Radio National Breakfast

People leave their country of birth for many reasons, and often their religion plays a role in why and where they go - we explore some recent trends. Also, is it such a bad thing to invest all one's meaning and identity into work?

For millennia, humans have revered whales as spiritual ancestors and harbingers of fortune and protection; how soil is more than just dirt; whatever happened to decency in politics; and the Catholic faith of the man who wrote the leading judgement in the landmark 1992 Mabo decision.

A seasonal lineup of stories from the ABC Religion and Ethics team.

The ancient religious significance of body modification in Judaism and Sikhism; a chat with Australian music legend John Butler; the past, present and future of Christmas carols.

A summer exhibition at the Bundanon Art Museum in New South Wales is aiming to tell the story of the women behind Arthur Boyd.It's focusing on the women who encouraged him to become an artist as well as the generations of female artists that came after him.The exhibition is 'The Hidden Line: Art of the Boyd Women'.

It's nice to have a buddy. And in humans, friendships are associated with longer, healthier lives. That, it turns out, is true of dolphins too. At least as far as the males go.A new study suggests long-term dolphin bromances don't just shape behaviour they may actually slow biological ageing.The research draws on more than forty years of data from Shark Bay in Western Australia looking at a group of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.

Vice-Chancellor of Canberra University, Bill Shorten shares his summer reading list with Barbara Miller.Summer list:Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order - Ray DalioThe Proving Ground - Michael Connelly The Map That Changed The World - Simon Winchester The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind - Simon WinchesterThe Golden Road- William Dalrymple 

There have been many calls for unity in the wake of the Bondi attacks but it's fair to say that hasn't been what we've seen from some politicians this week.There have been protracted debates about whether gun reform is necessary pressure on the federal government to launch a royal commission and accusations from the opposition that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hasn't done enough to combat antisemitism.So how is this all being received by the public? 

The Coalition says the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is "always too little and too late," after he said he'd recommended changes to family travel entitlements for politicians to the Remuneration Tribunal for consideration.Mr Albanese sought advice from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority after almost two weeks of criticism of MPs' use of family travel entitlements.Guest: James McGrath, Shadow Special Minister of State.Producer: Isadora Bogle

The government says both the Hate Crimes Database and the National Firearms Register are being "accelerated," after the deadly Bondi terrorist attack.It has announced sweeping reforms to clamp down on antisemitism and committed to strengthening gun laws with the states and territories after the incident.