Weekend One on One

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Go behind the headlines and hear what the newsmakers themselves have to say. In this weekend series, we’ll be getting experience, analysis, and understanding in extended interviews with the people who really know what’s going on.

  1. 18h ago

    Platypus population decline sparks calls for stronger protections

    Conservationists are calling for government funding to count the population of the platypus over the next decade.

  2. 1d ago

    INTERVIEW: Can Australia beat its feral cat crisis? The fight to save native wildlife

    Feral cats are one of the biggest threats to Australia's native wildlife, having contributed to the extinction of at least 20 mammal species. In this interview, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy explains how researchers are tackling the problem through habitat restoration, targeted control programs and cutting-edge genetic research. The discussion also explores why Australia's wildlife is especially vulnerable to cats, the role of pet cats in wildlife decline, and why experts remain hopeful that many threatened species can recover. Paulien Roessink from SBS Dutch is speaking to Joey Clarke from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. In this interview, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy explains how researchers are tackling the problem of feral cats and their impact on native wildlife. These are the main points of the interview:Feral cats are a major driver of Australia's extinction crisisCats have spread across more than 99% of Australia and have played a significant role in the extinction of at least 20 native mammal species, contributing to Australia's record as the world's worst country for mammal extinctions.Cats have a broader impact than foxesWhile foxes are also a serious threat, cats occupy a much larger range across Australia, including areas where foxes are absent. Together, cats and foxes have devastated populations of small and medium-sized native mammals such as bandicoots, bettongs and hopping mice.Researchers are testing multiple ways to control feral catsThe Australian Wildlife Conservancy is combining traditional methods such as fenced wildlife sanctuaries, baiting, trapping and shooting with habitat management strategies, including improved fire regimes and removing feral herbivores to make landscapes safer for native species.Genetic research could offer a future breakthroughIn partnership with CSIRO, researchers are mapping feral cat genomes to better understand population movements and explore the long-term possibility of genetic biocontrol technologies that could reduce cat populations over generations.Protecting wildlife and pets can go hand in handThe interview highlights that free-roaming domestic cats also have a significant impact on wildlife. Keeping pet cats contained not only protects native animals but can also safeguard cats from threats such as bird flu and other environmental risks.

  3. 3d ago

    INTERVIEW: Why has the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates? And what are the effects?

    For the first time since 2023, the US Federal Reserve board has voted to raise interest rates. The Fed also flagged further increases in borrowing costs in coming months, with new US central bank chief Kevin Warsh joining a unanimous decision that effectively acknowledges the Trump administration's inability so far to control inflation. While President Donald Trump had promised to lower prices on his watch, the combined impact of his global import tariffs, an energy shock following the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, and capital spending from the artificial intelligence boom has kept price pressures intense enough that the Fed felt it needed to raise its benchmark overnight interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, putting it into the 3.75-to-four-per-cent range. Economist Jill Cetina of the Texas A&M University Mays Business School explains this unanimous decision and the impact it can have on the economy.

  4. 6d ago

    INTERVIEW: Snake season is here: what are the chances of getting bitten?

    Springtime doesn't just bring a shift in weather and more sunshine; it also marks the beginning of snake season. Australia is home to over 170 land and sea snake varieties, including around 100 venomous species and 12 that are likely to inflict a wound that causes death. In 2024-25, more than 2,100 Australians presented to hospital due to a snake bite, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. But WIRES, the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service, says snakes generally don't attack people unless provoked. For more on this, SBS chatted with WIRES spokesperson and snake enthusiast, John Grant.

  5. Sep 11

    INTERVIEW: Have images of 9-11 triggered anxiety in you?

    This week we have been bombarded with video footage and memories of the 9-11 terror attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. For those of us who reported on it at the time, it remains a defining moment in our lives - we will never forget it. And for many people around the world, as they watch the Twin Towers crumble and the almost incredible change in the world as a result, it is understandably something that is seared in their memories. And for many people, not just in America but around the world, those recurring images will have brought back unwelcome thought and concerns. They can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD symptoms or general anxiety for many people. Dr Jaryd Hiser is a psychologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and he explains what the stress reaction warning signs are that we should watch for, and shares coping tips and when to seek professional help.

  6. Sep 10

    INTERVIEW: How is the Government's plan to end gender-based violence in a generation progressing?

    Last year, Australian police recorded almost 40,000 reports of sexual assault, down one per cent from the record high recorded in 2024. Six out of ten occurred outside family or intimate partner relationships, highlighting sexual assault as a distinct national problem. These are some of the statistics highlighted in the Domestic, Family and Sexual Commissioner's annual update to parliament. It's the Commission's third update since 2022, when Labor launched its plan to end gender-based violence in a generation. To hear more, SBS reporter Tee Mitchell spoke to Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin.

  7. Sep 5

    Australia is riding an AI wave - but how is it impacting student learning?

    SBS reporter Natalie Poyhonen speaks to Professor Leslie Loble from UTS, previously a deputy secretary in the NSW department of Education, about for the future of teaching, research and learning in the age of Artificial Intelligence.

  8. Sep 1

    Was the Nepal flood a disaster waiting to happen?

    Was it just a matter of time before circumstances caused the flooding disaster in Nepal? Alton Byers is a mountain geographer and a faculty research scientist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He specializes in applied research, high altitude ecosystems, glacier hazards, and implementation of integrated conservation and development programs in the Himalayas, Andes, and East African Highlands. He's told the Associated Press that climate change is affecting the structure of mountain geology around the world.

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About

Go behind the headlines and hear what the newsmakers themselves have to say. In this weekend series, we’ll be getting experience, analysis, and understanding in extended interviews with the people who really know what’s going on.

Information

  • Channel
    SBS News
  • Creator
    SBS
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    257
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025, Special Broadcasting Services
  • Show Website
    Weekend One on One

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