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

Could the real Middle East leaders please stand up?

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.

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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

Is a new 'axis of evil' emerging?

​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 Wintour Hamish - reading: The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall book by Eliot Cohen You 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

Panda politics: What does China really want from Australia?

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 iView Reading: Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage book by Jonny Steinberg Hamish - watching: Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nkosi Sikelela (Live At Montreux 1989) on Youtube Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

What do India, Mexico and South Africa have in common?

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 Bryant Geraldine - reading: In death as in life, Yael Dayan is an inconvenient Israeli by Noah Efron Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Sunak vs Starmer: Who will rule Britannia?

Well, it's happened. Donald Trump is a convicted felon. In this bonus episode, former Republican speechwriter David Frum reacts to the historic verdict and discusses whether Trump has any hope now of being re-elected. Guest: David Frum - staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of 10 books, most recently Trumpocracy (2018) and Trumpocalypse (2020). In 2001 and 2002, David was a speechwriter for President George W. Bush.  You can read his latest on the Trump verdict here. 

Could the real Middle East leaders please stand up?

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