The UN warns that Haiti is ‘dangling over an abyss’, as gang violence escalates and democratic institutions fail.

Guest:Harold Isaac, freelance journalist in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Unseen by those in Australia watching the pomp and circumstance of the King's coronation, peaceful anti-monarchist protesters were being rounded-up and arrested. It's the result of a controversial new anti-protest law that's recently been introduced in the United Kingdom. 

Guest:

Ian Dunt, columnist with the i-newspaper.

Understandings of how the alphabet came into being have  been driven by ideology, religion, and geo-politics.

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton have stated that they support dropping the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. Former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr weighs in on the potential diplomatic arguments that can be made for freeing Assange and what this means, more broadly, for our alliance.

Labor will hand down its second budget on Tuesday, aiming to find a balance between being seen as good economic managers while meeting their promise to not leave anyone behind. 

Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Over a century before the explosion of the hippie counterculture, pioneering scientists and thinkers were using substances such as cocaine, hashish and nitrous oxide to unlock the hidden recesses of the mind.

For over 40 years author Andrey Kurkov has kept a personal journal. His entries from the period leading up to Russia’s invasion and over the first five months of the war provide a glimpse into a country and a culture fighting for survival, against the odds.    

Guest: 

Andrey Kurkov – Author and president of PEN Ukraine. His latest book is Diary of an Invasion published by Mountain Leopard Press.

Andrey is appearing at Sydney Writers' Festival on the 27th of May. You can get tickets here.

Dr Matt Morgan is an intensive care doctor with a novel approach: he looks to the animal kingdom to solve humanity's trickiest medical problems. 

Guest:

Dr Matt Morgan - intensive care doctor, researcher and author. His book is One medicine: How understanding animals can save your life published by Simon & Schuster

Deep sea mining for minerals presents significant challenges and opportunities for cash-strapped Pacific nations.

From colonial estates to leisure grounds for the masses, Australia’s botanic gardens have evolved over time. Now these gardens are on the frontline of climate change adaptation.

Guest: Susan K Martin, Emeritus Professor in English, La Trobe University. Co-author of Reading the Garden