Peter Hartcher on the new 'axis of evil' that threatens the West

A new geopolitical order has been slowly rearranging itself, beneath our feet. Though many of us might not have been looking closely enough to notice it. It’s a new, so-called “axis of evil”, made up of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. For the first time since the Cold War ended, these four au…

How illegal vapes end up in teenage hands, and the dilemma for pharmacists

Health officials have warned us of the potential health risks of vaping for a while now. But, a joint investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes has uncovered an even bigger problem. Organised criminals, infuriated pharmacists and a government struggling to crack down on vap…

‘A stunning development’: Kate McClymont on the arrest of Alan Jones

On the same radio station that Alan Jones wielded his extraordinary power, his arrest played out live on air. Just after 8am, during the middle of his old radio spot, investigative journalist Kate McClymont broke the news that the former broadcaster - who was the most successful and feared of his …

The Taliban's new 'terrifying' laws

Women in Afghanistan have had their freedoms crushed by the Taliban, which has enacted rules that chip away at their basic human rights. They’ve long been banned from studying, working, going to a salon or a gym. But over the last few months, the regime has cracked down even further, by implement…

Special episode: Facebook accepts scammers' money, helping them take yours

In recent Facebook ad scams, con artists tricked a Queensland retiree into selling her house, swindled a GP who believed he was investing in a fixed-term deposit scheme and stole about $700,000 from a new father. A months-long investigation by our papers has heard from devastated victims, cyber-fr…

Inside Politics: What's going on with the Greens?

As much as we can know anything these days, we can probably say the next election is going to be very close.  But what about the Greens, often called the third party of Australian politics? How are they faring with the Australian public? Have they successfully rebranded from being the party of the…

The US election: Are Democrats a threat to democracy?

Have we completely misunderstood why Donald Trump won the American election? An avalanche of political commentary has convinced us that Trump clinched the presidency because of a simple message. He was just better than Kamala Harris at managing the economy. Today, international and political edi…

A new report reveals the level of workplace misconduct within Parliament

Three years after  a landmark review of the workplace culture in Parliament House found that it was “revolting and humiliating”, a new report suggests that the building where our laws are made might still be an unsafe environment. A new watchdog at Parliament House, has revealed more than 300 comp…

Why the Russian-Ukraine war is at a critical juncture

It’s been nearly one thousand days since Russia launched the attack on Ukraine,  which shocked the world, and marked the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II. Over the weekend, two new developments have dramatically altered the nature of this conflict. Ukraine attacked Moscow, and o…

Bob Woodward is wrong. American democracy is crumbling

We’ve all heard a lot about how Donald Trump won the presidential election, which voters he managed to draw in, and where. But what about the big picture, and the long game? What does Trump’s victory say about how safe America’s democracy is? And what, in turn, this might mean for the safety of th…