Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

Constanza Sanhueza, a political scientist at ANU who studies AI, misinformation and democratic backsliding, joins the conversation. She discusses how AI supercharges disinformation, the vulnerabilities of weaker democracies and youth on social media. She also explores foreign and domestic use of AI-driven political messaging and the challenges of building public digital literacy.

David Kilcullen, former Australian Army lieutenant colonel and strategic thinker, lays out how modern warfare and geopolitics demand tougher choices. He discusses drones and small networked systems, risks in the Strait of Hormuz, threats to economic chokepoints, AUKUS tech priorities, and why Australia should craft clearer, more transactional national-interest policies.

Michael Wesley, international relations professor and author, argues Australia has been looking past Southeast Asia. He discusses how a China-focused lens, alliance pressures and US priorities pulled attention north. He urges rethinking ties with Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia and practical steps to rebuild diplomatic and people-to-people connections.

William Dalrymple, historian and co‑host of the Empire podcast, explores how the past shapes the present. He discusses why historical context matters for modern conflicts. He traces India’s cultural and mathematical influence across Asia, including the invention of zero. He recommends relocating contested monuments with context rather than destroying them.

Rory Medcalf, director of the ANU National Security College and national security analyst, discusses how Australians perceive threats today. He covers energy and fuel security, cyber and AI risks, infrastructure and social cohesion. He also examines public attitudes to alliances, national preparedness and the communication gap between officials and the wider community.

Maryanne Wolf, director of UCLA’s Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice and expert on the reading brain. She explores how AI deepfakes and information overload confuse our senses. She discusses how digital habits reshape brain circuits for reading. She contrasts print’s immersive deep reading with online skimming and the social risks of reduced critical attention.

Arash Azizi, an Iranian-American historian and author of What Iranians Want, lays out Iran's opaque power shifts. He names rising figures like Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili. Short takes cover street control by security forces, impacts of infrastructure strikes, and whether pragmatic conservatives could placate protesters.

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 of war: art. With multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites in Iran sustaining damage, how do you protect a nation's cultural heritage during war time? Latika Bourke and Kylie Morris are joined by Basia Solokowska, who served as Defence and Crisis Management Officer at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland. She lifts the lid on how museums and art galleries prepare their collections for war, and the surprising role drones play in preserving our heritage.Guest: Basia Sokolowska, Polish-Australian artistGet 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 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 the global economy, will Trump's allies in NATO and Asia answer his calls for military assistance? Latika Bourke and Geraldine Doogue speak to Richard Haass, a foreign policy stalwart who has sat in US negotiations with Northern Ireland and Iran. They talk about why the US gave up on diplomacy, if Netanyahu would agree to a US brokered ceasefire, and why so many foreign policy experts in the States are deeply concerned about what happens next. Guest: Richard Haass, president emeritus of the 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. 

Anastasia Radina, Ukrainian MP and anti-corruption chair, visits to press Australia on tighter measures. She highlights how refined Russian oil routed via India may finance the war. Conversations cover Ukraine's drone and air-defence strengths, risks from sanctions shifts, corruption reforms, wartime civilian hardships and practical ways Australia can help.