Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

You know things aren't good when Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un sign a mutual defence pact... could it be that a powerful new anti-western axis is emerging between Russia, China, North Korea and Iran? Plus, we get an insight into how Ukrainians feel about being caught in this geopolitical quagmire. Guests:Alisa Sopova - Ukrainian journalist and anthropologist.Sir Lawrence Freedman - Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London.Recommendations:Geraldine: We’re in 1938 now: Putin’s war in Ukraine and lessons from history - Patrick Wintour in the Guardian.Hamish: Premier Li Qiang’s visit has Malaysia wanting more from China pivot - Financial Times.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

​The high-profile visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang signals warming relations between Canberra and Beijing, but could it be indicative of deeper economic and political anxieties in China? What is it, really, that China wants from us? Guest: Richard McGregor - former Beijing bureau chief for the Financial Times, author of Xi Jinping: The Backlash and Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute.Recommendations:Geraldine - reading: We’re in 1938 now’: Putin’s war in Ukraine and lessons from history article by Patrick WintourHamish - reading: The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall book by Eliot CohenYou can also listen to Hamish's interview with Eliot Cohen and Fintan O'Toole on the Big Weekend of Books on the ABC Listen App Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

In India, Mexico and South Africa, frustrations and hopes have been borne out at polling booths, with extraordinary results. Geraldine and Hamish take an in depth look at South Africa, which is about to enter an exciting new phase both at home and abroad.Guests:Lynsey Chutel - reporter for The New York Times based in Johannesburg. Melanie Verwoerd - former Member of Parliament for the ANC, the former Ambassador to Ireland, and the former Director of UNICEF- Ireland. Recommendations:Geraldine - watching: A Life in Ten Pictures Season 2 - Nelson Mandela on ABC iViewReading: Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage book by Jonny SteinbergHamish - watching: Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nkosi Sikelela (Live At Montreux 1989) on YoutubeGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

One week into the UK election campaign and to say things have been unexpected is an understatement. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come out firing, announcing a controversial national service scheme that caused Gen Z to have a meltdown. But is it enough to close the gap between the Tories and Labour, led by Sir Keir Starmer? Guest: Krishnan Guru-Murthy - one of the main anchors of Channel 4 News. He also fronts the podcast Ways to Change the World and reports for the foreign affairs series Unreported World.Recommendations:Hamish - reading: The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself book by Nick BryantGeraldine - reading: In death as in life, Yael Dayan is an inconvenient Israeli by Noah EfronGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

David Frum, staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses Trump's guilty verdict and its impact on his re-election chances. They delve into Trump's personality, election strategy, and Republican Party dynamics, considering the threats of a second Trump presidency on American democracy and legal system. The podcast also explores the intersection of legal issues and electoral prospects, highlighting the polarized American politics and challenges faced by President Biden's campaign.

The International Criminal Court is considering whether to issue an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu - the first time in history such a move has been made against a pro-Western leader. It's sparked a mixed reaction, internationally, but it's unclear whether Israeli or Hamas leaders will ever be held accountable for potential war crimes. It's also unclear what impact, if any, this development will have on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Guest: Julian Borger - World Affairs Editor at The Guardian; author of The Butcher's Trail and I Seek A Kind Person.Recommendations:Geraldine: Reading - Friendly Fire: How Israel Became Its Own Worst Enemy and the Hope for Its Future book by Ami AyalonHamish: Reading - Netanyahu and Khamenei find themselves in a tightening vice article in the Financial Times by Kim Ghattas Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Treasurer Jim Chalmers touched a nerve when he suggested Australians should start having more kids, but does he actually have a point? Fertility rates are falling dramatically across the world and it's stoking all sorts of fears.  Guest: Dr Jennifer Sciubba - one of the foremost experts in the field of political demography & the author of 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our WorldRecommendations:Geraldine: Reading - You can’t even pay people to have more kids by Anna North, Vox.Hamish: Reading - China's high stakes struggle to avoid demographics disaster by The Economist. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Some Europeans certainly think so, with polls predicting a swing to the hard-right in upcoming EU elections. So, what would a more conservative Europe mean for us? Geraldine and Hamish travelled to Canberra to ask the EU Ambassador to Australia in person, and to find out whether a free trade deal between the EU and Australia really is dead. Guest: His Excellency Mr. Gabriele Visentin, the EU Ambassador to Australia. Recommendations:Hamish: Watching - The 2022 Schuman Lecture: Strengthening Relationships in Challenging TimesGeraldine: Watching - Freud's Last Session (2023 drama film)Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Australia is buddying up to India and Modi as a counter-weight to China, but what kind of country - and leader - are we really befriending?Guests:Avani Dias - ABC's South Asia Bureau Chief.Ravi Agrawal - editor in chief of Foreign Policy and host of the podcast and video channel FP Live.Recommendations:Hamish: Listening - Looking For Modi ABC News podcastGeraldine: Listening - India is transforming. But into what? episode of the Ezra Klein podcast.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Not only has the war of words between Prime Minister Albanese and Elon Musk grabbed global headlines, its prompted debates about whether the unelected leaders of multinational tech companies have more power than democratically elected leaders. Tech governance expert Dr Alexis Wichowski says other world leaders will be watching how this plays out, closely.Guest: Dr Alexis Wichowski – Professor at Columbia University and author of The Information Trade: How Tech Companies Act Like CountriesRecommendations:Geraldine - reading/watching: Salman Rushdie’s memoir is horrific, upsetting – and a masterpiece by Erica Wagner / Salman Rushdie interview ABC 7:30Hamish - reading/listening: What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise by Lachlan Cartwright in the New York Times and on 'The Daily' podcast. Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au