Full Story

The mother of the youngest complainant wept on the stand after being presented with a note written by her son alleging ‘something happened’ at Alan Jones’s property at Fitzroy Falls. As the prosecution questioned the mother, she told the court she had ‘trusted’ Jones with her then teenage son. She was also asked why she stayed in contact with the broadcaster after her son told her about the alleged indecent assault. Guardian Australia’s media correspondent, Amanda Meade, joins host Nour Haydar to unpack an emotional week in the courtroom Mother of alleged Alan Jones victim ‘absolutely trusted’ the radio host, court told

One year ago, Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister, taking over a party in crisis. Since then, she’s defied the doubters, not just surviving as leader in a country that struggles with its gender politics – but winning convincingly at an election in February. She has faced President Trump, fraught relations with China over Taiwan and was even the subject of one of Anthony Albanese’s biggest controversies this year. But could Japan’s prime minister be at her most politically dangerous moment yet? Tokyo correspondent Justin McCurry speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether Takaichi can ride out what comes next

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad look at how Katie Zacharia broke the record for shortest tenure as White House press secretary. They then examine the pattern of how women in the Trump administration are treated when they’re perceived to have made mistakes – versus how men seem to survive their missteps. They also look at how the US might be changing course on Russia’s war on Ukraine. Are relations between Donald Trump and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at their lowest point ever? And what happens if the US decides to take Vladimir Putin’s side in the war?

The bestselling author says her novels will no longer be supplied to British bookshops due to fears of prosecution. Zoe Williams and Haroon Siddique report

Helen Haines, the independent federal MP for the Victorian seat of Indi, is in a critical condition and has lost a leg after an alleged attack outside her electorate office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday the alleged attacker and driver of the car was named by police as 43-year-old Brendan Nugent. A major investigation is under way into the incident, with Victoria police, the Australian federal police, Asio and counter-terrorism investigators involved. Guardian Australian political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Matilda Boseley about what happened and why this alleged attack on an independent MP is a watershed moment in Australian politics and political debate

The Greens senator for Western Australia, Jordon Steele-John, has blamed ‘nasty political games’ for the timing of allegations of misconduct towards women spanning nearly a decade. Steele-John has denied all allegations, but the scandal – and its subsequent handling – is fast becoming a test for the Greens’ leader, David Shoebridge, just three weeks into his new role. Political reporter Sarah Basford Canales speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether this is the Greens’ biggest political scandal, and whether the party’s factions are driving it

Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor on their new film interviewing Israeli military insiders on the vast, AI-assisted systems their sources say are being used to kill civilians in Gaza. They also talk about the political backlash against their documentary

From his remote property in rural Texas, the millionaire businessman Michael Samadi is plotting a new kind of civil rights movement – for the welfare and protection of AI systems. Guardian journalist Michael Safi spends an afternoon at the Double Six ranch, meeting Samadi’s AI chatbots and catching a glimpse of a possible vision of the future

Tony Barry and Niki Savva (filling in for Barrie Cassidy) examine the ‘festival of Josh’ that played out in the media this week as the former treasurer spruiked his new memoir. The two former Liberal party advisers weigh in on whether Josh Frydenberg should run again for Kooyong and whether he can live his dream of one day becoming PM. They also discuss what they see as the Labor government’s failure to sell an economic vision during a cost-of-living crisis

Former comedian Russell Brand is on trial facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault against six women, spanning a decade from 1999 to 2009. On Thursday the court heard evidence from a woman who alleged Brand told her “it’s just fun” as he raped her at the 1999 Labour party conference. He denies all the allegations against him. Lucy Hough speaks to senior national news editor Aaron Sharp

After the youngest complainant began giving evidence, Judge Glenn Walsh placed a non-publication order on much of this week’s testimony. In this episode, Guardian Australia media correspondent Amanda Meade and host Nour Haydar answer your questions about the Alan Jones trial. They unpack why court reporters have to withhold certain details about complainants, and discuss the challenges of a high-profile trial being held in a local court. Finally, they tackle the question they are asked the most: will Alan Jones himself take the stand?

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s US politics podcast, co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy take a special look at the midterms which are coming up in early November. All 435 House seats are up in this election as representatives only serve fixed two-year terms. In the Senate, 35 of 100 seats are up for grabs too as senators serve six-year terms. There are many predictions of a blue wave -– a big win for the Democratic party who are tipped to take back the House and Senate. But are pollsters being too optimistic? What are the factors that could instead allow the Republican party and the Trump administration to hold on to power in Congress? They also look at why US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has been ousted from her job – and whether criticism of new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is fair

It was supposed to be an Australian business success story. Just over a week ago local AI company Firmus was preparing to hit the market with a value that would put the startup in the same league as Woolworths. But last Friday, everything fell apart. At the centre was Firmus co-founder Oliver Curtis, an entrepreneur trying to rebuild his reputation after spending time in prison for insider trading. Curtis said the collapse was down to Australia’s ‘mantra of disbelief around entrepreneurs’. Business editor Jonathan Barrett speaks to Matilda Boseley about the hubris of the firm’s founders and what this says about the future of the AI investment bubble

Are we really living through ‘end times fascism’? The authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor think so. In a new series from the Guardian, the pair speak to Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty in an extended interview. From Trump 2.0 and the rise of the tech billionaire to Gaza and the ongoing climate emergency, Klein and Taylor argue we are not just lurching from crisis to crisis, but are in a new and dangerous moment in history. However, they have not given up hope of a fightback. Radical Thinking will be published every Saturday in the Guardian UK’s Politics Weekly feed

It has been nearly 100 years since the last public execution in the US but, on 3 December this year, that could change. The US secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, said last week that the execution of Nidal Hasan, the man who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, will be a public event – a claim that was later confirmed by a defence department official. On Saturday, the US president, Donald Trump, said he had yet to decide whether to let the livestream go ahead. Washington bureau chief David Smith tells Reged Ahmad why the US secretary of war wants the world to see a death by firing squad

Using evidence from family and friends, analysis of cemetery registries, and aerial and satellite imagery, a special investigation by Guardian Australia has found that ‘persons without means’ are being buried in bare patches of earth between walkways and old headstones in Sydney’s Rookwood cemetery. The vast majority of the graves do not have a plaque or tombstone. The investigation has prompted an immediate apology from NSW Health, which oversees the process, while the state health minister, Ryan Park, has signalled that he wants to end the use of unmarked communal graves. Chief investigations correspondent Christopher Knaus and investigations reporter Ariel Bogle speak with Reged Ahmad about their Guardian investigation into unmarked graves and the families left devastated by the discovery of where their loved ones have been laid to rest

Five stories that feel like five answers to one important question: in a world where AI chatbots can help us through a breakup, listen like a friend, be a life coach, draft a difficult text message and do our work, where do we draw the line?

Tony Barry and Jessie McCrone examine the latest Redbridge poll (‘the poll that stops the nation’) that shows a slump in support for the prime minister and weaker support for Labor. How would Jessie – a former senior Labor advisor – counsel Anthony Albanese, and what does she think could improve Labor’s chances against Pauline Hanson’s One Nation? The two former sparring partners also look at next month’s Victorian election and what it could mean for the major parties at a federal level. Email the show: backtobackbarries@theguardian.com Read more: Constitutional expert labels Albanese government’s golf club grant ‘grey corruption’ One Nation celebrated stunning success in Queensland in 1998 – then it all fell apart. What happened?

The fifth and final complainant has taken the stand to detail his allegations against Alan Jones. He is also the youngest of the alleged victims, telling the court he accepted an invitation to visit the former broadcaster’s rural home when he was 17. Guardian Australia media correspondent Amanda Meade joins host Nour Haydar to unpack the latest developments from the courtroom

Angelique Chrisafis on the pupils and students who are taking to the streets and closing down schools in France

With a pledge to slash net overseas migration to just 100,000 people, with incremental increases in the years following, the Coalition has promised history-making immigration cuts as a solution to the housing crisis. But behind the steep figures is a strategy of luring voters from One Nation by out-doing their centrepiece policies. Political editor Tom McIlroy joins Matilda Boseley to discuss whether being more extreme than One Nation is a vote-winner, and why the most vulnerable will be hit hardest by the plan

A warning for this episode - it covers details of a murder and an execution that some might find distressing. In this episode of Guardian Australia’s US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad examine what happened when the state of Tennessee tried to execute prisoner Christa Pike. They also look at the controversy over taxpayer-funded ads promoting US president Donald Trump, midterm AI attack ads and the Elon Musk-Trump bromance appears to be back on.

As technology companies push to expand AI infrastructure across Australia, residents from suburban Melbourne to regional Queensland are raising concerns over noise, power demands and local impacts. Could growing community opposition slow down plans for a nationwide infrastructure boom? Technology reporter Josh Taylor joins Reged Ahmad to unpack why Australians are becoming so uneasy about datacentres – and whether government regulation can address their fears

When a civil lawsuit brought horrific details of an alleged gang rape at a Cornell fraternity to light, international outrage followed. Questions remain over how initial reports were handled and why systemic issues continue to surface at elite institutions. Reged Ahmad speaks to Guardian US reporter Richard Luscombe to unpack the fallout at Cornell and examine whether this case will spark real change across American college campuses.

One Nation was the first Australian political party with a website, and its online game today is recognised as some of the most effective in the business. The party specialises in shareable anti-immigration messaging – and in bypassing traditional media to reach voters directly. ‘She tells it like it is,’ Pauline Hanson’s supporters say. But her tactics come straight from the populist right playbook: harvesting fear and grievance for political power. In the final episode of The Populist, Sarah Martin traces Hanson’s journey from her beginnings as Australia’s first ‘cyber politician’ to her leading role in the rightwing nativist movement that is sweeping the globe

More than a billion people are suddenly talking to AI chatbots designed to connect with us. We are sharing with them our deepest secrets, trusting them with our wellbeing and acting on their advice. Across two powerful stories – a woman who was struggling to leave a relationship and a man who was desperate to quit drinking – the Guardian journalist Michael Safi explores what this new way of living looks like

Barrie Cassidy and Sean Kelly (filling in for Tony Barry) discuss the Greens leadership change this week. Senator David Shoebridge defeated two women to take out the top job in a rare contested ballot. So what direction will he take the progressive party and can they ‘replace’ Labor as he claims? Also in this episode: what did the prime minister say at George Megalogenis’ Melbourne book launch that surprised both of these former political advisers? And as we draw ever nearer to the Victorian election, what do the polls reveal about how it could all play out?

With a sharp, aggressive strategy, the Australian Greens’ newly elected leader vows to take on corporate power and bring a ‘red-hot fight’ to coal and gas approvals. But following a turbulent week and internal party room fractures, can Senator David Shoebridge and his polarising approach rally progressive voters without deepening splits? Guardian Australia’s political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks with the new Greens party leader about taking on One Nation, pushing back on Aukus, and his vision for the party’s future.

A commercial flight travelling from Dubai to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing after an apparent brawl between its pilots. The flight was in Jordanian airspace when it diverted to Saudi Arabia, after the plane fell 16,000ft in two minutes during the incident. Authorities are investigating a number of lines of inquiry including a hijacking attempt or a mental health incident. Lucy Hough speaks to Middle East correspondent Will Christou

Georgie Dent’s National Press Club address recently went viral after laying bare the compounding pressures on modern families. Between soaring costs of living, rigid workplace expectations and an eye-watering gap between school days and work hours, is the current system setting parents up to fail? Reged Ahmad speaks with CEO of advocacy group The Parenthood, Georgie Dent, to unpack why raising children has become an impossible mathematical equation and how policy reform can fix it

More than two years after Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were killed in a Sydney home, former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has gone on trial in the supreme court. Lamarre-Condon, who stands accused of the double murder, has pleaded not guilty. In the opening weeks the court has heard allegations, viewed security footage and witnessed emotional testimonies from friends of the young couple. Matilda Boseley speaks to Guardian reporter Kat Wong to unpack the evidence before the jury

With inflation proving stubborn and global economic pressures mounting, Australians are bracing for another potential interest rate rise. Could pushing the cash rate to its highest level since 2011 send struggling households over the edge? Guardian Australia economics editor Patrick Commins joins Reged Ahmad to unpack what’s driving the decision and what it means for the broader economic outlook

One Nation receives millions in public funding, but former members have accused the party of leaving candidates out of pocket, ‘funny money deals’ and letting donations get ‘lost in the system’. When senior correspondent Sarah Martin followed the money, she discovered even those on the inside are asking questions about accountability, and why some are saying the man brought in to improve the system might be making it worse

Barrie Cassidy and Sean Kelly (filling in for Tony Barry) look at the prime minister’s week in the US against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s ban of three news organisations from the White House. Would the Australian media ever join together like their American counterparts and boycott a political party or politician? The two former press advisers also examine press conference ethics and why Australian politicians should be wary of using AI to write their speeches

A government database has been hacked for the first time by a rogue OpenAI agent, which infiltrated part of the Australian healthcare scheme in June. OpenAI became aware of the hack in August, but only informed the government in September. Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has expressed his ‘extreme concern’ about the hack, which raises serious AI security concerns for governments around the world. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s UK technology editor Robert Booth

As the criminal trial of Alan Jones continues, prosecutors unexpectedly drop a charge against the former broadcaster while witnesses take the stand to address allegations surrounding complainant M and complainant H. Now, with a sudden shift in the trial timeline, how much closer are we to the conclusion of proceedings? Series producer Taylah Strano joins host Nour Haydar to unpack the latest developments from the courtroom

AI, Iran and Taiwan – there will be no shortage of topics when the two most powerful men in the world meet in Washington. But what do they both want? Jonathan Czin explains

Anthony Albanese is in New York campaigning for Australia to snag a seat on the UN security council for 2029. So how much power would a two-year seat actually give Australia to make change? Why does Albanese feel that now is the time? And given the hefty price tag attached to a security council campaign, how will his efforts be received back home? Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Matilda Boseley about the prime minister’s UN ambitions and what Australia has to gain if his bid for a seat on the security council succeeds

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s weekly US politics podcast, co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy dive into what’s driving Donald Trump’s ban on journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico - and the significance of the response from major TV networks. They also cover the US president at the UNGA and why Trump’s decision making on international conflicts could be explained by the price of diesel. Plus - could daylight savings become permanent in the US.

On Monday, Jim Chalmers released Treasury’s economic forecast for the next 40 years in the Albanese government’s second intergenerational report. The outlook predicts major challenges on geopolitics, the AI transformation, and for the first time, deaths will overtake births in Australia within a few decades. The treasurer speaks with Guardian Australia’s political editor, Tom McIlroy, and economics editor, Patrick Commins, about why he’s optimistic Labor’s policy agenda is preparing the country for an unpredictable future

The Houthis now control the Bab al-Mandab strait. But where is it and why does it matter? Patrick Wintour explains

The Albanese government is considering giving AI companies unrestricted access to Australian content. The sweeping copyright reforms could give AI companies – such as Anthropic and Open AI – permission to train on the open internet here in Australia. Host Reged Ahmad speaks to musician and communications strategist Holly Rankin on what an AI deal could mean for creators, artists and everyday Australians Holly Rankin is an artist professionally known as Jack River and the executive director of Sentiment Group, a government affairs and strategic communications firm

Most Australians know the story of Pauline Hanson: the fish and chip shop, the maiden speech, the “please explain”. But Hanson’s top adviser, James Ashby, wields as much – if not more – power over One Nation as Hanson herself. When the party bars media from press conferences, it’s Ashby who makes the call. To understand how One Nation operates, it’s important to understand Ashby’s story, from his beginnings as a PR flack, through a massive parliamentary scandal, to his ascent to political power as One Nation’s popularity soars

Why are AI chatbots pulling so many people down a rabbit hole? Our answer starts with the world’s first-ever chatbot, the strange effect it had on people and the ‘time bomb’ that exploded when ChatGPT was released four years ago. The result is a strange experiment we are all living through – whether we know it or not. You can find episodes one and two further back in the Full Story feed.

Barrie Cassidy and Jessie McCrone, a former adviser to the former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and now managing partner for FMRS Advisory, examine the migration reforms as announced by the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, this week. Is One Nation controlling the narrative on this issue, and how will the Coalition respond? They also look at the Guardian’s new investigative podcast series The Populist; plus, with just two months to go until the Victorian election, what does Jessie think about the state of play and Labor’s chances at the ballot box? Jessie is filling in for Tony Barry this week Amid claims of ‘mass migration’, Labor hopes a measured approach will take the hot air out of the debate

Home affairs minister Tony Burke delivered a speech at the National Press Club on Thursday, announcing immigration reforms to achieve Labor’s forecasts for net overseas migration. After being postponed at short notice six weeks ago, Burke’s speech comes in the same week that One Nation announced its policy to significantly cut the number of temporary migrants in Australia. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Burke about why the government is making the changes, the limitations that come from not successfully securing Coalition support, and why new migrants aren’t to blame for the housing crisis

For the first time, seven weeks into the criminal trial of Alan Jones, a complainant came face-to-face with his alleged offender in the courtroom. The former athlete, known as complainant M, was the third of six complainants and chose to give evidence in the same room as Jones. The courtroom – and the journalists squeezed into a separate room in the court – heard allegations against Jones that he twice kissed the prominent athlete without consent

All four supporting acts for the upcoming dates of Ed Sheeran’s tour have withdrawn in solidarity with fellow opener Macklemore. The American rapper was removed from Sheeran’s tour after comments made onstage in support of Palestine. Sheeran responded that venue owners – including Robert Kraft who owns the New England Patriots and its home stadium – had objected to Macklemore’s appearance on the tour. But after he had tried to negotiate with the venue owners ‘at length to build bridges’, ultimately the promoters made the decision to pull the plug. Artists who have pulled out include Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Beoga. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian assistant opinion editor Jason Okundaye Read more: All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore

Indonesia is in the middle of a climate emergency, experiencing what Nasa calls the ‘apex predator’ of wildfires. It’s burning an area three times the size of Singapore and choking millions across south-east Asia with toxic haze. But while Europe’s catastrophic summer made headlines in Australia, the climate emergency happening to one of our closest neighbours is less well known. Kate Lamb joins Matilda Boseley to talk about just how consequential these fires could become

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s weekly US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad look at whether there is any appetite across the political spectrum to put guardrails on artificial intelligence as around the world existential fears mount that the technology is developing too quickly. They also explain what the latest supreme court ruling on the Trump administration’s mail-in ballot restrictions means for the midterms. And they look at what happened when the US president waded into the Irish reunification debate