The Morning Edition SMH & The Age

Iran state media confirmed on Monday that president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on a foggy mountain side in a hard-to-reach corner of north-west Iran.

Was his death an accident, or not? And might it escalate the ever-growing tensions between Iran, and Israel, its sworn enemy, which some have speculated is behind the accident?

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone on the hard-line cleric who oversaw a morality crackdown in Iran that led to nationwide protests. And what impact his death could have on stability, or instability, in the wider region.


For more, see the BBC's 'Mahsa Amini: How one woman's death sparked Iran protests'.
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Defence force whistleblower David McBride was jailed last week for more than five years for leaking documents to the ABC.His information formed the basis of what became known as the Afghan Files, which aired allegations war crimes were committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.McBride has been lauded as a poster boy in the fight for greater protection for whistleblowers in Australia, but, like many of our whistleblowers, it’s not so simple.So, who is David McBride? Heroic whistleblower, or, something else?Today, Good Weekend senior writer Jane Cadzow on the dichotomy of the whistleblower.


Cadzow’s profile of David McBride: https://www.smh.com.au/national/david-mcbride-on-whistleblowing-his-famous-dad-and-a-possible-jail-sentence-20240129-p5f0vq.html?collection=p5f0ve&gb=1
ABC’s The Afghan Files: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-11/killings-of-unarmed-afghans-by-australian-special-forces/8466642
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The government handed down its third federal budget this week, and it was the usual blizzard of figures. 

Treasurer Jim Chalmers gave us hand-outs, grand plans for the future and some heroic predictions on inflation figures. 

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor James Massola join Jacqueline Maley to unpack the budget as a political document - will it help the government win the next election, and will the voting public believe all the promises made about the future of the economy?

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.
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As global outcry continues for the war in Gaza to end, after more than seven months, Hamas and Israel have reached an impasse. Recent ceasefire talks failed. And both sides are struggling.

Much of Hamas’ fighting forces have been killed. And Israel’s main ally, the United States, just made the remarkable step of beginning to limit its supply of arms to the country. So, where to from here?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how this war can end, when both sides now know that it’s unwinnable.
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It was always going to be a particularly tricky federal budget. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, the Albanese government had been tasked with providing relief to Australians, but without causing inflation to rise. Which would have the dreaded impact of leading to yet another interest rate rise.So, did treasurer Jim Chalmers nail his brief? And what are the government’s priorities? Is it women, those suffering amid the housing shortage, and students with debt, as it had previously promised, among others? And who’s been left in the cold?Tonight in a special episode recorded in the lock-up in parliament house, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on the main winners and losers of this year’s budget. And if this budget is really an early election pitch for the Albanese government.
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In the case of Elon Musk versus Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner, the billionaire owner of social media platform X had a win in court on Monday.

A temporary order that forced the site to remove videos of the stabbing of a bishop in Sydney last month, was lifted ahead of a trial showdown between the tech giant and the Australian regulator.

The court case has reopened debate about how much control a government can exert over these tech companies, but also, whether age restrictions should be placed on social media use. 

Today, federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal takes us inside this court case, and how governments across the world are using tech to implement age controls.
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