Against the odds, Eurovision has been going since the 1950s.

This week, plans were announced to expand the spectacle to Asia, where 10 countries will compete in the inaugural Eurovision Asia to be held in Bangkok later this year.

Instead of cheering for Iceland or Albania, fans can get behind Bhutan or South Korea.

But how will it be received there?

David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and co-host of podcast The Rest is Classified, takes us into the world of his fourth spy novel, The Persian.

It’s a world of espionage and subterfuge, interrogations and lethal drones. At the centre of it all is a Swedish-Iranian dentist recruited by Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad.

Bach's St John Passion was first performed in 1724 and would have been part of a church service to mark Good Friday.

This Easter weekend, the Symphony Chorus of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and its orchestra are performing the epic work.

On a clear night in Winton the Milky Way shines so brightly the stars cast a shadow.

After a three year push by the local community to reduce light pollution, the Queensland outback town has been designated a Dark Sky Place.

It joins over 200 places across the world that are committed to protecting the night sky for future generations.

This week, NASA successfully launched the Artemis II mission.

It's the agency's first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.

So is this a sign of a new golden era of space exploration for humanity? Space expert Malcolm Davis thinks so. 

Iranian officials have warned the US and Israel of “crushing, broader, and more destructive” attacks following President Trump's national address where he said America is close to achieving its core military objectives.

The Economist's Middle East Correspondent Gregg Carlstrom joins Saturday Extra from Dubai to discuss the latest in the conflict - including the downing of US fighter jet in southern Iran, the reaction from Gulf states to President Trump's speech  and ongoing Iranian attacks on Gulf infrastructure.

Sita Sargeant is the founder of She Shapes History, which runs walking tours around Australia focusing on the often-overlooked stories of women.

She joined Saturday Extra for The Last Thing, where she talked about her last great gallery visit, last great show she attended and last great women's story she uncovered.

It focuses on a group of MI5 screw-ups — spies exiled to a stable of misfits called Slough House in London.

The show is based on a series of spy novels by the crime writer Mick Herron. 

He spoke to Nick Bryant on Saturday Extra about creating Slough House, led by Jackson Lamb and his team of “losers, misfits and boozers.”

Mick Harvey, a founding former member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, has been awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters).

It was for his role in translating and reinterpreting the work of legendary French singer‑songwriter Serge Gainsbourg for English‑speaking audiences.

There's a saying that a government shouldn't "waste a crisis".

So could the Albanese government use the current state of the world to enact reform?