Radio National Breakfast

There's so much this Ashes series can be remembered for: two two-day tests, Travis Head's lightning fast century in Perth, the state of the MCG pitch, England's woes. But a now resolved spat between Cricket Australia and the ABC threatens to cast a shadow, raising questions about the governing body's power and influence over the media.

Domestic violence by its nature often takes place behind closed doors…

But that doesn't mean those experiencing it are safe when out in public spaces.

In an initiative born out of personal experience a Queensland woman has launched a new initiative to help victims get help in a public setting.

It's called the Domestic Violence Safe Space initiative - a simple concept that could save lives.

• Guest: Samantha Schulte, founder of The Survivor Service
• Producer: Pip Cook

Professor Fiona Stanley - Australian epidemiologist and former Australian of the Year, shares her Summer reading list with Barbara Miller.

Currently reading:

• Dream Count, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Recommended list:

• Fighting for Justice: The Donald Thomson Story, Robert Macklin
• The Time of the Child, Niall Williams
• Rodham, Curtis Sittenfeld
• Orbital, Samantha Harvey 
• Refugia, Elfie Shiosaki 
• Ningaloo, Tim Winton

Southern Australia is enduring its most intense heatwave in years, with experts calling the conditions the worst since the Black Summer bushfires.

Dozens of regions across South Australia and Victoria recorded their hottest day in years yesterday... while the mercury is also starting to rise in New South Wales, with parts of the far south west tipped to reach almost 46 degrees today and tomorrow.

• Guest: Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a leading heatwave expert and a climate scientist at the ANU.  
• Producer: Eddy Diamond

Diplomatic heads are still spinning from the actions of the United States over the global stage.

US forces captured the now deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro - but the White House is yet to lay out a strategy for a return to order. Meanwhile, an armed takeover remains on the table, as the Trump administration continues its pursuit of Greenland.

• Guest: John Lyons, ABC News Americas Editor
• Producer: Jason Whittaker

Cost of living pressures are showing some signs of easing, with the latest figures from the ABS showing that inflation is cooling. Consumer prices rose 3.4% over the year, down from 3.8% a month earlier.

The Prime Minister attended the funeral of Bondi terror attack victim Peter Meagher yesterday, as he reportedly mulls backing down on opposition to a federal royal commission.

The Coalition is demanding an early recall of parliament, while questioning how the government is resourcing counter-terrorism.

• Guest: Jonno Duniam, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs
• Producer: Jason Whittaker

The exact timing of the US raid on Caracas US President Donald Trump said was weather dependent- but if Washington wanted to send a signal to Beijing it could hardly have chosen a better moment.

Hours before the military action began a high-level Chinese delegation met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas to affirm their support for the beleaguered leader... with Beijing subsequently condemning the US action.

• Guest: David Sacks, fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
• Producer: Pip Cook

In another escalation of tensions with Venezuela, the United States has seized two oil tankers, one in the Atlantic and one in the Caribbean Sea... saying both were breaching sanctions on the shipment of Venezuelan oil.

One of the vessels - the Marinera was granted permission to sail under a Russian flag in late December... and has reportedly been pursued by America in the weeks since.

• Guest: Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst with Kpler

US President Donald Trump sent his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to a meeting in Paris on Ukraine with the country's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The gathering of what's known as the Coalition of the Willing ended with an agreement that the UK and France would deploy troops to Ukraine in the aftermath of any peace deal... and the US representatives said there would be "real backstops" to ensure Ukraine's security.

• Guest: Henry Foy, Financial Times' Brussels Bureau Chief
• Producer: Anne Barker