Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

For the first time, Late Night Live UK political commentator Ian Dunt, meets David Marr in person. In this special hour-long conversation, Dunt explores the parallels and distinctions between political developments in the United Kingdom and Australia, analyses the strains in relations between the UK and the US over the Iran conflict, and examines the recent Greens by-election win, in a long-held UK Labour seat. Guest: Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL commentator Producer: Ali Benton 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US bombing of Iran had to happen because they had intelligence that Israel was about to take action. He also said the hardest hits are yet to come from the US military. With Iran now bombing various targets across the Middle East and Israel sending ground troops into Southern Lebanon, how long could this war go on? And what are Israel's ultimate objectives in Iran, Lebanon and the broader Middle East?  Guest: Gideon Levy, columnist with Ha'aretz newspaper and member of the editorial board.  Producers: Catherine Zengerer and David Marr

The green energy future depends on batteries. But batteries are not exactly a low-footprint technology; a massive mining and industrial operation will be required to make all of the batteries we need. And: is it worth recycling AA batteries? Guest: Jay Turner, Professor of Environmental Studies at Wellesley College, President of the American Society for Environmental History, and the author of Charged: A History of Batteries and Lessons for a Clean Energy Future Producer: Alex Tighe

Sometimes described as a 'phantom population', because so little is known about them, the first settlers across the arid interior of Australia are coming to life through a research project which is systematically documenting and dating cultural sites. The researchers say the evidence is very strong that people lived in even the most difficult landscapes well over 50,000 years ago. Guest: Peter Veth, ARC Laureate Professor of Archaeology at the University of Western Australia, leading a multi-party long term research project on the ancient desert people of Australia Producer: Ann Arnold

Our regular Canberra correspondent dissects the careful language being used by the Australian Government, in the wake of the US and Israel's surprise attack on Iran.   Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent with SBS

President Trump has put the United States, and the world, into an unpredictable situation: a war without a clear rationale, and without a clear end. In the week before Trump's attacks on Iran, lawmakers in the United States were attempting to rein Trump in. How is the country reacting now that America is at war with Iran? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation and Executive Director at the Global Centre for Journalism and Trauma Producer: Alex Tighe, Catherine Zengerer

Behind every great book lies a story — and sometimes, it’s a disaster. In When Books Go Bad, Alexander Johnson uncovers the scandalous mishaps that have shaped literary history. From bitter author feuds and savage reviews, to catastrophic misprints and publishing blunders. Guest Alexander Johnson, author, When books go bad Producer Ali Benton

Former NSW Premier and former Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr and his wife Helena were almost inseparable. When she suddenly died, while they were in Vienna on an opera and galleries tour of Europe, Bob was bereft.  Back in Sydney, he took to walking the streets late at night. His memoir 'Bring back yesterday' pays tribute to Helena, born to Chinese and Tamil parents in Taiping. Bob Carr reflects on their life together, and on the work and politics that they both, and separately, have been involved in. Guest: Bob Carr Producers: David Marr/Ann Arnold

US President Donald Trump has just given his State of the Union address, saying America is winning so much they don't know what do. But who believes him? Bruce Shapiro dissects the claims, and the realities of Trump's America so far. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with the Nation, Executive Director at the Global Centre for Journalism and Trauma Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Australia's last big drought was from 2017 to 2019; a relatively short drought, but a vicious one. Water storage levels in Sydney dropped by 50% in just two-and-a-half years. In the aftermath of a drought there's always a focus on water policy and preparedness, but it's a focus which tends to evaporate over time. Here on Late Night Live we don't like nasty surprises, so we're checking in on Australian cities' water supplies. Are we ready for the next big drought? Guest: Stuart Khan, Professor and Head of School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney Producer: Alex Tighe

A NSW man who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a priest in the late 1960’s when he was 13, has won his High Court battle over liability, but had his compensation nearly halved. His lawyers argued the church had a responsibility for the actions of the priest and the High Court agreed. So what could this mean for other compensation cases?  Guest: Judy Courtin, Principal and Advocate, Judy Courtin Legal Warning: This story contains details that may be distressing

As the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion gets underway, legal writer Richard Ackland discusses what the Commission can and can't cover, and the challenges of making determinations around social cohesion.  Guest: Richard Ackland, publisher of Justinian and Spilled Ink

Ocean advocates call it 'the most exciting thing that's happened this century'. The lawless High Seas have a new international Treaty - the UN's High Seas Biodiversity Treaty. It came into force in January, and is the first international agreement to protect the marine environment.  Guest: Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, an international not-for-profit organisation which provides governments with expert advice on the treaty. Producer: Ann Arnold

As well as his Antarctic work, the explorer Sir Douglas Mawson had a deep interest in the Flinders Ranges. A team has been working for years to decipher his poorly written diaries, to understand more about the other aspects of Mawson's work and life. Guest: Mark Pharaoh, Manager of the South Australian Museum’s Australian Polar Collection Producer: Ann Arnold

As the debate continues over what to do about the Australian ISIS women and children in Syria, Anna Henderson discusses the current political obsession with 'Australian values'. Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS

A new report from the group GWL voices (Global.Women.Leaders) has highlighted the scarcity of women at the top of international organisations, across the world. Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark says it's about time the UN had a female Secretary General.

The LGBTQI rights movement in the West has succeeded beyond its wildest dreams,  but gay author Ronan McRea argues this success seems suddenly fragile.  He says forces favourable to gay rights, such as the wider cultural shift towards greater sexual freedom,  are weakening while political developments, cultural changes, and migration patterns mean that sources of opposition are gaining strength.   Guest: Ronan McCrea, professor of Constitutional and European law at University College London and author of “The end of the gay rights revolution: how hubris and overreach threaten gay freedom,” published by Polity Producer: Catherine Zengerer

With political rhetoric around immigration firing up again, we look at the great potential, but very real problems, of a temporary migration policy, PALM - The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. Guest: Peter Mares, author of a report on PALM for the not-for-profit Scanlon Foundation Research Institute Adjunct senior research fellow, Monash University. Author of several books on immigration Producer: Ann Arnold

The  best political communicators don’t just speak, they position. They don’t just answer, they frame. They don’t just promise, they hedge. A look at the daily battle between politicians and journalists in the twenty four hour news cycle.  Guest: Toby Ralph, marketer, strategist and Liberal Party campaign veteran Producer: Ali Benton 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's has spruiked Britain's necessity to be closer to Europe, both in defence and economic terms, at the Munich Security Conference, telling the audience "we are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore." But at home his own security as leader is still under a cloud, with calls for him to resign over the Jeffrey Epstein/Peter Mandelson scandal.  GUEST: Ian Dunt, columnist with i-news; co-host of the Origin Story podcast PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer