Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

Australia's close neighbour is changing before our eyes. By mid-century, Indonesia is forecast to become the world's fourth largest economy – imagine that!So how is Indonesia's economy really performing? Is democracy making a difference? And how will President Prabowo Subianto tackle the challenge of building infrastructure across an archipelago?In the first episode of Global Roaming's Indonesia Rising series, Hamish speaks with economist Dr Mari Pangestu to learn how the country is weathering global economic shocks and what's at stake in its partnership with Australia.Guest: Dr Mari Pangestu, economist, Indonesia's former Minister of Trade (2004-2011) and Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (2011-2014), and the former World Bank managing director (2020-2023). ------------Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.--------------Indonesia Rising sound design by Samuel Phelps.*Hamish is in Indonesia as the winner of the 2024 Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award.

Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting global headwinds and now the war in the Middle East have hit the British hard. So with some of the world's highest energy costs and a stretched defence force,  what does the future hold? Can Britain's deeply unpopular prime minister, Keir Starmer, survive the upcoming elections? And will this fallen empire ever rise again? On this episode of Global Roaming, Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke (The Nightly) go the London. Guest: James Crabtree, geopolitical analyst and author.Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Péter Magyar has beaten Viktor Orbán in Hungary's election, ending 16 years of autocratic rule. Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians celebrated in the streets of Budapest as the results were announced.Maygar won in a landslide, meaning his government has the power to enact significant reform, including bringing Hungary back into the EU fold.Hungarians voted for change of government and they got it. Does this signal the end of strongman politics? And what will America and Russia do now they've lost their man in Europe?Guest: Gergő Papp, Hungarian political campaigns consultant and author of 'The Fall of Orbán: How a Political Outsider Toppled Europe's Trump'. The book will be available in English in a few months.------------Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

The war in the Middle East is sending shock waves through global supply chains, so where does this leave economic superpower China? Will it emerge as a genuine global leader or merely make a profit from global disorder?Does Beijing see the US and the President Trump's instability as a threat or opportunity?In this episode, Geraldine and Latika go roaming to find out if China wants the global power but not the global responsibility.The article Geraldine references from Foreign Affairs, written by Zongyuan Zoe Liu is here.Guest: Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of 'Forgotten Ally, China's World War II'.Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

The ink hadn't even dried on the initial US-Iran ceasefire last week when Israel launched an unprecedented bombardment on Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Latika Bourke and Laura Tingle speak to a seasoned analyst from the International Crisis Group in Lebanon, who gives a unique insight into the fissures in Lebanese society. Is Hezbollah putting Iran's interests over Lebanon's? Will their most recent support of Iran continue a cycle of perpetual warfare? And is fermenting internal division a tactic employed by Israel to weaken the country?Guest: Heiko Wimmen, overseer of the International Crisis Group's Iraq, Syria and Lebanon project.--------------Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Is Wikipedia a relic of a more utopian version of the internet? Or is it the citizen-led antidote that we need?In the final episode of Global Roaming's Matter of Facts mini-series, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales joins Hamish and Geraldine to discuss how much we should value freedom of speech over stifling active disinformation.This episode is part of a companion series to Hamish's three-part TV documentary, The Matter of Facts.Guest: Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and author of The Seven Rules of Trust.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Middle East conflict has triggered a reckoning in global energy supplies. So as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touches down in Singapore for talks to shore up fuel supplies, are there opportunities amidst the disruption? Could Australia work with South East Asia to develop more resilient energy supply chains? In this episode, Hamish and Geraldine travel to Jakarta, Indonesia's capital and now the most populous city in the world, to find out. Guest: Dr Kao Kim Hourn,  Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.*Hamish is in Indonesia as the winner of the 2024 Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award. The award provides for a visit to Indonesia supported by the Australia-Indonesia Institute (All) within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The war in Iran has aroused worldwide fears: what happens if a country runs out of oil? Because of severe US restrictions, Cuba has faced that reality, having been without oil for three months.Latika and Kylie speak to correspondent Ruaridh Nicoll who has been travelling across the country to find out how the Cubans are surviving.Guest: Ruaridh Nicoll, journalist, freelancer, and author. He has worked with The Guardian, The Telegraph UK, and Al Jazeera, among others.-------------Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

A ceasefire is declared after Donald Trump agrees to a two-week pause in attacks on Iran, contingent on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But is this a genuine de-escalation or a strategic pause? A reprieve that the world has been desperate to see or statecraft in action? In this episode of Global Roaming Geraldine and Latika speak to one of the UK's leading war and military specialists to better understand where the Middle East conflict is headed. Guest: Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute in London.Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Australia's education system is one of our most successful export industries, worth an estimated 54 billion dollars. But as perceptions that our universities are "mediocre and overpriced" rise, is the opportunity to use education as a way to build stronger relationships with south east Asia passing Australia by? This episode Hamish Macdonald and Kylie Morris go to Ho Chi Minh City to speak with Damien Cave from the New York Times, who argues Australian universities are failing as a frontline of Australian foreign policy.Guest: New York Times' Vietnam bureau chief, Damien Cave. Read his story for ABC's Long Read here: Is Australia's university empire losing global appeal?Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.*Hamish is in Indonesia as the winner of the 2024 Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award. The award provides for a visit to Indonesia supported by the Australia-Indonesia Institute (All) within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

In our previous Matter of Facts mini-series episodes, we covered why our brains are vulnerable to misinformation, and how disinformation is affecting democracies. Today, we examine the public's trust (or lack thereof) in mainstream media.For decades, news outlets functioned to bridge the gap between the public and those in power. So, how did faith in traditional journalism erode, and what needs to change in how the media operates to start fixing the mess?Guest: Ulrik Haagerup, founder and CEO of Constructive Institute.-----------------Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today, a special episode recorded at the Manly Writer's Festival 2026 where Geraldine speaks to three highly experienced diplomats -- Ian Kemish AM, Dr Robert Bowker, Dr Lachlan Straun. They talk about the challenges they faced in foreign negotiating rooms, how accurate the media representations of diplomats are, and whether there is a distinctly Australian style of diplomacy.Guests:Ian Kemish AM -- former Australian ambassador to Germany, former Australian high commissioner to Papua New Guinea and former international adviser to the prime minister. Author of The Consul: an insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline and Two Islands.Dr Robert Bowker -- Australian ambassador to Jordan (1989-1992), Australian ambassador to Egypt (2005-2008) and former non-resident Australian ambassador to Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Sudan. Author of Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots: An Australian Diplomat in the Arab World.Dr Lachlan Strahan -- former High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, First Assistant Secretary of the DFAT Multilateral Policy Division, and Australia's former Acting United Nations Ambassador in Geneva. Author of The Curious Diplomat: A memoir from the frontlines of diplomacy. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

As the war in the Middle East rages, Israel is waging offensives on multiple fronts. The state is pounding Iran and Beirut with missiles and drones. Ground troops are pushing deep into southern Lebanon and occupy half of Gaza. The expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank has become "unconstrained" and increasingly violent. Is this Benjamin Netanyahu pursuing his expansionist dream of "Greater Israel"? And how do ordinary Israelis feel about the conflict? On this episode of Global Roaming Kylie and Latika go to Israel to find out. Guest: Daliah Scheindlin, public opinion researcher, political advisor and policy fellow at The Century Foundation. She is the author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel: Promise UnfulfilledGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Iran has withstood US and Israel's offensive more effectively than those who attacked it had expected. They've made the most of geography - and shown just how vulnerable the global economy is.Despite this, Iran's allies, Moscow and Beijing, have been keeping their distance. But what about Yemen's Houthis? What difference could they make in this war?And at what point will the Gulf countries step in?Guest: Neil Quilliam, energy policy, geopolitics and foreign affairs specialist.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

President Trump's campaign to pull allies like Australia and Japan into defending the Strait of Hormuz is growing more urgent by the day. Japan's pacifist constitution is seemingly at odds with the US calling for them to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Former Japanese ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, insists there are ways the country can contribute without directly going against their constitutional prerogative. But how far will they be pulled into US interests?And will it influence Australia to do the same?Guest: Shingo Yamagami, former Japanese ambassador to Australia.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Disinformation accelerated by AI is affecting democracies worldwide at an extraordinary pace. Governments overseas are wielding it against their own citizens. Meanwhile closer to home, perceptions of AI interference in elections have us questioning everything. It's an information war being fought on several fronts.We finally have some empirical data on this new phenomena. So, how do we safeguard our democracies from digital interference?------------GUEST: Dr Constanza Sanhueza, researcher and senior lecturer in political science at ANU.This is the second of Global Roaming's mini series on misinformation and disinformation. Hamish's documentary is called A Matter of Facts, and will be released on iView on Tuesday 24th March 2026.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

With a rogue United States causing havoc in the Middle East, is it time for Australia to abandon its 'good doggy' approach to US foreign policy?In the final instalment of Global Roaming's three-part series, The World Reordered, hosts Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are joined by one of Australia's most respected military thinkers, who argues Australia needs to 'grow up'.Guest: David Kilcullen, Professor of Practice in the Center on the Future of War and the School of Politics and Global Studies, former Australian Army lieutenant colonel, counterinsurgency expert and author.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

How much do we Australians really understand South East Asia? Australia has long prioritised neighbours further north when it comes to our strategic alliances, but as China rises as a great power, have our blind spots become our greatest weakness? Michael Wesley joins Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke (The Nightly) to make the case for appraising South East Asia as more than a holiday destination, and in particular, why we should be doing more to partner with Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Guest: Michael Wesley, author of Quarterly essay Blindspot: Southeast Asia and Australia's FutureGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

In a broad-ranging conversation, Hamish Macdonald speaks to historian and host of the hit podcast Empire William Dalrymple about the pitfalls of trying to understand the contemporary world without a firm grasp of the past, whether India can replicate its success as an ancient superpower and how countries like Australia and Britain deal with uncomfortable truths from their past. 

The world is getting more dangerous. The closure of the Straight of Hormuz has sent shock waves around the world. The price of oil has skyrocketed and with fuel shortages now reaching Asia, Australia faces 'crunch time' on its energy security.So how vulnerable are we right now? And how do our perceptions shape our foreign policy? Rory Medcalf from the ANU's National Security College has been studying how our security expectations match up our reality. He joins Hamish Macdonald and Kylie Morris to talk about why public opinion matters. Guest: Professor Rory Medcalf, Director of the ANU's National Security College. Further reading: Report - No worries? Australian attitudes to national security, risk and resilienceGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

To celebrate Hamish Macdonald's new television series The Matter of Facts, we'll be taking a deep dive into the global ramifications of mis- and disinformation. First up is the world of AI deepfakes. Generative artificial intelligence has us questioning our own eyes and ears, and the rapid pace at which we're consuming information is quite literally changing our brains. How do we navigate this world without falling prey to manipulation?In this episode, “deep reading” expert Maryanne Wolf joins Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue to unpack what it means to engage critically with information.-----------Guest: Maryanne Wolf -- Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. And author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain.This is the first of Global Roaming's mini series on misinformation and disinformation. Hamish's documentary is called The Matter of Facts, and will be released on iView on Tuesday 24th March 2026.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

With Ali Larijani killed, and the whereabouts of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei unknown, who is calling the shots in Iran? Iranian-American historian Arash Azizi joins Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald to talk through the emerging power players, like Mohammad Bagher Ghabliaf and Saeed Jalili, and how much would genuinely change under their potential leadership. Guest: Arash Azizi, author of What Iranians WantGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

With thousands dead and millions displaced in Iran, the humanitarian price of the US-Israel war will be steep. But there's another priceless casualty of war: art. With multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites in Iran sustaining damage, how do you protect a nation's cultural heritage during war time? Latika Bourke and Kylie Morris are joined by Basia Solokowska, who served as Defence and Crisis Management Officer at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland. She lifts the lid on how museums and art galleries prepare their collections for war, and the surprising role drones play in preserving our heritage.Guest: Basia Sokolowska, Polish-Australian artistGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

The so-called Operation Epic Fury isn't working according to Trump's plan, if he has one at all. Now, as Iran's blockade Strait of Hormuz threatens the global economy, will Trump's allies in NATO and Asia answer his calls for military assistance? Latika Bourke and Geraldine Doogue speak to Richard Haass, a foreign policy stalwart who has sat in US negotiations with Northern Ireland and Iran. They talk about why the US gave up on diplomacy, if Netanyahu would agree to a US brokered ceasefire, and why so many foreign policy experts in the States are deeply concerned about what happens next. Guest: Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

There's no way Australia could possibly be supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, right? According to Ukrainian MP Anastasia Radina, think again. During a visit to Australia to rally support for her besieged country, this episode the Ukranian MP sits down with Hamish Macdonald and Kylie Morris to argue the case for Australia to stop buying refined oil from India because of its links to Russia.Guest: Anastasia Radina MP, Chair of the Ukrainian Committee on Anti-Corruption PolicyGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Our inbox at Global Roaming is chockers with requests to take a closer look at China's history. So this episode, we're sharing a Sydney Writer's Festival panel recorded at the State Library of NSW with Frank Dikötter, pre-eminent China historian. Hear Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue speak to Dikötter about rummaging through smuggled archives to challenge CCP narratives of China's modern history, and what it tells us about Xi Jinping's power today.Guest: Frank Dikötter, author of Red Dawn Over ChinaFurther listening: The underground historians of China trying to preserve truth - Saturday ExtraGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

The Baltic nation of Estonia knows a little about what Russia is like. One of Russia's closest neighbours, they were part of the Soviet Union until gaining independence in 1991. But is its independence being threatened? Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald speak to the Minister about Putin's "master plan" and his message for Australia's leaders.Guest: Estonia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Margus TsahknaGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Last year's Gen Z protests in Nepal saw the Parliament building set ablaze, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli step down. In the first election since, it looks like the 35-year-old rapping former Mayor of Kathmandu could be next leader of the Himalayan nation. But with impacts of the war reverberating through Nepal's massive migrant diaspora, can Balendra Shah fulfil his promise of economic stability? Latika Bourke and Kylie Morris are joined by South Asia bureau chief Meghna Bali to look at "Balen" Shah's promise to the people, and how Nepal's closest neighbours, India and Pakistan, are having their allegiances tested by the fallout of war in Iran. Guest: Meghna Bali, South Asia bureau chief for the ABC based in New DelhiGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Could the war in the Middle East be over in a little over a week, or is that wishful thinking? With global oil markets in unprecedented territory as they react to Trump's ever-changing timeline on the US-Israel war on Iran, the prospect of peace seems a distant reality. The New York Times chief diplomatic correspondent, Steven Erlanger, however, offers a more hopeful view. He speaks to Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke about the far-reaching ramifications of the war, why Albanese was quicker to support Trump than Europe, and why the upcoming mid-terms may prompt Trump to walk away from the conflict sooner than we think.Guest: Steven Erlanger, the chief diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times based in BerlinGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

The Iran football team's decision not to sing the national anthem during the AFC Women's Asian Cup was an act of silent protest. Now, after days of rallies, and a phone call from US President Donald Trump, five of the players have been granted humanitarian visas by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. What could happen to the remaining players?Hamish Macdonald and Kylie Morris are joined by former Socceroos captain Craig Foster to unpack the human rights obligations of Australia towards the players, as well as allegations players are under watch by the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), and whether football's governing bodies are doing enough to protect female athletes. Guest: Craig Foster, former Socceroo captain and human rights advocateGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Geraldine Doogue and Kylie Morris are joined by regional expert and former army officer Rodger Shanahn to answer your questions about the situation unfolding in the Middle East. Is the bombing of Shajareh Tayyebeh girl's school a war crime? What does Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu want from Iran? Guest: Rodger ShanahanGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

In just twenty four hours, a US submarine has torpedoed an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Turkey, a NATO member state, has shot down an Iranian ballistic missile. And while Israel hammered Tehran and southern Lebanon with fresh rounds of strikes, Trump is considering arming Kurdish forces. The death toll is climbing into the thousands.In less than a week, has the US and Israel's military campaign against Iran spiralled into a war beyond anyone's control? Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue return to Beirut to speak with Kim Ghattas about the rapidly escalating war in the Middle East, and whether Iran has already been caught in a self-perpetuating 'escalation trap'.Guest: Kim Ghattas, Lebanese-born journalist and Middle East expert based in Beirut, and author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle EastGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, and Afghanistan all have something in common: They've been subject to foreign-imposed regime change by the United States. So as regional war spreads across the Middle East following another stunning Trump intervention, can 'regime change' ever work? Alex Downes, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at The George Washington University, studies what happens when leaders are violently deposed by foreign nations. He speaks to Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke why peace and democracy are the least likely outcomes in Iran. Guest: Alexander B Downes, author of Catastrophic Success: Why Foreign-Imposed Regime Change Goes Wrong Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

From Barbie to Casablanca, Warner Bros studios have fundamentally shaped western popular culture. So will its $110 billion dollar takeover by Paramount re-write the script for American cinema as we know it? And with Trump's least favourite cable news channel, CNN, also changing hands in the deal, who is the 'nepo baby' now in charge, what is his connection to MAGA?Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke are joined by legendary entertainment reporter Kim Masters, who first broke the news of a potential deal last year, to talk about David Ellison's journey from aspiring actor to media mogul; his controversial instalment of Bari Weiss at CBS; and what his political connections say about the shrinking free press. Guest: Kim Masters, co-founder and writer for PuckGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

It's been just three days since Israel and the US launched their war on Iran and Trump is already floating the possibility of deploying US troops on the ground, as so-called precision strikes on Iran spiral into far more dangerous regional conflict.  So, as casualties rise into the thousands and violence rips across the Middle East, what's driving the full-scale attack on Iran?  Today, as Israel launches flurries of missiles into Lebanon, hosts Hamish Mcdonald and Kylie Morris head to the streets of Beirut to speak with Al Jazeera's Heidi Pett as the situation unfolds.Guests: Heidi Pett, Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from BeirutRecommendations:Hamish -  Dictators & Demagogues 05: Iran's Ali Khamenei, Take Me To Your Leader!Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead, and Trump promising military operations will continue until "all objectives" are achieved, it's unclear what American and Israeli calls for regime change will lead to. Hamish Macdonald, Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke (The Nightly) are joined by two guests to unpack the extraordinary attacks against Iran. From Abu Dhabi, Mohamad Ali Harisi shares his concerns from a shaken region. And from Washington DC, Barbara Slavin talks about who the Assembly of Experts could chose as the next Supreme Leader. Guests: Mohamad Ali Harisi, foreign editor of The National; and Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Centre in Washington

With the Supreme Leader of Iran killed by military strikes, what happens next in Iran?Announcing his death, President Trump called Ayatollah Ali Khomeini "one of the most evil people in history."But does regime change follow the audacious attack by Israel and the US, or do they become mired again in a Middle Eastern war with no guaranteed outcome?And what about the Iranian people? What do they want, and how do they get it?After this episode was recorded, Iran confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is stuck in a political trap. On the one hand, Trump has threatened to intervene if she doesn't tackle the country's cartels. On the other, her strike against notorious 'El Mencho' this week sparked violence and unrest, with some cities like Guadalajara shutting down for days. But is killing El Mencho the end of America's fentanyl woes, or the start of a new chapter in the 'War on Drugs'?David Mora from the International Crisis Group joins Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue from Guadalajara to talk about the Jalisco cartel's global drug networks, and why ordinary Mexicans are bearing the brunt of Sheinbaum's diplomatic tightrope-walking.Guest: David Mora, senior Mexican analyst with the International Crisis GroupGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Four years ago, Vladimir Putin rolled Russian tanks into Ukraine at the start of a full-scale invasion. Now, as peace talks lead by Trump and the USA fail to make progress, there is no easy end in sight for the most deadly conflict in Europe since World War Two. With host Latika Bourke (The Nightly) in Kyiv for the anniversary of the war, she joins Kylie Morris in speaking to official Yuiry Sak about why Ukraine is emerging from Winter 'stronger and more united'. Guest: Yuriy Sak, former advisor to Ukraine's Ministry of Strategic IndustriesGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

With the possibility of charges against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, being removed from the line of succession could be the last of the former Prince's worries. But with the House of Windsor in freefall following the latest Epstein revelations, have King Charles and Buckingham Palace been transparent about what they knew, and when? Andrew's unauthorised biographer, Andrew Lownie, knows what its like to navigate the British Royal Family's web of power. He joins Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke to talk about the financial corruption at the centre of the Royal power, whether Albanese has jumped the gun on removal calls, and why he's still a monarchist.Guest: Andrew Lownie, historian and author of Entitled: The rise and fall of the House of YorkGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Should Australia turn its back on the United States? And what's at stake if it did? This episode hosts Kylie Morris and Hamish Macdonald turn their attention to the Indo-Pacific as the US scrambles to project power in the increasingly volatile region. To find out more they speak with former high-ranking US official Dr Ely Ratner, who argues America's traditional allies should show some resolve and strengthen their military pacts even as Trump tears up the international rules based order.  Guest: Dr Ely Ratner, former US Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

There's a growing trend on TikTok of being in a "very Chinese era of life". It's associated with changing shoes indoors, drinking hot water, and preparing traditional Chinese meals. It's being called 'Chinamaxxing'. But what exactly is this indicating more broadly?China has been growing in 'soft power' -- the kind of power that comes from cultural influence and intrigue rather than more forceful geopolitical approaches.Kaiser Kuo, heavy metal rocker and host of the Chinese current affairs podcast, Sinica Podcast, will join Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue to talk about the internal cultural shifts of China, including how much creative expression exists under Xi Jinping's regime.Guest: Kaiser Kuo, host of Sinica Podcast.Recommendations: Geraldine – The Infrastructure of Jeffrey Epstein's Power, The Ezra Klein Show Hamish – L-FRESH The Lion, 2006, The Year that Made Me------------- Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.  

It's not often we get the opportunity to ask a senior US official about AUKUS: Will the nuclear powered submarines be delivered? Can we trust Washington? Will America expect us to join them in any future conflict with China? Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald are joined by serving Democrat Senator Tim Kaine to talk all things AUKUS. Kaine represents the state of Virginia, where our nuclear submarines will be built. Back in 2016, Kaine was the Vice Presidential candidate in Hilary Clinton's Presidential bid. Now, he's the lead Democrat on the armed services and foreign relations committee, and a passionate advocate of the Australia-US alliance. Guest: Senator Tim KaineGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with King Charles making clear “the law must take its course.” Hamish, Latika and Kylie have jumped into a studio to discuss the shocking arrest of Prince Andrew and the allegations behind it.They examine the royal family's response, the media scrutiny surrounding the case, and what it means for accountability.And they ask the bigger question: what could this moment mean for the future of the monarchy?

As the four-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine looms, finding a diplomatic end to the conflict is more unlikely than ever. With Trump's back turned and Europe grappling with the prospect of war further west, where has Zelenskyy's support gone? Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke are joined by Ukrainian-born Yaroslav Trofimov, the chief foreign-affairs correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, who has reported on the conflict since its inception.Guest: Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign-affairs correspondent at The Wall Street JournalGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

At last year's Munich Security Conference, Vice President JD Vance shocked the world with his fiery attack on Europe. This year, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio fronted the world's biggest security conference, attended by more than 60 heads of state, he got a standing ovation. But was his speech really that different? Fresh from the conference, co-host Latika Bourke (The Nightly) and fellow attendee Ravi Agrawal join Geraldine Doogue to talk all things Munich; the highs and lows; Elbridge Colby and the future of AUKUS; and how Ukraine was left in the cold. Guest: Ravi Agrawal, editor-in-chief of Foreign PolicyGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

As Artemis II prepares for launch, our first trip near the moon since the 1970s, a successful voyage could bring a lunar colony closer to reality. But as tech billionaires compete for NASA contracts, from Elon Musk's SpaceX to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origins, can we trust corporations to act on humanity's behalf?Hamish Macdonald and Jonathan Webb (Lab Notes) speak to rockstar physicist Professor Brian Cox, about who owns space, and why tech billionaires are not the bad guys, but not the good guys either. Guest: Professor Brian Cox, UN Champion for SpaceGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

With Indonesia becoming the first nation to commit soldiers to Trump's "Board of Peace", Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue put the spotlight on some of our closest neighbours; from President Prabowo Subianto's motivations in Gaza; to the conservative election wins in Thailand and Japan.Joining the conversation is Amanda Hodge, The Australian's Asia-Pacific correspondent, to talk about whether Sanae Takaichi's will rewrite Japan's pacifist constitution, and the surprise win of "Cannabis King" Anutin Charnvirakul in Thailand. And as our region grapples with the impacts of climate change, why has the environment fallen off the global agenda? Guest: Amanda Hodge, Asia-Pacific correspondent for The AustralianGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

As Trump continues nuclear talks with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rushed to Washington to influence any potential deal. But amid uprisings, sanctions, and conflict with Israel, the Islamic regime is in its "end chapter". Will either side get what they want? Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald are joined in studio by Vali Nasr, who advised the US State Department on Iran during the Obama era. They talk about why Trump fell for his own saviour narrative, and how October 7 is still reshaping the region.Guest: Vali Nasr, Professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University and former US State Department adviser on Iran. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

The nuclear umbrella has a few holes in it now a key treaty between Russia and the USA has expired. Some fear the end New START might trigger a nuclear weapons arms race between Trump and Putin. Could it also inspire the middle powers in Europe and Asia to follow suit? Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke (The Nightly) speak to former US State Department Official Joel Wit, who sat at the table for nuclear talks with North Korea and the Soviet Union, about why we shouldn't give up on non-proliferation, and where the US went wrong in their nuclear diplomacy.Guest: Joel Wit, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Centre and author of Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Ice is melting. Seas are rising. Even anthrax is emerging out of the permafrost. But the climate crisis is changing more than the environment. The Arctic is fast becoming a pressure point for NATO, Russia and China as they wrestle for control of the thawing north. But what do they want it for? Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke (The Nightly) are joined by Klaus Dodds to talk about the transformation of the Arctic from a "zone of peace", as former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev called it, to the major powers' hottest property.   Guest: Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics at Middlesex University London. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.