The Fourcast

Are American boots on the ground inevitable in Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu's war with Iran? With reports that over 2,000 Marines are being deployed, questions are growing over Washington's strategy and whether the president has a clear plan. Could the US attempt something as bold as seizing Kharg Island, Iran's critical oil hub?On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Nate Swanson, former National Security Council Iran desk official, and investigative journalist Ronen Bergman to unpack the latest developments and what comes next.

Saudi Arabia is warning it may retaliate against Iran after fresh threats to oil and gas infrastructure as Donald Trump's administration desperately tries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. With strikes hitting key energy facilities across the Gulf, this conflict is no longer just military - it's an economic war with global consequences.So how far could this escalate? And what does it mean for energy prices, inflation and the world economy?On this episode of The Fourcast Matt Frei is joined by The Economists defence editor Shashank Joshi and Channel 4 News' economics editor Helia Ebrahimi.

18 days into a war that has reshaped the Middle East, the question that matters most is also the hardest to answer: who is actually winning. Washington says Iran is collapsing under the weight of thousands of strikes. Tehran claims it is bleeding its enemies and outlasting them. Oil prices are surging, missiles are still flying and the region is on edge.In today's episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is in Israel and he speaks to two people who understand this conflict from the inside out. Emile Hokayem, an analyst of regional security and military power. And Muhanad Seloom, a leading expert on Gulf politics and Iran's security networks.

Across the battlefields of Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, artificial intelligence is reshaping how wars are fought.AI is helping militaries process intelligence, identify targets and make decisions at a rapidly accelerating pace. Some believe this is the beginning of an AI revolution in warfare - one that could eventually lead to autonomous weapons and algorithmic battlefields. So how far has this transformation already gone? Is Iran the first AI war and is the world ready for what's coming? On this episode of The Fourcast, Ciaran Jenkins is joined by Emelia Probasco, who was a Navy officer, later worked in the Pentagon and is now a senior fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and Arthur Holland Michel, an AI researcher and journalist.

The conflict in Iran is entering its second week, and the shockwaves are rippling across the globe - through global markets, shipping routes and regional security alliances. In the past 24 hours, multiple ships have been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route effectively closed by Iran, and now the Iranian regime has said the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was “lightly injured” after an Israeli airstrike.In today's episode of The Fourcast, British‑Iranian comedian and cultural commentator Omid Djalili joins Krishnan Guru‑Murthy to explain why he believes that attacks by Trump and Israel on Iran could ultimately benefit the Iranian people if the Islamic Republic is removed.

The war in Iran is already sending shockwaves far beyond the battlefield. Stock markets are sinking, Brent crude has jumped above $100  a barrel, and G7 governments are considering tapping emergency reserves to steady the markets. Missiles landing close to critical Gulf energy infrastructure have sharpened fears that what began as a regional confrontation could tip the global economy into something far more dangerous.The real question is whether this crisis can be contained, and if not, how vulnerable our economies really are - how fast could the world's energy system start to break apart, and who would feel the pain first?In today's episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Guy Laron, author of Oil Wars: The Struggle for Control That Has Shaped the Modern World and Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies.

It's seven days since America and Israel launched a war against Iran - the Middle East is on fire, the Qataris are warning of a global economic disaster and Donald Trump's White House is pumping out propaganda clips of their airstrikes spliced with Hollywood memes. So what kind of world do we now live in? And what could come next? On the latest episode of The Fourcast Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by General Sir Richard Shirreff, Nato's former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Chimène Keitner, who was a legal advisor in Obama and Trump's administrations, and former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz, who worked in the National Security Council in Trump's first administration and is now vice-chairman of the America First Policy Institute.

The war in the Middle East is rapidly expanding. Azerbaijan is now the latest country reportedly hit by Iranian drones while another missile barrage struck Tehran and Beirut overnight. The seas aren't immune either: Iranian warships have been sunk, and a US oil tanker is reportedly on fire in the Gulf.Now there are signs a land war could be beginning, with reports Kurdish fighters may have crossed into Iran - though commanders deny it, saying they would need US air cover first.So can anything stop this bloody conflict from spiraling out of control?On this episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Channel 4 News correspondents at the heart of the story: Foreign Affairs Correspondent Secunder Kermani in Tel Aviv, International Editor Lindsey Hilsum in Beirut, and US Editor Anushka Asthana in Washington.

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has already rattled the global economy. Gas prices have jumped 30% to a three-year high, oil is surging, tankers are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz and refineries across the region are under attack. Stock markets from London to Tokyo are tumbling, and hopes of interest rate cuts in the UK and US are fading fast.So how serious is this economic shock? What happens if the conflict lasts weeks, as Donald Trump has suggested? And is Rachel Reeves's newly claimed fiscal headroom about to disappear as energy prices spike?Matt Frei speaks to our economics correspondent Helia Ebrahimi, and to Dr Neil Quilliam, a leading Middle East energy policy and geopolitics specialist at Chatham House. They explain how this war is reverberating through global markets, the risks to supply routes, the inflation threat, and how governments and central banks might respond.

The crisis in the Middle East is deepening by the day. The killing of Iran's Supreme Leader has triggered a regional shockwave, from missile launches to unrest in neighbouring states. But what does this moment really reveal about the Iranian state, its capacity for survival, and the calculations being made in Washington, Jerusalem, and Tehran?In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to journalist Anshel Pfeffer and peace advocate Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini about the limits of decapitation strategy, why Western governments have so often misread the Islamic Republic, and the competing endgames now in play.

'Something massive is happening.' The words of the Green Party's new MP Hannah Spencer after her decisive win in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Is she right? Labour came a distant third and neither the Conservatives nor the Liberal Democrats managed to get even two percent of the vote. Arguably none of that was unexpected. But Reform UK, up until now seen as the populist insurgents ready to replace the mainstream parties, fell short by over 4000 votes. Not nearly the knife-edge result predicted. So is Nigel Farage in danger of running out of steam after diluting his party with Tory defectors? Could the Greens offer white working class voters a left alternative to kick the establishment? And is Labour going to have to move left, whether to take on the Green threat or their unhappy backbenchers?On this episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Zack Polanski after his win, and is joined by the ex-Tory now Reform commentator Tim Montgomerie, Sam White, who is a former Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer, and Natalie Bennett, one of two Greens peers in the House of Lords.

It's the Bafta row that only deepens - sitting at the intersection of disability rights, broadcasting standards, the harm caused by offensive language, and the treatment of Black talent.A racist slur shouted by a guest with Tourette's syndrome was broadcast during the recent Bafta ceremony, despite the TV event airing on a two-hour delay. The incident triggered widespread criticism, urgent questions for the BBC and Bafta , and renewed debate about how broadcasters handle sensitive language and disability. The BBC and Bafta have both apologised for harm and offence caused, and have launched separate investigations into the incident.In this episode of The Fourcast, we examine how this moment has exposed deeper tensions around race, responsibility and broadcasting standards. Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Labour MP Dawn Butler to discuss why she has demanded answers from the BBC, and actor Eddie Marsan, whose son lives with Tourettes and is a patron of the charity Tourettes Action.This episode includes discussion around offensive language and suicide.

A $15 million bounty, a failed capture, and a dead cartel leader. The killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes aka El Mencho by Mexican special forces has triggered a violent backlash across the country, with the CJNG torching businesses, blocking highways with burning vehicles, and spreading panic in major cities including Guadalajara, one of the host locations for this summer's FIFA World Cup. Tourists have been told to stay indoors, airports have shut down routes, and Mexico's government is once again being tested on whether it can maintain control. On today's episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by journalist Deborah Bonelle, Cecilia Farfán-Méndez from the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, and Benjamin Smith, Professor of Latin American History at the University of Warwick and author of The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade, to discuss what El Mencho's death reveals about state power, cartel dominance, US-Mexico pressure, and what this violence means for the world's biggest sporting event. 

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, has been arrested and his brother, King Charles, says the police have his “full and wholehearted support” and the “law must take its course”.So, what happens next for both Andrew and the Crown? Is this the biggest crisis the royal family has faced in modern history?The King says it “would not be right” to comment further on the matter, but how long will he be able to hold that line?Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing. On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by historian Dan Snow and former Editor of The Sun newspaper David Yella

In a week when a convincingly lifelike AI video of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt slugging it out went viral and caused a meltdown in Hollywood, unemployment stats in the UK have hit a five-year high with young people the biggest losers.Are these two clear examples of how AI could threaten all jobs and livelihoods, no matter how much of a megastar you are? Or are we getting ahead of ourselves, and the UK's employment slump is just the result of weak growth and higher business costs?In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Channel 4 News Economics Correspondent Helia Ebrahimi and Andrea Miotti, CEO of the campaign group Control AI.

The trial of Gisèle Pelicot shocked France - a case so disturbing it forced a national reckoning about consent, complicity, and the terrifying ordinariness of the men accused.But as the world continues to confront the vast scale of abuse linked to billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, it raises a deeper question: are these crimes the work of monsters, or do they reveal something far more disturbing about power, entitlement, and men?In today's episode of the Fourcast, Jackie Long was joined by French philosopher Manon Garcia, whose latest book, Living With Men, reflects on what she witnessed while observing Gisèle Pelicot's trial.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is once again at the centre of serious allegations connected to Jeffrey Epstein, with police now assessing whether a criminal case will follow over allegations he leaked documents to Epstein during his time as a trade envoy for the government. So could the former prince really face jail time?But beyond the legal questions lies a deeper one about power, privilege and accountability. Will this just be another royal scandal that fades with the news cycle, or a moment of reckoning for the Crown?On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Dr Tessa Dunlop, royal historian and host of the podcast Where Politics Meets History, and Professor Jeremy Horder - professor of Criminal Law at LSE.Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein; in particular he has denied the allegation he had sex with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 and was trafficked by the US financier.

The government is in full-on leadership crisis - with pressure building on Keir Starmer to resign. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was the first major figure to go over the top - saying there have been too many mistakes and Starmer should go. A lot of the cabinet are out declaring their support for the PM but it is clear things are moving fast. Starmer's Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney quit on Sunday over his advice to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Today the No 10 director of communications, Tim Allan, also quit. So what next - and if Starmer is going what and who should follow? On this episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Polly Toynbee, a columnist at the Guardian, Tom Baldwin, former Labour communications chief who has also written a biography of Sir Keir Starmer, and Luke Tryl, executive director of the More in Common UK thinktank.

The Peter Mandelson Epstein files emails is the biggest scandal of Keir Starmer's time as Prime Minister, but is it the one to finish him off?The PM admits Peter Mandelson's ongoing relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein came up as part of the vetting process to appoint the disgraced peer as the UK's man in Washington, but he says Mandelson 'lied and lied again', adding, ‘he betrayed our country and our party'.The government's invective shows their determination to distance themselves from the scandal but the stench of sleaze and corruption hangs heavy over the Labour government because of Mandelson - the man Keir Starmer was praising less than a year ago.Could it be the final straw for the Prime Minister's restless backbenchers?On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy was joined by Starmer biographer Tom Baldwin, the political commentator Zoe Williams and pollster and strategist Scarlett Maguire.

Elon Musk has stunned the tech and finance worlds by merging SpaceX with his AI company xAI, creating the most valuable private firm in history. The deal folds rockets, satellites, AI models, robotics, and even X, the social platform formally known as Twitter, into one sprawling empire ahead of a blockbuster IPO.In this episode, Ciaran Jenkins speaks to economics correspondent Helia Ebrahimi, and Jacob Silverman, author of “Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley” about the forces behind the trillion-dollar valuation, the hype around space-based AI, and what Musk's latest consolidation means for markets, regulation, and global tech power.

If you thought the Epstein Files would damage Donald Trump it is here in Britain where they have caused the most devastation. The most damning material yet about the former Prince Andrew include photographs that seem to show him on all fours over a woman on the floor, as well as humiliating emails from his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to Epstein in which she appears to suggest he marries her. It all raises new questions about the conduct of certain Royals, the monarchy and the Palace's handling of this over many years, and what this new low means for the whole institution.Andrew has said nothing new - but consistently denies any wrongdoing, despite his financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre. Sarah Ferguson has previously expressed sympathy with Epstein's victims. In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy talks to biographer Andrew Lownie, whose work has explored the private world of the Windsors, and historian Kate Williams, who has charted the monarchy's turbulent existence across generations.Sarah Ferguson has previously said she “deeply regret” the involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and that she “abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf”.

A US carrier group is racing toward Iran. Trump's statements are swinging between threats and vague offers of a nuclear deal. Inside Tehran, unrest is spreading, and the regime's most powerful security institutions are showing strain. But how much do Western intelligence services really know about what comes next, and how dangerous is this moment?In this episode of The Fourcast, Paul McNamara talks to David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst who spent years covering Syria, Iraq and Iran from inside the Agency. He explains why Trump is harder to predict than the regimes analysts usually study, how Israel has been able to penetrate Iran's security apparatus, and what a US strike package would actually look like.

Keir Starmer is in Beijing meeting Xi Jinping, as Britain looks to reset ties with China. Is this a glimpse of a new world order - one where America's traditional allies start to look elsewhere? For some, it's an inevitable response to the breakdown of the US-led order that could usher in a more balanced world that reflects growing power outside of the West. For others, it's a dangerous shift accelerated by President Trump, that increases the risk of great-power war.To discuss, I'm joined by Robert Kagan, a staff writer at The Atlantic and Washington foreign-policy insider whose ideas have shaped US strategy for decades, author and scholar Amitav Acharya, who has long criticised the US-led world order, and Nathalie Tocc, professor of practice at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Europe, and a senior fellow at Bocconi University's Institute for European Policymaking.

Keir Starmer has blocked Andy Burnham's bid to run in the Gorton and Denton by-election, but has he just delayed the leadership challenge many in Westminster believe is inevitable?If there is a challenge, does the Labour Party risk descending into the same internal conflicts that helped bring down the Conservatives?Starmer's latest foreign destination is China for a meeting with President Xi but is travelling the globe as an international statesman staving off restless Labour MPs?Meanwhile, he says his relentless focus is the cost-of-living crisis but are the public, or his MPs buying it?On the latest episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by our Senior Political Correspondent Paul McNamara, the I-paper's chief political commentator Kitty Donaldson, and Political Editor of the Liverpool Echo, Liam Thorp.

The government is weighing up whether or not to follow in Australia's footsteps and ban social media for under-16s. Supporters argue that online safety efforts have failed and that children are being exposed to increasingly harmful content. Critics warn that a ban would isolate young people, let tech companies off the hook, and create a dangerous cliff-edge at 16.Companies across the Big Tech sector have consistently said that protecting children is a priority, as is reducing the spread of disinformation on their platforms.In today's episode of The Fourcast, Cathy Newman speaks to Professor Kaitlyn Regehr, author of Smartphone Nation, and digital journalist Sophia Smith Galer, about what a ban would really achieve, whether regulation can ever keep pace with the platforms, and how algorithms amplify harm in ways that governments, and parents, struggle to control.

It was hoped the fall of Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad would usher in a period of stability, unity and perhaps - eventually - democracy.But now the country enters a new and unpredictable phase as President Ahmed Al-Sharaa tightens his grip on power.In the north-east of the country the Kurds were the West's key ally against Islamic State.Now their control in the region is collapsing after days of fierce battles with government forces. A tentative ceasefire is in place but the fallout is far from clear, including the fate of thousands of ISIS prisoners and their families who were in Kurdish-controlled camps.Regional powers like Turkey and Iran, as well as China, Russia and the West are also jostling for influence.Could these developments finally bring a period of calm and stability in Syria or just open the door to new dangers?In this episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long was joined by Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum and Lina Khatib, Principal Analyst at geopolitical foresight company ExTrac.

As Donald Trump marks a year back in office, his threats against Europe and hard-line trade policies are pushing his allies to the edge - while China and Russia, once considered America's enemies, watch on with apparent glee.And if the UK once thought flattery was the best form of defence, the president has put paid to that with potentially crushing tariffs and a swipe at Keir Starmer's Chagos Islands deal - an agreement he had supposedly signed off on.So how do we make sense of a global future in flux?On this episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long was joined by geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan.

Donald Trump wants Greenland - and he's willing to use tariffs to get it.If European allies refuse to sell, the US president has threatened to escalate trade penalties, weaponising economic pressure rather than military force. The proposal has sparked alarm across Europe, with some leaders calling for the EU to deploy its so-called “trade bazooka” in response. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that a trade war benefits nobody.So is this just bluster - or the opening shot in a new phase of transatlantic economic conflict? And what would a trade war over a sparsely populated Arctic territory mean for the global economy?On this episode of The Fourcast, we're joined by Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, speaking as he travels to the World Economic Forum in Davos, and our Economics Correspondent Helia Ebrahimi is in the studio to break down the economic stakes.

It's been quite the week in Westminster. A sacking, a defection, and a deepening crisis on the right. Robert Jenrick's move to Reform has capped off a dramatic few days for the Conservatives. While Nigel Farage has celebrated the moment, calling it a historic realignment of centre-right politics in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister has described the Conservative Party as a "sinking ship".So what does this mean for the future of the Conservatives? And what does Jenrick's defection mean for Reform - is there a real possibility that Reform could win the next election?

Donald Trump is once again threatening to annex Greenland, but is it different this time? What once sounded like a joke, now feels like a genuine test of how far Europe is willing to stand up to its most powerful ally.So is President Trump actually a bigger threat to Nato than President Putin? And if so, what should Europe do about it?On this episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long is joined by Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum and former Danish diplomat Jonas Parello-Plesner who led the foreign policy department at Denmark's embassy in Washington from 2013 - 2017.

The Iranian regime is facing its most serious unrest in years - with protests sweeping Iran despite a near-total internet blackout and a deadly response from security forces. Donald Trump is threatening new tariffs, Western governments are debating whether to escalate sanctions and blacklist the IRGC and the German Chancellor says he believes the embattled Iranian government is in its "final days and weeks".One of the most outspoken voices on what should happen next is the comedian and actor Omid Djalili. Born in London to Iranian parents, he has been sharply critical of the regime, insistent that this is a genuine people's uprising, and vocal about what he believes the international community must do next. He joined Matt Frei on this episode of The Fourcast.

Iran's foreign minister insists the situation is “under total control.” But reports inside Iran tell a different story, with human rights groups warning of hundreds killed and thousands arrested as the regime tries to crush a new wave of nationwide protests. Internet blackouts make verification difficult, yet glimpses of the streets show anger not just at the authorities but at the symbols of state-backed power.In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei speaks to Masih Alinejad, the Iranian American journalist and activist, about what she is hearing from inside the country and why she believes the demonstrations represent a deeper rupture with the Islamic Republic, and to Narguess Farzad, Senior Lecturer in Persian Studies at SOAS, to understand the wider cultural picture, the roots of Iran's cycles of unrest, and whether this moment could mark a turning point. She explains how Iran's young, highly educated population has reached its limit, why some mosques are now seen as symbols of oppression, and how the regime weighs controlled concessions against total brutality.

A fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis has ignited a battle over the truth. Federal officials say Renee Nicole Good tried to run over an immigration agent. City leaders say she was wrongly killed. And the videos circulating online raise more questions than answersThis confrontation unfolds as President Trump launches one of the largest immigration crackdowns in years, flooding Minneapolis with thousands of federal agents just months before the midterms. Schools have closed, protests are growing, and Washington and Minnesota are locked in a public fight over what happened on that street and why the city has become a political flashpoint.A fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis has ignited a battle over the truth. Federal officials say Renee Nicole Good tried to run over an immigration agent. City leaders say she was wrongly killed. And the videos circulating online raise more questions than answers.

Iran is in the grip of its most intense unrest in years with protests spreading across the country and Donald Trump vowing that the US will defend Iranian protesters - prompting Tehran to accuse him of psychological warfare. What began in Tehran's bazaar over soaring prices and a collapsing currency has spread across 27 provinces, with inflation above 50% and a government struggling to contain anger over corruption and falling living standards.Human rights groups say dozens have been killed and more than 1000 arrested, as police move into universities and the judiciary warns that any period of concessions is over. So who will back down, the protesters or the regime? And what does this mean for the future of the Islamic Republic of Iran and it's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Professor Ali Ansari, a leading voice on Iran's modern history, and Doctor Sanam Vakil, director of Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham house.

Venezuela has long been a country of contradictions, sitting on the world's largest oil reserves while its economy collapsed around it. Now Donald Trump's removal of Nicolás Maduro and Washington's effective control of the country has pushed Venezuela back to the centre of global politics.At stake is not only a vast energy prize but a bigger shift in how nations compete for resources,, from crude oil to the critical minerals shaping the future of technology.To unpack what Trump's move really means, what is happening inside Venezuela's broken energy sector, and how this connects to a wider global race, Cathy Newman is joined by economics correspondent Helia Ebrahimi and Henry Sanderson, journalist and RUSI associate fellow.

What will 2026 look like around the globe? Will the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza ever happen, will Ukraine and Russia agree to Donald Trump's peace deal, and what about the World Cup?To explore what and who will shape the world in 2026, on this final Fourcast episode of 2025, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by two of Channel 4 News' most experienced international journalists who have seen quite a few power shifts and peace deals in their time: Lindsey Hilsum and Jonathan Rugman.

Phase one of Donald Trump's ceasefire in Gaza appears to be holding, but it's precarious as hundreds of Gazans have been killed since it began and hundreds of thousands remain homeless and displaced.The Israeli defence force still occupies much of the territory and Hamas have re-established themselves in some areas.So is phase two - with its transitional authority and international peace force looking any way possible?Benjamin Netanyahu says it's close, but what's the view of the Palestinians?One person who has reflected their concerns since the current conflict began is Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories. She has been an outspoken critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, accusing the government of genocide. It's made her powerful enemies including the Trump administration who have sanctioned her while the Israeli government accuse her of bias and have designated her persona non grata.She joined Krishnan Guru Murthy for this episode of The Fourcast.

As Ukraine prepares to present a revised peace proposal to Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is prepared to hold elections in months - a long-standing demand from Moscow.Meanwhile European leaders appear to be edging closer to seizing frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine.So is the peace process entering a decisive phase - or is this just another round of political theatre?On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to the Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin and asks him what does the Kremlin actually want from a peace deal? Can Vladimir Putin really be trusted in a negotiation? And how would Russia respond if Europe takes its frozen billions?

China is in an age of rapid technology development with AI, robots and drones - and many fear this relentless progress, and Xi Jinping's desire to reabsorb Taiwan, will bring it into direct conflict with the United States.But is China's rise as inevitable and smooth as its leaders want it to be?Our International Editor Lindsey Hilsum has returned from a trip to China where she was Channel 4 News' correspondent for years.She was wowed by technological progress - but also found a younger generation exhausted and overwhelmed by political pressure, depression and burnout.On this episode of The Fourcast, Lindsey and Matt Frei were joined by economist Dan Wang, author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, who argues that China's system has unique strengths - and dangerous weaknesses - in the race for technological supremacy.

The blaze that engulfed seven high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district was the deadliest the city has seen in over 70 years. At least 156 people have died, 30 are still missing, while 15 have been arrested for alleged manslaughter. Grief has overwhelmed the city and fuelled an uncontrollable anger towards those in power.Today - almost a week after the fire - we ask how the tragedy unfolded, why Hong Kong is still enraged and what it tells us about the city that once prided itself on transparency and democracy.Joining Matt Frei from Hong Kong are Tom Grundy, founder and editor of the local media Hong Kong Free Press, and Selina Cheng, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.

For months after Vladimir Putin's fullscale invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders predicted Russia's economy was on the brink of collapse under sanctions - and yet it didn't.It transformed into a wartime economy, fuelled by military production, redirected trade routes, and deeper ties with China and India.But now there are signs this may be changing - with industrial output slowing, inflation rising, and severe labour shortages as hundreds of thousands of working-age men have either died, emigrated or been mobilised.And Western leaders are once again questioning how long Putin can bankroll his war machine.So is Russia's economy finally starting to buckle - or is this still wishful thinking from Ukraine's allies?On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor at The Economist, and Elina Ribakova, one of the world's leading experts on sanctions and Russian macro-economics.

As Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver the budget on Wednesday, she faces the political nightmare of having to come back for more tax, having said she wouldn't and she's already made it clear that whatever she does the burden will fall on all of us, not just the rich minority - but the left and the Greens are demanding a wealth tax, while the right and Reform are demanding welfare cuts and tax cuts.Voters are disillusioned, inflation is stubborn, services are still struggling and faith in the political centre is evaporating.So how does the chancellor land her budget without causing a political crisis for Labour or a financial crisis on the bond markets?On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan-Guru-Murthy was joined by Green Party leader Zack Polanski, Labour MP Rosie Wrighting, one of the new intake last year, and Rupert Harrison, a former advisor to George Osborne in the treasury and now at the US investment managers PIMCO.

With the budget just days away, Rachel Reeves is facing yet another black hole in the public finances - after ditching plans to raise income tax, it's been widely reported that the government will go for a “smorgasboard” of tax rises and spending cuts to plug the gap, but critics on the left and right say it won't address the deeper structural rot in Britain's economy. So on this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by two economists with radically different visions for how to turn the country around. James Meadway, host of the Macrodose podcast and former economic adviser to John McDonnell, argues inequality is choking growth and that only a major reset of wealth, investment and a green industrial strategy can revive the UK. Catherine McBride served on the last government's Trade and Agricultural Commission and she thinks the real problem is over-regulation, high taxes and net-zero. And Channel 4 News' economics correspondent Helia Ebrahimi also joined the pod to cut through the political noise - and test whether any of their ideas actually add up.

US and Russian officials have drafted new proposals to end the Ukraine war but they would appear to require major concessions from President Zelenskyy over territory and weapons. Will they be acceptable to the Ukrainian President, and what about his forces fighting on the frontline? On this episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei speaks to the award-winning filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov who has a new film just out that follows a brigade of soldiers as they attempt to liberate the village of Andriivka in the east of the country, the sort of place that would be included in the new Russian-controlled territory. 

The NHS is facing one of its deepest crises - a string of maternity scandals, from Shrewsbury to Nottingham, Oxford to Leeds. Hundreds of babies have died or been left severely injured in hospitals meant to keep them safe.So why does this keep happening? Is it about funding, training, or a system that protects itself instead of patients?On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru Murthy is joined by Jeremy Hunt MP, who was the Health Secretary between 2012 and 2018; Channel 4 News Health and Social Care Editor Victoria Macdonald who recently reported on a maternity scandal at Oxford University Hospitals. The Trust there has apologised to families and said it was committed to learning from mistakes; and Kayleigh Griffiths, whose daughter Pippa died in 2016 due to failings in care by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. Her investigation alongside another bereaved mother Rhiannon Davies into failings at the Trust led to Jeremy Hunt commissioning the Ockenden Review into improving maternity services across the country.  Griffiths has also been critical of the health watchdog - the Care Quality Commission saying its oversight of maternity services was 'not fit for purpose.' The CQC said her complaints were being taken seriously and it was engaging with families directly.

Labour is facing an extraordinary rift at the top of government. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has strongly denied claims that he is plotting to overthrow Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying that attacks are a sign of a toxic culture at Number 10. The story erupted after an anonymous briefing suggested Streeting could be preparing a leadership bid - a claim he has strongly rejected. But the row raises bigger questions: how loyal is the Cabinet? Who is really pulling the strings in No 10? And what does this internal drama mean for public trust and the Labour government's ability to deliver?In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Labour strategist and commentator, John McTernan, who was Tony Blair's political director, the pollster and director of Merlin Strategy Scarlett McGuire and the author and Guardian columnist Zoe Williams.

The BBC is in meltdown: both the Director General Tim Davie and the Head of News Deborah Turness have quit in the same weekend after a leaked memo accused the corporation of systemic political bias - an edit of Donald Trump's speech ahead of the January 6th riots at heart of the memo. The President has now piled in, threatening a billion dollar lawsuit.So what is really going on? Was this a right-wing coup against public service broadcasting - or the consequence of genuine bias inside the BBC?And could this crisis now reshape the future of impartial news - not just at the BBC, but across Britain's media?The BBC chairman Samir Shah has apologised for an “error of judgement” over the edit of the president's speech and said that the corporation had taken action on other areas that had been highlighted in the memo - and would take further action if necessary.  On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by the political editor of the Sunday Telegraph Camilla Turner and the editor of Prospect magazine Alan Rusbridger.

While COP30 gets underway in Brazil - Donald Trump is ripping up climate policy, blasting his allies for falling for what he calls the ‘world's greatest con job' and trying to get big business to follow his lead - and yet in New York, Zohran Mamdani - a left-wing populist unafraid to tout a green agenda - has just won the mayoral race and in the UK, the Green Party has surged under Zack Polanski.So is the direction of travel really a climate rollback - or is a new left preparing to claim power and reclaim the climate argument? With me, from the COP in Belém, is our Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson - and in London, the financial journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin, whose new book 1929 investigates the Wall Street crash.

After months of a “vicious cycle of mutual retaliation”, as Xi Jinping has put it, Donald Trump and China's president seem to have come to a truce after their first meeting in nearly six years.Meeting in South Korea, Xi agreed to stop withholding China's rare earth exports for a year and start buying soy beans from America again. While Trump said he would reduce tariffs and suspend port fees on Chinese ships.But how long will this amicable relationship last? Will all of this signal a closer tie between the world's two biggest economies?On this episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Victor Gao, vice president of the Centre for China and Globalization in Beijing, and Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China at Chatham House.

Is Keir Starmer's immigration strategy doomed to fail? Despite tough language, a one-in-one-out returns scheme with France and speeding up the closure of asylum hotels,  Labour continues to plummet in the polls. So, why is it going so badly? Has Keir Starmer, as some of his critics say, just been playing into Nigel Farage's hands by elevating the issue, or will it work out in the long run? To discuss all this and more on the latest episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long is joined by Channel 4 News Communities Editor Darshna Soni - who's just been to France to meet asylum seekers sent back under the government's new deal and from Westminster by Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon.

Is the UK government complicit in the destruction of Gaza? That's the assertion in the new book by journalist and polemicist Peter Oborne, with both Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak under fire for backing what he calls Israel's “criminal assault” following the Hamas attack of October 7.What's more, he says, the British media played its part too: colluding with the government as well as misrepresenting or under-reporting those voices opposed.On this episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Peter Oborne and Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former UK ambassador to Yemen, previously a UN monitor, and now a senior fellow at the foreign affairs think-tank RUSI.