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Today, journalist Nicole Hasham, with her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly. 

On top of a hill in a remote Aboriginal community, hours from Alice Springs, is an unmissable sight: a 20 metre high, steel Christian cross.

It’s a monument that was a decade in the making, cost 2 million dollars to build, and has attracted the interest of Hollywood star Mel Gibson. But despite the grandiosity, it’s a project that hasn’t been without its controversies.

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Guest: Journalist Nicole Hasham

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After his father’s death, a young Rupert inherits a small newspaper in 1950s Adelaide. There, he teams up with the paper’s editor to save a man sentenced to hang. When the paper is threatened, a ruthless streak emerges in the boy publisher. He brings down the man he saw as a father figure. 

In the present day, Paddy finds an unpublished manuscript that sheds new light on how Rupert’s relationship with his first great editor fell apart.

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As images of the Gaza ground invasion continue to dominate the news, many Australians are distressed and grieving.

Divides in the community are also reflected among our politicians – with splits emerging not just between the major parties, but within them.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno, on how bipartisanship has been lost over conflict in the Middle East and the fault lines between friends and colleagues.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

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Ian Parmeter was Australia’s ambassador to Lebanon when Hezbollah was fighting Israel in the late 1990s.

And although there are parallels between what he saw then and what is happening today in Gaza, the situation is very different.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and prevent it from ever launching another attack like the one on October 7 – but is that even possible?

Today, Ian Parmeter on the history of Hamas, and what would take its place if it were removed from Gaza.

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Guest: Research scholar for the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the ANU, Ian Parmeter

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As Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden toasted each other last week, one of the most significant deals in Australian history hung in the background.

The AUKUS submarine deal isn’t just one of the biggest spends our government has ever made, it also promises to transform Australia’s military relationship with the United States.

Today, spokesperson on Defence for the Australian Greens, Senator David Shoebridge, on whether Australia’s $368 billion submarine deal will be worth it.

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Guest: Spokesperson on Defence for the Australian Greens, Senator David Shoebridge

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Over the weekend, Israel said it was entering the ‘second stage of war’ with Hamas.

Israel destroyed phone and internet capabilities in Gaza, while a large number of Israeli troops crossed the border. The civilian death toll is mounting daily. 

Meanwhile, a majority of countries at the UN General Assembly voted in support of a humanitarian truce. 

So, why did Australia abstain from the vote? 

Today, world editor for The Saturday Paper, Jonathan Pearlman, on what the ground invasion means for Gaza and how the rest of the world is viewing the crisis in the Middle East. 

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Guest: World editor for The Saturday Paper, Jonathan Pearlman

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For three years, China and Australia had virtually frozen their diplomatic ties – our largest trading partner and regional superpower was not picking up the phone.

But there’s been a rapid turnaround in the relationship. Ahead of a visit this week by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, we’ve seen the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei and the scrapping of trade tariffs.

So, what will Albanese want to get out of the trip, and what is China’s perception of Australia after years of tension?

Today, fresh from a trip to Beijing, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton, on whether we’re entering a new era in Australia’s relationship with China. 

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Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton.

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Rupert Murdoch is the media’s most powerful man. His newspapers and TV networks can topple leaders, change policies and throw into doubt the outcome of entire elections.

In this six-part series from Schwartz Media, investigative journalist Paddy Manning charts Rupert Murdoch’s rise from a small newspaper in Adelaide to his reign as the last global media mogul. Find out what drives Rupert Murdoch and what happens now he has handed over the empire.

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This week, Anthony Albanese was given the highest honour a guest of the US president can receive, a state dinner – attended by powerbrokers from Washington and Hollywood.

But while the PM was riding high in the US, back home his government is polling at its lowest levels since their election.

So, is it all downhill from here?

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on why Labor is losing popularity, and what they’ll need to do to win it back. 

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno.

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Calls are growing louder for a ceasefire, or at least a “humanitarian truce”, in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli troops are still on standby at the border, and the Netanyahu government seems committed to pushing into Gaza.

But though several hostages have been freed, hundreds are still held by Hamas – can Israel invade without putting their lives at risk?

Today, world editor of The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman on the secretive hostage negotiations, and why Israel’s ground invasion appears to be delayed. 

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Guest: World editor of The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman

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