The Morning Edition

Just how powerful are you feeling right now? I ask, as it just might be less than you have the right to feel. Because recent movements by both the government and the Coalition suggest that they have a heightened sense of the importance of each and every vote. Prime minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton have started pushing their campaign pitches onto us- unusually early, according to experts. Even before an election has been called. Today, federal politics reporter Natassia Chrysanthos, on which party’s slogan has the better chance of winning us over. And the political catchphrases that have made - and broken - candidates’ bids for office in the past. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal, in an announcement that has been met with jubilation, and also grief and anxiety over the immense consequences of the war and what the future holds. Because now the questions tumble out. How vulnerable is this deal? When will the hostages be released? And what kind of world will Palestinians be returning to in Gaza?  Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on what part American president Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump played in brokering this deal. And what still stands in the way between a temporary cessation of fighting and a permanent end to this war.   Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Hi there, I’m Jacqueline Maley, the host of Inside Politics, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald’s weekly politics podcast.  We’re bringing you the best episodes of 2024, before we return in early February for the election year. In February last year, the identities of hundreds of Jewish academics and creatives who were members of a Whatsapp group were leaked by pro-Palestinian activists in the wake of the October 7 attack and war in Gaza. In this episode, Australian National University’s Dr Simon Copland and chief political correspondent David Crowe discuss whether this leak can be classified as “doxxing” and whether such a practice should be outlawed.  Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter [https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5apym]. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Australians woke, on Wednesday morning, to the news that Oscar Jenkins, a former teacher from Melbourne, was feared to have been killed in Ukraine, after being captured by Russian forces. Jenkins had been fighting to help combat Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. And now, he’s believed to be the first Australian to have been held as a prisoner of war, during this conflict. Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott, on whether Oscar Jenkins was the victim of a war crime. And what this means for Australia. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Sydney funnel web spider is the deadliest spider on earth. Actually, let me correct that. It was, until a new species of the Sydney funnel web was recently discovered. The original wasn’t exactly a species to be toyed with. Just last month, a so-called miracle baby - born from a transplanted uterus - was left in critical condition after being bitten by one. But the new species is - and here I’ll quote our science reporter, Angus Dalton -  “a certified monster.” Today, Angus joins me to discuss how deadly this new funnel web is. And why we don’t know exactly where it is. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.