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.

Show Notes

Books by Andrew J. Fowler - 

Nuked: The Submarine Fiasco that Sank Australia’s Sovereignty, 2024

(New Edition) The Most Dangerous Man in the World: Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Fight for Freedom, 2020

Secret Australia – contributor, 2020

Shooting the Messenger: Criminalising Journalism, 2018

The War on Journalism: Media Moguls, Whistleblowers and the Price of Freedom, 2015

The Most Dangerous Man in the World: Julian Assange and the inside story on WikiLeaks, 2011

Twitter:

@AndrewJFowler

Wikimedia Commons:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fowler_(journalist)

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.
Show Notes
Books by Andrew J. Fowler - 
Nuked: The Submarine Fiasco that Sank Australia’s Sovereignty, 2024
(New Edition) The Most Dangerous Man in the World: Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Fight for Freedom, 2020
Secret Australia – contributor, 2020
Shooting the Messenger: Criminalising Journalism, 2018
The War on Journalism: Media Moguls, Whistleblowers and the Price of Freedom, 2015
The Most Dangerous Man in the World: Julian Assange and the inside story on WikiLeaks, 2011
Twitter:
@AndrewJFowler
Wikimedia Commons:
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fowler_(journalist)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fowler_(journalist)</a>

The Focus is the flagship current affairs podcast of SAGE International, an independent, Adelaide-based geopolitical  think tank.

Hosted by Dr. John Bruni—a veteran geopolitical commentator with over 24 years in the Australian media—The Focus brings a critical edge to global affairs. John's expertise is built on decades of experience, including time with the Royal United Services Institute of Australia, work as a university lecturer, senatorial foreign affairs adviser, analyst for Jane’s Intelligence Review, and Gulf-based military analyst.

Produced by Neil Smart, The Focus cuts through the noise of biased media to deliver sharp, informed insights into the major issues shaping Australia and the world. In an age of global disruption and complexity, knowing which questions to ask is more vital than ever.

The Focus&nbsp;is the flagship current affairs podcast of&nbsp;SAGE International, an independent, Adelaide-based geopolitical &nbsp;think tank.
Hosted by&nbsp;Dr. John Bruni&mdash;a veteran geopolitical commentator with over 24 years in the Australian media&mdash;The Focus&nbsp;brings a critical edge to global affairs. John's expertise is built on decades of experience, including time with the&nbsp;Royal United Services Institute of Australia, work as a university lecturer, senatorial foreign affairs adviser, analyst for&nbsp;Jane&rsquo;s Intelligence Review, and Gulf-based military analyst.
Produced by&nbsp;Neil Smart,&nbsp;The Focus&nbsp;cuts through the noise of biased media to deliver sharp, informed insights into the major issues shaping Australia and the world. In an age of global disruption and complexity, knowing which questions to ask is more vital than ever.

The Focus

Julian Assange: Andrew J. Fowler

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-level panel discussion, Dr. John Bruni is joined by Lt. General Ravi Shankar (Retd.), former Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army, and Professor Salvatore Babones, political economist at the University of Sydney, to examine India’s evolving role in global geopolitics.

Show Notes

Guests

Lt. General Ravi Shankar (Retd.) is the former Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army and currently serves as Professor of Practice in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras. With a distinguished military career spanning decades, he is a respected commentator on India’s defence posture, China–India dynamics, Pakistan, and broader strategic affairs.

The Gunner’s Shot (YouTube Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@gunnersshot 

General Shankar regularly publishes strategic and military analyses through his channel.

Professor Salvatore Babones is a Political Economist and Globalisation Scholar at the University of Sydney. His work focuses on great-power competition, global inequality, and the structural dynamics shaping U.S.–China–India relations.

Recent Books by Salvatore Babones:

The Global Political Economy of the Indo-Pacific (2024)
American Tianxia: Chinese Money, American Power, and the End of History (2023)
The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts (2022)

Is India still a strategic partner of the United States &mdash; or is it becoming an independent pole in a rapidly shifting global order? In this high-level panel discussion, Dr. John Bruni is joined by Lt. General Ravi Shankar (Retd.), former Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army, and Professor Salvatore Babones, political economist at the University of Sydney, to examine India&rsquo;s evolving role in global geopolitics.
Show Notes
Guests
Lt. General Ravi Shankar (Retd.) is the former Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army and currently serves as Professor of Practice in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras. With a distinguished military career spanning decades, he is a respected commentator on India&rsquo;s defence posture, China&ndash;India dynamics, Pakistan, and broader strategic affairs.
The Gunner&rsquo;s Shot (YouTube Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@gunnersshot&nbsp;
General Shankar regularly publishes strategic and military analyses through his channel.
Professor Salvatore Babones is a Political Economist and Globalisation Scholar at the University of Sydney. His work focuses on great-power competition, global inequality, and the structural dynamics shaping U.S.&ndash;China&ndash;India relations.
Recent Books by Salvatore Babones:
The Global Political Economy of the Indo-Pacific (2024) American Tianxia: Chinese Money, American Power, and the End of History (2023) The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts (2022)

India in the Era of Pax Trumpicana

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 Minnesota.

Show Notes:

Episode Description

From Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., Minnesota has become the epicentre of seismic political conflict — from mass protests to intense debates over immigration enforcement, federal power, and public accountability. We explore how the state’s recent upheavals reflect broader shifts in U.S. political life, and what they reveal about leadership, legitimacy, and the social fabric of American civic life.

About the Guest

Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a leading site for global political analysis, and a frequent commentator on major international TV and radio outlets.

EA WorldView – https://eaworldview.com/

UCD Clinton Institute – https://www.ucdclinton.ie/

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 Minnesota.
Show Notes:
Episode Description
From Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., Minnesota has become the epicentre of seismic political conflict &mdash; from mass protests to intense debates over immigration enforcement, federal power, and public accountability. We explore how the state&rsquo;s recent upheavals reflect broader shifts in U.S. political life, and what they reveal about leadership, legitimacy, and the social fabric of American civic life.
About the Guest
Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin.&nbsp;He is the&nbsp;founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a leading site for global political analysis, and a frequent commentator on major international TV and radio outlets.
EA WorldView &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://eaworldview.com/">https://eaworldview.com/</a>
UCD Clinton Institute &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucdclinton.ie/">https://www.ucdclinton.ie/</a>

The Minnesota Moment

The first episode of The Focus for 2026 opens with a wide-ranging and hard-edged conversation with political theorist and commentator Roy Casagranda.
As global politics enters a period of heightened uncertainty, Dr Bruni and Casagranda examine the strategic, political, and moral pressures shaping the international system — from the Americas to Europe and the Middle East. The discussion explores the return of transactional politics, the limits of moral clarity in foreign policy, and how domestic political shifts are reshaping global decision-making.


This episode sets the tone for The Focus in 2026: analytical, unsentimental, and grounded in strategic reality.

Topics Covered

Transactionalism, power, and the erosion of norms in international affairs
Venezuela, energy politics, and strategic leverage
Europe’s strategic unease and leadership fatigue
Public opinion, populism, and the changing voter landscape
What 2026 reveals about the durability — or fragility — of the global order 

Why This Episode Matters

As governments grapple with overlapping crises — political, economic, and security-related — this conversation cuts through surface-level narratives to examine how power is actually being exercised, justified, and contested.
For policymakers, analysts, and engaged citizens alike, this episode offers a sobering but necessary assessment of where the world is heading.

About the Guest

Roy Casagranda is a political theorist and commentator specialising in political philosophy, leadership, and the intersection of power and morality in modern politics.

The first episode of The Focus for 2026 opens with a wide-ranging and hard-edged conversation with political theorist and commentator Roy Casagranda. As global politics enters a period of heightened uncertainty, Dr Bruni and Casagranda examine the strategic, political, and moral pressures shaping the international system &mdash; from the Americas to Europe and the Middle East. The discussion explores the return of transactional politics, the limits of moral clarity in foreign policy, and how domestic political shifts are reshaping global decision-making.
 This episode sets the tone for The Focus in 2026: analytical, unsentimental, and grounded in strategic reality.
Topics Covered
Transactionalism, power, and the erosion of norms in international affairs Venezuela, energy politics, and strategic leverage Europe&rsquo;s strategic unease and leadership fatigue Public opinion, populism, and the changing voter landscape What 2026 reveals about the durability &mdash; or fragility &mdash; of the global order&nbsp;
Why This Episode Matters
As governments grapple with overlapping crises &mdash; political, economic, and security-related &mdash; this conversation cuts through surface-level narratives to examine how power is actually being exercised, justified, and contested. For policymakers, analysts, and engaged citizens alike, this episode offers a sobering but necessary assessment of where the world is heading.
About the Guest
Roy Casagranda is a political theorist and commentator specialising in political philosophy, leadership, and the intersection of power and morality in modern politics.

Julian Assange: Andrew J. Fowler

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