If You're Listening

How a quadriplegic charity worker became the founder of Hamas

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 <a href="https://radio.abc.net.au/help/apps">ABC Listen app</a>.Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VqWVeanOS0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VqWVeanOS0</a>

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.