Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

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 souther...

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....

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 a...

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...

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".

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.

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...

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.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "wounded and likely disfigured", according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But the regime still remains in place. So how long can it withstand the ongoing war with the US? The BBC's Lyse Doucet discusses the latest developments on day 13 of war in the Middle East.