US President Donald Trump says he’s nearly done with the war in Iran, declaring: "We will be leaving very soon." His secretary of state also said on Wednesday that he can "see the finish line".

This would be significant, but only if the Americans were in control of the war.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher argues the United States has leached power in this war, while the Iranian regime is in its element.

US President Donald Trump says he&rsquo;s nearly done with the war in Iran, declaring: "We will be leaving very soon." His secretary of state also said on Wednesday that he can "see the finish line".
This would be significant, but only if the Americans were in control of the war.
Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher argues the United States has leached power in this war, while the Iranian regime is in its element.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series. 

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series.&nbsp;

New episodes

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to hear more, please rate, review & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

The Morning Edition&nbsp;brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/by/samantha-selinger-morris-p4yvwp">Samantha Selinger-Morris</a> from the newsrooms of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/">The Sydney Morning Herald</a> and <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/">The Age</a>, weekdays from 5am.
If you enjoy this podcast and want to hear more, please rate, review &amp; subscribe on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/smh-the-age/id6442611511">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0tWOA2mdi5WU9hvjJ3da?si=f4b8d7fafdf5495d">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLulycax3584BxKI1ZqSySsouknCWiUa">YouTube</a>&nbsp;or whichever platform you&nbsp;find your pods.

Peter Hartcher: Donald Trump is on the cusp of walking away from Iran

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/6dc98464-5c84-4f3b-8722-b41f0060ab23/transcript

A far-right party in Germany has just trounced its rivals in a state election – the closest such a party has come to holding power in a German state since World War II.

The result sent shockwaves through a country that has, since the destruction of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime, created a political system that prevents extremist parties from returning to power.

Today's guest, Europe correspondent David Crowe, discusses what the rise of the Alternative for Germany party, otherwise known as the AfD, means for Europe and the rest of the world.

Further reading:
Election shockwave: Meet the smiling new leader set to bring hard-right upheaval to Germany



The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your podcasts.

A far-right party in Germany has just trounced its rivals in a state election &ndash; the closest such a party has <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/election-shockwave-meet-the-smiling-new-leader-set-to-bring-hard-right-upheaval-to-germany-20260907-p60ux9.html?utm_source=omny&amp;utm_medium=podcast_notes&amp;utm_campaign=the_morning_edition&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=newsroom">come to holding power in a German state since World War II.</a>
The result sent shockwaves through a country that has, since the destruction of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime, created a political system that prevents extremist parties from returning to power.
Today's guest, Europe correspondent David Crowe, discusses what the rise of the Alternative for Germany party, otherwise known as the AfD, means for Europe and the rest of the world. Further reading:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/election-shockwave-meet-the-smiling-new-leader-set-to-bring-hard-right-upheaval-to-germany-20260907-p60ux9.html?utm_source=omny&amp;utm_medium=podcast_notes&amp;utm_campaign=the_morning_edition&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=newsroom">Election shockwave: Meet the smiling new leader set to bring hard-right upheaval to Germany</a></li>
</ul>
 The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/"> The Sydney Morning Herald</a> and<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/"> The Age</a>, weekdays from 5am. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/smh-the-age/id6442611511"> Apple</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0tWOA2mdi5WU9hvjJ3da?si=f4b8d7fafdf5495d"> Spotify</a>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLulycax3584BxKI1ZqSySsouknCWiUa"> YouTube</a> or whichever platform you find your podcasts.

Germany had ruled out extremist parties. Then came this election win

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/1db77f8a-83d8-4af6-b93a-b4bf00466e96/transcript

It’s the Australian government versus big tech yet again in parliament this week, with Labor planning to introduce a bill that would tackle online harm and hand back control of social media algorithms to users.

It comes as toxic online content is increasingly linked to violent sexualised behaviour in young men.
But is what we see on social media a matter for a government? Or has the algorithm become so out of hand that guardrails need to be put in place?

Today's guest is federal bureau chief Michelle Griffin.

Background reading:
Hardline free-speech campaigners demand Coalition block Labor’s latest social media plan

 

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your podcasts.

It&rsquo;s the Australian government versus big tech yet again in parliament this week, with Labor planning to introduce a bill that would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/hardline-free-speech-campaigners-demand-coalition-block-labor-s-latest-social-media-plan-20260907-p60v39.html?utm_source=omny&amp;utm_medium=podcast_notes&amp;utm_campaign=the_morning_edition&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=newsroom">tackle online harm and hand back control of social media algorithms to users</a>.
It comes as toxic online content is increasingly linked to violent sexualised behaviour in young men. But is what we see on social media a matter for a government? Or has the algorithm become so out of hand that guardrails need to be put in place?
Today's guest is federal bureau chief Michelle Griffin. Background reading:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/hardline-free-speech-campaigners-demand-coalition-block-labor-s-latest-social-media-plan-20260907-p60v39.html?utm_source=omny&amp;utm_medium=podcast_notes&amp;utm_campaign=the_morning_edition&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=newsroom">Hardline free-speech campaigners demand Coalition block Labor&rsquo;s latest social media plan</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/"> The Sydney Morning Herald</a> and<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/"> The Age</a>, weekdays from 5am. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/smh-the-age/id6442611511"> Apple</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0tWOA2mdi5WU9hvjJ3da?si=f4b8d7fafdf5495d"> Spotify</a>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLulycax3584BxKI1ZqSySsouknCWiUa"> YouTube</a> or whichever platform you find your podcasts.

Government v the internet: Albanese eyes algorithm ‘off switch’

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/d60eb8cc-f01a-44e5-956d-b4be0079b5d0/transcript

It was a dramatic fall from grace for a brand that had taken the world by storm by making sunscreen sexy, with influencers around the globe extolling how flawlessly the products wore under make-up and felt virtually undetectable on the skin.

Today, lifestyle reporter Lauren Ironmonger and business reporter Jessica Yun talk about the fallout a year on from the Choice findings, and whether the safety of sunscreens in Australia has been improved.

Further reading:
'It took two Aussie entrepreneurs six years to build a cult sunscreen brand. Then it came crashing down '

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

It was a dramatic fall from grace for a brand that had taken the world by storm by making sunscreen sexy, with influencers around the globe extolling how flawlessly the products wore under make-up and felt virtually undetectable on the skin. Today, lifestyle reporter Lauren Ironmonger and business reporter Jessica Yun talk about the fallout a year on from the Choice findings, and whether the safety of sunscreens in Australia has been improved.
Further reading:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/beauty/it-took-two-aussie-entrepreneurs-six-years-to-build-a-cult-sunscreen-brand-then-it-came-crashing-down-20251103-p5n7au.html?utm_source=omny&amp;utm_medium=podcast_notes&amp;utm_campaign=the_morning_edition&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=newsroom">'It took two Aussie entrepreneurs six years to build a cult sunscreen brand. Then it came crashing down '</a></li>
</ul>
The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/"> The Sydney Morning Herald</a> and<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/"> The Age</a>, weekdays from 5am. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/smh-the-age/id6442611511"> Apple</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0tWOA2mdi5WU9hvjJ3da?si=f4b8d7fafdf5495d"> Spotify</a>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLulycax3584BxKI1ZqSySsouknCWiUa"> YouTube</a> or whichever platform you find your pods.

Sunscreen wars: The Ultra Violette scandal

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/32ad9e5d-179d-43fe-b324-b4bb00893965/transcript

Peter Hartcher: Donald Trump is on the cusp of walking away from Iran

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