Radio National Breakfast

For many First Nations families, something as treatable as an ear infection can turn into lifelong hearing loss and disease because of a gap in access to healthcare.

Professor Kelvin Kong is trying to bridge that gap - as a Worimi man, Australia's first Indigenous surgeon, and one of the country's leading ear, nose, and throat specialists.

He's spent his career improving access to culturally-safe healthcare for Indigenous communities, including those in rural and remote Australia.

• Guest: Professor Kelvin Kong, ear nose and throat specialist

Protests erupted in Sydney over the visit of Israel's President Isaac Herzog. 

Actions of police came under fire when videos circulated online allegedly showing officers beating protesters to the ground.

Greens Member of the Legislative Council Abigail Boyd was present at the protest and ended up in hospital with a neck injury.

• Guest: Abigail Boyd, Greens Member of the Legislative Council
• Producer: Tyler Hall

A former undercover agent has made explosive claims that he shared intelligence with Australia's spy agency, ASIO, about gunman Naveed Akram's terrorist associations and alleged radicalisation, six years before the Bondi Beach attack.

The whistleblower told the ABC's 'Four Corners' program that the alleged murders of 15 people were the result of, quote, "a set of errors and disregard for information".ASIO says the claims were investigated and "found to be unsubstantiated"  

• Guest: Andrew Wilkie, independent Senator for Tasmania
• Producer: Jason Whittaker

Almost 30 people were arrested in Sydney yesterday, as protesters demonstrated against the Israeli President's visit.

Alex Ryvchin was among those welcoming Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit to the Bondi Pavilion yesterday. 

• GUEST: Alex Ryvchin, Co-Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry

In 2022, the member for Calare Andrew Gee left the National Party to sit as an independent.

He quit over the party's opposition to the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Now, as polling shows the Coalition primary vote diminishing while One Nation's surges, coupled with leadership tensions in both parties, Andrew Gee is urging his former colleagues to join him on the crossbench. 

• GUEST: Andrew Gee, Independent Member for Calare
• PRODUCER: Katie McAllister

Shadow Minister for Defence Angus Taylor-- and Liberal leadership aspirant-- is under pressure from conservative supporters to challenge Opposition Leader Sussan Ley this week and end the speculation paralysing the party.

Sussan Ley narrowly secured the party leadership over Angus Taylor in May, after the Liberals suffered an historic loss to the Labor party at the last federal election.

• GUEST: Andrew Bragg, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness
• PRODUCER: Isadora Bogle

Almost 30 people were arrested in Sydney yesterday as protesters demonstrated against the Israeli President's visit to the city - in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Sydney Town Hall as part of nationwide protests.

Police are today facing allegations of using aggressive tactics, following the release of footage appearing to show police punching a person present at the rally, multiple times. 

NSW Labor MLC, Stephen Lawrence, says "I've been warning in Parliament for the last three years that we are heading towards a repeat of the 1978 Mardi Gras ... the progression of law reform in recent years has very much been back to the regime that was in existence in 1978".      

• GUEST: Stephen Lawrence, Labor Member of the NSW Legislative Council 

The Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison – the harshest penalty ever given under the controversial national security law imposed by China.

Mr Lai was found guilty in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious material in Apple Daily – the now-closed pro-Democracy newspaper he founded in 1995.

Six former executives of the paper were also handed sentences between nine months to 10 years.

Western governments and human rights organisations have condemned Lai's sentence and called for his release.

• Guests: Kevin Yam, part-time lecturer at Melbourne Law School and former pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong and Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son
• Producer: Pip Cook

The Winter Games in Milan and Italy's north-eastern alps began with boos for US Vice President JD Vance at the opening ceremony and water cannons fired at demonstrations against the presence of US immigration agents.

Meanwhile, protests leading up to the Games have argued the economic and environmental impacts of hosting the Olympics is too great.

• Guest: Giovanni Orsina, Head of Political Science Department at Luiss Guido Carli University in Roma
• Producer: Jason Whittaker

Buckingham Palace says King Charles is ready to support any police investigation into his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. 

British police have confirmed they are assessing information provided to them, allegedly showing that the former prince Andrew had passed confidential reports to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while the former royal was British trade envoy more than a decade ago.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign over a decision to hire Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to Washington.

The former ambassador's name appears thousands of times in the files. 

• Guest: Claire Ainsley, Former Director of Policy to Keir Starmer, now Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute
• Producer: Pip Cook