Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

When President Trump meets Vladimir Putin today, he will be hoping to forge in person what he hasn't been able to accomplish by phone — a commitment to end Russia's war on Ukraine.However there are concerns that Putin is coming to Alaska with a very different goal, aiming to keep in Trump's good graces while continuing to pursue his ambition of reasserting Moscow's dominance over Kyiv.

Professor Richard Scolyer is marking an incredible milestone this weekend.The world renowned pathologist was last year's joint Australian of the year, and is running in the Sydney City to Surf despite dealing with the effects of an incurable, aggressive brain cancer.He is participating with family and friends, and raising money for cancer treatment centre The Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.

The UK's National Theatre is now showing a hit production from one of Australia's most impactful playwrights, Suzie Miller.Inter Alia is a searing examination of modern masculinity, motherhood, misogyny and the law.It's something of a companion piece to her theatrical blockbuster Prima Facie, which won awards in London and Broadway, and had wide-reaching impacts on legal systems.

Poetry has the power to move, to inspire awe, and to irritate.August marks National Poetry month, and we are debating whether the form is elitist or ordinary, timeless or pointless.

There was another loss in the war on truth this week when longtime fact-checker Glenn Kessler stepped down from his role at The Washington Post.A pioneering fact-checker, Glenn Kessler describes how political culture and social media have fuelled the rise of unchecked falsehoods.

This week, delegates from around the world gathered in Geneva to try to hammer out a global treaty on plastic pollution.Without a binding treaty, plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060. Right now just 96 countries are united behind strategies such as improving design, effective financing and phasing out toxic chemicals in the production phase of plastic production.  The esteemed British medical journal The Lancet has warned that plastic — like climate change — has become a "danger" to humanity that was causing disease and death from infancy to old age.

A highly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will take place next week. The aim for the Americans is to end the war in Ukraine, and in recent weeks the White House has exerted more pressure on the Kremlin.While information about the meeting remains scarce, there are concerns that Ukraine could be side-lined in a peace deal.

In just one week, France, Britain and Canada have all said they will recognise a Palestinian state, marking a major policy shift.The Albanese government says it is a matter of not if, but when, Australia will do the same.The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the planned move, calling it a reward for "Hamas's monstrous terrorism."

Some of Australia's leading writers, academics and thinkers have signed an open letter by the Australian Historical Society asking the Albanese government to repeal Scott Morrison's Job-Ready Graduates package, calling instead for a more equitable university fee system that does not penalise arts and social sciences graduates.Writers Helen Garner, Tim Winton, Charlotte Wood - and over 100 other influential voices spanning business, arts and politics have all signed the letter. Guest: Steve Vizard, comedian and author of Nation, Memory, Myth, Gallipoli and the Australian Imaginary (2025) 

Australia has lagged behind other developed nations when it comes to EVs — but we may just be catching up.One month ago, penalties were introduced for car makers that fail to comply with new vehicle emissions standards — bringing Australia into line with rules that have been in place for over a decade in the US and Europe.And the knock-on effects are starting to be felt, with more EVs hitting the market and prices dropping.