Understand Australia and the world with Nick Bryant.

Katty Kay from The Rest is Politics US dissects the latest in US politics including the reaction to a now deleted racist post of the Obamas. 

Plus, the Epstein files political fallout in the UK with Jon Sopel from The News Agents.

How is the Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia being reported in Israel?

And former National Party leader John Anderson on the surge in One Nation support.

The latest on Iran from BBC Persian's Bahman Kalbasi as Tehran faces the threat of US military action in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and mass executions.

The downfall of China's top military general Zhang Youxia as Xi Jinping escalates his purge of the People's Liberation Army elite with Richard McGregor from the Lowy Institute.

Plus, is the Trump administration  de-escalating controversial deportation tactics in Minnesota?

Charles Kupchan and Malcolm Turnbull assess the week of diplomacy at Davos in Switzerland this week, the implications of Trump's America first approach and the remarkable speech made by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who described the end of the era underpinned by United States.

Plus Niki Savva on the "inevitable" split of the Coalition and the future of Sussan Ley's leadership of the Liberal Party.

On Saturday Extra's final show of the summer break:  Our best conversations with authors of notable books. CNN's Jake Tapper on one of the most fateful decisions in American history - Joe Biden's decision to run for re-election despite evidence of his decline; actor Griffin Dunne on coming of age in a family of larger-than-life characters in Hollywood; and historian Sophia Rosenfeld on the history of how choice became synonymous with freedom and self expression. 

From the Colossus of Rhodes to the hanging gardens of Babylon, we visit the seven wonders of the ancient world with author and historian Bettany Hughes; and from jewels to jumbo jets, a history of diplomatic gift giving; journalist Ed Wong on how travelling China with his father taught him that his family story is deeply entwined with China's rising power; 50 years of Papua New Guinean independence. Plus two new takes on Australian history with Professor Mark McKenna and Annabel Crabb.

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.