Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

The 80th UN General Assembly is heating up in New York, just as a major UN report finds that Israel is committing genocide. Countries like Australia have pledged to recognise a Palestinian State at next week's UNGA, but there are doubts about whether that will have anything more than symbolic significance. In fact, there are serious questions about the United Nations' ability to resolve today's conflicts and concerns that, in the age of Trump, this once lauded institution has become damaged beyond repair. So can the UN be fixed, and what exactly will that take? According to former UN Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffiths it comes down to one thing: courage.  Recommendations:Geraldine: PNG’s half-century report card - Hamish Macdonald, Inside Story Hamish: A Dirty Little War by John MartinkusGet 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 celebrations get underway marking the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea's independence from Australia, the two nations are about to enter a deal that will see our defence forces become 'totally integrated'. Geraldine Doogue, Hamish Macdonald and special guest Oliver Nobetau (Project Director of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Network at the Lowy Institute) discuss why this particular Pacific neighbour continues to hold so much significance to Australia and what this historic new defence treaty might actually mean for PNG and us. 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. 

Geraldine is back and feeling uncharacteristically pessimistic about the state of the world. So as the Australian government works hard to cement stronger ties in the Indo-Pacific region following China's display of military and political might, Hamish and Geraldine are joined by the Chief of the Australian Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart for a frank conversation about whether Australians need to come to terms with the possibility of a war in our region.  Recommendations:Geraldine Doogue: Address by Former senior Chinese diplomat Madame Fu Ying to the AFR Asia Summit 2025. Once available, it can be found HERE. Hamish Macdonald: ABC 7:30 Monday 8 September - interview with Julie Inman Grant (commences about 9:00 minutes in)+ The News Agents podcast - Nick Clegg: What really happened at Facebook?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. 

All eyes have been on China this week, as dozens of world leaders arrived to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and China's 'Victory Day' military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in WW2. Not only was it a chance for leaders like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-Un and - perhaps most surprisingly - Narendra Modi, to mingle, it sent a striking image to the Western world that while the US-led global order under Donald Trump seems to be decaying, a powerful new alignment of countries is taking place, with China at the forefront.Guests:Einar Tangen - Senior Fellow, Taihe Institute and the founder and chairman of Asia Narratives.Bob Carr - Former Australian Foreign Minister and former Premier of NSW.Recommendations:Hamish: Trump says he’s determined to weaken China. He’s doing the opposite - Peter Hartcher, SMHKylie: The Emperor of Gladness - Ocean VuongGet 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. 

Following the confirmation of famine in part of Gaza by the UN-backed IPC, Hamish Macdonald and guest host Kylie Morris speak to Anera's Gaza Branch Director Yazdan El-Amawi about what the situation is actually like for those living in Gaza. They also speak to Jodie Clark, who has decades of experience distributing humanitarian aid and worked most recently as Senior Logistics Coordinator for UNRWA, running the border crossing at Rafah. She explains how Israel's policies have made getting aid into Gaza increasingly difficult and she gives a shocking assessment of what is needed to break the famine. Recommendations:Kylie: Hostage - Mini series on NetflixHamish: Dust - Book by Michael BrissendenGet 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 Australian government has accused Iran of directing two antisemitic attacks in Australia and, for the first time since World War Two, has expelled an ambassador. They've also announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be designated as a terrorist organisation. Who are the IRGC and what motivated them to target Australia? Hamish Mcdonald and Kylie Morris react to the breaking news and discuss the significance of the day's developments. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

He's young, he's slick, he's social media savvy and he rules with an iron first. Meet Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador who has quickly become an icon of the global right. He might style himself as the 'world's coolest dictator' and a 'philosopher king', but this leader is not like other authoritarian rulers. For a start, he's incredibly popular both at home and abroad - befriending the likes of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. His rapid crackdown on gang-related crime has been labelled the 'Bukele miracle' and is being seen everywhere from Ecuador to America as a model to emulate. But it hasn't come without a steep cost... Journalist Vera Bergengruen is one of the only foreign journalists to have met and interviewed President Nayib Bukele. She wrote a profile of him for TIME Magazine. She speaks to Geraldine Doogue (2025 Andrew Olle lecture) and Hamish Macdonald (ABC Sydney Mornings, The Project) about what Nayib Bukele is really like. Recommendations:Geraldine: How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare?   | BBC, The Inquiry podcast.Hamish: The 'evil drug' and court case that almost broke Alex Lloyd | Australian StoryGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

It’s not every day a foreign leader calls the Australian Prime Minister “weak” and accuses him of betraying the country’s Jewish community. But that’s exactly what Benjamin Netanyahu did this week, after the Albanese government announced its intention to recognise a Palestinian state and cancelled a visa for far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman.  Meanwhile, over in Washington, Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, this time flanked by a chorus of European leaders including Macron, Starmer and Meloni.  In this bonus episode, Geraldine and Hamish analyse the two big foreign policy dramas that have been lighting up headlines this week. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

It's all eyes on Alaska as the summit between President Trump, President Putin and possibly President Zelensky looms. The stakes of these peace talks - for Ukraine, for Russia and for the West - are incredibly high. Given his cool and confident exterior, we wondered about the cards Putin currently holds in his hand. How strong is his position not only in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but at home? Has his grip on power ever been tighter? To find out, Geraldine Doogue (2025 Andrew Olle lecture) and Hamish Macdonald (ABC Sydney Mornings, The Project) spoke to Anna Nemtsova - an award-winning Russian-born journalist who grew up in the Soviet Union and now writes for publications like The Daily Beast and The Atlantic. The picture that Anna painted of life inside Russia today was... surprising, to say the least! Recommendations:Hamish: Hamas built an underground war machine to ensure its own survival - Washington PostGeraldine: The cold war guru whose warnings on Russia still stand - The Rachman Review podcastGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

In a historic move, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this afternoon announced that Australia will move to recognise a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly next month, with a condition that terror group Hamas play no role in its future governance. Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald react to the news and discuss the significance of Australia's decision to follow other Western governments in taking this step. They also question what comes next, how Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might react to the news and whether this can actually make any difference on the ground in Gaza. Want to share your thoughts with us about today's news?We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Where do the arms involved in conflicts worldwide come from and who bears responsibility for how they are used in war?The US is by far the world's largest weapons manufacturer and exporter, accounting for around 40% of global exports. Many of these arms go to Israel and transfers have been supercharged since the start of the military assault on Gaza. Australia is also a player in the global arms trade, with a particular manufacturing role in the F-35 joint strike fighter program. With the Australian government taking a strong line on the humanitarian situation, why are we simultaneously transferring component parts for military jets that are striking Gaza?Guest: Josh Paul, former Director of Congressional and Public Affairs, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, in the US Department of State who resigned in protest at US arms shipments to Israel Statement from the Australian Department of Defence:"Australia has not supplied weapons or ammunition to Israel since the Israel-Gaza conflict began and not for at least the past five years.The F-35 relies on a global supply chain – one that is centrally coordinated by Lockheed Martin and the US Government.As a part of the global F-35 supply chain, Australian industry contributes components and parts, but the Australian Government does not have a direct bilateral arrangement with the Government of Israel in relation to the F-35 program."Recommendations:Geraldine: VJ Day in Australia newsreel, British MovietoneHamish: 'The World Since October 7', Adam Shatz in the London Review of BooksGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

This week, the prospect of Palestinian statehood suddenly became tangible, with the UK, France and Canada promising to recognise Palestine at the UN general assembly in September. Whether Australia will follow suit remains to be seen.  What can history tell us about the formation of new states out of violent conflict? Guest: Sir Christopher Clark, professor of history at the University of Cambridge Recommendations:Geraldine: 'The wrong way to respond to antisemitism', Inside StoryHamish: Andrew Olle Media Lecture 2025, presented by Geraldine Doogue, ABC iViewGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

A weekly examination of world affairs with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald.

Despite living through continued death, displacement and destruction, Palestinians still dream of a better future.What does that look like for Gazans and people in the West Bank, is a two-state solution still a viable option? And who will lead them after the war?Guest: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, Gazan-American and nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council.Recommendations:Geraldine: Emily: I Am Kam, SBS on DemandHamish: I ran DFAT. I hope Elbridge Colby sinks AUKUS for Australia, AFRGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Anthony Albanese has finally got a meeting with a president, but it's not the one some are so desperate to see.The Prime Minister sets off on a six-day official visit to China while there is still no date set for a face-to-face with Donald Trump.But does that actually matter, and what does President Xi want from Australia?Guest: Dr Joseph Torigian, research fellow at Stanford University Hoover History Lab, associate professor at American University. Author of The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi JinpingRecommendations:Geraldine: John Curtin remains our greatest PM, 80 years after his death, with a living legacy, The AustralianHamish: Louis Theroux: The Settlers, ABC iViewGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

It's sometimes described as a 'dance with the devil', but can populism also deliver for citizens?As some democracies stall, how are populist leaders like Giorgia Meloni and Javier Millei managing to solve decades-long problems?Is there such a thing as 'good' populism?Guest: Professor Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Stanford University, author of Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American ComplacencyRecommendations:Geraldine: 'The Zelenskyy Story', SBS On DemandHamish: 'When Does Populism Become a Threat to Democracy?', speech by Larry DiamondLarry: Chip War, by Chris MillerGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

After promising his MAGA base that he wouldn't get the US into any further foreign entanglements, Donald Trump had a big week on the international stage.He's claiming the strikes on Iran, and the defence spending pledges at NATO as big successes, but can he square them with his promise of 'America First'?Guest: Carl Bildt, Prime Minister of Sweden 1991-1994, foreign minister 2006-2014, co-chair of the European Council on Foreign RelationsRecommendations:Geraldine: 'This is the ‘beginning of the end’ for Iran’s supreme leader. But what comes next?', Roland Oliphant in AFR'If This Mideast War Is Over, Get Ready for Some Interesting Politics', Tom Friedman in the New York TimesHamish: James, by Percival EverettGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

After decades of enjoying peacetime dividends and American protection, Germany is now re-arming in a hurry. Troop numbers in the Bundeswehr had withered since the 1990s and spending dipped well below 2%. But with bellicose Russia on Europe’s borders and US support no longer a guarantee, that's all changing. The real question is: are Germans ready to be a military power once again?Guest: Dr Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security ConferenceGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

From the volatile fault lines of the Middle East, a dangerous new chapter has unfolded as the confrontation between Israel and Iran up-ends the region's delicate balance. The big question is whether the US will enter the fray to assist their ally Israel. Donald Trump has set a two-week deadline on that crucial decision, will he risk dividing his MAGA base? And will he heed the history of US foreign entanglements? The world waits with baited breath to find out. Guest: Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times United Nations bureau chief and Iran specialistRecommendations:Geraldine: 'Will the U.S join Israel's war with Iran', The Daily podcast from the New York TimesNick: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin DunnePlus: Our bonus interview with Dr Afshon Ostovar on the question of regime change in IranGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Israel's assassination of high-ranking military and political figures in Iran is raising questions about the regime's ability to survive this war, especially if the US enters the fight. But the regime won't be easy to topple, despite its isolation, because of the enduring grip on power of military ideologists and the lack of a domestic opposition.So how might this war end?Guest: Dr. Afshon Ostovar, author of Wars of Ambition: The United States, Iran, and the Struggle for the Middle East, associate professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School.  Get in touch: We’d love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au