Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

The war in the Middle East is continuing to have economic consequences for Australians. Chief among these is higher prices at the petrol pump.The conflict is also forcing the government to reappraise its budget strategy. Might the Albanese government use the crisis to speed up economic reform?

Robert Pape, University of Chicago political scientist and military strategy expert, outlines his model of bombing scenarios and the idea of an "escalation trap". He discusses how widening conflict could secure oil routes and risk ground operations. Conversations cover Iran’s use of energy leverage, tactical strikes versus strategic goals, and why powerful states struggle to exit escalating wars.

Guido Wolter is a visual effects supervisor from Adelaide, who's earned an Oscar nomination for his work on the film Sinners.Guido and his team made some true movie magic by allowing Michael B Jordan to portray not just one, but two, identical twins.

One person who understands exactly what the Iranian women's soccer team has been going through this week is Shiva Amini.A former Iranian women's national soccer player, she dared to play soccer without a hijab, wearing shorts and amongst men. She hasn't returned home to Iranian soil since.Earlier this week she addressed the UN, raising her concerns for Iran's national women's soccer team. She warns the returning Iranian women's soccer team will be paraded on state television and forced to praise the regime, while families of players who stayed in Australia will be punished. 

Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie is about to start a solo tour of Australia. Bret talked to Saturday Extra about New Zealand politics, winning an Oscar and getting the Conchords back together later this year.He also provided a (long overdue) apology to Australia.

Earlier this week, Melbourne topped Time Out's 50 best cities in the world in 2026, beating the likes of New York, Paris, London and perennial rival Sydney.It's the first time Victoria's capital has topped this annual global ranking, attracting cheers from some Melburnians, and criticism of the whole process by others.

Nearly two weeks after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Iran has found a way to inflict pain back on its enemies by stopping international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — the passage for 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies.Its military continues to target tankers and cargo ships in the Strait, driving the price of oil up and forcing countries around the world to release strategic oil reserves.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "wounded and likely disfigured", according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But the regime still remains in place. So how long can it withstand the ongoing war with the US?The BBC's Lyse Doucet discusses the latest developments on day 13 of war in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump has demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender", in a dramatic escalation one week into the war he launched with Israel. Is the US administration winning over the US public to support the war and what paths are there to negotiate an end ​to hostilities?

Susannah Carr and Rick Ardon are the world's longest-serving television news anchor duo.Since 1985, they've read the news together at 7 News Perth more than 10,000 times — earning them a place in the Guinness World Records.