Crafted in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, Labor’s hate speech laws are designed to give the government a raft of new powers to combat racial hatred, but have faced strong criticism from across the political spectrum. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties president, Timothy Roberts, speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether the new laws go too far, and why he says they risk undermining democracy in Australia
After the cancellation of Adelaide writers’ week in a furore over free speech, conversations are being had about how much Australia value its writers and artists. The renowned painter Ben Quilty is asking that question in a new essay exploring how to be a more courageous country when it comes to the arts. He speaks to Reged Ahmad about the Adelaide festival, Donald Trump and why we need a society that encourages visionaries
At the beginning of Donald Trump’s trip to Davos, the US president’s plans for Greenland were vague, and a worry to European leaders. By the end of the day, military force was off the table and threats of tariffs dropped. This is just one example of what it has been like to follow Trump 2.0 in the last year. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ashley Parker of the Atlantic about why she thinks Americans are suffering from a new politically induced condition and why the midterms in November m...
In an eventful start to parliament for 2026, MPs came together with condolences for the victims of the Bondi terror attack and passed hurried reforms on guns and hate speech. And then, on the national day of mourning on Thursday, the Coalition split for the second time and Sussan Ley’s leadership is now all but over. Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to the independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, whose electorate includes Bondi, about why she thinks politics can oft...
It was the bill that the prime minister hoped would bring people together, but instead, Labor’s hate speech legislation and the Liberal party’s decision to endorse it, has torn the Coalition apart. The entire Nationals front bench has quit Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet leaving the Coalition to come to terms with its second split in less than a year. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Reged Ahmad about how this happened and whether Sussan Ley can hold on to the leadership
In just 48 hours, four people were attacked by sharks in New South Wales. In response, nearly thirty beaches have been closed and authorities are warning swimmers to avoid waterways after heavy storms. Nour Haydar speaks to associate professor Christopher Pepin-Neff about the ‘perfect storm’ of environmental factors that has attracted sharks and what we all need to know before entering the water
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, has appeared to permanently cut ties with his family. In an explosive statement posted on Instagram, he claimed his parents had been controlling narratives in the press about his family, and had tried to ‘ruin’ his relationship with his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
In the lead-up to 26 January, co-chair of the Uluru Youth Dialogue, Bridget Cama, says the same divisive debate is playing out around the country, and the silence from political leaders has been demoralising. But she says those who want to see constitutional recognition are regrouping after the voice to parliament defeat and she hopes to see another referendum in a decade. She speaks to Nour Haydar
Tom Burgis on Donald Trump’s friend Ronald Lauder, a billionaire with business interests in Greenland
It has been three years since ChatGPT first launched, and according to OpenAI, the American artificial intelligence company that runs the chatbot, 40 million people ask it healthcare-related questions every day. Now the company has launched a new health feature in Australia that allows the platform to “securely connect medical records and wellness apps” to generate responses “more relevant and useful to you”. Medical editor Melissa Davey speaks to Nour Haydar about how it works and whether AI is...
Conceding that his hate speech and gun law omnibus bill was friendless and unable to pass parliament, Anthony Albanese announced over the weekend that he would split the legislation in two. It was a move the PM said he needed to make if he wanted to get his post-Bondi reforms through. As parliament returns for a special sitting, political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether the prime minister can get his reforms over the line and why the Coalition is being accused of hypocrisy
Last week, the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the chair of the Federal Reserve – and longtime foe of Donald Trump – Jerome Powell. In an extraordinary move, world central bank governors and bank bosses in America pushed back against the Trump administration. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the economist Heather Boushey about why a fight with Wall Street might be one the president regrets
Its agents outnumber police on the streets of Minneapolis, are detaining US citizens and clashing violently with protesters. Caitlin Dickerson and Maanvi Singh report
A week after the Adelaide festival disinvited Palestinian Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah from its writers’ week, organisers have issued a complete and unreserved apology. The South Australian event collapsed after the author was dropped from its line-up and more than 180 writers pulled out. Now, with a new board, the organisers have apologised for the harm caused and invited Abdel-Fattah to speak in 2027. Dr Abdel-Fattah spoke to Nour Haydar about why she is considering defamation action a...
It started with US forces attacking Venezuela and capturing its sitting president. And almost immediately more American intervention was flagged, in countries such as Cuba, Colombia and Greenland. For the moment Donald Trump’s focus is now on Iran. Senior international correspondent Julian Borger speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether we are seeing a new ramp-up of Trump’s imperialist intentions, or is this simply the same America we’ve always known?
Australia wants in on the artificial intelligence boom but datacentres needed to run AI require huge amounts of electricity and water. Climate and environment reporter Petra Stock speaks with Nour Haydar about the increasing concerns over the environmental impact of datacentres
Protests have rocked Iran, a brutal crackdown is under way and Trump has threatened to intervene. Ellie Geranmayeh on a dangerous moment for the country’s leaders
About 40% of Australian women without kids say they are hesitant to have children because of climate change. Guardian Australia’s climate, environment and science assistant editor, Donna Lu, is among them. Reged Ahmad speaks to Donna about her anxiety – shared by many – about starting a family as global temperatures rise
Over the summer break, calls for a royal commission into the Bondi beach massacre saturated headlines across parts of the media. And last week the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, bowed to the pressure, launching a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion. Nour Haydar speaks with political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy on the political reverberations from the Bondi attack and the tests that lie ahead for Labor in 2026
A backlash against FBS grows and Emilee and Yolande respond to the growing crisis. This is episode six of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
Emilee and Yolande had seeded an ideology that they grew around the world – a reach investigative reporters Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne could not have fathomed when they started reporting on the story. They set out to see just how far FBS has spread. This is episode five of a year-long investigation
As Australia celebrates a comprehensive 4-1 victory, England’s approach to the Ashes series and Test cricket itself has been under the microscope. Max Rushden is joined by Geoff Lemon, Barney Ronay, Emma John and Ali Martin for a look back on the 2025-26 series
If it’s not threats of military action against Colombia and Cuba, or talk of taking Greenland from Denmark, it’s seizing oil tankers in European and Caribbean waters. All of it has world leaders scrambling to figure out how to handle Donald Trump’s revived form of US imperialism. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Pulitzer-winning author Anne Applebaum about what to expect from a world changing by the hour at the hands of the US president
Within months of the death of Lorren’s baby, Journey Moon, and the public backlash against the Free Birth Society that followed, Emilee Saldaya took the FBS membership private, turning the business into a global multimillion-dollar empire. This is episode four of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
The US has dramatically seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker between the UK and Iceland, with the support of the UK government. The operation comes after US attacks on Venezuela, the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and threats against Greenland. Lucy Hough speaks to Russian affairs correspondent Pjotr Sauer – watch on YouTube
When Lorren Holliday got pregnant in 2018, she joined Emilee Saldaya’s Facebook group and quickly became hooked on the Free Birth Society podcasts. It was a decision that led to tragedy. This is episode three of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
Who is Emilee Saldaya, the woman behind the Free Birth Society movement? And how did she meet her business partner, Yolande Norris-Clark? Does either woman have the credentials they are claiming? This is episode two of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
The Free Birth Society was selling pregnant women a simple message. They could exit the medical system and take back their power – by free birthing. But Nicole Garrison believes she nearly lost her life to FBS ideology. This is episode one of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
For some years there have been suggestions that in the 1860s Tom Wills, Australia’s first sports hero and a founder of Australian rules football, may have taken part in the massacres of Gayiri people in central Queensland. Now, in a Guardian Australia investigation, Indigenous affairs reporter Ella Archibald-Binge travels in search of the truth behind the allegations. In this two-part special Full Story, she and Lorena Allam from the University of Technology Sydney’s Jumbunna Institute discuss h...
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was captured, flown to the US and is facing trial in New York. What does it mean for the country – and the world?
