
Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald
A war breaks out, a leader emerges, a revolution unfolds. How did it happen, and what are the implications for you?
Two award-winning journalists with decades of experience reporting on major world events, Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald join forces for a fresh conversation about global news and how to make sense of it.
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.
Latest episodes

Jul 19, 2024 • 29min
How Trump Wants to Change the World, Again
What could another Trump Presidency mean for the world order?

Jul 12, 2024 • 29min
Freedom on Trial: The Jimmy Lai Story
A weekly examination of world affairs with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald.

Jul 5, 2024 • 29min
Anne Applebaum and Malcolm Turnbull on the collapse of the centre
Where have all the centrists gone? And how have the far-right taken hold of politics in the west?

Jun 28, 2024 • 29min
Marty Baron: Is the Media to Blame?
Do you ever want to hide from the headlines? With 1 in 4 people now saying they are worn out by the news and many turning to a fragmented social media news landscape for their information we explore what's gone wrong in recent years, and what we might do about it. Guests:Marty Baron: American Journalist, Editor of The Washington Post 2012 to 2021 and author of a new memoir called Collision of Power. Recommendations:Geraldine: The Bright Side with Sabra Lane on ABC ListenHamish: All the Presidents Men, book by Woodward and Bernstein Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Jun 21, 2024 • 31min
Is a new 'axis of evil' emerging?
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

Jun 14, 2024 • 31min
Panda politics: What does China really want from Australia?
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

Jun 7, 2024 • 31min
What do India, Mexico and South Africa have in common?
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

May 31, 2024 • 38min
Sunak vs Starmer: Who will rule Britannia?
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

May 31, 2024 • 0sec
🚨🚨🚨 Trump is guilty — can he still win!?
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.

May 24, 2024 • 29min
Who's afraid of the ICC?
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