Saturday Extra
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Saturday Extra - 2013-05-18
Presidential election in Iran, International banking update, Will the next great innovations come from America or China? Testing social class in Great Britain, The prospects for urban rail and Artist museums with Katrina Strickland.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-05-11
Improving end of life care, Poland's Foreign Minister, Helen Clark on leading the UN Development Program, The story of Colombia and cocaine and tracking the art and other treasures stolen by the Nazis in World War 2.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-05-04
Geoffrey Robertson on human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. New Mitchell Institute for health and education policy. Musharraf's plight in Pakistan. The new suburban homeless in the US. Implications of the NSW racing inquiry.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-04-27
Mining in space, a preview of the Malaysian election, the changing nature of special forces in the military, Medical volunteers in the Vietnam War and Game on in Rio.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-04-20
US hate groups and the potential for domestic terrorism, the 969 anti-Muslim campaign in Myanmar, Bretton Woods and the making of a new world order and Israel has moved with Diana Pinto.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-04-13
A new economic way of thinking, China's fight with Japan during WW2 and why it still influences contemporary foreign policy, The Australian workforce of the future and auctioning and selling art online.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-04-06
AustralianSuper to sue the Future Fund?, Social cohesion in Indonesia, Queenslanders and politics, GOMA Talks Australia and Asia - is creative mateship possible? and John Simons on his book 'Kangaroo', the story of these marsupials and their use and abuse in global history.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-03-30
The collapse of solar-panel manufacturer Suntech, Venture capitalist Mark Carnegie speaks out, Roman Krznaric on fulfilling work, Meditations on walking and the new Australian Museum of Democracy at Eureka, Ballarat.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-03-23
The independence of Central Banks, what transparent superannuation means for you, Big picture politics, the future of capitalism and becoming Barbra Streisand.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-03-16
The humanitarian crisis in Syria, amending Vietnam's constitution, Geraldine Doogue in Rome, trouble in Greece continues, 3D printing and meet BBC TV's Monty Halls.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-03-09
Fighting corruption in Russia, Politics with Laura Tingle, Feminism's new 'Lean In' campaign, Still counting the dead in Sri Lanka, and husband hunting women of the Raj.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-03-02
A para union. Kenya goes to the polls. Tensions in the East China Sea . Writing Revolution. Democracy in retreat. Arts Roundup.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-02-23
Alternative Energy. Sorcery and violence against women in PNG. Indonesia Series. The life of a political satirist in Iran. Torture at the movies. Miracles of Life.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-02-16
Showdown: Italian elections 2013. The year in politics. Match fixing in Australia. Supermarket Competition. Arts policy. On Glasgow and Edinburgh.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-02-09
Ratings agency faces civil fraud charges, Frank Sartor on the NSW ICAC hearings, Literacy competitiveness in Australia, Emma Ayres on music education in Afghanistan and Mark Adams and his adventures to Machu Picchu.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-02-02
Rethinking the South Pacific. Australian economy: a snapshot. The year in politics. Big History: an origin story for our time? Raffles and the Golden Opportunity.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-01-26
Kishore Mahbubani on Australia's foreign policy in Asia, Robert Skidelsky asks 'How much is enough?', a walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream in downtown Seoul, Working Asia series: the law with Stuart Fuller, the Global Managing Partner at King and Wood Mallesons, Kathy Bail on 'digital tribalism', Home energy audit, and Christian Wolmar on America's great railway revolution.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-01-19
A traveller's tale from North Korea, Annia Ciezadlo talks about food and war, The Enlightenment and its importance in the 21st century, and Elizabeth Gowing on bee keeping in post-war Kosovo.
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Saturday Extra - 2013-01-12
Geremie Barme on China, Living with a nuclear capable Iran, Bill Emmott on good and bad Italy, Paul Newman's philanthropic legacy and Travels in Nigeria with Noo Saro Wiwa
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Saturday Extra - 2013-01-05
Demand driven universities, the HSU scandal and the future for unions, Who can make it in the top jobs? and built heritage conservation in Penang in Malaysia to inspire similar efforts in Rangoon, Burma.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-12-29
Robert Shiller on finance in a good society, Australia's energy future, James Wolfensohn and the shift in growth from West to East, Barbara Pocock on the lack of time in our lives, and the success and substance of hit TV show Downton Abbey with creator Julian Fellowes.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-12-22
The digital revolution in the Pacific, guns and politics in Australia, businessman John Grill, Michael Wesley looks back at the regional challenges for 2012, and the new-style electric bikes.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-12-15
Elections in Japan and South Korea, Where is the superannuation industry headed?, Marcia Langton speaks to her 2012 Boyer Lectures, Harold Mitchell on advertising in Asia and Victoria Glendinning and her biography of Raffles.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-12-08
Arab Spring interpretations. Paul McClintock and government reform. Alain de Botton on inequality. Okinawa: Japan’s resistant islands . Humour in Chinese life.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-12-01
Sidney Jones on extremism and democracy in Indonesia, Changes ahead for the taxi industry? Shale gas discussion, Richard Watson's 'futurevision' and Kerry Greenwood on her fascination with the Tamam Shud case.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-11-24
ASIC investigating Banksia like financial institutions. Morten Albaek on wind energy. Remembering Bryce Courtenay. French connection. How Malcolm became Cate amidst a passion for cricket and war. Australian Music Month: Jill Wran. Morning Tears.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-11-17
US military affairs. Banksia Financial Group. Lindsay Fox getting Asia and Australia moving. Online education. Australian Music Month: Lyndon Terracini . Patriot of Persia.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-11-10
Developing the north. Australia's ambassador to China. Geography and world politics. 70th anniversary of Kokoda. Australian Music Month: Sandy Evans. Travels in Burma with Di Morrissey.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-11-03
NSW ICAC Inquiry, Bates Gill on the US presidential election, why multiculturalism works with Tim Soutphommasane, commentary on the Asian century white paper and Dorothy Button on the road in the US.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-10-27
Doing business in Mongolia. Earthquake science and communicating risk. Best Australian business writing. US snapshot: African Americans. Music track: For The Ages. Arts roundup.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-10-20
Selling assets to pay for infrastructure, the possibilities for Indonesia, Financial commentator Martin Wolf, US politics and the Latino vote and recent success in rehabilitating the orangutans of Borneo
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Saturday Extra - 2012-10-13
Defence bill threatens Australian research and innovation; Singapore and Australian relations; Australian politics and the rules of engagement; clash of philosophies in US politics and walking in Britain
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Saturday Extra - 2012-10-06
Devaluation of Iranian currency; anniversary of Whitlam Government opening the dialogue with China; the legacy of the years following world war two; Asia series - architects; and the Taliban cricket club
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Saturday Extra - 2012-09-29
Market update, The fall of Nathan Tinkler, Corporate governance in independent schools, US civil rights anniversary, A history of the gay movement, Three minute thesis and the regular Arts Roundup with Katrina Strickland
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Saturday Extra - 2012-09-22
US politics and foreign policy, Dividend imputation, Insurance services and mental health, One Disease, Digital wallets, Working Asia: the law and The Last Pictures with geographer and artist Trevor Paglen
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Saturday Extra - 2012-09-15
Anti US violence and Arab anger, Violence in South Africa, TAFE cuts in focus, Infant male circumcision, Working Asia part 5 with Michael Lynch, and Dan Alon on surviving the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-09-08
A snapshot from South Korea, Kishore Mahbubani on Australia's destiny in the Asian century, Adam Phillips in praise of the unlived life, Working Asia part 4 with Philip Bullock of the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency and a history of trains in America.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-09-01
Apple versus Samsung, What's next for superannuation?, Animals rights and the fate of Africa's wildlife, Working Asia part 3: art and travel in China and Boris Mihailovic on the attraction of motorcycles and motorcycle gangs.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-08-25
Is ASEAN in crisis? Smarter manufacturing, Moral revolutions with Kwame Anthony Appiah, Working Asia part 2: IAG's insurance push into Asia and 1912: the year the world discovered Antarctica, with geologist Chris Turney.
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Saturday Extra - 2012-07-28
Tensions mount in the South China Sea, Love or lose Australian agriculture, European car makers merge, Julian Fellowes on the success of Downtown Abbey, Digital Tribes series with Kathy Bail and the politics and spectacle of the Ancient Olympics. [Audio not available outside Australia]
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War, exile and a love reclaimed
Leslie Maitland devoted five years of her life to investigating the thwarted romance between her mother and a young Frenchman named Roland, separated by the consequences of war in Europe in 1942.
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The challenge in giving money away
The actor Paul Newman left behind a wonderful screen legacy through films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and Cool Hand Luke.
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Digital manufacturing
Is a third industrial revolution on the way as manufacturing goes digital?
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China watching
China watching has become something of a sport in recent weeks with the explosive saga of the political player Bo Xilai's downfall proving more and more titillating as time passes - the latest allegations have him bugging the phones of no less than the Chinese President Hu Jintao.
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UK snapshot with David Goodhart
The UK has officially slipped back into recession in the first quarter of the year with double dip figures just announced and the Sterling falling sharply over the last few days.
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North Korea labour camps
Shin Dong-Hyuk was born in a political labour camp in North Korea.
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Six artists on mining in their region
Geraldine Doogue walks through an exhibition of works by artists from outback Queensland known as Six artists from out of nowhere.
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The balance between optimism and pessimism
There are competing strands of thought in philosophy when it comes to happiness. In the 21st century we are more familiar with the psychology of positive thinking, but is our trust in optimism misplaced?
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Quality universities
For the first time demand is the driver of available places for many university courses in Australia.
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Australia's energy future
A few weeks ago Saturday Extra looked at the energy transformation of Germany as it replaces nuclear with renewable energy to cover one fifth of its overall energy supply.
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What lies beneath London
As we walk around our main cities does it ever occur to you what lies below the roads and footpaths?
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South African pension fund
John Oliphant heads up the South African Government Employees Pension Fund.
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The mood in France
The French will cast their votes in the first round of elections for a Presidential candidate next week and will the incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy face the guillotine like so many of the leaders caught up in the Euro crisis.
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Implications of the Bob Brown resignation
We ask what's the potential medium-range impact on broader Australian politics, particularly attitudes to the left-of-centre, following the resignation of Australian Greens leader Bob Brown.
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The Turkish Model and relations with its neighbours
As the battle in Syria continues, its neighbouring country, Turkey, is being held up as a model for other Arab Spring nations as they struggle to take the next step from autocratic rule to functioning democracies.
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Easter arts roundup
Australian Financial Review arts editor Katrina Strickland discusses events and openings around the country including Opera Australia's production of La Traviata on Sydney harbour, the William Kentridge exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne and the Modern Woman Daughters and Lovers 1850-1918 exhibition of drawings from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, which is on at the Queensland Art Gallery.
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The Grand Canyon Reader
Lance Newman is a Professor of English at Westminster College in Salt Lake City in Utah.
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Enlightenment discussion
Many credit the 18th Century philosophical and cultural movement “The Enlightenment” with delivering ‘the West’ as we know it now.
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Aceh: Palm oil versus orangutans
A court case against a palm oil company and the former governor of Aceh was thrown out of court this week on the grounds that the complainant, local environment groups, should have sought mediation with the company first.
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Higher education and the BOAO forum for Asia
Michael Spence from the University of Sydney reports on this week's prestigious Boao forum for Asia held in Hainan in southern China.
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Travels in Nigeria with Noo Saro Wiwa
Nigeria gets 'fewer voluntary visitors than the moon' according to the writer Noo Saro Wiwa.
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The ethics of incentives
The term ‘incentives’ was introduced in America in the early twentieth century and soon became a universal term often associated with political policies or as a way to encourage us to choose a particular product or plan.
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Dark Pool Exchanges - investor beware
It sounds like a line from a science fiction narrative, but the latest financial news includes a warning to investors to beware of ‘dark pools’.
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German energy transformation
In the wake of Japan's Fukashima disaster Germany has moved to phase out nuclear power by 2022.
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The rise of public radio in the US
Newspapers may be the fastest shrinking industry in the United States but public radio is going through a revival.
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Infrastructure panel
We discuss Australia’s infrastructure needs in the context of current policy and the investment structures faced by superannuation funds.
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James Wolfensohn on the shift from west to east
Sir James Wolfensohn believes Australia has changed beyond recognition since he first left to pursue a career on the world stage.
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Innovation and building Australia's economy
Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie is nowadays passionate about where the jobs of the future will come from.
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Peak oil debate
There have been several claims and counter-claims recently about the death of peak oil, as a result of new technologies and recent discoveries of shale gas and oil around the world, including here in Australia, but in the United States in particular.
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Curious histories of how to live
'He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth.' So said 18th century German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
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Sheldon Garon on why Americans don't save
Living beyond your means. It’s universally thought of as a negative.
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The civil military relationship and supreme control
The rift between the civil authorities and the military continues to rage in the national media.
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Wayne Swan responds
On Monday the Mineral Resource Rent Tax is expected to pass the federal Senate.
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Gerry Harvey 'gets' online retail
Major retailer Gerry Harvey argues the numbers simply don’t support the claim that online retail is booming in Australia.
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Annia Ciezadlo: food, love and war
Cooking and eating is an everyday pleasure shared by millions around the world.
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Economic identity and class in Australia
In his annual State of the Union speech in January US President Barack Obama described rising income inequality as 'the defining issue of our time'.
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Geoff Raby on China
The first in a regular series on China with our former ambassador to China Dr Geoff Raby, whose recent submission to the Henry report on engagement with Asia urges that China be given special attention in our foreign affairs management.
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The business of sport
Can the business models of big sport keep up with the market-place and the demands of a post GFC world and its debt problems?
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Business of documentary making
This week it took the High Court to define what constitutes a documentary in Australia. The week before, the veteran documentary maker Bob Connolly spoke of his despair about the industry and the plight of independent film-makers. So what is the business model for making documentaries in this country?
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A writer's tale of life in North Korea
An unusual story for Saturday Extra talking to a novelist but this one is set in North Korea and the author for his research visited the tightly restricted and monitored country and offers his insights about the people living within the totalitarian state.
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WWII Broome bombing: 70 years ago
The second deadliest attack on Australian soil during World War II occurred seventy years ago today in Broome, Western Australia.
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Wellbeing debate
Is the wellbeing of a community a government responsibility, as is increasingly being argued in the UK?
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Bob Carr our next Foreign Minister
Former NSW Premier Bob Carr speaks to his appointment as the next Foreign Minister of Australia.
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Studying Australian history
Historian Marilyn Lake is concerned by the drop-off in interest, and thereby enrolments, among students wanting to study Australian history at university level.
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Russian presidential elections
On March 4 Vladimir Putin is expected to be elected as Russia’s President.
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Hot spot tourism
Nicholas Wood, a former reporter in the Balkans, has formed a travel company based around sharing his passion for politics and current affairs with other fellow travellers.
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Off to the races, or are we?
Black Caviar is perhaps the greatest race horse in Australia’s history but has the racing industry capitalised on one of its greatest assets to increase the number of people watching and betting trackside?
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Speaking Truth to Power
Speaking truth to power – it’s an old phrase – it originates interestingly from a Quaker pamphlet in 1950s America - it’s a major theme running through Sophocles' fourth-century B.C. play Antigone. But it’s also a phrase very much associated with civil service; the idea that public servants should be able to give honest and objective advice to government ministers.
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Clive Palmer in the news
The Queensland businessman and mining giant Clive Palmer has been in the headlines as a result of extraordinary developments in relation to different aspects of his business interests.
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Jordan
The humanitarian crisis currently unfolding in Syria – the tens of thousands of civilians being killed and unable to leave the cities under siege – is one of the clearest indications yet of the real cost of the political upheaval sweeping the Arab world.
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A traveller's tale: When Gods Collide
In January 1999 Hindu fundamentalists set fire to a car in which the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons and the Indian manager of the leprosy mission were asleep.
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Afghan women
Trevor Bormann previews his upcoming report for ABC TV's Foreign Correspondent on the worrying situation for girls and women in Afghanistan.
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Consuming content on all our screens
No longer is the remote control the only gadget we have in our hand as we watch television.
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Do we need more diplomats?
Is Australia adequately represented overseas in terms of our diplomatic network?
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Political drama in China
At the end of this year, seven out of the nine most powerful positions within China's Communist Party are up for grabs. Such a change in the powerbase could bring a new direction for how China operates.
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Syria latest
It has beenalmost a yearsince the unrest in Syria began, with many saying the country is now sliding into a sectarian civil war.
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Arts roundup
Regular arts commentator Katrina Strickland previews the Perth International Arts Festival and discusses the competition between the states to attract tourism through such festivals, as well as what's happening in the arts around the country.
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Love Poetry: David Williamson – My Love is Like a Red,...
Writer David Williamson chooses My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose by 18th century poet Robert Burns as his favourite love poem.
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Modes of Political Engagement and Resistance
In her new book Demanding the Impossible, Australian writer Sylvia Lawson combines elements of fiction, history and reportage to ask the large political questions about how best to engage as a public citizen.
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The transformation of China under Deng Xiaoping
According to America's leading scholar of East Asia, Ezra Vogel, of all the world leaders of the 20th century the one who had the most influence on the 21st is China's Deng Xiaoping.
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State capitalism
We examine the rise and extent of state capitalism around the world with the author of a special report published recently in The Economist.
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The problem with banks
The banks at the moment are a troubled industry and it's not just with the slowdown in economies.
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Regional challenges in 2012
Michael Wesley from the Lowy Institute for International Policy previews the challenges ahead for our region.
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The Making of Hong Kong
Themakingofacity usuallybeginswiththefirst settlementandthearchitectural influences they bring.
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Solving the European Debt Crisis
Tight austerity measures and reducing countries' debt is the prescription for struggling European countries and the UK as well. But is this the right policy? Lord Robert Skidelsky thinks not, he is a member of the House of Lords but is also John Maynard Keynes’s biographer and believes Keynes has the solution for pulling Europe and Britain out of its economic despair.
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Road transport and road freight options
Australia is the most intensive user of road freight on a tonne-kilometre basis, and there were a number of horrific crashes involving large trucks over the holiday period.
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A nuclear Iran
A nuclear Iran is a frightening thought, but leading commentator Hugh White thinks it’s inevitable, and we need to learn how to live with it.
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Islamic investment
This week sees the launch of Australia's first Islamic Index, a measure by which investors can ensure their money is working in accordance with Islamic investment principles.
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The Enigma of Joe DiMaggio
Author Jerome Charyn takes us inside the life of Joe DiMaggio, from the heights of his career to his enduring love of Marilyn Monroe
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Papua New Guinea now and into the future
Papua New Guinea is on the verge of great change through a resources boom and population growth, and the country's influence in the region will grow.
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Preventing post-traumatic stress disorder
The effects of post-traumatic stress disorder are becoming better known, but is it possible to teach people how to be resilient to the psychologically damaging effects of trauma and even perhaps benefit from it? Research is currently being conducted on the US military.
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The Spirit of Cities
Globalisation may be connecting us, but in the process are we losing a sense of what makes our cities special? What is the 'spirit' of a city? How does it define our politics and culture, and can defining this kind of ethos make modern living more bearable?
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Climate change and national security
We talk a lot these days about the politics of climate change, but what does it mean? Political change takes place in such a vastly different time frame to that of climate change -- 20 years is a long time in politics but a very short time for climatic shifts to occur -- so we're really talking about the way the concept of climate change has become a new, highly-charged element in the unpredictable mix of politics. This presents an enormous challenge to policy makers.
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Portugal
In the 15th century Portugal ruled the seas and expanded its reach around the globe amassing a large and diverse empire throughout Africa, the Americans and Asia. The influence of the Portuguese is still felt today but the country is struggling financially having accepted a 78 billion euro bailout from the IMF and EU, and at the cost of its Socialist government. How does today's Portugal sit with the greatness that once was.
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The battle of 42nd street, Crete and Captain Reg Saunders
On 27 May 1941 a young Aboriginal soldier was involved in a fierce battle in Crete referred to as 42nd Street. He was also left behind on the island, having to evade capture from the German soldiers for almost 12 months. Through the generosity of the locals, he survived and went on to become the first Aboriginal to be a commissioned officer in the Australian Army.
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Vietnam
Contemporary Vietnam is visited by thousands of Australian tourists each year. Many of them are visiting due to the legacy of events 30 years ago involving our soldiers, yet the clear message offered from modern Vietnamese is the one made immortal by comedian John Cleese: 'Don't mention the war!'
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Arctic Dreaming
A conversation about the growing sense of urgency over the need to negotiate access, ownership and sovereignty claims in the Arctic zone.
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Odessa - Genius and Death in a city of dreams
Odessa is now just a port on the Black Sea, the fourth largest city in Ukraine, but its history is rich and tragic, filled with a vibrant mix of characters and cultures.
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Bespoke philanthropy
The very latest research on violence and exploitation against women and girls around the world paints a bleak picture.
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Trade and the Indian Ocean
Robert Kaplan discusses his new book Monsoon, which explores the growing political importance of the Indian Ocean basin. He believes the Indian Ocean is evolving into a vibrant trading system reminiscent of the Muslim and Chinese trading era that preceded European exploration.
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Young people and politics
Gen Y have been derided as being apathetic and selfish when it comes to their political involvement, but do we really know what they think and why they think it? How do politicians capture this unaligned generation?
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The haves and the have-nots
Who was the richest person who ever lived? Would it be this century's Bill Gates? Or would the Roman Emperor Nero take the honours?
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The great brain race
Whenever you tap in to the debate on universities it's clear that it is a sector that is undergoing radical change and, according to Ben Wildavsky, there are large gains to be made.
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WA special: Millstream-Chichester National Park
Among the red earth and spinifex lies an oasis in the Pilbara. The Millstream-Chichester National Park is a water wonderland in this part of Western Australia with an underground aquifer and deep pools all year round, the park plays host to a range of flora and fauna not seen elsewhere. It's also an important area for the local Yindjibarndi people with the water holding significant meaning.
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WA special: the Burrup Aboriginal rock art
The Pilbara area of Western Australia in the north west is generally better known for the rich resources underneath the ground. But in the Burrup Peninsula this richness can be found on the rock faces of the red boulders scattered along the landscape. It is believed there are up to a million Aboriginal rock engravings, spanning 30,000 years. Only a small percentage of the area has been surveyed but with industry already present on the Peninsula, the Australian Heritage Council is reviewing...
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WA special: Pilbara cities
The Pilbara region of Western Australia has played host to mining companies for decades, however there is now a push to turn the resource towns into sustainable, liveable cities in the north of the state. Geraldine Doogue and producer Kate MacDonald travel to the Pilbara town of Karratha.
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WA special: Modern Perth
Western Australia is experiencing the biggest resources boom in Australian history. Perth, as the state's centre, is at the heart of the change but is there a vision for the city and its future?
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Modern India: Educating children from the slums
Kiran Martin trained as a paediatrician and in the 1980s started to treat children in a Delhi slum.
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Women in modern India
Are women freer to explore the public domain in India than they were years ago?
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Modern India and global politics
There are huge changes afoot in India and over the next few weeks Saturday Extra will explore some of the challenges and opportunities for modern India.
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India and Australians on the hippie trail
According to Agnieszka Sobocinska, travel has become the dominant mode of Australian interaction with Asia and this has shaped the way in which the region is perceived at all levels. She suggests that first-hand knowledge about Asia has resulted in an increasing comfort with the region.
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Modern India: Arranged marriage
India seems to have one foot in the globalised world and one firmly in tradition. And perhaps a good example of this are the numerous and elaborate ads from parents seeking suitable spouses for their children. Arranged marriages have been a feature of Indian society for centuries, but to what extent is this changing in today's India?
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Climate update with Giles Parkinson
Was the Durban agreement a dismal disappointment or cause for optimism? We discuss that as well as taking a look back at the big issues around energy and climate change in 2011 as well as highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.
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Dangers to look out for these Christmas holidays
Christmas is a time many Australians like to get away, but when we go overseas, are we always aware of the potential dangers?
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Australia – is it hiding its light under a bushel?
By any measure, as the year draws to an end, Australia has reason to feel pleased with itself.
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A reflection on Christopher Hitchens with Phillip Adams
Radio National's Phillip Adams interviewed writer Christopher Hitchens many times over 20 years, he speaks to Geraldine about the man, and their relationship.
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Was Dominique Strauss-Kahn set up?
In May this year DSK was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons... but there seem to be many unanswered questions about his case. Veteran journalist Edward Jay Epstein takes us through his detailed examination of the day in question.
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Double Entry: How the merchants of Venice shaped the...
The fascinating account of how the merchants of Venice and monk Luca Pacioli shaped the modern world.
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The rising phenomenon of unpaid internships
In today's competitive job market, unpaid internships appear to be on the rise. Businesses are calling for more qualified graduates and universities are incorporating 'work integrated learning' into their courses. The idea is that both student and business get something out of the exchange. But where is the line between experience and exploitation? And who polices it?
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Chancellor Angela Merkel's leadership of the euro crisis
The pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel has intensified throughout the continuing EU crisis. Some analysts decry what they perceive to be an inability to take the big steps required to steer the eurozone through the crisis, while others say it is precisely the Chancellor's caution and emphasis on consensus which will prove decisive in the long run. What informs Angela Merkel's philosophy and decision making; and will she win this battle of brinkmanship?
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Tumultuous times for PNG
Papua New Guinea is on the verge of a great resources boom, but the future of its government is anything but certain. The incumbent prime minister, Peter O'Neill, is seen as a strong and positive leader for change in a country plagued by high rates of maternal mortality, HIV and poverty. But his government is facing a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court, the outcome of which will be announced on Monday. Is PNG democracy in a position to effectively manage the boom times heading its...
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Arts Round-Up
Katrina Strickland talks about the stellar performances gracing our theatres as well as the summer art exhibitions of Matisse and Picasso and more showing around the country.
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A reflection on modern Britain with Gary Sturgess
Britain is facing some major tests of national and individual character at the moment. This week a one-day strike, said to be the biggest since the 1970's, brought many parts of society to a standstill as public servants vented their anger at spending and pension cuts which they say are the result of a profligate banking system. Meanwhile the revelations of the Leveson inquiry into phone hacking continue to leave us agog at the complete absence of a moral compass throughout a whole raft of...
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The battle between Virgin Australia and Qantas Jetstar...
The ACCC has approved an integrated network alliance between Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines. An insurer in London withdraws its insolvency cover for Air Australia. What does this all mean for consumers? Geraldine Doogue speaks with aviation writer Ben Sandilands.
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Canadian Asbestos Trade
The Rotterdam Convention this year once again tried to list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous chemical but the Canadian delegation once again refused to endorse it. It would give no reasoning for why except to repeat the Harper Government’s line that if the substance is used safely it offers no health risks, in direct opposition to the World Health Organisation as well as many medical fraternities. The question though remains if it can be used safely, then why isn’t it used in Canada...
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Uranium- just what do we hold in our hands?
This week at the ALP National Conference they will be debating whether or not Australia should export uranium to India, but just what happens to our uranium once it's exported overseas? What are the wider ramifications for a change in policy for exporting uranium to countries not party to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty?
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Apology for duplicate podcasts
We have just upgraded to a new website, and the move has caused some podcast subscribers to download duplicate mp3s. We apologise for this issue and hope you continue to listen to Radio National podcasts in the future.
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8:25 The German Genius
One of the key developments of this new century has been the re-emergence of Germany. It had been underway ever since World War Two but just not fully comprehended. It has been evident during this European debt crisis and appears to be returning to its place as a Great Power, achieving far more peacefully than the Wehrmacht ever managed. But what's behind Germany's greatness?
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8:05 Politics: Leader of the Gang
The rumble and tumble of politics has once again been on show this week with the surprise resignation of the speaker of the house, Labor MP Harry Jenkins. His replacement is Liberal defector Peter Slipper, and how this plays out with the leadership of both parties will be watched for some time, as Professor Glyn Davis says, success as a leader of a political party has nothing to do with merit and everything to do with timing. To be the leader `that suits the time is the crucial thing. Its a...
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8.40 A Traveller's Tale: a Victorian pilgrimage
When author Simon Goldhill was commissioned to write a book, he was told to 'make a pilgrimage' and to 'go anywhere and write about it'. With that in mind he settled on a more cerebral journey, following in the footsteps of Victorians who travelled to the homes of great literary figures like Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth and Sigmund Freud. Though a skeptic to begin with, he came to discover that there was something quite spiritual in this kind of pilgrimage after all.
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7:45 The mining boom moves east: Jay Weatherill's vision
Imagine a hole in the ground the size of Adelaides CBD. Thats the size and scope of BHPs ambitious expansion plan for the Olympic Dam mine site, which is also home to the world's largest uranium deposit. We talk to South Australia's Premier Jay Weatherill about the opportunities and challenges posed by the project and how it fits into his vision for the future of the state.
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7:30 Revolution in Egypt: a report from the streets of...
The jubilation of the Arab Spring has descended into a winter of Egyptian discontent with violent clashes between protesters and the ruling military leaving more than 38 people dead and thousands more injured this week. The renewed revolt against military rule shines a light on the challenges faced by nations in transitioning from autocratic rule to democratic government.
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8:50 A Traveller's Tale: Ireland and St Delcan's Way
It may not be as well known as the pilgrimage walk, the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain, but St Declan's Way in southern Ireland, does have its charms, including fairies, castles and saints, that is St Declan, who may not be as well know as St Patrick but it's believed he was preaching Christianity to the Irish before St Patrick.
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8:20 Asian Finance Agreement
At the APEC summit, an agreement was brokered that could open the doors to export our expertise in financial, legal and business support to our Asian neighbours.
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8:05 America, Asia and the European Debt Crisis - an...
This week when President Obama touched down on our shores attention turned to the US presence in the Asia Pacific, and China bristled at the announcement that more US troops would be stationed in Darwin. But is China a real military threat? Intelligence expert George Friedman takes us through what he sees as the reality in our region. Also, how Europe's future will be shaped by the debt crisis.
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7:45 Syria Update
The Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad have indicated they may conditionally accept the Arab Leagues peace plan ahead of today's deadline. The news comes in the wake of a week that saw Assad become increasingly isolated as the Arab League took the drastic step of suspending Syria as the government's deadly crackdown continued.
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7:38 Executive Pay and Proxy Advisors
As shareholders exercise their right to protest against excessive executive remuneration payments during the annual general meetings, the proxy advisory firms, who inform institutional shareholders how to vote, are feeling the heat from disgruntled company boards. But what do they do?
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7:30 Executive Pay and AGM season
Mid November and it's mid AGM season and shareholders are equipped with the new 'two strikes' legislation which allows them to vote down excessive executive remuneration packages. Is it being used and to what extent are company boards listening?
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8:50 Energy update with Giles Parkinson
The carbon price has now passed, but what will it mean when we transition to the ETS in 2015? Will our carbon price be too high on the international market? The International Energy Agency predictions for industry if we don't keep global warming below 2 degrees and the why the US President has been criticised for postponing a gas pipe project from Canada.
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8:30 Beautiful Botswana, a travellers tale on horseback
Riding across a desert in Africa might not be your typical overseas holiday, but when writer Fiona Carruthers talks about her horse riding safari across the Kalahri Desert in Botswana, it might just entice you to do the same.
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8:10 What's missing in the US Presidential race? The...
US politics has already launched into its long road to the Presidential elections next November....but there's been a paralysis on Washington's Capitol Hill and it may not only have to do with politics. American's middle class is slowly disappering and the cracks are becoming evident.
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8:05 Update on the EU debt crisis- what does it mean for...
A quick update on what the EU debt crisis might mean for us here at home.
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7:45 Cambodia in peril as flood waters recede
Thailand's floods have stolen the headlines, but across the border in Cambodia the situation is just as dire, if not worse. As the flood waters start to recede, one Cambodian villager was reported saying "this was the year the floods took everything. We have nothing left to eat. No food for people or livestock". An update from Cambodia.
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7:30 Why the European debt crisis is about more than...
In Europe the attention has now focused on Italy, with one observer saying that this is the "main event", that Ireland, Portugal and Greece were small crises by comparison. Edward Carr says that in order to understand the Euro we must first look at Europe, its attitudes towards globalisation, national identity and leadership, before we can ascertain if the EU can weather the storm ahead.
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8:45 Portugal's neutrality during WWII
In the midst of the beginning of WWII Portugal's Prime Minister, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, decided it was in Portugals best interest for it to remain neutral, despite being part of the oldest existing alliance with England. He hoped the country would sit quietly out of the war but almost overnight Lisbon became one of the major centres of world affairs where spies and ambassadors from both sides, mixed with fleeing refugees, royals and actors and with Portugal financially benefiting from...
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8:24 Looking for Australia
Australians have an ambivalent relationship with their own history, either ignoring it or fighting over what it means. Who can forget phrases like `black armband view of history or `history wars even if we struggle to remember what they actually stand for. John Hirst, until recently reader in history at La Trobe University had a unique insight into the history wars when he was commissioned to write a history of Australia that was to be given to applicants for Australian citizenship. It...
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8:05 Greece: Culture and Economics
There seems to be a consensus in Greece, and elsewhere, that the "system" has to change, that Greece can no longer continue the way it has been. But is there enough conviction amongst the Greeks to change and to what?
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7:43 Airlines as a business
Alan Joyce must be glad he got to the weekend, what with the grilling in the Senate committee yesterday, and the engine trouble on one of Qantass A380 planes. But thats the thing about Qantas - everyone has an opinion Whether its that Qantas has been badly managed for years, or that the problem is that Qantas staff are lazy and overpaid. Or that Alan Joyce has bet the business and trashed the brand, or that Alan Joyce is the hero in all of this, water coolers around the country have been the...
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7:30 Will China be the EU's salvation?
Some members of the EU are courting China, hoping that the country will supply the much needed financial support to make the latest bail out package work. But what's in it for China? And will the EU be prepared to make the concessions that China is likely to demand?
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8:46 The mysterious Jim Thompson, the Silk King of...
Anyone who has been to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, or to Bangkok, or who is interested in Thai silk will have heard of Jim Thompson. He was called the silk king of Thailand, but he was also a spy, a romantic and an idealist. And he was way ahead of his time in his understanding of how America should conduct foreign policy. He was the most famous American in Southeast Asia in 1967, when he went for a walk while on holiday in Malaysia and was never seen again. Joshua Kurlantzick's...
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8:30 "Youth bulge" and the Arab Spring
In the 1990s a German social scientist named Gunnar Heinsohn coined the phrase "youth bulge", referring to when 30 per cent of men in the population are between 15 and 29, Heinsohn suggested that this large percentage of youth often led to civil unrest and revolution. The "youth bulge" has been used to explain the Arab Spring, when many young protestors took to the streets across North Africa and the Middle East this year. But now that dictators have been toppled, and new governments are...
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8:20 A crowded world: regulating scarce resources
Michael Peters argues that in the past laws have evolved in step with exploding populations, but just how will our legal system cope with the scarcity of resources to come?
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8:05 Reassessing Better Access for Mental Health
When the Better Access to Mental Health Care was introduced in 2006, it provided for greater access to see psychologists under the Medicare rebate scheme. As of November 1st the number of sessions patients can use will be reduced with the funds going to other projects within Mental Health. The funding and administration of Better Access is part of a Senate Inquiry with its report to be tabled also on the 1st November.
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7:43 A crowded world: pandemics
This month the world reaches 7 billion people and as the world becomes more and more crowded and urbanised, we worry more about the whole intricate structure that is civilisation falling over. The movie Contagion which has just opened in Australia, plays on deep seated fears about our crowded, interconnected world. How long would our society cope with the onslaught of a killer viral flu, it asks. But how likely is a lethal pandemic, and is it a matter of if, or when?
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7:30 Argentina's 'Angel of Death" gets life
Alfredo Astiz, nicknamed the "Blonde Angel of Death" has come to symbolise the atrocities that occurred during the military dictatorship in Argentina between 1976 and 1983. During this time it's estimated that 30,000 people were killed or 'disappeared'. The trial against Astiz is one of many in the country that has so far seen the conviction of 259 people on human rights abuses during Argentina's "Dirty War".
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8:55 Arts round-up: Katrina Strickland
Katrina Strickland talks about the revival of Australian scriptwriters both on the stage and on the small screen.
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8:25 Someplace Like America
Whichever way you twist it, the United States is taking on more characteristics of underdevelopment, whether its poverty rates, number of people in jail, average weekly earnings, child abuse, teenage pregnancies -- all these statistics are trending in a direction that speaks of distress. As the people involved in the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations point out, the richest one per cent now control 40 per cent of the countrys wealth. Words like inequality and class, long rejected as being...
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8:05 The ethics of using Big Data
Big Data is the abundance of information now available online, it includes everything from medical results, to your buying patterns, to your social media interactions. It's the latest, greatest thing in the tech world, but is Big Data all it's cracked up to be? And should we be asking serious questions about the ethics involved in accessing this information?
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7:45 Questions still abound ten years after the sinking...
Ten years ago on 19 October, 353 people, including 146 children, perished when their boat heading for Australia sank. A senate inquiry in 2002 looking at the 'children overboard' incident expanded to include the sinking of SIEV X. The inquiry leader, Senator John Faulkner, wrapped up the inquiry with these words 'I intend to keep pressing for an independent judicial inquiry into these very serious matters.' Since this time, calls for such an inquiry continue to be voted down and questions...
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7:30 Inside Syria
Moamar Gaddafi's death has caused some to predict that the next dictator to fall will be Syria's President Bashar Al Assad. Information on the civil unrest has been difficult to get, with an almost blanket ban on foreign journalists. Author Reese Erlich was recently in Syria, and joins Geraldine Doogue for a frank discussion on what he observed, and what he thinks is really going on inside Syria.
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8:42 The politics of sport in Asia
Sport and politics don't mix, or so the saying goes, but throughout history there are many examples where this isn't the case. Author Victor Cha argues that sport in Asia is among the most politicised in the world.
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8:20 China: 100 years since revolution
Sun Yat-sen is considered by both the Chinese and the Taiwanese as the founding father of their respective modern states. He led the revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty in 1911, ending 2,000 years of dynastic rule and laying out a vision for a democratic China. But 100 years after the revolution, which country holds the truest claim to Yat-sen's legacy?
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8:05 Executive pay and changes to legislation
New legislation came into effect on the 1st July this year giving a strengthened voice to shareholders to vote down executive remuneration packages. It's being called the 'two strikes' rule.
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7:45 Why the Arab Spring is stalling
What does it take to transfer a revolution into a sustainable democratic system? Will the young protestors who started the calls for change across North Africa and the Middle East be a part of the final resolution? Or will their voices be lost as more organised groups take over the reins of power?
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7:35 Broome shire elections and the question of gas
It's rare for local elections to attract so much attention but the proposed gas hub at James Price Point, 60 kilometres north of Broome in the Kimberley in WA, is being touted as a referendum on how the town feels about the development and all that it brings.
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8:45 Debt - the first 5,000 years
Being in bad debt is an oppressive situation and is what underlies the turmoil gripping much of the northern hemisphere right now....unresolved debt issues, who owes who what, can the debts be repaid, whos going to accept theyll never be repaid. But its been ever thus, looking at history, according to David Graeber, and our insistence on the imperative to replay debt is misplaced. He's been involved with anti-globalisation protest movements in the 80s and 90s and hes been described by The...
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8:30 Moving forwards...and backwards with renewable...
Regular commentator Giles Parkinson on new deals and disappointments in the renewable energy sector, an unusual alternative to electric cars, and a new study which finds that, even divorced from the cost of climate change, coal costs society more than it earns.
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8.05 Who's winning the supermarket discounting wars?
The supermarket milk price discounting war has taken $77 million out of the milk supply chain, a Senate committee heard this week. The inquiry into the price discounting of milk heard that the prices were not only unsustainable, but they were also eroding brand integrity. So who wins when supermarkets go to war and how do you reengineer genuine competition when you have such big market players?
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7:45 Reining in the speculators
Three weeks in, the demonstrators camped outside Wall Street are still there and the numbers are growing, as academics and labour groups have joined in. The protestors have no specific demands, they see themselves as a graphic expression of frustration at the distortions of the US financial system and the toxic effects on jobs and lives. But in fact some action in Washington has been taken to try to rein in the most destructive actions of Wall Street -- the question is whether it will work.
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7:30 Putin power: Russia's re-emergence on the global...
Last month Vladimir Putin announced that he will be returning to the Russian presidency. Not long after, he declared that he would build a Eurasian economic block, describing its potential as: '... a powerful supranational union capable of becoming one of the poles in the modern world.' Some critics see this as an alliance based on the former power of the Soviet Union. So are we seeing a resurgence of Russian power on the global stage? And is Vladimir Putin the strong man who will lead...
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8:45 The Enigma of Joe DiMaggio
Author Jerome Charyn takes us inside the life of Joe DiMaggio, from the heights of his career to his enduring love of Marilyn Monroe
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8:20 Odessa - Genius and Death in a city of dreams
Odessa is now just a port on the Black Sea, the fourth largest city in Ukraine, but its history is rich and tragic, filled with a vibrant mix of characters and cultures. The city has become world famous through the stories of the Jewish Russian writer Isaac Babel and the iconic film of Sergei Eisenstein, but there are darker secrets also that are only now becoming generally known. Throughout its history there were regular pogroms of the large Jewish population, and in the Second World War,...
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8:12 The Spirit of Cities
Globalisation may be connecting us, but in the process are we losing a sense of what makes our cities special? What is the "spirit" of a city? How does it define our politics and culture, and can defining this kind of ethos make modern living more bearable?
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8:05 Will the Tobin Tax finally become a reality?
It's a concept that's been around for a long time- a minor levy on financial transactions traded on exchanges of different natures. But with the President of the European Commission saying that Brussels would adopt this kind of tax, is it a possibility for the rest of the world?
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7:45 Iran Update
Iran has been in the news this past couple of weeks, with the release of two American hikers who had been held in prison for more than two years. At the same time President Ahmadinejad spoke at the UN General Assembly, offending delegates, as he has in the past, with his claims that the 9/11 attacks were an American plot, and his criticism of Israel. Through its President, Iran presents to the Western world as a bully - unchanging and intransigent. But from within the country the view is a...
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7.30 What's Killing Australian Innovation?
Are we here in Australia really up to the challenge of reacting well to the `Asian century that Prime Minister Julia Gillard invited us to consider when she launched her White paper this week? How truly innovative will Australia need to be to take full advantage of the epic shifts in the countries in our region...are we up to it?
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8:50 Arts round-up: Katrina Strickland
Katrina Strickland reviews several events and exhibitions around the country.
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8:40 A Traveller's Tale: Walking Across the Western...
Ken McGregor walked 1300km from Alice Springs to Kiwirrkurra across the Western Desert to raise money for a mobile dialysis unit for remote communities in the Western Desert. Along the way he got to see a remote part of the world in a way very few people have.
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8:20 Message on a bottle - health labels on alcoholic...
As Choice launches its "Truth in Labelling" campaign, we take a look at labels on alcohol. Should the labels contain warnings about the dangers of alcohol, like cigarettes? And is the Drinkwise voluntary labelling campaign a respnsible step by the industry or just an attempt to capture the agenda before the discussion even starts?
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8:05 The problem with patents and chronic disease
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of death around the world, and more than 80% of those deaths are occurring in developing countries. In this time of crisis the UN met earlier this week to work out a way to tackle this problem. But is the first world joining with big pharmaceutical companies to deny developing countries access to cheaper medicines?
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