Is the Middle East caught in an unstoppable 'escalation trap' of all-out war?

Marine Le Pen and the French far-right are back

Just a year ago, the leader of France's far-right National Rally party appeared finished after being convicted in an embezzlement case and barred from seeking office.  Now, Marine Le Pen is back in the race, after a Paris appeals court upheld her conviction but shortened her ban from seeking public office, paving the way for her 2027 presidential bid.  With the National Rally party currenty standing as one of France's most popular parties, it's an election that could reshape Europe.  So how did the French far-right move from the political fringe to the verge of power? Can Le Pen credit her support more to anti-immigration sentiment, or a frustration with the staid political status quo? Victor Mallet is the senior editor of the Financial Times, and author of Far Right France: Le Pen, Bardella, and the Future of Europe. Victor has been travelling across France speaking to some of Le Pen's most loyal voters, her most strident opponents, and the wayward voters caught in the middle.  Laura Tingle and Latika Bourke speak to Victor about Le Pen's comeback, the rise of her protégé Jordan Bardella, the collapse of Emmanuel Macron's legacy, and what the National Rally party's victory would mean for the world.

Iran is done backing down. Is Trump's war now unwinnable?

Is Donald Trump trapped in a war with Iran he cannot end? The ceasefire has collapsed, and the warships are back. Chicago University's Professor Robert Pape has been modelling conflict for over 20 years and says both sides look to be caught in an escalation trap: a long war neither can walk away from.  Pape tells Global Roaming's Latika Burke and Steve Canane why every off-ramp has closed, why he believes Iran is rising into a new centre of world power, and why the next few weeks could be the most dangerous of the entire war.  Guest: Professor Robert Pape, Chicago 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.

Can rugby league keep China out of the pacific?

China is pushing harder for influence across the Pacific. Australia is responding with defence agreements, new security partnerships and rugby league. As Pacific leaders gathered in Brisbane for State of Origin, Canberra was expanding its regional diplomacy through sport, including the multi-million-dollar PNG Chiefs NRL deal. At the same time, China's rare intercontinental ballistic missile test sent a fresh signal about the changing security environment facing Pacific nations. So can footy really shape geopolitics? Hamish Macdonald speaks with ABC Pacific's  Sam Wykes about rugby league's cultural power across the Pacific, and with Lowy Institute analyst Oliver Nobetau about the growing connection between sport, security and strategic competition in Australia's neighbourhood. Could rugby league become Australia's most effective soft-power tool or is that asking too much of a football game?

Has Israel entered a constitutional crisis? Netanyahu, the courts and a battle over press freedom

Every night in Israel, one TV channel stands out. Channel 13 is among the few major outlets willing to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Now, a dispute over the channel’s ownership has become a flashpoint in a wider battle over press freedom, judicial independence and the future of Israeli democracy.  Anat Saragusti, Director of press freedom at the Union of Journalists in Israel, tells Global Roaming the Channel 13 dispute is just one part of a broader effort to weaken independent journalism. From attempts to reshape media regulators to pressure on public broadcasters and sanctions against the newspaper Haaretz, she argues Israel’s independent media is facing growing political pressure ahead of the country’s next election. Plus, how Israeli citizens are seeing the war in Gaza, the restrictions on journalists, and the escalating tensions between the government, the courts and the media.

Will Indonesia's $44bn new city ever become the capital?

Indonesia's next capital was supposed to showcase the country's future: a purpose-built city in the jungles of Borneo designed to ease pressure on Jakarta and signal Indonesia's ambitions on the world stage. But Nusantara now faces a critical political test. Former president Joko Widodo pushed the project past the point of no return, yet his successor, Prabowo Subianto, appears far less committed. So is Indonesia's new capital actually becoming the capital — or could one of the most ambitious nation-building projects in Asia stall before it's finished? Then, after months of conflict involving Iran, the US and regional powers, Pakistan is finding itself at the centre of major diplomatic negotiations. Asia-Pacific correspondent Amanda Hodge explains how Islamabad has rebuilt its international standing, why Washington is paying attention again, and what Pakistan hopes to gain from its new role as a geopolitical broker.Guest: Amanda Hodge, Asia-Pacific Correspondent for the Australian 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.