Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

Marine Le Pen and the French far-right are back 17.07.2026 29min

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.

Iran is done backing down. Is Trump's war now unwinnable? 16.07.2026 29min

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.au Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Can rugby league keep China out of the pacific? 15.07.2026 29min

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?

Has Israel entered a constitutional crisis? Netanyahu, the courts and a battle over press freedom 14.07.2026 29min

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.

Will Indonesia's $44bn new city ever become the capital? 13.07.2026 29min

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 Australian Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Getting Lucky... Again: Alan Finkel - Fixing the Rocky Road to Net Zero 10.07.2026 29min

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 Twain Seascraper by Benjamin Wood Prove 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.au Find 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

Getting Lucky... Again: Michael Stutchbury's Economic Wake Up Call 09.07.2026 29min

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.au Find 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

Getting Lucky... Again: Lydia Khalil - Tackling New Security Threats 08.07.2026 29min

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 Prime For All Mankind - TV series on Apple TV Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au Find 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

Getting Lucky... Again: Peter Varghese - Re-thinking Australian foreign policy 07.07.2026 29min

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 HERE Why 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.au Find 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

Getting Lucky... Again: Hannah Ferguson - Making Caring Cool 06.07.2026 29min

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 Kelly Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Does Martin Luther King III still have a dream? 03.07.2026 29min

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.

Prof Brian Cox on whether Elon Musk owns the moon 02.07.2026 29min

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.

What does Trump actually want from Iran? 01.07.2026 29min

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.

Was Epstein running a Russian spy operation? 30.06.2026 29min

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

Is the Middle East caught in an unstoppable 'escalation trap' of all-out war? 29.06.2026 29min

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.

What's left to explore? The secrets of space unlocked Part 2. 26.06.2026 29min

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 NOAA Book: The Future of Exploration

Lebanon in the balance: will the ceasfire hold? 25.06.2026 29min

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.

Starmer’s gone: So can the ‘King of the North’ win back Britain’s working class? 24.06.2026 29min

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 Bourke Producers: Rebecca Metcalfe, Supervising Producer Kylie Grey, Executive Producer Laura McCauliff

Data Centres: The next gold mine or black hole? Lessons from America 23.06.2026 28min

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 the radar: Inside Iran with Karishma Vyas 22.06.2026 29min

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 editor Hosts: Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue