Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Today's show is all about Israel's pager and walkie talkie attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon. Rudyard argues that you can't continuously fire rockets at civilian neighbourhoods in northern Israel without expecting a response. But Hezboallah is not Hamas: its army has a vast and sophisticated weapons arsenal that has the potential to overwhelm Israel's defense capabilities. Janice and Rudyard disagree over Iran's level of influence over Hamas and Hezbollah. Are they puppets of Tehran, or partners with similar objectives? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice discuss the long term global ramifications of using this type of advanced technology in warfare. How does international law apply? Both worry that in the age of AI, civilian infrastructure has become part of the battlefield and anybody with access to code can weaponise everything from our phones to our fridges.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.
The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.
Today's show is all about Israel's pager and walkie talkie attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon. Rudyard argues that you can't continuously fire rockets at civilian neighbourhoods in northern Israel without expecting a response. But Hezboallah is not Hamas: its army has a vast and sophisticated weapons arsenal that has the potential to overwhelm Israel's defense capabilities. Janice and Rudyard disagree over Iran's level of influence over Hamas and Hezbollah. Are they puppets of Tehran, or partners with similar objectives? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice discuss the long term global ramifications of using this type of advanced technology in warfare. How does international law apply? Both worry that in the age of AI, civilian infrastructure has become part of the battlefield and anybody with access to code can weaponise everything from our phones to our fridges.
To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a <a href="https://munkdebates.com/donate">donor</a> to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.
More information at <a href="https://open.acast.com/shows/6008b82f0c8488532b25d16c/episodes/www.munkdebates.com">www.munkdebates.com</a>.

The Munk Debates podcast is an extension of the main stage events - in subject, speaker selection, tone and format. It will introduce the iconic brand - and its engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.

The Munk Debates podcast is an extension of the main stage events - in subject, speaker selection, tone and format. It will introduce the iconic brand - and its engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.

The Munk Debates Podcast

The Munk Debates Podcast is dedicated to convening civil and substantive debates and dialogues on the big issues of the day. Each debate features two compelling thinkers debating a topic driving the public conversation. Each dialogue features world-renowned thinkers offering unique insight into the issues affecting us most. The podcast is an extension of the charitable Munk Debates' commitment to pushing back against the political polarization and restoring the art of public debate in our time. For more information about the Munk Debates visit www.munkdebates.com/podcast

The Munk Debates Podcast is dedicated to convening civil and substantive debates and dialogues on the big issues of the day. Each debate features two compelling thinkers debating a topic driving the public conversation. Each dialogue features world-renowned thinkers offering unique insight into the issues affecting us most. The podcast is an extension of the charitable Munk Debates' commitment to pushing back against the political polarization and restoring the art of public debate in our time. For more information about the Munk Debates visit www.munkdebates.com/podcast

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