Where have all the centrists gone? And how have the far-right taken hold of politics in the west? 

Do you ever want to hide from the headlines? With 1 in 4 people now saying they are worn out by the news and many turning to a fragmented social media news landscape for their information we explore what's gone wrong in recent years, and what we might do about it. 

Guests:

Marty Baron: American Journalist, Editor of The Washington Post 2012 to 2021 and author of a new memoir called Collision of Power. 

Recommendations:

Geraldine: The Bright Side with Sabra Lane on ABC Listen

Hamish:  All the Presidents Men, book by Woodward and Bernstein 

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You know things aren't good when Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un sign a mutual defence pact... could it be that a powerful new anti-western axis is emerging between Russia, China, North Korea and Iran? Plus, we get an insight into how Ukrainians feel about being caught in this geopolitical quagmire. 

Guests:

Alisa Sopova - Ukrainian journalist and anthropologist.

Sir Lawrence Freedman - Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London.

Recommendations:

Geraldine: We’re in 1938 now: Putin’s war in Ukraine and lessons from history - Patrick Wintour in the Guardian.

Hamish: Premier Li Qiang’s visit has Malaysia wanting more from China pivot - Financial Times.

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​The high-profile visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang signals warming relations between Canberra and Beijing, but could it be indicative of deeper economic and political anxieties in China? What is it, really, that China wants from us? 

Guest: Richard McGregor - former Beijing bureau chief for the Financial Times, author of Xi Jinping: The Backlash and Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute.

Recommendations:

Geraldine - reading: We’re in 1938 now’: Putin’s war in Ukraine and lessons from history article by Patrick Wintour

Hamish - reading: The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall book by Eliot Cohen

You can also listen to Hamish's interview with Eliot Cohen and Fintan O'Toole on the Big Weekend of Books on the ABC Listen App 

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In India, Mexico and South Africa, frustrations and hopes have been borne out at polling booths, with extraordinary results. Geraldine and Hamish take an in depth look at South Africa, which is about to enter an exciting new phase both at home and abroad.

Guests:

Lynsey Chutel - reporter for The New York Times based in Johannesburg. 

Melanie Verwoerd - former Member of Parliament for the ANC, the former Ambassador to Ireland, and the former Director of UNICEF- Ireland. 

Recommendations:

Geraldine - watching: A Life in Ten Pictures Season 2 - Nelson Mandela on ABC iView

Reading: Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage book by Jonny Steinberg

Hamish - watching: Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nkosi Sikelela (Live At Montreux 1989) on Youtube

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One week into the UK election campaign and to say things have been unexpected is an understatement. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come out firing, announcing a controversial national service scheme that caused Gen Z to have a meltdown. But is it enough to close the gap between the Tories and Labour, led by Sir Keir Starmer? 

Guest: Krishnan Guru-Murthy - one of the main anchors of Channel 4 News. He also fronts the podcast Ways to Change the World and reports for the foreign affairs series Unreported World.

Recommendations:

Hamish - reading: The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself book by Nick Bryant

Geraldine - reading: In death as in life, Yael Dayan is an inconvenient Israeli by Noah Efron

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Well, it's happened. Donald Trump is a convicted felon. In this bonus episode, former Republican speechwriter David Frum reacts to the historic verdict and discusses whether Trump has any hope now of being re-elected.

Guest: David Frum - staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of 10 books, most recently Trumpocracy (2018) and Trumpocalypse (2020). In 2001 and 2002, David was a speechwriter for President George W. Bush. 

You can read his latest on the Trump verdict here. 

The International Criminal Court is considering whether to issue an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu - the first time in history such a move has been made against a pro-Western leader. It's sparked a mixed reaction, internationally, but it's unclear whether Israeli or Hamas leaders will ever be held accountable for potential war crimes. It's also unclear what impact, if any, this development will have on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

Guest: Julian Borger - World Affairs Editor at The Guardian; author of The Butcher's Trail and I Seek A Kind Person.

Recommendations:

Geraldine: Reading - Friendly Fire: How Israel Became Its Own Worst Enemy and the Hope for Its Future book by Ami Ayalon

Hamish: Reading - Netanyahu and Khamenei find themselves in a tightening vice article in the Financial Times by Kim Ghattas 

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers touched a nerve when he suggested Australians should start having more kids, but does he actually have a point? Fertility rates are falling dramatically across the world and it's stoking all sorts of fears.  

Guest: Dr Jennifer Sciubba - one of the foremost experts in the field of political demography & the author of 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World

Recommendations:

Geraldine: Reading - You can’t even pay people to have more kids by Anna North, Vox.

Hamish: Reading - China's high stakes struggle to avoid demographics disaster by The Economist. 

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We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Some Europeans certainly think so, with polls predicting a swing to the hard-right in upcoming EU elections. So, what would a more conservative Europe mean for us? 

Geraldine and Hamish travelled to Canberra to ask the EU Ambassador to Australia in person, and to find out whether a free trade deal between the EU and Australia really is dead. 

Guest: His Excellency Mr. Gabriele Visentin, the EU Ambassador to Australia. 

Recommendations:

Hamish: Watching - The 2022 Schuman Lecture: Strengthening Relationships in Challenging Times

Geraldine: Watching - Freud's Last Session (2023 drama film)

Get in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]