Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

Will Israeli voters renew Benjamin Netanyahu's mandate, or is the country heading for a political turning point?

ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran joins Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald from Jerusalem to explain why this campaign has become a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership, who is best placed to challenge him, and why the result may be far from clear even after votes are counted.

They discuss the lingering political fallout from October 7, Donald Trump's extraordinary endorsement of Netanyahu, the role of Israel's Arab parties, and why coalition negotiations could prove just as important as election day itself.

Matthew also reflects on the challenges of reporting from Gaza, the restrictions facing international journalists, and the growing scrutiny of violence in the occupied West Bank.

Guest: Matthew Doran, ABC's Middle East Correspondent

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Has Russia’s war with Ukraine spread beyond both countries borders?

From cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to attacks on critical infrastructure, one of Poland's leading Russia analysts Marek Menkiszak argues that Moscow sees itself in a broader confrontation with what it calls the "collective West".

Speaking with Geraldine Doogue, Menkiszak explains why Poland considers itself on the frontline, how Russia seeks to influence elections across Europe, and why countries like France, Germany and the UK matter so much to the Kremlin's strategy.

He also discusses whether NATO's response has been strong enough, how Russia is using nuclear threats as psychological warfare, and why some European leaders believe Moscow will continue testing Western resolve until it faces much higher costs.

If Russia already believes it's at war with the West, how should democracies respond without triggering a wider conflict?

Guest: Marek Menkiszak, head of the Russian department at the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Warsaw.

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In the wake of the attack on Independent MP Helen Haines, Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke revisit their interview on the violence aimed towards women in politics. 

NOTE: This episode was initially broadcast on Thursday 13th of August

A growing body of research suggests women in public life are facing a wave of online harassment that has been amplified by artificial intelligence, deepfakes and coordinated misinformation campaigns.

In this episode of Global Roaming, Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke examine the implications for democracy. If women are increasingly targeted with sexualised abuse, fake images and threats of violence, will fewer choose to enter public life?

Australian journalist and academic Dr Julie Posetti, who led a landmark UN study on online violence against women in public life, explains how AI is changing the threat landscape and why research is drawing links between online abuse and real-world harm.

Former NSW minister Bronnie Taylor reflects on her own experience of abuse in politics and why she fears the problem could deter women from putting their hands up for elected office.

Could online misogyny be reshaping democracy itself? And what can governments, regulators and technology companies do about it?

Guests:

Dr Julie Posetti, journalist, academic and UN researcher

Bronnie Taylor, former NSW Nationals minister and Women for Election advisory board member

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Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert weighs in on the upcoming election, and the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Francom.

With Israel heading to the polls on 27 October in what many say is the country's most consequential election in decades, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue are joined by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert – a longstanding and vocal critic of Benjamin Netanyahu – to unpack what’s at stake.

Olmert argues the election will determine the character of Israeli democracy itself, and explores the possibility that a higher turnout among Arab-Israeli voters could deny Netanyahu the numbers to govern.

He also addresses the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza, saying those responsible should face court martial.

Guest: Ehud Olmert, former Prime Minister of Israel 

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Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Political tradition usually dictates that the midterm elections are bad news for the incumbent president. But when has Donald Trump ever been traditional?

Despite returning to the White House promising lower prices, a stronger economy and fewer overseas conflicts, voters remain frustrated by inflation, rising fuel costs and an ongoing war with Iran. Will Democrats capitalise on the dissatisfaction?

Former White House correspondent Josh Lederman joins Hamish Macdonald and Waleed Aly to explain why Democrats are suddenly competitive in deeply Republican states like Texas, Alaska and Kansas, why some Republican candidates are distancing themselves from Trump, and whether the polls can be trusted at all.

They also examine the growing influence of the Democratic Party's progressive wing, the future of MAGA after Trump, and what happens if Republicans lose control of Congress.

Guest: Josh Lederman, journalist, former White House correspondent

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ABC Asia editor Karishma Vyas joins Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald to unpack a week of fast-moving stories across Asia. 

In India, a youth protest movement – born after the the chief justice of India offhandedly called unemployed graduates “cockroaches and parasites” – has taken to the streets of New Delhi following the government's decision to strike 130 million names from the electoral roll, triggering a police crackdown, mass arrests and detention of the movement's leaders.   

Meanwhile, in Laos, China has opened its first foreign air base, a former Vietnam War-era facility now repurposed with Beijing’s backing. Vietnam is watching the development closely given its own territorial disputes with China.

Plus: the trial date is set for Simon Carman, the Australian man accused of murdering 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla in Pattaya, and what the case reveals about Pattaya’s sex tourism economy.

Guest: Karishma Vyas, the ABC's Asia editor

Recommendations:

Karishma – NAZA documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor

Hamish – 2026 ABC Boyer Lecture Series

Geraldine – David Brooks, author

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We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

In 2019, 19-year-old Zac Brettler fell from a riverside apartment balcony into the Thames. His death would reveal a massive dirty-money empire.

Brettler's parents went looking for answers and learned their son had been living a lie, posing as the son of a Russian oligarch.

Patrick Radden Keefe, Author of blockbuster books London Falling and Say Nothing, traces how one boy’s death opens onto a far bigger story: how London remade itself as a safe harbour for Russian and Gulf money.Keefe calls himself the skunk at the garden party, the outsider who names what locals keep hidden in plain sight

Hamish Macdonald sits down with Keefe for a long, warm talk about money, grief, Instagram and why the truest stories hide where everyone can see them. Waleed Aly sets it up.Guest: Patrick Radden Keefe, Investigative journalist and author of London Falling & Say NothingGet in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Gold is the ultimate rainy-day investment. So why are countries around the world shoring up their stockpiles?

And what does it mean when the price of gold drops after reaching record highs?

Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke are joined by Adrian Ash, the director of research at leading gold market BullionVault, to explain how China and Russia use gold to avoid sanctions, build wealth, and collect cultural capital.

Plus, why are countries like France and the Netherlands moving their gold out of U.S. vaults back to their territory? And how did the world change when we moved away from the gold standard?

Guest: Adrian Ash, director of research at BullionVault

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We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Wedged between Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Jordan has spent decades surviving crises that would have broken many states.

It hosts millions of refugees, depends heavily on US support and now sits at the centre of the widening confrontation involving Iran, Israel and Washington. This year alone, Jordan is due to receive almost US$2 billion in American aid while also finding itself increasingly exposed to regional conflict.

But according to political scientist Sean Yom, Jordan's greatest fear isn't Iran. It's the possibility that Israel moves to annex the West Bank, triggering a new wave of Palestinian displacement across the Jordan River. For a country where an estimated 50 to 65 per cent of citizens are of Palestinian origin, the consequences could be profound.

Could the kingdom absorb another refugee influx? What happens if Donald Trump backs away from opposition to annexation? And why does King Abdullah believe Jordan's crisis could become the Middle East's crisis?

Laura Tingle and Latika Bourke speak with Jordan specialist Sean Yom, Author of Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible about the strategic pressure bearing down on one of Washington's most important Arab allies, and why Australia's visitors from Amman may have more urgent messages than ever before.

Guest: Sean Yom, Author of Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible and Professor of Political Science at Temple UniversityGet in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

His father’s in jail for attempting a coup, but Flavio Bolsonaro currently stands as the likeliest candidate for president of Brazil after the first round of voting.

But as Brazil’s continues to rely heavily on Chinese trade, could the Trump-aligned leader find himself caught between his ideological goals and Brazil’s economic needs?

This week, Laura Tingle and Latika Bourke speak with Brazilian political analyst Thiago de Aragão about the shock result in Brazil’s first-round election, the deep polarisation of Brazil’s electorate, and why president Lula’s pitch did not resonate with voters as much as he had hoped.

Plus, as the EU-Mercosur trade agreement builds steam, could Brazil’s future lie with Europe?

Guest: Thiago de Aragão, Brazilian political analyst, director of Arko Advice consultancy

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If you'd like to attend the 2026 ABC Boyer Lectures in Sydney on October 14th, please email us at [email protected] Please note tickets are limited.