Political debate was dominated this week by the topic of immigration after anti-immigration rallies in major cities last weekend.

Politicians from both major parties tried to strike a balance between listening to people’s legitimate concerns while condemning the extremist fringe of the anti-immigration movement.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos join host Jacqueline Maley.

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Almost immediately after Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny was murdered by the Kremlin last year, in an arctic penal colony, Russian president Vladimir Putin turned his eyes to Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya. 

She knows that nowhere is safe for her; not even flying to Australia, as she did this week. She was once a victim of poisoning. And a Russian court has issued an arrest warrant for her, on charges of extremism.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher joins me to discuss how Yulia Navalnaya is combatting Vladimir Putin and fighting for a “normal” Russia, even as Putin is being welcomed into open arms by an increasing number of democratic leaders.

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The whispering forests and deep valleys of Victoria’s high country have long provided refuge for those on the run. 

Think of Ned Kelly and his gang, who roamed the north east Victorian ranges, before finally being captured by police in a shootout at the Glenrowan Inn. 

And, conspiracy theorist Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for the last week in this area, after allegedly killing two policemen and injuring a third. 

Today, associate editor and special writer Tony Wright, who spent the last few days in this area, on how this region has helped some of Australia’s most mythic outlaws.

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Violent clashes, police with pepper spray and chants of “Heil Australia”. These were the scenes we saw over the weekend, as thousands of Australians marched in anti-immigration rallies, which have been endorsed by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. Why did this violence erupt now? And what does it mean that two prominent politicians attended the rallies?

Today, senior writer Michael Bachelard and Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor at Deakin Law School, on whether our laws are up to the challenge of protecting all Australians from vilification.

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Venture to a pro-Palestinian rally at one of Australia’s capital cities, and you’ll invariably hear calls to “end the genocide” in Gaza.

And in the international court of justice, South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide as well. It’s a claim Israel strenuously denies.

So what is a genocide?

And what evidence is needed to prove that one is happening?

Today, we bring you a special episode with Geoffrey Robertson, KC, a former United Nations war crimes judge and now a human rights barrister and author, who tells us why this case will become the definitive decision on genocide.

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This week Canberra turned into a John le Carre novel, with the stunning revelation from the head of ASIO Mike Burgess, that the state of Iran directed at least two attacks on Australia’s Jewish community, on Australian soil. As a consequence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expelled the Iranian Ambassador from the country. 

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss these dramatic developments, is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and national security correspondent Matthew Knott.

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As we record this episode, the Victorian High Country is the scene of an intense hunt for a man accused of shooting and killing two police officers, and injuring a third.

The man Victoria Police say they are searching for is Desmond Christopher Filby, aka Dezi Freeman, a radicalised conspiracy theorist, and self-described “sovereign citizen”, who espoused hatred for police.

But what is a sovereign citizen, and how widespread is the movement in Australia?

We bring you this episode earlier than usual, with associate professor Dr Joshua Roose, who was an expert witness in a similar, notorious shooting in Queensland, on whether the sovereign citizen movement has been underestimated

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Many will remember a spate of frightening attacks against Jewish communities in both Sydney and Melbourne last year, including firebombings, vandalism and a van full of explosives.

We now know, according to the country’s top spy agency ASIO, that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks.

The government has responded swiftly, expelling the Iranian ambassador to Australia and closing its embassy in Tehran.

We bring you this episode early today, with Middle East and security analyst Rodger Shanahan, on what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called ‘extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression’ on our soil.

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If you’re in your 20s or 30s, or have someone in your life who’s in that age bracket, you know that the struggle to buy a home is real. 

So, what to make of the federal government's announcement that it will launch its newly expanded scheme to help first home buyers purchase a property earlier than expected?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, on whether this will help fix our housing crisis. 

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AI chat bots are fast becoming a part of everyday life with more than half of all Australians using them regularly, although just over a third of those users say they trust them.

Today, explainer reporter Jackson Graham explores how artificial intelligence learns, how often hallucinations - or wrong information - occurs and whether AI can be trusted.

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