In this week's episode, we talk to Zecharias Zelalem, one of Ethiopia's best young journalists, about the fractious nature of the country's politics. We discuss this month's election that is expected to return Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to power, geopolitics and the influence of the UAE, and Abiy's journey from a Nobel Peace Prize winning hero to a leader accused of authoritarianism. 

The Proximities newsletter: https://www.proximities.news/ 

Follow Zac on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/zekuzelalem.bsky.social  

And on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zecharias-zelalem-148717378/ 

Barry is on X here: https://x.com/malonebarry 

And on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/malonebarry/ 

In this week's episode, we talk to Negar Mortazavi in an effort to go deeper than the usual international headlines about Iran. What is life in the country like? Where do people really stand on internal politics and the U.S.-Israeli war on the country? What does western media sometimes get wrong? And how can you get more accurate information on Iran? Negar explains all of that and more. 

Negar Mortazavi is a veteran Iranian-American journalist and analyst, host of "The Iran Podcast", and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy. She has spent the last 15 years following and dissecting Iranian politics and Iran-U.S. relations.

The Proximities newsletter: https://www.proximities.news/ 

Follow Negar on X: https://x.com/NegarMortazavi 

And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/negarmortazavi/ 

Barry is on X here: https://x.com/malonebarry 

And on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/malonebarry/ 

In this week's episode, we talk to Hiba Morgan. Hiba is the Al Jazeera English correspondent in Sudan and has spent the last three years covering a civil war in her own country, even as much of the world remained indifferent. Hiba began by explaining the background to the conflict and where it might be headed. Later, she spoke movingly about her experiences covering the war as a Sudanese journalist, and why some international news stories get more attention than others.

Hiba bio:

Hiba Morgan is the Al Jazeera English correspondent in Sudan. Hiba, who is Sudanese, has been with Al Jazeera for more than a decade and has reported from her home country since 2009. 

Links:

Proximities: https://www.proximities.news/ 

Barry Twitter: https://x.com/malonebarry 

Barry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malonebarry/ 

Hiba Twitter:  https://x.com/hiba_morgan 

Hiba Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiba_morgan_/ 

Barry Malone, a former foreign correspondent and editor who has worked with organisations including Al Jazeera and Reuters, introduces the Proximities podcast. The show focuses on underreported global stories, particularly from outside the West, and features conversations with journalists reporting from the ground. Each episode covers conflicts, humanitarian crises, protest movements and political developments that often do not make the headlines.