The Focus

Australia’s Political Reset

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

George Mamalis joins us for a deep dive into South Australia, political power, and the future of the Australian system. Australia’s political la...

World War E

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Two wars are raging in the world right now: Ukraine and Iran. Both are, at their core, energy wars. Modern economies depend on cheap and reliable supp...

NATO After 5 Years of the Russia-Ukraine War.

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds into its fifth year, the geopolitical map is shifting in real time.In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Brun...

ADF: Boutique Capability or Credible Deterrence?

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Is Australia’s Defence Capability Strong — or Structurally Vulnerable? Australia talks constantly about defence capability. But if...

India in the Era of Pax Trumpicana

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is India still a strategic partner of the United States — or is it becoming an independent pole in a rapidly shifting global order?In this high-...

The Minnesota Moment

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In our second episode for 2026, John is joined by returning guest Professor Scott Lucas to talk about the recent tragic events in the U.S. state of Mi...

Pax Trumpicana

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The first episode of The Focus for 2026 opens with a wide-ranging and hard-edged conversation with political theorist and commentator Roy Casagranda.A...

Britain in Crisis

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Britain enters 2025 facing economic strain, strategic uncertainty, and intensifying global competition. In this hard-hitting year-end special, Dr John...

The Geopolitics of Climate Change

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is the climate debate more complex than we’re being told? In this episode of The Focus, Dr John Bruni sits down with Professor Ian Plimer &...

Can the West Still Lead?

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with leading strategist Professor Andrew A. Michta about whether the West is i...

EU Rising? Defence, Ukraine & Populism

08 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

🇪🇺 Is Europe finally rising as a defence power?As the war in Ukraine grinds on and populist politics reshape Europe, the EU faces a histori...

SITREP | Tracking a World in Flux

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, Dr John Bruni speaks with CTO of NY-based company Artorias, Shane Curtis, about how truth is shaped, challenged, and wea...

Ceasefire Politics | What’s Next?

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when ceasefire becomes status quo? In this episode of The Focus, John Bruni interviews Israeli scholar Dr Ori Goldberg on the f...

Trump 47 | Power without Restraint

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two years after the October 7 attacks, the world remains caught between memory and escalation.In this gripping episode, Dr John Bruni sits down w...

India’s Global Gamble

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India is no longer a silent player in world politics. As the U.S. courts New Delhi, Russia relies on Indian markets, China looms across the border, an...

Indo-Pacific Fault Lines

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We sit down with Yuki Tatsumi to explore foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. From the US-Japan alliance to ties with Aus...

India’s Strategic Tightrope

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India is rising — but what does that mean on the frontlines? 🇮🇳 In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with Lt. Gen...

Beyond Bali | Australia-Indonesia Relations

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Australia and Indonesia are tied together by geography — but how well do we really understand each other? Despite being close neighbours, relati...

Who Speaks for Earth?

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS wasn’t natural — but alien technology? In this special episode of The Focus, D...

Summits of Uncertainty | Putin, Trump & Europe

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Europe stands on shaky ground. With Trump floating “peace plans” for Ukraine, Putin pressing his advantage, and NATO allies second-guessin...

The Mexican Cartels

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mexico’s cartels aren’t just crime syndicates—they’re power brokers shaping politics, security, and the U.S.–Mexico bord...

💥 Can high-tech warfare be ethical — or does it just make war endless?

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yale professor Samuel Moyn joins us to explore how drones, AI, and precision strikes have transformed modern conflict. Based on his book&nbs...

Stoicism and Resilience in a Broken World

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can ancient Stoicism help us face today’s crazy world? In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with philosopher Prof. Massimo P...

🎙️ India: Not America’s Sidekick | Salvatore Babones on The Focus

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. John Bruni speaks with Prof. Salvatore Babones about U.S.–India relations, Modi’s strategic balancing act, the Quad, an...

Europe’s Defence Dilemma

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges joins us to unpack Europe’s growing defence dilemma. As U.S. support for NATO faces polit...

Trump World II: Power, Peace, Politics

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Roy Casagranda returns to The Focus to explore the global and domestic impact of a second Trump term—covering democracy, immigrati...

Trade Under Siege

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with economist Nicolas Michelon on how protectionism and power politics are reshaping global ...

Lebanon at a Crossroad

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is General Joseph Aoun the man to rescue Lebanon’s institutions? Can the Lebanese Armed Forces disarm Hezbollah? Can the Lebanese state recover ...

Israel’s ’Total War’

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Israel vs. Iran: What Drives Tehran’s Strategy? Dr. Ori Goldberg joins The Focus to decode ideology, deterrence, and the risks of a wi...

Australia | Meeting America’s Demands

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is Australia charting its own defence course—or simply meeting U.S. demands? Dr. John Bruni speaks with strategist Dr. Peter Layton on AUKUS, st...

Can Taiwan Survive?

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️As China increases military pressure and Trump 47 reshapes U.S. foreign policy, Taiwan’s future is more uncertain than ever.Dr. John Brun...

Finland | A Defence Masterclass

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why does Finland still rely on conscription? And what can Australia learn from it? Brigadier General Jyri Raitasalo breaks down Finland’s &ldquo...

India-Pakistan | Nukes & Nationalism

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, host John Bruni is joined by Professor Harsh V.&nb...

100 Days that Changed America

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this gripping episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with political analyst&n...

Stand. Fight. Win.

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is Europe prepared for war? In this episode of The Focus, John Bruni speaks with former NATO commander General Sir Richard Shirreff on Ukraine, N...

Ukraine & Beyond

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special panel edition of The Focus, we bring together three of the world’s most seasoned strategic thinkers—Andrew Michta, Be...

The Chainsaw Presidency? Trump, Tariffs & the Trouble Ahead

12 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is back in the White House—and the shockwaves are global. In this episode, Professor Scott Lucas joins John Bruni to unpack the tra...

What Price Peace?

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Jeffrey Sachs joins The Focus to discuss the war in Ukraine, global power shifts, and the West’s role in the conflict. In a ...

Europe Alone | Germany’s Security in an Uncertain World

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With rapidly shifting global alliances, Germany now faces a critical security dilemma. Can Europe defend itself without unwavering U.S. support? In th...

Trump World

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does the dawn of Trump’s second presidency mean for America and the world? In this hard-hitting episode of The Focus, host&n...

Ukraine’s Nuclear Crossroads?

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can Ukraine’s security dilemma reshape the global nuclear order? Join us as we explore the chilling realities of nuclear escalation, broken internat...

Election 2024 | Postmortem

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🔥 What Will Trump 47 Mean for America and the World? 🚨 From immigration crackdowns to a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, we're diving deep with D...

Election 2024 | Democracy on the Edge?

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our latest episode of The Focus, we sit down with Dr. Roy Casagranda to delve into the high-stakes landscape of the 2024 U.S. presidential electio...

Middle East at War | Israel vs. Iran

26 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🔥 Iran's Largest Missile Barrage Yet! 🔥 In this explosive episode of The Focus, we dive into the unprecedented Iranian missile strikes on Isr...

A Harris Doctrine? Kamala Harris' Foreign Policy

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a new 'Harris Doctrine' on the horizon? Join Yale historian Dr. Michael Brenes as we unpack Kamala Harris's foreign policy vision in our late...

AUKUS In an Age of Unrestricted Competition

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, host John Bruni sits down with Professor John Blaxland to unravel the complexities of the AUKUS security pact and i...

Unmasking Iran | Israel’s Biggest Misconceptions

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our latest episode of The Focus, we sit down with Dr. Ori Goldberg, a leading expert on Iran’s political and religious landscape, to dive deep in...

Depopulation Crisis | Point of No Return?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our latest episode of The Focus, renowned demographer Dr. Paul Morland unpacks one of the most controversial and alarming issues of our time: g...

Wagner Group After Prigozhin | Russia’s New Paramilitary Era

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this gripping episode of The Focus, we delve into the aftermath of the Wagner Group’s fall from grace and the emergence of a new era in Russian p...

Frontlines & Forecasts: Ukraine’s Kursk Gamble

25 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on "The Focus" as we dive deep into the Ukrainian Kursk Incursion with Commander of the Royal Danish Navy and YouTuber, Anders Puck Nielsen. T...

Deception & Sovereignty

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on The Focus as we delve into the world of deception and skullduggery surrounding the failed Franco-Australian Submarine Deal. Investigative...

Revolution or Ruin: Evanna Hu on AI’s Unstoppable Impact on Society

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are We Ready for AI to Surpass Human Intelligence by 2045?   Join The Focus Podcast with technologist Evanna Hu as we delve into how AI developments,...

The Powder Keg of Asia: Unveiling the Future of Taiwan with Dr. Alice Yang

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on The Focus as Dr. Alice Yang dives deep into the volatile dynamics of Taiwan's political landscape, its tense relationship with China, and...

End of Illusions: Preparing for a World of Risk and Rivalry

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on The Focus as we delve into a gripping conversation with Dr. Andrew A. Michta, senior fellow and director of the Scowcroft Strategy Initiat...

Julian Assange: Andrew J. Fowler

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for an explosive episode with investigative journalist Andrew J. Fowler as we uncover Julian Assange's path to freedom and his future moves....

Tory Extinction Level Event

30 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for an exclusive dive into the July 4, 2024 British election with UK political warhorse Chris Mullin! From insider perspectives to strategic a...

Cosmic Conversations: Avi Loeb Discusses UAP Advances and the Galileo Project

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for an electrifying episode as John reunites with Harvard's esteemed Professor Avi Loeb! It's been almost 11 months since their last conversat...

South of the Border: The Immigration Crisis - U.S. Election 2024

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The upcoming U.S. presidential election between incumbent Democrat Joe Biden & presumptive Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump is ...

Netanyahu v. Hamas - Complying with the Laws of War?

24 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John speaks with former Executive Director of Human Right’s Watch (HRW) & Princeton’s Prof. Kenneth Roth on Netanyahu v. Hama...

The Yemen Jigsaw Puzzle

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🔥 Unraveling Yemen's Political Maze: The Shocking Truth Revealed! 💥 Brace yourselves for an eye-opening conversation that shatters every preconc...

Germany’s Resurgence?

03 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode John speak with Associate Fellow of the German Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Karl-Heinz Kamp. Karl-Heinz is a specialist on German...

On Cold War 2.0

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John is again joined by US Army LTG Ben Hodges (Ret.) where they discuss noted historian, author and commentator, Professor Niall Fer...

Middle East Madness

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this espisode, the first one for 2024, we start off hot by speaking with Scott Lucas on events in the Middle East from Gaza to Lebanon and from Yem...

Can Labour’s Starmer Save Britain?

30 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this, our last episode for 2023, we have a treat for all you geopolitical junkies out there! We speak to Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to ...

Living The Beatles’ Life – The Mal Evans Story

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, one of the last for 2023, we take a lighter turn as John speaks with Prof. Kenneth Womack, Professor of English and Popular Music at...

The Democracy Dilemma: Unraveling the Fate of Nations

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview with Deakin University’s Emeritus Prof Damien Kingsbury, John discusses the main themes of Damien’s latest book “The Rise and ...

Fear the Permacrisis?

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, hot on the heels of the latest war in the Middle East, John speaks to writer and journalist Thomas Fazi to discuss ‘permacrisis’....

Repressive AI?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🧠 In this thought-provoking conversation, Steven Feldstein takes us on a captivating exploration of the dark underbelly of AI, where the lines betw...

U.S. Struggles to Restrain North Korea

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎉 Get ready to dive deep into the thrilling world of international relations! 🌍 In this electrifying episode, we've got the brilliant and dynami...

Chilean Coup: 50 Years On

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we have two incredible guests joining us for a deep dive into this pivotal moment in history. Dr. Rodrigo Acuña and Prof. Clinton Fernandes...

Sneaky War: Defeating an Adversary Through Cunning

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined once again by Dr. Sean McFate in part two of our exploration of the evolution of warfare in the 21st Century. Here we focus on Sne...

Russia v Ukraine: The Problems & Prospects for Victory

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode John is joined by former commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe, Lt. Gen Ben Hodges (Ret’d) where they have an honest discuss...

Modern War: New Wine in Old Bottles?

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode John speaks with prominent American strategist Dr. Sean McFate on the increasing use of mercenaries on the modern battlefield. Sean an...

In Search of Non-Human Intelligence (NHI): The Silver Star Expedition

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we speak once again to Harvard Professor Avi Loeb. This time we talk about his recent Silver Star Expedition. What did he find off th...

Haiti’s Mafia State

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are joined by Haitian-born writer and journalist Monique Clesca to speak about the tragic situation of her home country - the Repu...

The Prigozhin Gambit, Putin's Checkmate? Survival Favours the Bold

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus Raw, we are pleased to have British-based YouTuber, Philospher and keen observer of Russian politics - Vlad Vexler with u...

A Friend in Greed is a Friend Indeed? China & the World During an Era of Friend-shoring

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode John speaks with Edith Cowan University lecturer in international business, Dr. Naoise McDonagh on the phenomenon of ‘friend-shoring...

Putting 'the Woo' into UAP: The Peculiar Case of David Grusch

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we’re joined by US-based international debunker, Mick West where we discuss the recent claims made by former US intelligence office...

Professional Polarisers: The Case of Tucker Carlson

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re joined from the U.S. by Jeremy Barr. Jeremy is the Washington Post’s news media reporter and he’ll be giving us a run-down on the ch...

The Iraq War 20 years on

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been twenty years since the March 2003 Iraq War. The country is still unstable. The U.S. has by and large forgotten about the war and probably ...

The Future of Chatbots: A Closer Look with Peter Warren

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Focus, host John Bruni speaks with British technology and investigative journalist Peter Warren about the impact of chatbots an...

Blowing in the Wind: Spy Balloons & UAPs

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Season 3, Episode 3, John is joined by professional sceptic & science writer Mick West to talk about the recent Chinese spy balloon shoot-down ...

For Love of Money: Islam’s Uyghur Crucible in Western China

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we follow up an old story that we reported back when we were a radio show on Radio Adelaide. It’s arguably one of the world’s most...

Drones from the biology of insects

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this our first episode of The Focus for 2023, we look at some fascinating developments in drone technology taking place here in South Australia, at...

The Changing Fortunes of War: The Russia-Ukraine War 9 Months On

04 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Back in April of this year, we were lucky to have spoken with the University of Portsmouth’s Dr. Frank Ledwidge on the operational aspects of the Ru...

The Fate of War’s Innocents

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It is often said that the casualties in war are the innocents. In the Russia-Ukraine War, probably the most innocent of victims are disabled children....

The Challenges of Modern Policing

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Policing in the 21st Century is no easy thing. There’s the neoliberal impulse to do more with less people and resources. There’s the problem of bu...

Q is for Conspiracy

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered what the QAnon phenomenon is and how far reaching its power over the United States body politic? Well fear not dear listener. In this ep...

The Origin & Fate of the Neoliberal World Order

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A lot has been said about Neoliberal economics and its socio-political consequences. In this podcast, we are joined by Cambridge University’s Profes...

Breaking Mains: Lead vs. Plastic Pipes

09 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered about what transports our potable water around our city precincts? I’ll confess that I didn’t really know this was a story ...

Chasing the Mafia

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John speaks with Prof. Anna Sergi from the University of Essex on the inner workings of the mafia and more particularly the Calabrian...

Beyond the Universe’s Super-horizon

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It is probably right to say that we are now transiting from the Hubble era of astronomy to the James Webb era. In this new era, we’ll no doubt ...

Palestine: A Narrative of Hope Amid Tragedy

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are please to have back on The Focus, Dr. Ramzy Baroud. Ramzy speaks to John about the major themes of his latest book -  Our Vis...

On 'Dancing on Bones’ - Manufacturing History in the Pursuit of Absolutist Power

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode John speaks with Katie Stallard. Katie is an author and Senior Editor of the New Statesman magazine and on this, our 47th episode sinc...

Iraq on a Hot Tin Roof

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With temperatures in the low 50s, it is true to say that it is hot in the Iraqi city of Baghdad. The country, run by a care-taker administration since...

Truman, Marshall & the Opening Salvos of the Cold War

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by the Council on Foreign Relation’s (CFR) Dr. Benn Steil to talk about his book: The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold ...

Dragon Claw versus Eagle Claw: China-US fight for the Indo-Pacific

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are honoured to have on one of the giants of the Realist School of International Relations, Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of I...

Artificial Intelligence: Drone World rather than West World?

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John is joined by Toby Walsh. Toby is a leading researcher in Artificial Intelligence. He is a Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professo...

William Blake - A Man Beyond Time & Convention

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John is joined by author and journalist John Higgs where they talk about John’s new book, William Blake Versus The World. In this p...

UK Post-Johnson: A Few Cursory Thoughts

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are joined once more by former UK Labour politician, best selling author and investigative journalist, Chris Mullin. John speaks t...