Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

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:

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:

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:

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 whe...

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...

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 Ham...

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...

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...

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?

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...

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...

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...

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 hea...

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 'p...

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 f...

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: N...

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...

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 an...

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 m...

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.