Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

Episodes

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  Who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipeline? 22.08.2026 18m

  In 2022, parts of the Nord Stream gas pipeline system, the multibillion-dollar network carrying Russian gas into Europe, were blown up. So who exactly was behind what has been described as "the greatest act of sabotage in modern history?"
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  The googly-eyed 'stuffed fox' revealed to be a thylacine 22.08.2026 9m

  When a badly stuffed "fox head" was advertised by a UK auction house, James Cranfield quickly worked out that it was a "priceless" head of a thylacine. The taxidermist and collector won the two-way bidding war for "the find of a lifetime." How important is this specimen of the now-extinct Tasmanian tiger?
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  Why does the gambling lobby in Australia have so much power? 22.08.2026 11m

  This week, the federal government's gambling reforms passed parliament, after a bipartisan deal was struck with the Coalition. The package includes restrictions on gambling ads, but in the eyes of some politicians and many campaigners, it doesn't go nearly far enough. So why is it so hard to pass major gambling reform in this country?
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  After nearly 40 years, a new trial in the Lockerbie bombing 22.08.2026 13m

  It was Britain's deadliest terror attack: In December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 exploded in the air above Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers on board and 11 on the ground. Almost four decades on, there is fresh evidence and a new trial. Next week, a Libyan man suspected of making and detonating the bomb will face court in Washington DC. 
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  Is the US pivoting away from Asia? 22.08.2026 12m

  This week, the headlines were dominated by the Trump administration's decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, a longtime US ally and a linchpin of America's national security strategy in Asia. The US aircraft carrier USS George Washington has been redeployed to the Middle East, temporarily leaving the Asia-Pacific region without an American carrier strike fleet. So is the US pivoting away from Asia?
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  Is there a 'social epidemic' of self-censorship? 15.08.2026 24m

  Growing up in a lower middle class family on the south side of Chicago fundamentally shaped the thinking of Glenn Loury, but his politics cut against the grain of many black Americans. "Here I was in the era of Reagan telling black people to pull their socks up," the leading US black conservative intellectual says.  He discusses the impact of Obama's presidency, self-censorship, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
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  Why do we only like politicians when they quit? 15.08.2026 16m

  This week, former Liberal leader Sussan Ley joined a cast of former politicians who have found a new voice in a life after politics. She's been in the media after spending 6 weeks on a solo trip catching Greyhound buses across the US. It got us thinking here at Saturday Extra, how do we reassess politicians after they say goodbye to politics? And in some cases, do we only find ourselves liking them once they've left the job?
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  A look inside the world's biggest green bank 15.08.2026 10m

  Australia's Clean Energy Finance Corporation is the world's biggest green bank. After a decade in the role, CEO Ian Learmonth reflects on Australia's progress to decarbonise the economy and global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. 
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  Afghanistan marks five years since the return of the Taliban 15.08.2026 21m

  This week marks five years since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan. Since its return, the Taliban has imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, as it did when it first came to power in the 1990s. For women and girls, whose worlds have become smaller and heavily policed, the anniversary is a grim one.
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  Test cricket returns to Darwin after 22 years 08.08.2026 6m

  Next week, Darwin is hosting its first international test cricket match in 22 years. In a city known for cane toad races and a million-dollar barramundi fishing competition, the mood and the event itself are likely to be a little different than other Australian cities.
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  Richard Pryor's daughter on her father and a 'notorious word' 08.08.2026 22m

  Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor is the daughter of legendary comedian Richard Pryor, whose stand-up transformed American comedy in the 1970s. In her new memoir, Elizabeth weaves together family memories with historical research to explore the legacy of her father, the history of one of America's most contested words and what it reveals about race, identity and belonging.
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  Who's winning the battle to reshape the Democratic Party? 08.08.2026 9m

  In what was billed as a battle over the future of the Democratic Party, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Democratic Senate primary this week. He defeated Haley Stevens, a more moderate candidate who had the backing of much of the party establishment. What does this say about the direction of the Democrats and its chances of winning back the White House?
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  Behind the leadership crisis engulfing FIFA 08.08.2026 11m

  In recent weeks, FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private investors. He's since abandoned the highly controversial idea, but not before triggering a civil war in the footballing world, which may lead to his downfall. Being a FIFA story, it's all about power, influence and of course, money.
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  Richard Flanagan sees 'goodness in the midst of our apocalypse' 08.08.2026 24m

  Richard Flanagan has brought out a collection of essays, speeches and columns entitled Heresies. Its topics range from Manus Island to the Black Summer bushfires to the growing corrosion of democracy. Flanagan, the only writer on the planet who has won both the Booker Prize for fiction and the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction, joins us for an extended discussion.
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  Noni Hazlehurst on her one-woman play The Lark 01.08.2026 7m

  Aussie kids is touring the country with a one-woman theatre production. Noni Hazlehurst plays publican Rose Grey in The Lark, a show about an inner city Melbourne pub facing demolition as gentrification marches on without her.
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  How will AI affect the Australian political landscape? 01.08.2026 16m

  While there is a lot of attention being paid to the economic and technological change that AI is bringing, a new report argues that AI may also become a major force in reshaping Australian politics.  If the effect of AI falls most heavily on educated professionals in "digitally intensive" neighbourhoods, what will be the political fallout? 
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  Breakthough in Gaza peace deal 01.08.2026 9m

  A key step in President Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan appears to have been reached. Hamas has agreed to a plan with international mediators to lay down its heavy weapons on condition that Israeli forces fully withdraw from the Gaza territory. Can this complicated agreement work and offer a new path forward?
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  From looming cyber threats to the secret world of Pine Gap 01.08.2026 14m

  Cyber attacks against Australian public and private entities seem to be happening more frequently, and with more sophistication. So how prepared are we for a large attack and should we doing more to stop this from happening? Plus, we look at Pine Gap, the secretive facility near Alice Springs.
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  Why Nauru changed its name to Naoero 01.08.2026 10m

  This week, Nauru officially changed its name to Naoero, in order to more faithfully honour the country's language and identity. The move reflects a long desire for decolonisation and self-determination in the Pacific, but how much is in a name?
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  As the climate worsens, media coverage is falling 01.08.2026 10m

  Last year was Earth's third warmest year on record, with fires sweeping through parts of in Los Angeles, a heatwave killed more than 24,000 in Europe and catastrophic flooding in Southeast Asia. But despite this, media coverage of climate change continues to drop. A new study found coverage of the topic decreased by 14 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024. Is it possible for the trend to be reversed? And is the onus on the media or the public?