Sunday Extra - Separate stories podcast

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Burmese artist Sai Redacted was one of the recipients of the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent.

Who is Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Pakistani military leader balancing negotiations between the US and Iran? How did he win the trust of Iran and become Trump's 'favourite Field Marshal', rising in power and influence abroad and at home in Pakistan?

Guest: Bobby Ghosh, geopolitical analyst and commentator

You can read Bobby's post on Asim Munir on his Substack Ghoshworld.

Chess may not look physically gruelling, but at the elite level it is one of the world's most intense competitive pursuits. Journalist and author Jordan Himelfarb discusses his new book on the fierce battle to become the next world chess champion.

Guest: Jordan Himelfarb, journalist and author of Interregnum: Inside the Grueling and Glamorous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess

This week's mystery caller of the north was spotted tapping at the door of a Sunday Extra listener – the Yellow Oriole.

Jason "Dizzy" Gillespie is one of cricket's greats, not just because of his career on the field, but also his second career, fostering a new generation of cricket talent, coaching teams in Australia, UK, Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

Guest: Jason Gillespie, former international cricketer and Australian cricket coach.

During World War II, a motley crew of US historians and archaeologists were drawn into a covert mission to protect Greece's the ancient treasures from the Nazis. Author Stephan Talty discusses the remarkable true story behind his new book The American School of Spies.

Being a Bigfooter is an identity in the US, complete with conferences, research organisations and online social groups. They believe Bigfoot is real, and they intend to prove it. But across the Atlantic British sociological researchers are less interested in finding Bigfoot, then uncovering the massive coalition of Bigfoot hunters and the line they toe between mythology and science.

Guest: Dr Jamie Lewis, sociologist at Cardiff University and co-author of Bigfooters and Scientific Inquiry: On the Borderlands of Legitimate Science

Britain’s first housing cooperative for women over 50 opened its doors 10 years ago. The New Ground housing project houses 26 women, almost all of whom previously lived alone. Today, 21 of the original 26 women still live at New Ground, the youngest resident is 60, and the oldest is 96. Guest: Maria Brenton, one of the founders of New Ground co-housing in North London, and UK Cohousing Network’s Senior Co-housing Ambassador.

China's hukou system, which has long restricted the rights of internal migrant workers is undergoing significant reform. What might these changes mean for China's economy, workforce and social structure?

Why do New Zealanders say “fush and chups”, and “hair” like “here”? A new theory about the origins of the distinctive NZ accent is being explored by researchers at the University of Auckland, based on a doctoral thesis they re-discovered from 1921. Guest: Dr Brooke Ross, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Auckland.