If You're Listening

Toxic smoke haze is blanketing Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, after weeks of fires in Indonesia. In central Chile, flash flooding has trapped people on their roofs, and already Australia’s spring is unusually hot. Scientists have confirmed it’s an El Niño year, and it’s expected to be one of the worst on record, tipping the odds for these extreme weather events. But we haven’t always had this warning — in 1982 there was a whole heap of apocalyptic weather, and no unifying theory to bring it all together. That “super El Niño” would totally change how we think about forecasting the weather. Now climate change threatens to send us back to the 1980s. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

Over recent decades, Hezbollah has become deeply embedded in southern Lebanon. It runs everything from hospitals and schools to infrastructure projects, and even has its own theme park. Naturally, when an email landed in our inbox from listener Alex who’s actually been to that theme park, we wanted to know every detail. So Matt gave him a call. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

A hot mic caught Putin telling Xi that organ transplants could bring immortality. It's not just talk, and it's not new either: Russian leaders have spent nearly a century chasing eternal life, with some genuinely bizarre results. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

With tensions between Donald Trump and Mark Carney heating up, it's the perfect excuse to revisit another time things got tense on the US-Canadian border… back before Canada was Canada. In June 1859, on a small island wedged between what's now Washington State and Vancouver Island, an American farmer raised his rifle at a pig that kept eating his potatoes, and pulled the trigger. Within weeks, that one dead pig had brought the United States and the British Empire to the brink of war. It became known as the Pig War. No One Saw It Coming host Marc Fennell tells Matt how it all played out, and why it took the German Kaiser to settle it. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

The US-Israel war with Iran. The UK leadership kerfuffle. Who’d finish the top of the ladder in the AFL. At the start of 2026 none of these things would have felt all that predictable. But as Matt experiments with AI stuck in the recent past, he finds computers have gotten good at predicting certain kinds of futures — and he investigates what that means for us, and for Donald Trump. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

The 1982 Falklands War wasn't just fought on land and at sea, but also over the airwaves. Radio was part of the strategy on both sides of the conflict, with Britain launching its own covert radio station as a form of 'grey' psychological warfare. Global Roaming producer Pat Sunderland tells Matt the story of Operation Moonshine. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, and Britain took them back by force. But it was messier behind the scenes than it looked… leaked tapes, real and fake, revealed Ronald Reagan secretly urging Margaret Thatcher not to humiliate Argentina, even as the US publicly stood by its closest ally. More than 40 years later, the islands are back in the headlines, and Argentina's president Javier Milei, one of Donald Trump's closest ideological allies, is talking about claiming them. But this time things have changed, this time the US might not automatically side with Britain. A Pentagon memo has reportedly floated reconsidering support for UK sovereignty over the islands, after Britain refused to help with the war in Iran. So which ally does Trump actually pick? Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

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.

Just this month, the public finally got access to Donald Trump's tax returns. They revealed that he pays little to no tax, because he makes very little money. So what does a businessman do when he needs to revamp his image and make a little cash? Become the most famous person in the world. How Donald Trump tried to make money off the Presidency.

Donald Trump ran for election on some promises - building a wall between the US and Mexico, and stopping the immigration of Muslims. But instead of living up to his promise to stem the tide of immigrants, he resorted to truly shocking measures. How did Donald Trump push America's immigration system to the limits of what is legal, and what is morally justifiable?

When George Floyd was killed by police, protestors took to the streets in worldwide support of the Black Lives Matter protests. Donald Trump has a long history with speaking out on issues to do with race. So how far did his law and order response go toward soothing America's centuries old racial divide. When Donald Trump was elected, he promised to Make America Proud Again but did he just end up making it worse?

As a businessman and presidential candidate, Donald Trump was extremely harsh on Saudi Arabia. So when Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside a Saudi consulate, why did Donald Trump come to the Kingdom's defence?

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. This is the story of how Donald Trump resisted temptation and kept the peace.

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. Could Donald Trump finally defeat the NRA, or when the moment came, did he flinch?

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? When Trump was inaugurated, he promised to Make America Safe Again... when the hurricane hit, did he live up to his promise? This is America, If You’re Listening. A podcast about how President Donald Trump has left his mark on the United States, and the world.

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. President Trump's has presided over the most turbulent four years in living memory. He's dealt with crises, changed policies, and fought for his political survival. America, If You're Listening will look back at these astonishing four years, and shed new light on the incredible chaos of Donald Trump's first term as President.

Russian intelligence agencies and Vladimir Putin have spent three years spreading a conspiracy theory that Ukraine was the one who meddled in the 2016 election. The theory quickly reached Donald Trump, and he became obsessed with proving it. He's now being impeached for his scheme to get Ukraine to investigate it. While this scheme has blown up in Trump’s face, and allegedly harmed America and Ukraine’s national security, it has played out perfectly for Putin.

You might think Trump's impeachment inquiry started because of a dodgy phone call to the Ukrainian President. But the origins are actually in the Ukrainian gas industry - which is deeply corrupt and reliant on Russia - just the way Putin likes it. In 2014, Joe Biden flew to Ukraine to try and break their Russian gas addiction. And started the dominoes falling which would eventually lead to Donald Trump's infamous request for a favour.

Like all dictators, Vladimir Putin is terrified of being overthrown by his people. Keeping his popularity high among average Russians is a priority for him, and from 2014 to 2018 he was king of the mountain. To keep that going in 2018 he announced an exciting new nuclear-powered nuclear missile. But that's where things started to go wrong.

In 2006, Russian assassins killed a dissident in London. But they left a spectacular radioactive mess behind them and ended up in a Moscow hospital. But this wasn't the worst example of spycraft in England over the last two decades. One attack went so disastrously wrong it made the United Kingdom finally wake up to the threat of Putin's Kremlin. The story of how espionage screwups can have global consequences.

From almost complete obscurity, Nigel Farage rode a wave of British anger to take his idea of leaving the European Union from a fringe fantasy to a mainstream cause. But as Farage rose from community hall meetings to primetime TV debates, he found himself increasingly allied with Vladimir Putin. This is the story of how Mr Brexit came to recognise Putin's power and how it could help his cause.

German leader Angela Merkel was the most powerful woman in the world. Which is why Putin was determined to take her down. His campaign started by playing on her famous fear of dogs... and ended with the biggest migrant crisis the world had seen.

When is an invasion not an invasion? When Putin's propaganda machine is involved, sowing false narratives, confusion and fear. From Putin's motorcycle gang to his 'little green men' and his hip-hop loving head of misinformation, Russia tried everything to convince the West it wasn't invading Ukraine. The propaganda push worked - sort of, and tells us a lot about the misinformation Russia has gone on to do in the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power declaring he would kill his terrorist enemies, even if they were in the toilet at the time. His transition from spymaster to President came in the midst of apartment bombings, and brutal crackdowns on those he held responsible. He learned that having an enemy to fight makes you a popular leader. The turbulent first years of his Presidency tell us a lot about why he has picked a fight with the West.

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. But the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal is only one step in a series of events which began five years ago and may help bring about Brexit, and the impeachment of a US President. Season 3 of Russia, If You're Listening begins in Salisbury, to tell the whole story of Russian President Vladimir Putin's 5-year attack on the western world.

The Russian campaign to meddle in the 2016 US Election was only part of President Vladimir Putin's big plan. Season 3 of Russia, If You're Listening looks at where the scheme to destroy western democracies began, the damage it's done, and where it might end.

It's the meeting at a fancy wine bar in London that sparked the Mueller investigation. Some say it was a boozy, alcohol-fuelled drinking session where a clever spy tricked a Trump official into divulging information about Russia. Others say it was a brief encounter where a Trump official naively blurted something to a senior diplomat. So what is the truth? For the first time, both people at the meeting - George Papadopoulos and Alexander Downer - reveal what really happened that night. Here's one spoiler: they agree they both had a gin and tonic. So pull up a chair and grab a drink, because this story gets weird.

Robert Mueller has investigated the relationship between former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska is an aluminium tycoon with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Manafort tried to funnel secret insider information about the Trump election strategy to him. Was that information then used by Russia to influence the election? The story behind the last remaining collusion question.

Lawyer Don McGahn was on the Trump train from the beginning. But the dream job of White House Counsel quickly turned into a nightmare, as he slowly fell out of favour with the President. Then one night McGahn was forced to make a choice of historic proportions: help Trump potentially commit a crime or resign. McGahn has found himself the centre of attention, as his testimony to Robert Mueller implicates the President in possible obstruction of justice.

When Julian Assange was arrested last week, the only camera to capture it was Russian broadcaster RT. It's the latest event in a long relationship between the Wikileaks founder and the state-sponsored network. Assange has denied working with Russian military hackers to influence the US election. But what does Robert Mueller know about Assange’s links to Russia?

Everyone who meets Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak ends up in deep trouble. But what if that was the point? Robert Mueller seems to have found no evidence that the Trump campaign were willing participants in the criminal Russian effort to disrupt the 2016 election. But what if the Trump campaign were unwitting targets of a spy operation, led from the Russian Embassy Were they tricked into taking pointless but suspicious-looking meetings - which the media and FBI would discover and investigate?

Affable Englishman Rob Goldstone was literally in the room for the infamous Trump Tower Meeting, and he was with Donald Trump the weekend of the mythical "pee tape". But when you look at the rest of the characters involved in the Trump/Russia saga - Republican operatives, Trump family members and Russian spies - Rob Goldstone seems like the odd man out. He puts a lot of his story down to accidents and misunderstandings, but is that all there is to it? You can get a link to the full interview on our website.

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. She is now the only Russian secret agent behind bars for Russia's meddling in the election, and could hold the key to understanding Putin's plans.

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? And can we trust his summary of Mueller's findings?

We end the season with the head of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election - Robert Mueller. He's been taking down key players, circling closer and closer to Donald Trump. But can he finish before the President shuts him down? This is our last deep dive into a key character in the Russia investigation for this season, but we'll keep you updated with Trumpdates every time an important development in the story breaks. Keep an eye on your feed. Want to get in touch? Email russia@abc.net.au.

Michael Cohen is called Donald Trump's personal lawyer, but really he's a "fixer" - a man who solves problems for the boss. It all came unstuck when investigators probed into hush money payments he made to a model and a porn star. He pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts, and announced he was happy to tell the truth to anyone who asked for it. So what information will he give up and should Trump be worried? Want to get in touch? Email russia@abc.net.au.

Felix Sater's life is a mystery. He went to jail for stabbing a guy in the face, he was involved with the Russian Mafia, and was an informant for the CIA. He also helped Donald Trump build his property empire. So are there any secrets? And what does he know?

Donald Trump's business flourished with the 80s real estate boom and bled money when the recession hit. These days no one really knows how much he really has. Why the secrecy? Today, the story of the Trump Organization, and when Russian money might have ended up in his pocket.

Former FBI director James Comey is both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's biggest nightmare. He's the grandson of a cop with a dogged commitment to integrity, independence and note taking. But could his integrity be what cost Hillary Clinton the election? And did it cause Donald Trump to commit a crime?

General Michael Flynn was a high ranking defence official and a Democrat before he joined up with Donald Trump. He's now accused of planning a kidnapping, acting illegally as an unregistered foreign agent, and found guilty of lying to the FBI. Why was he allowed to stay in the White House when he was compromised by the Russian Government?