Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

The 80th UN General Assembly is heating up in New York, just as a major UN report finds that Israel is committing genocide. Countries like Australia have pledged to recognise a Palestinian State at next week's UNGA, but there are doubts about whether that will have anything more than symbolic significance. In fact, there are serious questions about the United Nations' ability to resolve today's co...

As celebrations get underway marking the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea's independence from Australia, the two nations are about to enter a deal that will see our defence forces become 'totally integrated'.  Geraldine Doogue, Hamish Macdonald and special guest Oliver Nobetau (Project Director of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Network at the Lowy Institute) discuss why this particular Pacific...

Geraldine is back and feeling uncharacteristically pessimistic about the state of the world. So as the Australian government works hard to cement stronger ties in the Indo-Pacific region following China's display of military and political might, Hamish and Geraldine are joined by the Chief of the Australian Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart for a frank conversation about whether Australians nee...

All eyes have been on China this week, as dozens of world leaders arrived to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and China's 'Victory Day' military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in WW2.  Not only was it a chance for leaders like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-Un and - perhaps most surprisingly - Narendra Modi, to mingle, it sent a striking im...

Following the confirmation of famine in part of Gaza by the UN-backed IPC, Hamish Macdonald and guest host Kylie Morris speak to Anera's Gaza Branch Director Yazdan El-Amawi about what the situation is actually like for those living in Gaza.  They also speak to Jodie Clark, who has decades of experience distributing humanitarian aid and worked most recently as Senior Logistics Coordinator for UNRW...

The Australian government has accused Iran of directing two antisemitic attacks in Australia and, for the first time since World War Two, has expelled an ambassador. They've also announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be designated as a terrorist organisation.  Who are the IRGC and what motivated them to target Australia? Hamish Mcdonald and Kylie Morris react to the brea...

He's young, he's slick, he's social media savvy and he rules with an iron first. Meet Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador who has quickly become an icon of the global right.  He might style himself as the 'world's coolest dictator' and a 'philosopher king', but this leader is not like other authoritarian rulers. For a start, he's incredibly popular both at home and abroad - befriending the...

It’s not every day a foreign leader calls the Australian Prime Minister “weak” and accuses him of betraying the country’s Jewish community. But that’s exactly what Benjamin Netanyahu did this week, after the Albanese government announced its intention to recognise a Palestinian state and cancelled a visa for far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman.  Meanwhile, over in Washington, Donald Trump...

It's all eyes on Alaska as the summit between President Trump, President Putin and possibly President Zelensky looms. The stakes of these peace talks - for Ukraine, for Russia and for the West - are incredibly high.  Given his cool and confident exterior, we wondered about the cards Putin currently holds in his hand. How strong is his position not only in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but at home?...

In a historic move, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this afternoon announced that Australia will move to recognise a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly next month, with a condition that terror group Hamas play no role in its future governance. Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald react to the news and discuss the significance of Australia's decision to follow oth...

Where do the arms involved in conflicts worldwide come from and who bears responsibility for how they are used in war? The US is by far the world's largest weapons manufacturer and exporter, accounting for around 40% of global exports.  Many of these arms go to Israel and transfers have been supercharged since the start of the military assault on Gaza.  Australia is also a player in the global arm...

This week, the prospect of Palestinian statehood suddenly became tangible, with the UK, France and Canada promising to recognise Palestine at the UN general assembly in September.  Whether Australia will follow suit remains to be seen.   What can history tell us about the formation of new states out of violent conflict?  Guest: Sir Christopher Clark, professor of history at the University of Cambr...

A weekly examination of world affairs with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald.

Despite living through continued death, displacement and destruction, Palestinians still dream of a better future. What does that look like for Gazans and people in the West Bank, is a two-state solution still a viable option? And who will lead them after the war? Guest: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, Gazan-American and nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atl...

Anthony Albanese has finally got a meeting with a president, but it's not the one some are so desperate to see. The Prime Minister sets off on a six-day official visit to China while there is still no date set for a face-to-face with Donald Trump. But does that actually matter, and what does President Xi want from Australia? Guest: Dr Joseph Torigian, research fellow at Stanford University Hoover...

It's sometimes described as a 'dance with the devil', but can populism also deliver for citizens? As some democracies stall, how are populist leaders like Giorgia Meloni and Javier Millei managing to solve decades-long problems? Is there such a thing as 'good' populism? Guest: Professor Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Stanford University, author of Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Ch...

After promising his MAGA base that he wouldn't get the US into any further foreign entanglements, Donald Trump had a big week on the international stage. He's claiming the strikes on Iran, and the defence spending pledges at NATO as big successes, but can he square them with his promise of 'America First'? Guest: Carl Bildt, Prime Minister of Sweden 1991-1994, foreign minister 2006-2014, co-chair...

After decades of enjoying peacetime dividends and American protection, Germany is now re-arming in a hurry.  Troop numbers in the Bundeswehr had withered since the 1990s and spending dipped well below 2%.  But with bellicose Russia on Europe’s borders and US support no longer a guarantee, that's all changing.  The real question is: are Germans ready to be a military power once again? Guest: Dr Ben...

From the volatile fault lines of the Middle East, a dangerous new chapter has unfolded as the confrontation between Israel and Iran up-ends the region's delicate balance.  The big question is whether the US will enter the fray to assist their ally Israel.  Donald Trump has set a two-week deadline on that crucial decision, will he risk dividing his MAGA base? And will he heed the history of US fore...

Israel's assassination of high-ranking military and political figures in Iran is raising questions about the regime's ability to survive this war, especially if the US enters the fight.  But the regime won't be easy to topple, despite its isolation, because of the enduring grip on power of military ideologists and the lack of a domestic opposition. So how might this war end? Guest: Dr. Afshon Osto...

Leaders of the world's great industrial nations will gather in Canada at the G7 over the weekend.  As the tectonic plates of international relationships continue to shift under the pressure of the Trump presidency, the summit is an opportunity to observe new diplomatic relationships. With the world sliding closer to chaos this week, could this be the moment for leaders to restore stability? Guest:...

If the West really is in decline, are we watching the creation of a new world order?  This question is being asked with fresh urgency in capitals around the world as Donald Trump shakes the global system to its roots.  How can Australia prepare to meet the challenge head on?  Guests: Philippe Sands, professor of law at University College London, barrister and author of 38 Londres Street: On Impuni...

Who is a conservative and who is a radical in American politics right now? It’s not entirely clear when the Republican party has dramatically shifted its policies on tax, industry and trade. Oren Cass has an important part in this identity shift, he is influential in the New Right, a movement that also counts JD Vance and Marco Rubio as important figures.  Guest: Oren Cass, founder and chief econo...

Some news stories shake the world, others barely make the front page.  In the era of Donald Trump, many important stories are being forgotten. Lindsey Hilsum is one of the journalism's most experienced and fearless foreign correspondents. She shares reflections on a career spent running towards atrocities and how to balance covering Trump and the stories we're missing. Guest: Lindsey Hilsum, Chann...

Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East was three days of glitz, gold and billion-dollar deals.  The big surprise was a meeting with Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Does this signal an intent to reshape the region and some of its enduring conflicts?  And does the decision not to visit Israel signal a cooling relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu? Recommendations: Kylie: Jerusalem the bio...