Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

If Australia can't trust the US, can it trust Japan?

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There’s an important meeting in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s diary.On Monday, Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, will to...

The Iran trap: No peace no war

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth denies Trump's war on Iran has hit a "quagmire", but the reality on the ground tells a different story. With an ong...

Why is the US so prone to political violence?

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday evening a gunman attempted to storm the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington DC. The act of political vio...

The AI arms race: How the US and China are fighting for the future

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is reshaping power, cyber security and geopolitics, but can anyone really control it? From the US-China AI arms race to Taiwa...

Indonesia Rising: How do you ban social media on an archipelago?

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Global Roaming's mini-series, Indonesia Rising, Hamish returns to Jakarta to speak to Indonesian communications minister Meutya Ha...

Anzac special: Finding peace in a time of war

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On the eve of Anzac Day, the Global Roaming team comes together to discuss war, peace and what Australia's national day of remembrance means as confl...

What happened to the ICC case against Benjamin Netanyahu?

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In November 2024, an arrest warrant was issued by the ICC for Benjamin Netanyahu. During that time, he's visited the US and Hungary. News of his ICC ...

What happened to the ICC case against Benjamin Netanyahu?

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes...

Is a global recession inevitable?

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is sending shock waves through the global economy. Supply chains are in disarray, inflation is surging and oil pr...

The President vs the Pope: How Trump's 'holy war' is stoking old rivalries

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's AI-generated image of himself as the Pope has drawn harsh criticism. He also called the Pope “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Polic...

Indonesia Rising: Can Australia keep up with our neighbour's rapid growth?

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's close neighbour is changing before our eyes. By mid-century, Indonesia is forecast to become the world’s fourth largest economy –...

Is Britian doomed?

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting global headwinds and now the war in the Middle East have all taken a toll on the United Kingdom. So with some...

How Hungary Trumped Orbán

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Péter Magyar has beaten Viktor Orbán in Hungary's election, ending 16 years of autocratic rule. Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians celebrated in t...

Peacemaker or playmaker? Where China stands on Trump's war in the Middle East

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the war in the middle east sends shock waves through global supply chains, is China becoming a genuine global leader or a power profiting from the...

Is Israel using Lebanon to sabotage peace in the Middle East?

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The ink hadn't even tried on the initial US-Iran ceasefire last week when Israel launched an unprecedented bombardment on Lebanon's capital, Beirut. ...

A Matter of Facts: Wikipedia co-founder on freedom of speech vs disinformation

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Could Australia and Asia supply our own energy and cut out the Middle East?

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Middle East conflict has triggered a reckoning in global energy supplies. So as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touches down in Singapore for ta...

Can Cubans survive under Trump's fist?

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 realit...

Trump and the Iran ceasefire: what happens next?

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Soft power, hard lesson: what can Australia learn from unhappy Asian students?

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's education system is one of our most successful export industries, worth an estimated 54 billion dollars. But as perceptions that our univ...

A Matter of Facts: How mainstream media lost public trust

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In our previous Matter of Facts mini-series episodes, we covered why our brains are vulnerable to misinformation, and how disinformation is affecting...

How to fight back against disinformation?

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On Global Roaming, Hamish and Geraldine consider how we fight back against disinformation. It's another instalment in their companion mini-series to ...

A Matter of Facts: How mainstream media lost public trust

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In our previous Matter of Facts mini-series episodes, we looked at out why our brains are vulnerable to misinformation, and how disinformation accele...

Global Roaming

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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

How to fight back against disinformation?

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On Global Roaming, Hamish and Geraldine consider how we fight back against disinformation. It's another instalment in their companion mini-series t...

The lives of Australian diplomats: what it's like to be on the front line of world politics

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, a special episode recorded at the Manly Writer's Festival 2026 where Geraldine speaks to three highly experienced diplomats -- Ian Kemish AM, ...

Greater Israel: Is Netanyahu pursuing an expansionist dream?

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Is Trump already past the point of no return in Iran?

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Will Japan be pulled into defending the Strait of Hormuz?

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 p...

AI-generated content in political campaigns: how far will we let this go?

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Disinformation accelerated by AI is affecting democracies worldwide at an extraordinary pace. Governments overseas are wielding it against their own ...

Is it time to ditch Australia's 'good doggy' diplomacy?

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Are you there Australia? It's me, South East Asia

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How much do we Australians really understand South East Asia? Australia has long prioritised neighbours further north when it comes to our strategic ...

William Dalrymple: Why we shouldn't tear down statues

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In a broad-ranging conversation, Hamish Macdonald speaks to historian and host of the hit podcast Empire William Dalrymple about the pitfalls of tryi...

Is Australia as vulnerable as we think we are?

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

The Matter of Facts: Why our brains are vulnerable to disinformation

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 disi...

These are Iran's emerging power players

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With Ali Larijani killed, and the whereabouts of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei unknown, who is calling the shots in Iran? Iranian-American...

Is cultural heritage an overlooked casualty of war?

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How Iran became Trump's 'Operation Epic Folly'

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Is Australia inadvertently funding Russia's 'war machine'?

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's no way Australia could possibly be supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, right? According to Ukrainian MP Anastasia Radina, think again. ...

Your Call: The history of China the CCP would rather not tell

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 Fest...

Is this the next nation in Putin's sights?

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Why Nepal's potential new leader is spitting straight fire at the ballot box

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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, ...

Why this NYT correspondent thinks the Middle East war will be over in a week

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How the Iranian women's football team made a daring break for freedom

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 r...

Your Call: The US-Israel war in Iran

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Geraldine Doogue and Kylie Morris are joined by regional expert and former army officer Rodger Shanahn to answer your questions about the situation u...

Is the Middle East caught in an unstoppable 'escalation trap' of all-out war?

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The three things history tells us happens after 'regime change'

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, and Afghanistan all have something in common: They've been subject to foreign-imposed regime change by the United States. So a...

How the MAGA-backed Warner Bros deal is a takeover of American culture

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

From Barbie to Casablanca, Warner Bros studios have fundamentally shaped western popular culture. So will its $10 billion dollar takeover by Paramoun...

Has Trump thrust the US into another forever war?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Can Trump and Netanyahu bomb their way to regime change?

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead, and Trump promising military operations will continue until "all objectives" are achieved, it's unclear what Americ...

Is Iran on the brink of freedom?

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With the Supreme leader of Iran killed by military strikes, what happens next in Iran?

How Mexico got stuck between Trump's fury and Cartel fire

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 countr...

Why the end of Ukraine's winter feels like a 'message of hope'

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Could Andrew's arrest save the Royal Family from themselves?

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With the possibility of charges against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, being removed from the line of succession could be the last of the former Prince'...

Global Roaming

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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

'Take a look in the mirror': ex-Pentagon official on why Australia should stand by the US

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Your Call: 'Chinamaxxing', dancing AI robots, and China's rising cultural popularity

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 prep...

Your Call: 'Chinamaxxing', dancing AI robots, and China's rising cultural popularity

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 prep...

US Senator Tim Kaine makes the case for AUKUS

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 Washing...

Emergency episode: Former Prince Andrew's arrest

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with King Charles making clear “the law must take its cou...

Have Zelenskyy's allies gone cold on the war in Ukraine?

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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

How Marco Rubio became MAGA's friendly face in Europe

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 St...

Prof Brian Cox on whether Elon Musk owns the moon

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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. Bu...

Your Call: Japan's 'Iron Lady' and Thailand's 'Cannabis King'; Indonesia commits troops to Gaza

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With Indonesia becoming the first nation to commit soldiers to Trump's "Board of Peace", Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue put the spotlight on s...

What does Trump actually want from Iran?

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As Trump continues nuclear talks with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rushed to Washington to influence any potential deal. But a...

Is it time to hide the nukes?

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 nucle...

Why Greenland is only the start of the battle for the Arctic

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ar...

Does Martin Luther King III still have a dream?

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Your Call: Is global security at a turning point?

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With the Munich Security Conference looming and Washington firmly in focus, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue put your questions to the big issue...

Was Epstein running a Russian spy operation?

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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

Who profits from Sudan's 'endless' civil war?

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's the biggest humanitarian disaster in the world right now, yet few outside the conflict are aware of it. But Sudan's brutal civil war, which has ...

Is Trump's Iran intervention all armada, no action?

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As nuclear talks begin between the Islamic Republic of Iran and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's armada of ships off Iran's coast are proving ...

Why Team USA is bringing their own ICE to the Winter Olympics

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With the Winter Olympics about to kick off in Milano-Cortina, the news that Team USA will be joined by officers from the US Immigration and Customs E...

Your Call: Herzog's Australia visit, and explaining Trump's behaviour

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hamish and Geraldine dig into the questions you actually want answered.From how to break out of our political and cultural echo chambers, to making s...

Is Xi Jinping's military purge the ultimate act of palace intrigue?

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With the purging of another top general, China's President Xi Jinping has ripped a hole in the People's Liberation Army leadership. Only two of his n...

Why the United Nations is a better bet than Trump's 'Board of Peace'

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has spent his working life on the frontline of humanitarian crises - from the "catastro...

Can Canada lead the middle powers away from Trump?

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Standing ovations are rare at Davos, the annual World Economic Forum conference. But Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tore the roof down with a sp...

Japan's PM takes her tough talk on China to the polls

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a China hawk, and if she wins February's snap election, she'll use that mandate to prepare for conflict over...

Your Call: Should we join NATO; Is Trump making bank off Venezuela & is this Australia's greatest strategic vulnerability?

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The 24 hour international news cycle often leaves us with more questions than answers, so in this episode of Global Roaming Hamish and Geraldine will...

What's really behind the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform UK

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer came to power in 2024, he was seen as a safe, if slightly boring, pair of hands. Now, UK Labour is threatened by ...

Is Cuba next?

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Since the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, the Caribbean island has been a geopolitical plaything of ...

Is NATO done for?

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The cornerstone of NATO is that an attack on "one of us" is an attack on "all of us". But what happens when the alliance is threatened by one of it's...

Why China is backing Myanmar's "sham" election

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Myanmar's election ends this weekend, but there'll be no prizes for guessing the outcome. It's the first time the junta has held elections since the ...

How close is revolution in Iran?

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Even after weeks of protests, the Iranian regime looks like it has a firm grip on power and its unclear whether Trump will follow through on threats ...