Saturday Extra - Separate stories podcast

The Trump administration has escalated its war on Harvard, this week pausing new visa interviews for international students set to attend any US universities.The assault on Harvard has consequences here as well - not just for Australian students but Australian research conducted here. The Australian Academy of Sciences has estimated that more than 300 million dollars for Australian researchers is already in jeopardy as a result of the Trump administration’s crackdown.

Academy Award-winner Steven Spielberg was only twenty-six years old when he directed Jaws, a 1975 summer blockbuster that terrified audiences and broke new ground with its production techniques and film score.  The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is marking the anniversary with an exhibition that features behind the scenes stories and hundreds of original objects from the movie - including the shark itself. 

The Liberal party room has agreed "in principle" to the four policy demands issued by Nationals leader David Littleproud, leaving open the possibility of a reconciliation of the Coalition just days after it appeared to have broken up.

After the shortest divorce in political history, the Liberal and National parties are back together. Following crisis talks in Canberra, the Liberal party has agreed in principle to the Nationals' four policies which were a condition to sign back up the Coalition. But there will be fallout. The split has exposed deep internal divisions, bruised both leaders and looked like a honeymoon gift for Anthony Albanese.

The New York Times journalist, Edward Wong has written a sweeping history of modern China alongside two personal stories: his and his father’s. Edward Wong's father, disillusioned with Communism, fled China for Hong Kong and later the USA.When Edward became Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, he was drawn into investigating his father's past even as he assessed a resurgent China under Xi Jinping.

A new short film by Australian director Warwick Thornton is at the centre of ‘Change Direction’, an initiative focused on raising awareness of the rate of suicide in Aboriginal communities and the role culture plays in reversing the crisis.   

For the first time in two and a half months, Israel has allowed a limited amount of aid into Gaza. But with UN warnings that Gaza is on the brink of famine, aid organisations say a one off trickle of aid will not avert this humanitarian crisis. And they're saying that Israeli military restrictions are already making distribution difficult. Israel insists its working to force out Hamas in response to the October 7 attacks in 2023 but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also made clear Israel will continue with its military campaign until it has total control of Gaza. That's led to an international outcry with many of Israel's western allies now threatening to impose sanctions.

Australia’s Milkshake song has been knocked out of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, but the show must go on. Who are the favourites and what are this year’s big controversies?