Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

As Australia grapples with a surging illicit tobacco trade, the Coalition and One Nation have called for a substantial cut to Australia's tax on legal tobacco. Professor of Public Health Becky Freeman says the tobacco industry continues to wield significant political influence. Guest:  Professor Becky Freeman, School of Public Health, University of Sydney

Europe is a land of legendary rivers. For centuries, they've fed cities, transported great armies and powered modern industry. But this summer, after a series of exceptional heatwaves, the Rhine, Danube, Loire and Po have all shrunk to record lows. Ben Coates, author of a 2019 book about the Rhine, discusses what the drying up of Europe’s rivers means for the continent and its future. Guest: Ben Coates, journalist and columnist based in the Netherlands. Ben is the author of The Rhine: following Europe's greatest river from Amsterdam to the Alps His article about Europe's dying rivers is here Producers: Ann Arnold and Julie Street

Since AI started being used by journalists in newsrooms around the world, there have been a number of high-profile publications that have made some rather embarrassing mistakes. Some have misquoted political leaders because AI simply made up and attributed statements to politicians who never said those words. Malicious actors are setting up fake news websites for AI to capture when it sweeps the internet for information. AI is also being used to generate fake videos that are alarmingly difficult to detect. Europe has just released an AI Act in an attempt to regulate what is being produced by big tech companies - and they don't like it. So as the ABC rolls out Anthropic's AI tool, Claude, and is about to trial the use of AI to help write digital news articles based on radio bulletins, LNL looks at whether AI is a tool that will give journalists super powers, or a slippery slope to AI slop at best, and dangerous misinformation at worst.  Guest: Liz Corbin, Director of News, European Broadcasting Union Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Bruce Shapiro reflects on the life of American feminist icon Gloria Steinem, and how many of the things she fought for are now under attack. As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has said he would be offended if Mayor Zohran Mamdani attends the commemoration at Ground Zero, in what Bruce says is a reflection of the legacy of Islamophobia resulting from the terrorist attack.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine and Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma Producer: Catherine Zengerer

During the Cold War, the US had 17 military bases across Greenland. Most were eventually abandoned, but now Washington wants to get its hands back on one. Narsarsuaq is  a former American air base in the south, where historian Ole Guldager has documented the history of the American military presence.   Guest: Ole Guldager, historian, curator at Narsarsuaq Air Base Museum, and author, Americans in Greenland in World War Two Producer: Ali Benton

Nearly a thousand trees are being cut down in Adelaide's heritage listed parklands to make way for a re-developed golf course and the MotoGP motorcycle race. A federal court case is underway, challenging the removal of certain trees due to both their heritage value and their significance to local Indigenous people. A parliamentary inquiry is also underway after more than 43,000 people signed a petition opposing the developments and thousands took to the streets of Adelaide, calling on the Premier to 'stop the chop'. But Peter Malinauskas is pushing ahead with the plans, citing the economic development opportunities they bring to the state. Some analysts are suggesting the SA government's aim is in fact to appeal to One Nation voters in Labor seats.  Guest:  Greg Mackie, Former CEO, SA History Trust, former Adelaide City Councillor Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Four years on, Giorgia Meloni has done what few Italian leaders manage: stay in power. But has her right-wing revolution really materialised — and how secure is her grip ahead of the 2027 election? Guest: Lorenzo Pregliasco, Political analyst, Adjunct Professor, University of Bologna, Italy Producer: Ali Benton

The idea that everything in nature is interconnected comes largely from the German philosopher, geographer, naturalist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt. After a scientific expedition to the Americas at the turn of the 19th century, Humboldt came to realise that nature existed in interconnected ecological zones, and that humans were not nature’s overloads, but part of nature itself, something which profoundly challenged religious beliefs about man’s place in the world. His observations were published in five volumes called Kosmos, a scientific work which would have a significant influence on evolutionary thinkers like Charles Darwin, and would ultimately kick off the ecology movement.  Guest: Dalia Nassar, Professor of Philosophy at The University of Sydney, author of Romantic Empiricism – nature, art and ecology from Herder to Humboldt, published by Oxford University Press, and host, The Wednesday Society podcast Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Anna Henderson discusses the political impact on the government of falling house prices, whether One Nation's superannuation policy is a vote winner and the response to Nationals' leader Matt Canavan's statement on the so-called 'feminisation of the curriculum'.  Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS

For 80 years (1848-1928), the Queensland Native Mounted Police operated as a paramilitary force on Australia's frontier, with Aboriginal troopers under white command dispatched to suppress Indigenous resistance. The new book, Buried, shares the findings of a four-year project to locate, record and excavate the campsites of the Mounted Police, painting a more detailed picture of their activities - both violent and mundane.  Guest: Heather Burke, Professor of Archaeology at Flinders University, co-author of Buried: Archaeology, frontier conflict and the Queensland Native Mounted Police (Sydney University Press), with co-authors Lynley A Wallis; and Bryce Barker

The quest to create enjoyable, successful lab-grown meat has been pursued over the past decade or two, by entrepreneurs around the globe who can see the potential for big rewards. But they have not, so far, been able to create the desired product. A reporter dives into the world of meat cells and venture capitalists. Guest: Erin Somers, writer, essayist, critic and novelist. Author of 'Where's the beef', the cover story of the September edition of Harper's Magazine. Producer: Ann Arnold

Amidst the chaos of the Khmer Rouge genocide and Cambodia’s civil war, a new crime wave emerged. Sacred temples across Cambodia were looted by smugglers and priceless treasures of the Khmer Empire were trafficked into the hands of elite collectors. At the centre of it all was a British expat named Douglas Latchford, aka “Dynamite Doug.” A new book explores how Latchford orchestrated one of history’s most brutal cultural heists, flooding the international art market with stolen antiquities from the Killing Fields.  Guest: Matthew Campbell, reporter and editor for Bloomberg Businessweek. Author of The Man Who Stole the Gods: A True Story of War, Obsession and a Global Art Conspiracy Producer: Julie Street

Rogue corporations commit terrible harms. They kill, addict and ruin on a huge scale - and often get away with it. A new book 'Corporate harms: a horror story' draws on the horror genre to highlight the dual horrors of corporate malfeasance: the harms done, and the harms multiplied when the law fails to address them. Guest: Penny Crofts, Professor of Law at UTS, co-author with Dr Honni van Rijswijk of Corporate harms: a horror story

Lesbia Harford was one of the first women to graduate as a lawyer from Melbourne University in the First World War, but followed her socialist ideals by working as a machinist in a factory. She went on to become one of the first female trade union leaders in Australia and a leader in the anti-war, anti-conscription movement. All the time she wrote poetry, mostly about love for both men and women, but also about the conditions for workers and the impact of war.  Lesbia's poems were frank and fearless, and startlingly modern -  a far leap from the flowery, archaic forms of the time. Her work was largely unpublished during her short lifetime, or for years after, but those who discovered her found her work profoundly relatable. “Lesbia’s was a radical poetry of everyday life, accessible but intellectually sumptuous, and quite unlike what anyone else was writing,” says academic and author, Jeff Sparrow, who has written the first full biography of her life.     Guest:  Jeff Sparrow, author, ‘Somewhere Here the Future's Hid - the Extraordinary Life of Lesbia Harford’ published by Monash University Publishing Producer: Catherine Zengerer

A bloody reshuffle for Britain’s Conservatives — is Kemi Badenoch taking the party further to the right? Andy Burnham faces his first week back in parliament as Prime Minister, and the UK turns up the pressure on Israel over its plans to expand West Bank settlements. Guest Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL commentator Producer: Ali Benton

We all carry GPS technology around in our pockets. But there’s a lot more to the 'Global Positioning System' than meets the eye. GPS was originally conceived as a military product, one designed to drop enormously powerful bombs with staggering precision. It now underwrites everything from rideshares to traffic light systems, international banking and supply chains. Our over-reliance on it makes us incredibly vulnerable. Guest: Katherine Dunn, journalist and author. Her new book is Little Blue Dot: How the Global Positioning System Shaped the Modern World Producer: Julie Street

In October, the citizens of Alberta will vote in a referendum to decide whether the province should proceed with a process to separate from the federation of Canada. The vote exposes fractures in one of the world's most stable federations, but is there any real prospect of secession, anytime soon?   Guest: Andrea Lawlor, Associate Professor in political science, McMaster University, Ontario Producer: Jack Schmidt

Anna Henderson discusses One Nation's historic win in Western Australia, securing its first lower house seat in the state for candidate Luke Herdegen., and what the latest polling shows about the issues One Nation voters care about most.  Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS

Early last century, Alice Duncan-Kemp grew up on a remote Queensland cattle station. Later she would write down her childhood memories of learning from Aboriginal women and men at home on their own Country. Historian and writer Tom Griffiths examines - and corroborates - Alice's revelatory encounters. Guest:  Tom Griffiths, author of 'Alice's dreaming' (2026)

The wealth and power of American elders was epitomised in the US 2024 election, with Joe Biden vs Donald Trump. But elder power spreads beyond political leadership, and is preventing the US from becoming as forward thinking and economically successful as it could be, our guest argues. Guest: Samuel Moyn, the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University. Author of 'Gerontocracy in America: how the old are hoarding power and wealth, and what to do about it' (Macmillan, 2026)   Producer: Ann Arnold

Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore traces 125 years of war, revolution, upheaval and revival in the Middle East. From the final days of the Ottoman Empire to to the current Iran-US conflict, Simon's new book The Cauldron examines the forces, characters and calamities that have shaped the region. Guest: Simon Sebag Montefiore, writer and historian Producer: Ali Benton

In May 1841, French sea captain Augustin Lucas arrived in Sydney with the first camera ever seen in colonial Australia. A new book offers a comprehensive study of photography's arrival, and its implication in the colonial project.  Guest: Elisa DeCourcy, writer and curator, author of Early Photography in Colonial Australia, Melbourne University Press Producer: Jack Schmidt This program originally aired in November 2025

A UN Security Council report has found 'credible' evidence that weapons and ammunition are making their way from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into Sudan, despite an international arms embargo. The UAE denies it is covertly arming the RSF - the Sudanese paramilitary group accused of mass killings, rape and torture. The UAE is currently Australia’s biggest weapons export market, with nearly $300m in arms and ammunition shipped from Australia to UAE in the past five years. So can Australia stop those weapons be on-sold to Sudan? The group Australians for War Powers Reform has been asking the Australian government.   Guest: Andrew Bartlett, President of Australians for War Powers Reform Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Our regular commentator on US politics explains why American cattle producers have a beef with President Trump. Many of them Trump supporters, they feel betrayed after he announced on Friday that he was lifting tariffs on imported ground beef. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor for the Nation; executive director of the Global Centre for Journalism and Trauma

Parents generally choose the name of their child based on familial or cultural ties, or for the way a name looks in writing. But perhaps more important - in day to day life - is the sound of our names (and nicknames) when spoken or called.  Guest: Andrew Ford, composer and host of The Music Show on ABC Radio National Read Andrew's piece on names for Inside Story

Israel's Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman has defended the IDF probe into the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, which recently cleared soldiers of any criminal liability for the deadly 2024 strike on the World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza. Newman's defence of the report prompted UN commissioner Chris Sidoti to call for him to be returned to Israel. David Marr discusses Newman's role with veteran Israel correspondent Irris Makler, plus they look ahead to the political challenges facing Benjamin Netanyahu as he heads into an election.   Guest: Irris Makler, freelance journalist, veteran Jerusalem correspondent

One Nation's Barnaby Joyce and Pauline Hanson have been busy trying to correct what fellow One Nation MP David Farley said the party's immigration figures should be on ABC's Insiders program on Sunday. Mr Farley said the migration target should be around 130,000 plus "a minimum" 100,000 skilled workers under established visa schemes, which is very close to Labor's migration targets.  Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS

Until the mid-20th century the Wyndham Native Hospital, on the far north coast of Western Australia, was an apartheid institution where Indigenous men, women and children were imprisoned, left untreated and subjected to experimental treatments without their knowledge and against their will. Guest: Annabel (A.M.) Stafford, former journalist, teacher, author of 'The wanted and the unwanted' (MUP) Producer: Ann Arnold

John Cameron Mitchell wrote and starred in punk musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch – the tale of a gender queer east German rock and roll singer. He’s now on a mission to bring back punk, saying: “The job of youth is to be punk, meaning to question the status quo in a way where it doesn’t matter if you feel offended, safe…they should be physically safe, mentally unsafe. That is education.”  He tackles cancel culture, identity politics and stories vs facts in this conversation with David Marr. John Cameron Mitchell is appearing at Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas and Melbourne International Film Festival in August, and then at Sydney's Enmore Theatre and Melbourne Recital Centre in September.  Guest: John Cameron Mitchell, writer, director and actor. Producers: Jack Schmidt

The Cambridge Five have gone down in history as the most notorious spies of the 20th century. For seventeen years, Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, Anthony Blunt, Donald Maclean and John Cairncross got away with leaking top-secret British intelligence to the Soviet Union with disastrous consequences. Now a new book, drawing on recently declassified files, debunks some enduring myths about them. Guest: Antonia Senior, author of Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire  Producer: Julie Street

Is true social equality an impossible dream? The German philosopher Dr Hanno Sauer argues that class hierarchy is a permanent feature of human societies. Old elites may fall, but new ones fill the void. Rank, hierarchy and privilege, stubbornly persists. Hanno Sauer appears at Melbourne's The Wheeler Centre on 20 August and at Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas from 22-23 August.  Guest: Hanno Sauer, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Utrecht University, author of Klasse, and The Invention of Good and Evil: A History of Morality Producer: Jack Schmidt

From Shogun era Japan to the techno bunkers of 90s Berlin, people across time and cultures have always looked to let loose at night.  Guest: Imogen Willetts, author of 'Up All Night: A History of Going Out' Producer: Ali Benton

An expert guide to the commercial sins that have put the big consultancy under the spotlight, after more information emerged in a parliamentary hearing last week. Guest: Tom Ravlic, journalist, author and academic who has been writing about the KPMG saga for Crikey, and The Mandarin. He has previously been involved in the setting of ethical standards and accounting regulation.

Ian Dunt examines the fallout from the death of Cambridge academic Jason Arday. And Nigel Farage’s Clacton by election victory -  what does it say about his political fortunes? Plus an update on the Andy Burnham 'bounce'. Is it still happening? Guest: Ian Dunt, iNews columnist and regular LNL commentator Producer: Ali Benton

In recent weeks, the ABC has removed references to the Australian mining executive Gina Rinehart, following complaints. Guardian reporter Sarah Martin looks back at Rinehart's efforts to defend her public image in recent years.  Guest: Sarah Martin, reporter at the Guardian Australia, host of Gina: Becoming Mrs Rinehart Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Jordan has been trying to maintain neutrality in the Middle East war, but with a pre-existing military agreement with the US, that is proving increasingly difficult. After Iran sent missile strikes into Jordan recently, prominent Jordanian citzens have been urging the government to shore up sovereignty and neutrality. Guest: Nabih Bulos, Middle East bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times Producer: Ann Arnold

SBS political correspondent Anna Henderson surveys a busy week ahead in federal parliament, with the government eager to broker a deal to reform the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS

The popularity of calming 'night' music to help people sleep is the latest iteration of compositions that reflect the coming of the night. It was composer John Field at the end of the 19th century, followed by Chopin and others, who first brought us the musical concept of 'nocturnes'. Guest: Susan Tomes is an award-winning pianist and writer,  'Nocturnes, and the fascination of night music' (Yale University Press) Producer: Ann Arnold Music excepts, in order of appearance: Frederic Chopin's Nocturne Op.27, No.2 in D-flat Major, played by Artur Rubenstein John Field's Nocturne No.4  in A Major, H.36, played by Alice Sara Ott Max Richter, Yuki Namata, Caleb Burhans, Clarice Jensen, Brian Snow and Ben Russell playing Richter's 'Sleep. Patterns. (Cypher)' Gabriel Faure's  Nocturne No.6 in D-flat major, op.63, played by Angela Hewitt.

Late Night Live is sad to hear of the passing of Kris Short, who was one of LNL’s most enduring producers. She worked on the show between 1996-2015. Long before that Kris started at the ABC in the typing pool in 1976, becoming a clerk, production assistant, a broadcast production officer in Film Services and the ABC's Education department, where she was talent spotted by Wendy Mcleod to work on a new program called Offspring - the precursor to Life Matters. Before coming to Late Night Live she worked with David Marr on Arts Today where David said she had the difficult job of teaching him how to make radio. "What a woman," Marr said. "She was feisty and indefatigable."  Wendy McLeod said Kris had a deep understanding of what worked on radio, the practical aspects of studio, writing and scripts, meeting talent and planning OB's. "She was so great to work with and handled our somewhat intense presenter with her quiet intelligence...I loved my time with Kris...she was a great friend. I watched successful career at RN, met up with her occasionally and we remembered those days and shared our love of cats. I can't believe she has left us at such a young age...it was a privilege to be her colleague and her friend," McLeod said.  But it was on LNL that she stayed. Phillip Adams described Kris as 'delightfully grumpy' and has fond memories of sneaking off to the stairwell with her to eat ice cream. Former LNL Executive Producer, Gail Boserio, said "Kris understood and cared for the ABC and its importance to Australian culture and intellectual life. Sharp as a tack, she had a fine knowledge of grammar and made sure everybody's briefs were up to scratch. Kris was well read, with a cheeky sense of humour and infectious laugh! Phillip Adams used to say who needs google when you've got Kris Short." Vale Kris, and thanks for all the stories,  many of which can be found here:  In Bed With Phillip - 20 Years of Late Night Live

What if your mortgage was illegal, your taxes were voluntary and you could simply opt out of the law? Sovereign citizens believe they’ve discovered a hidden legal system that can set them free from the state. Outlawed explores the strange world of pseudolaw, and what its rise tells us about trust, power and the law. Guest: Harry Hobbs, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice at the University of New South Wales, co-author with Stephen Young, of Outlawed: Responding to the Global Rise of Sovereign Citizens and legal conspiracies published on August 18, 2026. Producer: Ali Benton

James Baldwin’s writing was inseparable from the people he loved, mentored and collaborated with. A new biography explores the intimate relationships that shaped his novels, essays and plays, and his role in Black and queer literary history. From Harlem and Paris, to Istanbul and the American South, it reveals the private life behind one of the 20th century’s most influential writers. Guest: Nicholas Boggs, author of Baldwin: A Love Story Producer: Ali Benton

Born in 1712 without the fingers of her left hand, Agatha spent her life at the Venetian orphanage known as the Ospedale della Pietà. Her Cantata, ‘Ecce nunc‘, is the only surviving composition by an orphan from the Pietà music school, where Antonio Vivaldi famously taught. The discovery, reconstruction and premiere performance of her ‘lost’ work by the Australian Chamber Choir is the subject of a new documentary, on SBS On Demand. Agatha's Cantata is being performed in Australia. Details here: https://www.auschoir.org/buy-tickets/ Guest: Elizabeth Anderson, Assistant Artistic Director, Australian Chamber Choir Producer: Jack Schmidt

The last time a presidential election was held by the Palestinian Authority was in 2005, when Mahmoud Abbas was elected to a four-year term following Yasser Arafat’s death. He’s been in power ever since. Now aged 90, Abbas has called parliamentary elections for November 28, with a possible presidential election to follow. The man most likely to be elected to succeed Abbas is Fatah party leader, Marwan Barghouti, but he’s been in an Israeli prison for murder since 2002. Guest: Arab Barghouti, son of Fatah party leader, Marwan Barghouti Producer: Catherine Zengerer

A deep split is emerging inside the Democrats as yet another progressive populist wins in Michigan, while a more conservative group called The Third Way is pushing back. Support for Israel is at the centre of the split. Plus former  Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci faces a hostile Senate inquiry. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine and Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Punctuation marks have crept into the spaces between our words over thousands of years. But we rarely reflect on why they look the way they do or how they even got there. Florence Hazrat, who posts on social media as “the punctuation lady”, has written a fascinating new book that explores the history of the comma, the full stop and all their forgotten relatives.    Guest: Florence Hazrat, author, On The Mark: A History of Punctuation from Ancient Egypt to the Emoticon Producer: Julie Street

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have just signed a new NATO-like defence pact. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement commits each country to respond in the event of an attack on the other. So what does this say about how they feel about the reliability of the US as a defence partner? What could it mean in the event of an Indian attack on Pakistan? And does it mean Saudi Arabia will have better capabilities to stop the Houthis from Yemen attacking ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz or the Red Sea? Guest: Professor Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University, specialising in Saudi-Iranian relations, and author of The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and Iran, Cambridge University Press (2023) Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Are the PM and the Opposition Leader on the verge of agreeing on gambling reform? Plus where Labor is heading on the issue of immigration. And the meanings of melons. Guest: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club Director Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Decades after Britain abolished slavery in its colonies, an industry built on indentured labour from the Pacific quietly grew in Queensland. Workers were often duped into coming to Australia, and effectively held captive under poor conditions. Many died. A new book argues that Australian authorities turned a blind eye to this new form of slavery. Guest: Ryan Butta, writer of historical non-fiction, author of 'Blackbirding: a reckoning with the Australian Slave Trade' (Affirm Press, August 2026) Producer: Ann Arnold

The crowdfunded AUKUS public inquiry has so far had over 500 submissions, including from former ministers Gareth Evans, Linda Reynolds and Christopher Pyne in Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.  The Sydney hearings are about take place, with former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former foreign minister Bob Carr set to present their testimonies. So far few are supporting the policy,  but will the government actually change course? Is there a plan B if AUKUS fails?  And what would it cost both in terms of taxpayer dollars, and our international relationships?  Guest: Peter Garrett, Lead Commissioner, AUKUS public inquiry, former Labor Minister Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Across 8,000 years, wine has shaped religion, power, trade and culture. Wine is more than a drink — it’s a story of civilisation itself. Historian Kathleen Burk traces its journey from the ancient vineyards of Georgia to the global wine industry of today. Guest: Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary history at University College London.  Wine, A global history published in Australia, October 6, 2026 Producer: Ali Benton

In his new book, Crikey’s political editor, Bernard Keane, turns his eye not just to where Australia has gone wrong, but to how we can best position ourselves to navigate the triple threat of Trump, China and AI. And he’s surprisingly up-beat, writing that Australia’s success so far this century “compared with the United States and other countries like the United Kingdom, surely gives us cause for optimism that Australia can make the right calls and prosper in the mid 21st century.” If only we can act now to put the right policies in place.  Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey, and author of ‘Seize the Moment - Australia’s real opportunities in an unstable world,’ published by Allen and Unwin Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Kangaroo Island could soon achieve its goal of feral cat eradication, with approximately 150 cats left to catch. Feral cats have devastated wildlife populations for decades. New Commonwealth funding has been secured for the final push. Local government is also discussing the possibility of a "last cat" policy for the island's residents, to phase out household pet cats.  Guest: Michael Pengilly, Mayor of Kangaroo Island Council Producer: Jack Schmidt

The Odyssey blockbuster makes clear the colonisation and exploitation of Homer's time, but it was partly filmed in an indigenous area which Morocco occupies, but does not, according to international law, own. No consent was sought from the Sahrawi people, whose region it is, and they have received no material benefit.  Guest: Sarah Yerkes, North Africa specialist, Senior Fellow, Middle East Program,  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Sarah wrote about this ethical misstep for Carnegie's website Producer: Ann Arnold

Nigel Farage's call to adopt Australia’s 'stop the boats' policy has divided opinion, while new Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces the challenge of restoring trust in Labour after years of turmoil. Ian Dunt also examines the devastating effects of the UK’s hot, dry summer.   Guest: Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL commentator Producer: Ali Benton

Butterfly populations have been declining since the 1960s. Butterfly collectors are also declining in number, because the practice is discouraged and in some countries illegal.  Guest: Emil Leth Beiter, Danish writer and critic. Author of an essay about butterfly collecting for the Los Angeles Review of Books. Forthcoming book about collectors of various things Producer: Ann Arnold

Nearly ten years after they last collapsed, UN Secretary António Guterres has been in Cyprus, pressing for reunification talks to recommence.  Cyprus has been divided between Turkish and Greek Cypriots for over fifty years, with both sides unable to agree on terms for reunification. But the pressure is on to resolve the so-called 'Cypress problem' because the island is becoming an increasingly important strategic location for both NATO and Israel, and resolving how British military bases are to be used is a key sticking point.  Guest: Dr. Erol Kaymak, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Eastern Mediterranean University Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Three years since the defeat of the Voice referendum, Noel Pearson returned to the Garma festival to deliver a blistering speech, which included a proposal to dismantle state Aboriginal affairs departments in favour of Commonwealth oversight. Garma also saw the surprise announcement of a breakaway Land Council, to represent northeast Arnhem Land.  Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS

The famous writer Oscar Wilde died alone in a French hotel in 1900. Since that time, so much has been written about the man - much of it rumour and speculation. In his new book, 'After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal', Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland sets the record straight. The book is thirty years in the making and is an exploration of Wilde’s posthumous reputation and how his imprisonment for homosexuality affected Wilde's family, friends and literary legacy.   Guest: Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson and author, Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal Producer: Ali Benton Originally broadcast in January 2026.

Sarah Baartman’s body was used by European scientists to promote racist ideas that endured for generations. A new essay in Griffith Review revisits her extraordinary and tragic story — from her exploitation as a colonial spectacle in Europe, to the continuing debates over how she should be remembered today.   Guest: Writer, Sisonke Msimang, author, Griffith Review Essay, Defending the dead: The many afterlives of Sarah Baartman Producer: Ali Benton and Ann Arnold

The Night Wolves are a Kremlin-linked, far-right Russian motorcycle club that has served as a paramilitary proxy and propaganda tool for the Russian state in Europe where they have been sanctioned. They are also operating in Australia, though they have not been outlawed here. But a disinformation expert says they are only one aspect of Russia’s propaganda campaign and their determination to sew discontent in the West. Olga Boichak is a media sociologist who explores how communities can build resilience when digital technologies are weaponised. And she's been tracking Russia's activities in Australia. Guest: Dr Olga Boichak, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures, University of Sydney. Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Census night is just two weeks away, and this year, Australians will have the opportunity to answer new questions on sexual orientation and gender. The Census will also allow for further detail on the cultural heritage of survey participants. Demographer Liz Allen explains why these small changes will make a big difference.  Guest: Dr Liz Allen, demographer at ANU

Last month, after a nearly 30-year review, Australia's chemical regulator finally decided that the herbicide paraquat can continue to be used on Australian farms, with new precautions.That's despite bans on the chemical spreading around the world, amid concerns about the health impacts of repeated exposure. Why is Australia so dependent on the controversial weedkiller, and what are the supply chains for pesticides globally? Guest: Sarah Rogers, Associate Professor at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne Producer: Jack Schmidt

LNL's US correspondent Bruce Shapiro looks at whether the latest pause in hostilities with Iran will lead to any outcome as the mid-terms approach and pressure on President Trump to end the war increases. But with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to arrive in the States for talks, pressure will be coming from Israel to keep pressure on Iran. Plus how will the Democrats recover from the scandal which saw progressive populist Graham Platner step down from the race in Maine? And will Trump's attempts to change the rules around voter registration work?  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine and Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma. Producer: Catherine Zengerer

It's 100 years since America's fabled highway 'Route 66' was commissioned -  the road from Chicago to L.A celebrated in literature and song. But behind the neon-lit diners and sunny road trips, lies a grittier history of danger, death and racism.  Guest: Dr Daniel Milowski, historian at Arizona State University, author of 'Route 66 and the Formation of a National Cultural Icon: Mother Road to Mythic American Byway' Producer: Jack Schmidt

The next great power struggle may not be won on the battlefield, but in semiconductor factories, AI labs and satellite networks. In Bytes and Bullets, Steve Feldstein explores how technology is transforming modern warfare and creating a new global arms race. Guest: Steve Feldstein, Senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. Author of,  Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare Producer: Ali Benton

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has lost her appeal against a court ruling which found she racially discriminated against Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Plus, how did Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emerge from the recent national Labor conference? The conference avoided a debate on Israel-Gaza, after Ed Husic MP failed to secure support to debate an amendment to the Labor platform - to acknowledge a United Nations inquiry that determined Israeli authorities had 'deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide'. Guest: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club Director

From tearing into the White House to make way for a 650-seat ballroom, to declaring war on modern architecture, Donald Trump is remaking America’s symbols of power, prestige and taste. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has followed Trump’s rise for more than 40 years. The author of Why Architecture Matters explores what Trump’s buildings reveal about his ambitions, and his vision for America.   Guest Paul Goldberger,  former architecture critic for The New York Times and The New Yorker, and the author of 'Why Architecture Matters.' Producer Ali Benton

In 1833, slavery in the British Empire was abolished, but not without a massive compensation scheme paid out to slave owners. Some of that money flowed to colonial Australia. Two-thirds of Australia's colonial governors had links to slavery. That money helped fuel vast pastoral enterprises and build prestigious institutions. A new book examines how our supposedly 'slavery-free' nation was shaped by this money.  You can search the UCL Legacies of British Slavery Database here Guest: Zoe Laidlaw, Professor of History at the University of Melbourne, co-editor, with Jane Lydon, of Legacies of British Slavery in Australia and New Zealand (Manchester University Press, 2026) Producer: Ann Arnold

Until the early 1900s men did their best to keep women out of parliaments around the world. But the social disruptions of the twentieth century, like war, revolutions and the de-colonisation movement, created the opening women needed – and they grasped it with both hands. The trailblazing, and sometimes gun-blazing, women who built democracy around the world were all fierce, all feminists, but not all of them were progressives.  Guest: Paula Bartley, historian and author of 'Trailblazers, the first women elected to government’, published by Polity. Producer: Catherine Zengerer

One Nation is having the most success it's ever had, but to build on that, it is having to do some rapid re-organising and skill development behind the scenes.  Guest: Jordan McSwiney, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra. Currently a Top 5 Humanities program participant at the ABC. Author of  'Far Right political parties in Australia: disorganisation and electoral failure' (Routledge, 2024) Producer: Ann Arnold

Why has means-testing fallen out of favour in Australian public policymaking? The idea of means-testing is to direct government support to those who need it most. Increasingly however, governments are opting for universal spending programs - from energy rebates and EV concessions, to subsidies in childcare and aged care.  Professor Robert Breunig asks why, and makes the case for tighter means-testing.  Guest: Professor Robert Bruenig, director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU Producer: Jack Schmidt Related reading: Home Truths: The case for rebalancing toward better means testing, Policy Institute Australia (June 2026)

Journalist Abby Martin and her husband Mike Prysner – a US war veteran -  have spent years drawing attention to the wrongdoings of the US military. But when they had kids they turned their attention towards climate change, and just how much pollution the Pentagon is pumping into the planet. The result is their latest film “Earth’s Greatest Enemy” and Abby Martin is in Australia for screenings around the country, and to take part in the national IPAN conference happening in Adelaide. The theme of the conference is Time to Break Free From the USA - Cancel AUKUS and the Force Posture Agreement. Guest: Abby Martin, journalist and Director Earth's Greatest Enemy Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Andy Burnham has become the UK's fifth Prime Minister in five years, promising to reset Labour and end the cycle of political turmoil. His first messages focused on the cost-of-living crisis, homelessness and giving more power to regions. Can his popularity deliver real change? Guest: Naomi Smith, CEO, Best for Britain Producer: Ali Benton

Today, the site of Hitler's bunker is little more than a car park. But nearby, another former Nazi bunker is facing demolition, reigniting debate over whether places linked to the Third Reich should be preserved as historical warnings or cleared for redevelopment. Guest: Dr Caroline Sharples, Senior Lecturer in history at the University of Roehampton. Author: The Long Death of Adolf Hitler: An Investigative History Producer: Ali Benton

An investigation by The Guardian has found that a US air strike in Somalia last November, killed and injured 12 civilians, including eight children. The attack was part of the Pentagon's campaign against the Islamist militant group Al Shabaab. The US denies responsibility for the civilian casualties and has not offered compensation or medical assistance. Guest: Mohamed Gabobe, freelance reporter in Mogadishu, who worked on this story for The Guardian. Mohamed has also worked with the Washington Post, the BBC, and others Producer: Ann Arnold

Anna Henderson looks at the government's decision to go on the front foot with their AI policy, and whether the opposition has been able to prosecute a good argument against it. Plus what will be up for debate at the ALP's upcoming national conference.  Guest: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club Director Producer: Catherine Zengerer

After a terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir in 2025, tensions between India and Pakistan exploded into a four-day war, with the threat of nuclear war prompting international intervention. In retaliation for the attack India suspended a key water treaty, threatening to cut Pakistan’s water supplies off by building a series of hydro-electric dams which can divert water away from Pakistan. Pakistan has threatened nuclear retaliation if it goes ahead. Meanwhile Australia has signed a new deal with India which allows Australia to start exporting uranium to the country. Indian PM Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Australia also secured increased cooperation on defence and security, including counter-terrorism measures. Guest: : Michael Kugelman, senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council, and writer of Foreign Policy magazine’s weekly South Asia Brief. Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Palestinians in the West Bank say that Israeli forces are razing olive trees at an unprecedented pace. Prominent writer and lawyer Raja Shehadeh describes a landscape of vanishing groves and expanding settler infrastructure.  Guest: Raja Shehadeh, writer and lawyer, author of Palestinian Walks: Notes on a Vanishing Landscape Producer: Kylie Morris

If Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have their way, the new space age will bring holidays in orbit, asteroid mining and human colonies on Mars. Musk says humanity must become a “multi-planetary species”. But philosopher Ben Bramble argues that vision is a dangerous fantasy. In his new book, Lunacy: Ten False Promises of the New Space Age he says our priority should be solving the problems here on Earth — not chasing the promise of another world. Guest: Ben Bramble, Lecturer in Philosophy, Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University  Producer: Ali Benton

Australia has just signed new bilateral treaties with Fiji and Vanuatu, which is widely viewed as a diplomatic triumph. But what are the pro's and cons of such treaties, and how do they sit with Australia's very mixed history of attempted Pacific relationships?  Guest: Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security, and director of the Stretton Institute Security in the Pacific Islands Research Program at Adelaide University. Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Co-author, with Jack Corbett, of ‘Neighbours: Australia and the Pacific’ (La Trobe) Producer: Ann Arnold

Two historians throw open the archives and leave the dusty corridors of academia behind, hunting through the mess and intrigue of Australia’s past for the scandals, secrets and gossip that history books often leave out Guest: Alecia Simmonds, Professor of Law, UTS and co-host The Dead Can't Sue

Every second a tree is cut down to become an affordable IKEA product. The Swedish mega-company claims it's sustainable, but is that really the case? Investigative journalist, Tom Heinemann, visits IKEA's forests in Romania's Carpathian Mountains to discover how their production line is impacting the safety of the forest, wildlife and local biodiversity. Guest: Tom Heinemann, Investigative journalist and Director of 'Ikea Loves Wood' Producer: Catherine Zengerer In a statement to Tom Heinemann Ikea said: "We have a comprehensive wood control system in place to make sure the wood we use is responsibly sourced. We do not accept wood that fails to meet our strict requirements, such as wood from illegal harvests, non-commercial high conservation value forests, areas with social conflicts, or genetically modified tree plantations. If we discover irregularities, we take immediate action."  Find out more information about Ikea's wood use here: https://www.ikea.com/global/en/our-business/sustainability/wood-we-use/

Bruce Shapiro looks at how the sudden death of US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham will affect the Senate, Trump's attack on several New York Times journalists over their reporting on security concerns with the new Qatari-donated Air Force One plane, and how the US's latest attacks on Iran are being seen ahead of the November primaries.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine and Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma.

More of us are using subtitles while watching TV and movies  -  particularly amongst Gen Z and Millennials. Is this a sign of our shrinking attention spans, or are there technological factors at play in this era of digital streaming?  Guest: Andrew Wright, Oscar-winning sound editor, based in Sydney

'Nitrogen hypoxia' has been used by the US state of Alabama at least seven times to execute prisoners on death row. Human rights experts say the method is akin to torture and should be banned permanently. Legal challenges are ongoing after two lower courts found the method likely violates the US Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. A subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was denied.  Guest: Deborah Denno, Arthur A. McGivney Professor of Law at the Fordham University School of Law, where she is also the founding director of the Neuroscience and Law Center Producer: Ali Benton

Canberra columnist Professor Mark Kenny looks at why Liberal leader Angus Taylor has finally begun to criticise Pauline Hanson and One Nation. Plus a new poll from Resolve Political Monitor  has shown a marked difference between One Nation policies and what Australians want in terms of policies.  Guest: Professor Mark Kenny, Director Australian Studies Institute, ANU; columnist, The Canberra Times Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Uncle Roger Knox joins David Marr in the studio for an hour of stories and songs: from growing up on the mission, to making his name in Tamworth, surviving two plane crashes, and singing the truth about frontier violence.  Guest: Uncle Roger Knox, Gomeroi Elder and musician; joined by collaborator Toby Martin Producer: Catherine Zengerer Sound Engineer: Tegan Nicholls, Harvey O'Sullivan

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the USA, drafted the words 'all men are created equal', in the US Declaration of Independence. He wanted slavery to end, but mainly because he was deeply worried about slaves revolting against the white population.  He also thought the new nation would not be taken seriously if it was mixed race. He wanted to banish all black people from the US.  Guest: Nicholas Guyatt, Professor of North American History at Cambridge University. Co-author, with Christa Dierksheide, of ‘Jefferson’s Wolf: a founding father’s troubling answer to the problem of slavery’  (Harvard University Press, May 2026) Producer: Ann Arnold

The rules have changed. Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's Regime Change takes readers inside Donald Trump's second presidency, arguing it marks the most sweeping expansion of presidential power in generations. Guest:  Jonathan Swan, Journalist with New York Times and co-author, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump

In India, walking the streets can be a dangerous daily challenge. For decades, roads have been designed around cars and motorbikes, leaving pedestrians to navigate broken, blocked and unsafe footpaths. Now, India’s Supreme Court has stepped in, declaring safe access to footpaths a fundamental right. What does this mean for the future of India’s streets? Guest: Rishi Aggarwal, Founder and Director at Mumbai Sustainability Centre Producer: Ali Benton

The criminalising of homosexuality is being either adopted, or strengthened, in one country after another in Africa. That continent has the biggest cluster of countries with anti-gay laws - more than 30, out of 54 African countries, have made it illegal to have homosexual relationships, and in some cases, to support those who do. Guest: Larissa Kojoue, African human rights researcher with Human Rights Watch, with a focus on LGBTQI+ rights. Queer feminist from Cameroon, based in Lyon, France Producer: Ann Arnold

Ian Dunt joins David Marr moments before Reform UK's Nigel Farage announces his resignation as MP.  Farage is under investigation from Parliament's standards commissioner after not declaring a £5m gift he received in 2024 - before his election - from billionaire donor Christopher Harbornen. He is also facing questions about 'gifts' received from another supporter, convicted criminal George Cottrell. Farage denies any wrongdoing, and has vowed to win back his seat in a by-election.  Guest: Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular Late Night Live commentator Producer: Ali Benton

Australia is home to one of the world's premier collections of ancient coins, held at The Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies (ACANS), part of Macquarie University. Its new director celebrates its treasures, currently being digitised for the world.  Guest:  Associate Professor in History and Archaeology at Macquarie University, Director of ACANS

Where authoritarian leaders once coerced their citizens with brute force, they increasingly rely on public support through manipulation. Misinformation, conspiracy theories and exploiting existing fears are among the tools of trade. Guest: Assaf Sharon, Professor of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University. Co-founder and Senior Fellow at Molad: The Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy. Co-author, with Avishai Margalit, of ‘Captive minds: a study of manipulation’ (Harvard University Press, May 2026) Producer: Ann Arnold

Liberal frontbenchers say a coalition with One Nation is not part of party discussions, amid a rise in the minor party's popularity. MPs are distancing themselves from remarks by Liberal Party president Tony Abbott, who linked migration to the "diluting" of Anglo-Celtic culture. Guest: Professor Mark Kenny, Australian Studies Institute, ANU

As the United States celebrates 250 years of Independence, what were the driving motivations of America's revolutionary leader - and first president - George Washington? Professor Colin G. Calloway details Washington's intense interest in land speculation, in the vast native territories west of the Appalachian mountains. Guest:  Colin G Calloway, Professor of history at Dartmouth College, author of The Indian World of George Washington

Even before the North American colonies declared independence 250 years ago this week, they refused to take Britain's convicts. After losing America, the UK turned instead to Botany Bay. That's the story many of us grew up with. But a new generation of historians argues Australia wasn't founded simply to solve a prison crisis—it was the first expression of a more ruthless British Empire after the American Revolution. Guest: Kate Fullagar, Professor of history at the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University

In the 1800s, 5,000 French farmers working in tiny urban courtyards grew enough food to feed two million Parisians with enough surplus left over to send to London. How did they do it? Why were farmers in the countryside starving, while Parisians could grow an excess of food on small lots in a crowded city? Kate Brown's book Tiny Gardens Everywhere looks at how small gardens often trumped large scale agriculture on farms using nitrogen fertilisers made from fossil fuels, in feeding people, en masse. And with a third of the world's fertilisers held up in the Strait of Hormuz, and global heating accelerating, re-thinking how we grow our food might be just the thing we need right now.  Guest: Kate Brown, Distinguished Professor in the History of Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of Tiny gardens everywhere, a history of urban resilience  - published by Penguin Producer: Catherine Zengerer

30 years ago (July 1, 1996) the Northern Territory became the first place in the world where eligible terminally-ill patients could access a medically-assisted death. Four people accessed the laws, before the legislation was scuttled at the federal level just nine months later. Today, the NT is the last remaining jurisdiction in the country yet to legislate on voluntary assisted dying. Guest: Marshall Perron, former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, 1988-1995; tabled Rights of the Terminally Ill Act as a private member's bill