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 vuln...
Mar 09, 2026•33 min
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 Kei...
Mar 06, 2026•30 min
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 ...
Mar 05, 2026•36 min
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...
Mar 03, 2026•31 min
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 d...
Mar 02, 2026•30 min
'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 predic...
Feb 27, 2026•44 min
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 ...
Feb 26, 2026•27 min
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...
Feb 23, 2026•23 min
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....
Feb 19, 2026•29 min
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 o...
Feb 17, 2026•31 min
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 ...
Feb 16, 2026•41 min
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 r...
Feb 10, 2026•32 min
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 ...
Feb 09, 2026•46 min
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 thems...
Feb 04, 2026•35 min
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 ...
Feb 03, 2026•38 min
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 thi...
Feb 02, 2026•27 min
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 insid...
Jan 30, 2026•38 min
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 Ro...
Jan 29, 2026•41 min
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, h...
Jan 27, 2026•34 min
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 disi...
Jan 23, 2026•33 min
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 ...
Jan 22, 2026•25 min
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 futur...
Jan 20, 2026•41 min
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...
Jan 19, 2026•29 min
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 ...
Jan 16, 2026•28 min
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...
Jan 15, 2026•26 min
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 Omi...
Jan 13, 2026•30 min
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 Ame...
Jan 12, 2026•37 min
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 This 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, a...
Jan 08, 2026•32 min
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...
Jan 06, 2026•32 min
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 m...
Jan 05, 2026•25 min
