Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

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...

US President Donald Trump has demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender", in a dramatic escalation one week into the war he launched with Israel.  Is the US administration winning over the US public to support the war and what paths are there to negotiate an end ​to hostilities?

Susannah Carr and Rick Ardon are the world's longest-serving television news anchor duo. Since 1985, they've read the news together at 7 News Perth more than 10,000 times — earning them a place in the Guinness World Records.

This week, master of Australian comedy Ted Emery passed away.  He was the maestro behind some of Australia's classic TV comedies: Kath and Kim, Fast Forward, Full Frontal, The Micallef Program and Tonight Live with Steve Vizard. Magda Szubanski shares her memories of working with him.

A tiny possum with an extremely long finger and a new kind of gliding marsupial have been identified in West Papua.  The two species were only previously known in Western science from the fossil record.

Anthropic and the Trump administration had a major falling out last week when the leading AI company requested restrictions on how the military uses its technology. The stoush goes to the heart of the government's relationship with this rapidly evolving, increasingly powerful technology. 

Iran has spent decades and billions of dollars preparing foreign proxies as part of an alliance system stretching from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria to Yemen and Iraq. How has Israel's degradation of Iran's proxy network emboldened the US and Israel to push into the heart of the Iranian regime?

As the bombs keep falling on Iran, a big part of the Iranian strategy seems to be based on dragging out the conflict. The regime knows there's no appetite in the US for protracted conflicts after the so-called forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  So does the Iranian regime have the capacity to hang on?

The NSW State Librarian Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon joins Saturday Extra for The Last Thing. She talks about her last great read, last great sporting match and last great swim.

Geoff Mulgan, who worked with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, discusses how the Brits have borrowed some of our policy ideas. In a wide-ranging chat with Nick Bryant, he also looks at social cohesion, and other big issues facing both the UK and Australia.

Marianne Williamson stood for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and 2024.  She rose to national prominence back in the 1980s as a spiritual leader and author of the New York Times bestseller Return to Love. She unpacks the state of US politics with Nick Bryant.

The outside world gets few hints at what is actually happening inside North Korea. But this week, the Workers' Party of Korea is holding its congress. It's the country's most significant political meeting and our greatest insight into the mysterious machinations of the hermit kingdom. The week-long event provides a fresh look at Kim's plans for his teenage daughter to succeed him as leader, the co...

Next week marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most era-defining speeches of the post-war years, which Sir Winston Churchill delivered in Fulton, Missouri. Today, era-defining speechifying seems to be very much back in vogue. So what exactly makes a great speech?

This week, the prime minister was whisked away from the Lodge in Canberra in response to a security threat. In the wake of the Bondi terror attack and the latest threats, what can be done to address an increasingly fractious political and national security environment?

These days, if you want to "become Chinese" on social media, your race doesn't matter. It's all about wearing slippers inside, drinking hot water, using a rice cooker, and shopping at Asian supermarkets. Chinamaxxing is the social media trend that's somewhere between a joke, a wellness goal and a triumph of soft diplomacy.

It is one of the most shocking sexual abuse trials the world has seen. Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and invited at least 70 men into his home to violently rape her while heavily sedated between 2011 and 2020. Gisele Pelicot could have remained anonymous, but in 2024 she chose to have an open trial, and with that a movement of supporters rallied around her — her bravery instantly made her a g...

A group of former international cricket captains are calling for better treatment of Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister — and cricket legend — Imran Khan.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested this week, so what's next for the former prince and the monarchy?

This week, the Northern Territory government will swear in a new administrator — it is the highest office in the territory, and the equivalent of a state governor. Former president of the Northern Territory Cattleman's Association David Connolly, is Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro's pick for the job, but the appointment is proving divisive.  Indigenous leaders and some politicians are asking the Pr...

President Trump is considering committing the United States to another military campaign against Iran, telling reporters this week that he would decide his next moves on Iran "within 10 days". On the diplomatic front, senior US officials have held talks with Iranian counterparts to push for an end to Tehran's nuclear work and constraints on Iran's ballistic-missile program and regional armed proxi...

The US Supreme Court has deemed President Donald Trump's global tariffs illegal.  Trump responded by attacking the court's justices and vowing to resurrect the tariffs. It could be a big inflection point for the president's second term.

Acclaimed tenor Allan Clayton and pianist Kate Golla are touring A Winter's Journey, a reimagining of Schubert's Winterreise for Opera Australia and Musica Viva Australia. Blending powerful performance with Fred Williams' animated landscapes, the production traces love, loss and longing through a strikingly Australian lens, showcasing Golla's artistry and unique skills as a repetiteur.

The police response to those protesting the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog may have marked an inflection point in Australia. But has this been a long time coming? How have anti-protest laws expanded over recent years, and where are they most severe?

Joost Bakker has been a zero-waste campaigner for more than two decades. His latest task is building an eco-wonderland home for Hollywood actor Zac Efron in northern NSW.

Last Sunday's Japanese election may be one of the most consequential in decades, for Japan, the region, and also for Australia. It was a stunning landslide win for the ruling coalition, and it's all being put down to one person: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.