Podcast appearances and mentions of matt frei

Simon's live roundup of events in the United States for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

A $300bn plan to rebuild Iran. A ceasefire in the Middle East. And a new test for Donald Trump. But can this peace plan really work, and who is paying for it?In this episode of The Fourcast: Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban examine the signals analysts are watching most closely after the Iran war - from the future of Iran's economy and nuclear programme, to whether Israel will accept a new regional reality.They're joined by Channel 4 News Economics Editor Helia Ebrahimi to ask: who pays for Iran's reconstruction? Can sanctions be lifted? What happens to the Gulf states? And does this mark a new balance of power in the Middle East?

While Washington insists pressure is working and Tehran claims resilience; attacks have continued, oil markets are moving, and ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz despite repeated warnings of disruption.In this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban unpack why oil prices haven't exploded, whether Iran is losing one of its most powerful bargaining chips, and what the movement of ships in the Gulf tells us about what could happen next.And what does the resignation of UK Defence Secretary John Healey tell us about how the UK is preparing for a more unstable world?They're joined by Yael Selfin, Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Chief Economist at KPMG, to ask whether markets are underestimating the risks - and what this could mean for fuel prices, inflation and the wider economy.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

A leaked Pentagon assessment claims China is using the Iran war to strengthen its position against the United States economically, militarily and diplomatically, US media is reporting. Donald Trump is in Beijing for a summit with Xi Jinping, where the Chinese ruler has been warned that if the Taiwan issue is not handled carefully it could lead to a conflict between the super powers. On this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban are joined by China expert and contributing editor at the Times Cindy Yu to dissect it all.

Simon's live update from Washington for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.  Today:  US reaction to Britain's local, Scottish and Welsh elections.  Plus the latest on Iran, the President's upcoming trip to China, and is Marco Rubio the man to watch for 2028?

As Gulf leaders look to Beijing for guarantees Washington no longer seems able to give, China is suddenly at the centre of diplomacy around the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed and Iran's foreign minister both arrived in Beijing within days of each other, seeking a way out of a blockade that has choked shipping routes, pushed tankers around the Cape of Good Hope, and rattled global markets.So where does this leave Donald Trump's efforts to revive a deal that could reopen the Strait, and what does the collapse of Project Freedom reveal about America's standing with its allies in the Gulf and Europe?In this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban are joined by former Senior Director at the US National Security Council during Donald Trump's first administration Fiona Hill to examine China's growing leverage over Iran, the Gulf states' deepening unease with Washington, and the diplomatic pressure building ahead of the delayed Trump-Xi summit.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

Simon's live roundup for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on LBC.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

The ceasefire between the US and Iran is holding - for now. But beneath the surface, the signals tell a more uncertain story.In this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei is joined by defence analyst Mark Urban and International Editor Lindsey Hilsum to examine the key signs shaping what happens next. From US military build-up in the region to Iran's strategic use of the Strait of Hormuz, the question is whether this fragile pause is the start of a settlement, or simply a prelude to further conflict.They explore the shifting balance of power, the role of regional players like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and the growing pressure on Israel as the war's dynamics evolve. There is also a deeper question at play: what this conflict reveals about the limits of American power, and the future of global trade routes.

Hungary has woken up to a political earthquake. After more than a decade in power, Viktor Orbán has been defeated, with Péter Magyar securing a historic landslide victory in an election seen as a major test for democracy in Europe.It's a slap in the face for Donald Trump - after JD Vance called on Hungarians to support their incumbent leader. But did his attempt to raise support for Orban do the exact opposite?Could this mark a turning point not just for Hungary, but for Europe more broadly? And does this result signal a shift away from populist politics - or is the bigger story still to come?In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Hungarian journalist and disinformation expert Szilárd Teczár and political analyst Mujtaba Rahman to unpack how this happened - and what it means for the future of Hungary - and Europe.

Is President Trump on the cusp of pulling out of the Iran war or about to double down with boots on the ground? He's lashed out again at his Nato allies threatening to abandon the alliance, raising questions not only about the future of the war, but the future of Western security itself.On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by General Sir Patrick Sanders, who has had a 40 year career in the British Army and rose to Chief of the General staff in 2022, before retiring two years later. He has spent his career thinking about the hard realities of modern conflict, the limits of Western military power and what happens when the United States wavers. Sir Patrick is now the host of ‘The General and the Journalist' podcast.

Donald Trump has told the UK to “go and get your own oil” from the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continues to block the crucial energy chokepoint and as reports circulate that the UK is to receive its last tanker of jet fuel from the Middle East this week. So what are the real risks to the UK economy, energy security, and global position as this conflict rumbles on?On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei speaks to the CEO of energy consultancy firm Qamar Energy Robin Mills and money journalist and former Sunday Times deputy money editor Holly Mead.

Welcome to Fourcast Indicators on the Iran War with Matt Frei and defence and intelligence analyst Mark Urban. Fourcast Indicators looks at the signals that analysts watch most closely - the tell-tale signs that suggest imminent and significant change may be coming. This week we take a deep dive into the intelligence, military logistics, and the geopolitical fallout of the bombardment of Iran. We explore Donald Trump's domestic political struggles and the nervous reactions of the global markets. We also tackle the biggest strategic question of all: where is Iran's 440kg of enriched uranium and were they really just two weeks away from a nuclear bomb?

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

President Trump is talking about deals to end the war with Iran, but Tehran says it's “fake news” as they continue to exchange attacks with Israel.So where does this war go from here, and what does an endgame actually look like?On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, associate professor Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of St Andrews and retired US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery.

Should we have allowed the US to use Diego Garcia for expanded strikes?Iain is joined by LBC presenter Matt Frei, speaking from Jerusalem, to discuss the latest on the Middle East. He is also joined by former Labour Minister Ed Balls, who also served as the chairman of Norwich City Football Club, to find out why Norwich has been named the best place to live in the UK, as well as former BBC Editor and Controller, Mary Hockaday, to reflect on the life and work of Dame Jenni Murray.

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.

Multi-award-winning journalist, and Channel 4 News anchor, Matt Frei appears on the 20 Questions With podcast from Israel during the third week of the war with Iran. Fresh from dashing around the country covering missile strikes, taking shelter in a bunker, and interviewing the Israeli President, he gives his insight into what it's like working in war zones, revealing the mix of fear, adrenaline and curiosity. Frei lets us into his own views on the conflict between America, Israel and Iran, and describes the effect the 47th President of the US is having on the world. He interviewed Trump himself before he ran for the first time and shares his reflections from that encounter in 2014. Born in West Germany, Frei moved to England when he was eight, and he was in Berlin as a BBC correspondent for the fall of the Wall. He describes the time in East Timor when a gun was pointed at him and the trigger pulled, just as his wife was about to give birth to the second of their four children. This is an extraordinary episode, in which one of Britain's most celebrated foreign correspondents and best known news anchors takes us behind the scenes of some of the biggest international stories of his generation. 

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.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

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.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.This week:  --Rubio's not-so-threatening, but still threatening speech to European leaders at Munich.--Reverberations from Bondi's Congressional testimony continue--What will Trump do next?Listen live most Saturdays at 12:50pm or find it on-demand here afterwards.

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.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.Today, the ongoing fury over Trump's racist social media re-post portraying the Obamas as primates in a jungle.#Trump #racism #Obamas #Republicans #USpolitics #midterms #news #uspolitics

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's programme on the UK's LBC.#donlemon #georgiafort #journalism #Trump #Minneapolis #ICE #BorderPatrol #pretti #midterms #elections #news #simonmarks #lbc

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 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.

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.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

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.

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. 

Simon's live chat with Matt Frei, inspired by LBC caller Peter in Hampstead.

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.

Matt Frei is the Europe editor and presenter of Channel 4 News who delivered the annual Steve Hewlett Memorial Lecture. We discuss his speech, the state of democracy in the United States and whether what is happening there can happen here, BBC's coverage of Gaza and the propaganda war, challenges facing traditional news organisations and whether there is a place for GB News, the domination of the news cycle by Trump, his personal journey from Germany to becoming a prominent British journalist, and the complex media landscape in the era of social media and political polarisation."The audience wants stories to be told to them. It's how we do it and to how many people. That's really the issue here. But the internet, the diversification, the anarchy of what we have before us is a golden opportunity to tell more stories to more people, or a different group of people in different ways, and that's fantastic, and we should celebrate that."Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatchTo support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's latest meeting reportedly descended into another shouting match, the war in Ukraine feels as volatile as ever - and, according to some, more dangerous for the world than at any time since the Cold War.In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Serhii Plokhy, professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard and author of The Nuclear Age. He warns that fear is once again driving nations towards the bomb - and that we could soon see dozens more nuclear-armed states. So is the world stumbling into a new nuclear era - and what does that mean for global security and for Ukraine's fight to survive?

With the IMF warning that we're in an AI bubble that could be worse than the dot-com crash if it bursts — and even OpenAI's Sam Altman admitting the market is “kind of bubbly” — what happens to the global economy if the AI boom implodes?Are we witnessing the next dot-com bust, or just the growing pains of a genuine technological revolution?To discuss it all on the latest episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined from Silicon Valley by entrepreneur, author and futurist Jerry Kaplan, and from the World Bank Group annual meeting in Washington by our Economics Correspondent Helia Ebrahimi. 

Donald Trump has just met both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the same week - two leaders locked in a war that has reshaped global security. For Putin, the meeting with Trump offered legitimacy and a chance to show that Russia is still a power the US must engage with. For Zelenskyy, it was about survival, pressing Trump to keep American support flowing as Ukraine fights for its future.So what really happened behind those closed doors and what does it mean for NATO, Europe and the wider world? In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei speaks to Emily Ferris from RUSI and William Alberque, a specialist on arms control and NATO, to explore what Trump's diplomacy tells us about the next phase of the war - and America's role in it.

Simon's live chat with Matt Frei at the end of his Saturday morning programme on LBC.  

Donald Trump says he's 'disappointed' that Vladimir Putin keeps knocking down buildings in Kyiv despite all the great conversations they are having about ending the war in Ukraine, as the First Lady Melania Trump keeps pointing out to him.So the president is ramping up the threats, offering 'top-of-the-line' weaponry to Ukraine and promising severe tariffs on Russia if there's no ceasefire within 50 days.Is that enough to get Putin to the negotiating table? Or just escalating an intractable conflict? And is Trump even serious about bumping his bestie in Moscow?On the latest episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Channel 4 News' International Editor Lindsey Hilsum and historian and author Anne Applebaum.

Sir Keir Starmer pulled Labour's flagship welfare reform plans at the last minute - a humiliating U-turn after days of rebellion, confusion and rising anger across his own party.The government narrowly avoided defeat in the vote last night, but the cost may be far greater than any lost vote. Dozens of MPs defied the whip, disability campaigners condemned the reforms, and what was once a central policy platform now lies in ruins. Critics say Starmer has looked weak, indecisive - even irrelevant - in the face of pressure from within.In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei speaks to our social affairs editor Jackie Long and Channel 4 News' Senior Political Correspondent Paul McNamara about the significance of what has just happened and what comes next. Has this bruising vote done lasting damage to Starmer's premiership? and what will Rachel Reeves do now as another last minute U-turn has blown an even bigger black hole into the government's finances?

Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance has dominated headlines and sparked a huge debate. The punk duo chanted “death to the IDF” to a live crowd of thousands, and millions more watched at home, as their set aired live on the BBC. The backlash was swift - some called it a bold act of protest, while others condemned it as deeply offensive and antisemitic. On-screen warnings issued by the BBC about discriminatory language were deemed “not good enough”, and both the festival and the BBC have since condemned the performance, issuing public apologies.In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by journalist and founder of the Free Speech Union Lord Toby Young, and political activist Ash Sarkar - who was at the performance - to unpack the controversy. They discuss the reaction to Bob Vylan's set, the BBC's decision to broadcast it, and what this means for free speech and creative freedom in today's media landscape.This episode of The Fourcast contains language that some may find offensive.

Israel and Iran have continued attacking each other overnight with more airstrikes, as both countries wait for Donald Trump to decide if America will bomb nuclear sites in Iran. What will happen next if the US decides to attack? Will the Ayatollah's regime fall? And what will Israel do if America doesn't intervene?To discuss all this and more on the latest episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by former Israeli Defence Forces general Amos Yadlin who also served as the head of Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate for five years.

It was one of the most shocking moments of the 2024 presidential campaign. President Joe Biden, at times appearing incoherent and confused, effectively ended his hopes of reelection as he stumbled through a debate against rival Donald Trump. It marked the beginning of the end of his campaign. He was ultimately replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris - a last-minute switch that failed to deliver the Democratic Party the White House. To many voters, it was a shocking turn of events. But, as a new book argues, for White House and Biden family insiders, it was the public exposure of a secret they had long been trying to keep. Publicly, Biden's team have refuted claims that he was unfit for reelection, insisting that “he was a very effective president.” But the question remains: did Team Biden cover up his declining health? In an interview that was recorded before the announcement of Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis this weekend, Matt Frei speaks to CNN anchor Jake Tapper about his explosive new book, Original Sin, which examines the former president's apparent cognitive decline and includes testimony from White House insiders who claim there was a deliberate “cover-up” to keep the truth from the American people.  

Simon's Saturday morning chat with Matt Frei on the UK's LBC.

Simon's live update for Matt Frei's Saturday morning programme on the UK's LBC.

Simon's Saturday morning roundup from Washington for Matt Frei's programme on the UK's LBC. As Barack Obama and Kamala Harris return to the political fray, Republican anxiety over Trump's trade war grows.