Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

Today, a special episode recorded at the Manly Writer's Festival 2026 where Geraldine speaks to three highly experienced diplomats -- Ian Kemish AM, Dr Robert Bowker, Dr Lachlan Straun. They talk about the challenges they faced in foreign negotiating rooms, how accurate the media representations of diplomats are, and whether there is a distinctly Australian style of diplomacy.
Guests:
Ian Kemish AM -- former Australian ambassador to Germany, former Australian high commissioner to Papua New Guinea and former international adviser to the prime minister. Author of The Consul: an insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline and Two Islands.
Dr Robert Bowker -- Australian ambassador to Jordan (1989-1992), Australian ambassador to Egypt (2005-2008) and former non-resident Australian ambassador to Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Sudan. Author of Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots: An Australian Diplomat in the Arab World.
Dr Lachlan Strahan -- former High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, First Assistant Secretary of the DFAT Multilateral Policy Division, and Australia’s former Acting United Nations Ambassador in Geneva. Author of The Curious Diplomat: A memoir from the frontlines of diplomacy. 
Get 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.

As the war in the Middle East rages, Israel is waging offensives on multiple fronts. The state is pounding Iran and Beirut with missiles and drones. Ground troops are pushing deep into southern Lebanon and occupy half of Gaza. The expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank has become "unconstrained" and increasingly violent. 
Is this Benjamin Netanyahu pursuing his expansionist dream of "Greater Israel"? And how do ordinary Israelis feel about the conflict? 
On this episode of Global Roaming Kylie and Latika go to Israel to find out. 
Guest: Daliah Scheindlin, public opinion researcher, political advisor and policy fellow at The Century Foundation. She is the author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel: Promise Unfulfilled
Get 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.

Iran has withstood US and Israel's offensive more effectively than those who attacked it had expected. They've made the most of geography - and shown just how vulnerable the global economy is.
Despite this, Iran's allies, Moscow and Beijing, have been keeping their distance. But what about Yemen's Houthis? What difference could they make in this war?
And at what point will the Gulf countries step in?
Guest: Neil Quilliam, energy policy, geopolitics and foreign affairs specialist.
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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.

President Trump’s campaign to pull allies like Australia and Japan into defending the Strait of Hormuz is growing more urgent by the day. Japan's pacifist constitution is seemingly at odds with the US calling for them to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Former Japanese ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, insists there are ways the country can contribute without directly going against their constitutional prerogative. But how far will they be pulled into US interests?
And will it influence Australia to do the same?
Guest: Shingo Yamagami, former Japanese ambassador to Australia.
Get 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.

Disinformation accelerated by AI is affecting democracies worldwide at an extraordinary pace. Governments overseas are wielding it against their own citizens. Meanwhile closer to home, perceptions of AI interference in elections have us questioning everything. It's an information war being fought on several fronts.
We finally have some empirical data on this new phenomena. So, how do we safeguard our democracies from digital interference?
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GUEST: Dr Constanza Sanhueza, researcher and senior lecturer in political science at ANU.
This is the second of Global Roaming's mini series on misinformation and disinformation. Hamish's documentary is called A Matter of Facts, and will be released on iView on Tuesday 24th March 2026.
Get 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.