If You're Listening

After January 6, many who had stuck by Donald Trump through his presidency condemned his denial of the election, and his failure to stop the attack on the Capitol.  Banished to Mar-a-Lago the former president was banned from major social media platforms, driving his messages and MAGA community underground, into a parallel online world.  That response by big tech to the violence of January 6 was designed to stop it happening again.  Instead, it found Donald Trump powerful allies, and fostered his comeback, one that would send him all the way back to the White House.  This is the final episode of America's Last Election. We'll be back next week with an episode about something completely different. If you liked the series, please share it around.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

Over the last four episodes we’ve told the story of Donald Trump’s denial of the 2020 election result. It’s a period of time many thought would disqualify him from another run for US president.  Now, exactly four years later Trump is preparing to head back to the White House after a significant election win against Kamala Harris, and the way his last presidency ended has shaped his campaign.  January 6th and the events that led up to it alienated many moderate actors in Trump’s orbit, and unless they’re brought back into the fold, this presidency is set to look very different to his last. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

It’s Matt Bevan’s last 24 hours in Washington DC, and he’s leaving a very different place to the one he arrived in. Donald Trump is going to be president again, and in the United States, people from across the political spectrum are figuring out exactly what that looks like.  Matt sits down with ABC Global Affairs Reporter John Lyons in sunny Lafayette Park to chat about the potential geopolitical impacts of a second Trump term and how world leaders are already scrambling to get Trump on the phone to strike a deal.   This episode was produced by Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Jess O'Callaghan.  This is the final Hello America bonus episode of If You’re Listening, thanks for coming along for the ride. The next episode of America’s Last Election will drop next Thursday morning.   Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

In this update from Washington DC, Matt Bevan is filling in as host for ABC News Daily to bring you an early morning update on all the events from overnight Australian time.  In a spectacular victory, Donald Trump has secured the US election to become the 47th President of the United States.  Matt is joined on the ground by Emma Shortis from The Australia Institute to explain where the Democrats went wrong and the Republicans went right - and what a more emboldened Trump with the support of the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court means for America.

As the night goes on, and key states in the US presidential election are called for Donald Trump, it's becoming harder to see a way that Kamala Harris wins the White House. Matt Bevan shares his view from a Washington rooftop on election night, where ABC News is covering the results. He reflects on the Harris and Trump campaigns, and what a second Trump presidency could look like.  Matt will be back in this podcast feed on Thursday morning hosting a special episode of ABC News Daily, speaking with Dr Emma Shortis from the Australia Institute.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

It's election day in America! But in the dying hours of Monday night (and the campaigns), Matt Bevan took a train to Pennsylvania to stand in queue for a massive Lady Gaga concert — Kamala Harris's final event before election day. Luckily, you can get the speeches online. What you can't get is the vibe, which was apparent speaking to supporters in this kilometres-long queue.  On the train ride home Matt and Dr Emma Shortis from The Australia Institute decide the Democrats' election-eve vibe was: things seem good for Kamala Harris ... nobody jinx it. We'll be back on Wednesday evening with an election-night update. Read Matt on ABC News: When do polls close and when will we know the result of the US election? Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

It's election eve in America, and Matt Bevan is in Washington DC. How did he get there? By train, from Detroit, where he took in the fall foliage from the comfort of his tiny bunk bed, and talked politics over breakfast with a fellow train-devotee named Bill.  But neither Kamala Harris or Donald Trump is taking the slow train to election day -- both campaigns have whirlwind 24 hours planned, hitting the swing states key to winning the White House. Donald Trump is ending years of campaigning with a late-night rally that looks to soothe his superstitious mind, and Kamala Harris is throwing a massive garden party in Philadelphia. Speaking of which, Matt has another train to catch ...  This episode was produced by Kara Jensen Mackinnon and Jess O'Callaghan. Catch Matt across the ABC's election coverage on ABC TV, ABC NewsRadio and digital platforms, including this one; we'll drop a bonus episode when results start to shape up on Wednesday evening AEDT. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

Eight months before January 6, a very similar mob stormed a different government building. Armed men, furious about an extension of COVID lockdowns, stormed the state Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan.  It was a precursor to the march on the Capitol in Washington DC, with chants, signs and even protesters in common. But among some of the men in Michigan that day, a plot was brewing that was more sinister. It shows just how insidious and dangerous the lies spreading among Donald Trump’s supporters can be.  If he wins, Trump has vowed to pardon those people convicted of crimes on January 6—what signal could such immunity send? We've released this episode of America's Last Election early, so you can listen before election day. The video of this podcast episode will be released on Saturday morning as usual.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

With only days until the election both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are zigzagging across the United States holding rallies to shore up support. At a Trump rally in the suburbs of Detroit, Matt Bevan chatted to a whole lot of fans waiting in line about why they're voting for Trump and what happens if the election doesn't go his way. He and Insiders host David Speers debriefed in the car ride back to the city. If You're Listening's Hello America bonus episodes are produced by Kara Jensen Mackinnon and Jess O'Callaghan. Episode 4 of America's Last Election will drop early on Tuesday morning AEDT. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

It’s Halloween in America, and with the countdown on to election day, things are getting spooky. In downtown Detroit, Matt Bevan meets early voters, trick-or-treaters, and samples local delicacies — thanks to everyone who emailed with tips. Keep them coming, Washington DC is next: ifyourelistening@abc.net.au And as mentioned in the episode, if you have a question about the US election or our series America’s Last Election, email it through in the next few days. Matt will be kicking off election week by answering your questions in a live blog on ABC News Monday November 4, from 7AM AEDT. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

In the United States, presidential elections rely on thousands of actual people coming together to scrutinise and then certify the results. That’s what will happen next week, when polls close on the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. So what would happen if they just refused to certify a result, for political reasons?  In 2020, exactly this scenario played out, in an extraordinarily tense meeting room in Detroit, Michigan. In the four years since, Trump’s supporters have worked hard to try and replicate this roadblock around the country. In this third episode of America’s Last Election, If You’re Listening looks at what that could mean for election day 2024, and the weeks that follow. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UOu943VhPUM?si=tYbye3Z1esOay8n-

On the road in Michigan, Matt Bevan heads to the state's political capital of Lansing. There, he meets a swing voter named David who is all in on Trump, navigates the labyrinth that is the state Capitol building, and samples local delicacies on the I-96.  Former top Trump advisor Steve Bannon is out of prison, and vowing to do what he can to help the Trump campaign win days out from the election, but the car radio is abuzz with a different story — the impact of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's jokes on Puerto Rican voters in key swing states. Episode 3 of America's Last Election will drop on Thursday morning.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

Matt Bevan is on the ground in Michigan, Detroit, a key swing state in next week’s US presidential election. There are some things you just don’t get when you’re telling a story from your basement in Newcastle: candid chats with Republican voters on the plane, for one. Vice presidential motorcades screaming past you on the highway for another. Follow Matt as he travels through America in the lead up to election day, and hear from the people he meets along the way.   Episode 3 of America's Last Election will drop on Thursday morning.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA

After the 2020 election, Donald Trump searched desperately for any theory that would allow him to retain control of the White House. On Christmas Eve, his team called a constitutional lawyer named John Eastman, who gave them something to work with. Eastman’s theory relied on Vice President Mike Pence playing along.  In this second episode of America’s Last Election, If You’re Listening looks at the theory the riot on January 6 was based on, and why Trump’s supporters thought it might work. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=3aBNwguMgMxDDmSl

Donald Trump did not win the 2020 presidential election. But if you watched his speech on election night, you wouldn’t come away with that understanding. ‘Frankly,’ he said ‘We did win this election.’ In the months that followed, the story backing up that claim warped and changed, but at its core was a big lie about a supercomputer called ‘The Hammer’, an imaginary software called ‘Scorecard’, and a man with a long history of fooling the US government. And now Donald Trump is on the ballot again. Over five episodes, If You’re Listening looks at the transition period after the 2020 election, and what it tells us about the plan in 2024.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2021J90VM8?si=rfkto42PZEG4PTPT

Within months of becoming US president in 2017, Donald Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury”. Soon afterwards, he would tear up a nuclear deal with Iran and bring the US to the brink of war. And yet that war never came. This is the story of how Donald Trump resisted temptation and kept the peace. This is a repeat episode, it was first broadcast on September 21, 2020. You can hear the rest of that series on our website or in our podcast feed: America, If You’re Listening. News audio used in this episode comes from: Arirang News, Inside Edition, CNN, ABC America, Democracy Now, Fox News, CBS, ABC News, and France 24.  Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2021J90VM8?si=Tzw4B2i3Zp_qzPaK

The world's most famous artificial intelligence company, OpenAI — the creator of ChatGPT — was set up to create a superintelligent AI, while at the same time safeguarding humanity from an omnipotent robot overlord which could enslave us all.  So is an AI apocalypse possible, and with wunderkind CEO Sam Altman in charge, will OpenAI be able to protect us from its own robots? This is a repeat episode. It was first broadcast on November 30, 2023. You can watch this episode now on YouTube.  We'll be back with new episodes from October 17. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-vew1rfrG6k?si=GFuWe7-uTaZiq_Gb

After years of tension, diplomatic cold shoulders, and mountain skirmishes, both India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping appear to be looking for ways their nations can be friends again.  So what’s changed between the world’s two most populous countries? And what would a closer relationship between India and China mean for the rest of us? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2021J90VM8?si=WIqBJ1vtlZ2et0lB

This month, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment of two Russian state media employees. It alleges that they were funnelling millions of dollars into the pockets of American YouTubers, known for their contrarian viewpoints and controversial takes on the war in Ukraine. The YouTubers say they are victims of a criminal scheme and did not know they were being paid by Russia. But it’s not the first time that something like this has happened. There’s a long history of foreign adversaries covertly paying Americans to spread fake news to other Americans—it’s a move right out of Nazi Germany’s propaganda playbook. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6XNK55tc3x8?si=LfMKtmTckpSzSGHO

The massive infrastructure project NEOM sits in the Saudi Arabian desert, and the jewel in its crown is The Line, a futuristic city which looks insane. The AI-generated ads depict a car-free city, for 9 million people, housed between two mirrors. Despite promises of millions of residents by 2030, the project has been scaled back by 98 per cent. The Line will be more like a dot. So what the hell happened? And was it all just a scam? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SQdCl-cX-cU?si=AEQhcHtoBQXz2tSn

Russia defends its enormous borders with the threat of nuclear war. It’s this threat that has long stopped Ukraine and its allies from attacking Russia on its home turf—there are ‘red lines’ that can’t be crossed without nuclear retaliation. Yet Ukraine just invaded Russian sovereign territory and still, no nukes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to be calling Vladimir Putin’s bluff. It seems the ‘red lines’ were done in red pencil, not red pen. So how does this reshape the war, and what does it mean for Putin? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j08l1rGSdK4?si=6fW29sO97EPL991u

It’s a dangerous moment for the Middle East. Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire over the weekend, including attacks on a pretty unique pocket of farmland — an Israeli-annexed area called the Golan Heights. In 2019 then-President Donald Trump broke with the rest of the international community and recognised it as part of Israel. There’s even an Israeli settlement named after him. Now, the world is watching the Golan Heights closely, fearful that fighting there could escalate and become a massive regional conflict. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ChypAR3VoTs?si=xqd83_k1xcRgCRFd

A shift is on display at the Democratic National Convention—from fear of Donald Trump to mocking him. After years of arguing Trump is dangerous, the Democratic pick for Vice President Tim Walz is changing the party’s attack strategy, calling their opponents 'weird'. This potential path to victory is not seen as very presidential. But could it work? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GnsBdPelMus?si=5x6EbHdto2MTIbo-

In the early hours of July 31 this year, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran. It's presumed Israel was behind the killing, with reports detailing a complex operation by its spy agency Mossad. So if it was Israel that did this, why did they do it in such an extraordinary manner, and in Iran of all places? The answer tells us a lot about the complex political situation Israel finds itself in, where it feels the need for revenge, but only in a way that doesn’t alienate its allies. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GnsBdPelMus?si=8o31L61GJ54rqwMS

Since Kamala Harris became his opponent in the race for US president, Donald Trump has argued that she is responsible for a migrant crisis. He says President Joe Biden named her the ‘border czar’, in charge of dealing with the unprecedented number of people attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. It’s a policy area that the Trump campaign hopes will win him the election in November. So what’s real, and what’s fake, when it comes to Kamala Harris and the US border? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/stoydTTN4Ko?si=Odsb3GqhrMLxaJs4

Kamala Harris is the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee for President of the United States. But four years ago, she didn’t even make it to the first primary vote. They needed to pick someone who would beat Donald Trump, and Harris just wasn’t ‘electable’ enough. Whatever that means. So if she wasn’t electable then, is she electable now?  Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zaDnCZHrE_g?si=Gb5TMhlaP5VNSnw2

After weeks of speculation and acrimony, President Joe Biden has abandoned his bid for re-election, and endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to be his successor. This scenario has happened once before - late in the election cycle, a President bailed out and tried to hand over power to their Vice President. The subsequent chaos at the 1968 Democratic convention is legendary, and is something the party will be desperate to avoid in 2024.

When 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at former-President Donald Trump on July 13, the American public was ready with conspiracy theories explaining how and why he did it.  And that shouldn’t come as a shock. Most Americans think President John F Kennedy was assassinated as part of a conspiracy, either by the US Government, Cubans, or the Mafia.  They’re primed to believe their government is keeping secrets from them—because it is.  Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N2kVorMQgQA?si=dSyQHCC1idJJnHoy

Last week, the UK Labour Party won the general election in a landslide victory. In the past four episodes we've detailed the chaos, ineptitude and hubris of the Conservative Party during their time in office. So you might be thinking, what took the Labour Party so long to get elected? On the final episode of our Who Broke Britain series, how Labour went to war with itself — over policy, factions, personalities, Brexit, and anti-Semitism. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpFHEvMWZM&list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

The UK election is being held today and polls indicate the Conservative Party will lose in a landslide. One of the key policies the government is running on is a version of Australia's offshore immigration detention policy, which was launched by prime minister John Howard in the lead-up to the 2001 election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's two year fight over this policy has not only been a colossal failure, it will likely drag the Tories down with it. So as the UK decides on their next Prime Minister, we're asking, who really broke Britain? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRNiyPh4__E

Britain's National Health Service was in crisis when COVID arrived in the UK. After years of increasing demand and flatlining funding, the NHS was deeply broken. One Chancellor called the NHS "the closest thing the English people have to a religion", so how was it left to fall into disrepair, on the edge of collapse, right as a catastrophic pandemic hit? This is part 3 of our series, Who Broke Britain. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our Who Broke Britain series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vobIKYrfZwg

British Prime Minister David Cameron took a colossal gamble when he called for a referendum on whether Britain should leave the European Union. Instead, he brought about Brexit and sent the country into three years of chaos. Cameron was certain his side — Remain — would win. How did he get it so wrong? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Watch Who broke Britain, part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW2NSrzcrIQ  Check out our entire series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

When the UK Conservative Party won the election in 2010, they took a butcher's knife to the budget. David Cameron's money-man George Osborne — the young heir to a wallpaper fortune — had a big plan called "austerity," but it put the country on a journey to total chaos. This is the first episode in a four-part series called Who Broke Britain. It's about the past 14 years of Conservative Party leadership, all the way up to the general election that's happening next month. London was once the largest city on Earth — capital of a global empire larger than any other in the history of the world. Even as recently as 17 years ago, Britons were the richest people in any of the world's large economies. Since then, they've gone backwards, more than any other large economy. Britain feels broken. So, who broke it? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3IhkTK9-xs

We're still on a break from our regularly scheduled programming but don't worry, we're hard at work. Next week we'll be launching a four-part series leading up to the UK election called Who Broke Britain? The country that was once the centre of the world's greatest empire now seems a lot smaller, and in many ways — broken. So — who broke it? Until then, check out the latest ABC podcast Not Stupid, from our colleagues in ABC News. It's hosted by Jeremy Fernandez and Julia Baird, and this week they're diving into Trump's guilty conviction and whether we should raise the minimum age for social media. You can subscribe to it on the Listen app. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM7IYWahjGY

The island of Taiwan, just off the coast of China, is shaping up as the most likely spark for the next global conflict. China's president Xi Jinping wants to claim all the territory he thinks belongs to China, without triggering a nuclear war. It's a century-old civil war, which has been frozen in place for decades. It's an almost unimaginably dangerous situation, and one mistake could lead to catastrophe. This is a repeat episode. It was first broadcast on the 6th July, 2021 as part of the China, If You're Listening series. If you want to listen to the whole series you can find it here, or scroll back in your podcast feed. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0_VTGzZj2U

Earlier this week the President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in bad weather. Raisi was a phenomenally important figure in Middle Eastern politics — not just Iran's President, but the likely next Supreme Leader of Iran. He got there through acts of extreme brutality, showing his willingness to do anything to defend the Iranian status quo. How did Ebrahim Raisi become the heir-apparent to the Iranian Supreme Leadership, and what could happen now he's gone? Listen to our other episodes about Iran: Iran, Israel and the calculus of revenge The Ayatollah who dreamed of an Iranian caliphate How the Shah's cancer led to Iran's rift with the US Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0_VTGzZj2U

Australia's first domestic violence shelter Elsie opened in the 1970s, and researchers have been analysing the problem ever since. In the last three decades more than 1,500 women have been killed by intimate partners in Australia and we're still no closer to finding out why. Campaigner Rosie Batty has compared domestic violence to terrorism, and called for similar levels of funding. Is that comparison extreme, or is it the best way to get us closer to fixing the problem? *EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode incorrectly states that Luke Batty was 14 years old at the time of his death. He was 11 years old when he died. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube. [Helplines]

Michael Cohen is the star witness in the Trump 'hush-money' trial. He was once Trump's personal attorney and said he would "take a bullet" for his boss, but then everything changed. He has served years in prison for lying, tax fraud, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. But he thinks everything he's gone through will be worth it if he can take Trump down. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqPubAjtbc4

Plans for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics are not going well. It's a political quagmire, with plans for billion-dollar stadium upgrades or massive new venues being thrown around like confetti. There are concerns that Brisbane is going to blow its budget. Fifty years ago, the 1976 Montreal Olympics suffered a financial disaster so massive it nearly heralded the end of the Olympic Games. Is Brisbane repeating the mistakes of the past? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VRUVQz-Dlw

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He is doing everything he can to stay in office, because if he holds office, he can't be thrown in jail. Sound familiar? It's a bit like Donald Trump's situation in the United States. But Netanyahu's case has an old-school flavour. It's a fierce battle between media tycoons, and it even involves Australian media nepo baby James Packer. It's a rollicking tale. But with a military campaign against Gaza and tensions with Iran rising, it could also change the fate of the war in the Middle East. For more on Benjamin Netanyahu's history, check out this episode: Can Israel rescue the hostages? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25NndMbkhVE

Narenda Modi loves to promote India's status as the largest democracy in the world, and experts agree that the country's elections are free and fair for all. Modi is now an unbackable favourite to win a third term as Prime Minister in the weeks ahead, with polls suggesting he is heading for another  victory. So why is he so sensitive to criticism, and aggressive in pursuing his detractors? In this final episode, Avani learns of the consequences of her own reporting on Modi after so many months searching for the truth.

Iran and Israel are caught in a cycle of revenge. On April Fools' Day, there was a huge escalation in the conflict when an Israeli air strike killed 16 people, including two Iranian Generals. Two weeks later, the skies over Israel lit up with a counterattack. It might seem like in this conflict, anything goes, but each response and retaliation is a calculated move. Israel knew the attack was coming and almost every drone and missile was intercepted. So, when the game of chess begins, how does it end? Last time the revenge cycle started to turn, Donald Trump was in the White House, and the wheel only stopped because of a tragic mistake. This time, Israel's response could change the trajectory of the conflict in the Middle East. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_dbh10orQc

Lifting Indians out of poverty lies at the core of Narendra Modi's wildly popular political strategy. And it's worked: during his Prime Ministership, India has risen from the tenth largest economy in the world to the fifth. But this rising tide has also widened the gap between the rich and the poor in India, and has raised questions about Modi's ties to business leaders who have turned the nation's rise to their own advantage.

People don't like wind farms. They say they're bad for wildlife, they affect property values and they create pollution. But are any of these claims true? Today, the wind farm debate and how it nearly tore the small Australian community of King Island apart. This episode of If You're Listening is a live recording from the Newcastle Writers Festival. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ-9hfWk8TI

In 2002, Narendra Modi's carefully crafted political story was rocked by a series of deadly attacks in his home state of Gujarat, where he was the highly popular Chief Minister. Thousands were killed in a wave of riots that lasted for three days and became a major national scandal. Modi's role in the violence has been heavily contested in the decades since, but he has never been able to shake the association in the minds of some Indians. How did he manage to survive such a high-profile catastrophe, and what is the legacy of those terrifying riots today?

The Duterte and Marcos families are the Montagues and Capulets of the Philippines. They are, depending on who you ask, the country's most famous statesmen, thieves, murderers or heroes. They have tussled for power for nearly 60 years, and now there are talks of secession splitting the country in two. Could this family feud literally tear the Philippines apart? Want to watch Matt present If You're Listening live from the Newcastle Writers Festival this Sunday, April 7? A stream will be posted to this channel on YouTube Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5pPcV54kiQ

In January 2024, Narendra Modi travelled to the northern Indian town of Ayodhya to attend the consecration of a Hindu temple with a very contested history. The site had previously been occupied by a 500-year-old mosque, and had become a focal point of broader disputes between India's Hindu and Muslim communities. That fight over one hill in Ayodhya resulted in a demolition, mass protests and deadly retaliations across India. It also gave Modi a cause he could champion throughout his rapid political rise.

Australia’s housing market is, like many places in the Western world, in the midst of a crisis that feels like it will never be solved. Owning a property in an Australian city has only drifted further out of reach for most Australians in the last decade, and there are very few practical solutions on offer. Is it possible to actually unpick this situation? Japan offers a useful example. Thirty years ago, property in Tokyo was the most expensive in the world. Today, home ownership in that same city is comparatively affordable, with plenty of available stock on the market. How was this massive turnaround achieved, and how can other countries learn from the Japanese model?

When Narendra Modi left home, it wasn't to begin a career in politics. He wanted to be a monk. Modi's teenaged pilgrimage would take him across India, following the trail of his country's most influential religious leader. It was a journey that would ultimately steer him towards politics, and lay the foundation for some of his most popular and controversial philosophies.

The Princess of Wales has barely been seen since Christmas and everyone is asking, where is Kate? The Royal Family released a photo meant to squash the rumours, but when it became obvious it had been photoshopped, the speculation just got worse. Fake photos are everywhere, and there's a long history of people doctoring them, from photocopying to photoshopping, to straight up AI. But is there a time coming where we won't be able to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihzt5GNfnig

For most politicians, the image of a stable marriage and a happy family is a crucial part of their pitch to voters. But in India, being single is a selling point: leaders want to show that they are dedicated only to their country. Narendra Modi's carefully crafted image of a bachelor was up-ended when it emerged that he had a wife who had been kept secret for decades. Since this scandal broke, Modi's estranged wife has barely been seen or spoken to the media. In this episode, we're going to find her.

Russia is in the midst of an election, but we already know Vladimir Putin will win. He always wins. So why does Russia bother holding elections? What’s the point? Putin learned a lesson many years ago about the illusion of democracy, and it’s one he has never forgotten.

Every Tuesday for the next seven weeks, we'll be dropping an extra episode from a new ABC podcast into the If You're Listening feed. Looking for Modi, hosted by the ABC's South Asia correspondent Avani Dias, examines the life and political career of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. It's a fascinating show that we think you might enjoy. Matt will be back with another episode on Thursday. Narendra Modi's rise from poverty-stricken childhood has been a major appeal throughout his political career. He tells ordinary Indians that he is just like them, and that his life is proof of India's egalitarian democracy. But in truth, some of the central elements of his own biography are disputed. What do we really know about his origin story, and how did his time spent with a volunteer right wing organisation many view as a paramilitary group influence his politics?

The police arrested and interrogated Andrew after he was set up by hackers. Now we know how Chinese spies pull it off. An unprecedented leak of data from Chinese company i-Soon has cracked open the black box, revealing the secrets of China's cyber espionage operations. Correction: When Andrew Phelan was taken in for questioning by Victoria Police, he was never chargedSubscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c58XyP6Bx1E

Donald Trump was ordered to pay a $463.9 million fine for lying to banks about how rich he is. He's also facing at least five other cases that could cost him millions more in legal fees and fines. And this is all happening as he tries to run for president again — and political campaigns ain't cheap. So the question is: Can Donald Trump make it to election day without running out of money? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzEp-Vr4Oao

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was a revolutionary leader with a revolutionary idea. In just 10 years as Supreme Leader, Iran became a global pariah; virtually friendless in the international community. Yet when he died, millions of Iranians hysterically grieved his death. In today's episode, how Ayatollah Khomeini changed the course of Middle Eastern history, and how his ideas are still affecting us today. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOsdbCwS5qQ

In 1974, the Shah of Iran was diagnosed with cancer. It led to a Shakespearean tragedy that brought about the end of the Iranian monarchy and shaped the Middle East conflict we're seeing today. As open warfare between the US and Iran becomes more and more likely by the day, it's worth remembering that it all started with something tiny — a small lump in the spleen of one man. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZgrNZDxQhA

The Red Sea is the most trafficked trade route in the world, and now the US Navy and a group of militant Houthi rebels are going to war over it. The Houthis are attacking ships it says are linked to Israel and its allies; America is desperately trying to stop them. I mean, America might not get directly involved in the Israel-Gaza conflict, but you bet they'll protect their trade routes. The stakes couldn't be higher — if the US can't prove they have this under control, plenty of other groups around the world might decide to try their hand at blocking global trade as well. Editor's note: This introduction has been edited to clarify that not only Israeli ships have been targeted in Houthi attacks. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYJFHtTYc0g

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a new problem. As well as fighting Russia, he also has to fight Israel and Hamas for the world's attention. The shift in attention to Gaza has already meant Ukraine has lost crucial support. The question is — can Zelenskyy get the world to care about Ukraine again? And if not, what will that mean for the war? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fSMBo3xGBQ

China's pandas are not just pandas. They're diplomats. You're friendly to China? You get a panda. You criticise China? You get no pandas. In recent years China has been hostile toward the West, with the most literal symbol of their displeasure being the withdrawal of their pandas from zoos around the world. And yet, Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to be having a change of heart. This may indicate something very important — a return to a more peaceful relationship with the West. But why? And why are pandas the key to understanding it? Please participate in our listener survey! Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzM1L3Nrc-I

The world's most famous artificial intelligence company, OpenAI — the creator of ChatGPT — was set up to create a superintelligent AI, while at the same time safeguarding humanity from an omnipotent robot overlord which could enslave us all. But last week the company fell into chaos. OpenAI fired its wunderkind CEO Sam Altman. Just days later, under intense pressure, Sam Altman was put back in charge and the entire board was booted. So is an AI apocalypse possible, and with Altman back in charge, will OpenAI be able to protect us from its own robots? Please participate in our listener survey! Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR8c10Tkb3E

China is using cash to try and shore up support in the Pacific. In Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital, they just built most of the venues in the Pacific Games precinct. And China is not alone. Like a geopolitical version of The Bachelor, China, Taiwan, Australia and the United States are all trying desperately to win Honiara's heart. This tussle has caused panic in Taipei and Canberra, anger in Beijing and Washington, and actual violence in the Solomons. It's hard to think of a more perfect example of trouble in paradise. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzF_o11VvuQ

As international sanctions have cut into North Korea's ability to import and export things, they've become desperate for cash. They've been running crazy schemes to get it — smuggling, stealing, lying, cheating, swashbuckling — but that's nothing compared to what they make from stealing cryptocurrency. In fact, most of their foreign currency now comes from stolen crypto. So, can anything be done to stop the world's first nuclear-armed crypto bro, Kim Jong-un? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7eK8MO7c0Q

The Israeli hostages Hamas took back on October 7th still have not been rescued. The 1976 Entebbe rescue mission is legendary and gave Israel a reputation — they get hostages back no matter what. Now this reputation is putting enormous pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rescue the hostages again. The question is — can he? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQx0U-bfd7A

While Israel tries to defeat Hamas, they also have to worry about a much more dangerous paramilitary group on their northern border: Hezbollah. The express purpose of Hezbollah, which formed 40 years ago, is also to eradicate Israel. It would be a nightmare for Israel if Hezbollah swings in and backs Hamas up. So where did Hezbollah form, why do they hate Israel, and what hand did Israel have in their creation? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ4x0gAzJx4

The Israeli Government has one of the most well-resourced intelligence communities in the world, specifically tasked with preventing attacks from Hamas. So how did it fail to detect an operation that involved months of planning, meetings in multiple countries, and thousands of militants? This is part two in our series on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYJFHtTYc0g

Last week, Hamas burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing at least 1,400 people, the vast majority of them Israeli civilians. But Hamas' origins go back decades, to its founder Ahmed Yassin. How did a disabled refugee from Gaza become one of the most influential men in Palestine? And how did he take Hamas from obscurity to wresting control of the Gaza Strip? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VqWVeanOS0

In 2021, a doctor from Florida met with a group of men to plan the overthrow of the Haitian President. The plot triggered a series of events which led to the President's death, the almost total collapse of the government, and the rise of mob rule in Haiti. So why is Kenya now being sent in to save the day? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhcd5oos_P4

In September last year, Elon Musk refused to let the Ukrainian military use his Starlink satellites to attack Russia. Musk jumped on Twitter and posted “Starlink is meant for peaceful use only”.  So how did we get into a situation where Elon Musk gets to personally decide whether a Ukrainian military operation succeeds or fails? And was he justified in refusing to help?  Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVojbEzWoUU

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Vancouver in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has just come out saying the Indian Government assassinated him. India is, of course, denying it. So who was Niijar? Why would anyone — much less the Indian Government — want to kill him? And is there more to this story than meets the eye? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2K0dTtkGNE

When world leaders received their invitations to the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi, everyone got a bit of a surprise. It referred to Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of Bharat, not India. The debate over the naming of India stretches back nearly 80 years, and tells an important story about the country's history. And Modi's new push for a change in the constitution is just the latest in a series of political fights centred on race, religion and unity in India. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWhuh87aYOM

The US, Russia, China and India are all sending missions to the moon — and all to its totally unexplored south pole. Why? Well, in order to make the next giant leap, we need to build a petrol station on the moon. How a discovery made a century ago will allow us to use the moon as a stepping stone to explore the solar system. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWhuh87aYOM

For a century society has bullied and shamed people into trying to lose weight, without much result. Now, a seemingly accidental discovery by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk may be the first weight loss drug that actually works. People are hailing semaglutide, marketed under the names Ozempic or Wegovy, as a miracle weight loss drug — but it comes at a cost. One clear winner is the Danish economy, as semaglutide has shot Novo Nordisk into the stratosphere as the most valuable company in all of Europe. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJItedDm2Y

China's economy is struggling. Similar things are happening across Asia but in China it's happening extremely fast. And a big part of the reason why is the disastrous One Child Policy and years of dodgy population data. How can you make plans for a country when you don't know how many people you have? Now the population is going backward, the property sector is faltering, and China is in a world of trouble. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4E5qY_tTDg&t

While everyone has their eyes on the war in Ukraine, West Africa is threatening to break out into war. There's been a seemingly unstoppable wave of coups washing along the edge of the Sahara, gaining strength each time. After the recent military coup in Niger, locals were seen chanting "down with France" and "long live Putin". What are France and Russia doing in West Africa? And could they end up in a proxy war? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_N9w5e9NrE

Microchips are in your car, your microwave — there might even be one in your kettle. They run everything. And the best microchips are made by TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. TSMC chips have put Western tech companies and militaries streets ahead of China, and China is not happy about it. TSMC is so important, that the world could go to war over it. Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tC3u8NEqU8&t

Inflation in Argentina is at 100 per cent. The government is printing money fast and locals are spending in US dollars because the peso is so unreliable. The economy is like a rollercoaster. It might be tempting to think, "they're different over there", but here's the thing: they're kind of not. Argentina — one of the wealthiest countries in the world — was once uncomfortably similar to Australia. Until it totally lost control of its own economy.

Donald Trump has been charged with trying and failing to delete CCTV evidence of farcical, and allegedly criminal behaviour. It's just the latest charge in the case against the former president over his… interesting decision to take classified documents with him when he left the White House. Could it land him in jail? We tell the story of how Trump got into this predicament, and his plan to get out of it.

A bromance is a powerful thing. Lennon and McCartney. Holmes and Watson. Gilbert and Sullivan. Han and Chewy. But occasionally a bromance can nearly get you killed. A month ago the entire world watched transfixed as a former chef named Yevgeny Prigozhin marched with his private army on Moscow. At the core of this mutiny is a bromance between Prigozhin and a guy you've probably never heard of — General Sergei Surovikin. Prigozhin assumed his friend Surovikin would back him up, but he flaked, and now both men are missing. So how did Prigozhin's bromance with Surovikin nearly bring down the Russian Government? And what's the punishment for even thinking about trying to roll Vladimir Putin? We now make a video version of If You're Listening! Check us out on YouTube and iView.

If You're Listening is back, and better than ever. Same espionage, same corruptions, same scandals, but more often. Not only will we be in your feed every Thursday, we'll also cover a different story each week. And if you prefer to watch rather than listen, we're also making videos for iView and YouTube. Episode one drops Thursday, 27th July.

After ten months of war, a few likely outcomes of the war in Ukraine are emerging. A win for Vladimir Putin. A win for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A bitter frozen conflict.  Neither Putin or Zelenskyy will sign a peace agreement and admit defeat.  But what if Putin’s regime ends? Guests: Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation Lieutenant General (retired) Ben Hodges - former commanding general of the US Army in Europe Dr Mykhailo Minakov - Philosopher; Editor in Chief of Focus Ukraine blog from the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center Michael Bociurkiw - Global Affairs Analyst and former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and Times Professor Daniel Treisman, University of California, Los Angeles, co-author “Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century”

Protest is not allowed inside Russia. There was little resistance from the Russian people to the invasion of Ukraine, and those who didn’t like it simply left.  But Vladimir Putin has made a decree that has caused discord across Russia. Has he finally pushed his people too far? Guests: Zoya Sheftalovich - Contributing editor for POLITICO Dr Christina Ezrahi - Historian; author of Swans of the Kremlin and Dancing for Stalin Denis Volkov - Director - Levada Centre, Moscow Dr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor of The New Times Dr Mykhailo Minakov - Philosopher; Editor in Chief of Focus Ukraine blog from the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center

On 26 September, a series of underwater explosions destroyed a cluster of natural gas pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The pipes were designed to deliver gas directly from Russia to Germany, and the explosions exacerbated the already dire energy crisis in Europe. Everyone agrees it was sabotage, but nobody can agree on who did it.  Today: the mystery of the Baltic Sea bubbles, and the story of how Germany’s plan for peace-through-capitalism blew up in their face. Featuring: Dr James Henderson - Chairman of the Gas Research Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Michael Bociurkiw - Global Affairs Analyst and former spokesperson for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

What does war look like on the ground, for the soldiers who go off to fight? What’s it like to be sent into the muddy confusion of a battlefield, asked to lay down your life for your country? In this episode: two soldiers. A Ukrainian in his 50s and a Russian in his 20s. One of them is still on the battlefield. The other fought for a week, and is now serving a 15 year prison sentence. These two stories explain a lot about how Russia messed this up, and how Ukraine was far stronger than anyone realised. Guests: Isabella Higgins - ABC News Europe Correspondent Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop - ABC News Investigative Reporter Taras Rodtseyvich - Ukrainian Territorial Defence Volunteer; IT Manager Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation Zoya Sheftalovich - contributing editor for POLITICO POW interview audio courtesy of Volodymyr Zolkin

Vladimir Putin's plan for a three day takeover of Ukraine relied on a quick strike to take out Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to kill him, to capture him, or to make him flee.  Putin assumed that Zelenskyy was weak, but on the very first day of the invasion, two events showed that Putin was wrong, and led to the transformation of a man into a symbol of defiance against Russian tyranny. Guests: Simon Shuster - Reporter for Time Magazine; author of an upcoming biography of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Zoya Sheftalovich - contributing editor for POLITICO Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and Times Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation POW interview audio courtesy of Volodymyr Zolkin

For 20 years the Russian President Vladimir Putin was happy to lurk in the shadows, trying and occasionally succeeding to manipulate the rest of the world into doing what he wanted them to do. But this year he chucked that out the window. His invasion of Ukraine has turned global security and the global economy upside down. In this episode we ask, why did he do it? Guests: Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and Times Dr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor of The New Times Dr Mykhailo Minakov - Philosopher; Editor in Chief of Focus Ukraine blog from the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation Simon Shuster - Reporter for Time Magazine; author of an upcoming biography of Volodymyr Zelenskyy

In the seventh season of If You're Listening, we tell the story of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Will Putin fulfil his dream of expanding the Russian empire, or has he made the biggest mistake of his life? Episode 1 drops Wednesday November 9!

Australia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, was built around a single resource - coal. Since then, Australia has come to rely on coal for its prosperity. Our industries grew around the cheap energy it provided, and our global trade balance relies on its export. But now, that has to end. The question is - what will happen to Australia, and its coal communities - when it does? Guests: Professor John Maynard, Emeritus Professor, Indigenous Education and Research, University of Newcastle Dr Judith Brett - Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe University, author of the Quarterly Essay The Coal Curse Julie Baird - Director of Newcastle Museum Stephen Galilee - CEO of the NSW Minerals Council Scott Hamilton, Australia-German Energy Transition Hub & former energy policy advisor to federal and Victorian governments Wendy Farmer - Voices of the Valley Darren Chester - Federal Nationals Member for Gippsland

The sixth season of If You’re Listening tells the story of Australia’s turbulent history with climate change, and what that means for the future. As we approach a federal election where climate and energy is a key battleground, this 8 episode series will examine how Australia wasted decades fighting change, instead of capitalising on it. Episode 1 launches on February 23.

For months commentators and politicians in Australia have been talking about one of the most frightening topics imaginable — a war between the United States and China over the island of Taiwan. It's the last frozen remnant of a hundred year old Civil War — two governments both claiming to be the legitimate rulers of China, separated by 100 miles of ocean. In this episode, we explain the bizarre story which led to the current tension, and look at what might happen next. Guests: Katherine Wei, Taiwan Correspondent, The Straits Times Malcolm Turnbull, former Australian Prime Minister Dr Helen Sham-ho OAM, first Chinese-born MP in an Australian parliament

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the shutdown of travel from China, it shone a harsh light on the way Australia treats Chinese students who come here to study. Some feel isolated and discriminated against, others feel they are being treated as "cash cows" by a university sector desperate for their fees. Can we do better? And can we handle it when problems arise inside the bubble we have created around Chinese students? Guests: Dr Fran Martin, associate Professor & Reader in Cultural Studies, University of Melbourne Catriona Jackson, CEO, Universities Australia Yaqiu Wang, researcher, Human Rights Watch 'Yuki', former University of Adelaide student Jane Poon, Australia-Hong Kong Link

From humble beginnings in a tiny town whose name means "deep drainage ditch", electrical engineer Ren Zhengfei grew his company Huawei into a global technology giant, delivering competitive telecommunications equipment at low prices. But when Australia accused Huawei of being a security risk, a snowball began to roll which led to arrests, hostages being taken, and pure white hot fury in Beijing. This is the story of how a decision made in the midst of a Prime Ministerial spill may lead to a new technology cold war. Guests: Sue-Lin Wong, China correspondent, The Economist and co-author of The Beijing Bureau: 25 Australian Correspondents Reporting China's Rise Malcolm Turnbull, former Australian Prime Minister

When China rolled out their trade sanctions regime against Australia to try and punish us for a litany of perceived insults, the trade of one commodity was conspicuously left untouched. China's desperate need to stimulate economic growth through construction has left them with an insatiable appetite for Australian iron ore. In this episode, we look at the incredible things they've built using our most valuable resource, and what might happen if they decide to stop buying it. Guests: Dinny McMahon, author of China's Great Wall of Debt: Shadow Banks, Ghost Cities, Massive Loans and the End of the Chinese Miracle Dr Feng Chongyi, Associate Professor in China Studies, University of Technology, Sydney Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister

In 1989, five days after tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and brutally ended weeks of protests, the then prime minister Bob Hawke gave a horrifying description of what Australia thought happened. But where did the account come from? And what did it get wrong? Over the past three months China, If You're Listening investigated the source of this description and found it was a previously undisclosed diplomatic cable from the Australian Embassy in Beijing, which subsequently had key details retracted. This is a bonus episode, produced with our friends at The Signal — a daily ABC News podcast. Guests: Blanche d'Alpuget, biographer and wife of late former prime minister Bob Hawke Richard Rigby, Emeritus Professor of the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra Craig Emerson, former advisor to Bob Hawke, and cabinet minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments

For decades Australia has taken the approach that when it comes to China; we can criticise their human rights record without risking our trading relationship. We told China we disapproved of their crackdown on students at Tiananmen Square in 1989, but continued to sell them iron ore. Xi Jinping has made it clear that the arrangement has now changed, as he simultaneously takes the lessons Beijing learned at Tiananmen, and applies them to a crackdown on Muslims in his country's far west. Guests: Rose Tang, 1989 Tiananmen Square protester Alim Osman, president, Uyghur Association of Victoria Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister Yaqiu Wang, researcher, Human Rights Watch

At first glance, Chinese President Xi Jinping's life story seems simple. His father was a high-ranking Chinese government official, and opened doors for his son, who rose even higher. But his rise to become the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong seems far more unlikely when you find out what Mao's policies did to Xi's family during his childhood. In this episode we tell the story of Xi's — from its terrifying beginning to mysterious end — and ask if he is the catalyst for the deterioration of relations between China and Australia. Guest: Dr Joseph Torigian, expert on Chinese elite politics, American University Dr Feng Chongyi — Associate Professor in China Studies — University of Technology, Sydney Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister Louisa Lim, author of The People's Republic of Amnesia and co-host of The Little Red Podcast Dr Helen Sham-ho OAM, first Chinese-born MP in an Australian Parliament

A podcast about how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse. Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping was regularly having warm, friendly chats with Australia's Prime Ministers. Now, he won't even take our phone calls, trade is being blocked, and Australian politicians are talking about preparations for war. Episode 1 coming on the 1st of June.

When the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake, President Donald Trump's new way of running the country suddenly left America exposed.

For a decade Donald Trump railed against China. But once he was elected, Chinese President Xi Jinping quickly broke down Trump's defences. In today's episode, how President Xi turned Trump's disdain for China into a beautiful friendship. And created the perfect distraction from what China was really doing.