Cults, cuisines and economies: 2 August, 2026

The anniversary of Arthur Calwell’s 1945 “populate or perish” speech that shaped Australia, the first polls open for the next UN Secretary General, why Indonesia's economy is on a downturn, and an author who's work took her to the heart of insidious cults. Plus, a dictionary of Parramatta, traditional Middle Eastern cooking going viral, war journalist turned author Mohammed Massoud Morsi on The Year That Made Me, and a tribute to beloved bird-watcher Bill Oddie.