A tense watch for Collingwood 

The Magpies sit outside the top 10 and plenty of questions have been asked about their list. Which Richmond will confront them this week: the plucky fighters or footy fodder? Our podcasters Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan dissect round 16, the last of the mid-season bye rounds.    

Peter Hartcher on Australian nihilism, fear and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

More Australians feel unsafe in the world than ever before, according to new research from the Lowy Institute. And it is this environment of fear – fear of a bad economy, of terrorism, of immigration – that makes for an environment ripe for a political party like One Nation to prosper. Today, int…

Daley eyes changes for Origin decider, and should Israel Folau return to the NRL?

With the State of Origin decider still a few weeks away, the NRL returns to regular programming this week under the watchful eye of under-fire Blues coach Laurie Daley, who will be searching for team changes in the lead-up to Origin game three. Meanwhile, speculation continues to mount around the …

Starmer ousted: Why the British government is in turmoil

After months of criticism, and two significant scandals, Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as British prime minister. So, why is the country on the cusp of having is seventh prime minister in only 10 years? Today, Europe correspondent David Crowe on Starmer’s drastic fall, and on Andy Burnham, the un…

'Be sensible and keep your mouth shut': The private school facing allegations of control

With heritage-listed sandstone turrets and iron gates, the Redeemer Baptist School promises Sydney parents the private school dream: a prestigious, disciplined education for a fraction of the cost.  But its academic awards, state-of-the-art facilities and charitable works conceal a darker reality.…

Music to Carlton’s ears

The Blues have found their voice under interim coach Josh Fraser, but their honeymoon ain’t over yet, according to Sam McClure, Jake Niall and Peter Ryan. The question now is what to do about Fraser. St Kilda, meanwhile, are seeking answers after a dark day against the Dogs, Hawk Jack Ginnivan esca…

From dust to dust: Is human composting the new way to bury the dead?

For decades now, if someone died, there were two choices: burial, or cremation. But soon, Australians may get a third choice for how they choose to farewell their loved ones, thanks to a growing trend overseas. Today, senior writer Bevan Shields on human composting: a method of burial that may gi…

Anna Funder on telling untold stories – and the blowback it sometimes brings

Australian author and intellectual Anna Funder specialises in telling the stories of people forgotten or ignored by official histories. She began her writing career with Stasiland, detailing the state surveillance of the people of the former East Germany, which was followed by her prize-winning nov…

John Silvester answers your true crime questions

For our final episode of season seven, John Silvester answers your questions about crooks, cops and crime. In this episode, Sly talks about his relationship with Chopper Read, for whom he and fellow journalist Andrew Rule ghost-wrote a series of books based on Read's prison letters. Sly talks abo…

Falsities, nastiness and the Trump ‘vibe’ tapped: Hanson at the Press Club

The hottest ticket in Australian politics this week was Pauline Hanson's first address to the National Press Club, which happened on Wednesday. The Press Club, set up in the early 1960s, has become a rite of passage for any aspiring political leader. But Hanson has been an outsider, and the Press …