The Political Fourcast

Channel 4 News
  • 4.2 (169)
  • DAILY NEWS
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The Political Fourcast

From Channel 4 News, an in-depth look at the biggest political stories in America and the UK. We'll examine and reveal what's really going on in the corridors of power with the people who really know. Watch the episodes here: https://www.channel4.com/news/the-fourcast https://www.channel4.com/news/the-american-fourcast

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Trump inauguration: is this the end for progressives in America?

    Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as President of the United States of America for the second time - but, from TikTok and the southern border, to Ukraine and the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza - he faces even bigger challenges than he did eight years ago.   Will he really end the Ukraine war on day one, pardon the January 6 rioters in the “first hour” and potentially bring back TikTok? And while his personal brand of right-wing populism is totally dominant now, will there be a progressive backlash or resistance?   In this week’s episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Channel 4 News's very own America experts - Siobhan Kennedy and Kiran Moodley.   Produced by Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Ka Yee Mak.

    26 min
  2. Israel Hamas war: will Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal last?

    4 DAYS AGO

    Israel Hamas war: will Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal last?

    Israel and Hamas have finally reached a ceasefire deal over the war in Gaza days before Donald Trump takes over from Joe Biden as the next US president - but Benjamin Netanyahu’s government hasn't signed it yet - and while Palestinians in Gaza are celebrating, there’s still a chance it could be derailed. Yet, if the deal holds, it will be a historic moment, but why has it taken so long and what’s next for the people of Gaza and Israel? In this episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum and Foreign Correspondent Secunder Kermani to discuss all the unanswered questions. Produced by Calum Fraser, Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak, Rob Thomson.

    27 min
  3. Do Starmer and Reeves have a ‘big idea’ to save the economy?

    5 DAYS AGO

    Do Starmer and Reeves have a ‘big idea’ to save the economy?

    Amid turmoil in the bond market and a plummeting pound, Sir Keir Starmer has had to defend his chancellor Rachel Reeves while dealing with the resignation of the former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq. So, can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves turn it around? The Prime Minister says it will take 10 years to solve some of the chronic issues facing the UK, but will he even get a second term with Labour's support sliding in the polls and Nigel Farage's Reform UK breathing down his neck? In this episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by the Financial Times’ columnist Katie Martin, psephologist Luke Try and Channel 4 News' political editor Gary Gibbon.  Produced by Calum Fraser, Silvia Maresca and Ka Yee Mak.

    28 min
  4. Elon Musk v Donald Trump - who has the real power? | The American Fourcast

    7 JAN

    Elon Musk v Donald Trump - who has the real power? | The American Fourcast

    Silicon Valley’s billionaires are making headlines again as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg says he’s going to get rid of factcheckers on his social media platforms, while X’s Elon Musk continues to attack UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz - so have we entered a new age of political discourse? In this episode of the America Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Albert Eisenberg, a political strategist who runs the messaging firm BlueStateRed, and Joan Donovan, assistant professor of journalism at Boston University, to discuss if Elon Musk is good for democracy and whether Donald Trump can rein him in. Produced by Calum Fraser, Silvia Maresca, Rob Thomson and Ka Yee Mak.

    34 min
  5. Israel, Syria, Iran: how the Middle East is about to change

    20/12/2024

    Israel, Syria, Iran: how the Middle East is about to change

    With the Israel Gaza war reportedly on the brink of a ceasefire and Iran reeling after the devastation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Middle East is on the cusp of a complete realignment in 2025. Will Syria buck the trend of so many nations after the Arab Spring that have descended into chaos after the fall of a tyrant? The country’s new de facto leader Mohammed al-Jolani, who is now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, says he will be moderate and will stay out of his neighbours affairs. But will neighbouring powers stay out of Syria?  What will Iran do now that so many of its proxies have been devastated since October the 7th?  And if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, what next for the Palestinians? To discuss all this and more in this week’s episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by Channel 4 News’ Foreign Affairs Correspondent Secunder Kermani and Jonathan Rugman - who covered the Middle East for years at Channel 4 News and is a now a Senior Associate Fellow at the defence and security think tank Rusi. Produced by Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak

    25 min
  6. Syria: how to rebuild a 'corrupted narco-state'

    12/12/2024

    Syria: how to rebuild a 'corrupted narco-state'

    It’s a matter of days since Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in Syria was toppled by a lightning-quick offensive led by the rebel group Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - and Syrians are still in a state of euphoria at their newfound freedoms, but also horror as evidence of Assad’s torture chambres are revealed.  Channel 4 News’ Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lindsey Hilsum have been on the ground in Damascus and in this week’s episode of The Political Fourcast they discuss what is really happening there and whether Syria can be rebuilt with Fuad Sayed Issa, founder of the charity Violet Organisation.  Produced by Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak, Calum Fraser.

    25 min
  7. Assad falls: should it be a moment of joy or fear for Syria?

    09/12/2024

    Assad falls: should it be a moment of joy or fear for Syria?

    Bashar al-Assad has fled Damascus to Russia where Vladimir Putin is reportedly sheltering the former Syrian dictator - for those Syrians who have defied Assad’s brutal regime for years this is a moment of celebration and hope, but also fear. Will Syria manage to move on from more than a decade of war to become a democratic state, or will it descend into further chaos and violence like Libya and Iraq did after liberation from their dictators? On this week’s episode of the Political Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Syrian filmmaker and journalist Waad Al-Kateab, whose documentary For Sama won numerous awards and was nominated for an Oscar, and Mazen Gharibah who is director of the Syrian British Consortium. Produced by Calum Fraser, Ka Yee Mak, Silvia Maresca

    25 min

  8. 03/12/2024

    The real reason Syrian rebels attacked Assad now

    Syrian rebels launched the biggest attack in years against President Bashar al-Assad’s government forces, reigniting a bloody civil war - but with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel Gaza conflict just next door, the world appears to be on the brink. So, what’s going to happen next, why did the rebels launch their attack now and how will the rest of the world react? On this week’s episode of the Political Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Dr Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, and our International Editor, Lindsey Hilsum, who is in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak, Calum Fraser.

    30 min
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4.2
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From Channel 4 News, an in-depth look at the biggest political stories in America and the UK. We'll examine and reveal what's really going on in the corridors of power with the people who really know. Watch the episodes here: https://www.channel4.com/news/the-fourcast https://www.channel4.com/news/the-american-fourcast

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