Full Story

In the aftermath of an attack on Australian soldiers by a rogue Afghan soldier, the SAS is sent to the Taliban-controlled village of Darwan. They arrive by helicopter at dawn, looking for Hekmatullah, the soldier who shot dead three of their comrades. It is during this raid, the newspapers allege in court as part of their defence, that Ben Roberts-Smith kicked an unarmed, handcuffed Afghan man off a cliff and then ordered another soldier to shoot him dead. Roberts-Smith denies this outright and says he and another soldier lawfully shot and killed a member of the Taliban they found hiding in a cornfield. In this episode of Ben Roberts-Smith v the media, Ben Doherty takes us through one of the key incidents under dispute in this extraordinary defamation trial – the raid of Darwan. And we hear evidence as presented in court by witnesses for Roberts-Smith and the newspapers in their defence, read by voice actors

In the defamation trial of the century, Australia’s most-decorated living soldier is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. His lawyers argue Roberts-Smith has been unfairly targeted by envious comrades and assisted by credulous journalists. The newspapers’ lawyers say their reporting is true, and that Roberts-Smith broke the ‘moral and legal rules of military engagement’, something he denies outright. But who is Ben Roberts-Smith, and how did he earn the military’s highest honour, the Victoria Cross?

The Australian tourism industry was hit hard by the pandemic. In an effort to bring international visitors back, the tourism board has unveiled a new mascot, Ruby the Roo. But this campaign, like the many before the new CGI kangaroo, has caused quite a stir. Many are questioning what this cartoon caricature says about us. In this episode of Full Story, Gabrielle Jackson talks to Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher about revitalising the tourism industry and how the world sees Australia

Australia has a global reputation as a source of clean food, but much of our produce is grown with dangerous chemicals banned across the western world. Federal authorities also admit that information on the environmental and health effects of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals is lacking. Investigations editor Anne Davies explores whether Australia’s approach to pesticides is causing us harm, and how we can reduce our use and exposure

The inquiry into the Queensland police service’s responses to domestic and family violence has unearthed dozens of allegations of sexual assault, harassment and racism in the workplace by current and former officers – with the alleged perpetrators often evading consequences. Queensland’s police commissioner told the inquiry last week she agrees their internal complaints system is ‘broken’ and apologised to the victims. Queensland correspondent Ben Smee examines what this outpouring of stories says about the culture inside the force, and how police accountability in the state has eroded over decades

Putin has been hinting he could use nuclear weapons since the beginning of his war in Ukraine. But in recent days the Russian president’s rhetoric has ramped up alarmingly. How seriously should we take his threats? Andrew Roth reports from Moscow

Australia is preparing to rescue dozens of wives and children of Islamic State fighters, who have been trapped in dangerous camps in Syria for years. It will be Australia’s first repatriation mission in Syria since 2019, when the Morrison government refused to bring home any more Australian citizens, citing security concerns. Reporter Ben Doherty explains to Jane Lee who these families are, and what their life could look like when they return home

Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, is suing three of the country’s most trusted newspapers for defamation over articles he says falsely accuse him of war crimes. Whatever the outcome, the ramifications will be immense for public interest journalism, Australia’s military and the man venerated as a modern-day war hero.

The Albanese government is facing increasing pressure to walk back their election promise to keep the stage-three tax cuts legislated under the Morrison government worth $243bn, which will predominantly benefit the most wealthy Australians. In the middle of a looming economic crisis, Labor says they have not changed their tax policy, but will put ‘economics before politics’. Meanwhile, the Liberal party is eager to win any political points they can, accusing the government of ‘crab-walking away’ from an election promise. In this episode of Full Story, Gabrielle Jackson talks to Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher about whether Labor should cull the stage-three tax cuts

Australia is scrapping mandatory Covid isolation, with exemptions for high-risk settings, after similar moves in the UK and other countries. This comes after the World Health Organization last month declared the end of the pandemic is ‘in sight’ but ‘now is the worst time to stop running’. Epidemiologist Prof Catherine Bennett explains what Australia’s decision means for our path out of the pandemic, and disability rights activist Ashleigh Rae details how it could affect people who are vulnerable to coronavirus