Late Night Live — Full program podcast

Ian Dunt on the UK Conservative party's new leader and the government's bold new budget. Japan recently elected a record number of female representatives, but a significant gender gap persists. And searching for the fragments of a famous printed bible. 

Bernard Keane says unless we fix housing young people still face huge disadvantage in Australia, even with lower student debt. Plus Shaun Micallef on writing, retirement and when comedy is no longer funny. 

Antonia Murphy recounts how she became the Madam of an escort agency in small town New Zealand. And historian Alexis Peri uncovers ten years of pen pal correspondence between the women of Truman's America and Stalin's Russia. 

What truth is there to the mystical powers of absinthe both in the past and its current form? Is it more myth than magic? Evan Rail investigates. And Santilla Chingaipe tells the stories of the 15 convicts of African descent that came with the first fleet, and the hundreds that followed. How does their story fit in the story of the global slave trade? 

Bruce Shapiro on Trump's Madison Square Garden rally and the final week of the campaign. Also in the US, a mother is suing a chatbot company for deceptive trade practices after her son committed suicide. But who is responsible for the way he interacted with the app? Plus why did our ancestors paint in deep, dark caves with little light?

Stephen Fry reflects on the power of story-telling, how to counter impostor syndrome and the things he absolutely can’t do. 

Journalist and human rights advocate Tawakkol Karman Yemen must have self-determination, free of foreign interference, to achieve true democracy and freedom. Plus why the Snowy hydro scheme continues to fascinate historians, 75 years on. 

Oxford theologian Nigel Biggar reckons with colonialism and the legacy of Empire. And journalist Anupreeta Das examines the life and power of the billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft founder, Bill Gates. 

Journalist and former resident of Pennsylvania Sarah Smiles Persinger on why her old home town could decide the next President. Plus an update on the campaign from Bruce Shapiro, with two weeks to go. And journalist Antony Loewenstein on how Israel's arms industry profits from continual war. 

Bernard Keane on the Teals latest win, and why Labor is yet to introduce political donation reform. Plus the government has been quietly sending asylum seekers back to Nauru, where the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre says they are reliant on charity to survive. And why has every generation from biblical times obsessed over the apocalypse? 

Journalist Gareth Gore investigates the wealth, power and influence of the Catholic order Opus Dei. And Andrew Turbill and Dan Lyons decode the beautiful languages of birds.

Professor William Partlett uncovers the "constitutional dark arts" that have enabled Russian President Vladimir Putin to consolidate power. Plus, Scottish poet Jenny Lindsay on when debates over gender identity turn toxic. 

Ian Dunt on the King's imminent visit to Australia. Why are a growing number of Māori in New Zealand finding faith in Islam? And how food and identity intertwine in the Balkans.

How will back-to-back hurricanes impact voter turnout in Florida?  Plus Julian Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson on his testimony to the European Parliamentary assembly, and how defamation laws are being used to silence women who speak out about sexual assault and misconduct. 

Taiwan is much more than the debate about whether it's a province of China. Its past is a colourful one, full of visitors and invaders from multiple cultures. And that creates a complex identity today.  Guest: Jonathan Clements, author of 'Rebel Island: the incredible history of Taiwan' (Scribe) 

Will King Charles agree to finally release the Palace Letters about the dismissal of Gough Whitlam? Labor MP Andrew Leigh on increasing inequality in Australia. Plus the Moulin Rouge lives on, but has it lost its soul? 

Bruce Shapiro on the latest from the US Presidential campaign trail. What is nature positivity and should Australia be legislating for it? Is AI a real threat to the future of Wikipedia?

Author Bengt Jangfeldt reveals the brilliance and resilience of the Swedish Nobel family. And Sonia Purnell recounts the astonishing life of Pamela Churchill Harriman - one of the most influential women in 20th Century politics. 

Since the 1980s, lawyers have used copyright law to protect Indigenous Art, but is it fit for purpose? When India gained its independence, a huge part of the country was ruled by many local princes or Maharajas. How were they convinced to give up their power to join the new Independent India?

Sri Lanka has elected a new President who is not from one of the elite families who have ruled the country since independence, but who is he? America has a long history of fascination with dictators, but why? And how is there a herd of feral hippos roaming the Magdalena RIver basin in Colombia. All your questions answered on Late Night Live.

The battle for votes in ultra-marginal Georgia, USA. Anglican Bishop Michael Stead on freedom and discrimination in religious schools, and Dr Penny Olsen on why we've been so fascinated with the elusive night parrot. 

Laura Tingle on the challenge for Labor in addressing the housing crisis. Israel has killed military leader Hassan Nasrallah, but will it mean the end of Hezbollah? And the world’s richest men might still be trying to outdo each other in space travel, but do the rest of us care anymore? 

Human rights lawyer Petra Molnar investigates the growing use of artifiicial intelligence at the world's borders. And Anthony Sharwood on the man behind Australia's highest mountain - the Polish general Tadeusz Kosciuszko. 

Ian Dunt reflects on UK Labour's Party Conference, while Jeremy Corbyn forms a new party of his own. Plus, Fintan O'Toole on how populists are weaponising victimhood and self-pity to undermine democracy. 

What are the Democrat and Republican ground game strategies in the lead up to election day? How Hong Kong is silencing the pro-democracy movement. And Houdini's visit to Australia.