The Radio National Hour

A weekday magazine-style current affairs program hosted by one of Australia's pre-eminent and loved interviewers. Drawing on Fran's extensive current affairs and cultural knowledge, The Radio National Hour takes a thoughtful, deep dive into the important and challenging issues, and brings insightful and engaging conversations with big names in the arts, sport and culture.

'Very strong towards NATO', Trump sanctions force against Russian incursions

US President Donald Trump has abruptly changed his tune on Russia saying he thinks European forces should 'shoot-down' Russian aircraft if they violate NATO airspace.

09-24
55:07

'An itch that's hard to scratch' - PM unlikely to meet with President Trump

Will he, won’t he? Is it a snub or just a scheduling snafu? Donald Trump’s Presidential schedulers have left Australia hanging, throwing that much anticipated meeting with the Anthony Albanese leader into doubt. 

09-23
55:07

Is Palestinian recognition a hollow gesture?

Australia has joined the UK, Canada and Portugal in recognising a Palestinian state, in defiance of allies like the United States. Is it more than a symbolic gesture? 

09-22
54:58

The final nail in America's Democracy coffin?

Are we witnessing the end of democracy in America? That’s the startling claim made by one of Australia’s leading thinkers on US politics, Emma Shortis, after a chain of events that culminated late this week in TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel being pulled off air for criticising the Trump administration

09-19
54:39

Ambitious, a con job, offensive: hot takes on the govt's 2035 target

The government has unveiled a 'goldilocks' emissions reduction target for 2035, describing the range of 62-70% as just right, but both sides of politics say its a fairytale, both too much and too little.

09-18
54:06

Remembering the Sundance Kid, Robert 'Bob' Redford

“One of the Lions has passed …” the film world is in mourning today with news of the death of legendary actor, director and activist Robert Redford. 

09-17
54:37

Children targeted by snipers, fertility clinics bombed: UN report concludes Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide in Gaza, according to the "most authoritative assessment" to date.

09-16
55:15

A PSA for the PSA: prostate cancer screening age set to be lowered

New guidelines for prostate cancer screening are expected to be announced this month, offering men in their 40s the chance to get tested and get ahead of the curse, which impacts 26 thousand Aussie fellas every year.

09-15
55:15

Why you should invest in whisky over shares

If you’re savouring the prospect of a glass of nice whisky this weekend, there’s some sobering news for you. We may be getting to the point of peak peat. The extraction of the vital ingredient is so serious that Scotland is proposing a ban on its sale. 

09-12
54:35

Was this American carnage predictable?

A moment of peril for the United States after a conservative influencer is assassinated during a public debate at a university in Utah. 

09-11
55:05

Hamas says no leaders were killed in Qatar strike

Hamas insists that none of its senior leadership were killed in an Israeli strike on a villa they were staying in, in the Qatari capital Doha. The audacious attack was a big gamble by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, given Qatar's role as a mediator and close ally of the United States. 

09-10
55:14

The end of the Murdoch succession drama

The real-life succession drama engulfing the Murdoch family has seemingly been resolved, with the recalcitrant siblings yielding to their father, Rupert’s, wish to give control of his media empire to his anointed successor Lachlan, ensuring that it's conservative vibe will continue for at least the next few decades. Australia is duking it out with Turkiye to win the right to host the COP-31 climate summit with the Pacific. And it started as a crush on a guitarist, now nearly a decade on Spanish singer-songwriter Lau Noah is a darling of the guitar festival scene with her unique baroque folk style. 

09-09
55:14

Gripping sentencing hearing sees Erin Patterson jailed for life

Convicted triple murderer Erin Patterson today learned she'll spend at least 33 years in prison - much of it in solitary confinement - for poisoning four of her family members with a meal of beef wellington, laced with death-cap mushrooms in late July 2023. ABC investigative reporter and host of The Mushroom Case Daily, Rachael Brown says the sentencing hearing, which was beamed around the world, was deeply moving. France is, once again, on the precipice of a political crisis, with the national parliament set to vote on a no-confidence motion that will likely see another Prime Minister turfed out for daring to try and rein in a ballooning budget deficit. Political analyst and former advisor advisor to President Nicholas Sarkozy, Natanael Bloch says France's leaders are simply unwilling to compromise. If there’s one Australian actor who can singularly command a stage, surely it’s Noni Hazelhurst. She's embarking on a yet another solo stage show, The Lark written by playwright Daniel Keene. 

09-08
55:15

What we learned from the 'immortals' get together in Beijing

Compelling conversations on issues that challenge, entertain and inspire us.

09-05
55:08

Does Intermittent fasting increase your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease?

Time-restricted diets like the 5:2 - popularised by the late Dr Michael Mosley - have achieved cult status in recent years, promising not just to deal with excess weight but also prevent diabetes and add years to our life, but the largest ever study of its devotees has linked the diet to cardiovascular disease.

09-04
55:08

Is Benjamin Netanyahu's chutzpah wearing thin?

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn't listening. Not to the head of the IDF, not to the negotiators urging him to accept a phased, ceasefire deal and certainly not to the desperate parents of hostages. Lazar Berman the Times of Israel's diplomatic editor says Bibi Netanyahu is convinced that Israel in the 'final stage' of the war. And imagine paying rent that doesn't just keep a roof over your head, but gives you a real stake in the place you live and where no one is going to boot you out to chase profits, this is one model of providing housing that's thriving in Switzerland. When your time comes, how will you be remembered? Language psychologist David Markowitz has studied tens of millions of obituaries to understand what it is we value when we eulogise our loved ones. His finds show that our feelings towards the dearly departed have changed in the wake of seismic global events like Sept 11 and the COVID-19 pandemic.  

09-03
54:36

The 'Trump of the Tropics' stands trial over Brazil's Jan 6

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has called in the military to quell nationwide protests in what critics say is an echo of the nation's authoritarian past. Speaking of authoritarian leaders, the man dubbed the 'Trump of the Tropic's', Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro is facing decades in prison, accused of plotting to overthrow the government. A verdict in his court case is expected by the end of the week. And eight First Nations STEM students are undertaking a space bootcamp at Melbourne's Monash University ahead of a ten-week research placement at at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and the UK’s national space laboratory: RAL Space. 

09-02
55:10

Woodside Energy hits the gas as fossil fuel deadlines loom

Is America’s threat to slap India with a 50 percent tariff driving the south-Asian power into the arms of Beijing?Just a few years ago India and China were exchanging fire across their borders, but now it's all smiles between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sino-India expert Manoj Kewalramani explains the geo-political manoeuvring underway at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.With the government just weeks away from announcing a refreshed 2035 emissions target, investigative journalist Marian Wilkinson examines the power plays and politics behind the proposed expansion of Woodside’s North West Shelf Gas Project for the latest Quarterly Essay: Woodside vs The Planet: How a Company Captured a Country. 100 days out from the social media ban for under-16’s taking effect, there are fresh concerns about how the tech giants will be able to police the new rule. The ABC's national technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre looks at the shortcomings and whether they could render the ban ineffective. 

09-01
55:15

Concerns parents poisoning kids with melatonin gummies

Compelling conversations with some of the most interesting people from around the world, on the issues that challenge, entertain and inspire us. 

08-29
55:15

March for Australia wants to 'take our country back', but who are they?

As a search continues in Victoria’s High Country for a fugitive sovereign citizen accused of gunning down two police officers, the debate over nationwide anti-immigration marches planned for this weekend turns ugly.

08-28
55:21

Recommend Channels