Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald
ABC Australia
A war breaks out, a leader emerges, a revolution unfolds. How did it happen, and what are the implications for you?
Award-winning journalists Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald are joined by two new hosts, former foreign correspondent Kylie Morris and journalist Latika Bourke in London. Every day, they'll be discussing the biggest world events and how to make of sense of them.
Along with expert guests, they take a single topic and examine it with Australian eyes. Challenging, thoughtful and fun, Global Roaming is your user's guide to what the world is talking about.
Award-winning journalists Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald are joined by two new hosts, former foreign correspondent Kylie Morris and journalist Latika Bourke in London. Every day, they'll be discussing the biggest world events and how to make of sense of them.
Along with expert guests, they take a single topic and examine it with Australian eyes. Challenging, thoughtful and fun, Global Roaming is your user's guide to what the world is talking about.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 3, 2026 • 29min
The lives of Australian diplomats: what it's like to be on the front line of world politics
Ian Kemish, former ambassador and crisis manager who led the Bali response. Dr Robert Bowker, career diplomat with long service in the Arab world. Dr Lachlan Strahan, former High Commissioner to the Solomons and UN acting ambassador. They compare TV drama with real diplomacy. They debate Australian diplomatic style, crisis consular work, values versus security, Pacific sovereignty and etiquette in foreign postings.
10 snips
Apr 2, 2026 • 29min
Greater Israel: Is Netanyahu pursuing an expansionist dream?
Daliah Scheindlin, public opinion researcher and policy fellow who studies Israeli politics and settlements. She describes life under constant missile alerts. She outlines shifting public support and morale. She explores Netanyahu’s strategic aims, the role of religious hardliners pushing expansion, rising settler violence, and implications for Israel’s regional ties and upcoming elections.
7 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 29min
Is Trump already past the point of no return in Iran?
Neil Quilliam, energy and geopolitics specialist at Chatham House and former senior UK Foreign Office energy advisor. He explains how Iran dug in and seized leverage over key shipping lanes. He assesses the Houthis’ potential to amplify disruption. He outlines Gulf reluctance to intervene and why the conflict may have passed a point of no return.
Mar 31, 2026 • 28min
Will Japan be pulled into defending the Strait of Hormuz?
Shingo Yamagami, former Japanese ambassador to Australia and LDP insider, outlines Japan's delicate balancing act on Strait of Hormuz security. He discusses non‑combat options like minesweeping and refueling. He reviews Japan‑Iran ties, constitutional limits, talks with Tehran, and how domestic politics and energy dependence shape Tokyo's moves.
8 snips
Mar 30, 2026 • 29min
AI-generated content in political campaigns: how far will we let this go?
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.
10 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 29min
Is it time to ditch Australia's 'good doggy' diplomacy?
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.
9 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 29min
Are you there Australia? It's me, South East Asia
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.
Mar 24, 2026 • 29min
William Dalrymple: Why we shouldn't tear down statues
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.
8 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 29min
Is Australia as vulnerable as we think we are?
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.
7 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 29min
The Matter of Facts: Why our brains are vulnerable to disinformation
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.
