Hack

A social media ban in Nepal has led to deadly protests. We chat to an ABC correspondent on the ground in Kathmandu. 

And the stabbing deaths of 2 Melbourne teenagers is the latest knife crime attack in a state in the midst of a machete amnesty. 

Also, a global flotilla packed with food and medical aid is heading to Gaza again, and activists say one of their ships just got hit by a drone.

Plus, can you house-sit your way out of the rental crisis? 

Listen now:

01:22 - Nepal's Gen Z social media protests 

08:30 - Melbourne's knife crime killings 

12:50 - The global flotilla headed for Gaza

18:47 - Indefinite house sitting 

Guests: 

• Meghna Bali, South Asia correspondent, ABC
• Abubakir Rafiq, activist onboard the Global Sumud Flotilla
• Jacqueline Mifsud, comedian and house-sitter 

Get the whole story from Hack:

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• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Mushroom triple murderer Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole when she's in her 80s. We unpack how her solitary confinement factored into the judge's ruling. 

Plus after a fatal shark attack at a "netted" beach, the shark net debate is back. 

And ever imagined taking on your workplace over wage theft? This young worker did, and won. 

Listen now:

1:11 - What the judge said in the mushroom trial sentencing

6:03 - Why Erin Patterson's prison conditions had an impact

13:42 - The visa-holder wage theft problem 

19:09 - The shark net debate

Guests: 

• Thalia Anthony, associate law professor, University of Technology Sydney
• Charlie Huveneers, surfer and director, Flinders University Marine and Coastal Research Consortium

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

If you knew what your health would be like in the decades to come, would you change your life now? 

That's what genetic testing could offer: a way to help us assess the risk of cancers or diseases that could be treated or prevented early. 

But knowing what the future may hold is daunting.

Researchers at Monash University have just completed a study, testing thousands of young people for genetic variants. 

We unpack what they found, how it feels to know your risk, and what genetic testing might mean for privacy, health insurance and our entire health system. 

Guests:

• Dr Jane Tiller, Co-Lead of Monash University's DNA Screen study

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm 

Politics this week was dominated by the fallout from the March for Australia protests: the speakers, the arrests, the Nazis... and what it all tells us about Australia right now. 

And Putin was caught on a hot mic talking to China's Xi Jinping about organ donation and living to 150.

Plus: be honest... are you scrolling on the toilet right now? Or are you drinking from it, like Broncos player Reece Walsh? 

Host Dave Marchese is joined by news.com.au political journalist Jessica Wang and comedian Anthony Locascio.

Get the whole story from Hack:

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• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

The meaning of the Australian flag has changed in its 124 years of use, and debate around it is kicking off after its prominence at controversial anti-immigration rallies. 

So has the Australian flag become a weapon of division in this country? 

And we chat with Luke Bateman about his #BookTok fame, why he doesn't reflect fondly on his time in the NRL, and how he overcame gambling addiction.

Listen now:

01:05 - Should burning the flag be a crime?

04:45 - The history of the Australian flag

10:30 - Sitting down with Luke Bateman

Guests: 

• Dr Benjamin Jones, historian, CQU
• Luke Bateman, former NRL player and BookTok influencer

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

What do you know of Luke Bateman?

Maybe it's from his time as an NRL player, or his stint on reality TV, or from TikTok, where he's been sharing his love of reading from the cab of his tractor. 

But along with his many successes, Luke has also had private battles with both addiction and depression.

In this extended interview Luke opens up, revealing details of his gambling addiction and how he rebuilt his life. 

We also get into the backlash he faced after the announcement of his book deal, why he wants more guys to read, and his reflections on football's 'corrosive' culture. 

Remember, the National Gambling Helpline is available on 1800 858 858.

Guest: 

• Luke Bateman, former NRL player and #BookTok creator

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Ever had a bad experience with a driving instructor? An ABC investigation has heard from hundreds of young Aussies going for their Ls and Ps, with horrifying stories ranging from creepy comments to assaults. 

And it has been a big day in Beijing: China put on a military parade with heavy hitters watching on including Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and... former Victorian premier Dan Andrews? 

Plus: come along with the WA ghost hunters who are part of a worldwide search for paranormal activity. 

Listen now:

01:08 - Driving instructor assaults

12:26 - The message of China's big military parade

17:01 - Ghost hunting in WA

23:00 - Why are some people obsessed with ghosts?

Guests: 

• Bianca Fileborn, associate professor and criminologist, University of Melbourne
• Dr Louise Pryke, honorary research associate, University of Sydney

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

If you could find out how you were going to die, would you want to? It's a question we might all have to grapple with, as genetic testing gets more popular. 

And the Taliban is calling for help after Afghanistan was rocked by a huge earthquake that has left hundreds dead and thousands more homeless. 

Plus, is it ever okay to cry at work? We ask an expert.

Listen now:

00:59 - Learning what your genes predict about your future

06:45 - What's good and bad about genetic testing

19:41 - The aftermath of the Afghanistan earthquake

24:01 - Should we cry at work?

Guests: 

• Jane Tiller, public health genomics adviser,  Monash University
• Rowena Ditzell, management lecturer, University of Technology Sydney

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Neo-Nazis, Australian flags and inflatable boxing kangaroos: they all made an appearance at yesterday's March for Australia protests.

Today, the marches were condemned as racist. But was that the point? 

Also, the protests turned violent in many places, leaving Australia's multicultural communities feeling unsafe.  

Plus, South Australia's ban on soy sauce fish just started. Will it work? 

Listen now:

01:06 - What happened at the March for Australia

14:07 - How multicultural Aussies feel about racism in this country

22:26 - Banning soy sauce fish to tackle plastic waste

Guests: 

• Scobie McKay, journalist and film maker, whatsdoinmedia
• Kano Ravalji, founder of Third Culture and Youth Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission
• Lottie Dalziel, founder of Banish and sustainability expert

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Whether it's obsessively tracking your location or isolating you from your other mates, sometimes friends aren't just toxic, they're abusive. 

We're getting better at talking about coercive control in romantic relationships, but it happens among friends too. 

In fact, it seems like it's on the rise.

So how do you know if you're in an abusive friendship? 

And once you realise you are, how do you leave? 

In today's deep dive, we get into your stories of friendships gone wrong, and we put all your questions to someone whose job it is to help people through it.

Guest: 

• Dr Hannah Korrel, neuropsychologist and author of How to Break Up With Friends 

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm