Best Amlo Podcasts (2026)

Independent journalist Zaid Jilani joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the political evolution of JD Vance and his transition from being a Never Trumper to Donald Trump’s running mate. They assess Vance's heterodox political beliefs, how they clash with his personal life, and whether he represents the future of MAGA and the broader conservative moveme…

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The Abiy Ahmed Paradox: Meet Ethiopia's 'Pentecostal Putin' 1:03:49

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1+ y ago1:03:49

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The Economist correspondent Tom Gardner discusses with host Arif Rafiq the enigma that is Ethiopia's prime minister Abiy Ahmed, who would preside over a civil war roughly a year after being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. The conversation is wide-ranging and covers Abiy's childhood, the role of religion in his life, his rise through the Ethiopian syst…

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The AMLO Legacy and Mexico’s Future Under Claudia Sheinbaum | Juan David Rojas 1:23:50

1+ y ago1:23:50

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Juan David Rojas (@rojasrjuand) of Compact magazine and host Arif Rafiq discuss the historic victory of Claudia Sheinbaum in this month’s Mexican general elections. They take a deep dive into the record of her mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, and explore his heterodox, anti-neoliberal politics. They also assess what the future ho…

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India's Big Election Surprise 4:15

1+ y ago4:15

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is returning to power for a third consecutive term, but with a slimmed-down mandate delivered by an electorate weighed down by economic precarity. India's surprising election results will have a profound effect on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi rules and who succeeds him. LEARN MORE: https://globelynews.com/sou…

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South Africa's New Political Moment 4:34

1+ y ago4:34

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It’s a new era in South Africa. In last week's general elections, the African National Congress (ANC), which led the country’s freedom struggle, failed to win a National Assembly majority for the first time since the fall of apartheid in 1994. The party will now have to form a coalition government. Its choices may have profound effects not just on …

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Why Venezuela’s Maduro Is Saber-Rattling With Guyana 3:34

1+ y ago3:34

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Venezuela is in the midst of a military buildup along its border with its smaller neighbor Guyana, a tiny South American country home to the world’s fastest-growing economy — driven by oil. CONNECT WITH US: Web: globelynews.com X: @GlobelyNews | @arifcrafiq Facebook: facebook.com/globelynewsweb YouTube: youtube.com/@GlobelyNews…

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Claudia Sheinbaum Could Become Mexico's First Jewish and Woman President 0:58

1+ y ago0:58

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Mexicans head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president. If the pre-election surveys are correct, their next president will be Claudia Sheinbaum — who would make history as Mexico’s first woman and first Jewish president. CONNECT WITH US: Web: globelynews.com X: @GlobelyNews | @arifcrafiq Facebook: facebook.com/globelynewsweb YouTube: y…

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U.S.-China Green Metals Race Heats Up in Central Africa 1:00:48

1+ y ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Cobus van Staden of the China in Africa podcast and host Arif Rafiq discuss two competing corridors that are at the heart of the great power race for green metals in the Central African Copper Belt: the Western-backed Lobito Corridor from Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia and the China-constructed and potentially soon-to-be reva…

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Hezbollah and Israel: The State of Play 59:40

1+ y ago59:40

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Guest Ali Hashem (@alihashem_tv) of Al Jazeera English and host Arif Rafiq (@arifcrafiq) discuss the prospects for a full-blown conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The episode looks at the history of conflict between the two belligerents, including the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, assesses how both parties have adapted and evolved since then in an…

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Gaza: Famine, Genocide, and the Day After 1:06:09

1+ y ago1:06:09

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Khalil Sayegh of the Agora Initiative joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss conditions on the ground in Gaza, what kind of political future awaits the Palestinian people, and his views on the response of Christian Zionists in the U.S. to the mass killings of Palestinians. CONNECT WITH US: Web: globelynews.com X: @GlobelyNews | @arifcrafiq Facebook: face…

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The Narendra Modi Legacy 1:11:19

2y ago1:11:19

1:11:19

India’s general elections begin this month and are likely to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party back to power for a third consecutive term. King’s College London Prof. Christophe Jaffrelot and host Arif Rafiq discuss the fundamental features of Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist project developed in t…

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Ethiopia, Somaliland and the Horn of Africa's Game of Ports 1:08:55

2y ago1:08:55

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University of Maryland Professor Michael Woldemariam joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the recent maritime access agreement between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland. They address landlocked Ethiopia’s problem of geography, its regional aspirations, the challenges of federalism and fragmentation in Somalia and Ethiopia, and the contest…

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China's War on the Uyghur Muslims 1:23:29

2y ago1:23:29

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Uyghur activist Nury Turkel (@nuryturkel) speaks with host Arif Rafiq on China’s persecution of the Uyghur Muslims; the systems of coercion, surveillance, and collective punishment directed at the Uyghurs; and how you, the listener, may be unknowingly consuming products made in part through forced Uyghur labor. LEARN MORE: https://globelynews.com/a…

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Indonesia 'After' Joko Widodo 58:24

2y ago58:24

58:24

Jacqui Baker (@indobaker) of Murdoch University joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss Prabowo Subianto’s victory in Indonesia’s presidential elections, the legacy and political future of the popular outgoing president Joko Widodo, and the durability of the economic and political status quo in this rising Southeast Asian power. LEARN MORE: After Joko Wid…

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Guyana: The World's Newest Petrostate 51:38

2y ago51:38

51:38

Jay Mandle, a professor emeritus of economics at Colgate University, joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss whether Guyana, now the world's newest petrostate and fastest-growing economy, can leverage its newfound oil wealth to change its destiny and avoid the "resource curse." By 2035, Guyana could become the world's fourth-largest producer of oil. But i…

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The Many Political Lives of Anwar Ibrahim 1:01:29

2y ago1:01:29

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Meredith Weiss, a professor of political science at the University at Albany, joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the many political transformations of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over his political career. A prominent Islamist student activist, Anwar was cultivated by longtime Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as his heir apparent, only to b…

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Iran, the IRGC, and the Battle for the Middle East 1:17:29

2y ago1:17:29

1:17:29

Afshon Ostovar, an associate professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss how Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) transformed from being a ragtag militia to a preeminent outside force in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere in the Middle East. They explore the IRGC’s network of partners, including the so-called Axi…

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The China Challenge 1:24:57

2y ago1:24:57

1:24:57

Ali Wyne, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the implications of Taiwan's recent elections, how China is responding to the results, the risks of a U.S.-China war over Taiwan, and the broader challenge of managing a rising China. LEARN MORE: The China Challenge: How to Manage Strategic Rivalry With B…

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American Jews: Beyond the Tropes 1:13:14

2y ago1:13:14

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Journalist Emily Tamkin, author of "Bad Jews," joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the evolving and often contentious debate over what it means to be an American Jew and how today's conversations about Jews, whiteness, and wealth fit into the broader historical, American Jewish experience. They also discuss the parallels between neoconservatism in the…

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The Bangladesh Paradox 1:00:43

2y ago1:00:43

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Bangladesh has seen rapid economic growth and development gains amid poor governance, rampant corruption, and growing repression. On Sunday, Bangladeshi voters went to the polls to take part in elections that were neither free nor fair. Ali Riaz, a distinguished professor of political science at Illinois State University, joins host Arif Rafiq to d…

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The El-Sisi Guide to Ruling Egypt 1:16:33

2y ago1:16:33

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Hesham Sallam of Stanford University joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss Pres. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's 10 years as ruler of Egypt and how this one man has dominated Egypt, its institutions, and its 110 million people for a decade. They dive deep into El-Sisi's motives, how his brand of authoritarianism differs from those of his predecessors, and what t…

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Venezuela’s Long Crisis 1:38:29

2y ago1:38:29

1:38:29

Francisco Rodríguez of the University of Denver joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss Venezuela's long political and economic crises, the drivers of its instability, the role played by the U.S., its links to the migrant crisis, and the potential for a way out. In this episode, we take a deep look at the broader political and economic crisis that Venezue…

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India’s Global Assassination Program 48:50

2y ago48:50

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Murtaza Hussain of The Intercept joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss India’s global assassination campaign, its modes, methods, and motivations, and what it means for the future of India’s partnership with the United States and the West. Previously limited to its neighborhood, India's assassination campaign is now extending to the West. On Wednesday, …

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The Arab Americans of Metro Detroit: Inside a Community That Could Decide the 2024 Presidential Elections 1:13:39

2y ago1:13:39

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University of Michigan-Dearborn Professor Sally Howell joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the history of the Arab Americans of Detroit and Dearborn and their rise as a force that is not only reshaping the political landscape in Michigan but could also play a decisive role in choosing the next president of the United States. Learn more…

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Saudi Arabia: The Gaza War and MBS’s Plans to Transform the Region 50:59

2y ago50:59

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Rice University scholar Kristian Ulrichsen joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss how the October 7 attacks by Hamas have impacted Saudi Arabia's moves toward normalizing ties with Israel, its relations with Iran, and plans by its de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to transform the country's economy and society through Vision 2030. Learn mor…

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Hamas: Between Politics and War 1:11:56

2y ago1:11:56

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King's College London Professor Jeroen Gunning joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss Hamas's ideology, internal struggles between pragmatists and hardliners, competition with other Palestinian groups, and use of violence against Israel. The episode concludes with a discussion on how to hold both state and non-state actors accountable for violence agains…

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Netanyahu’s Wars 39:27

2y ago39:27

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International Crisis Group analyst Mairav Zonszein joins host Arif Rafiq to discuss the mood on the ground in Israel after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, how it may shape Netanyahu’s decision-making, and what the ongoing crisis means for his legacy. Read moreBy Globely News

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The Palestinian Question: Past, Present and Future 44:17

2y ago44:17

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The Middle East Institute's Khaled Elgindy and host Arif Rafiq discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S. policy toward Palestine, and the future of the Palestinian national movement. Learn moreBy Globely News

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Se4Ep50: The End 1:45:52

4y ago1:45:52

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Wayne & Trev with tears in their eyes and the standard glint in their eye bring you the final episode of their A Midlife Less Ordinary journey. As sad as that could be, this episode is all about celebrating the 50 episodes and all the people involved in making the podcast the success it has been. Join Wayne & Trev as they guide you through their lo…

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Se4Ep49: Let's Go Online Dating 47:29

4y ago47:29

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Wayne and Trev explore the world of online dating. Trev is more of a traditionalist and has not dabbled in this new fangled approach to dating whereas Wayne spent many years utilising every app possible and has learned much along the way. So whether you are single and are looking for an experienced guide to being the best version of you online, or …

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PERDÓN SI, OLVIDO NO! AMLO 17:18

4y ago17:18

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Entregaron 120 millones de hectáreas de nuestro país México 🇲🇽 😒

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Is Social Media Bad For You? 42:01

4y ago42:01

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Wayne & Trev discuss the Pro's and con's of social media and the influence it has had on popular culture. Is social media for us people in our midlife being digital immigrants rather than ntaives to digital technology. Tune in from Sunday 23rd January to hear this subject deconstructed in true A midlife Less Ordinary Style. Support the show…

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Se4:Ep47 - How To Beat The January Blues 43:22

4y ago43:22

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Support the showBy Wayne & Trev

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Se3:Ep46 - The AMLO Christmas Special 2021 51:32

4y ago51:32

51:32

Support the showBy Wayne & Trev

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Se3:Ep45 Battle Cry From Jordan Dennis Exclusive Preview 40:50

4y ago40:50

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Jordan Dennis joins Wayne & Trev for a quick chat about his gigging with the King Of The Strings EP the last few months and gives A Midlife Less Ordinary an exclusive preview of his new single Battle Cry which shows that Jordan was no flash in the pan with "King Of The Strings" Battle Cry will be available for download from January 1st 2022 from Sp…