Sunday Extra - Separate stories podcast

“This is how they tell me the world ends" is a new, and alarming, book by New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth.  The book brings together seven years of interviews with people who have participated in, tracked or been directly affected by the underground cyber arms industry.

There's a landmark project underway in Melbourne to find out whether psilocybin - the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms - can be used to improve end-of-life experiences.

But many Australians have already turned to the underground because they're convinced psychedelics improve their mental health.

Geoff Thompson investigates whether it's worth all the risks.

It's a story familiar to many families. A loved one is in aged care, and it's only after you visit them that you discover things are going wrong.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny uses investigative journalism techniques to undermine President Vladimir Putin. His YouTube video, ‘Putin’s Palace: History of the world’s largest bribe’, was viewed more than 100 million times in the space of a week.

Israel began its COVID 19 vaccination program in December and now leads the world in coverage, with over 20% of the population having received two doses of the Pfizer jab. There is now early evidence that vaccinations are having an effect on case numbers and hospitalisations.

For centuries, Kazakhstan—situated on the overland route from China to Europe—has played an important role in global trading. Some Kazakhs are optimistic the New Silk Road will ultimately boost their country's economy, but others are wary of China's growing influence in the region, especially in light of its detention of Muslims in neighbouring Xinjiang province. As a former Soviet republic that shares borders with both Russia and China, Kazakhstan looks to safeguard its independence as it negotiates a new relationship with China..

On China’s Silk Road is a production of the Global Reporting Centre in Vancouver, Canada, which produces and teachers global journalism. The podcast was created by Mary Kay Magistad, a former China correspondent for US public radio’s The World, working with partner reporters on five continents. The full series is available wherever you get your podcasts or by visiting the Global Reporting Centre podcast project webpage.

What's the future of conservative politics and the Alt Right in the United States? Will Trump remain a dominant force, or will things shift entirely?

This week's mystery caller is the Black Swan.

Author Sisonke Msimang is the daughter of an ANC freedom fighter, born and raised in exile, who realised her dream of working in and for a democratic South Africa.

In the 1990s, Ray Cervai was the supplier for promotional merchandise for Ansett Australia. When the airline collapsed in 2001 he was left with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product he believed was unsellable. But in the last couple of years his products have been selling ‘like hotcakes’ as they are now the height of hipster cool.