The anti-science crusade in the United States extends beyond President Trump's flourishing statements about climate change being a 'con job' and a 'hoax' and claiming links between Tylenol (or paracetamol) and autism. Under the second Trump administration and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, long-standing medical and scientific institutions are being hollowed out and misinformation and disinformation is rife. There are a number of actors who stand to capitalise on this trend, from foreign states like Russia, to big pharma companies and 'wellness' influencers. And experts say it poses an existential threat not just for America, but for the world. 

In this episode Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald speak to Radio National's Science Editor Jonathan Webb and prominent vaccine scientist Dr Peter Hotez (co-author with Michael Mann of Science Under Siege) about the forces at play in the global war on science and Dr. Hotez also reveals what it's like to be personally targeted by RFK Jr, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk. 

Recommendations:

Geraldine: Good Night, and Good Luck - 2005 film 

Hamish: Australian Story - The River (Part 1 and 2) - ABC iView

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

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 conflicts and concerns that, in the age of Trump, this once lauded institution has become damaged beyond repair. 

So can the UN be fixed, and what exactly will that take? According to former UN Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffiths it comes down to one thing: courage.  

Recommendations:

Geraldine: PNG’s half-century report card - Hamish Macdonald, Inside Story 

Hamish: A Dirty Little War by John Martinkus

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

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 neighbour continues to hold so much significance to Australia and what this historic new defence treaty might actually mean for PNG and us. 

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

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 need to come to terms with the possibility of a war in our region.  

Recommendations:

Geraldine Doogue: Address by Former senior Chinese diplomat Madame Fu Ying to the AFR Asia Summit 2025. Once available, it can be found HERE. 

Hamish Macdonald: ABC 7:30 Monday 8 September - interview with Julie Inman Grant (commences about 9:00 minutes in)

+ The News Agents podcast - Nick Clegg: What really happened at Facebook?

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

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 image to the Western world that while the US-led global order under Donald Trump seems to be decaying, a powerful new alignment of countries is taking place, with China at the forefront.

Guests:

Einar Tangen - Senior Fellow, Taihe Institute and the founder and chairman of Asia Narratives.

Bob Carr - Former Australian Foreign Minister and former Premier of NSW.

Recommendations:

Hamish: Trump says he’s determined to weaken China. He’s doing the opposite - Peter Hartcher, SMH

Kylie: The Emperor of Gladness - Ocean Vuong

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

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 UNRWA, running the border crossing at Rafah. She explains how Israel's policies have made getting aid into Gaza increasingly difficult and she gives a shocking assessment of what is needed to break the famine. 

Recommendations:

Kylie: Hostage - Mini series on Netflix

Hamish: Dust - Book by Michael Brissenden

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

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 breaking news and discuss the significance of the day's developments. 

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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 likes of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. His rapid crackdown on gang-related crime has been labelled the 'Bukele miracle' and is being seen everywhere from Ecuador to America as a model to emulate. But it hasn't come without a steep cost... 

Journalist Vera Bergengruen is one of the only foreign journalists to have met and interviewed President Nayib Bukele. She wrote a profile of him for TIME Magazine. She speaks to Geraldine Doogue (2025 Andrew Olle lecture) and Hamish Macdonald (ABC Sydney Mornings, The Project) about what Nayib Bukele is really like. 

Recommendations:

Geraldine: How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare?   | BBC, The Inquiry podcast.

Hamish: The 'evil drug' and court case that almost broke Alex Lloyd | Australian Story

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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 hosted Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, this time flanked by a chorus of European leaders including Macron, Starmer and Meloni.  

In this bonus episode, Geraldine and Hamish analyse the two big foreign policy dramas that have been lighting up headlines this week. 

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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? Has his grip on power ever been tighter? 

To find out, Geraldine Doogue (2025 Andrew Olle lecture) and Hamish Macdonald (ABC Sydney Mornings, The Project) spoke to Anna Nemtsova - an award-winning Russian-born journalist who grew up in the Soviet Union and now writes for publications like The Daily Beast and The Atlantic. The picture that Anna painted of life inside Russia today was... surprising, to say the least! 

Recommendations:

Hamish: Hamas built an underground war machine to ensure its own survival - Washington Post

Geraldine: The cold war guru whose warnings on Russia still stand - The Rachman Review podcast

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