7am

This week, Scott Morrison announced Australia’s involvement in a massive organised crime sting coordinated by the FBI. He pushed for greater security powers, but some observers believe what he really wants is a distraction from bad news and poor polling. Guest: Contributing editor for The Monthly Rachel Withers.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 20 years of war, Australia gave three days’ notice before closing its embassy in Kabul. The dramatic end expresses how unsafe Afghanistan still is and how little the conflict achieved. But the decision also leaves hundreds of local staff vulnerable to retaliation by the Taliban.  Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A further outbreak of Covid-19 in Victorian aged-care homes was not just a possibility: it was almost a given. Even before a vaccine was available, the federal government ended the support payment intended to stop casual staff working across multiple sites. That is exactly how the virus spread. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian Porter’s decision to settle his defamation suit against the ABC is the end of one battle. But the former attorney-general, accused of a historic rape he strenuously denies, is still fighting on at least two other fronts. Mike Seccombe on how the so-called ‘Defamation trial of the century’ ended - and what happens next. Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been detained by the Chinese government since 2019.He’s been charged with espionage offences, but the exact nature of what he’s accused of has never been revealed. He’s now awaiting the verdict of a secret trial held a few weeks ago, with the death penalty one possibility. Linda Jaivin is a former China correspondent and the author of ‘The Shortest History of China’. Today, she unpacks the mysterious case of Yang Hengjun and what his treatment says about the Chinese government's approach to human rights. Guest: Writer Linda Jaivin.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single ‘driver’s license’ is undeniably the biggest song of 2021 so far. Now the actor turned singer-songwriter has released her debut album ‘Sour’, which has broken streaming and chart records.But who is Olivia Rodrigo and why has a teenage girl’s break-up album resonated with so many people of all ages? This week on The Culture we explore what her enormous success says about the way pop stars are manufactured in this current era, with music writer and critic for The Saturday Paper Shaad D’Souza. Guest: Music critic for The Saturday Paper, Shaad D’Souza.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Sarah Krasnostein, the best-selling author of ‘The Trauma Cleaner’, reads her essay from the latest issue of The Monthly. It’s called ‘The most hated man’ and it explores the sentencing of Richard Pusey, who was convicted of outraging public decency after he filmed the horrific aftermath of a car crash that killed four police officers. Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Sarah Krasnostein.Background reading: The most hated man in The MonthlySee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past week the federal government has been locked in a tussle with Victoria over who is responsible for financially supporting those suffering the economic consequences of another lockdown.Scott Morrison and his ministers have tried to shift the responsibility onto their state counterparts, but grudgingly gave ground on Thursday, acknowledging they did have a role to play.Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the fresh political challenges facing the federal government.Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Victorians were told the state’s seven day ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown would be extended for another week, as health authorities race to contain the latest Covid-19 outbreak. It’s the fourth lockdown in the state since the start of the pandemic, and now questions are being asked about why Victoria in particular seems so susceptible to the spread of the virus. Today, health columnist at The Saturday Paper Dr Melanie Cheng on what went wrong this time and what it will take to control this outbreak. Guest: Health columnist for The Saturday Paper Dr Melanie Cheng.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, under the cover of the federal budget, the Coalition government rushed through new laws legalising the indefinite detention of refugees.Australia’s embrace of indefinite detention puts us at odds with international law, and it’s led to condemnation from human rights groups.Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on how Australia got to this point, and what it means for those seeking safety in our country. Guest: National Correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe.Background reading: Australian government legalises ‘a crime against humanity’ in The Saturday PaperSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.