The images coming out of the US-Israeli-led war in Iran have been described as apocalyptic.

Oil depots have burned for days. Strikes have hit petrochemical facilities and the area around the Bushehr nuclear power plant. In Tehran, toxic black smoke has blanketed the city, with residents reporting black acid rain falling from the sky.

After thousands of missile and drone strikes, Iran and parts of the Gulf are facing not only a humanitarian and economic crisis, but an environmental one too.

Analysts estimate that, in the first 30 days of the war, almost 9 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were released into the atmosphere.

Today, Dr Patrick Bigger, the interim executive director of the Climate and Community Institute, on the long-term environmental cost of this war – and why some are calling these strikes ‘ecocide’.

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Guest: Research director of the Climate and Community Project, Dr Patrick Bigger.

Photo: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri

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One of Australia’s most prestigious universities is now at the centre of three investigations and could be about to face a fourth.

Last year, ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell resigned after pressure over a massive restructure and the hidden role consultants played in shaping it.

Now two inquiries are now looking at whether the changes, meant to save $250 million, were ever justified. A separate investigation is looking into bullying allegations against former chancellor Julie Bishop. And Bell herself has been suspended from her ongoing role as a distinguished professor, accused of serious misconduct.

It comes as powerful firms are reshaping higher education. A recent Four Corners investigation found Australian unis are spending roughly $1.8 billion a year on consultants and contractors.

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from 2025, where senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton examines how consultants came to shape Australian unis, and what that’s meant for higher education.

This episode first aired in July 2025.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton

Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

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This week, the Albanese government has been forced to confront a growing sense of instability, with fresh warnings from the IMF about the global economy, including the potential impact on Australia.

It’s placed new pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers ahead of the budget, as the government deals with a fuel supply scare that pulled the prime minister back to the country in the middle of an overseas mission to secure supplies for the nation.

As Labor tries to steady nerves, the opposition is pushing a hard line on migration, with Angus Taylor reaching for politics that feel both familiar and deliberately divisive – so much so that it prompted a former prime minister to release a scathing statement.

Today, press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno on the economic anxiety hanging over the government, the opposition's incendiary pitch on migration, and how both sides are trying to define the moment.

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Guest: Press Gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno

Photo: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

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