The assassination of the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, the architect of the October 7 attack, might have been an opportunity for a ceasefire.  Instead, Israeli airstrikes have intensified in the north and there is no sign Hamas will agree to the return of hostages.  Today, international relations expert Rajan Menon on what Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to achieve.  Professor Menon says that despite Sinwar’s death, Hamas remains resilient and continues to pose a threat.  He says the...

The cost of toll roads for drivers and even rideshare passengers are hard to avoid and the price attached to each beep of the reader increases every year.  Transurban is the firm that dominates the industry on the east coast and in some states they can even use the criminal justice system to chase toll debts and fines.  The cost of toll roads is prohibitive for many drivers, forcing people to quit jobs across town and pushing truck drivers to use suburban roads instead.  Today, Four...

This week we learned that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon be a new home owner.  He’s bought a multi-million-dollar house, featuring sweeping ocean views, on the New South Wales central coast. Some people think it’s a move from the PM that’s especially tone deaf, given the depths of the housing crisis, while others see the story as a complete beat up. Today, host of Radio National Breakfast and The Party Room podcast, Patricia Karvelas, on why it has become a big problem for...

When masked neo-Nazis turned up in a small New South Wales town to hold a rally on the weekend it shocked the locals. The men, part of a white supremacist group, were not from the area. So, why were they there? Today, extremism researcher Kaz Ross discusses how we should respond to the growing white supremacist movement in Australia.  Kaz Ross explains that the neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network, aims to intimidate and gain publicity through such rallies.  She says the group’s...

The Lebanese capital Beirut is a divided city, where life continues as normal for some, while not so far away Israeli air strikes are reducing buildings to rubble.  The sound of Israeli drones is constant as its forces hunt members of Hezbollah.  The militant group has been firing missiles into Israel since Hamas terrorists crossed from Gaza into Israel last year.  Today, we go to Beirut with the ABC’s global affairs editor John Lyons who explains why some Lebanese welcome the weakening of...

In just three weeks, Americans will choose whether they want Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in the White House and the contest is incredibly close.  More than a hundred thousand eligible voters are living here in Australia, although not all will cast a ballot.  Today, we meet an Australian-based Harris voter and a Trump voter, to talk about what’s driving their decision and what sort of America they hope will come from it.   We also discuss whether people with wildly different political...

Oasis is coming to Australia, but many fans will have already accepted they either won’t manage to get a ticket or if they do it’s going to cost a lot of money.   So, what goes on behind the scenes with the big ticketing companies that control our live music scene?  Today, Avani Dias on her Four Corners investigation into dynamic pricing and how Australian artists are allegedly being ripped off. Avani Dias reveals that while dynamic pricing won't be used for Oasis tickets in Australia,...

When Donald Trump won the 2016 US election, the world was shocked because polls had predicted an easy win for Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. So, with the polls showing a close race both at the national level and in the swing states that will determine the next president, can we trust them?  Today, Matt Taglia from Emerson College Polling explains the science of polling.   He discusses the accuracy of current polling methods and how they have evolved since 2016.  Matt Taglia...

He was a giant on the American music scene, but Sean Combs, who goes by the stage name Diddy, is now facing charges that put him at the centre of what could be a much-needed MeToo moment for the industry.  The rapper has been arrested, accused of sex trafficking and running a criminal enterprise centred on abusing women.  Today, what we know about the case and whether it will change the global music industry. Music journalist and co-founder of The Brag Media, Poppy Reid, discusses the...

After 142 years the UK’s electricity grid is now coal free.  Last week it closed its last remaining coal fired power station earlier than expected and became the first G7 economy to dump coal power.  Today, energy expert from the Grattan Institute Alison Reeve on how the Brits did it and when we’ll do the same.  She explains the historical significance of coal in the UK’s industrial revolution and its eventual decline.  Alison Reeve highlights the role of bipartisan politics and strategic...

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular and if you can’t afford a Tesla, a cheaper Chinese made car could be the answer. But in the United States, the Biden administration wants to ban all Chinese developed software from cars on American roads because of security concerns.  The US government already charges a big tariff on imports of Chinese EVs.  Today, Adam Tong from the Center for a New American Security on whether the cyber security risk cited by US officials is really something to...

When journalist Deborah Stone learned of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel one year ago, she had to get to work.  As a Jewish woman and editor in chief of The Jewish Independent news website, finding a balance in the reporting was what she strove for now and then.  It’s been a challenge, as Jewish Australians reflect on the bloodiest single day in Israel’s history and the death toll from the controversial military response grows.  Today, Deborah Stone shares her reflections on the past...

The US presidential election will be held in just over a month and only a handful of the 50 states really matter.  Michigan is one of them and campaigners for the Democratic and Republican parties are going door-to-door to try and convince people their candidate would make the best president for them.  President Joe Biden won the state by 154,000 votes in the last election, following Donald Trump’s slim win by 10,000 votes in 2016.  Today, Foreign Correspondent reporter Stephanie March...

Almost a year since the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel, war in the Middle East has escalated with Iran firing a wave of ballistic missiles at Israel.  It follows Israel’s assassination of the leader of the Iranian-linked Hezbollah group in Lebanon and Israeli troops crossing the border with Lebanon in ground raids.  So, what happens next and is there a way to avoid more bloodshed? Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute explains why Israel might be stepping up...

Living in a retirement village is marketed as safe, low maintenance and fun.  But an ABC investigation has found that contract clauses and particularly exit fees can lead to much of a resident’s life savings being lost. Today, reporter Adele Ferguson on how families are being gouged and why you shouldn’t fall for the glossy brochures.  She shares the heartbreaking stories of Joan Green and Lynette Anderson, who lost significant portions of their savings due to exorbitant exit and...

When news broke that Coles and Woolworths will be hauled before a court to defend their discounts there wasn’t too much sympathy from consumers struggling with rising prices.  Many were already sceptical of the Prices Dropped and Down Down specials.  But is action from the competition watchdog and politicians really going to reduce our grocery bills?  Today, ABC commentator and presenter Annabel Crabb on the politics of doing the groceries.  Annabel Crabb highlights how the ACCC’s legal...

Koala Airlines has a website, a management team and a vision to redefine air travel in Australia.  Its boss is tight-lipped about where it will fly and when. But if it gets into the air, can it really succeed in taking on the big players Qantas and Virgin when so many others have failed, most recently Rex.   Today, Emily Baker on her Four Corners investigation into why Rex couldn’t compete.  Emily Baker explains that Koala Airlines aims to provide a different product or service, similar to...

Given the stark difference between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris it’s hard to fathom there are some Americans still struggling to decide who they’ll vote for in just six weeks’ time.  But while they’re disengaged, and often confused, it’s these undecided voters who could swing the result. Today, we look at who they are and what they’re saying with Margaret Talev, Axios contributor and director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.   Margaret Talev...

Inflation’s now at its lowest level in more than three years, so when’s the interest rate cut coming?  One factor the RBA is looking at is the unemployment rate which might need to rise before it acts.   Today, chief business correspondent Ian Verrender on the old economic theory linking unemployment and inflation and his prediction on when interest rates will start to fall. Ian Verrender highlights the delay in the impact of interest rate changes, likening it to adjusting a shower’s...

After the pager and walkie-talkie attacks last week, Israel has scaled up its air strikes in southern Lebanon.  So, as its fight against Hezbollah intensifies could it go further by sending in ground troops?  Today, Dov Waxman, a professor of Israel Studies at the University of California on Israel’s goals and what might come next.   Professor Waxman explains that the recent escalation is a significant shift in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.  This low-intensity war has...

Childcare in Australia is expensive and finding a spot can be really hard.  Even if you never need it, getting it wrong matters for women’s rights and the economy.  Today, we look at how we got it so wrong, the money being made and the ideas to try and fix it.  We speak with a mother who’s struggled to get enough care for her children and hear how it’s set back her plans to return to work as a teacher.  Alexandra Dockrill shares the financial and professional setbacks she faces due to the...

As it dawned on David Sweeney’s father that the people he was investing with online were scammers, he made a shock admission to his family.  “I’ve lost all the money,” he said.  It was the start of a fight led by his son David against the banks that had allowed about $1 million to leave his father’s accounts.  It was an ordeal that lasted for five years, as a bank tried to deny it had been given a warning about the scammers before the money was taken.  In the end, David Sweeney’s family...

Since Donald Trump falsely accused migrants in Springfield, Ohio of eating pet dogs and cats, the US city has made headlines around the world and has been thrown into chaos. Bomb threats have shut down schools and Haitian migrants feel intimidated in their adopted home.  So, what’s life really like there for long term residents and the thousands of migrants who breathed new life into Springfield, while also straining services including health and education? Today, Associated Press reporter...

On Tuesday afternoon in Lebanon, hundreds of pagers used by members of the Hezbollah militant group to communicate, exploded all at once.  It was a deadly attack, a young girl is among the dead and almost three thousand others are injured.  Israel is being blamed, although it hasn't admitted its role.  Today, intelligence expert John Blaxland on the sophisticated strike that’s embarrassed and rattled Hezbollah.   Professor Blaxland says the attack is unprecedented in its coordination and...

Instagram is making changes to how teenagers use the social media platform, applying limits to the content they see and who can get in touch with them.  It’s a first for a social media giant as concern grows about the harmful content children are exposed to online.  The announcement comes as the federal government works on an outright ban of social media for children.  The precise age limit is still to be settled, South Australia thinks under-14 is appropriate, but any ban is likely to...