The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

Next month's presidential election has been called the most consequential in modern US history. American voters seem polarised, but political scientist Damon Linker believes that there is common ground. 

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the King of Bhutan, a small Buddhist-majority country in the Himalayas. Why is he visiting Australia? And in the lead up to next month's elections, American voters seem polarised —  but political scientist Damon Linker believes that there is common ground.

It's been a year since the Voice referendum was defeated. Now, human rights lawyer Fr Frank Brennan warns Australia could be on the verge of a damaging assimilationist policy towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Klaus-Michael Kuehne is Germany's richest man, and in recent years he's become a philanthropist. But how much of this generosity is atonement for the way his father built the family fortune during World War II? 

Fr Frank Brennan warns Australia could be on the verge of a damaging assimilationist policy towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And Germany's richest man has not been forward about how his family built their fortune during World War II.

How will Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah affect the tense politics of the Middle East? 

How will the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah affect the Middle East? One year on from the conflict in Gaza, and the increasing political polarisation in America.

In recent years, there's been more political polarisation in the US. Could there be a common cause, or thread, that unites Americans — even across political fractures?

It's been almost a year since the Hamas attack killed 1,200 Israelis. Israel's retaliation — leaving 40,000 dead, according to the Gaza health authorities — has also caused deep polarisation. In the US, a Jewish and Arab scholar have been urging for mutual understanding across divides.

The second session of the Vatican's major synod begins in October. It might determine the way that the Catholic church will be run in the future. But will it also tackle the hot button issues around women's leadership and sexuality?