{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/61315efc0e3cdc0014fbae00/69e1b57e6e5b90839acb9398?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"208 - Blockading the Blockade, The 'D' in NDIS is 'Defence' & Iran’s Execution Boom","description":"<p><strong>NEWS WEAKLY 208 – April 18, 2026</strong></p><p><br></p><p>This week on&nbsp;<em>News Weakly</em>, Sami Shah returns to a world that somehow got worse while he was away.</p><p><br></p><p>The Middle East descends into a surreal loop of ceasefires, blockades, and immediate betrayals, with Trump now proposing to “blockade the blockade.” In Australia, Ben Roberts-Smith is granted bail on serious war crimes charges, raising questions about justice, power, and who pays for it all.</p><p>Meanwhile, the NDIS is once again under fire for being “too expensive” just as the government quietly commits $53 billion to defence spending. And in Iran, executions hit their highest level in decades, with over 1,600 people killed in a system built less on justice than control.</p><p><br></p><p>All that, and more.</p><p><br></p><p>Sami Shah is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, journalist, and broadcaster.</p><p>For more:&nbsp;http://thesamishah.com</p><p>Theme music 'Historic Anticipation' by Paul Mottram</p><p>This podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Sami Shah.</p>","author_name":"Sami Shah"}