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.
Airs on ABC Radio National at 1.30pm Friday.
Episodes
Sorted by latest
INTRODUCING Season Six | Australia, If You're Listening
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.
Published: by Matthew Bevan
AUSTRALIA | S06 E1 - The legacy of our first decisions on climate change
In 1987, scientists gathered in Melbourne for a landmark conference where they discussed, for the first time, the effects climate change might have on Australia.
Duration: 35 minutes 29 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
AUSTRALIA | S06 E2 - How we became addicted to coal
Australia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, was built around a single resource - coal.
Duration: 35 minutes 20 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
AUSTRALIA | S06 E3 - How long will the world want our coal?
Australia intends to keep exporting coal for as long as there are countries willing to buy it.
Miners have grand dreams of establishing new coal regions in Queensland to supply coal to the power stations and steel mills of India.
Duration: 35 minutes 46 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
INTRODUCING Season Five | China, If You’re Listening
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.
Duration: 2 minutes 7 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
CHINA | S05 01 - Xi Jinping: The 'Man of Destiny'
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.
Duration: 34 minutes 38 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
CHINA | S05 02 - How Tiananmen is being repeated in Xinjiang
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.
Duration: 37 minutes 17 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
CHINA | S05 Bonus episode - The story behind Bob Hawke’s mysterious Tiananmen Cable
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.
Duration: 17 minutes 15 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
INTRODUCING Season Four | America, If You're Listening
The 2020 US Presidential election is shaping up to be a historical moment.
Voters are deciding if the America of the last four years is the one they want to live in in the future.
Duration: 2 minutes 17 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
AMERICA | S04 01 - What a hurricane taught Trump about being president
Hurricane Maria smashed through Puerto Rico in 2017, destroying everything in its wake.
What did the worst American natural disaster in decades teach Donald Trump about how to be president?
Duration: 27 minutes 45 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
AMERICA | S04 02 - The surprising story of how Donald Trump took on the NRA
The most powerful gun lobby group in the United States was brought to the edge of collapse.
And right at that moment, Donald Trump vowed to do something about mass shootings.
Duration: 28 minutes 59 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
AMERICA | S04 03 - How close did Trump get to nuclear war?
Within months of taking office, 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.
Duration: 32 minutes 40 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
INTRODUCING Season Three | Putin vs The World
The Russian campaign to meddle in the 2016 US Election was only part of President Vladimir Putin's big plan.
Duration: 4 minutes 13 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
RUSSIA | S03 01 - A cold, wet day in Salisbury
The residents of the sleepy English town of Salisbury woke up one morning to find their town in chaos.
Russian agents had attempted to assassinate a traitor with a terrifying weapon, in a brazen chemical attack on British soil.
Duration: 18 minutes 43 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
RUSSIA | S02 01 - Trump's best day ever
After 22 months Mueller's report has dropped. But it hasn't been made public - yet.
US Attorney General Bill Barr has the report in his hot hands - and according to him - Mueller found no evidence of collusion.
But who is Bill Barr?
Duration: 17 minutes 42 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
RUSSIA | S02 02 - Maria Butina: Russian in the NRA
An undercover Australian journalist from Al Jazeera spent three years inside the National Rifle Association of America.
He wasn't the only one trying figure it out. Simultaneously, a Russian secret agent was trying to infiltrate the NRA.
Duration: 18 minutes 52 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
RUSSIA | S01 02 - Vladimir Putin: The man with a grudge
The spy from St Petersburg and the lawyer from Chicago. Why does Russia's president have such a deep and abiding hatred for Hillary Clinton?
This is the second episode of Russia, If You're Listening.
Duration: 11 minutes 49 seconds
Published: by Matt Bevan
RUSSIA | S01 03 - The Oligarchs: Money and power
The oligarchs hold the power and the money in Russia.
So who are they and why does your average Russian billionaire care about who sits in The White House?
This is the third episode of Russia, If You're Listening.
Duration: 14 minutes 5 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
RUSSIA | S01 04 - George Papadopoulos: The coffee boy
George Papadopoulos is the first known link between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Just how close was the so-called coffee boy George Papadopoulos to Russian spies offering dirt on Hillary Clinton?
Duration: 18 minutes 43 seconds
Published: by Matthew Bevan
Discover more podcasts
Download the ABC listen app to hear more of your favourite podcasts