The Big Issue & The Protagonists with Mike Ryan on The World Today.

Hour 1. The Big Issue.

Saving the Children - A Trojan Horse for Social Media and Internet Control.

Two of the most significant changes ever made to the way Australians use the internet come into effect this month – but most people will have heard of only one of them.

Less than three weeks after the social media ban comes into effect, search engines such as Google and Microsoft's Bing will be given up to six months to find out how old their users are before deciding what to show in search results. A group of codes, developed by the tech giants themselves but policed by the eSafety Commissioner, are trying to stop children from seeing pornography, high-impact violence, self-harm harm and suicidal content. It will hinder all Australians

So all of us will soon be forced to verify ourselves to do an internet search. This sounds akin to treating everybody seeking online information as a suspect. It is NOT about child safety.

GUESTS:

Tony Nikolic, General Manager at AFL Solicitors, is an experienced lawyer and Criminologist. Committed to social justice, he offers pro bono legal work and champions civil and human rights, Tony has expertise in whistleblower protections.

Dr. Michael J. Sutton has been a political economist, a professor, a priest, a pastor, and now a publisher. He is the CEO of Freedom Matters Today, looking at freedom from a Christian perspective https://freedommatterstoday.com/ His controversial book, 'Does God Stand with Israel, A Christian Response to Gaza,' is available through Amazon. He also runs the new daily podcast, Jesus for Busy People, https://jesusforbusypeople.substack.com/"

Hour 2. The Protagonists

Germany's Return to Conscription? Military Service Bill & The Wider Implications.

Germany's parliament has just passed a law requiring all 18-year-old men to complete a questionnaire and medical check starting January 2026, as a step to strengthen the military amid Russia's war in Ukraine and NATO pressures. Service stays voluntary with €2,600 monthly pay, but needs-based conscription could follow if recruits fall short—potentially by lottery. Students protested en masse, prioritizing schools, climate action, and freedoms over arms buildup, while a poll showed 81% of young people are unwilling to fight. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius welcomed the demonstrations as proof of democracy, even as the nation aims to expand forces to 260,000 by 2035.

GUESTS:

Geopolitical Analyst Dr Ralph Schoellhammer is Head of the Center for Applied History and IR Theory at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) Budapest. He is also an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Webster Vienna Private University and podcasts at The 1020. His research has a particular emphasis on how culture, values, and ideologies influence state behaviour. Ralph has written for Unherd, Spiked, the Wall Street Journal and other publications about energy, and geopolitics.

Prof. Emeritus Hall Gardner is an international relations theorist, editorialist, TV commentator, poet and novelist. His many books on global politics, including Toward an Alternative Transatlantic Strategy (2021) in French and English; IR Theory, Historical Analogy and Major Power War (2019); Crimea, Global Rivalry and the Vengeance of History (2015); NATO Expansion and the U.S. Strategy in Asia (2013); and American Global Strategy and the "War on Terrorism" (2005), blend a historical and theoretical approach with contemporary international affairs, concentrating on questions involving NATO and European Union enlargement, the collapse of the Soviet Union and its impact upon China and Eurasia in general, as well as the global ramifications of the "war on terrorism."

Robert Cibis is a producer, director, and author of films, documentaries, and TV shows, as well as a book publisher and editor-in-chief of oval.media. Robert made it his mission to convey a new perspective on power mechanics. His goal is to foster active citizenship by providing a deeper understanding of the world through a variety of media.

About The Big Issue: TWT takes on the Big Issues with an angle you might not expect from a perspective you won't find in the mainstream media.

About: The Protagonists is a panel of three or four, which presents hot-topic discussions on politics, business, newsmakers, global trends, present-day conflicts, and dangers and challenges facing our world.

About: The World Today is a current affairs program which delivers national and international news and analysis to audiences globally. The World Today airs on weekdays and brings the best of the global journalism to audiences around the world.

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