On the show: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, Lord Norman Foster who was awarded the Pritzker prize for architecture , and Irish novelist Colum McCann who won the National Book Award in America.

What shaped the world in 2025?

We revisit the heartbreaking conflicts and the peacemaking.

From the powerful influence of the Trump presidency to the Australia federal election, the big beautiful bill to Beijing's rising power, we take stock of pivotal developments with the world's best analysts. 

Highlights from our most insightful conversations with some of the world's biggest thinkers: Thomas Friedman of The New York Times, Anne Applebaum from The Atlantic, David Rennie from The Economist, among other greats.

Welcome to Summer on Saturday Extra where you'll hear some of our best conversations of 2025. This week - Australian arts and culture. A conversation with the playwright Suzie Miller about her blockbuster play, Inter Alia; David Wenham brings back the much loved character Jonny Spitteri for the sequel to the 2003 cult film Gettin' Square. Music from the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian World Orchestra; and nature photographer Leila Jeffreys reveals how she captures intimate portraits of birds.

One of Australia’s most celebrated authors, Geraldine Brooks on how she came to write a book with the Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris; the deep schism between Europe and the US over the National Security Strategy and how to end the war in Ukraine; the BBC Chief North America Correspondent -Gary O’Donoghue, or BlindGazza as he calls himself on social media, takes us behind the scenes of his exclusive interview with President Trump and his coverage of Trump's attempted assassination; and after 20 years as Chancellor of UNSW, David Gonski reflects on the challenges, criticism and brilliance of the university sector.

An updated US National Security Strategy pledges “lethal force” against drug cartels as the US continues a massive military presence off Venezuela - Phil Gunson from the International Crisis Group analyses the situation from Caracas; a candid conversation with Governor-General Sam Mostyn about her role and the "goodness" in Australia that can be masked by media and polarising voices; a guide to the under 16 social media ban with Professor Susan Sawyer, an expert in adolescent health and medicine, and Bryce Corbett, the creator of a media literacy program for primary school kids; Sean Turnell on Myanmar's mass release of prisoners ahead of the military junta's so called elections later this month; and 18-year Tommy Lamb's global overland odyssey to reach Australia for the Ashes.

A chat with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook from chart-topping The Rest is History podcast;  the year of Donald Trump with the author and journalist David Frum from The Atlantic magazine; a deep dive into the 2025 Australian Election study, and after European leaders were blindsided by President Trump’s 28-point-plan to end the Ukraine war - where do peace talks now stand? 

Constanze Stelzenmüller on Ukraine's ‘difficult choice’ over a US peace plan that's backed by Russia; the G20 in South Africa - Sherwin Bryce-Peace from SABC News takes us through the key issues in Johannesberg; how China is run as an engineering state that excels at construction while the US has become a lawyerly society that favours obstruction with author Dan Wang; Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, the widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi on President Trump's defence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; a new era of bilateral film collaboration with filmmaker and actress Rachel Griffiths and Mitu Bhowmick Lange; and the week in federal politics with Mark Riley from 7News, and Sarah Ison from The Australian.

On the show: The BBC apology to Trump over Panorama edit with former head of BBC executive Roger Mosey; Tara Setmayer, former GOP communications director on calls to release all Epstein files as President Trump faces rare pressure from the MAGA base; at 90 years of age, the UK architect Lord Norman Foster reflects on his childhood and designs that have led him to world acclaim;, the history of grandparenting in Australia with demographer DR Liz Allen and how to make unis more relevant for students and the public with leading academic Sophie Gee.

After another year of record heat and extreme weather, Nicholas Rowley unpacks what the UN climate talks might achieve. Annabel Crabb on her new ABC TV series Civic Duty; Michelle Grattan takes us back 50 years to the drama of the political crisis of the dismissal. An update on Australia's high speed rail plans between Newcastle and Sydney with rail expert Buddhima Indraratna; the politics of New York City and the victory of Zohran Mamdani with NYMag columnist Ross Barkan and Sophia Rosenfeld discusses her new book, The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life

On the show: Journalist Emily Maitlis on Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's ties to the convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. Zohran Mamdani's blistering campaign to become the next mayor New York with Katy Honan, from The City newsroom

The trade truce between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The US president described it as amazing. The story of Australia, as told by one of the country's most eminent historians, Mark McKenna

Laetitia Bader from Human Rights Watch on evidence of systematic killings in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher. And the winning skills of food writer Caroline Velik at the World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland.