x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Focus

Auscast Network

The Focusis the flagship current affairs podcast ofSAGE International, an independent, Adelaide-based geopolitical think tank. Hosted byDr. John Bruni—a veteran geopolitical commentator with over 24 years in the Australian media—The Focusbrings a critical edge to global affairs. John"s expertise is built on decades of experience, including time with theRoyal United Services Institute of Australia, work as a university lecturer, senatorial foreign affairs adviser, analyst forJane’s

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

30:29

Putting 'the God' back into Creation?

The Focus ·

2021/11/04

Was our universe created by intelligent beings? Are we all part of some grand experiment? Harvard Professor and New York Times Bestselling author Avi Loeb speaks with John about his latest controversial supposition which he published in October’s Scientific American. Hold on to your hats folks, this is a pretty wild ride!Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

40:33

Cambodia and the Hun Sen Regime

The Focus ·

2021/11/01

Since the tragedy that gripped the country of Cambodia during the 1970s under the genocidal rule of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge, the country has managed to re-stabilise itself and even to prosper under long time Prime Minister Hun Sen. But after 37 years in power, has Hun Sen’s lustre waned? In this episode John speaks with journalist David Hutt to find out more.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See

en-US

41:59

The Hard Problem of Syria

The Focus ·

2021/10/17

The Civil War in Syria has been ongoing since 2011. A multisided conflict against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad which also involves the United States, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Southern Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, Syria is a chessboard of a complicated strategic game for the heart of the Levant. To discuss this, John is joined by returning guest, Professor Scott Lucas from the UK’s University of Birmingham.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See

en-US

54:24

How Invincible is the People’s Republic?

The Focus ·

2021/10/11

The People’s Republic of China and Australia are enjoying their worst relations in decades. Australia sees itself as a front-line state in an overarching Sino-American Cold War in the Indo-Pacific. Central to this Cold War is a battle for influence whereby Beijing dominates all of Asia and displaces America’s forward military presence in the region. Western media has long touted that China is a rising superpower and that its ‘superpowerdom' is inevitable. But how inevitable is it

en-US

50:05

The Horror and Mortal Terror of Yemen, A State in...

The Focus ·

2021/10/09

Yemen is a human tragedy on a massive scale. The ongoing civil war is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The local militant factions, Sunni or Shiite, northern or southern, Saudi-backed or Emirati-backed have lost any sense of their culture or their country. The international media has abandoned Yemen as an issue, Western NGO’s while thick on the ground trying to do some of the world’s worst work in an active war zone are unable, or maybe even unwilling to bend to the needs

en-US

43:41

Shifting gears? Germany, post Merkel

The Focus ·

2021/10/05

The last German National election (26 Sept. 2021) was atypical in that there was no incumbent from the ruling party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) fighting for re-election. Indeed, long-time German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the steady hand of German politics had retired, leaving the party’s fortunes to new CDU leader Armin Laschet. With Laschet & the CDU having lost the election, what lies ahead for Germany and Europe? Will there be change or will things remain the same. To discuss

en-US

27:52

Big Bang Theory: Gamow vs. Hoyle and the War to...

The Focus ·

2021/09/23

In this episode John is joined by Professor of Physics at the University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, author and public intellectual Paul Halpern where they discuss Paul’s latest book: Flashes of Creation. George Gamow, Fred Hoyle, AND THE GREAT BIG BANG DEBATE. This debate was central to our understanding of the shape and nature of the universe and an important milestone in the development of contemporary cosmology.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See

en-US

41:55

On Stoicism

The Focus ·

2021/09/14

We live in an age of great uncertainly and fear. With Climate Change affecting our global commons with no guaranteed way of stopping it and COVID-19 disrupting our lives it is easy for us all to give into despair. But from ancient times an old European philosophy holds the key to keeping us rational and upright in spite of the things that frighten us. Stoicism. We often talk about people being Stoic, but do we really know what this means? In this episode John speaks withMassimo Pigliucci. Massimo is

en-US

45:36

Afghanistan Lost: The War that Was Ours for the Losing

The Focus ·

2021/09/07

In this episode of The Focus we take a blow-torch to the fall of Kabul and the implications of this seminal event. Who’s to blame for the disaster? How did it go so badly wrong? Were there any winners? In this episode of The Focus, John speaks with Georgetown University’s Dr. Christine Fair to find out. We guarantee that you haven’t heard this sort of analysis anywhere on the mainstream media!Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See

en-US

31:01

Escape from Myanmar: And the Tragedy of a Fragile...

The Focus ·

2021/08/31

In this episode of The Focus, we speak with Burmese journalist-in-exile Mratt Kyaw Thu. Mratt escaped from Myanmar in the aftermath of the Burmese military coup that unseated leader Ang San Suu Kyi in February of this year. We ask Mratt about his own travails and the problems within his long-troubled & often overlooked country.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

31:59

Is Sino-American Co-operation in Space Possible?

The Focus ·

2021/08/24

In this episode of The Focus we look at whether it is possible to conceive of Sino-American cooperation in space. During the high point of the Cold War, American and Soviet space programs did find a point at which they could cooperate. The iconic imagery of the Soyuz-Apollo mission was symbolic of the period known as Detente where both the US and USSR sought to deescalate international tensions. Could a similar style of program work to deescalate current tensions between the People’s Republic

en-US

33:42

South Africa: Are Recent Riots & Looting The End of...

The Focus ·

2021/08/17

Last month, a spate of riots and looting in South Africa followed the arrest of former South African President Jacob Zuma. The international media at the time showed images that truely looked as though South Africa was on the verge of civil war. Since then, things seemed to have quietened down, however, some political commentators have suggested that the riots spoke of something deeply troubling in South Africa. That there seems to be an inherent instability within the country. Can the government of

en-US

31:05

Lebanon: No Country of Wise Leaders

The Focus ·

2021/08/11

Lebanon has long been known as a place of civil war, military occupation as well as weak and poor governance. The Lebanese capital Beirut, once dubbed the Paris of the Middle East has fallen into disrepair. Corrupt tribal, clan and sectarian politics has picked the bones clean from the Lebanese state leaving Southern Lebanese Hezbollah as the country’s only true power centre. This group, considered by Israel and the West and a terrorist organisation and an active proxy of Iran, is

en-US

0:55

SUBSCRIBE NOW - 'The Focus' is coming soon to The...

The Focus ·

2021/08/02

The news today is often biased at the personal, organisational and structural levels, polarising our societies. The Focus is a program designed to cut through this bias to get at the heart of a topic. Join Host Dr. John Bruni and Producers Malcolm Hughes and Neil Smart as they examine the pressing issues of our time whether in Australia or overseas. In an interdependent, troubled and fast-moving world, knowing what questions to ask can lead us to understand and adapt to new and disruptive

en-US

134 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger