously close to slipping into the oceans, as they continue to rise. 

In response, a number of their governmen...

Claw and order: Are cats villains or victims in the war on feral animals? from 2023-09-18T19:01

Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate of any continent. And cats are high on the list of just who, or what is to blame.

Various politicians have been bemoaning this reality for y...

Could an unexpected group of delegates set Julian Assange free? from 2023-09-17T19:01

It’s been 17 years since Julian Assange created Wikileaks, the online publisher of classified documents that has changed politics forever. For eleven of those years, Assange has either been in h...

The Drop: Has Olivia Rodrigo really dropped the album of the year? Plus, celeb relationship chaos season is here from 2023-09-15T19:01

Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo is back with her second album Guts, and it’s receiving rave reviews. Osman, Thomas and Mel discuss reaction to the album, the drama surrounding it, and what it says ...

Inside Politics: Truth and lies in The Voice campaign from 2023-09-14T19:01

Dirty tactics and accusations of racism: after months of increasingly strident argument, this might have been the week that debate about the Voice referendum officially got nasty. 

On Tue...

Ross Gittins on how big businesses are enslaving us from 2023-09-13T19:01

Australians haven’t been shy in expressing their rage at Qantas, and the fact that the company made billions in profits over the last year, while it continues to leave them stranded and frustrat...

Peter Hartcher on why China wants more food. And why this is bad for the world. from 2023-09-12T19:00

We’ve been hearing, for a while now, about how China is making moves consistent with its intention to become a global power, to rival the United States. How it’s beefing up its military arsenal....

Voters continue to turn against the Voice – and Albanese along with it from 2023-09-11T19:01

We’re now less than five weeks away from the referendum on the Voice to parliament. But as a new and exclusive poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed yesterday, voters continue ...

The secret deals to privatise the sea from 2023-09-10T19:01

It’s a controversial new industry being built right under our noses. By a cast of characters who sound like they’re straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. We’re talking about deep-sea mining....

The Drop: From Kylie to Leo - everything to watch, listen to and read this spring from 2023-09-08T19:01

Osman, Thomas and Mel share what films, television, books and music they are most looking forward to over the next few months. From Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon to Olivia Rodrigo...

Inside Politics: A week is a long time when you're the Albanese government from 2023-09-07T19:01

It used to be one of Australia’s most beloved brands, synonymous with the national character, and what it means to come home…but now Qantas is the most complained-about company in Australia, and...

Peter Hartcher on the new world map that's causing an uproar from 2023-09-06T19:01

What happens when a global economic power spits the dummy? 

It has been a pertinent question ever since China decided to pull out of a number of upcoming and crucial global meetings. And ...

What the end of Alan Joyce means for Qantas from 2023-09-05T19:01

Today, Qantas’ outgoing boss Alan Joyce will leave the airline after 15 years at the helm. His tenure has been nothing if not dramatic.

Three years ago, he steered the company away from r...

For decades, China had a one-child policy. Now one man is paying women to have babies from 2023-09-04T19:01

For decades, we’ve read about China’s one-child policy, and the often traumatic impact it has had on the country’s citizens. Of the forced sterilisations, and babies abandoned in orphanages.

The bus ride that shaped a generation from 2023-09-03T19:01

Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally announced that the referendum on the Voice to parliament will be held on October 14. We are less than six weeks out until the referendum. And t...

The Drop: The wild story behind the No. 1 hit polarising the world from 2023-09-01T19:01

The biggest song in the world right now is Rich Men North of Richmond, a controversial country anthem. But is it's success really organic, or is it part of a right-wing plot to take ove...

Inside Politics: Will the Voice referendum succeed on an idea without the detail? from 2023-08-31T19:01

This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially revealed the date of the referendum on the Voice to Parliament - October 14.

Albanese gave a minimalist speech, focusing on what the ...

The prime minister, the Qantas boss, and an enraged public from 2023-08-30T19:01

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is, arguably, one of Australia’s most criticised executives. That his airline announced a record $2.47 billion in profits, over the last financial year, when so many Austra...

Why the moon is about to get busy from 2023-08-29T19:01

We’re in the midst of a new space race. A week and a half ago, Russia and India were in a neck-and-neck race to reach the moon.Then Russia’s spacecraft crashed. Four days later, in a moment that...

'Hunting Traitors to the ends of the earth': Vladimir Putin and the Wagner crash from 2023-08-28T19:01

Over the weekend we finally received confirmation that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner boss, is dead. 

It comes days after speculation ran rife about whether the warlord had indeed been in ...

The curious tale of the British Museum's disappearing collection from 2023-08-27T19:01

Who robbed the British Museum? And how did they get away with it for so long? The news that the world’s largest, and arguably most prestigious, history museum was robbed made global headlines. Listen

The Drop: Twenty years ago, The O.C. changed television forever from 2023-08-25T19:01

Welcome back to The O.C. b—ch! It's been twenty years since The O.C. hit screens and the time has come to revisit Newport, California.

On this episode of The Drop Osman,...

Inside Politics: This is a snapshot of Australia in 2060. And it’s terrifying from 2023-08-24T19:01

An ageing population, declining living standards, and a climate that is getting hellishly hot - these are just some the bleak takeaways from Australia’s latest Intergenerational Report.

A...

Pretty much everywhere, it’s gonna be hot from 2023-08-23T19:01

You might have forgotten it's still winter.

It was 24 degrees and sunny in Sydney earlier this week. In Melbourne, the forecast for tomorrow is 20 degrees.

We are living through so...

Can Australia avoid a war by preparing for one? from 2023-08-22T19:01

How can Australia avoid being dragged into a war with China? Is building up our own military the best way to manage what is, diplomatically speaking, a relationship with a “frenemy”? And not jus...

Why are thousands of students enrolled in college, but not studying? from 2023-08-21T19:01

They stand largely empty, hiding in plain sight, their little-used classrooms scattered through office buildings in cities across the country. In the exploding foreign education industry, they c...

An enemy of Putin speaks from his jail cell from 2023-08-20T19:01

What happens, on a visceral level, if you defy Vladimir Putin?

In his first Australian media interview from prison since being jailed last year, one of Russia’s most high profile dissiden...

Inside Politics: Labor’s big day out from 2023-08-17T19:01

Today, Labor’s national conference officially begins. Held in Brisbane over two days, it’s Labor’s first face-to-face national conference in five years.

Around 2000 Labor politicians, par...

Caroline Kennedy on Trump, Julian Assange and the threat of China from 2023-08-16T19:01

When JFK was assassinated in 1963, his ambition to be the first sitting American president to visit Australia died with him. 

But for the last year, his daughter, Caroline Kennedy, has se...

Matildas mania has swept Australia. Can they go all the way? from 2023-08-15T19:01

We are now firmly in the grip of Matildas mania. Close to 50,000 people were in the stands in Brisbane watching the team battle France on Saturday. More than 4.7 million people tuned in to watch...

'Attenzione pickpocket!': Viral do-gooder or racial profiler? from 2023-08-14T19:01

She’s the TikTok sensation nobody saw coming. Monica Poli, a middle-age Venetian woman, has racked up millions of views on social media, for videos in which she screams at local thieves, in orde...

Are you living in the most powerful state? from 2023-08-13T19:01

How powerful is the state that you live in? And does it matter? The answer might surprise you. Because wealth, population size and even a headline-grabbing premier aren’t what determine whether ...

The Drop: Asteroid City and the cult of Wes Anderson from 2023-08-11T19:01

Wes Anderson is back with his 11th feature film, the star-studded Asteroid City.

On this episode of The Drop, Osman, Thomas and Mel review the film, discuss how it compares to th...

Inside Politics: Labor comes to the party on renting, but is it enough? from 2023-08-10T19:01

After years and years - maybe even a lifetime of neglect by politicians - renters are finally getting noticed. 

This week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese brought his focus to renters, whe...

The mysterious mushroom deaths gripping the nation from 2023-08-09T20:00

Last week, a family sat down for a lunch in a small town in Victoria’s south-east. But that lunch would soon turn into a tragedy. 

Within a week, three of those people would be dead - and...

The wrecking ball of the Lehrmann-Higgins saga keeps swinging from 2023-08-08T19:01

It’s the case that wrecks the lives of everyone it touches and spawns a seemingly never-ending cascade of legal action.

Such is the reputational damage and emotional devastation that has ...

Can extinctions be reversed? from 2023-08-07T19:01

Australia has the highest extinction rate of mammals in the world. But what does this erasure actually do to us? It’s more profound than many of us realise. 

It’s not just that our countr...

The cocaine boom behind Sydney’s gang wars from 2023-08-06T19:01

Over the last couple of months, Sydney’s streets have been plagued by murder after murder.

They’re a byproduct of turf warfare, linked to the lucrative cocaine trade. We’ve seen this carn...

The Drop: Should we care about the Logies? Plus, The Bear's perfect final course from 2023-08-04T19:01

After one of the most controversial Logies in recent memory, Osman, Thomas and Mel discuss whether Australian TV's night-of-nights still matters, and what it tells us about the state of...

Inside Politics: Is Donald Trump going to jail? from 2023-08-03T19:01

On Tuesday, in the Federal District Court in Washington DC, special counsel Jack Smith filed an indictment against former US president Donald Trump, for his role in the violent aftermath of the ...

Is the US hiding evidence of discovered UFOs? from 2023-08-02T19:01

Is it possible that the United States government has been hiding evidence of discovered UFOs? And even biological matter of non-human origin that it has also found? These were the jaw-dropping c...

How long will prices keep going up? from 2022-04-21T03:27:11

Australian retailers have been warned to expect significant and continuous price rises from their suppliers as the war in Ukraine and fresh lockdowns in China batter the world’s supply chains. The...

Natural gas: hot air or the future of energy? from 2022-04-20T05:18:49

Natural gas has been touted as the wonder solution to many of Australia’s most complex challenges, from climate change to job creation to drought-proofing regional areas. Governments at the local ...

Who's to blame for Qantas' airport delays? from 2022-04-19T05:25:20

Last week, jet-setting Australians were greeted at the airport by long queues and longer delays, as a shortage of airline staff and an influx of travellers prompted chaos at the gates of major carr...

Election now too close to call as Labor loses lead from 2022-04-18T04:20:43

We’re one week down in the six-week election campaign and already voters have been treated to a range of gaffes, gotchas, and broken promises, with both leaders stumbling in their efforts to convin...

Religion and politics in the election from 2022-04-15T00:38:49

The intersection of religion and politics can be a perilious path for politicians. If you're perceived as too religious, you risk turning off voters who are not religious at all, if you aren't reli...

George Christensen joins One Nation from 2022-04-14T05:07:43

After announcing his retirement and quitting the party, the National Party’s George Christensen has revealed he will instead contest the election as a senate candidate for One Nation. Christensen ...

What happens if Russia deploys chemical weapons? from 2022-04-13T03:32:12

Yesterday, unconfirmed reports emerged that Russia had used chemical weapons in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol. The alarm was raised by Ukrainian soldiers who claimed a Russian drone flew...

Why Australia is running out of blood from 2022-04-12T04:28:13

If you’ve ever been in a hospital, an ambulance or other life-threatening situation, having a supply of blood on hand for a transfusion is something many of us may take for granted, or not even thi...

Polls suggest Labor victory within grasp from 2022-04-11T04:49:40

It’s been less than 24 hours since Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election but already battle lines have been drawn and fierce campaigning is underway. Both Morrison and his Labor counte...

Election 2022: What's in store from 2022-04-10T06:51:12

After months of unofficial campaigning Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called the election and Australia will head to the polls on May 21. The announcement gives the coalition six weeks to convi...

Kate McClymont explains why the disappearance of Melissa Caddick is so fascinating from 2022-04-08T05:04:48

The disappearance of Melissa Caddick, a seemingly successful businesswoman who built a Ponzi scheme that ripped off investors to the tune of 20 million dollars, is a missing persons case that has t...

War photographer Kate Geraghty on returning to Ukraine from 2022-04-07T04:31:40

Throughout the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been accused of directly targeting civilians like the bombing of hospitals, including the maternity hospital in Mariupol, and other places where civil...

Interest rates set to rise in June from 2022-04-06T04:37

Mortgage holders be warned. Financial markets are betting the Reserve Bank will lift interest rates in June. A statement released this week by Reserve Bank governor Phil Lowe has caused a shift in...

Election decks cleared as Coalition trails Labor in the polls from 2022-04-05T05:47:09

Exclusive polling conducted for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald shows Labor is ahead on 38 per cent of the primary vote to the Coalition’s 34 per cent. The poll also put Anthony Albanese nar...

PM denies racially vilifying Liberal Party competitor from 2022-04-04T04:47:26

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he’s prepared to sign a statutory declaration denying claims he racially vilified a Liberal Party competitor in a 2007 preselection battle. The allegations surfa...

'A failure of Australian diplomacy': China's security deal with the Solomons from 2022-04-01T04:38:34

A new security deal between Solomon Islands and China is causing consternation among neighbouring Pacific islands, including Australia and New Zealand. The deal is expected to allow Chinese navy s...

Outgoing Liberal senator unleashes on Scott Morrison from 2022-03-31T01:50

As Josh Frydenberg unveiled his pre-election budget for 2022 in the house of representatives on Tuesday night, in the senate Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was unleashing something of her own. The out...

Unpacking the pre-election federal budget from 2022-03-30T03:22:21

On Tuesday night, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down his fourth budget. He promised $8.6 billion in fuel tax cuts and cost of living payments, pushing budget repair into the future as both majo...

A slap heard around the world: 2022 Oscars descend into farce from 2022-03-29T04:09

It was the slap heard around the world, as Hollywood’s night of nights descended into farce. Will Smith leapt to the stage during the Oscars and struck Chris Rock in the face after Rock mocked the...

'Be here tomorrow': Push to cut suicide rate by 25 per cent from 2022-03-28T01:37

Mental Health Australia is calling on the federal government to set a national target to reduce the country’s suicide rate by 25 per cent in three years. It’s the leading cause of death for young ...

Behind the refugee deal with NZ from 2022-03-25T04:41:02

Nine years after the offer was first made, Australia has announced it will take up New Zealand’s offer to take 450 refugees over three years. Priority will be given to about 100 people still on Na...

'There's nothing romantic about war': covering the conflict in Ukraine from 2022-03-24T02:43:22

Earlier this month, thanks to the support of the Judith Neilson Institute, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald sent foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway and award winning photographer K...

The secret Australian origins of the world’s biggest crypto casino from 2022-03-23T05:02:19

In December last year, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald broke a story revealing the secret Australian origins of the world’s biggest online crypto casino stake.com. The journalist who broke t...

Gas and wind: government outlines its energy plans from 2022-03-22T03:33:28

The federal government has announced a $50 million boost to the gas industry, saying infrastructure and technology have to be boosted to stop power prices rising. The government’s continuing to pu...

The mental health toll the pandemic has had on young people from 2022-03-21T02:47

The pandemic has been tough on us all, but it’s taken a particular toll on young people. Exclusive polling for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has shown the depth of that toll, finding that ...

Reef catastrophe creating a political headache from 2022-03-18T04:27:31

A delegation from UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature will inspect the Great Barrier Reef on Monday to decide if its World Heritage status will be downgraded due to damage...

'I'm still shaken' court hears allegations of Roberts-Smith's war crimes from 2022-03-17T03:50:02

A defence force whistleblower who was a key SAS source in stories about Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has outed himself in court this week saying he needed to be a “voice from within”....

Why the price of everything is going up, except Tim Tams from 2022-03-16T03:22

Shoppers are being warned to brace for higher prices on supermarket shelves, from baked beans to bread to beer. The head of the Australian Retailers Association Paul Zahra says a ‘perfect storm’ o...

Australia launches legal action against Russia over MH17 deaths from 2022-03-15T03:27

Australia and the Netherlands have launched legal action against the Russian Federation over the downing of Malaysia flight MH17 in 2014, in a sharp escalation that confronts the Russian state rath...

Government pressured to cut fuel excise amid rising cost of living from 2022-03-14T03:48

The soaring cost of petrol and diesel has sparked called for the government fo cut its $20 billion fuel excise amid a political row over the cost of living. Prices have leapt to $2.20 a litre, wit...

History repeats: The Ukrainian Aussie forced to run from Nazis from 2022-03-11T02:58

The war in Ukraine that has seen towns and cities bombed has lead to a major humanitarian crisis with millions fleeing their homes. At least two million civilians have already left the country, wi...

The rare virus that is now an incident of national significance from 2022-03-10T02:15:24

Cases of a rare tropical disease called Japanese encephalitis has been discovered along Australia’s east coast in recent weeks. The disease is rarely fatal, however two people have died in Austral...

Is Australia becoming uninsurable? from 2022-03-09T04:51:08

As flood waters begin to recede in some areas of the eastern seaboard, insurers are already beginning to calculate the damage bill from these devastating floods. It’s already clear this will be th...

Shane Warne, Australia's spin king, is coming home from 2022-03-08T04:47

The body of spin king Shane Warne will be flown home from Bangkok as early as tomorrow, after he suffered a heart attack in Koh Samui on Friday night. Friends, family and Australians from all stri...

Could this be Australia’s biggest ever fraud? from 2022-03-07T04:55:47

A joint investigation between The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has exposed what is alleged to be one of Australia’s biggest frauds. Bill Papas, a former president of Sydney Olympi...

Vale Shane Warne from 2022-03-05T03:59

In a special episode of Please Explain, Nathanael Cooper is joined by The Age and SMH's chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig to discuss the legacy of the great Australian leg-spinner. Subscribe to ...

Beauty and love in times of hopelessness from 2022-03-04T03:09

Human stories of hope and resilience are emerging amid the chaos wrought by Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.One of them is the love story of Yaryna Arieva and Svyatoslav Fursin. The couple married ...

Cashed-up consumers keep the economy afloat from 2022-03-03T02:59

A consumer-led spending surge after last year’s Delta-lockdowns has recouped all of the economy’s coronavirus losses, according to the latest national accounts figures. The Australian economy expa...

Will economic sanctions stop Russia? from 2022-03-02T04:11:19

As Russian troops continue to attack the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed on Russia are coming into question. In a joint statement over the weekend, the US,...

Stranded in Lismore - floods leave towns to save themselves from 2022-03-01T04:37:23

The weather system that caused widespread flooding and destroyed thousands of homes in Queensland has now moved into New South Wales causing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions. Hundre...

Queensland's flood crisis: water could rise for days from 2022-02-28T03:11:54

Queensland is in the midst of a major flood emergency as warnings are issued from Bundaberg to the border. The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted major flood levels to rise in Brisbane as well as...

'Nothing is unthinkable any longer': Ukraine invasion's foreboding warning from 2022-02-25T02:22

On Thursday afternoon Australian time Russian president Vladimir Putin announced his country would begin a “special military operation” in sovereign Ukrainian territory. Almost immediately Russian...

Inflation, wage growth: why your groceries are getting more expensive from 2022-02-24T04:59:40

This week, the heads of major supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths both issued dire warnings over the rising cost of groceries. With COVID wreaking havoc on global supply chains and the Ukraine...

Voters cast doubt on government's 'sunny days' message from 2022-02-23T04:29

New polling from Resolve Strategic exclusively for our mastheads has revealed more than half of voters expect their income to fall in real terms this year. The polling, which showed just 12 per ce...

Could Australia’s highest emitting power company become a clean energy giant? from 2022-02-22T03:17:11

Australian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and Canadian asset management company Brookfield have made an audacious takeover bid for AGL. The $8 billion offer would come with a promise to spen...

How the Coalition's verbal war on China could backfire from 2022-02-21T04:12

The government has spent the past week engaged in increasingly frenzied attacks on Labor’s supposed weakness on national security and China. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was forced to withdraw a ...

Baz, Elvis and Australian film's recovery from 2022-02-18T02:51:39

When coronavirus first breached our borders, one of the first people to be diagnosed with the virus was not an Australian but Hollywood star Tom Hanks.  Hanks was in Australia to film Baz Luhrmann...

Are the drums of a leadership spill banging again? from 2022-02-17T00:52:21

Scott Morrison’s successful re-election in 2019 heralded an era of quiet on leadership ructions as the country managed to hold on to one prime minister for a comparatively long period of time. But...

‘Get in the bin’: Why is the PM being criticised again? from 2022-02-16T03:02

After a disastrous start to the year for the Prime Minister that has involved leaked text messages, a failed religious discrimination bill and intense scrutiny over the way the government has treat...

High stakes as Ben Roberts-Smith defamation hearings continue from 2022-02-15T02:01

One of the country’s most high-profile and high-stakes defamation hearings has heard damaging allegations about former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, whose estranged wife accused him of pressuring ...

‘Is the Super Bowl the new Halloween?’ from 2022-02-14T05:29

Today's Super Bowl was everything you'd hope for, with late drama, half-time spectacle, and of course those adverts. And in case you missed it, the L.A. Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.For ...

Everybody needs good neighbours, now Neighbours needs good friends from 2022-02-11T02:23:23

Last weekend The Sun newspaper in the UK revealed Britain’s channel 5 television station was not renewing its relationship with the long-running Australian series Neighbours. The relationship with...

Cynical vote grabbing or genuine concern: the Religious Discrimination Bill unpacked from 2022-02-10T01:36:53

Following a marathon session of Parliament overnight, the federal government’s contentious Religious Discrimination Bill has passed through the House of Representatives. The government’s proposal ...

The NFT craze - what does it all mean? from 2022-02-09T03:06

It’s the latest craze sweeping the internet. NFTs, or “non-fungible tokens”, have been snapped up by celebrities from Jimmy Fallon to Justin Bieber. They are most well known in the form of digital...

'Political theatre': Inside China's Winter Olympics from 2022-02-08T04:38:23

Australia has won gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicked off on Friday with a dazzling opening ceremony and in freezing conditions. The Games are being staged as the Omicron variant swe...

‘Psycho’ texts and the Coalition war from 2022-02-07T03:46

An explosive text message from Barnaby Joyce to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was made public on Friday night, capping off a dire week for the Morrison government. The text, sent to a th...

Peter Van Onselen and the relationship between the media and politicians from 2022-02-04T02:39

The relationship between the media and politicians has long been a complicated one. On one hand is the role of the media to hold truth to power. On the other is that that truth can often be uncomf...

Young v Spotify: How the Joe Rogan Experience began the battle from 2022-02-03T02:31:05

Audio streaming service Spotify has been making headlines this week after folk rock legend Neil Young asked the service to remove his music. The Canadian-American songwriter took umbrage to episod...

Why do homes cost 22.4 per cent more than a year ago? from 2022-02-02T03:22

The median price of an Australian home increased 22.4 per cent over the past year – the biggest annual percentage gain in more than three decades. That’s a $131,000 jump in just 12 months, accordin...

Education in the time of COVID: what does it mean for kids from 2022-02-01T04:08:31

Millions of school students have returned to classrooms this week after two years of interrupted learning thanks to COVID-19. Students in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra will be provided with free ...

Rafael Nadal’s win caps off an unforgettable Australian Open from 2022-01-31T02:40

Rafael Nadal served a thrilling final to the Australian Open on Sunday, beating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in five sets played over a gruelling five hours and 24 minutes. The 35-year-old Spaniard b...

The COVID-19 crisis in vulnerable Indigenous communities from 2022-01-28T02:31:05

The Central Land Council, one of Australia’s most powerful Aboriginal land councils, has called for a lockdown in central Australia as coronavirus spreads through vulnerable Indigenous communities....

Is war between Russia and Ukraine imminent? from 2022-01-27T02:53

The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasing, with more than 125,000 Russian troops gathering on the border. Even as both sides agree to uphold a 2014 ceasefire agreement, tensions ar...

Freeing the Aboriginal flag from 2022-01-26T03:17:52

The history of Australia’s national flag – the blue one, with the stars and the Union Jack – is well known to most Australians. We’re taught it at school. But do you know the full history of the i...

Should we stop worrying about Omicron? from 2022-01-25T01:22:28

It’s been two years since Australia first recorded a case of COVID-19, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about the virus itself. On Christmas Day, Australia had recorded a cumulative total of ...

Who will take the title at the Australian Open? from 2022-01-24T02:31:43

Novak Djokovic’s visa debacle may have dominated the headlines around the Australian Open, but after a week the grand slam has settled into what it is supposed to be: great games of tennis. From s...

How Omicron has changed the political climate from 2022-01-21T03:37:45

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken a battering from voters over his handling of the pandemic during a time of heightened anxiety over the Omicron strain and fury over the home testing kit shor...

Inside the crisis in our hospitals from 2022-01-20T02:06:15

For nearly two years, Australia and our health system weathered the pandemic with relatively low case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths compared to the rest of the world. But when the easing of...

What does 2022 hold in store for climate action? from 2022-01-19T03:31:43

The world’s biggest money manager, BlackRock, has issued a stern warning to companies that they must decarbonise or die. Chairman Larry Fink has written to chief executiveswarning them not to dism...

What is the impact of the maritime heatwave? from 2022-01-18T01:23

Earlier this month the world’s oceans recorded their hottest temperatures in more than 60 years. The temperature of the ocean impacts everything from marine life relied on by ocean communities for...

Why do sharks bite and what do they want? from 2022-01-16T21:51:03

Sharks have been in our oceans for the past 450 million years. Their ancestors fought against the dinosaurs. But what do we really know about why these big fish bite? And what role might our changi...

From Paul Hogan to Cate Blanchett: evolution of the Australian accent from 2022-01-13T22:00

The Australian accent is a curious beast that is constantly evolving. Depending on where you come from you might say “good day” rather than “g’day”, pronounce the Melbourne Bayside suburb of Brigh...

How do you cure a hangover? from 2022-01-12T22:00

This festive season, many of us will over-indulge in alcohol at some point. Characterised by a churning stomach, nausea, headaches and, perhaps, morning-after anxiety, hangovers are an unpleasant ...

A look inside Australia’s secret services from 2022-01-12T01:25:48

For two decades the threat of terrorism has been present and we face ongoing threats of foreign interference, as well as serious and organised crime on our own shores. Among the agencies responsib...

Is love at first sight real? from 2022-01-10T22:53:50

Love at first sight: poets, musicians and writers have been captivated by the phenomenon for centuries, trying to pin down its elusive nature. But what is love at first sight? Is it lust that can ...

What makes Australia’s wildlife so strange? from 2022-01-09T21:43:30

Spiky critters that lay eggs. Warm-blooded creatures with duck-like bills. Kangaroos that live in trees. There’s no doubt that Australia has some strange animals. When you scratch the surface, Aus...

When does anxiety become a problem? from 2022-01-06T21:56:56

Anxiety has been described as the defining mental health issue of our decade, even before the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns. But it grew ever larger during the past two years, with record numbers of...

Novak Djokovic and the Australian border calamity from 2022-01-06T03:51:37

The will-he-wont-he play obsession around Novak Djokovic is over after the Serbian tennis star was told he would be deported after failing to meet Australia’s strict border security measures. The ...

Career-ending injuries might be thing of the past for ballet dancers from 2022-01-04T22:00

Widely considered as one of the most athletic artistic pursuits, ballet requires dancers to execute complicated choreography. Even a minor injury can end a career, and major injuries can be catast...

What happened inside the cabinet room in 2001 from 2022-01-03T22:00

Each year on January 1, the National Archives release cabinet records that have been held in secret for two decades. The release of the documents each year provides a fascinating insight into the ...

Morrison v Albanese and the year ahead in politics from 2022-01-03T00:51

2021 was a shocker for the Coalition as they careened from one disaster, barely stopping for air before crashing into the next. Morrison’s handling of multiple scandals involving women, the vaccine...

53,000 stories: the impact of journalism in 2021 from 2021-12-23T22:00

This year journalists at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age won 50 awards for their journalism, uncovered corruption, saw Crown unfit to hold a casino licence in NSW, exposed the rise of right-w...

Your guide for what to read this summer from 2021-12-23T00:58:28

2021 has been an amazing year for books – even with the complications of a pandemic – with strong debuts from Alice Pung and Diana Reid, another winner from Liane Moriarty and some blockbusters fro...

Where are shares heading in 2022? from 2021-12-22T03:28:21

Sharemarkets certainly had a bumpy ride in 2022. A once in a century pandemic, of course. But also concern that an extraordinary period of easy money is about to come to an end, as policymakers sta...

How long are ‘supply chain issues’ going to last? from 2021-12-21T02:06

The lead up to Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day sales period is the most important time of the year for retailers. But 2021 has not been an easy year. There are now fresh warnings so-calle...

Madness and sadness: bidding farewell to America from 2021-12-20T02:59:25

Since reality television star Donald Trump ascended to the presidency on January 20, 2017 the United States has undergone years of madness, sadness and, until his defeat at last year’s election, ch...

Alluring yet structurally flawed: the hot mess budget from 2021-12-17T01:38

On Thursday the Federal Government released its mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, which, as the name suggests updates the economic and fiscal outlook since the last budget. While the budget is...

What makes Omicron different to other COVID-19 variants of concern? from 2021-12-16T02:53

The easing of restrictions in various parts of Australia and the opening of international borders coincided with the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19: Omicron. The new strain of the virus th...

Tapping the pork barrel: how the government is spending your cash from 2021-12-15T02:33:30

Liberal-held electorates received three times more taxpayer money than Labor-held seats over a three year period spanning the last federal election. That’s the finding of an exclusive analysis by T...

Barnaby Joyce says Julian Assange should not be extradited to US from 2021-12-14T01:38

Julian Assange is an Australian journalist, publisher and citizen, and he’s facing 175 years in a US prison if he is extradited there from Britain. For such a high-profile Australian, our politica...

How do vaccine booster shots work, and why should you get one? from 2021-12-13T02:37:06

Australians over the age of 18 are now eligible for booster doses five months after their second dose, after the federal government expanded the vaccine program on the weekend. Moderna also joins ...

Palaszczuk, politics and the pandemic: Queensland gets ready to open up from 2021-12-10T02:16

Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk increased her popularity in last year’s state election, largely due to her handling of the first half of the pandemic which saw the state left relatively ...

What it took to get a major review into Australia’s music industry culture from 2021-12-09T03:10:32

This year, the Australian music industry has faced its reckoning over poor treatment of women inside record labels and more broadly. A forensic focus on the culture in Australian music began in Ap...

Will you get a pay rise in 2022? from 2021-12-08T02:20

’Tis the season to let loose the purse strings and spend up big – so can Aussie workers hope for a pay rise in 2022 to help pick up some of the festive tab?? In the United States, wages are alread...

How will next year’s election compare to previous polls? from 2021-12-07T03:30:39

Labor’s election campaign kicked off in earnest at the weekend, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison has barely drawn breath in recent days. The election might be months away, but the unofficial ca...

Federal budget claws back $8 billion - but there’s a catch from 2021-12-06T04:16

A surge in income and company tax collection, as well as lower-than-expected unemployment rates, are helping the federal budget recover from the COVID-19 recession. New Finance Department data sho...

The Royal Commission Into Defence and Veteran Suicide began its first public hearings in Brisbane this week. from 2021-12-03T03:02:06

The commission was set up in July to examine the higher rate of suicide and attempted suicide among serving and former members of the Australian Defence Force. So far, the commission has received ...

Backlash as government fails to move on damning sex discrimination review from 2021-12-02T03:12:25

On Tuesday, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins damning report into workplace culture at parliament house was handed down. The report found one in three parliamentary staffers working in ...

Who wants to be a Futurepreneur? from 2021-12-01T02:11:15

From humble beginnings, Australia's startup setup scene has entered a new phase of maturity. While still a long way from Silicone Valley, the success of Aussie startups-turned-global-giants such a...

Morrison government moves to make online trolls pay from 2021-11-30T00:54

The government has vowed to tackle online bullying through new laws that would compel social media giants to “unmask” anonymous trolls who make defamatory comments online. It says the new laws wou...

How worried about Omicron should you be? from 2021-11-29T02:23:24

The World Health Organisation on Friday labelled the new coronavirus strain Omicron a “variant of concern”. Australia’s national cabinet will meet this week to discuss our national response, which...

Coalition split on vaccine mandates and religious freedom bill from 2021-11-26T02:02:07

It’s been a dramatic week in Parliament with seven Coalition MPs crossing the floor to vote against the government in protest against vaccination mandates and a lack of a federal corruption commiss...

Proposed voter ID laws described as racist and discriminatory from 2021-11-25T01:50

The government’s attempt to push through controversial voter ID laws before the next election now hangs on a handful of crossbenchers. Labor and the Greens are strongly opposed to the laws, which ...

Will there be more tax cuts next year? from 2021-11-24T01:19:05

Australian taxpayers are on course to pay their highest average personal income tax rate since the turn of the century, according to a recent analysis. In 1959, Aussie workers had, on average, jus...

Voters mark down Morrison as another government MP threatens key bills from 2021-11-23T01:26:15

Voters have given Prime Minister Scott Morrison a net performance rating of minus nine per cent, ahead of a difficult fortnight for the government. Forty-nine per cent of voters surveyed in the Re...

Why are forestry industry figures after journalists’ emails? from 2021-11-22T02:36:44

Timber industry advocates have lodged several freedom of information requests for correspondence between Australian National University scientist David Lindenmayer and journalists, including from T...

What has been happening in the search for William Tyrrell from 2021-11-19T03:19:03

Seven years ago, William Tyrrell disappeared from a home in the town of Kendall on the mid-north coast of NSW. The three-year-old’s disappearance sparked a massive search. That soon became a protr...

Gallows and death threats: why is Victoria’s pandemic bill so polarising? from 2021-11-18T03:50

Victoria is opening up, with a wide range of freedoms returning from midnight on Thursday. The announcement comes ahead of state of emergency laws, which governed everything from mask wearing to d...

What’s the plan for managing COVID-19 in childcare? from 2021-11-17T03:18

So far around the country, more than 17 million people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That number doesn’t include young children, and while the medical regulator is considerin...

Government’s relationship with Aunty is ‘strained’, says Ita Buttrose from 2021-11-16T02:08

The relationship between the national broadcaster and the government has fallen to its lowest ebb in years, with ABC chair Ita Buttrose describing the situation as “strained”. Ms Buttrose launched...

Disappointment as COP26 Glasgow ends with failure to lock in end of coal from 2021-11-15T02:04:04

The Glasgow climate summit ended on the weekend with a deal that targeted fossil fuels for the first time. But many member states and observers were left disappointed, after a last-minute interven...

The crisis facing isolated border communities from 2021-11-12T02:08

In the far north-west of NSW sits the tiny town of Boggabilla. Home to about 500 residents, it is on the Queensland border and for most of the pandemic has formed a border bubble with the town of G...

Does 'No Time To Die' live up to the hype? from 2021-11-11T02:12:53

The much anticipated and long-delayed finale to Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond finally lands in Australian cinemas today. No Time To Die has been thrice delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic ...

Will a federal corruption watchdog get through parliament? from 2021-11-10T03:29

In September, Gladys Berejiklian stood down as NSW premier as a corruption watchdog inquiry loomed. In Victoria, an ongoing branch stacking investigation has so far claimed four state ministers. A...

Inside the ICU wards filled with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients from 2021-11-09T02:23:11

Intensive care wards in Melbourne and Sydney are caring for more than 130 critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care beds, with fears that figure is set to rise. Health workers aren’t just...

COVID-19 ‘game-changer’: hope for antivirals in pandemic battle from 2021-11-08T02:08

They’ve been described as a potential “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19 – antiviral drugs that could protect people from developing serious illness once they’ve caught the virus. Today ...

From foreign relations disasters to climate policy: Scott Morrison’s week in Europe from 2021-11-05T01:54:54

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has returned to Australia after a dramatic week in Europe to attend the G20 conference in Rome and the COP26 climate change summit Glasgow. Mr Morrison intended to us...

What is it like to live with dementia? from 2021-11-04T02:35

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia after heart disease, and the leading cause of death among women. Two per cent of Australians are living with the condition, which can hav...

How the search for missing four-year-old Cleo Smith unfolded from 2021-11-03T05:33

Just before 1 o’clock on Wednesday morning, West Australian police broke into a locked house in the coastal town of Carnarvon to find missing four-year-old Cleo Smith. It was a remarkable, happy e...

Berejiklian inquiry: Finding a breach of public trust or a tawdry fishing expedition? from 2021-11-02T03:10:42

The 11-day corruption inquiry into Gladys Berejiklian has come to an end after the former premier faced two days of grilling over her relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.Throughout ...

Macron accuses Morrison of lying in dramatic end to G20 summit from 2021-11-01T03:27:09

Australia’s dispute with France escalated dramatically on the last day of the G20 in Rome, when French President Emmanuel Macron accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of having lied about the scrap...

‘A courageous step’: What impact will queer footballer Josh Cavallo’s announcement have from 2021-10-29T03:52

On Wednesday, Josh Cavallo made history when he became the only openly gay current top-tier professional footballer after he came out in an emotional video and open letter on social media. Despite...

Will inflation force the RBA’s hand on an interest rate rise? from 2021-10-28T01:56:08

The chances of a rate hike after next year’s federal election are growing after a surprise spike in inflation from record high petrol prices and surging home building costs. The RBA says it expect...

Nationals dip in polls causes problems for Coalition from 2021-10-27T02:37:53

New polling has found the Nationals have lost 40 per cent of voter support. The drop from 5 per cent to 3 per cent means weakened support for the government, cutting the Coalition’s primary suppor...

Human fat in home fridges: disturbing allegations hit cosmetic surgery clinics from 2021-10-26T01:58:04

Dr Daniel Lanzer is Australia’s most well-known cosmetic surgeon, boasting millions of followers on Tik Tok and Instagram. He’s performed thousands of procedures over more than 30 years and owns f...

Are Australia’s emissions reduction commitments to COP26 a copout? from 2021-10-25T01:57:18

Australia will take a formal pledge to cut emissions to net-zero by 2050 to the UN climate conference in Glasgow, after the Nationals signed on to the policy at the weekend. It’s hardly world-beat...

'I can't possibly stab these kids': Toutai Kefu's humanity in face of horror from 2021-10-22T00:56

He has been described as the last genuine number eight to wear the Wallabies jersey and until two months ago Toutai Kefu had nowhere near the profile of many of his more famous former team mates. ...

Inside ICAC: What the Berejiklian inquiry has revealed so far from 2021-10-21T00:38

The ICAC inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has begun and, with the first week drawing to a close, several explosive claims have already been made.From damning evidence about the sp...

Kids and vaccines: your questions answered from 2021-10-20T02:34

Will the vaccine hurt? How does it work? How do they make the vaccine, and can I make it? Children aged 12 and older already qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine, but it’s likely that in coming months...

Scott Morrison on the verge of locking in net zero by 2050 target from 2021-10-19T02:49:47

After more than a decade of climate wars in this country, the Morrison government appears on the verge of locking in a target of net zero emissions by 2050 to take to the Glasgow climate summit. B...

What’s driving Norway’s electric vehicle revolution? from 2021-10-18T02:11:47

The electric car revolution has swept through Norway, transforming the country’s car market. Only 10 years ago diesel cars accounted for 75 per cent of new sales in Norway. Today they make up just...

Why we need to pay attention to tax reform from 2021-10-15T02:13:33

Tax reform might not be the sexiest topic to discuss over drinks with friends, but the fact is, taxes impact just about every facet of our lives. In a series of interviews with top economists and ...

‘Swiss army knife of energy’: the pros and cons of green hydrogen from 2021-10-14T04:17:51

The NSW government announced a new strategy on Wednesday to develop hydrogen that will help the state cut its carbon footprint in half by 2030 and create new opportunities that could grow the econo...

Was JobKeeper money wasted? from 2021-10-13T02:04:40

Australia’s JobKeeper program was designed by Treasury officials at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The aim was to keep workers connected to their jobs by handing employers a $1500 per fortn...

Falling Star: Money-laundering allegations hit ‘cleanskin’ casino from 2021-10-12T02:06:57

An investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has uncovered shocking allegations of money laundering, fraud and the courting of organised crime figures, linked to Sydney’s S...

Vaccine inequity could threaten all from 2021-10-11T01:54:41

As Australia reaches 62 per cent of eligible people being fully vaccinated, and Sydney opens up to newfound freedoms, there are fresh warnings of the dangers of leaving our neighbours behind. New ...

How preserving First Nations languages forms a key part of preserving culture from 2021-10-08T03:06:41

This weekend The Age will launch an important new series of stories about Truth Telling.

Our series seeks to understand the impact of colonisation on Indigenous Victorians, how Indigenous ...

Are we losing our political religions? from 2021-10-07T01:03

New research conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has revealed primary vote support for the federal government has fallen to 40 per cent in NSW, down from 43 per cent, and 37 per cen...

The Pandora Papers: what’s in the box? from 2021-10-06T03:12:22

It’s been called the world’s biggest-ever data leak of the secretive financial affairs and offshore tax structures used by some of the world’s most rich and famous people, including celebrities lik...

Melbourne claims lockdown world record from 2021-10-05T03:02:50

Melbourne today claimed the title of world’s most locked-down city, passing Buenos Aires’ record of 245 days.

The fatigued city also marked another record: 1763 new cases and another four ...

Goodbye Gladys…what does the post-Berejiklian era look like? from 2021-10-04T03:52

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro announced his resignation from politics on Monday, forcing a by-election in his seat of Monaro and the third across the state.

It comes after former premie...

NRL grand final - Panthers & Rabbitohs set for epic clash from 2021-10-01T04:30

On Sunday, this year’s NRL season will come to a head when the Penrith Panthers face the South Sydney Rabbitohs in an epic grand final clash.

For the Panthers it’s a chance to better their...

Does the film about the Port Arthur massacre immortalise the killer? from 2021-09-30T03:48

Twenty-five years ago, the worst massacre by a single person in modern Australia occurred when a lone gunman shot and killed 35 people and injured 23 others.

The shooting, in Port Arthur, ...

The Evergrande debt crisis: how worried should we be? from 2021-09-29T04:14

A week ago global sharemarkets took a tumble on fears that an imminent collapse of Chinese property giant Evergrande could spark a global financial crisis in the same way as the collapse of US inve...

How our love of food has sustained us through lockdowns from 2021-09-28T03:29:23

Across the eastern seaboard, picnics are the new dinner parties as eased COVID-19 restrictions allow small groups of people to gather outside.

It’s been a long, tough winter for millions o...

Scott Morrison under pressure from all sides over climate action from 2021-09-27T03:00:43

Australia is under growing international pressure to lock in greenhouse reduction targets ahead of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow, which kicks off next month.

Most wealthy cou...

Will the Demons choke in the AFL grand final after 57-year drought? from 2021-09-24T02:59:01

On Saturday, all eyes will be on Perth as the Melbourne Demons face the Western Bulldogs in the AFL grand final.

After a decades-long slump, the Demons are back in form after finishing the...

Unravelling the conundrum of easing restrictions from 2021-09-23T03:19:31

Australia’s pathway out of lockdown was modelled on a report created for the federal government by a team of infectious disease experts led by Victoria’s highly respected Doherty Institute.
Listen

Lavish parties, overseas junkets ... how is your super being spent? from 2021-09-22T06:24:16

Three weeks ago, the nation’s 13 worst performing super funds were revealed. On the list, was an industry fund most Australians would not have heard of called the “Energy Industries Superannuation ...

Photographer who was pepper-sprayed by police speaks out from 2021-09-21T04:32:37

Anti-lockdown protests turned violent in Melbourne at the weekend when police clashes with more than 700 protesters on the streets of Richmond in the inner city.

More than 230 people were ...

Concussion is rising in community footy, with kids bearing the brunt from 2021-09-20T04:17:30

Community football is one of the mainstays of Australian life, but concerns are rising at the number of children getting seriously hurt while playing the sport.

Australian Institute of Hea...

Back from the brink: how scientists saved the bandicoot from extinction from 2021-09-17T03:56:01

On Wednesday, the eastern barred bandicoot’s threatened species status was downgraded to endangered.

The small rabbit-sized marsupials were considered extinct in the wild due to predation ...

What does the AUKUS alliance mean beyond nuclear-powered submarines? from 2021-09-16T03:20:56

Australia will acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of a historic new pact between this country, the US and the UK.

The AUKUS alliance will see the US help Australia devel...

Why are Aussies investing in ETFs (and what are they)? from 2021-09-15T05:28:58

Record low interest rates are driving a radical shift in the way Australians save and invest their money.

With money stashed in the bank earning only about 1 per cent – if you’re lucky – m...

Mounting the case for a four-day working week from 2021-09-14T02:39:43

Iceland recently conducted trials of a four-day working week and found not only were workers happier but firms reported increased productivity.

As Australia looks towards a post-COVID life...

On the ground in Lebanon: a country in crisis from 2021-09-13T01:46:40

The collapse of Lebanon’s economy has been described by the World Bank as likely to be one of the top three economic calamities to strike any nation for the past 170 years.

The magnitude o...

Twenty years on from the terrorist attack that changed the world from 2021-09-10T03:53:45

Twenty years ago the world changed forever when 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial aircraft and launched a series of co-ordinated attacks on the United States.

The images of p...

What’s behind News Corp’s new stance on climate science? from 2021-09-09T03:25:31

After years of taking aim at government policy intended to reduce carbon emissions News Corp, the publisher of several Australian newspapers, will end its long-standing editorial hostility towards ...

Super’s 13 worst products: how to protect your nest egg from 2021-09-08T05:14:57

Australia’s compulsory superannuation system was introduced in 1992 by then Treasurer Paul Keating.

In that time, there have been few developments as dramatic as this month’s naming and sh...

How can we keep women safe? from 2021-09-07T04:32:43

On the opening day of the National Summit on Women’s Safety on Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said not enough progress had been made on attitudes towards women, and sexual and domestic viole...

Behind the photo that captured Wilcannia's COVID-19 plight from 2021-09-06T03:37:56

A cavalcade of motorhomes has arrived in the far-western NSW town of Wilcannia, where about one in seven of the population has tested positive for COVID-19.

As of Sunday, 98 people in the ...

Cult heroes and astonishing achievements at the Paralympics from 2021-09-03T03:15:21

Australia’s Paralympic athletes have racked up more than 60 medals in Tokyo already this year with another two days of competition to go.

From the pool to the track to the court, Australia...

How did the economy grow in the middle of a pandemic? from 2021-09-02T03:28:34

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed the economy expanding by 0.7 per cent through the June quarter, taking annual growth to an all-time high of 9.6 per cent....

Aussie home values surge 18 per cent, but can it last? from 2021-09-01T03:14:06

Australian home values rose 1.5 per cent in August, according to data released today by CoreLogic.

They are now up 18.4 per cent over the past year – the fastest annual pace of growth sinc...

Crisis in western NSW as COVID-19 hits Aboriginal communities from 2021-08-31T03:35:23

The situation facing the far-western NSW town of Wilcannia is dire.

As of Monday, 69 people in the town of 720 had tested positive for COVID-19, the highest transmission rate in the state....

Vaccine passports? Open borders? Voters have their say from 2021-08-30T03:34:35

New polling shows the majority of Australians support vaccine passports and mandatory vaccines for vulnerable workers as part of the pathway out of lockdowns.

An exclusive Resolve Politica...

Afghanistan in crisis: terrorists in Kabul leave scores dead from 2021-08-27T04:22:36

In the early hours of Friday morning Australian time, suicide bombers detonated a number of explosives outside Kabul airport, killing dozens and leaving many more wounded.

The explosions h...

A fractured industry spells trouble for local streaming services from 2021-08-26T04:18:39

Today on Please Explain, media writer Zoe Samios joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the challenges faced by local streaming services.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.a...

How the mortgage war for your home loan is heating up from 2021-08-25T03:42:58

It’s the biggest expense in many household budgets, and mortgage interest rates are on the move again.

The Reserve Bank has not changed its official cash rate in over a year, but a competi...

Childcare centres close, leaving parents on the brink from 2021-08-24T02:42:48

After a weekend of rapidly changing advice in Victoria, childcare centres and outside school hours care are closed, except for families where one parent is an authorised worker with a permit, and f...

Kids and COVID-19: when will they be vaccinated? from 2021-08-23T03:39:11

There have been growing tensions between state governments and the Commonwealth about the national road map to reopening the economy and the country.

With most of the eastern seaboard stil...

Inside the bizarre rituals of Australia's Neo-Nazis from 2021-08-20T04:46:36

An eight-month investigation by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has exposed the inner workings and the growing threat of Australian neo-nazi group the National Socialist Network.

The...

Taliban 2.0 - Afghanistan on the brink from 2021-08-19T03:12

The Taliban has resumed its grip on power in Afghanistan after taking control of the capital, Kabul, on Sunday. The speed with which Taliban forces reclaimed the country has sparked chaotic scenes ...

Should we have brought back JobKeeper? from 2021-08-18T03:38:14

With more than half of Australians now in lockdown, the economic scars of this crisis are beginning to show.

Economists are debating exactly how big the hit to economic output and jobs wil...

Is there such thing as having too much choice? from 2021-08-17T03:20:35

In his 2004 book The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less, American psychologist, Barry Schwartz, suggested that it is possible to have too much of a good thing, including choice.

Now, arou...

As lockdown fatigue sets in again, how have things gotten so bad in Australia from 2021-08-16T02:10:17

On Thursday residents of Melbourne will pass the sombre milestone of having spent 200 days in lockdown since the country first shut down in March last year.

In Sydney, case numbers have re...

What is the role of the media in the middle of a global crisis? from 2021-08-13T03:32:16

Australia is facing, possibly, its worst health crisis as the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues its march around the country sending multiple states into lockdown.

Away from the pandemic...

Can employers force workers to be vaccinated? from 2021-08-12T03:05:59

As Sydney faces the reality of a protracted lockdown and Melbourne’s sixth lockdown is extended at least one more week, various levels of government have mooted that only vaccinations will end the ...

How long will the Greater Sydney lockdown last? from 2021-08-11T04:34:37

NSW is stuck in limbo. More than six weeks into lockdown COVID-19 case numbers are stubbornly refusing to drop.

There are growing calls for us to accept living with the virus, or face rema...

‘Code red for humanity’: UN climate change report predicts dire future from 2021-08-10T03:05:57

The Earth will continue to warm and environmental catastrophes will become more frequent and more intense, according to a new report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chang...

Lockdown politics: does the PM’s plan involve more than just spin? from 2021-08-09T03:19:56

It’s the beginning of another slightly strange sitting week in Federal Parliament, as Canberrans get to enjoy being some of the few Australians in the east not in lockdown.

Prime Minister ...

Celebrating Australia’s Olympic success from 2021-08-06T03:37:45

The Age’s chief reporter Chip Le Grand wrote this morning that Australia has never won more gold, or been more cool at any Olympic Games.

How long we can hang on to that feeling while so ...

How the federal government plans to address inequality faced by First Nations people from 2021-08-05T03:01:33

The federal government has committed more than a $1 billion as part of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and will now hand down the implementation plan to address inequality faced by First ...

Why is Afterpay’s takeover such a watershed moment? from 2021-08-04T03:19:37

It’s an extraordinary story of entrepreneurialism and good timing. On Monday, Australian tech company Afterpay became subject of Australia’s largest ever corporate deal when US giant Square bought ...

How your life and body changes when you quit alcohol for a year from 2021-08-03T03:28:04

Drinking and getting drunk are a rite of passage in Australia, part of antipodean folklore, but we are also a country with a fraught relationship with alcohol.

Amid impacts including alcoh...

How long before we hit our vaccine targets and come out of lockdown? from 2021-08-02T02:59:45

Late on Friday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced National Cabinet had agreed on a roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdowns, with greater freedoms triggered by reaching vaccine targets of 70 and 80 p...

Pressure, focus, culture: lessons to take away from Olympics week one from 2021-07-30T02:49

It’s been a huge and wonderful week in Tokyo for the Australian Olympic team, and for the rest of us back at home trying to get through various degrees of lockdown.

Today on Please Explain...

Job losses and stagnant wage growth as cost of living rises during pandemic from 2021-07-29T02:12

Australia’s major banks are projecting up to 300,000 Sydney jobs will be lost as a result of the protracted lockdown which is now tipped to conclude at the end of August.

It comes as price...

How the coronavirus pandemic has affected young people from 2021-07-28T02:37

A new report from charity Mission Australia has painted a grim picture of the impact the various lockdowns around the country have had on young people.

The Young Voices of the Pandemic: Yo...

Triumph and defeat as Australia begins its medal haul in Tokyo from 2021-07-27T04:11:21

Australia’s Olympic campaign is off to a strong start, racking up six medals in Tokyo by Tuesday morning – including two gold.

From Brendon Smith’s first medal of the Games, winning bronze...

Should you have the AstraZeneca vaccine? from 2021-07-26T01:19

On the weekend the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation changed its advice to the people of Greater Sydney - telling them to “strongly consider” getting the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vacc...

Parents feeling forgotten as lockdowns drag on from 2021-07-23T03:34

As the second week of this stint of remote schooling draws to a close many parents are feeling like they might crumble under the weight of supervising education while trying to do their own jobs. Listen

Will the Olympics be able to go ahead as coronavirus swirls around the athletes’ village from 2021-07-22T01:40:25

On Friday, one of the most complicated Olympics in history will hold its opening ceremony in Tokyo.

After being delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics have c...

How do Australians feel about the return of Barnaby Joyce? from 2021-07-21T03:29:31

The return of Barnaby Joyce to the deputy prime ministership was never going to go unnoticed. For the Coalition it was a hand many in the Liberal Party did not feel they had the chips to play.
...

Freedom Day: Great Britain opens up as virus’ third wave takes hold from 2021-07-20T03:07

As Melbourne’s lockdown is extended and Sydney stares down the barrel of at least another fortnight of restrictions, Great Britain has emerged from 18 months of shutdown on what is being dubbed “Fr...

Killer heatwave in the US is a dire warning for Australian housing from 2021-07-19T03:39:12

Last week, Furnace Creek in the Mojave Desert in the US may have experienced the highest temperature ever recorded on earth: 54.4 degrees.

North America’s recent heat wave has pushed the l...

‘Amazing’ jobs figure overshadowed by Sydney and Victoria lockdowns from 2021-07-16T03:02:18

In the wake of 2020’s economic plunge unemployment had dropped to pre-pandemic levels, economic growth was restored and Australia was the COVID miracle.

Next thing you know the Federal Gov...

What is 'essential'? Governments & workers grappling with what exactly defines essential worker from 2021-07-15T02:16

An unclear definition of what exactly constitutes an essential worker has seen industries as diverse as real estate and telecommunications demand priority access to vaccines.

Sydney’s lock...

Will the government’s financial support package be enough for businesses to survive Sydney’s lockdown? from 2021-07-14T03:08:57

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian stood together yesterday afternoon in Sydney to announce a $5 billion support package for businesses and workers affected by the cur...

The best books to read this winter from 2021-07-13T03:12

As winter tightens its steely grip and parts of Australia remain under strict lockdown there’s never been a better time to dig into your bookshelf or restock it.

Today on Please Explain, N...

Is working from home better or worse for productivity? from 2021-07-12T03:44

With the proportion of people working from home during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic growing from 5 per cent to 40 per cent, there’s a renewed focus on the impacts and benefits of staying in...

Should we be vaccinating children against coronavirus? from 2021-07-09T03:16:45

As Sydney enters its third week of lockdown and the Delta variant of coronavirus seeps through an ever wider area of the city, new questions are being asked about whether children should be vaccina...

Do Australian courts have a workplace culture problem? from 2021-07-08T04:04

An internal inquiry has found a Federal Circuit Court judge harassed two young women, after one of them made a complaint to the court.

The inquiry found that a Parramatta-based judge repea...

Fertility specialists see sharp increase of women wanting to freeze their eggs from 2021-07-07T02:53:24

The COVID19 pandemic has affected the way we live our lives, and look at our futures, in some unexpected ways.

The Age journalist Wendy Tuohy has reported that fertility specialists have s...

What does the female swing against the Coalition mean for Scott Morrison? from 2021-07-06T03:45:14

An exclusive survey conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age by Resolve Strategic has found women have swung against the Coalition, cutting the federal government’s primary vote from 41 ...

Tumbling rates of smokers is not all good news for the government from 2021-07-05T04:46

Australians are giving up smoking in huge numbers - which sounds great - but it’s not all good news for the government.

A huge drop in the collection of taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and fu...

Bushfires, heatwaves storms and floods: climate change report’s dire predictions from 2021-07-02T03:23:28

The final report of the federal government’s Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub has found Australia’s tropical rainforests will dry out, marine and land heatwaves will become more frequent and in...

China’s attempts to exert influence on Australian university campuses from 2021-07-01T03:04

A major report by Human Rights Watch has exposed the growing influence of Chinese nationalism at Australian universities.

Human Rights Watch interviewed 24 pro-democracy Chinese internatio...

Demystifying the advice around AstraZeneca for the under-40s from 2021-06-30T04:43:03

In a late night press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the federal government had changed the advice on who can and should receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Mr ...

Will China or the US win the ‘competition to win the 21st century’? from 2021-06-29T03:45:30

This week The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have launched a series on the biggest question in geopolitics: US v China – who will win the superpowers’ struggle for world domination.

Nor...

Is Australia on the precipice of another national coronavirus outbreak? from 2021-06-28T02:39:16

Sunday was a watershed day in Australia’s pandemic recovery: cases of community transmission were recorded in four states. It’s the first time so many jurisdictions have recorded community transmis...

Wiped hard drives, COVID scares and more as the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial continues from 2021-06-25T02:40

Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation action against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Canberra Times and three journalists is nearing the end of its third week.

Mr Roberts-Smith, who was a...

What is the politics behind NSW's decision to hold back locking down? from 2021-06-24T07:17

Last week New South Wales ended its 40 day streak of no community transmission when a man who drove transport for international flight crew tested positive to coronavirus.

In the eight day...

UNESCO’s Barrier Reef warning is ‘where the rubber hits the road’ for Australia and climate change from 2021-06-23T02:42:58

The Australian government says it was blindsided on Tuesday by the United Nations heritage organisation’s warning it is considering listing the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”.

The move ...

Experts confident Australia will have enough doses to vaccinate the population by the end of the year from 2021-06-22T02:59:08

Monday’s national cabinet meeting, where state and territory leaders met with the Prime Minister, was heavily focussed on the state of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

With Victoria emerg...

Barnaby Joyce reinstated as leader of The Nationals from 2021-06-21T03:26:16

Barnaby Joyce has been reinstated as the leader of The Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister.

In a party room meeting In Canberra this morning Michael McCormack was spilled from the leadersh...

Polling shows PM’s rating drop after quarantine, aged care failures from 2021-06-18T03:26:08

Prime Minister Scott Morrison spent the past week on the diplomatic stage in the northern hemisphere so in the latest round of polling from our new Resolve Political Monitor we asked Australian vot...

Unions, business butt heads over increase to the minimum wage from 2021-06-17T03:47:51

About 2.5 million Australians will get a pay rise after the independent panel that sets the minimum wage agreed to an increase.

The increase will see about $20 a week more go into the pay ...

Australia’s position on China warmly supported at G7 from 2021-06-16T05:30:09

It’s been a big few days for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who this morning is in Paris for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

This was after his first face-to-face meeting ...

Tamil asylum seeker family released into community detention, but what happens next? from 2021-06-15T03:40:57

A Tamil family who fled civil war in Sri Lanka by boat in 2012 and 2013 and have been in immigration detention on Christmas Island since 2019 have been released into community detention in Perth. Listen

‘An intense moment’: Ben Roberts-Smith breaks down while giving evidence from 2021-06-11T01:08:46

Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation action against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Canberra Times and three of our journalists has nearly concluded its first week.
<...

How Australia’s most wanted man is wrapped up in one of the world’s biggest crime busts from 2021-06-10T03:34:39

A global law enforcement operation involving officers from the FBI, the Australian Federal Police and state law enforcement agencies has led to more than 220 people being arrested on 526 charges ac...

NSW Blues get set to face off against Queensland’s Cameron Munster show for Origin 1 from 2021-06-09T03:09

The State of Origin series kicks off on Wednesday bringing the annual state vs state, mate vs mate battle to Townsville after lockdown restrictions in Melbourne meant the game couldn’t take place t...

Frosty relations between the ABC and the government show no signs of warming from 2021-06-08T04:49:16

In a wide-ranging Senate estimates hearing on Monday, ABC managing director David Anderson revealed the public broadcaster had agreed to pay $100,000 to Industry Minister Christian Porter’s lawyer ...

How to navigate the complicated tax deductions around working from home from 2021-06-07T03:34:55

While working from your dining table or spare bedroom removes the commute and has lifestyle benefits and cost savings, there are often higher costs associated with electricity bills, internet usage...

Australia's highest stakes defamation trial from 2021-06-04T02:05

The highest stakes defamation trial in Australia's history starts in the Federal Court on Monday. Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith is suing The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and some of ...

Students are getting worse at maths but will a curriculum change fix the problem? from 2021-06-03T03:01:53

Mathematic experts from around the country have expressed concern over a draft plan to fix the national maths curriculum saying it will make it worse by devaluing traditional learning techniques ov...

Why is the Wuhan lab-leak theory of COVID-19 gaining so much traction? from 2021-06-02T05:08:58

The so called Wuhan lab theory about the origin of COVID-19 has gained enormous and mainstream traction in the past month, not least thanks to US president Joe Biden calling for a full investigatio...

New Zealand back in the tent on issues around China from 2021-06-01T00:31:43

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has returned from a a two-day visit to New Zealand following the annual leaders’ meeting with his Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern.

The meeting, held in Queens...

Blame shifting over Victoria’s latest COVID outbreak reaches fever pitch from 2021-05-31T03:29:09

As Victoria lives through day three of a full lockdown it’s been promised will last a week, the blame shifting over who is responsible for the latest COVID outbreak and who should pick up the bill ...

The other reveals from Senate estimates that haven’t made the mastheads from 2021-05-28T02:46:17

The Senate estimates process is like a carnival for political rounds reporters. Ministers and public servants in their topic areas get grilled, sometimes in deeply uncomfortable ways, for hours abo...

‘Groundhog day’: Victoria in lockdown again from 2021-05-27T03:58:35

Victorians will be sent into lockdown again after the number of positive coronavirus cases climbed to 26 overnight and the number of exposure sites surged to nearly 80.

The lockdown was an...

ALP facing existential crisis after Upper Hunter by-election result from 2021-05-26T03:57:36

Last Saturday in a NSW state parliament by-election in the Hunter Valley the ALP secured just 20 per cent of the primary vote. Usually by-elections go against the incumbent government.

NSW...

Far reaching Crown casino royal commission may not discover full extent of criminal woes from 2021-05-25T03:13

Embattled casino operator Crown may have been infiltrated by criminals to a degree greater than previously thought after evidence of possible money laundering in its bank accounts as recently as Fe...

'Utterly frightening' - why is China's relationship with Australia so scary? from 2021-05-24T03:49

Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by Peter Hartcher to discuss what’s next for Australia’s relationship with an increasingly energetic Chinese leadership.

Subscribe to The Ag...

Diana cover-up - Royals in uproar over '95 BBC interview investigation from 2021-05-21T04:13

Prince William has launched an unprecedented Royal spray at the BBC over the way it procured and conducted an interview with his mother Princess Diana 25 years ago.

Tory Maguire is joined ...

What is driving Australia’s vaccine hesitancy? from 2021-05-20T05:03

With the horror year of 2020 behind us, a light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel looked brighter at the dawning of 2021. Restrictions around the country were slowly lifting, new cases were drop...

Polling reveals Australians hesitant to get vaccinated, support border closure from 2021-05-19T03:42:20

The results of the first tracking survey from the Resolve Political Monitor has found measures from the federal budget were generally well received, and didn’t have any impact on the government’s e...

‘Abject failure’ of vaccination program for people with disabilities from 2021-05-18T03:06:35

Fewer than 1000 people with disabilities living in residential care have received the COVID-19 vaccination, leading to a senior counsel at the disability royal commission to describe the rollout as...

What closing international borders is costing states and businesses from 2021-05-17T03:35:11

The federal budget Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down last week contained within it an assumption that has seriously thrown business leaders and state governments - that even with the vaccine ro...

Gaza, Israel, TikTok - the latest on the Middle East crisis from 2021-05-14T04:05

Following weeks of unrest between Israelis and Palestinians violence dramatically escalated on Wednesday with one of the most ferocious aerial exchanges killing more than 100 people.

Israe...

Make it the Last Pandemic - WHO asks for more power in the COVID war from 2021-05-13T03:45

In a wide ranging report released on Wednesday night entitled Covid-19: Make it the Last Pandemic, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response made a number of recommendations to b...

'The age of the pandemic:' Can the economy be reformed to be more resilient? from 2021-05-12T05:00:32

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has delivered his third federal budget - in which the government has run up eye watering amounts of debt while making serious investments in areas including aged care, chi...

What next for Jack de Belin after jury fails to reach unanimous verdict from 2021-05-11T04:05:03

After a two-and-a-half week retrial in the New South Wales District Court, footballer Jack de Belin and Callan Sinclair face the prospect of a third trial on charges of sexual assault after the jur...

Can The Star help Packer’s Crown Resorts out of its regulatory woes? from 2021-05-10T02:55:39

The Star Entertainment group has proposed a $12 billion merger with James Packer’s Crown Resorts. Star thinks its track record of operating casinos in Sydney, Brisbane and The Gold Coast puts it in...

Report on Victoria’s hotel quarantine failure reveals a culture of cover-up from 2021-05-07T04:34:18

Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire speaks with The Age's state political editor, Annika Smethurst, who wrote that shock findings from a leaked report on the failures of the Victorian hotel quara...

The curious incident of Stuart MacGill’s alleged kidnapping from 2021-05-06T04:44:45

NSW Police arrested four men on Wednesday over the alleged kidnap and assault of former international cricketer Stuart MacGill.

It's alleged Mr MacGill was confronted in Cremorne by the br...

Australia accused of abandoning its citizens in India from 2021-05-05T04:09:13

The COVID-19 situation in India is getting more grim as each day passes, and Australia’s response - cancelling all flights from there and threatening Australian citizens with jail if they try to co...

How loud are 'the drums of war' beating between China and Australia? from 2021-05-04T03:43:34

In a speech to special forces soldiers last year, Major-General Adam Findlay told his troops they must prepare for the high likelihood of conflict with China.

Major General Findlay, who wa...

‘The vulnerable are being ignored’: are native title benefits being squandered by mismanagement? from 2021-05-03T04:00:11

Millions of dollars of mining royalty payments are feared to have been squandered and special administrators are scrambling to unravel a maze of entities associated with one of the country’s most p...

‘What do we want our children to know’: curriculum review focuses on Australia’s own ancient history from 2021-04-30T05:16:06

Today on Please Explain, the Herald’s Education Editor Jordan Baker joins Tory Maguire to look at the reaction to recommended changes to school curriculum.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: http...

Frydenberg outlines major shake up to government budget policy from 2021-04-29T04:00:03

Ahead of the next federal budget, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has used a speech in Canberra to outline the government’s intentions to drive the unemployment rate below five per cent, after previously...

PM’s speech at Christian group lights up social media from 2021-04-28T04:01:29

A recording of Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussing his deeply held Christian faith at a conference in Brisbane last week burst on to social media with quite a bang on Monday.

Mr Morri...

Can Latrell Mitchell be the voice of change against racism in the NRL? from 2021-04-27T03:49:38

Two men from the New South Wales mid-north coast have been charged after allegedly sending NRL star Latrell Mitchell abusive and racist messages on social media earlier this month.

After r...

India’s COVID-19 second wave and its impact on reopening the region from 2021-04-26T03:27

The second wave of COVID-19 has hit India hard. With daily new infection rates of more than 300,000, hospitals are completely overrun, the country’s oxygen supply is in peril and there are fears th...

How will COVID affect this year’s Oscars? from 2021-04-23T04:41

On Sunday evening in the US, Monday morning Australian time, the 93rd Academy Awards will get underway.

This year’s Oscars come as America’s film industry wrestles with the continuing effe...

Australia lags as the world looks to new 2030 climate targets from 2021-04-22T03:07

This week Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave a speech to the Business Council of Australia in which he seemed to edge closer to committing Australia to meet a net zero emissions by 2050 goal. 
...

What does the Resolve Political Monitor reveal about Australian voters? from 2021-04-21T04:59

This week The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald launched the Resolve Political Monitor.

RPM is a broad and deep set of survey research about how our political leaders and parties are trave...

Australian journalists caught up in political games with China from 2021-04-20T03:23:32

For the first time in five decades there are now no Australian news outlets with a correspondent in the People’s Republic of China.

Mike Smith, from The Australian Financial Review, fled h...

The Sydney Morning Herald celebrates 190 years of publication from 2021-04-19T04:51:04

Today, The Sydney Morning Herald is 190 years old. The newspaper, then known as The Herald, first rolled off the presses six years before the crowning of Queen Victoria.

Nearly two centuri...

Afghanistan withdrawal: What was accomplished and was it worth it? from 2021-04-16T03:26:57

It will be 20 years in September since then-Australian prime minister John Howard pledged open ended support for US military action in Afghanistan after the September 11 terror attacks.

In...

Countdown to Tokyo Olympics: how will COVID affect the Games? from 2021-04-15T03:31:09

We’re 100 days out from the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics and the list of things we still don’t know about what the games will look like is long.

Japan’s vaccine rollout has been ...

Christine Holgate stands up to PM over watches scandal from 2021-04-14T02:39

Former Australia Post Chief Executive Christine Holgate, who sensationally lost her job last November after it was revealed she had gifted four Cartier watches to some of her executives two years p...

Why are there numerous inquiries into Ben Roberts-Smith? from 2021-04-13T05:26:11

Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by deputy editor of The Age, Michael Bachelard, to discuss the investigations into Australia's most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith.

Su...

Prince Philip’s death: UK in mourning amid pandemic lockdown from 2021-04-12T03:35

Prince Harry has arrived in the United Kingdom ahead of his grandfather Prince Philip’s imminent funeral.

The news coverage since the 99-year-old’s death on Friday has been so intense the ...

Our treatment of Indigenous people ‘speaks to the very heart of who we are as a country’ from 2021-04-09T04:13

In April 1991 federal court judge James Henry Muirhead handed his final report from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The report made more than 300 recommendations to prevent ...

RBA under fire: is a review needed into the practices of Australia's central bank? from 2021-04-08T03:53:07

Despite its essential service to the country, the Reserve Bank of Australia is rarely acknowledged apart from when it changes official interest rates - largely thanks to three decades of economic g...

Is Myanmar heading into another civil war? from 2021-04-07T05:03

After nearly a decade of democratic rule, a military coup in Myanmar on February 1 saw the government overthrown and a state of emergency imposed for one year. The military is now in charge of the ...

Carla Zampatti - the legacy of an iconic fashion designer from 2021-04-06T02:59

On Saturday, Australian fashion industry icon Carla Zampatti died after suffering a serious fall on March 26.

Leaders of fashion, politics and the media have paid tribute to the trailblazi...

As COVID-19 leaks into the community again, what are the gaps in the system? from 2021-04-01T03:50:28

After a period of calm around the coronavirus pandemic in Australia, two states have been thrown into uncertainty after the virus leaked into the community again.

The new outbreaks have be...

What is the point of the government’s new ministerial taskforce for gender equality? from 2021-03-31T03:27:28

The government has launched a special ministerial taskforce to drive progress on equality, women’s safety, economic security and health and wellbeing.
After this week’s cabinet reshuffle, The P...

Is a nation state or disruptive criminals behind the Nine cyber attack? from 2021-03-30T03:24:39

Early on Sunday morning, a sweeping cyber attack hit Nine Entertainment Co’s corporate network, forcing Weekend Today off air, disrupting the network’s broadcast technology and measures taken by Ni...

How will the end of JobKeeper affect the economy? from 2021-03-29T04:03:44

Nearly one million Australians lost access to JobKeeper wage subsidies from Sunday as the $90 billion scheme came to an end.
Unemployment in Australia peaked at 7.5 per cent last year but has s...

What does President Biden's press conference reveal about the state of the US? from 2021-03-26T03:09:38

US President Joe Biden has declared during his first presidential press conference he plans to run for a second term, while insisting China will not overtake the US as the world’s most powerful and...

The controversy behind Dark Mofo’s ‘insensitive and ignorant’ First Nations’ blood artwork from 2021-03-25T03:11

This year, the always provocative Dark Mofo in Tasmania raised things several notches by commissioning a work from Spanish artist Santiago Sierra.

The work, entitled Union Flag, received a...

How can the government prevent the continued harassment of women in Parliament? from 2021-03-24T03:13

Prime Minister Scott Morrison broke down in a press conference yesterday in reaction to the treatment of women in parliament house.
The Prime Minister spoke after Ten News reported a group of C...

What weather event caused the NSW floods and how climate change affected it from 2021-03-23T03:03:26

Since last week, NSW has been in the grip of a severe weather event that has seen the state inundated with rain, thousands of people have been displaced from their homes due to evacuations and mill...

A massive week in federal politics from 2021-03-22T03:32:08

This is the last sitting week of the Federal Parliament before the long break leading up to the May Federal Budget.

The agenda is packed with the ongoing fallout from claims of rape and se...

How will supply delays affect Australia's COVID-19 vaccine effort? from 2021-03-19T03:03:54

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has said the number of vaccines given to states and territories is being ramped up as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the state would not complete the rollou...

Australian production of Hamilton sets box office record from 2021-03-18T03:55:53

Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015, tells the story of America’s once-forgotten founding father Alexander Hamilton who rose from poverty to become an indispensable aide to George Washing...

What is the OECD and why does Mathias Cormann's appointment matter? from 2021-03-17T03:05:49

Mathias Cormann has been elected the next secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in a strategic coup for the Australian government.
Cormann emerged vict...

The aftermath of March 4 Justice from 2021-03-16T03:38:40

Tens of thousands attended marches throughout Australia to rally against the sexual assault, discrimination and harassment of women.

In every capital city and country towns, women gathered...

What is the Women’s March 4 Justice? from 2021-03-15T04:13:56

Tens of thousands of Australians are expected to hit the streets at 40 rallies today for the Women’s March 4 Justice.
Organisers of the protest rally have rejected Prime Minister Scott Morrison...

What's happening with Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout? from 2021-03-12T03:05:04

Some Australians may have to wait until early next year for their second shot of a COVID-19 vaccine due to supply problems, despite the government hoping to be finished by the end of October.
T...

Queensland pushes for tourist dollars from 2021-03-11T04:03:24

On this episode of Please Explain, Nathanael Cooper is joined by Queensland State Political reporter Lydia Lynch to discuss the push to lure visitors back to the Sunshine State.

Subscribe ...

How will the Juukan Gorge inquiry impact the mining sector? from 2021-03-10T04:03:50

On this episode of Please Explain, national editor Tory Maguire and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley discuss the impact of the Juukan Gorge destruction and the future of Australia’s mini...

Will the British monarchy survive Harry and Meghan's revelations? from 2021-03-09T04:00:24

On this episode of Please Explain, national editor Tory Maguire and Europe correspondent Bevan Shields discuss the explosive interview Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave with Oprah Wi...

The role of women in the media at this time of reckoning from 2021-03-08T04:26

To celebrate International Women's Day, Nathanael Cooper is joined by Lisa Davies, the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, and Gay Alcorn, the editor of The Age, to discuss the role and representa...

Spears to Higgins: our problematic treatment of young women from 2021-03-05T03:10:59

On this episode of Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by lifestyle writer Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss Britney, politics and misogyny.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscr...

The Melissa Caddick mystery deepens with the discovery of remains from 2021-03-04T02:41:20

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and senior investigative journalist Kate McClymont examine the case of Sydney woman Melissa Caddick, after police confirmed the missing businesswoman is presumed d...

Will big businesses give back Job Keeper payments? from 2021-03-03T04:05:48

On this episode of Please Explain, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by business journalist Dominic Powell to discuss the economic implications of big businesses keeping Job Keeper.

S...

The reckoning on inappropriate behaviour in Canberra has begun from 2021-03-02T03:49:14

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and senior writer Jacqueline Maley examine how Canberra is handling the escalating crisis of alleged sexual assault in its workplace.

Subscribe to The Age...

Not even a pandemic could dampen Australia’s appetite for cocaine from 2021-03-01T01:49:26

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and crime reporter Fergus Hunter take a look at Australia's rising cocaine use.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

See omn...

What does the increase to Job Seeker mean for its recipients? from 2021-02-26T03:37

On this episode of Please Explain, Tory is joined by senior economics correspondent Shane Wright to discuss the fate of our welfare recipients and the state of the economy.

Subscribe to Th...

When will Australians be able to travel overseas again? from 2021-02-25T04:46

Nathanael Cooper and business reporter Patrick hatch explore whether there is a light on the horizon for international travel.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
Listen

What does Craig Kelly's departure mean for the government? from 2021-02-24T03:53

On this episode of Please Explain, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by national affairs editor Rob Harris to discuss the implications of Mr Kelly’s departure from the Liberal party.

...

Melissa Caddick's disappearance three months on from 2021-02-23T04:04

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and senior investigative journalist Kate McClymont examine the disappearance of Sydney woman Melissa Caddick after she allegedly conned people out of over $40 mill...

Will the vaccine rollout mean the beginning of the end for the pandemic? from 2021-02-22T01:53

In this episode of Please Explain Daily, national editor Tory Maguire and health reporter Rachel Clun talk us through the Covid-19 vaccine rollout that begins in earnest today.

Subscribe t...

Facebook flexes its muscles but will Australia flinch? from 2021-02-19T02:56:30

Australia’s Facebook users woke yesterday to a very different newsfeed.
In response to the Morrison government’s proposed media bargaining laws, Facebook banned all publishers and users in Aust...

Harry and Meghan and the dance between fame and anonymity from 2021-02-18T03:44

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and deputy lifestyle editor Sophie Aubrey examine why there is a pregnancy announcement backlash after Harry and Meghan revealed they are expecting a second child....

Brittany Higgins: rape allegations 'not a surprise' from 2021-02-17T03:07:50

In this episode of Please Explain Daily, national editor Tory Maguire and deputy federal editor Stephanie Peatling reflect on the terrible chain of events and the spotlight they’ve shone on the emp...

Will parochialism power the division of the nation? from 2021-02-16T03:01:04

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and national affairs editor Rob Harris explore the parochialism that has reared its head during the pandemic and what it means for us as a nation.

Subscri...

An insiders look at CSL and the making of a Covid vaccine from 2021-02-15T01:20:12

Today on Please Explain Daily, national editor Tory Maguire and science reporter Liam Mannix discuss the CSL facility in Victoria, where the company is about to start pumping out millions of doses ...

Trump impeachment: Is a compelling case enough? from 2021-02-12T01:33:03

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and North America correspondent Matthew Knott talk us through the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump after the Democrats fini...

Graffiti and who gets to decide what is and isn't art from 2021-02-11T04:14:36

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and Senior Writer Jacqueline Maley navigate the complexities surrounding the mural of former NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and how it impac...

What now for Crown after inquiry finds it unfit? from 2021-02-10T02:20:44

In today’s episode of Please Explain Daily, national editor Tory Maguire and business journalist Patrick Hatch discuss the future of Australia’s biggest casino giant after the findings of the Crown...

James Bond or domestic politics? Russia’s Navalny problem from 2021-02-09T01:42:19

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and European correspondent Bevan Shields examine who is Alexei Navalny, the man Vladimir Putin seems determined to silence. 

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: h...

Will it be Ash's year at a very different Australian Open? from 2021-02-08T02:10:55

In today’s episode of Please Explain Daily, national editor Tory Maguire and sport journalist Sam Phillips discuss what to expect from this years grand slam.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: ht...

Will 2021 be an election year and what issues will take us there? from 2021-02-05T04:10:58

In today’s episode of Please Explain Daily, national editor Tory Maguire and national affairs editor Rob Harris discuss the topics that are likely to dominate federal politics this year.

S...

Is Collingwood's not so proud day part of a bigger malaise? from 2021-02-04T04:01:35

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper and Chief AFL writer Jake Niall look at the fallout from Magpies president Eddie McGuire's statement during a press conference where Collingwood Football Club was ...

News Media Bargaining Code: Will they pay or will they go? from 2021-02-03T03:35

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and Media and Telecommunications Reporter Zoe Samios examine the state of play between Australian news media and big tech.

Subscribe to The Ag...

Vaccines vs Variants: where is Australia in the fight against COVID? from 2021-02-02T04:14

In this episode, Nathanael Cooper is joined by national science reporter Liam Mannix to examine how Australia hopes to vaccinate the country.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe....

From riots to lockdowns: revisiting January's unrelenting news cycle from 2021-02-01T02:56:48

For the first episode of Please Explain Daily in 2021, Tory and new co-host Nathanael Cooper discuss what we’ve missed over the past six weeks. 

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscri...

Beijing clamps down: Hong Kong media tycoon arrested from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Yesterday, Hong Kong police arrested billionaire media tycoon Jimmy Lai on national security charges and raided his Apple Daily newspaper headquarters. In this episode, climate and environment edit...

COVID-19 vaccine development 'ticking along' from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, senior culture writer Nathanael Cooper is joined by national science reporter Liam Mannix to discuss the international communities' progress in creating a COVID-19 vaccine. See om...

Victoria's COVID-19 deaths overtake Black Saturday from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today, the state of Victoria will pass 173 deaths from COVID-19, the same toll from the Black Saturday bushfires, Australia’s worst natural disaster. In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire i...

How did a 'floating bomb' cargo ship lead to the Beirut explosion? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Over 100 people were killed, including one Australian and 4000 wounded after a warehouse filled with Ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday. In this episode, national editor Tory M...

Closed for business: the cost of Victoria's lockdown from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Non-essential retail stores in Melbourne will shut at midnight tonight as part of the city’s stage four COVID-19 lockdown. The move is expected to lead to 250,000 workers being stood down. The hars...

'More chillies!' Why are Australians gambling more in lockdown? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Australia's obsession with gambling has propped up some of the world's biggest corporate bookmakers during the COVID-19 pandemic, sparking fresh calls for a federal government crackdown.  The super...

State of disaster: stage four restrictions lock Melbourne down from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Yesterday, Premier Daniel Andrews declared that Victoria is officially in a state of disaster.  For the next six weeks, Melbourne will be under an 8 pm curfew while regional Victoria has moved to s...

Treasurer unveils code to rein in digital giants from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Last year, Google and Facebook made almost $400 million more in Australian advertising revenue than five of our major media outlets combined. Today, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg unveiled a draft code ...

Have German police made a breakthrough in the search for Madeleine McCann? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In June, German authorities identified a 43-year-old man as a suspect in the disappearance and likely murder of British girl Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007. This suspect was later identified ...

Crown's gamble: casino probity inquiry resumes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On Monday, the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority resumed its public hearings into Crown Resorts after suspending the probity inquiry in April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inquiry...

Is it too late for paid pandemic leave? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Yesterday, the national industrial tribunal decided to give two weeks of paid pandemic leave to aged care staff, including casual employees to encourage workers to stay home if they have symptoms o...

The mismanagement of Australia's $60 billion workers' comp system from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by investigative journalist Adele Ferguson to discuss the joint investigation by The Herald, The Age, and Four Corners into Australia's $60 b...

Why can't Victoria control its COVID-19 resurgence? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Victoria's initial coronavirus wave peaked at 111 cases. Two weeks after the second lockdown, the state is at 484 and rising. Yesterday, 5 people, including a man in his 50’s, died. In this episode...

'A real shock': the worst deficit since WWII from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This morning, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced Australia is officially in the worst deficit since World War II  In this episode, group executive editor James Chessell is joined by economics corr...

Why is Australia's environment in an 'unsustainable state of decline'? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Since Europeans colonised Australia, about 100 of Australia’s unique flora and fauna species have become extinct. Unfortunately, the rate of loss has not slowed over the past 200 years. On Tuesday,...

How will the JobKeeper extension impact recipients? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

From October, the current JobKeeper rate of $1500 a fortnight will be replaced by reduced entitlements for part and full-time workers. Eligible full-time workers will receive $1200 a fortnight whil...

Virus politics: the mixed messaging of mask wearing from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On Sunday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced people of Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire would be required to wear a mask while outdoors and from this Thursday, those who fail to do so face...

Covid in America: a country divided from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

While Australian’s brace themselves for the impact of Victoria’s coronavirus resurgence, the United States is still grappling with how to establish a coherent national plan to begin to tackle the p...

Will JobTrainer be enough to protect new workers from the recession? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Morrison government has announced a stimulus package to ensure job seekers and school leavers will learn in-demand skills to help them survive the recession amid deepening unemployment.  In thi...

Hunt for COVID-19 vaccine going 'surprisingly well' from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, Sunday Age editor David King and national science reporter Liam Mannix give a COVID-19 vaccine update. They delve into why scientists are so optimistic about the current chances of...

'Priceless' palace letters unveiled from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Political historian Professor Jenny Hocking has won a decade-long fight to access hundreds of letters between the Crown and former governor-general, Sir John Kerr, before the dismissal of the Whitl...

Containment measures strain as COVID-19 clusters multiply from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has warned that Victoria has not yet seen the peak of the second coronavirus surge. The state now has more cases of community transmission than the rest...

Does ‘cancel culture’ have a place in our society? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Two days ago, Harper’s Magazine published a statement warning of the dangers of an “intolerance of opposing views”. The open letter, signed by 150 people including JK Rowling, Margaret Atwood and ...

The cost of our coronavirus resurgence from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has estimated Melbourne's second lockdown will cost Victoria 1 billion dollars per week. On July 23rd, he will deliver the government's new income support strategy aimed a...

'Horror and resignation': how will Melbourne cope with a second lockdown? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The border between NSW and Victoria closed this morning with Greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire entering six weeks of stage three COVID-19 restrictions from midnight tonight. In this episode,...

Indonesia: the coronavirus hotspot next door from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Indonesia is tipped to become Asia's third coronavirus epicentre with daily infection rates expected to rise to 4000 per day by October.  Yesterday, the 17,000 islands reported 1209 new cases and 7...

Take two: NSW-Victoria border to shut as cases rise from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the border between Victoria and New South Wales will close at midnight on Tuesday after an alarming surge of coronavirus infections. Today, Victoria r...

Police state: the future of life in Hong Kong from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Australia has joined the United Kingdom in offering Hong Kong residents refuge after the territory was engulfed by a fresh wave of protests and arrests over China’s new security laws.  In this ep...

Can the entertainment industry survive the coronavirus curtain call? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Australia's entertainment industry has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, KPMG released an audit report of the Sydney Theatre Company that cast 'significant doubt' over the comp...

Why is Australia investing in new weapons technology? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has delivered a 10-year defence strategy which will open the door to investing in new weapons technology. The strategy includes purchasing long-range anti-ship missile...

Is pandemic markets mayhem 'unknowable'? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Over the past week, there has been a small spate of encouraging signs pointing towards a rebound in the global economy but does the data actually indicate we're on the road to recovery?  In this ep...

'Culture of poor leadership': War crimes in Afghanistan admitted from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In a confidential briefing to troops at SAS headquarters, Major-General Adam Findlay admitted some elite Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afganistan. He blamed the atrocities on "poor mo...

The turbulent future of Australia's aviation industry from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The global aviation industry has been decimated by the coronavirus crisis and Australia’s flagship airline has not been spared the pain. In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by b...

Why is the ABC restructuring? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On Wednesday afternoon, The ABC announced a range of cost-saving moves under a new five-year strategy aimed at saving $40 million and attracting younger audiences. In this episode, national editor ...

Who is to blame for Victoria's COVID-19 surge? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Fears of a second COVID-19 wave in Victoria are growing. Last night, the state reported 20 new coronavirus cases. This is their seventh consecutive day of double-digit positive tests.  In this epis...

"Dirty Dyson", the retired high court judge accused of sexual harassment from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley is joined by senior investigative journalist Kate McClymont to discuss their investigation into former High Court Justice Dyson Heydon. An indepe...

Calls for lockdowns as Labor quarrels in Victoria from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by The Age's state political reporter Sumeyya Illanbey to discuss the new COVID-19 hotspots in Victoria and the pressure on Premier Daniel An...

Changes for casuals coming in IR overhaul from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley and industrial relations reporter Nick Bonyhady discuss the government's industrial relations overhaul and how it will effect workers. See omnys...

How is the economy tracking as we farewell 2020? from 2020-12-18T03:32

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright discuss the state of the economy as we see out 2020.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subsc...

How did the federal government perform in 2020? from 2020-12-17T03:50:48

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and deputy federal editor Stephanie Peatling re-cap the year that was in Canberra.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ Listen

Where is Melissa Caddick and how did she allegedly con people out of over $40 million? from 2020-12-16T04:20

In this episode of Please Explain Daily, Sunday Age editor David King and senior investigative journalist Kate McClymont to discuss the disappearance of Sydney woman Melissa Caddick.

Subsc...

Australian economy braces itself as China blocks coal indefinitely from 2020-12-15T03:22

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and North Asia correspondent Eyrk Bagshaw discuss the future of Sino-Australian relations after China blocks Australian coal exports.

Subscrib...

What now after Australia's COVID-19 vaccine fails? from 2020-12-14T03:32:15

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and national affairs editor Rob Harris discuss Australia's vaccine strategy after the University of Queensland and CSL COVID vaccine was terminated due...

How will Australia weather UN climate conference snub? from 2020-12-11T04:12:54

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley talk about carryover credits, emissions targets and Australia's recent UN conference snub.

Su...

Why has the government extended cashless welfare cards? from 2020-12-10T03:41:48

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and political reporter Katina Curtis delve into the cashless welfare card controversy and why the government has temporarily extended the scheme.
<...

Explaining explainers from 2020-12-09T03:52:55

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and explainer editor Felicity Lewis give a sneak peak into what to expect from The Herald and The Age’s anthology of explainer articles named What’s it...

Can cancel culture and columnists co-exist? from 2020-12-07T02:16:19

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and Europe correspondent Bevan Shields discuss the case of Suzanne Moore who resigned from The Guardian last month after a column she authored in March...

Can the Labor Party solve its identity politics from 2020-12-04T02:45

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and national affairs editor Rob Harris discuss the future of the Labor party in light of a new book of essays from 30 Labor Right frontbenchers.
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Are we really out of the coronavirus recession? from 2020-12-03T03:19:40

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and business journalist Stephen Bartholomeusz talk through the state of the markets and their effect on the Australian economy.

Subscribe to T...

What will the government achieve in the last week of parliament? from 2020-12-02T04:07

In this episode, deputy federal editor Stephanie Peatling and chief political correspondent David Crowe take us through what is happening in the final week of Parliamentary sittings of 2020. 
<...

Relations with China reach new low with war crimes tweet from 2020-12-01T03:58:09

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw discuss the state of the Sino-Australian relationship in wake of an inflammatory social media post from an of...

Alexander Downer savages Britain's policy on China from 2020-11-30T02:01:38

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and London based breaking news reporter Latika Bourke on how Britain is dealing with its own foreign policy issues with China.

Subscribe to Th...

The transnational effort behind releasing Kylie Moore-Gilbert from Iran from 2020-11-27T03:15:32

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and national security and foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway talk about Dr Moore-Gilbert's arrest, release and what it means for Australia'...

Biden begins transition as US braces for Thanksgiving Covid surge from 2020-11-26T01:09

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and North America correspondent Matthew Knott discuss the commencemnt of Biden's administration and the danger Thanksgiving poses to the already devast...

Hundreds of Victorian ALP members expelled in wake of branch stacking report from 2020-11-25T03:44

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and national affairs editor Rob Harris analyse the results of the Victorian Labor party's investigation into branch stacking.

Subscribe to The...

Should the government prioritise home ownership over superannuation increases from 2020-11-24T03:10

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright talk through MP Tim Wilson's superannuation plan and the impact on first homeowners and seniors.<...

The future of hotel quarantine and where Australia sits in the vaccine pecking order from 2020-11-23T03:45

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by national science reporter Liam Mannix to discuss the arguments for moving hotel quarantine out of the city and how far around the corner w...

Crown's Sydney casino blocked from opening over money laundering concerns from 2020-11-20T03:49:55

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and business columnist Elizabeth Knight discuss the Bergin inquiry and the future of Crown Resorts in Sydney.

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Will Mathais Cormann lead OECD and why does it matter? from 2020-11-19T00:22

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and Europe correspondent Bevan Shields discuss why the government is backing former finance minister Mathias Cormann's bid to become the security gener...

NSW pushes for national stamp duty reform from 2020-11-18T03:21

In this episode, Sunday Age editor David King and economics correspondent Jennifer Duke tell us why stamp duty is so important to state governments and what its potential reform means. 

Su...

The Crown: peak Princess propaganda or defamatory revisionism? from 2020-11-17T04:17

In this episode, deputy federal editor Stephanie Peatling and senior journalist Jacqueline Maley wind back the clock to indulge in some royal drama as they analyse Netflix's The Crown and its depic...

Brereton inquiry summary to expose "inhumane" Australian war crimes in Afghanistan from 2020-11-16T04:02

In this episode, group executive editor James Chessell and senior investigative journalist Nick McKenzie discuss what to expect from the summary of the Brereton inquiry and the contents of Dr Cromp...

Why is climate policy so divisive in Australia? from 2020-11-13T02:02:33

In this episode, climate and environment editor Nick O'Malley is joined by climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley to discuss why climate policy is so divisive in Australia.

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How do global ranking systems impact Australia's tertiary education? from 2020-11-12T04:40:52

In this episode, group executive editor James Chessell and the Herald's education editor Jordan Baker discuss the role of international ranking systems on our tertiary education sector.

Su...

Power, privacy and misogyny in the Canberra bubble from 2020-11-11T04:11:59

In this episode, senior culture writer Nathanael Cooper and senior journalist Jacqueline Maley discuss the culture of Canberra after 4 Corners revealed serious allegations of sexism and inapropriat...

Are we close to securing a COVID-19 vaccine? from 2020-11-10T05:06:20

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley is joined by health reporter Emma Koehn to discuss Australia's investment in coronavirus vaccines and mRNA technology.

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President-elect Biden plans transition while Trump golfs in denial from 2020-11-09T03:29:37

In this episode, senior culture writer Nathanael Cooper is joined by North American correspondent Matthew Knott to discuss the mood on the ground as Joe Biden became the 46th president of the Unite...

Biden calls for patience while Trump declares electoral fraud from 2020-11-06T04:26

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and former North American correspondent Nick O'Malley try to make sense of what's going on with the US election.

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Battleground states flip for Biden as Trump files lawsuits from 2020-11-05T01:50:16

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and North American correspondent Matthew Knott reflect on election night and discuss the accusations of "electoral fraud" as well as the role of mail-i...

Can Reserve Bank's historic rate cuts reverse low employment? from 2020-11-04T03:40

In this episode, Sunday Age editor David King and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright look at how the RBA cuts will impact individuals and the broader economy.

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US election countdown: when will we know who won? from 2020-11-03T03:43:32

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by senior journalist Farrah Tomazin to talk through the final hours of the two US election campaigns.

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Australia's lobster industry in hot water with China from 2020-11-02T04:05

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and North Asia correspondent Eyrk Bagshaw discuss how the Australian lobster industry seems to have become the latest victim of the ongoing trade dispu...

France reeling from terror attacks as COVID rages across Europe from 2020-10-30T01:42:40

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire and Europe correspondent Bevan Shields discuss the COVID threat in Europe and the atrocities France has experienced overnight.

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Campaign crunch time: Presidential candidates contrasting strategies from 2020-10-29T01:16

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by North America correspondent Matthew Knott to discuss the impact of these vastly different Presidential campaigns on the election.

Listen

Low and middle-income Australians lose in personal tax overhual from 2020-10-28T04:57

Millions of low and middle-income Australians face being $1080 worse off each year unless the government revisits its recent overhaul of the personal tax system.
As it stands, the end of the lo...

Is our national broadcaster for 'inner city left-wing elites'? from 2020-10-27T04:14

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley is joined by deputy editor of the Sun Herald Michael Koziol to discuss whether the ABC caters to all Australians and the level of government infl...

What now for Victoria after recording 0 new COVID cases? from 2020-10-26T04:53:20

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by The Age's deputy editor Michael Bachelard to talk about the situation in Victoria as the state records 0 cases for the first time in month...

Why is the government investigating Australia Post? from 2020-10-23T04:31

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by national affairs editor Rob Harris to discuss what's going on at our national postal service.

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Biden prepares while Trump rallies before final debate showdown from 2020-10-22T02:19:30

In this episode, climate and environment editor Nick O'Malley is joined by US correspondent Matthew Knott to discuss the dying days of the 2020 US election.

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Victorian Chief Health Officer in hotel quarantine inquiry spotlight from 2020-10-21T04:30:34

In this episode, Sunday Age editor David King is joined by The Age's investigative reporter Richard Baker to discuss Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https:...

Can Gladys Berejiklian survive ICAC revelations? from 2020-10-20T05:16:38

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by The Herald's state political reporter Lucy Cormack to discuss the explosive ICAC investigation into disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire and ...

Victorians rejoice as some coronavirus restrictions ease from 2020-10-19T04:22:10

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by The Age's state political reporter Summeyya Ilanbey to discuss the Victorian government's response to the coronavirus, and its critics, as...

What will Virgin Australia look like under Hrdlicka and Bain Capital? from 2020-10-16T04:29:24

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by business reporter Patrick Hatch to discuss Bain's 'hybrid' vision for Virgin and the appointment of Jayne Hrdlicka as CEO.

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Parties fight for Florida as President Trump tests negative for COVID-19 from 2020-10-15T01:37

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by North America correspondent Matthew Knott to discuss President Trump's negative COVID-19 result, Amy Coney Barret, and how each party is p...

The ARIAS and the future of live music from 2020-10-14T05:29:56

In this episode, senior culture writer Nathanael Cooper is joined by culture reporter Robert Moran to discuss this years ARIAS nominations and the future of live music in Australia.

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'I stuffed up': NSW Premier vows to stay after explosive ICAC hearing from 2020-10-13T04:33

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley is joined by state political reporter Lucy Cormack to discuss what Gladys Berejiklian's ICAC revelations mean for the NSW state government.
<...

Vaccine diplomacy & the post-COVID world order from 2020-10-12T03:22:48

We’re eight months into the coronavirus pandemic and of the 44 vaccines in human trials around the world, eleven of them are undergoing mass efficacy trials known as ‘stage three’.
While wealth...

What does the Crown inquiry mean for James Packer and the Barangaroo casino? from 2020-10-09T05:16:39

Yesterday, Billionaire casino tycoon James Packer acknowledged he may have to sell down his major shareholding in Crown Resorts so it can keep the license for its new $2.2 billion casino at Baranga...

'Don't be afraid of COVID', Trump's return to the White House from 2020-10-08T02:55:45

US President Donald Trump has returned to the White House after leaving the Walter Reed hospital in Maryland where he spent three nights being treated for coronavirus.
His return was dramatic, ...

Breaking down the federal budget from 2020-10-07T05:49:45

This year's federal budget was due to be announced on the 12th of May. Like most other aspects of life over the past six months, it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic
Last night, the...

Is China at a geopolitical turning point? from 2020-10-06T04:26:35

A former Australian ambassador to Beijing believes China is presenting itself as a responsible major power by making fresh diplomatic overtures to Australia and resisting the temptation to take pol...

How will Donald Trump's illness affect his popularity? from 2020-10-05T06:25

This morning, Australia time, US President Donald Trump took a car ride to wave at well-wishers gathered outside Walter Reed military hospital where he is being treated for COVID-19.

News ...

Why did 1/5 of aged care residents fail to secure home care packages? from 2020-10-02T06:31

The federal Health Department has released data revealing around 50,000 people are only in aged care because they cannot get support to stay at home, with aged care advocates pressuring the Morriso...

First US presidential debate a 'chaotic mess' from 2020-10-01T03:09

The first presidential debate of the US election was hard to watch. Donald Trump constantly interrupted Joe Biden who retaliated by calling the President a ‘clown’ and told him to ‘shut up’.
Th...

What have we learned from Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry? from 2020-09-30T06:01:49

After 25 days of virtual public hearings, Victoria’s COVID-19 hotel quarantine inquiry finished on Monday.
In his closing submissions, counsel assisting, Ben Ihle, said the failure to properly ...

QAnon: the far-right group that's infiltrated Australia's wellness community from 2020-09-29T06:21:46

Up until this year, far-right conspiracy movement QAnon largely existed on the internet’s fringes. Its origins can be traced to 2017 when an unidentified poster named ‘Q” began pushing coded theori...

New Zealand's vote on marijuana may spark law reform debate in Australia from 2020-09-28T05:14:47

According to Harm Reduction Australia, New Zealand's upcoming referendum on legalising cannabis could significantly impact drug law reform in Australia and may even trigger marijuana tourism when b...

Victoria 'winning the coronavirus battle' as some restrictions to ease from 2020-09-25T07:31

Spring may have finally sprung for Victoria with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews declaring the state is ‘winning the battle’ against the coronavirus.
Overnight, the state recorded just 14 new ...

What does the death of RBG mean for the US Supreme court? from 2020-09-24T03:51:04

It’s all but a certainty that US President Donald Trump has the numbers to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the odds are shortening he will do so before election ...

Israel rules alleged pedophile Malka Leifer can be extradited to Australia from 2020-09-23T05:47:44

On Monday, the Jerusalem district court handed down a judgment allowing the extradition to Australia of accused child sex abuser Malka Leifer.
The former principal of Melbourne’s ultra-orthodox...

Australia's baby deficit may create 'permanent hole' in budget bottom line from 2020-09-22T05:37

Australia is facing a shortage of 280,000 babies by 2024 due to the coronavirus recession and unrealistic pre-pandemic forecasts of a birth surge.
The federal budget will be announced by Treasu...

Inside Treasury secretary Kennedy's coronavirus response from 2020-09-21T06:45

In 2006, Australia’s now Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy wrote a paper on pandemics.
In a cabinet meeting in February this year, he was asked about whether the paper could guide Australia’s r...

Hope in the air as Victorian COVID-19 cases drop from 2020-09-18T07:49:41

Yesterday, Victoria recorded just 28 new coronavirus cases. This is the lowest daily total in three months.

To ensure the numbers continue to decline, experts have warned suburban contact ...

President Trump labelled 'climate arsonist' as California burns from 2020-09-17T03:19:27

Fires are continuing to rage across the US West Coast. So far, at least 35 people have perished and large tracts of land have been destroyed.
In an awkward exchange with California’s governor G...

World's development of rare earths on shaky ground as China tension grows from 2020-09-16T06:35:22

Most of the world's phones, cameras, and electric cars are all dependent on minerals that are currently exclusively processed in China.
As the geopolitical tension between China and the US, EU ...

Morrison announces 'gas-led' coronavirus recovery plan from 2020-09-15T06:00

Today, Scott Morrison has promised a ‘gas-led recovery’ from the coronavirus recession by ensuring Australian manufacturers can gain access to the energy they need to compete with overseas rivals.<...

How koalas nearly broke the NSW Coalition from 2020-09-14T06:42:49

As the NSW Nationals prepare for a gruelling parliamentary sitting week, their leader, Deputy Premier John Barilaro has issued a blunt ultimatum to his Liberal colleagues, “put up or shut up”.
...

Has Queensland's border war gone too far? from 2020-09-11T06:28:31

The Prime Minister has asked leading health officials to prioritise agreeing on a national coronavirus hotpot definition so he can use the advice to pressure the state premiers to open their border...

Is Trump’s election campaign in trouble? from 2020-09-10T02:31:32

This morning, we woke to the news that US President Donald Trump admitted to deliberately downplaying the severity of the coronavirus early in the pandemic in explosive interviews with journalist B...

Why did Rio Tinto destroy sacred Juukan Gorge caves? from 2020-09-09T07:25

The board of mining giant Rio Tinto will meet to decide whether to dismiss senior executives over the company’s decision to blast a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock shelter in Western Australia in o...

Will infrastructure investment bring us out of recession? from 2020-09-08T05:53

Australia may have to build its way out of our deepest recession since the 1930s through a $220 billion pipeline of infrastructure projects.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is weighing up adding proj...

Melburnians brace for an extended lockdown from 2020-09-07T06:59

Yesterday, Premier Daniel Andrews announced the extension of Melbourne’s stage four restrictions until September 28th and revealed what he called a ‘slow, steady, and safe’ road map to guide the st...

What does the future look like for the class of 2020? from 2020-09-04T06:07:57

Universities have sent out a record number of early offers this year and applications for some admission schemes have tripled as year 12 students rush to secure their future amid the uncertainty ca...

Coronavirus recession: the biggest economic contraction since Great Depression from 2020-09-03T05:53:48

Australia is officially in recession. Data from the ABS on Wednesday showed the economy contracted by 7% in the June quarter as households and businesses slashed spending. It was the second consecu...

Australia's relationship with China buckles as journalist arrested from 2020-09-02T07:23

On Monday night news broke that Australian/Chinese journalist Cheng Lei had been arrested in Beijing and could be held for up to six months without charge.
Also this week Chinese authorities su...

How has the pandemic shifted consumer behaviour? from 2020-09-01T06:52:53

In the early stages of the pandemic, weekly spending at cafes in NSW slumped to 40% lower than what was normal before the crisis.
Now, demand has bounced back as people continue to work from ho...

Will COVID-19 jeopardise Sydney's Hamilton production? from 2020-08-31T06:12

Hamilton the Musical has won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy, a Pulitzer Prize and has been seen by more than two million people on Broadway alone. From March next year, it’ll be our turn.
Before the ...

'How not to respond': the lessons in AMP's sexual harassment response from 2020-08-28T06:50

In 2017, AMP Capital institutional director Julia Szlakowski made a formal sexual harassment complaint against senior London-based manager Boe Pahari.
In 2018 AMP penalised him to the tune of $...

Canberra to review states' overseas agreements from 2020-08-27T06:56

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by national affairs editor Rob Harris to analyse why the federal government is pushing for new powers to cancel agreements that states, local...

Pandemic pandemonium as London goes on holidays from 2020-08-26T06:18:19

In the past day, Australia recorded 151 new cases of coronavirus. Of that number, 149 were in Victoria where Premier Daniel Andrews is trying to extend the ‘state of emergency’ powers by 12 months....

Republicans hope 'Trump show' will boost chances from 2020-08-25T03:15:09

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by North American correspondent Matthew Knott to discuss President Trump's plan for the four-day national Republican convention that kicks of...

Branch stacking in the Victorian Liberal Party exposed from 2020-08-24T06:34

The Victorian Liberal Party has launched an internal investigation after a joint report by The Age and 60 Minutes exposed extensive branch stacking implicating one of the Prime Minister’s own front...

The race we should never have won from 2020-08-21T07:25

With the coronavirus pandemic thwarting any chance of a 2020 Olympics, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the ‘best games ever’.
For Australians, t...

Should we 'pin our hopes' on AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine? from 2020-08-20T08:09:36

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley is joined by national science reporter Liam Mannix to unpack the Morrison government's decision to sign a letter of intent with British-Swedish b...

Should the government delay next year's super increase? from 2020-08-19T05:16:53

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by economics correspondent Jennifer Duke. They discuss why an increasing number of coalition backbenchers are urging the Morrison government ...

Border communities strain under COVID restrictions from 2020-08-18T05:37

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by national affairs editor Rob Harris to discuss the impact of the coronavirus restrictions on border communities. Prime Minister Scott Morri...

University will never be the same again from 2020-08-17T06:43

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by education and communications reporter Fergus Hunter to discuss the state of Australia's universities as they grapple with the impact of th...

Can Australia recover from record unemployment? from 2020-08-14T05:31:47

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by senior economics correspondent Shane Wright to discuss Australia's record unemployment and the impact Victoria's coronavirus resurgence wi...

Will global giants squash Australia's streaming platforms? from 2020-08-13T07:44

In this episode, senior culture writer Nathanael Cooper is joined by media and telecommunications journalist Zoe Samios to discuss the future of local streaming services like Stan and Binge as glob...

How will Kamala Harris affect the US election? from 2020-08-12T05:51

This morning, Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, ending weeks of increasingly frenzied speculation.
If Biden defeats Presid...