Uncommon Ground with Talal Yassine

In the latest episode of Uncommon Ground, Talal Yassine speaks with veteran journalist Hugh Riminton about a life spent reporting from the world’s flashpoints. Hugh reflects on his childhood in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the unlikely path that led him into journalism, and the coup in Fiji that first exposed him to danger in the field.
He shares powerful memories from covering Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa and the collapse of the Soviet Union, moments that shaped his understanding of courage, suffering and humanity. Hugh also discusses the role of journalism in an age of propaganda, the importance of holding the centre as democracies fracture, and why, after witnessing the worst of the world, he still believes love is the force that binds us.
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Learn More About Talal at www.talalyassine.com.au
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Episode Running Order
• Intro: Who is Hugh Riminton? (00:00)
• Earliest childhood memory in Sri Lanka (00:48)
• Realising the nanny wasn’t his mother (02:30)
• Parents’ wartime histories: German occupation & RAF nursing (04:18)
• Leaving Sri Lanka: the shock of England’s cold (07:05)
• Childhood in New Zealand & early depression (10:49)
• Aimlessness, drinking, psychology books & searching for purpose (14:20)
• How he accidentally fell into journalism via a radio play (16:05)
• First major story: the Erebus plane disaster (18:07)
• Discovering the responsibility of journalism (19:54)
• Auckland years: Springbok riots & reporting from a plane (22:05)
• Moving to Perth at 22 & buying a house on a low income (30:48)
• Covering Australian politics: Keating, Howard & early lessons (33:12)
• First major conflict: the Fiji coup and being arrested at gunpoint (37:15)
• Mock executions, danger & early war-zone lessons (40:48)
• Decision-making under stress & the appeal of tight teams (42:15)
• Becoming a foreign correspondent: Africa, conflict and collapse (44:05)
• Rwanda with Malcolm Fraser: witnessing genocide (48:41)
• Northern Uganda: LRA child soldiers & finding hope in despair (52:30)
• Interviewing Elie Wiesel & learning true humility (54:55)
• What global suffering taught him about humanity (58:40)
• Power, propaganda & whether truth still exists (01:01:30)
• Quick-fire questions: misconceptions, guilty pleasures, essentials (01:05:30)
• Closing reflections: love as the force that binds us (01:07:50)
• Outro (01:09:20)
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From humble beginnings in Western Sydney to leading one of Australia’s largest structural package firms, Nabil Hafza’s story is one of grit, sacrifice and long-term belief.

In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Nabil reflects on his upbringing, leaving school early to pursue a trade, starting Future Form with just a few thousand dollars, and building it into a major player on some of the country’s biggest projects.

He also speaks openly about family, fatherhood, loss, culture, ambition and what it takes to keep going when the pressure is high and the road is uncertain. This is a conversation about leadership, patience, integrity and building something that lasts.


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Links

Learn More About Talal talalyassine.com.au

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/talaly

Facebook facebook.com/talal.yassine.1

Instagram instagram.com/talalyassine


Episode Running Order

Early memories in Casula and growing up in Western Sydney (01:04)
Family background, siblings and school life (01:55)
Liverpool Boys, Kasula High and finishing school at All Saints (02:37)
Leaving school early and choosing a trade over university (04:33)
What formwork is and why it matters in construction (05:50)
Starting out in 2002 with $4,000 and an EB Falcon (07:27)
His parents’ migration story and early family life in Sydney (09:03)
The influence of his brother Khalil and early mentorship (12:08)
Buying a first home young and backing himself in business (12:51)
The slow build of Future Form and the turning point in Sutherland (13:11)
Winning first tier-one work and breaking into the big league (15:17)
Marriage, fatherhood, custody and the lessons of raising children (17:18)
Loss, patience and how family shaped his perspective (19:31)
The sacrifice required to grow a business from the ground up (21:42)
Landmark projects, legacy and building structures that outlive him (23:03)
Where Future Form sits in the national market today (25:22)
Culture, team building and why family remains central to the business (26:47)
Working with Australia’s biggest builders and scaling nationally (27:33)
The values behind the company’s growth: integrity, honesty and win-win partnerships (28:40)
Supporting community causes, women in construction and cerebral palsy advocacy (30:51)
Life outside work: fishing, the beach, cars and switching off (32:59)
Navigating stereotypes as a Western Sydney builder of Lebanese heritage (35:43)
The future of Future Form and plans for continued growth (39:06)
Why he backed the Bulldogs and what business can learn from elite sport (39:28)
Quick-fire questions: chocolate, misconceptions and what keeps him grounded (42:10)
The advice he would give his 19-year-old self (45:30)

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World champion boxer and cancer survivor Billy Dib sits down with Talal to trace an extraordinary life. From a corner shop in Engadine and schoolyard racism to the bright lights of world titles, celebrity promoters, heartbreak, and healing. Billy shares how his father’s “kill them with kindness” philosophy and a devoted English teacher (who taught him to read with boxing magazines) shaped the resilience that carried him through two world championships, ‘boxing politics’ with Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent, the grief of losing his first wife Sarah, and his own brutal battle with cancer.
This story is about faith, family, and choosing courage when everything inside you wants to quit. Billy opens up about what it really takes to become (and stay) a champion and the day he was ready to “die in the ring” to keep a promise.
He also talks about his new children’s book Boys Can Cry (And Billy Dib Does Too) a message to young boys that strength and tenderness can live in the same heart.
Episode Running Order

Intro (00:00)
Engadine beginnings, standing out & schoolyard racism (01:05)
“I couldn’t read” — Ms Chetty, boxing mags & a new path (06:30)
Family corner shop, customer service & “kill them with kindness” (12:10)
Discovering boxing at 12 (PCYC Sutherland origin story) (17:40)
Amateur grind, self-belief & the “Muhammad Ali” robe (23:30)
World title mindset: going where your opponent won’t (28:20)
Life as champion: training load, team, injuries (the shoe mishap) (35:15)
Golden Boy years: Tyson, De La Hoya & big-league lessons (41:30)
Mayweather vs 50 Cent: deals, fallout & career detour (48:00)
Love & loss: Sarah’s illness, grief & learning to ask for help (55:45)
“Something’s wrong” — pain, hospital chaos & diagnosis (1:02:20)
Chemo war: bone-deep pain, faith, nurses & not quitting (1:08:40)
Remission, secret comeback bout & Ring Magazine award (1:13:10)
New chapter: fatherhood, faith & Boys Can Cry (1:18:30)
Quick-fire: misconceptions, guilty pleasures & advice to 21-year-old Billy (1:22:00)
Closing reflections & outro (1:25:30)

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At just 27, Fatima Payman made history as the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman elected to the Australian Parliament. Her election was more than symbolic, it was a moment of visibility that resonated deeply across Australia, especially for young people who had never seen themselves represented in public life.
In this candid conversation with Talal Yassine, Fatima shares her extraordinary journey, from refugee roots in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to growing up in Perth, to the unlikely path that took her into student activism, union organising, and finally the Senate. She speaks openly about her late father’s influence, the lessons of resilience and faith her parents instilled, and the weight of carrying both community hopes and personal expectations.
Fatima also reflects on the challenges of navigating politics as a young woman of colour, the racism she faced at university, the pressures within party politics, and the personal cost of taking a stand when her conscience collided with party lines. She explains why she chose principle over convenience, even at the risk of her career, and how she continues to redefine what representation can look like in modern Australia.
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Episode Running Order
Intro: who is Senator Fatima Payman and why her story matters (00:00)
Early memories: Pakistan, reunion with her father, arriving in Australia (02:05)
Family history & politics in the blood: grandfather’s role, dad’s influence (05:10)
Faith & agency: choosing the hijab at 12 and owning the decision (08:15)
Growing up in Perth: Islamic school, belonging, first brushes with prejudice (11:20)
Uni shock: “Do you have a bomb?” and turning ignorance into dialogue (14:30)
First activism win: saving the campus café with a petition (17:40)
Enter Labor: coffee with Pierre Yang, volunteering, first campaign (20:25)
Young Labor president: diversifying the room and building field muscle (23:15)
Union organiser: aged care to factories—rights, persuasion, and trust (26:40)
Preselection saga: citizenship hurdle, “you won’t win #3,” and the upset (30:05)
Day one in Canberra: Senate school, staff, and the reality of power (33:45)
October 7 as turning point: platform vs. party line (36:30)
Speaking out: genocide language, pressure, and double standards (40:00)
Crossing the floor: consequences, conscience, and fallout for Jacob (44:10)
Leaving Labor: independence day and what came next (48:05)
Building Australia’s Voice: party launch, tour of WA, 2025 run (51:00)
Beyond Palestine: housing, climate, HECS, aged care, youth voice (55:05)
Not the Greens: balance of power and why she stayed independent (58:00)
Quick-fire Q&A: misconceptions, guilty pleasures, advice to young women (1:01:20)
Closing reflections: courage, cost, and representing WA on her terms (1:04:10)
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Season 2 of Uncommon Ground opens with David Campbell, one of Australia’s most versatile performers, an actor, singer, television presenter, and proud father.
In this intimate conversation with Talal Yassine, David reflects on the complexities of identity, from a childhood raised by his grandmother in Adelaide to discovering the truth about his parents and navigating the weight of being Jimmy Barnes’ son. He speaks candidly about trauma, ADHD, and the long path to self-acceptance.
David also shares the lessons of fatherhood, why being present matters, and how to ‘break the chain’ of generational pain. From cabaret stages in New York to breakfast television at Channel 9, he opens up about the triumphs, failures, and reinventions that shaped him, and the balance between ambition, authenticity and love.
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Episode Running Order
Opening: Season 2 begins with David Campbell (00:00)
Childhood in Adelaide: heat, red brick houses and ABBA on TV (02:00)
Growing up with his grandmother and finding his name (05:00)
School years, anxiety, ADHD and music as an outlet (09:00)
Brothers, sisters and redefining family (14:00)
Discovering the Barnes side and a fractured childhood truth (18:00)
Coping with trauma, forgiveness and healing family ties (24:00)
The role of his grandmother: discipline, love and survival (29:00)
Building a relationship with his mother (33:00)
Fatherhood, breaking the chain and learning vulnerability (37:00)
From Adelaide youth theatre to Sydney stages (43:00)
Cabaret in New York, Broadway mentors and early failures (48:00)
Returning home: Shout! Sony Records and reinventing himself (53:00)
Channel 9, television, and the partnership with Sonia Kruger (57:00)
Work ethic, comparison, and “the chip on the shoulder” (1:01:00)
Fatherhood revisited: lessons, mentors, and protecting children (1:06:00)
Quickfire questions: misconceptions, guilty pleasures, advice (1:09:00)
Closing: reflections on authenticity and resilience (1:10:00)
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