Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

The major political parties in Britain are reeling from nationwide local election results which have underscored the rise of the populist right, and in particular Reform UK. As voters head to the polls in Farrer for today's by-election, will Australia become part of that global story?Plus, the 2026 Federal Budget is days away. Will we see some big reforms and big thinking?

Sarah Wilson has a knack for tapping into the mood of the times.With headlines dominated by climate catastrophe, fertility decline, nuclear threat, and the rise of authoritarianism, not to mention trad wives and AI, she has an overwhelming sense that the world is out of balance.In her new book, I Eat The Stars, she explores how we continue to live as tender-hearted humans in amidst these tumultuous shifts.

For the first time since records began, England is no longer Australia's top overseas country of origin.New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found people born in India now make up the largest proportion of those born overseas.Two guests who were born in India and now call Australia home tell us about this growing community.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing next week, where the two leaders will discuss trade and technology.The Middle East conflict will also loom large, and both powers will seek to use it for leverage. 

Thomas Wright, one of the Biden administration's top national security advisers, explains how great power rivalries are playing out during the Iran war.He argues that Donald Trump's prosecution of the Iran war is a reminder that the president is willing to take big risks on issues that he believes could build a unique legacy. 

This weekend marks one year since Anthony Albanese defied expectations and won a second term in a landslide.In this time, both Australia and the world have changed: War in the Middle East, cost of living pressures, the rise of One Nation. The prime minister discusses domestic issues and the place of Australia in the era of 'America first' and general global upheaval.

Moving between the mountains of Papua New Guinea and Sydney, musician Ngaiire leads a kind of double life - cooking by fire and living off grid one day and returning to the rat race the next. After building a 20 year music career and touring the globe, Ngaiire is now building a music school in her home village to give young Papua New Guinean artists the chance she never had: to hone their craft in the highlands they call home.

Opening our series on 250 years since American independence, we feature historian Jill Lepore, an expert in the US Constitution who tells the stories of ordinary people who have struggled to change the country's founding document. 

This week, Charles III became the first British king to address a joint meeting of US Congress.It was one part of his trip across the Atlantic, coming at a time when there are noticeable cracks developing between the US and UK.So as the US turns 250 this year, what's the state of the 'special relationship'?

Tim Ayliffe is a journalist-turned-thriller writer.He joins Saturday Extra for The Last Thing, where he talks through his last great reads and a book launch he recently attended (with a very personal connection).

The significance and meaning of Anzac Day has waxed and waned over the decades.In the late-1960s and 1970s, many thought they were witnessing the demise of Anzac Day, as veterans of World War I passed away and Australia's military involvement in Vietnam was so contentious.From the 1980s onwards it has revived, and has essentially become the country's de facto national day.Now many recent migrants have fresh experiences of war, and yet their experiences aren't part of Anzac Day. Does the Anzac legend need an update to stay relevant? 

One of Australia's most loved actresses is back on the big screen with the release of Warwick Thornton's latest feature, Wolfram.The film tells the story of child labourers forced to work in mines, and is based on the experience of Warwick Thornton's grandmother. Deborah Mailman stars as Pansy, a mother grieving her estranged young children on Central Australia's brutal colonial frontier.From the fiery Alex Irving in Total Control, to her knockout performance in The Sapphires, this is a quieter side of Deborah Mailman we haven't seen before.

It's been called "the most impossible job in the world".Amid wars, the threat of climate change, and other global crises, who wants to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations? So far, there are four declared candidates. 

Talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington have resulted in a three-week extension to the ceasefire. But what is the situation on the ground?Richard Weir of Human Rights Watch was recently in Lebanon's capital, Beirut.

President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are poised to leave Washington for Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.But it's still unclear whether peace talks between the US and Iran will actually take place there.

This weekend, hundreds of people will be outside painting and drawing the local landscape of Bombala in the Snowy Monaro region of southern NSW.Lucy Culliton, is a celebrated Australian painter known for her vibrant paintings of the Snowy Monaro landscape, her animals and garden who has helped organised the event.

America's war against Iran is designed to break the Iranian regime and eliminate its nuclear programme. But what does the Iran war mean for China? 

A new book explores the 2025 landslide electoral victory for the Labor Party, and the Liberal Party's worst ever result. And looking forward, where to now for the Coalition after the release a new values-based immigration policy aimed at stemming the loss of voters to the Pauline Hanson-led One Nation? 

Cheng Lei was a TV presenter in Beijing with an audience of millions when Chinese state security blindfolded her and drove her to a secret location where she was detained for 1154 days.After a year in solitary confinement, she was charged with espionage.Her crime: sending an 8 word text message that broke a media embargo.Now free, Cheng Lei is creating a theatre production that takes audiences into that claustrophobic world, and shines a light on the power of the human spirit to outshine even the most oppressive systems.1154 Days will premiere at Arts House Melbourne on 28 May.

US President Donald Trump has had no shortage of feuds over the years. His latest is a holy war of words with Pope Leo, the American head of the Catholic Church.It's been met with criticism from American Catholics and even some in Trump's usually-rock-solid support base of conservative Christian evangelicalsSo does it point to something bigger — the fraying of MAGA?

There's been the clearest signs yet of a breakthrough between Washington and Tehran.

Fifty years after its founding in a California garage, Apple has grown into one of the most influential, profitable, and iconic companies in history, with more than 2.5 billion users worldwide.But beyond products like the iPhone and the iPad, what has Apple's broader impact been on our culture and society and how has the tech giant reshaped communication, our daily lives and screen addiction?CNN's Bill Weir went two weeks without his phone and underwent before and after brain scans to see what the digital detox revealed about his neural activity.

There seems to be a determination from US President Donald Trump to end the Iran war even though the US has not achieved so many of its stated aims.So what would "success" look like for the US?

The end of the Artemis II mission this weekend is potentially the start of a much bigger story.The learnings from Artemis II will help pave the way for a return to the Moon's surface, and in the years beyond, exploration even further in space.So with a new space age beckoning, what does it all mean for Australia? How will our tech and our people fit into this story?

He's regarded as Keir Starmer's right-hand man: A British Labour MP brought into Downing Street when the UK prime minister's leadership looked to be in peril. Darren Jones was given the job title of chief secretary to the prime minister, and a wide-ranging brief. He's in Australia this week, at a time when the special relationship between the UK and America is very shaky.

This Sunday, Hungary will vote in what is shaping up to be its most consequential election in decades. After 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán faces his toughest challenge yet from former ally turned rival Péter Magyar. With JD Vance stepping in and Europe watching closely, the result could reshape not just Hungary's future, but the direction of the European Union itself.

The temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran is under strain, as both sides trade accusations of violating its terms. Peace talks are scheduled to begin in Pakistan, but expectations are low, with Tehran and Washington still deeply divided over how to bring the conflict to an end.Kelly Grieco joins from the US to unpack what it all means for the Middle East and the world.

Against the odds, Eurovision has been going since the 1950s.This week, plans were announced to expand the spectacle to Asia, where 10 countries will compete in the inaugural Eurovision Asia to be held in Bangkok later this year.Instead of cheering for Iceland or Albania, fans can get behind Bhutan or South Korea.But how will it be received there?

David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and co-host of podcast The Rest is Classified, takes us into the world of his fourth spy novel, The Persian.It’s a world of espionage and subterfuge, interrogations and lethal drones. At the centre of it all is a Swedish-Iranian dentist recruited by Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad.

Bach's St John Passion was first performed in 1724 and would have been part of a church service to mark Good Friday.This Easter weekend, the Symphony Chorus of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and its orchestra are performing the epic work.

On a clear night in Winton the Milky Way shines so brightly the stars cast a shadow.After a three year push by the local community to reduce light pollution, the Queensland outback town has been designated a Dark Sky Place.It joins over 200 places across the world that are committed to protecting the night sky for future generations.

This week, NASA successfully launched the Artemis II mission.It's the agency's first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.So is this a sign of a new golden era of space exploration for humanity? Space expert Malcolm Davis thinks so. 

Iranian officials have warned the US and Israel of “crushing, broader, and more destructive” attacks following President Trump's national address where he said America is close to achieving its core military objectives.The Economist's Middle East Correspondent Gregg Carlstrom joins Saturday Extra from Dubai to discuss the latest in the conflict - including the downing of US fighter jet in southern Iran, the reaction from Gulf states to President Trump's speech  and ongoing Iranian attacks on Gulf infrastructure.

Sita Sargeant is the founder of She Shapes History, which runs walking tours around Australia focusing on the often-overlooked stories of women.She joined Saturday Extra for The Last Thing, where she talked about her last great gallery visit, last great show she attended and last great women's story she uncovered.

It focuses on a group of MI5 screw-ups — spies exiled to a stable of misfits called Slough House in London.The show is based on a series of spy novels by the crime writer Mick Herron. He spoke to Nick Bryant on Saturday Extra about creating Slough House, led by Jackson Lamb and his team of “losers, misfits and boozers.”

Mick Harvey, a founding former member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, has been awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters).It was for his role in translating and reinterpreting the work of legendary French singer‑songwriter Serge Gainsbourg for English‑speaking audiences.

There's a saying that a government shouldn't "waste a crisis".So could the Albanese government use the current state of the world to enact reform?

The Earth's climate is more out of balance than any time in observed history. This week, the United Nations sounded the alarm for our climate, this time with apocalyptic urgency.The past 11 years are the hottest on record, and Earth will feel the harmful effects for centuries, according to the State of the Global Climate report from the World Meteorological Organisation, the UN's weather agency.In the Northern Territory, the climate crisis has arrived. This wet season alone has brought four national disaster declarations, plus Tropical Cyclone Narelle which is still making its way across Western Australia. 

This morning, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expects operations in Iran will be finished in the "next couple of weeks".How realistic is this and what "off ramps" does the US actually have?

Tonight the Matildas will take on Japan in the final of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Sydney. Japan demolished South Korea this week, but the Tillies say they're up for the fight and will do what it takes to take home that trophy. After winning Australian hearts in the 2023 FIFA World Cup, the Matildas are the country's most recognisable sports team.Could this be the crowning glory in a golden age for the Matildas? 

With the Iran war entering its fourth week, President Trump's MAGA base are growing increasingly uneasy.Podcast kings and Trump loyalists Joe Rogan, Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson have broken from the President, criticising attacks in the Middle East.This week, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent became the first official to resign over the war.With midterms looming, does the Iran war spell the end of Trump's populist movement?

Ahead of the South Australia state election, the polls are pointing to the re-election of the Labor government under Premier Peter Malinauskas. But the key test is on the conservative side of politics. We'll discover whether One Nation's recent surge in the polls can be translated into seats in the state parliament, and also what things are looking like for the Liberal Party.

The story of weight loss drugs like Ozempic has become global and multi-sided, spanning celebrity culture, public health and major policy debates.

The war in the Middle East is continuing to have economic consequences for Australians. Chief among these is higher prices at the petrol pump.The conflict is also forcing the government to reappraise its budget strategy. Might the Albanese government use the crisis to speed up economic reform?

The US-Israel war against Iran is poised to enter its fourth week with no immediate off-ramps.Now, the US military has deployed a second highly trained Marine Corp unit to the Middle East.From the very outset of the conflict, Professor Robert Pape has warned of it becoming an "escalation trap".

One person who understands exactly what the Iranian women's soccer team has been going through this week is Shiva Amini.A former Iranian women's national soccer player, she dared to play soccer without a hijab, wearing shorts and amongst men. She hasn't returned home to Iranian soil since.Earlier this week she addressed the UN, raising her concerns for Iran's national women's soccer team. She warns the returning Iranian women's soccer team will be paraded on state television and forced to praise the regime, while families of players who stayed in Australia will be punished. 

Guido Wolter is a visual effects supervisor from Adelaide, who's earned an Oscar nomination for his work on the film Sinners.Guido and his team made some true movie magic by allowing Michael B Jordan to portray not just one, but two, identical twins.

Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie is about to start a solo tour of Australia. Bret talked to Saturday Extra about New Zealand politics, winning an Oscar and getting the Conchords back together later this year.He also provided a (long overdue) apology to Australia.

Earlier this week, Melbourne topped Time Out's 50 best cities in the world in 2026, beating the likes of New York, Paris, London and perennial rival Sydney.It's the first time Victoria's capital has topped this annual global ranking, attracting cheers from some Melburnians, and criticism of the whole process by others.

Nearly two weeks after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Iran has found a way to inflict pain back on its enemies by stopping international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — the passage for 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies.Its military continues to target tankers and cargo ships in the Strait, driving the price of oil up and forcing countries around the world to release strategic oil reserves.