Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

ABC Australia
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Mar 11, 2026 • 29min

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

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 they react to Trump's ever-changing timeline on the US-Israel war on Iran, the prospect of peace seems a distant reality. The New York Times chief diplomatic correspondent, Steven Erlanger, however, offers a more hopeful view. He speaks to Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke about the far-reaching ramifications of the war, why Albanese was quicker to support Trump than Europe, and why the upcoming mid-terms may prompt Trump to walk away from the conflict sooner than we think.Guest: Steven Erlanger, the chief diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times based in BerlinGet 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. 
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Mar 10, 2026 • 29min

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

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 rallies, and a phone call from US President Donald Trump, five of the players have been granted humanitarian visas by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. What could happen to the remaining players?Hamish Macdonald and Kylie Morris are joined by former Socceroos captain Craig Foster to unpack the human rights obligations of Australia towards the players, as well as allegations players are under watch by the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), and whether football's governing bodies are doing enough to protect female athletes. Guest: Craig Foster, former Socceroo captain and human rights advocateGet 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. 
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Mar 9, 2026 • 29min

Your Call: The US-Israel war in Iran

Geraldine Doogue and Kylie Morris are joined by regional expert and former army officer Rodger Shanahn to answer your questions about the situation unfolding in the Middle East. Is the bombing of Shajareh Tayyebeh girl's school a war crime? What does Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu want from Iran? Guest: Rodger ShanahanGet 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. 
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Mar 6, 2026 • 29min

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

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 ballistic missile. And while Israel hammered Tehran and southern Lebanon with fresh rounds of strikes, Trump is considering arming Kurdish forces. The death toll is climbing into the thousands.In less than a week, has the US and Israel's military campaign against Iran spiralled into a war beyond anyone's control? Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue return to Beirut to speak with Kim Ghattas about the rapidly escalating war in the Middle East, and whether Iran has already been caught in a self-perpetuating 'escalation trap'.Guest: Kim Ghattas, Lebanese-born journalist and Middle East expert based in Beirut, and author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle EastGet 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. 
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Mar 5, 2026 • 29min

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

Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, and Afghanistan all have something in common: They've been subject to foreign-imposed regime change by the United States. So as regional war spreads across the Middle East following another stunning Trump intervention, can 'regime change' ever work? Alex Downes, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at The George Washington University, studies what happens when leaders are violently deposed by foreign nations. He speaks to Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke why peace and democracy are the least likely outcomes in Iran. Guest: Alexander B Downes, author of Catastrophic Success: Why Foreign-Imposed Regime Change Goes Wrong 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. 
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Mar 4, 2026 • 29min

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

From Barbie to Casablanca, Warner Bros studios have fundamentally shaped western popular culture. So will its $110 billion dollar takeover by Paramount re-write the script for American cinema as we know it? And with Trump's least favourite cable news channel, CNN, also changing hands in the deal, who is the 'nepo baby' now in charge, what is his connection to MAGA?Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke are joined by legendary entertainment reporter Kim Masters, who first broke the news of a potential deal last year, to talk about David Ellison's journey from aspiring actor to media mogul; his controversial instalment of Bari Weiss at CBS; and what his political connections say about the shrinking free press. Guest: Kim Masters, co-founder and writer for PuckGet 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. 
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Mar 3, 2026 • 29min

Has Trump thrust the US into another forever war?

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 the ground, as so-called precision strikes on Iran spiral into far more dangerous regional conflict.  So, as casualties rise into the thousands and violence rips across the Middle East, what's driving the full-scale attack on Iran?  Today, as Israel launches flurries of missiles into Lebanon, hosts Hamish Mcdonald and Kylie Morris head to the streets of Beirut to speak with Al Jazeera's Heidi Pett as the situation unfolds.Guests: Heidi Pett, Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from BeirutRecommendations:Hamish -  Dictators & Demagogues 05: Iran's Ali Khamenei, Take Me To Your Leader!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. 
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Mar 2, 2026 • 29min

Can Trump and Netanyahu bomb their way to regime change?

With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead, and Trump promising military operations will continue until "all objectives" are achieved, it's unclear what American and Israeli calls for regime change will lead to. Hamish Macdonald, Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke (The Nightly) are joined by two guests to unpack the extraordinary attacks against Iran. From Abu Dhabi, Mohamad Ali Harisi shares his concerns from a shaken region. And from Washington DC, Barbara Slavin talks about who the Assembly of Experts could chose as the next Supreme Leader. Guests: Mohamad Ali Harisi, foreign editor of The National; and Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Centre in Washington
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Mar 1, 2026 • 22min

Is Iran on the brink of freedom?

With the Supreme Leader of Iran killed by military strikes, what happens next in Iran?Announcing his death, President Trump called Ayatollah Ali Khomeini "one of the most evil people in history."But does regime change follow the audacious attack by Israel and the US, or do they become mired again in a Middle Eastern war with no guaranteed outcome?And what about the Iranian people? What do they want, and how do they get it?After this episode was recorded, Iran confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 
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Feb 27, 2026 • 29min

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

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 country's cartels. On the other, her strike against notorious 'El Mencho' this week sparked violence and unrest, with some cities like Guadalajara shutting down for days. But is killing El Mencho the end of America's fentanyl woes, or the start of a new chapter in the 'War on Drugs'?David Mora from the International Crisis Group joins Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue from Guadalajara to talk about the Jalisco cartel's global drug networks, and why ordinary Mexicans are bearing the brunt of Sheinbaum's diplomatic tightrope-walking.Guest: David Mora, senior Mexican analyst with the International Crisis GroupGet 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. 

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