Can Andy Burnham govern an ungovernable Britain?

Can Andy Burnham govern an ungovernable Britain?

Britain is on its seventh prime minister in a decade, and the new one has inherited a fractured union. Can Andy Burnham govern a country many now call ungovernable? Burnham replaces Keir Starmer, who resigned in June after barely two years, worn down by policy reversals, poor local election results, and slipping public confidence.  He arrives promising a "circuit breaker": a new economic model, reindustrialisation, and the kind of regional devolution he championed as mayor of Greater Manchester.  But Britain's troubles run deeper than any single leader. An unelected House of Lords, uneven devolution across Scotland, Wales and the English regions, the slow economic drag of Brexit, and a north left behind after Cameron-era promises on rail and investment went unmet all point to something structural.  Meanwhile Nigel Farage and the populist right are gaining ground, testing whether Burnham can win back the disaffected voters Labour has been losing. Presented by Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald, this episode puts these questions to Ben Wellings of Monash University, author of English Nationalism and British Disintegration.  They weigh whether Britain has quietly become the new Italy, chronically unstable and unsure of its place in the world, and whether Burnham's bet on hope and a "Downing Street of the North" can hold a fracturing country together.  And they ask what it all means from an Australian vantage point: if Britain really is the leading edge of Western decline, is Australia paying close enough attention? Guest: Ben Wellings, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Monash University. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au [Global.Roaming@your.abc.net.au] Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Does Trump lie? Reuters' Editor-in-Chief won't say the word.

Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni won't use the word "lie" when referring to Donald Trump, telling Global Roaming he instead "says things that are not true." It's a careful answer from the woman running one of the world's biggest and most trusted news agencies. Founded 175 years ago, Reuters has thousands of journalists stationed in over 165 countries and supplies the original reporting that fills newspapers and bulletins worldwide. Galloni told Hamish Macdonald and Laura Tingle that trust and access were at the core of the organisation's success. In this wide-ranging interview about media, the impact of AI and journalistic ethics, Galloni argues that the news industry has never been more important or more fraught for those on the ground.  Guest: Alessandra Galloni, Reuters Editor-in-Chief  Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au [Global.Roaming@your.abc.net.au] Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Nowhere is safe: Sudan's drone war on its own people

Sudan's war has entered its fourth year. Drones are now striking schools, hospitals and fuel stations, and the world's largest humanitarian crisis keeps falling off the radar.  More than 13 million people have been displaced since fighting broke out between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Last year the RSF was accused of genocidal violence in the city of El Fasher. Now it is encircling El Obeid in North Kordofan, and aid workers fear a repeat. Kylie Morris and Latika Bourke speak with Noah Taylor, an Australian who heads the Norwegian Refugee Council's operations in Sudan. He describes drone strikes killing civilians, children mimicking the sound of weapons as play, and aid convoys struck on the road. Taylor argues the disaster is a failure of political will, and points out that Australia, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has diplomatic leverage it has barely used.  There is a wider warning too. The shift to cheap, indiscriminate drone warfare is spreading to conflicts far beyond Sudan, and no one yet has a reliable way to keep these weapons out of civilian skies. His message to Australians is blunt: donate if you can but also reach out to the Sudanese families now living in your own suburbs, hear their stories, and refuse to let this war fade quietly from view.  Guest: Noah Taylor, Head of Operations in Sudan, Norwegian Refugee Council Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au [Global.Roaming@your.abc.net.au] Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Indonesia is changing, Australia's being left behind

Indonesian language teaching will be extinct in Australia by 2031, warns a parliamentary inquiry into Australia's Asian capability. Australia talks constantly about the importance of Asia, but is failing to build the skills needed to understand our closest neighbours. At the same time, Indonesia is on track to become one of the world's largest economies and an increasingly influential power in the region. So how did Australia get here? And what does it mean for trade, diplomacy, defence and our future relationship with Southeast Asia? And with China testing missiles in the Pacific, is Australia missing a perfect opportunity to build relationships in the region? Hamish Macdonald and Laura Tingle speak with Labor MP Tim Watts, who chaired the House of Representatives inquiry into building Asia capability in Australia. They discuss the collapse of language study, what Australia risks losing, and whether we're missing one of the biggest strategic opportunities on our doorstep.

The Democrats are a 'total mess' and leaderless. Can they stop Trump?

For decades, there were some things Democrats and Republicans agreed on.  America should lead the world, NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) matters, and the US-Israel alliance is untouchable. As Trump rips up international alliances, inside the Democratic Party anger over Israel's war in Gaza has ruptured the old pro-Israel consensus. Last week 103 House Democrats, nearly half the caucus, voted to end military aid to Israel. The amendment failed, but marked decreasing support for Israel within the Democrats.  Jeremy Shapiro from the European Council on Foreign Relations argues the change is real but the alliance still holds deep support.  Speaking to Hamish Macdonald and Laura Tingle, Shapiro argues Donald Trump is a spotlight-obsessed president willing to cut down anyone rising beneath him, from Marco Rubio to JD Vance, and warns that Europe is now hedging against an America it no longer trusts.  Plus, Türkiye rise under Erdogan, and where US foreign policy will land by the 2028 election.  Guest: Jeremy Shapiro, European Council on Foreign Relations. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au [Global.Roaming@your.abc.net.au] Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.  Mentions:  Laura's article on the Türkiye summit: NATO was a lesson in how the geopolitical landscape has shifted around Trump [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-11/nato-geopolitical-landscape-shifted-around-trump/106900808]