The Focus

Trump has lost Congress. But has he really lost control of America's future? The 2026 US midterm elections have delivered a dramatic political reversal. Democrats have seized control of both chambers of Congress, raising fundamental questions about Donald Trump's remaining presidency, his economic legacy and America's place in the world. But is Trump politically wounded — or is his presidenc...

Could Europe survive a major security crisis without American military support? For decades, European security has rested on a fundamental assumption: when the worst happens, the United States will stand alongside its NATO allies. But what happens when that assumption is no longer guaranteed? In Episode 122 of The Focus Podcast, Dr John Bruni welcomes CDRE Patrick Tyrrell OBE RN (Ret.), former Roy...

Pakistan is under pressure. Its economy is struggling, insurgencies threaten internal stability, and tensions with India remain unresolved. But with China investing heavily in its strategic infrastructure and Saudi Arabia deepening its defence relationship with Islamabad, could Pakistan's problems become a much wider regional crisis? In the inaugural edition of Dispatches from India, Dr John Bruni...

You’ve heard the extraordinary UAP claims. But how do you judge them when the evidence remains out of reach? Harvard astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb joins Dr John Bruni on The Focus to examine the claims surrounding Jay Stratton—and the questions that matter if you want to separate compelling testimony from verifiable evidence. At stake is more than whether we are alone. It is how we...

Hitting Russia harder might inflict more damage. But what turns that damage into victory—and what would victory actually look like? Former US Army Europe commander Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges joins Dr John Bruni on The Focus Podcast to examine Ukraine’s options, Russia’s vulnerabilities and the difficult choices facing Western governments. At the centre of the conversati...

Could the November 2026 US midterms reshape Donald Trump’s presidency—and how far would the consequences travel beyond America? Dr John Bruni welcomes Professor Scott Lucas to The Focus for a discussion of the prospect of a Democratic “blue wave”, the pressures facing the Republican Party, and the capacity of America’s institutions to hold presidential power accountab...

Can military superiority compensate for bad strategy? In this special episode of The Focus, Dr John Bruni speaks with Sir Lawrence Freedman—one of the world’s foremost authorities on strategy and war—about the strategic failures shaping today’s increasingly interconnected conflicts. Using the Iran War as a starting point, Sir Lawrence explains why strategy remains an art ra...

Australia is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse societies—but is it truly multicultural? In Episode 116 of The Focus, Dr John Bruni speaks with Associate Professor Salvatore Babones, political sociologist at the University of Sydney, about immigration, assimilation and what he calls “the multicultural myth.” Babones argues that Australia is a multiracial society hel...

On September 10, 2001, the United States stood at the height of its power. Twenty-five years later, what happened to the American moment? In this special 25th-anniversary episode of The Focus, Dr John Bruni sits down with historian and political scientist Professor Roy Casagranda for a sweeping — and at times fiercely provocative — conversation about America before 9/11, the choices it...

What if Russia’s most dangerous weapon isn’t the one that starts a war — but the one that keeps us permanently on the edge of one? From drones over European airports and sabotage to cyberattacks, disinformation and military intimidation, Russia is testing NATO below the threshold of open conflict. But how far can Moscow push before someone miscalculates? In this episode of The Fo...

India has spent decades pursuing strategic autonomy. But what happens when the world around it begins choosing sides? In this episode of The Focus Podcast, Dr John Bruni is joined by LTGEN (Ret.) Ravi Shankar to examine India's increasingly complex strategic position as instability surrounding Iran reshapes the Middle East and reaches deep into South Asia. At the centre of the discussion is a larg...

From pandemics and wars to artificial intelligence, geopolitical rivalry, and presidential candidates, the pace of change has never been faster. Yet governments, businesses and intelligence agencies continue to be caught off guard by events they often should have seen coming. Why? In this episode of The Focus, Dr John Bruni speaks with strategic foresight expert Patti Morrissey about why strategic...

How did Colombia defeat the FARC—and what can other democracies learn from its experience? In Part 2 of my conversation with General Alberto José Mejía Ferrero, former Commander of the Colombian Armed Forces, we continue our examination of counterinsurgency, national resilience and the long campaign that transformed Colombia’s security environment. We begin with Colombia&...

How does a democracy defeat one of the world's longest-running insurgencies? For more than fifty years, Colombia fought a brutal conflict against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)—a war fuelled by ideology, narcotics trafficking and some of the most challenging terrain on Earth. Yet against the odds, Colombia changed the strategic balance. I n Part One of this special two-par...

In Part 2 of this in-depth conversation, Dr John Bruni continues his discussion with economist Dr Jenny Gordon to examine one of the defining questions of the 21st century: who shapes the global economic system in an era of great-power competition, technological disruption and growing public discontent? From the role of governments in setting the rules of the economy to the impact of artificial in...

Few conflicts have shaped global politics as profoundly—or generated as much division—as the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians. Yet meaningful discussion is often replaced by slogans, outrage, and competing narratives. In this episode of The Focus Podcast, Dr John Bruni is joined by internationally renowned Palestinian journalist, historian, and author Ramzy Baroud for an in-d...

Can Japan become the Indo-Pacific's indispensable strategic power? For decades, Japan has been viewed as an economic powerhouse constrained by its post-war constitution and reliance on the United States for its security. Today, that assumption is being tested. As strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, Japan finds itself confronting an increasingly assertive China, a nuclear-arm...

🌐 The global balance is shifting. For decades, economists claimed trade would keep the peace—but what happens when the world’s two biggest superpowers weaponise trade against each other? 🇺🇸 vs 🇨🇳 Who really holds the power? Has globalisation created an economic ticking time bomb—where neither side can strike without risking total financial meltdown? And what about countries caug...

Britain’s Defence Secretary has resigned. NATO is transforming. Europe is rearming. So is Britain 🇬🇧 still a serious power? Against this backdrop, the recent resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey over the Defence Investment Plan has reignited debate over whether Britain is matching its ambitions with the resources needed to achieve them.  Show notes: Professor Julian Lindley-Fren...

A global power shift is underway—and most people haven't realised how profound it is. From the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz to Ukraine, China, energy security, economics, and the future of American power, Professor Roy Casagranda maps the emerging strategic landscape and explains why today's crises may be early indicators of a much larger transformation in world affairs. This convers...

Are UFOs real — or are humans simply terrible witnesses? In this thought-provoking episode of The Focus Podcast, Avi Loeb joins John Bruni to explore the dangerous intersection of UFOs/UAPs, artificial intelligence, military surveillance systems, and the limits of human perception. As AI increasingly interprets battlefield data faster than humans can, could false positives, hallucinations, o...

For decades, the West operated under a simple assumption: American power would underpin global stability indefinitely. But today, that assumption is under growing pressure. In this episode of The Focus Podcast, John Bruni speaks with Andrew A. Michta about the future of NATO, Europe’s rapid rearmament, the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the limits of American power, and whether the post-Cold War...

What happens when middle powers stop trusting the old global order? In this episode of The Focus, host John Bruni speaks with Kishore Mahbubani — one of the world’s leading geopolitical thinkers — about the growing fragmentation of the international system, the future of American leadership, the rise of Asia, and whether middle powers can shape the emerging global order rather th...

Is the United States still the stabilising force of the international system — or has it become part of the instability? In our first episode back, Professor Scott Lucas joins John Bruni to unpack the Iran War, the growing global energy crisis, NATO’s deepening anxiety, and whether Trump-era America has entered a state of permanent political and strategic turbulence. From the Strait of...

George Mamalis joins us for a deep dive into South Australia, political power, and the future of the Australian system. Australia’s political landscape is shifting — and not just in South Australia. In this episode of The Focus, we explore the deeper forces reshaping politics across the country. Dr. John Bruni sits down with George-Alexander Mamalis — political commentator and ho...