Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

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

As the first ever criminal trial of a former US president gets underway in New York, we speak to ‘The Mooch’ - Anthony Scaramucci – who famously served as White House Communications Director in the Trump Administration for 11 days. He now warns that Donald Trump is a ‘lunatic’ and that a second Trump term would be disastrous for America, and the world.  Guest: Anthony Scaramucci - American financier who served as the White House Director of Communications from July 21 to July 31, 2017. He has a new book coming out: “From Wall Street to the White House and Back: The Scaramucci Guide to Unbreakable Resilience”. Recommendations:Geraldine - reading: Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts' response to The Economist calling the flat white "Australia's greatest culinary export" Hamish - watching: The Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson on ABC iviewGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has hinted that Australia might recognise Palestinian statehood. It's a significant move, politically, but will it have any impact on what's happening on the ground in Gaza?Hamish and Geraldine sit down with Tirana Hassan, the Australian who has just become head of Human Rights Watch, to discuss this, and whether we'll ever see Nuremberg-style justice for the war crimes being perpetrated around the world today.Guest: Tirana Hassan - Executive Director, Human Rights WatchNote: The Israeli Embassy has been contacted for comment.Recommendations:Geraldine - watching: The Cold War of Spies, docuseries on SBS on DemandHamish - reading: Tonnes of food is stuck on Gaza’s border while the enclave nears famine FT Visual StoryGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

It's worrying when one of Europe's most influential leaders says that the world is in a 'pre-war state', similar to 1939. But just how worried should we be, here in Australia? Ian Bremmer gives us his frank assessment of where things stand and reveals why Australia might just be a geopolitical haven. Guest: Ian Bremmer - president of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group and author of 11 books on global affairs. Recommendations:Geraldine - watching: The American Führer documentary on SBS on DemandHamish - listening: Dark Shining Moment podcast by Ranieri & CoGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

In the absence of decisive US leadership, it could fall to Middle Eastern leaders to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and create sustainable pathways to peace. A stable, post-American regional order is in the interests of most Middle Eastern powers, but does anyone have the political will to take the lead?Guest: Dr Sanam Vakil - director of the Middle East and North Africa programme, Chatham House.Recommendations:Geraldine - Reading: 10 books to help you understand Israel and Palestine, recommended by experts (The Conversation)Hamish - Reading: Royal Bodies, essay by Hilary Mantel (London Review of Books)Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Exploring the uncertainties in Xi Jinping's leadership amid economic challenges in China. Discussing the evolving diplomatic landscape and power struggles. Analyzing Australia-China relations and the Orcus Agreement. Reflecting on former prime minister meetings and changing dynamics in Chinese society. Navigating China's geopolitical landscape with insights on leadership roles. Recommendations on Cold War documentaries and China's history.

A new global arms race is on, to develop and control AI. But with so much power and profit tied up in this transformative new technology, is it in anyone's interest to ask where this new age of empire might lead? AI expert Anu Bradford says if we don't put proper guardrails in place soon, the consequences could be dire. Guest: Anu Bradford - Professor at Columbia Law School and author of Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology.Recommendations:Hamish: The Age of AI Has Begun by Bill Gatesand 'Way too much news': US conservatives face a fragmented media map - Financial TimesGeraldine: Israel Must Decide Where It’s Going—and Who Should Lead It There - Ehud Barak in Foreign AffairsGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au