The Front

As the federal Liberals line up for a 9am Friday vote on the leadership, the 2025 entitlements scandal (remember that?) delivers one last victim: prominent Greens Senator admitting her use of ‘family reunion’ travel didn’t pass the pub test. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Street protests and violent scuffles have delivered the anti-Israel movement a week of great publicity at the expense of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose visit was supposed to reset the fractured relationship. Has it blown up in Anthony Albanese’s face? Plus, chief international correspondent Cameron Stewart looks at the void of protest over Iran’s brutal crackdown.   Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US authorities say a person has been detained over the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of an American breakfast TV show host. Plus, Liberal party leadership tensions reach boiling point.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does the harsh sentencing of a publisher under Beijing’s new national security laws spell the end of Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” experiment? National Chief Correspondent Hedley Thomas discusses how we got here after years of reporting on – and from – Hong Kong.  Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our team includes Kristen Amiet, Lia Tsamoglou, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barnaby Joyce says 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame should be stripped of her honours after she led a chant of “globalise the intifada” at a pro-Palestine protest in Sydney. Plus, Lindsey Vonn’s long road to recovery and rumours of a Liberal leadership spill.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a stunning election mandate, re-elected Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi will end Japan’s formal pacifism, create a national intelligence agency and massively grow defence spending. She’s already enraged China - so does she want a war? Our North Asia Correspondent Yoni Bashan is here. Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Joshua Burton. Our team includes Lia Tsamoglou, Tiffany Dimmack, and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey Epstein files reveal an FBI report suggesting he was a Mossad agent, plus extensive communications with former Israeli Labor prime minister Ehud Barak - including Epstein asking Barak to assert he wasn’t an intelligence operative. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intelligence agency ASIO issues a pre-emptive denial of an ABC Four Corners story on the Bondi massacre. It’s awkward timing for the ABC, with editor-in-chief and managing director Hugh Marks due to appear at a Senate Estimates hearing that will focus on its impartiality. Plus - the on-assignment blowup that's got everyone in commercial TV talking. Media Diary editor Steve Jackson is here.  Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. This episode of The Front is presented and produced by Claire Harvey and edited by Joshua Burton. Our team includes Kristen Amiet, Lia Tsamoglou, Tiffany Dimmack and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the reality TV format sweeping the world and we couldn’t resist asking Canberra bureau chief - and Traitors devotee - Richard Ferguson to analyse this wild political moment through a Traitors v Faithfuls lens. Traitors Australia, which flopped a couple of years ago, is coming back to screens, with post-production under way on Season 3.  Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app. The weekend edition of The Front is co-produced by Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. The host is Claire Harvey. Audio production and editing by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Australian police say they’ve identified a suspect in the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont and confirm they’re now treating the case as a major crime. Plus, RBA boss Michele Bullock dismisses the Treasurer’s spending claim and ousted author Randa Abdel-Fattah’s next gig.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.