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If You’re Listening — News & Politics
If You’re Listening

The world is on fire. There’s a coup. Inflation is through the roof, and AI is taking our jobs. What does it all mean? Each week, Matt Bevan explains the biggest story in world news while hiding in his basement from assassins and authoritarian regimes.

Recent episodes include an exploration of the relationship between India and China, a closer look at the Saudi Arabian city of NEOM, the conflict in the Middle East, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, and Ukraine’s incursions into Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Matt Bevan draws connections between stories from the past and the events of the present to help listeners understand world news and international affairs.

The podcast also features series about big moments in world news; previous series have focused on the United States presidential election, the United Kingdom’s 14 years of Conservative Party leadership, Donald Trump’s relationship with Russia, Donald Trump’s presidency and promise to Make America Great Again, the Mueller Report, Vladimir Putin’s scheme to destroy western democracies, how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse, and Australia’s turbulent history with climate change.

There’s a new episode of If You’re Listening every Thursday.

Latest Episodes:

China's play to win the heart of the Pacific Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzF_o11VvuQ

How North Korea makes a fortune stealing crypto Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7eK8MO7c0Q

Can Israel rescue the hostages? Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQx0U-bfd7A

Who is Hezbollah, the group backing Hamas? Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ4x0gAzJx4

How did Hamas catch Israel by surprise? Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Catch up on our series about the Israel-Gaza conflict on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYJFHtTYc0g

How a quadriplegic charity worker became the founder of Hamas Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VqWVeanOS0

The ridiculous assassination plot that sent Haiti into chaos Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhcd5oos_P4

Should Elon Musk have stopped Ukraine attacking Russia? Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVojbEzWoUU

The assassination that broke the bond between Canada and India Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2K0dTtkGNE

Why Modi picked a fight over India's true name Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWhuh87aYOM

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