Sunday Extra - Separate stories podcast

Thailand will be heading into a snap general election on February 8. Will the reformist party leading the polls make it first across the finish line? And what are the issues resonating with Thailand's voters?

Guest: Aim Sinpeng, Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics and International Relations at the University of Sydney

Amid escalating tension between the US and Iran, how does Iraq navigate the election of a new Prime Minister that will satisfy both sides?

Guest: Dr Marsin Alshamary, assistant professor of political science at Boston College

The trial is likely to see CEOs including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg take the witness stand to testify about what they knew of the potential dangers of their platforms. 

Summer is the season for flies, and while some species may be an annoyance, flies also perform an import role in natural ecosystems. 

This week's mystery caller is common, widespread and definitely not a Magpie! – it's the Magpie-Lark.

L-FRESH The Lion is one of the luminaries of the vibrant cultural scene of Sydney’s western suburbs. Hip-hop artist, music producer, and creative director of the Conscious program at Campbelltown Arts Centre, which mentors and platforms the next generation of Western Sydney's hip-hop and RnB artists.

Born and raised in South West Sydney into a Sikh family who migrated from Punjab, India, L-FRESH has been at the forefront of change in the Australian hip hop scene for almost two decades.

A powerful experience in 2006 changed his life, and started him on the path that has seen him support American rapper Nas, sit on the Australian jury for Eurovision, perform at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and compose and perform the team song of the Sydney Kings Basketball team. 

L-FRESH joins us on The Year That Made me to reflect on the diverse cultural influences that have shaped his life, artistry and career.

Chris Wilson was the first woman who worked in an underground mine in Tasmania. She is also a visual artist, a tour guide, and lives in a colourful Romani-style caravan on the west coast of Tasmania. In 1976, while teaching in Queenstown, Chris was part of the Franklin River campaign, and kayaked down the Franklin not long after Bob Brown's transformative journey. A series of unfortunate events forced Chris out of town, but a job ad for a mining exploration company was the ticket home that changed her life forever.

When we think about the universe, how to we conceptualise numbers so large they are beyond our imagination? Mathematician Ian Le shares the mysteries of a vigintillion, a googolplex, and nameless numbers gigantic proportions. 

Guest: Ian Le, Senior Lecturer at ANU’s Mathematical Sciences Institute

One of the people in the running — literally and figuratively — for this year's Young Australian of the Year award is Nedd Brockmann.

In 2022, Nedd was a 23-year-old sparkie from Forbes who decided to run across the continent to raise money for people experiencing homelessness.

He started in Perth and was greeted by thousands at Bondi Beach 46 days later, having raised over $2 million for homelessness charity We Are Mobilise.

Since then Nedd has pushed himself further, by completing an excruciating 1,609km run in 10 consecutive days, and encourages others to push themselves, and raise money to help end homelessness, through Nedd's Uncomfortable Challenge.

The Australian of the Year awards will be live on ABCTV at 7:30pm AEDT on Sunday January 25.

Guest: Runner, ambassador for people experiencing homelessness, and NSW Young Australian of the year Nominee, Nedd Brockmann.

Each 25th of January marks the night of the Burns Supper, celebrated in Scotland and across the globe to honour the birthday, life and legacy of Scotland's National Bard, Robert Burns. 

Professor of Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow Pauline Mackay joins us to discuss all things Burns, and the evolving international celebration of the Burns Supper. 

Are you holding a Burns Supper this year? Participate in the Burns Supper at 225 years, Scottish Tradition, Global Reinvention project survey here! 

Guest: Pauline Mackay, Professor of Robert Burns Studies and Cultural Heritage at the University of Glasgow