If You're Listening

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

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.