Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

Indonesian language teaching will be extinct in Australia by 2031, warns a parliamentary inquiry into Australia's Asian capability.Australia talks constantly about the importance of Asia, but is failing to build the skills needed to understand our closest neighbours.At the same time, Indonesia is on track to become one of the world's largest economies and an increasingly influential power in the region.So how did Australia get here? And what does it mean for trade, diplomacy, defence and our future relationship with Southeast Asia?And with China testing missiles in the Pacific, is Australia missing a perfect opportunity to build relationships in the region?Hamish Macdonald and Laura Tingle speak with Labor MP Tim Watts, who chaired the House of Representatives inquiry into building Asia capability in Australia. They discuss the collapse of language study, what Australia risks losing, and whether we're missing one of the biggest strategic opportunities on our doorstep.

For decades, there were some things Democrats and Republicans agreed on. America should lead the world, NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) matters, and the US-Israel alliance is untouchable. As Trump rips up international alliances, inside the Democratic Party anger over Israel's war in Gaza has ruptured the old pro-Israel consensus.Last week 103 House Democrats, nearly half the caucus, voted to end military aid to Israel. The amendment failed, but marked decreasing support for Israel within the Democrats. Jeremy Shapiro from the European Council on Foreign Relations argues the change is real but the alliance still holds deep support. Speaking to Hamish Macdonald and Laura Tingle, Shapiro argues Donald Trump is a spotlight-obsessed president willing to cut down anyone rising beneath him, from Marco Rubio to JD Vance, and warns that Europe is now hedging against an America it no longer trusts. Plus, Türkiye rise under Erdogan, and where US foreign policy will land by the 2028 election. Guest: Jeremy Shapiro, European 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. Mentions: Laura's article on the Türkiye summit: NATO was a lesson in how the geopolitical landscape has shifted around Trump

Just a year ago, the leader of France's far-right National Rally party appeared finished after being convicted in an embezzlement case and barred from seeking office. Now, Marine Le Pen is back in the race, after a Paris appeals court upheld her conviction but shortened her ban from seeking public office, paving the way for her 2027 presidential bid. With the National Rally party currenty standing as one of France's most popular parties, it's an election that could reshape Europe. So how did the French far-right move from the political fringe to the verge of power? Can Le Pen credit her support more to anti-immigration sentiment, or a frustration with the staid political status quo?Victor Mallet is the senior editor of the Financial Times, and author of Far Right France: Le Pen, Bardella, and the Future of Europe. Victor has been travelling across France speaking to some of Le Pen's most loyal voters, her most strident opponents, and the wayward voters caught in the middle. Laura Tingle and Latika Bourke speak to Victor about Le Pen's comeback, the rise of her protégé Jordan Bardella, the collapse of Emmanuel Macron's legacy, and what the National Rally party's victory would mean for the world.

Is Donald Trump trapped in a war with Iran he cannot end? The ceasefire has collapsed, and the warships are back.Chicago University's Professor Robert Pape has been modelling conflict for over 20 years and says both sides look to be caught in an escalation trap: a long war neither can walk away from. Pape tells Global Roaming's Latika Burke and Steve Canane why every off-ramp has closed, why he believes Iran is rising into a new centre of world power, and why the next few weeks could be the most dangerous of the entire war. Guest: Professor Robert Pape, Chicago University 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. 

China is pushing harder for influence across the Pacific. Australia is responding with defence agreements, new security partnerships and rugby league.As Pacific leaders gathered in Brisbane for State of Origin, Canberra was expanding its regional diplomacy through sport, including the multi-million-dollar PNG Chiefs NRL deal. At the same time, China's rare intercontinental ballistic missile test sent a fresh signal about the changing security environment facing Pacific nations.So can footy really shape geopolitics?Hamish Macdonald speaks with ABC Pacific's  Sam Wykes about rugby league's cultural power across the Pacific, and with Lowy Institute analyst Oliver Nobetau about the growing connection between sport, security and strategic competition in Australia's neighbourhood.Could rugby league become Australia's most effective soft-power tool or is that asking too much of a football game?

Every night in Israel, one TV channel stands out.Channel 13 is among the few major outlets willing to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.Now, a dispute over the channel's ownership has become a flashpoint in a wider battle over press freedom, judicial independence and the future of Israeli democracy. Anat Saragusti, Director of press freedom at the Union of Journalists in Israel, tells Global Roaming the Channel 13 dispute is just one part of a broader effort to weaken independent journalism.From attempts to reshape media regulators to pressure on public broadcasters and sanctions against the newspaper Haaretz, she argues Israel's independent media is facing growing political pressure ahead of the country's next election.Plus, how Israeli citizens are seeing the war in Gaza, the restrictions on journalists, and the escalating tensions between the government, the courts and the media.

Indonesia's next capital was supposed to showcase the country's future: a purpose-built city in the jungles of Borneo designed to ease pressure on Jakarta and signal Indonesia's ambitions on the world stage.But Nusantara now faces a critical political test. Former president Joko Widodo pushed the project past the point of no return, yet his successor, Prabowo Subianto, appears far less committed. So is Indonesia's new capital actually becoming the capital — or could one of the most ambitious nation-building projects in Asia stall before it's finished?Then, after months of conflict involving Iran, the US and regional powers, Pakistan is finding itself at the centre of major diplomatic negotiations. Asia-Pacific correspondent Amanda Hodge explains how Islamabad has rebuilt its international standing, why Washington is paying attention again, and what Pakistan hopes to gain from its new role as a geopolitical broker.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. 

In this Global Roaming limited series, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are inviting big thinkers from different fields to consider how Australia can not just survive - but thrive - in a more challenging world. In this episode, Australia's former Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel shares his thoughts on how Australia can feasibly get to net zero, and harness our potential as a clean energy superpower. Plus, he has a radical new idea to safeguard art against AI...Alan's recommendations:The Prince and the Pauper by Mark TwainSeascraper by Benjamin WoodProve It: A Scientific Guide for the Post-Truth Era by Elizabeth Finkel 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. This episode was first broadcast on Friday 2 January 2026

In this Global Roaming limited series, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are inviting big thinkers from different fields to consider how Australia can not just survive - but thrive - in a more challenging world. In this  instalment, Michael Stutchbury - Former editor-in-chief of the Australian Financial Review and Executive director of the Centre for Independent Studies, says that Australia's economic luck is about to run out. He argues we need break the cycle of high spending and low growth if we want to retain anything like the prosperity we're accustomed to. 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. This episode was first broadcast on Friday 16 January 2026

In this Global Roaming limited series, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are inviting big thinkers from different fields to consider how Australia can not just survive - but thrive - in a more challenging world. In this episode the Lowy Institute's Lydia Khalil shatters the perception that our geography alone is enough to protect us from the insidious new security threats that are already making their way to our shores, and she outlines how we can protect ourselves going forward. Lydia's recommendations:The Man in the High Castle - TV series on Amazon PrimeFor All Mankind - TV series on Apple TVGet 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. This program was first broadcast on Friday 9 January 2026

In this Global Roaming limited series, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are inviting big thinkers from different fields to consider how Australia can not just survive - but thrive - in a more challenging world. In this episode former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Varghese attempts to shake Australia out of our complacency and excite us about the potential of new foreign policy possibilities. Peter's recommendations:The Golden Road by William Dalrymple - you can find our conversation with William the link to his new book HEREWhy Great Powers Sleepwalk to War — A Masterclass with Hugh White - Joe Walker podcast 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. This episode was first broadcast on Friday 26 December 2025

In this Global Roaming limited series, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are inviting big thinkers from different fields to consider how Australia can not just survive - but thrive - in a more challenging world. First up is Hannah Ferguson, the CEO of Cheek Media, who has disrupted Australia's traditional media landscape. She shares her ideas for re-connecting Australians to news and politics and to 'make caring cool again'. Hannah's recommendations:The Good Fight: What Does Labor Stand For? Quarterly Essay by Sean KellyCareless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams 

When Martin Luther King the third visited Australia earlier this year, we sat down with him to find out how he has harnessed his father's dream of an oasis of freedom and justice now in the 21st century.  Martin Luther King III was ten years old when his father, the hero of the modern US civil rights movement, was assassinated for his advocacy against racism. King III has picked up his father's fight for a free and equal America, but is his father's dream still possible in 2026? King joins Hamish Macdonald and Kylie Morris to talk about whether the spirit of non-violent resistance can help push back against ICE, his hopes that Trump abides by the law when it comes to the next Presidential election and what he would ask  his father if he were still alive today. 

Since we first broadcast this episode in February, much has happened space wise; there was the NASA Artemis mission bringing a lunar colony closer to reality, Jeff Bezo's rocket launch that exploded, Space X became the biggest IPO in history and Elon Musk reached beyond the skies as the world's first trillionaire.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. 

Back in February despite uprisings, sanctions and the ongoing conflict with Israel negotiations were underway between the US and Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Those negotiations saw Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushing to Washington to influence any potential deal.Two weeks later Israel and US made their first military strikes.A vital question at the time was: how does Iran sit within the wider region? And what deal did the US really want? Today, despite ongoing negotiations for peace deal between Iran and the US those questions still stand.Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald are joined in studio by Vali Nasr, who advised the US State Department on Iran during the Obama era to talk about why Trump fell for his own saviour narrative, and how October 7 is still reshaping the region.

A Russian spy? Secret kompromat? The latest Epstein file drop, the most comprehensive since the notorious sex offender's death, has us questioning everything.

It was just a few weeks into the Israel and the  US military operations against Iran.  Iran had retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israeli territory; there were civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure on both sides.  But for all the bravado and swagger of the US and Israel might the Iranians survive this or has the US and Israel's military campaign against Iran spiralled into a perpetual war beyond anyone's control?This is Global Roaming looking back to the beginnings of a  deadly conflict.

In part two of our conversation with one of the world's most respected living explorers, Terry Garcia, we take you to space.The ethics, exploration, archaeology and who should act as the guardians of space exploration.Is there a risk of exploitation by tech barons?Should the rules for ocean exploration be adapted for space?Terry Garcia helps us unlock the secrets of our planet beyond.Guest: Terry Garcia, President of Exploration Ventures and former Executive Vice President and Chief Science and Exploration Officer of the National Geographic Society and Deputy Administrator of NOAABook:  The Future of Exploration

As the United States and Iran continue to dispute the details of a peace deal to the end war one thing is certainly clear; those with the least confidence in a permanent ceasefire are likely in Lebanon.

Keir Starmer came to power with an overwhelming majority, but despite some key reforms, it took him less than two years to be rejected by the public and many members of his own party.His successor will be Britian's seventh prime minister in just ten years.Enter the ‘King of the North'. Andy Burnham, beats Starmer hands down when it comes to charisma and popularity. But he's untested on the national and international stage, and will be facing a British public impatient for change.So will Andy Burnham be the man to woo back the working class and usher in much needed stability in British politics?Guest: Jon Cruddas author of ‘A Century of Labour'Presenters: Laura Tingle and Latika BourkeProducers: Rebecca Metcalfe, Supervising Producer Kylie Grey, Executive Producer Laura McCauliff

Across America communities are pushing back against the data centres powering artificial intelligence. Water quality, noise and the drain on water and electricity are some of the reasons.While money being generated by AI centres and the potential to generate more accelerating exponentially, many Americans are skeptical that funds will flow back to their communities.With Australia already at the forefront of the AI data centre revolution and the potential for these centres to contribute huge funds to our economy what lessons can we learn from America?Guest: Robert Bryce, author , journalist, and commentator. He's the author of six books, including A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations.Hosts: Hamish Macdonald and Waleed Aly

On this episode of Global Roaming's new 'On the Radar' series we are joined by the ABC's Asia editor, Karishma Vyas who gives us an inside track into the regime's tactics as the Iran and US peace deal is negotiated and an insight the scam centres popping up across Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia that she recently visited.In May Karishma was one of the only Western reporters allowed to report inside Iran giving her a rare glimpse into how the regime and Iranians feel as a peace deal is negotiated.Karishma says the regime is passing off the toll system for the ships passing the Strait of Hormuz as an 'administration fee'. Meanwhile, on the streets of Tehran she found women gathering to support the regime, the same regime that has been accused of violent suppression of its people months earlier.So what is real and what is propaganda?Guest presenter: Karishma Vyas, ABC Asia editorHosts: Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue

In part one of this special episode of Global Roaming we speak to one of the world's most respected living explorers.Terry Garcia was recently in Australia warning that we are pushing the ocean to its limits while systematically dismantling the scientific institutions needed to understand and respond to that threat.Australia has a leading role to play in the recovery of our oceans. Are we ready for the challenge?

It's being called the by-election of the century. If Andy Burnham returns to Westminster, he could be one step closer to replacing Keir Starmer as Labour leader and perhaps becoming Britain's next Prime Minister. With Starmer facing mounting criticism and Reform UK surging in the polls, Burnham has emerged as one of the few Labour figures capable of uniting voters across the political spectrum. Could he be the antidote to Britain's leadership turmoil and the rise of populism?Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke speak with Rob Ford, he's been covering elections for the BBC for two decades and knows a thing or two about leadership tussles.Rob Ford: Author and commentator, Robert Ford, Professor of Political Science, University of Manchester

World cup fever is sweeping Australia. But as politics, deportations and soaring ticket prices collide with football's biggest tournament, can the beautiful game ever be separated from the world around it? Guest: David Goldblatt, Writer, broadcaster and academic. Author of Injury time: Football in a State of Emergency

While the ink is beginning to dry with a peace deal between the US and Iran allowing the oil to flow again and global trade to resume another war is brewing and it could potentially be more lethal.Right now Europe has a billion-dollar trade deficit with China, exacerbated by US sanctions, the closing of the Strait of Hormuz but more importantly a changing world order and alliances where Europe and the US are no longer the architects of global power.Enter, ‘artisans'  like China.Co-founder of the European Council for Foreign Relations, Mark Leonard in his new book, Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail says the architects of the world order like the  UK and US who created a framework for a global order after WW11 are losing grip on power as  artisans like China take their blueprint and recreate it for their benefit. In a world where global rules no longer apply, Leonard says, it's the artisans who are emerging as the winners.Mark Leonard: Co-founder of the European Council for Foreign Relations and author of Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail. Recommendation: https://agendapublica.es/noticia/20608/mark-leonard-ecfr-west-is-dead

From violent anti-immigration riots in Belfast to a mass political movement of 'cockroaches' in India, what should we be paying attention to in the world this week?Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are joined by former Australian diplomat and managing editor of geopolitical news site International Intrigue to talk the hottest topics in global affairs - plus, you're AUKUS feedback from last week's interview with former Prime Minister and AUKUS architect Scott Morrison. Guest: Jeremy Dicker, former Australian diplomat and managing editor of International Intrigue.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 former President of Myanmar seems to have disappeared inside the country's prison system. Now her son has an impassioned plea, demanding 'proof' of life. Kim Aris, the son of detained Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, has not heard from his mother since 2023. Kim contests the international media's narrative that his mother betrayed the Rohingya so she could keep the military junta on side.Recently in Australia, he has launched a global fitness and solidarity campaign called the 81 for 81 challenge. It's part of the growing international demand for Myanmar to provide 'proof of life' that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate is still alive.Guest Kim Aris, son of Aung San Suu KyiGet 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 world's attention shifts to the Strait of Hormuz, a group of Palestinian human rights organisations have filed an application against Australia's Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. They say the government isn't being transparent about Australia's arms exports to Israel, and are asking for the release of documents related to potential sales. Defence denies the supply of Australian weapons or ammunition to Israel. Palestinian human rights lawyer, Ahmed Abofoul, was born and raised in Gaza. He spoke to Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke while he was in Australia with human rights organisation, Al-Haq, about leaving Gaza for The Hague; and what the legal application could achieve. Guest: Ahmed Abofoul, human rights lawyer and researcher with Al-HaqGet 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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to call an election before October 27. But as war with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon drags on, his popularity is tanking. Even US President Donald Trump has reportedly called him "effing crazy" over his aggressive military stance.Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal joins Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke to talk about the domestic storm leading up to the "Fifty Shades of Right Wing" election; whether Netanyahu's two challengers, Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot, can dethrone him; and what it means for the future of the US relationship. Guests: Nadav Eyal, journalist and senior scholar at Columbia University's School of International and Public 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. 

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating has said of AUKUS that "we don't need to be a pair of shoes hanging out of America's backside". Is that a fair characterisation of Australia's position vis a vis AUKUS? Are we getting the short end of the stick with this deal, and sacrificing our sovereignty to boot? This episode originally broadcast on December 20, 2024 as part of our 6-part AUKUS Investigated series GUESTS:Sam Roggeveen - Director of the Lowy Institute's International Security Program. He is the author of The Echidna Strategy: Australia's Search for Power and PeaceMalcolm Turnbull - 29th Prime Minister of Australia 2015-2018.Richard Marles - the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Minister for Defence and the Federal Member for Corio.GET IN TOUCH: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Standing ovations are rare at Davos, the annual World Economic Forum conference. But Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tore the roof down with a speech calling on the world's middle powers to forge a united path away from the hegemony of American power. And Trump isn't happy about it. Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke speak to former Canadian Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff about how much Australia and Canada have in common, and why Europe and Great Britain are the middle powers to watch. Guest: Michael Ignatieff, Professor at the Central European University in Vienna and former leader of the Liberal Party of CanadaGet 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. This episode originally aired on January 28, 2026

In the 'deal of the century', Australia was supposed to acquire a brand new, top of the range nuclear submarine. In the navy, they are known as  the APEX predators of the sea, the 'optimal' defence machine. But this week the AUKUS submarine deal was downgraded or ‘streamlined'. Now, instead of receiving a brand new, top of the range nuclear submarine, we are getting  three second-hand Virginia class submarines.But will these  submarines be fit for purpose in a decade? In this episode, Geraldine and Hamish talk to two of Australia's most prominent submarine experts to find out more about the Virginia class submarines and whether we've been sold a dud deal.Guests: Retired Rear Admiral Peter Briggs AO and Jennifer Parker, Principal and Founder of Barrier Strategic AdvisoryProducers: Kylie Grey and Cheyne Anderson

Changes to the AUKUS deal that mean Australia only gets second hand submarines from the Americans have prompted some wobbles this side of the Pacific. But the architect of the $370 billion deal told Global Roaming the deal is a dynamic one, and he has no regrets.

Moves by President Erdogan to arrest and imprison two of his key political rivals have prompted warnings that Türkiye is sliding into authoritarianism.  There are fears he may change the constitution next to stay in power.

President Donald Trump is throwing himself an 80th birthday to remember. Cage fighting on the White House lawns, organised by his best mate, and UFC CEO, Dana White. It's a spectacle the President's backers hope will resonate with young men, once his biggest fans, but whose support for him is cratering.

To mark the end of our popular 'Indonesia Rising' series, a special episode sharing your feedback and questions.Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue reflect on your thoughts about economic opportunity, big ideas for the future, and concerns over diplomatic blind spots. Oh, and there are some beautiful personal stories along the way.

What actually is foreign news in 2026, when stories of the world's pain and joy are accessible in the click of a button? And who can we trust to tell it? Recorded live at the Sydney Writers' Festival, Hamish and Geraldine talk to two veteran foreign reporters, about their careers and how to tell honest human stories in a world jam-packed with information. 

Getting a journalist visa for Iran is not an easy feat at the best of times, and this is not the best of times.ABC Asia editor Karishma Vyas talks to Kylie and Latika from Tehran, where she's had a glimpse of how the capital is operating in wartime, the control still exercised by the authorities, and the level of need felt by everyday citizens.

At a leading European security and policy conference in Prague, Latika buttonholes one of Australia's top political scientists to interrogate an unusually upbeat, even optimistic, mood.Is it that Europe's leaders are getting used to dealing with Donald Trump?  Or could it be Ukraine fending off the Russians, with increasing success?  The answer is worth a listen.

On the frontline with Russia, Poland is now spending a massive $90 billion on defence, bolstered by a loan from the EU and multinational forces from Europe and the US stationed in the country. In Warsaw, the view is that the only way to stop Russia is deterrence.Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has condemned what he calls the disintegration of NATO from within, declaring the greatest threat is not its external enemies. 

On this episode of Global Roaming's 'Indonesia Rising' series, Hamish Macdonald is granted a rare glimpse into how diplomacy is done in 2026 by Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Rod Brazier.Gone are the days of formal emails and deals done behind gated walls. Ambassador Brazier uses social media and a 'street style' diplomacy that is winning Indonesian hearts,  minds and crucially access.  Beyond Bali and beaches, Ambassador Brazier puts the case that now is the time for Australians to embrace our neighbour, and pursue a true partnership. 

AUKUS has a confidence problem. In a bid to reassure industry over the slow pace of AUKUS, the Australian and US governments are set to announce future collaborations under Pillar Two of the deal, with unmanned underwater vehicles top of the list.  But industry aside, what about the heavy lifting to be done in building public confidence? 

Is the unthinkable becoming possible? For the first time in two years, Ukrainian forces have regained more territory than was lost to Russia. Armed with locally made drones, and missiles, Ukraine has hit targets in Moscow, and is damaging Russian morale. Its campaign against military manufacturing has proven effective. Russia's spring campaign has failed to meet its objectives, and suddenly after five years of war, victory no longer feels inevitable.

The latest outbreak of Ebola in the Congo is the kind of crisis we most hear about when Africa rates a mention on our televisions, or in our feeds. But there is a lot of change, and an immense complexity across that great continent, that escapes attention. Prompted by a listener's feedback, this episode Geraldine and Latika ask how Africa will power the massive growth required by a population set to double in the next 30 years... 

High stakes political chaos is unfolding in the Philippines with a missing Senator, an ex-President in the Hague, and bitter, duelling family dynasties.The drama is happening as a trial gets underway in the Philippines to impeach Philippine Vice President, Sara Duterte, the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte who is currently in the Hague being tried for crimes against humanity.With one camp pro-China and the other US and whispers of secession in the South growing louder there is a much at stake in Philippines Game of Thrones.

Indonesia's 'WHOOSH' train does exactly that.  The high speed link from Jakarta to Bandung used to take three to four hours, now it's a 35 minute journey, peaking at speeds of 350 km/hour.It's a remarkable piece of high tech infrastructure, but it's also been the subject of corruption investigations and questions over debt to China.

Challenging, thoughtful and fun — a user's guide to what the world is talking about.

Going into the summit in Beijing between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the narrative from China is that President Trump is weak and distracted. Beijing sees the Iran war, and mid term elections on the horizon as weaknesses for President Trump, who last month postponed his planned meeting with President Xi on account of the war. President Trump arrives with his own agenda, with trade, tech and Taiwan high on the list.

In this over-stimulated moment in international affairs, observers have set a low bar for success for the summit this week scheduled between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.A lack of fireworks would be nice, they say.  In the Asia Pacific, there's hope for a summit where President Trump doesn't rile Beijing's emotions, and that instead ushers in a period of stability. What are the chances?Guest: Kirsty Needham, Australia and Pacific correspondent, AFP and former SMH Beijing correspondent

The UK's local council elections last week saw Labor lose Wales for the first time in 100 years. Reform UK and the Greens also made big strides in traditional Tory and Labor heartland. Old loyalties are breaking down, and with it Britain's traditional political system.What does this mean for the UK's first-past-the-post electoral system? What foundation does this lay for Scottish and Welsh independence? And if the UK isn't safe from populism, is Australia?Guest: Krishnan Guru-Murthy, British journalist and Channel 4 News presenter.-------Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.