The Fourcast
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From Channel 4 News, an in-depth look at the news stories you need to know about; how the past shapes the present and what might lie ahead for us all.
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2 days ago
Thucydides Trap: are America and China destined for war?
This past week, the G7 - the group of the world’s richest democracies - gathered in Japan to discuss Ukraine, Russia, global affairs, and their increasing concerns about a rising power looking out at them from over the water: China.
This was some of the sternest wording from the G7, and China dismissed it as a smear.
But the West also doesn’t want to completely antagonise and cut off China, with the Australian Prime Minister saying lessons had to be learnt from history.
So, are we entering a new Cold War, where conflict is avoided but tensions remain? Or are we not far off from a catastrophic war?
On today’s episode, I speak to Graham Allison, a former member of Bill Clinton’s defence department and one of the preeminent national security voices in America. He speaks to me about his historical theory called Thucydides Trap, where throughout the past a rising power has often come to blows with an established one. Will China and America go the same way?
Producer: Freya Pickford
Sources: AP
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May 19, 2023
When will Ukraine strike-back at Russia?
For weeks now, the world has been waiting for Ukraine to launch their spring counter offensive against Russia.
But how much longer will we wait? Or has it already begun?
As the battle for Bakhmut rages on, Ukraine has made steady gains around that region - whilst Russian troops have retreated but stepped up strikes on the capital city, Kyiv, this month.
President Zelenskyy has toured European capitals asking for more weapons, securing from Britain long-range attack drones and missiles.
In today’s episode, I speak to our international editor Lindsey Hilsum about why the spring offensive might be slightly delayed, what Ukraine really wants from any advances, and the geopolitical factors at play that mean Ukraine has to strike soon or lose the momentum.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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May 12, 2023
How fentanyl is becoming the deadliest drug ever
Fentanyl is killing at least seventy thousand Americans a year.
It’s a synthetic drug, it’s up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It’s also the biggest cause of death for Americans aged between 18 and 45: more than gun crime, more than road accidents.
But where is that supply of Fentanyl to America coming from?
And why are people taking it, when it’s so dangerous?
And are there any solutions to this deadliest of epidemics?
In today’s episode we speak to our Latin America correspondent, Guillermo Galdos, about the rare access he gained inside the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, where he witnessed the mass production of Fentanyl.
We also hear from journalist Ben Westhoff, who has spent years investigating the world of synthetic drugs in America and he explains why this crisis will get worse - even reaching the UK, before it gets better.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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May 5, 2023
King Charles III Coronation: made-up rituals and fake history
70 years on from the last Coronation, when Britain was still an empire and hardly anyone had a TV - what does Charles the Third’s crowning say about us today and the Britain of the future?
We know that the British do this type of pomp and ceremony better than anyone else, it defines who we are.
But is that true?
You may be told this is all ancient, but many of the royal ceremonies we witness are actually made-up rituals from the Victorian era used to legitimise the monarchy in modern British life.
Today we speak to the historian, Sir David Cannadine, an expert on modern British history who sat on the coronation committee, about how we got to this place of flamboyant royal symbolism - and what this modern coronation tells us about where we are today.
Sources: AP
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Apr 14, 2023
Is Africa at the centre of a new cold war?
The US Vice President Kamala Harris recently went on tour to Tanzania, Ghana and Zambia.
But she was not the only US official to visit the African continent recently: First Lady Jill Biden, the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen have all been in recent months.
And they’re not alone either; Turkey and China’s Foreign Ministers made five-nation tours of Africa earlier this year. Russia’s Sergei Lavrov has also made several trips to the continent over the last few months.
But why are countries courting African nations now?
In today’s episode, we speak to our international editor, Lindsey Hilsum, about why the Ukraine war has intensified and accelerated a new scramble for Africa, and whether amidst all this jockeying for influence - the people on the continent once again get left behind?
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Apr 7, 2023
Is this the end of Trump's presidential run?
Donald Trump has arguably done it all in his 76 years, and as president he’s secured a lot of firsts.
But never has he been under arrest.
The 45th president of the United States stands accused of falsifying business records in order to cover up payments he made to suppress news stories he believed would hinder his bid to become president in 2016.
Trump pleaded not guilty and later left New York to fly back home to Mar-a-Lago in Florida, to deliver a defiant rally to his supporters.
He was told by the judge to not do anything, yet he continues to rail against the system.
In today’s episode we speak to presenter Matt Frei who has been in downtown Manhattan for the past few days, soaking up the history and scandal, and ask whether this is really the right first case to bring against the former president - and whether it may just embolden him even more.
Producer: Freya Pickford
Sources: AP
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Apr 3, 2023
Could Israel’s crisis lead to civil war?
In Israel, a constitutional crisis has seen thousands take to the streets, fearing that their rights could be eroded, as the government plans to weaken the powers of the highest court in the land.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu’s far-right coalition argues the Supreme Court is too powerful and they’re simply righting the wrongs of the system.
Protesters say the overhaul would erode Israel’s proud democracy and lead them towards a dictatorship.
After weeks of protests and pressure from all sides, Netanyahu finally backed down - but only slightly. He’s now paused the reforms ahead of the next session of parliament in a few weeks.
In this episode, editor in chief of Haaretz Esther Solomon unpicks Israel’s biggest protests in decades - and wonders whether Netayanhu’s pause is a chance for his side to regroup of yet more battles to come.
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Mar 31, 2023
Can Rishi Sunak win the next election?
Rishi Sunak came into Downing Street back in October with a huge mess to clear up after the disaster of Liz Truss and her mini budget.
After a week that has seen him secure his own Brexit Deal as, Boris Johnson struggled in front of a privileges committee over partygate, has he started to turn it around - can Rishi Sunak have what it takes to win the next election?
In today's episode, Kiran Moodley speaks to our policy correspondent, Paul McNamara, about what Mr Sunak needs to do to win over the Red Wall - those Labour turned Tory voters from the last election - following an exclusive poll carried out by Channel 4 News and the polling company JL partners.
Sunak may have made Conservatives feel a bit more positive, but there’s still a long way to go before the next election, and is time on his side?
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Mar 24, 2023
Covid three years on: Partygate, WhatsApp, and a Lab Leak?
Three years ago this week, Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus. But three years on, Covid and the impact of lockdowns continue to dominate our headlines.
This week, Boris Johnson faced a Commons inquiry on whether he misled parliament over the notorious lockdown parties, and just a few weeks ago, WhatsApp messages sent by Matt Hancock and others during the pandemic were leaked, with some claiming that they threw into question whether the government took the right path to control the pandemic. And there is still ongoing debate about whether this deadly virus began after a lab leak in China.
In today’s episode, Kiran Moodley speaks to Health and Social Care Editor Victoria Macdonald, as well Edinburgh University’s professor of Global Public Health Devi Sridhar, about whether the ongoing fallout and discussions around the pandemic have actually altered their views on what happened at the peak of the virus.
Sources: ITN, CNN
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Mar 17, 2023
Gary Lineker row: is the BBC too Left or Right Wing?
Gary Linker and the BBC have been dominating the headlines after the Match of the Day host was asked to step back from presenting after tweeting out criticism of the government’s language around refugees.
But what does this whole row mean for the BBC, and what does it say about the state of our media and its relationship to impartiality?
In today’s podcast, we speak with Adam Boulton, formerly editor-at-large of Sky News, whether he thinks the BBC has an issue over impartiality.
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Mar 10, 2023
UK economy: and are we still facing recession?
We were told to prepare for a “Winter of Discontent”, of strikes, rising prices, a coming recession with our economy set this year to shrink unlike all the rest. Even Russia was going to fare better than the UK.
But it has not been as bad as once feared - so what is going on?
In today’s episode, Business Reporter Neil Macdonald discusses the state of our economy ahead of next week’s budget and whether a slightly improved outlook means energy prices can remain low and strikes could even come to an end.
Producer: Freya Pickford and Alice Wagstaffe
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Mar 7, 2023
Is China on the brink of war with the US?
China wants to be the superpower of the 21st century, but does it want to provoke war or play peacemaker?
This week the country announced it was increasing military spending, and its newly installed foreign minister warned that if the US did not change course soon, there would be conflict.
But China also recently published a 12-point plan for ending the conflict in Ukraine, despite not condemning Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian president Volodmyr Zelenskyy even said he would meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss the plans.
So is this the moment where Beijing asserts itself on the world stage after being locked away during Zero Covid for so long?
In today’s episode, Kiran Moodley speaks to Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at the University of Oxford, about China’s growing frustration with Moscow and the likelihood of a new Cold War.
Producers: Freya Pickford and Alice Wagstaffe
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Mar 3, 2023
The Brexit deal explained: the end of years of political mayhem?
This week, Rishi Sunak agreed a new Brexit deal with the European Union: the Windsor framework.
Seven years after Britain voted in the referendum, is this the end of protocol conversation, trade deals, backstops, and late night votes? Does this mean we can finally all stop talking about Brexit? What exactly does the Windsor framework do? How is it different from before? And is this really the end of the Conservatives’ decades-long battle over its relationship with Europe?
In today's Fourcast, our political editor Gary Gibbon delves into the details, ponders what Sunak did that others could not, and whether the DUP’s official silence means this may not be over yet. Oh and also - what about Boris Johnson?
Producer: Freya Pickford and Alice Wagstaffe
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Feb 24, 2023
Ukraine war one year on: what's next for Russia
Today marks one year since Russia began its latest invasion of Ukraine: one year since tanks rolled across the border, one year since missiles struck the capital and beyond, one year since the post Cold War world changed forever.
Now, the expected defeat of Ukraine is clearly a long way off, but any sense of how this war might end feels equally far from reality - with Joe Biden this week reaffirming the West’s commitment to Ukraine’s fight for as long as it takes - while Vladimir Putin used his state of the nation speech to double down on his worldview.
In today's Fourcast, our Europe editor Matt Frei speaks to us from Kyiv, the capital where he was last year when the first bombs fell, and where he was again this week to take in the latest, historic events in this 21st century conflict.
Sources: AP
Producer: Freya Pickford and Alice Wagstaffe
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Feb 17, 2023
Turkey-Syria quake: fading rescue hopes, shoddy buildings and blocked aid
On Monday last week, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria. The WHO has called this the "worst natural disaster" in 100 years in its European region, and the death toll has now surpassed 35,000.
But that first quake was followed by a 6.7 magnitude aftershock 11 minutes later, while a 7.5 magnitude quake hit after 1pm. Three devastating earthquakes in nine hours.
There are countless tales of remarkable survival, but many, many more of terrible loss, families torn apart or gone entirely.
In today’s Fourcast, we speak to our two reporters on the scene, Emily Wither, and chief correspondent Alex Thomson, as they detail what they have seen, the stories they have told, and how on earth Turkey and war-torn Syria recover.
Sources: AP
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Feb 10, 2023
Israeli-Palestinian tensions: a new stage of an old conflict
2022 was the deadliest year for the Israel-Palestine conflict in nearly two decades, and just a month after Israel’s most conservative, right-wing government was formed - fronted by Benjamin Netanyahu - violence between Palestinians and Israel has flared up once again.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has set out a raft of measures to crack down on Palestinians who attack Israelis, including making it easier for Israeli citizens to carry guns.
In today’s episode we're joined by foreign correspondent, Secunder Kermani, who very recently returned from a trip to Israel and Palestine, where he spoke to people from both sides of this age-old conflict.
Secunder talks about what makes this new Israeli government ultra-conservative, how the conflict might develop and whether this might be the start of a third intifada.
Sources: AP
Producer: Alice Wagstaffe and Freya Pickford
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Feb 3, 2023
Ukraine: how Western tanks will change the war
Nearly a year after Putin invaded Ukraine, how might Western tanks change this war and should Nato countries go a step further and also supply Kyiv with fighter jets?
Moscow’s aggression has been roundly condemned by the West, but words have been plenty and military aid less forthcoming.
Having successfully fought back since the summer, now Ukraine wants to go on the offensive once more, and they need tanks to do it.
In today’s Fourcast, our Europe editor Matt Frei discusses what western tanks mean for Ukraine, why countries like Germany have been so reluctant to send them and whether this is all too little too late ahead of a possible Russian offensive this spring.
Producer: Alice Wagstaffe and Freya Pickford
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Jan 27, 2023
Will the Iran protests lead to regime change?
Last year, Iran was rocked by some of the biggest protests the country has seen since the foundation of the Islamic Republic - as people were calling not just for women’s rights, but ultimately for regime change.
Yet how realistic is regime change in a nation where the crackdown against the protests has been brutal and where the leaders are unwilling to alter the theological and ideological basis of their power?
In this week’s episode of the Fourcast, we speak to the head of middle eastern studies at the Royal United Services Institute, Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi. She discusses whether the regime is weak right now and how worrying it is that as Iran becomes more ostracised from the west, it draws closer to Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Sources: AP, Al Jazeera
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Jan 20, 2023
NHS crisis: how bad is it?
NHS strikes, hospital waiting times and nurses walking out - it’s a conversation that has stretched back for years: the NHS in crisis.
Almost 55,000 people waited more than 12 hours in A&E last month.
And the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates up to 500 people are dying a week as a result of these delays.
The government says its putting record funding into health and social care, but is this more than a crisis - is it an existential emergency for an NHS that needs major reform?
In today’s episode of the Fourcast we speak to our health and social care editor, Victoria Macdonald, about her experience on the frontline of the NHS, how we got here and what steps the government could take to improve the state of our NHS.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Jan 13, 2023
Ukraine war, China and Taiwan and beyond: what might happen in 2023
Last year there was of course one major story that transformed geopolitics - the war in Ukraine.
Putin’s war has had knock-on effects across Europe and the world, so how will this year play out? What could happen to that conflict and the rest of the world in 2023.
And what other global news stories can we expect to develop in 2023?
In today’s episode we speak to Channel 4 News’ our international editor, Lindsey Hilsum, as she previews the year ahead in geopolitics - not offering predictions but focusing on what we should look out for this year, a year that could be pivotal especially to the future of the war in Ukraine.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Dec 23, 2022
2022 review: Ukraine war, strikes and three prime ministers
This was the year where we saw Putin start a war in Ukraine, a winter of strikes, three prime ministers and two monarchs.
To look back at the past year and look a little bit ahead too, we sat down with our policy correspondent Paul McNamara, to take stock of the year that was 2022 - and the year that will be 2023.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Dec 16, 2022
Will Harry and Meghan change the monarchy?
Harry and Meghan’s documentary is now out in full and criticises the relationship between the monarchy and the media, and alleges racism in the treatment of Meghan Markle.
In today’s episode we speak to Anna Whitelock, professor of the history of the monarchy at City, University of London and Director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy, about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series. We ask her about what the documentary says, the fall out and what it means for the future of the monarchy.
Sources: Netflix, AP
Produced by: Freya Pickford and Nina Hodgson
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Dec 9, 2022
Ukraine: how winter could change the war
After 10 months of war, Russian advances and Ukrainian counter-offensives, winter weather has arrived in Ukraine.
Russia may have retreated from Kherson in early November but Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the last month signal a new phase of the war, as Putin weaponises the cold weather.
So as parts of Ukraine plunge into sub-zero temperatures and pressure mounts on Putin to negotiate, how might this war evolve as we enter the winter months?
In today’s episode of the Fourcast, we speak to our international editor Lindsey Hilsum - who is currently on her fifth trip to Ukraine since the war began - about what it’s like to be in the muddy trenches with Ukrainian soldiers, Russia’s culture war against Ukraine and if we can expect the war to slow down in the coming months.
Sources: AP
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Dec 2, 2022
China: is this the end of zero-Covid?
Three years after coronavirus was first detected in China, it remains the only major nation pursuing Zero Covid. So as maskless fans enjoy the World Cup and countries all over the world move on, China remains stuck and the people are protesting.
After the initial outbreak in Wuhan back in 2020, authorities were quick to clamp down on any emergence of the virus - pursuing a zero-Covid policy.
That has seen China officially record a low number of both cases and deaths, a message to the world of how to do it right.
But it’s all different, as the country is currently seeing a record number of cases.
Today, our present Matt Frei discusses the widespread demonstrations in China and the government’s move to ramp up vaccinations - is the government bending to the will of the people or does Xi Jinping remain all supreme?
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Nov 25, 2022
Rishi Sunak: less Trussonomics, same poll numbers
It’s been one month since Rishi Sunak became prime minister of the United Kingdom and so he’s now just three weeks off lasting longer at Number 10 than Liz Truss did.
After the disaster of the mini budget, Sunak has been the safe pair of economic hands needed to calm things down, reassure the markets and try to get the Conservatives back on track after disastrous poll numbers.
But how long can the new prime minister keep the country and his party calm and quiet?
In this episode, our political editor Gary Gibbon looks at the first few weeks of the reign of Rishi and whether his autumn statement will be enough to shore up support and ensure the Conservatives aren’t thumped at the next election.
Produced by: Freya Pickford and Ka Yee Mak
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Nov 18, 2022
What do the US midterms tell us about the future of America and Trump?
Donald Trump has announced his Presidential run, undeterred by last week’s US midterm elections, where the red wave of Republican victories never came, and many in his only party blamed him for putting up bad candidates and spouting election lies.
In today’s episode, we’re joined by Patrick Murray, the Director of Monmouth Polling, one of America’s leading pollsters, to dig down into last week’s results and understand why the Democrats bucked the historical trends to have a very decent Midterms, and why the Republicans appeared to miss an open goal and a chance to win comfortable majorities in both Houses of Congress.
Sources: AP, NBC
Producer: Nina Hodgson
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Nov 11, 2022
What’s next for Xi’s China?
This week Chinese president Xi Jinping told his military to prepare for war in what he called an increasingly “unstable” security environment.
China just had its 20th party congress, with Xi Jinping securing an unprecedented third term in power. And amid rising tensions between China and the US, the first in-person meeting between Xi and Biden has been confirmed next week.
But with no immediate loosening of the zero-Covid policy, we ask what’s next for Xi?
In this week’s episode of the Fourcast, Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow on China at Chatham House, tells us about the recent Communist Party Congress in China, the rule of Xi Jinping, and where next for this superpower.
Sources: MSNBC, AP
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Nov 4, 2022
Greta Thunberg interview: is there hope for the future of our planet?
Has anything really changed since COP26?
In the year that Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering a global energy crisis, we’ve also seen the drastic impact climate change is having on our planet: with catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, a megadrought in the US and record-breaking heat waves across Europe.
With COP27 fast approaching; diplomats from across the world will gather once again to try and get global warming under control. Including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who after saying he’d be a no-show, U-turned to say he would attend after all. But as the global heavyweight gather can we expect real change to take place as a result?
In today’s episode of the Fourcast we bring you an extended interview with one of the world’s most famous environmental activists, teenager Greta Thunberg. She spoke with Channel 4 News presenter, Jackie Long, about the release of her new book, The Climate Book.
She also talks about COP27 and why she feels hopeful about the fight against climate cha…
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Oct 28, 2022
The Republicans: from Grand Old Party to Trump fan club
The US midterms are approaching and polls suggest the Republican Party could take control of the House and could even secure the Senate too. But has the party gone from the grand old party of Abraham Lincoln to more like a Donald Trump fan club? What comes next?
In today’s episode, we speak to the Republican pollster and strategist Whit Ayres, about the shifting nature of the party, from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump.
We ask him whether the Republican Party is now fully beholden to Trump or whether there are signs his grasp is weakening.
Sources: AP Archive, AP, CNN
Producer: Nina Hodgson
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Oct 21, 2022
Who supports Russia and why?
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly held a vote to condemn Russia’s illegal annexation of four regions in Ukraine. The resolution was supported by 143 countries but four voted against and 35 abstained.
As bombs reigned down on Ukrainian cities and killed civilians, why is it that 39 nations either still support Russia, or remain neutral in this war?
Today, our International Editor Lindsey Hilsum tells us about the countries that still back Moscow and explains whether any of them are beginning to change their minds as the war doesn’t go to plan for Putin.
Produced by: Freya Pickford
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Oct 14, 2022
Can Liz Truss survive as Prime Minister?
Liz Truss was always inheriting a difficult job, with a war in Ukraine, a cost of living crisis and a party in need of a fresh start after 12 years in power and the scandals of Boris Johnson.
She’s certainly made a mark. Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget has been anything but mini, it’s had a huge impact on the markets, mortgages, gilts, and the pound.
It’s also had an impact on how her party and the public view her and that’s what could be really lethal.
Today, our political editor, Gary Gibbon, takes us through the first few weeks of Liz Truss’s leadership and how it could be ending before it’s even got started.
Produced by Nina Hodgson and Ka Yee Mak
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Oct 7, 2022
Is Vladimir Putin losing control?
Russia's Vladimir Putin is obsessed with his legacy. He has compared himself to Peter the Great, the tsar who founded St Petersburg and created the modern Russian empire.
That was Putin’s plan but with Ukrainian forces now pushing back and Russian men fleeing the country, it’s not going the way he had hoped.
So is he losing his hold on power?
We speak to Angela Stent, an author, professor and an expert in all things Russia and Putin. She explains that while Putin’s legacy is damaged and his hold on power is slightly weaker - it’s too early to say if this is the beginning of the end for the Russian leader.
Sources: AP Archive
Produced by Freya Pickford
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Sep 30, 2022
How Ukraine is pushing Russia to the brink
Russian President Vladmir Putin is expected to announce the annexation of four regions of Ukraine - just like he did with Crimea in 2014. But this isn’t total deja vu, because this time, he’s on the backfoot and he's in trouble.
Following months of stalemate after his failure to take the capital Kyiv, Putin’s forces were surprised by a Ukrainian counteroffensive that either pushed his forces back, or made them flee.
And so now, he’s had to hold sham referendums and initiate a partial mobilisation to try to turn things around. But can he?
In today’s episode, we speak to our presenter and Europe editor Matt Frei in Kyiv about how this point in the war is arguably one of the most pivotal moments for all sides in this bitter conflict.
Produced by: Nina Hodgson, Heidi Pett
Camera in Kyiv: Ray Queally
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Sep 23, 2022
Did Nato get Putin and Ukraine wrong?
Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s first military mobilisation since World War Two. He also warned he would use "all means [he has]" to defend Russian territory, raising concerns around the world and saying it wasn’t a bluff.
With the United Nations General Assembly taking place this week, Nato leaders attacked Putin’s announcement. But Nato-Russia relations weren’t always quite so frosty.
In this episode we speak to Lord Robertson, the tenth Secretary General of that alliance, who met Putin 9 times and says that Putin even discussed joining Nato at one point in their conversations.
We ask him whether Putin has changed or whether he and the West completely miscalculated what the Russian leader was up to.
Sources: AP Archive, CNBC
Produced by: Freya Pickford and Nina Hodgson
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Sep 18, 2022
The Elizabeth line: what it’s like to queue for the Queen
For the past few days, young and old, Britons and beyond, David Beckham too, have descended on London to join what must be the world’s longest queue. The line to file past Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second’s body as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.
At one point, the queue reached capacity, it was five miles long and the wait was 14 hours and so for several hours no one could join the queue. So they formed a queue for the queue. When queuing resumed, the wait was even longer, 24 hours.
This feels novel and baffling, but it is incredibly British.
In today’s episode, Kiran braves the long queue himself and tells us what it’s like to stand in the longest queue in the world.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Sep 14, 2022
The Queen and the new King
On Wednesday, the body of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will travel in a public procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, carried on a gun carriage, with King Charles leading the procession behind his mother’s coffin, which will be draped in the Royal Standard.
Once in Westminster Hall, the coffin, topped with the Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre, will lie in state for four days, with each corner guarded 24-hours-a-day by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household.
When the Queen Mother lay in state two decades ago, thousands lined to view her coffin. Many more mourners are expected to pay their last respects to our longest reigning monarch before the funeral on Monday.
In this episode of the Fourcast we speak to our presenter, Cathy Newman, who broke the news of the Queen's death on Channel 4. We look back on the historic days we have witnessed since and ahead to a new era under King Charles.
Sources: AP
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Sep 8, 2022
The Queen has died at 96
This was a day we knew would come, but which somehow remained inconceivable. The Queen, the only monarch most of us have ever known, has died at 96.
Today, we will hear from some of the many tributes from around the world, as we enter a period of historic mourning for our monarch. And speak with the Royal Historian Ed Owens about this moment in our history, what we can learn from the past as we enter a completely new present without a Queen whose reign was historic in so many ways.
Sources: AP Archive
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Aug 2, 2022
Could Taiwan be the next Ukraine?
A nation constantly under the threat of a much larger power.
A nation with an invasion always at the back of its mind.
A nation that does have allies, but is still not sure whether those friends will help if war comes.
Taiwan, on the face of it, appears just like Ukraine.
But with tensions rising in the region because US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could make a controversial visit there this week, any future conflict would engulf the two great superpowers of this century - the US and China.
In today’s episode of the Fourcast, our International editor Lindsey Hilsum puts the current flare up into context as geopolitics comes to terms with a future where Beijing is King.
Sources: AFP News Agency, NewsNation, NowThis News
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Aug 1, 2022
Airport chaos: could it get worse?
Thousands of people are jetting off on their first holiday abroad in three years, but will you actually make it to your destination?
Cancelled flights, hour-long delays, never-ending queues - this was not the postcard ending we were promised.
So is our travel industry in chaos?
Today, Minnie Stephenson speaks to travel journalist and international global trotter Andy Mossack about why our airports are under the most pressure they’ve ever experienced.
Sources: ITV News, France 24, Al Jazeera
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Jul 27, 2022
Stories of harassment from inside the Houses of Parliament
Inside the Houses of Parliament, they make the rules for the rest of us but, with claims of harassment and bullying, is it time Westminster got its own house in order?
After an exclusive Channel 4 News investigation reveals claims of bullying and sexual harassment in Parliament, right across the political spectrum, we spoke to our presenter and Investigations Editor Cathy Newman about the scale of misconduct in Westminster.
(The testimonies you will hear have been voiced by actors)
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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Jul 25, 2022
Sunak v Truss: the future of the Tory Party
We’re down to the final two. We know our next Prime Minister will be either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak.
But what will the party and country look like with someone new at Number 10?
And is this simply a coronation for a leader who is set to lose the next election whenever that might be?
Today, our political editor Gary Gibbon details what to expect from the weeks ahead in the Tory leadership election - and whether the party is ready to properly start a new chapter after Brexit, Covid and Boris - or whether the Tories need time in the wilderness to find their bearings.
Sources: LBC
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Jul 20, 2022
State of the nation: the January 6 hearings
The hearings into the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th 2021 are yet to finish and the revelations have been stunning.
But the hearings are just one issue among many right now in America: the end of Roe versus Wade, an increasingly conservative Supreme Court, and a Donald Trump who still looms large.
On Today’s episode we’re in Washington DC with Christine Emba, a columnist and editor at the Washington Post to talk about what all this could mean for not just November's elections, but the future of American democracy.
Produced by: Freya Pickford
Sources: CBS News, Washington Post, US Pool/Congress Committee
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Jul 18, 2022
The legacy of Donald Trump’s foreign policy
Donald Trump’s slogan ‘America First’ wasn’t just about nationalism at home, it also meant isolation abroad. So, Joe Biden was always clear when he came into power that America was back on the world stage, no longer the unpredictable supower that it was under Trump.
In this episode we speak to the Atlantic Council’s Christopher Preble, who leads a team that analyses and questions American policies abroad. He tells us about Trump’s ability to rip up the rule book and to go against diplomatic norms and how he has left a lasting legacy which has placed China front and centre as America’s new enemy.
Produced by: Joe Lord-Jones
Sources: The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, CBS, ‘Washington pos
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Jul 13, 2022
How to search for someone lost in the Amazon rainforest
On the 5th of June this year, a 10-day search for two men began in the deep of the Amazon.
British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira had travelled into the rainforest as part of research into Phillips’ new book: “How to Save the Amazon”.
Both had championed the cause of Brazil’s indigenous communities against those forces threatening their very existence.
In today’s episode, we talk to Latin America Correspondent Guillermo Galdos, who was with the team when they discovered the men’s belongings.
Producer: Freya Pickford
Sources: PBS, Euro News, Guardian
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Jul 11, 2022
Boris: going, going, not gone
It took seven months of Partygate, a disgraced MP, 50 resignations, one sacking, but it did eventually happen.
He never said the word resign, and he’s still sticking around inside Number 10, but the days of Boris Johnson’s premiership are certainly numbered, while his days as Tory leader are done and dusted.
Today, our presenter and investigations editor, Cathy Newman, unpacks why Johnson finally decided to step down, what state he leaves the party and country and who might be the person to pick up the pieces.
This podcast was recorded on Saturday June 9.
Producer: Freya Pickford
Sources: The Independent
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Jul 6, 2022
Inside Al Shabaab: the extremist group trying to seize Somalia
For more than 15 years, the extremist group Al Shabaab has been fighting a bloody insurgency in Somalia.
They are one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organisations - responsible for killing hundreds of people including innocent civilians.
Our Africa correspondent, Jamal Osman, is the first journalist that has been allowed to film the group in years, speaking to one of the group’s leaders about why they continue to kill and hurt fellow Muslims in Somalia.
Today, Kiran talks to Jamal about whether Al Shabaab is changing its tactics to appeal to a wider base - and whether the West is paying enough attention to these types of groups as Africa becomes the frontline of Islamic terrorism in the world.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Jul 4, 2022
Why Germany has a moral dilemma over Ukraine
We all know that the War in Ukraine has up-ended peace in Europe and shaken geopolitics on the continent.
Nowhere more so that in Germany - where the Chancellor spoke of a turning point - with the country pledging to ditch its ties to Moscow and arm Ukraine.
But months later, that turning point appears to have been more words than action - with European allies frustrated with Germany’s apparent inability to fully commit to the Ukrainian cause.
Today, our Europe Editor Matt Frei looks at the reasons why Germany’s past means it is more hesitant to fully commit to a European conflict - and whether that will finally change as this war drags on.
Sources: DW News, France 24
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Jun 29, 2022
America after Roe
It was a decision that America knew was coming. Jubilation from those who want abortion banned across the US but a devastating blow for those who’ve fought for women to retain the right to choose.
The Supreme Court has reversed five decades of legal protection for abortion rights created by the 1973 landmark judgement, Roe v Wade that gave women the constitutional right to have an abortion.
Now, the Supreme Court with it’s Conservative majority has done what pro-life campaigners have desired for 50 years, taken that right away from women, and handed it back to the states. And nearly half of them will ban abortion outright, even in cases of rape and incest.
In this episode of The Fourcast we speak to Professor Mary Ziegler, who has written extensively on abortion rights in America, and to Tamaya Cox-Toure, part of the Amerian Civil Liberties Union in Oklahoma, about the ramifications we’re already seeing in her state and beyond.
Sources: AP, CSPAN
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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Jun 27, 2022
Ukraine war: how long will the conflict go on?
The war in Ukraine continues, with no end in sight.
Ukraine says to end this war they need weapons from the west - that’s the only way they can win. But Kyiv says that they’re not getting what they want and when they want it.
So, how long will this war drag on and what does victory look like for Ukraine, for Russia and for the West?
Today we speak to Lindsey Hilsum, our international editor, who spent weeks in Ukraine since the war began and has covered countless conflicts around the world.
She tells us about why peace isn’t always peace, why some European leaders are going “wobbly” and why poets understand so much more than journalists.
Produced by: Nina Hodgson and Rachel Evans
Sources: France 24
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Jun 24, 2022
Stalked: the story of Gracie Spinks - did police fail to spot a killer?
It’s just over a year since 23-year-old Gracie Spinks was found dead after reporting being stalked by her colleague Michael Sellers.
Her family says a new Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation (IOPC) seems to confirm their worst nightmare that police didn’t fulfil their duty to investigate properly and that their daughter’s death might have been preventable.
In today’s episode our reporter Anja Popp tells Minnie about what happened to Gracie, the findings of the IOPC report and how Gracie’s family are now fighting for change in the name of Gracie.
If you have been affected by any of the issues covered in that report, you can find a range of places to seek help by visiting channel4.com/support
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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Jun 21, 2022
Rwanda: what about LGBTQ+ asylum seekers?
Rwanda is of course in the news because back in April, the UK government confirmed a £120m deal to deport adults who arrived illegally into the UK after January 1st this year to this African nation. And last week’s attempt to start this policy failed.
The Home secretary has said the Rwanda deal will act as a deterrent for people smugglers, while also allowing those sent there the opportunity to “build their lives”.
But can asylum seekers really do that in a nation that has a shocking human rights record, particularly when it comes to LGBTQ+ people?
Rwanda’s high commissioner Johnston Busingye says: “There’s no doubt that we [Rwanda] are a work in progress, every country is, but the Rwanda of today is unrecognisable from the country the world was introduced to in 1994.”
In this episode, we’re going to focus on how this immigration policy is of particular concern to LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, who are fleeing persecution.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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Jun 15, 2022
Sleaze, sexism & slander: misogyny in Westminster
The age-old issue of misogyny in the world of Westminster has continued to rock British politics this year.
From an MP’s resignation after watching porn at work to a sexist article which suggested deputy labour leader Angela Rayner used a “Basic Instinct ploy” to distract the prime minister in the commons, the Houses of Parliament is suffering from its own internal crisis.
There have been a myriad of sexual misconduct claims, three MPs have recently lost the whip for sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault respectively. And another has been accused of rape.
So why is misogyny in 2022 still plaguing parliament? And after a series of sexism scandals is it time, like many have suggested, that HR arrived in the House of Commons?
Today, we will speak to the women inside Westminster - high-profile politicians from both sides of the political spectrum and a renowned female journalist - who can give us an insight to where it’s all gone wrong and whether this is time for a ra…
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Jun 13, 2022
America and guns: tyranny of the minority
In 2020, the biggest killer of children in America was not cars, nor cancer, but guns.
Yet in the 23 years since Columbine, the 15 years since Virginia Tech, the ten years since Sandy Hook, the four years since Parkland, nothing from Congress.
Following the Uvalde shooting, senators on both sides have hinted at some possible legislation. Is change coming?
We speak to Matt Frei, who has spent years reporting on the US, covered many presidential elections and unfortunately many mass shootings. We discuss whether there is a fundamental problem with America’s democracy, where the majority want one thing, but the nature of its political system means that the minority often gets the last word.
Sources: AP
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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Jun 10, 2022
Boris Johnson: moving on or moving out?
Before the bunting had been taken down and the Jubilee stage dismantled, at 8am the morning after the Platinum celebrations, a rude awakening for Boris Johnson.
A confidence vote that threatened his leadership of the party and with it the country.
Johnson survived, but his margin of victory was smaller than that of Theresa May’s before him, and she was forced out just months later. Does the same await Johnson?
This week, he’s been defending his record, announcing new policies and aiming to move on - but is the clock ticking - or will he once again defy the odds?
Gary Gibbon returns to analyse the past week in Westminster.
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Jun 8, 2022
India’s ‘Love Jihad’ conspiracy theory
Many Muslims in India say they are experiencing a wave of persecution as Hindu extremists carry out a campaign of intimidation to stop interfaith marriages between Hindus and Muslims.
Violence waged by mobs who believe Muslims are tricking Hindu women into marriage as an attempt to turn India into a Muslim republic.
India's Hindu nationalist government say they oppose violence and the BJP say that they have introduced laws in response to a particular kind of crime of which a large number of instances have been reported. In these cases, Muslim men have misrepresented their name and religion to marry women of other faiths, thereafter revealing their true identities and coercing their wives to covert their religion.
But critics say are actually designed to stamp out interfaith marriages.
We speak to Mandakini Gahlot, our reporter and her producer in India about how falling in love with the wrong person can ruin your life.
Sources: One India, Times Now.
Producer: Joe Lord…
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Jun 6, 2022
How Britain's landscape has changed in 70 years
Over 70 years of the Queen's reign, Britain’s landscape has transformed. All of this has had a huge impact not only on us but wildlife and the place we call home.
In today’s episode we talk to our chief correspondent, Alex Thomson, about how and why Britain’s land has evolved during the Queen’s 70 years on the throne and ask what next for the British countryside.
Producer: Freya Pickford.
Sources: AP.
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Jun 3, 2022
The Caribbean and the Queen: a new era
As Jubilee celebrations begin, calls for the Queen to be removed as Head of State in at least six countries in the Caribbean are being heard loud and clear.
But why is this happening now? And what does it say about the royal family’s and Britain's influence across the world?
In today's episode, Ayshah Tull speaks to people from across the globe who can help us understand how strong the level of feeling is towards the royals on the other side of the Atlantic and we will discuss how easy it is to cut ties with the past.
Sources: BFI, BBC, ITV
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Jun 1, 2022
Revisited: Why does Trump think Putin is smart?
Back in February, in sunny Orlando, Florida, a large group of Republicans got together at the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC, to discuss what their movement needed to do next to change America.
Former President Donald Trump, the keynote speaker at the event, described Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy as brave, but repeated his admiration of Vladimir Putin, describing him as a smart, strong leader.
In this revisited episode from March, we look at where American conservatives stand on Russia and Putin, why some seem to admire the man who invaded Ukraine, and whether they are more concerned with enemies at home than those abroad.
Sources: NBC, Fox News, Twitter/@BenLorber8
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May 30, 2022
Revisited: Abortion in the USA: from Roe v. Wade to today
In its long history, there have been landmark, controversial Supreme Court decisions: Plessy v. Ferguson, Bush v. Gore, Shelby v. Holder.
Yet arguably none has divided Americans, defined the parties, and affected the lives of millions of women more than one particular ruling on the 22nd of January 1973: Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right for women to have an abortion.
Since then, those opposed to abortion have campaigned to chip away at that decision, in the hope that one day, when the conditions are right, they can knock down that ruling completely. Is that day almost upon us?
In this revisited episode from Ocotober 2021 Professor Mary Ziegler, the author of the book “Abortion and the law in America,” talks to me about the history of abortion in the United States, and about recent laws in Texas and Mississippi that could profoundly change the law of the land on this key issue for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Sources: CBS NEWS, MSNBC, ITN.
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May 27, 2022
The Sue Gray report: is it too late now to say sorry?
It was the moment we’ve been waiting for for six months. The report from civil servant Sue Gray into parties at Number 10 during the three lockdowns.
37 pages, 16 events, nine photos.
But what did it say and was it worth the wait?
Our political editor, Gary Gibbon, explains all.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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May 25, 2022
Revisited: Is Bitcoin the future of money or a giant Ponzi scheme?
To its supporters, Bitcoin is the biggest revelation in finance in a thousand years. To its critics, it’s a giant Ponzi scheme.
So is Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, the future of finance? How secure are the blockchains that they’re built on? And will we all be buying art through NFTs, non fungible tokens, in the future, rather than paintings for our walls?
In this revisited episode from December 2021, we speak to our Economics Correspondent Helia Ebrahimi about cryptocurrency, the future of our financial system, and how she could have been a Bitcoin success story - if only she could find the key to the crypto she bought.
Sources: Twitter/@jjames_ak, BBC News, Reuters
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May 23, 2022
Out and proud - a watershed moment in football?
Last week Blackpool’s Jake Daniels said he was gay.
It was the first time a male British footballer - still playing the game - had said that in 32 years.
Given the wide acceptance of LGBT people in Britain today, and the fact there are many out and proud athletes in other sports - why is football - male professional football - so far behind?
Producer: Freya Pickford
Sources: Sky News, Good Morning Britain, GB News, ITN, Norwich City Football Club
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May 20, 2022
Gender violence in Pakistan: women fighting back
Pakistan is in the midst of what some are calling a ‘gender violence epidemic.’
Hundreds if not thousands of women are murdered, kidnapped and assaulted each year. And conviction rates are extremely low.
But Pakistani women are demanding action to address the vast scale of violence.
Our reporter Fatima Manji went to the country’s capital Islamabad to meet the female police officers on a mission to transform policing for women.
And a warning this episode contains descriptions of violence, including sexual violence that some may find upsetting.
Produced by: Holly Snelling
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May 18, 2022
Nato goes Nordic: why Finland and Sweden want to join
Finland’s Parliament has overwhelmingly endorsed joining Nato, while Sweden’s ruling party has broken with 200 years of neutrality to follow their Nordic neighbours in jumping on the alliance bandwagon.
The Ukraine War has forced this profound geopolitical moment - but why are the Finns more keen on the move than the Swedes?
In today’s podcast, we travel to Helsinki.
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May 16, 2022
Is CCTV putting innocent people behind bars
In April 2015, a victim was stabbed 13 times in a park in Leicester town centre.
The case was solved with the help of CCTV, but that’s not the end of the story.
The parents of the man convicted for the crime insist this was a case of mistaken identity. They also believe racial bias caused their son’s misidentification on CCTV.
Forensic experts have also raised serious concerns about the quality of CCTV analysis in the criminal justice system as a whole.
In today’s episode we speak to Channel 4 News producer, Zahra Warsame, about how she learnt about the case, how CCTV evidence is used in the criminal justice system and why it could be contributing to innocent people being put behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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May 13, 2022
Northern Ireland: stalemate, borders and centrist politics
For the first time in 101 years, a nationalist party is in the majority in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin said the country was entering a “new era” as they overtook the DUP.
It’s a seismic moment in Northern Irish history.
Today, our policy correspondent Paul McNamara looks into how we got here - how Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol has divided unionists, and how yet further stalemate is perhaps why many people are tired of the old nationalist/unionist labels and just want centrist politics that gives them a functioning government.
Producer: Rachel Evans
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May 11, 2022
Does the Ukraine war mean the EU needs an army?
The European Union has had many different names but it’s always had one goal: a united, peaceful Europe.
That has usually meant closer political and economic ties.
But for some it has also meant getting closer on defence and security and for some that in turn has meant the creation, one day, of a united European army.
So has the war in Ukraine shifted the dial towards a European army?
In today’s episode with Elisabeth Braw, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, talks us through the history as well as the pros and cons of any future united army for the EU.
Sources: EuroNews, France 24, Newsnight, Sky News
Produced by: Joe Lord-Jones
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May 9, 2022
The dirty truth behind Britain’s air pollution problem
Just how polluted is the air we breathe in the UK?
Other than the smog we can see it’s sometimes impossible to visualise what some call the ‘invisible killer’.
Channel 4 News was shown new modelling which suggests the majority of UK households are in areas which break the World Health Organization's own guidelines on dangerous air pollution levels.
In today’s episode, we speak to reporter Keme Nzerem who originally broke this story, about the politics of air pollution, why it’s damaging to our health and its links with poverty.
Producer: Freya Pickford
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May 6, 2022
Cocaine, cartels and crime in Ecuador
Ecuador has become the new frontline in an escalating drug war.
And ordinary people are the ones paying the price as the country’s murder rate doubledlast year.
Rival drug cartels have taken over Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, in a bid to control lucrative new drug routes to Europe and the United States.
Our reporter, Guillermo Galdos, visited the once peaceful city for Unreported World, and spent two weeks with the local police, who are now outgunned and outnumbered.
Today, Krishnan talks to Guillermo about what has driven Ecuador to become a major player in this bloody turf war and what can be done to stop it.
Warning: this episode contains content some may find disturbing.
Sources: CGTN
Produced by: Rachel Evans
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May 4, 2022
HRT and Me: what medication shortages mean for women
More than 1 million people in the UK are on Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT and the vast majority of them are women who need it to deal with menopause symptoms.
But a shortage of specific types of HRT has left women struggling. In this episode of The Fourcast we speak to Kate who had a hysterectomy at 44 which caused her to go into surgical menopause about what life is like with and without HRT.
We also speak to our Health and Social Care Editor, Victoria MacDonald about why, as demand for prescriptions has more than doubled since 2017, supply of some products has not kept up.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this report, help and support is available at channel4.com/support.
Sources: Channel 4: Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause and Davina McCall: Sex, Mind and the Menopause
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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May 2, 2022
Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover
It’s the news that was everywhere for one day and then sort of faded away. A bit like a viral tweet you might say, it dominated, and then we just scrolled on.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, reached a deal to buy Twitter.
The right were happy, the left were mad. And Twitter was the perfect place for everyone to sound off.
But the deal isn’t done and there’s still a long way to go.
We talk to our Washington Correspondent, Siobhan Kennedy, about who exactly is the man behind this mega takeover. We also talk to the former head of news at Twitter, Vivian Schiller, about free speech, the law and social media.
Sources: Sky News, TED, Fox News, CNN
Produced by: Freya Pickford
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Apr 29, 2022
The fast fashion landfill in Ghana
Giving your second-hand clothes to a charity shop or recycling centre is surely a good thing, isn’t it?
Well some of those items, which eventually end up abroad, are causing an environmental disaster in West Africa.
Slums and beaches are overflowing with clothes from countries such as the UK that can’t be sold.
And this is affecting everything from the livelihoods of the traders to the seafood eaten across the entire west coast of Africa.
Today, Krishnan speaks to reporter Ashionye Ogene, who has been to Ghana for Unreported World to see first-hand how the West’s addiction to fast fashion is destroying livelihoods as well as leaving a mark on the country’s landscape for hundreds of years to come.
Producer: Rachel Evans
Sources: ITV News, CBS News
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Apr 27, 2022
Ukraine: what does Russia want now?
As the war in Ukraine enters its third month and Russia begins the new phase of its invasion, where does this all end? Or moreover, where is it heading?
Russia says it's focusing on the east and south, but why the missile strikes in Odessa?
And what does Russia want now and what can it even get, given that the Ukrainians feel emboldened as the Western powers increase their support?
Today, our international editor Lindsey Hilsum reports from eastern Ukraine as she unpicks the messaging and the military movements in the war.
Sources: AP
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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Apr 25, 2022
How high could inflation go?
Inflation is at a 30-year high right now, and it could go even higher.
Prices were going up even before the war in Ukraine and so now the forecasts are even worse, not helped by parts of China shutting down as a new wave of Covid there takes over.
It’s all pretty gloomy, and the International Monetary Fund says the world must brace itself for an economic slowdown and a potential wave of social unrest.
In today’s episode of The Fourcast, our Business and Global Trade Correspondent Paul McNamara explains how inflation is impacting farmers and businesses and how high prices are passed onto us. And whether there is anything governments can do in this perfect storm of an economic crisis.
Sources: Sky News
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Apr 22, 2022
Thailand’s cryptocurrency gold rush
Thailand has gone Crypto crazy. Just last year investing in Crypto currencies increased four-fold in the country.
Ordinary people are jumping on the Crypto bandwagon to try and make money fast. But the world of traditional finance is wary of this new technology as some really do risk it all and lose it all.
Jonathan Miller was in Thailand for Unreported World to meet a new generation of innovators tearing up the rule book.
Today, we’ll discuss if this 21st century temple to the future of money is an example to be followed across the world or whether real regulation and protections are needed to stop people from potentially getting hurt.
Sources: BBC News
Producer: Rachel Evans
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Apr 20, 2022
Why 2000 was a pivotal year in American politics
A close, contested election. Weeks of uncertainty. An election that some felt wasn’t legitimate. A Supreme Court divided and politicised. A new president that some felt wasn’t the true winner.
Not 2020 and beyond, but 2000 in America.
Andrew Rice, the author of “The Year That Broke America”, unpicks 12 months that will live in infamy - and when everything came down to Florida.
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
Sources: CNN, CBS News, ITN Archive
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Apr 18, 2022
Macron v Le Pen: a very different rematch
Emmanuel Macron will face Marine Le Pen in the second round run-off of the French Presidential election.
It’s all a bit deja-vu, a repeat of last time in 2017, but is a second term on the cards for the incumbent President?
In the end, the future of France hinges on one question; what is greater here, fear of Le Pen the right-wing nationalist or hatred of Macron the incumbent.
In this episode of The Fourcast Channel 4 News Presenter and Europe Editor Matt Frei talks about what to expect ahead of the presidential vote in France on Sunday the 24th of April.
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
Sources: INA Archive, AP
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Apr 15, 2022
'A catalogue of tragedies': the Shrewsbury maternity scandal
It’s the largest maternity scandal in NHS history, hundreds of babies and some of their mothers could or would have survived had they not been failed.
A landmark review into the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust has revealed, “a catalogue of tragedies”, according to the senior midwife, Donna Ockendon, who led the review.
The Ockenden review has revealed a toxic culture, a lack of compassion and a failure to listen to mothers and their needs at maternity services at one of England's NHS trusts.
Today, Minnie Stephenson speaks to our Health and Social Care Editor Victoria Macdonald about what this report uncovered and asks whether the public can have faith in maternity services across England.
A warning, this podcast contains testimony that listeners may find distressing.
And if you are affected by any of the issues in this report, go to channel4.com/support where you can find a range of places to seek information and help.
Produced by: Rachel Evans
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Apr 13, 2022
Why Finland is always ready for war
Finland is a European country that shares an 800-mile border with Russia. It has a standing army of nearly 300,000 and can call on 900,000 reservists, and wartime shelters that can accommodate 80 per cent of its population of only 5.5 million.
In today's episode, we Iook at the history of a nation that has long been caught in the middle of the great powers of Europe and yet has managed to secure its independence through realpolitik and a comprehensive all hands on deck approach to defence.
And despite having this comprehensive security policy, the war in Ukraine has meant something seismic could now happen.
Finland is flirting with joining Nato.
Sources: AP
Produced by: Freya Pickford
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Apr 11, 2022
War crimes and retreat: the invasion shifts in Ukraine
You might think that Russian troops retreating from parts of Ukraine was good news, but then we saw what they left behind.
As the full horror of this war is revealed, Russia has moved to its so-called phase two: a focus on the east and south.
Is that a retreat? Or is it a regrouping? And is yet more horror to come?
Today, presenter and Europe editor Matt Frei looks at the ongoing war of words on both sides, what the West can do in response to alleged war crimes, and where this conflict goes next as we look at a possible prolonged battle with no winners.
Produced by: Freya Pickford
Sources: The Guardian, Fox News, The Independent
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Apr 8, 2022
Trans people excluded from ‘conversion therapy’ ban
The government has committed to banning so-called conversion therapy but announced that the ban would not include trans people.
100 organisations pulled support for the UK’s first international LGBT conference, before the government cancelled the event altogether.
The government have said that they ”will carry out separate work to consider the issue of transgender conversion therapy further.”
But how does that make the LGBTQ+ community feel?
Today, we speak to a survivor of so-called trans conversion therapy, a former government adviser, Jayne Ozanne, and the chief executive of Stonewall Nancy Kelley.
Sources: ITV News, Sky News
Produced by: Nina Hodgson
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Apr 7, 2022
Is there really a ‘woke war’ at the National Trust?
In 2020 the National Trust released a report that found 93 of its properties had links to colonialism and slavery.
The report did not tell properties to do anything like change names or tear down statues. But the backlash was still fierce and the head of the Trust recently said she received death threats.
We look at what the report actually said, what properties have done in response, and we hear from the group that has led the campaign against the report.
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Apr 4, 2022
Is Nato needed now more than ever?
President Biden said Nato had never been more united, just what Vladimir Putin didn’t want, but is he right?
Today, Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations explains how Nato failed to placate Russia in recent years, what next for the alliance, and will America really put Europe back at the centre of its foreign policy?
Sources: ITV News
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Apr 1, 2022
Is partygate still a threat to Boris Johnson?
Twelve parties. Twenty fines. But no names were revealed.
Downing Street won’t say whether Boris Johnson will resign if he’s one of the people issued with a fixed penalty notice over the lockdown breaching parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall, as the Metropolitan police continues its investigation.
Our Political Editor Gary Gibbon joins us to discuss the latest developments from the ongoing partygate saga and whether time is now on Boris Johnson’s side as he looks more and more likely to cling onto power.
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Mar 30, 2022
Vlad the invader: how Putin became a pariah
Was the invasion of Ukraine by Russia inevitable?
Were the plans of Vladimir Putin always there out in the open?
Does this all go back to 1989, when a KGB officer in Dresden saw the Soviet Empire begin to crumble and felt bitter at its inability to fight for itself?
Today, we speak to the historian, Professor Mary Elise Sarotte, the author of “Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate,” about the life and mind of the Russian leader who has upended the world order in mere weeks.
Sources: ABC News
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Mar 29, 2022
The Fourcast Shorts: oligarch power and ‘dirty money’
In Russia money means power.
And that’s why in this war, to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, the West’s main weapon isn’t its military but economic sanctions.
The war has shone a light on Oligarch wealth used to purchase super yachts, mega mansions and private jets.
But will targeting the rich really hurt Putin?
Today we speak to Channel 4 News’ Ryan Ramgobin about the origins and influence of these wealthy figures and ask whether these sanctions are really affecting their lavish lifestyles?
Sources: ABC News, France 24. Sky News
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Mar 28, 2022
The nightmare of Mariupol
Just a few weeks back, Mariupol was a bustling city in south-eastern Ukraine, overlooking the Sea of Azov. Home to just under half a million people.
Now, it is basically no more.
Most people’s homes have been destroyed. Half the city has fled and even those who have managed to leave have faced a treacherous journey to some form of safety.
Our International Editor Lindsey Hilsum has spoken to dozens of survivors from Mariupol, to tell their story and provide evidence of atrocities that many believe are war crimes.
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Mar 25, 2022
Inside Russia: an alternative reality
We've all seen the horror of this Russian invasion of Ukraine. We know the truth of the situation, the lies of the Kremlin.
But what about in Russia itself, where Vladimir Putin's version of reality reigns supreme?
What is the reality that Russians are being fed and who is still taking the risk to speak out?
Today, we speak to the investigative journalist Yevgenia Albats, who's seen many of her outlets shut down or blocked, but continues to report the truth from inside Russia.
Sources: France 24, CNN, MSNBC, BBC News
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Mar 24, 2022
The Fourcast Shorts: Putin’s warped denazification ideology
When Vladimir Putin announced the start of this war, he said that one of his aims was to “demilitarise and denazify” Ukraine.
What is he talking about, given that Ukraine is run by a popularly elected Jewish President whose grandfather’s three brothers and parents were all shot dead by the Nazis.
In today’s episode of the Fourcast, we speak to Professor Jason Stanley, the author of How Fascism Works and How Propaganda Works. He explains the offensive, illogical and dangerous thinking of Vladimir Putin.
Sources: Bloomberg
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Mar 23, 2022
Two years on: learning to live with Covid-19
Two years ago, we were all plunged into the first lockdown of three.
Today, daily Covid cases are far higher than back then as we deal with another wave of infections. Yet all restrictions in England have gone, with some remaining in the rest of the UK.
Vaccines have made our lives safer and more normal, but what lessons have we really learnt from this pandemic?
Our Health and Social Care Editor Victoria Macdonald looks at what living with Covid looks like here in the UK. We also discuss why Hong Kong, China and New Zealand are seeing such sharp rises in Covid cases now, after two years of pursuing zero-Covid policies.
Sources: AP, Telegraph
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Mar 21, 2022
Racial bias and reporting war
Modern warfare is defined not just by military advancements, it’s defined by rolling news coverage on TV, on radio, online, on our phones.
And in this current 24/7 theatre of war, journalists and reporters have been criticised for the way they are framing this conflict.
On this podcast, Marcus Ryder from the Sir Lenny Henry Centre of Media Diversity tells us about what he thinks has been wrong with the media’s coverage of Ukraine and what can be done to change it.
Sources: UNTV, NBC News, BBC News, ITV News, CBS News
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Mar 18, 2022
On the frontline of war for three weeks
Since the start of this war in Ukraine, our International Editor Lindsey Hilsum has been across the country. She is now in Kyiv, where residential buildings are being hit and those who remain are making their city a fortress to repel any Russian invasion.
In today’s episode, Lindsey calls us from her hotel in Ukraine’s capital to reflect on the past weeks of war, the devastation she has witnessed, the pain she has seen, and the unrelenting determination and patriotism of the Ukrainian people.
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Mar 17, 2022
The homecoming of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Six years since her arrest in Tehran. Six years away from her husband Richard and young daughter, Gabriella. But now Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is finally home.
But how did we get here?
How was a charity worker from Hampstead, northwest London, detained for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Iranian government? And why did it take so long to get her out?
We speak to Rebecca Ratcliffe, Nazanin’s sister-in-law about what is next for Nazanin and her family as they look ahead to a brighter future.
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Mar 16, 2022
Who is the real President Zelenskyy?
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the TV comedian turned Ukrainianleader, standing up to Putin.
But the man who’s become the face of Ukraine’s resistance against Russian invasion came to power in 2019 with little political experience other than playing a fictional president on Ukrainian TV.
Today, we speak to the Economist’s correspondent Oliver Carroll, who has been charting the rise of Zelenskyy, as we delve into the wartime leader’s history, psychology and ask what will he do next?
Sources: KvartaL 95, Politico, StudioCanal/Hayday Films, CBS News, Sky News
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Mar 15, 2022
The Fourcast Shorts: four ways the war in Ukraine might end
It’s been three weeks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
As people in Ukraine call for more help, and the West imposes sanctions on Russia, how might this all play out?
On today’s episode of The Fourcast, Georgina Lee from our FactCheck team talks through four possible ways the war in Ukraine might end.
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Mar 14, 2022
Big Mac attack: sanctions hit Russia
Russia is at war with Ukraine, with cities under siege, civilians being killed, and millions fleeing the country.
While western allies have provided some military aid to Ukraine, they have mainly responded with a different type of weapon. An economic war. Sanctions on Russia.
Our business and global trade correspondent Paul McNamara explains those sanctions and asks if that will be enough to stop Putin.
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Mar 11, 2022
Escaping war: reporting from the Ukrainian border
In the space of just two weeks, the lives of Ukrainians have been completely transformed, upended, changed forever.
Some remain there to resist the invaders, but more than two million have left in just two weeks.
Our correspondent, Paraic O’Brien, has been travelling along the border of Ukraine since the war began, speaking to people as they make a journey they thought they would never have to make.
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Mar 10, 2022
The Fourcast Shorts: fleeing Kyiv
When the war began in Ukraine, the people in the capital city of Kyiv had to make a decision, to stay or to flee.
Thousands of people packed up their lives and left the city. Sasha, a journalist living in Kyiv was one of them.
This is his story.
Sources: UA:PBC Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, AFP, Oleksandr Ielstov
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Mar 9, 2022
Is this the end of the post-Cold War era?
In a matter of days, Europe and the world has been transformed.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has upturned the post-Cold War consensus that has dominated our lives for three decades.
Is the West itself despite all this a stronger entity? Where does America lie in all of this? And what about Russia, the old enemy turned new menace today?
Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the American foreign policy think tank, the Atlantic Council, takes Kiran through the geopolitics of then and now and tries to unravel what went wrong, as well as what could happen in the next few months.
Sources: ABC Nightline
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Mar 8, 2022
The Fourcast Shorts: will there be nuclear war?
Are we heading for nuclear war with Russia? Russia has invaded Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin has told all his generals to put their entire armed forces, including nuclear team, on high alert.
But could the UK and its Western allies end up at war with Russia?
In this episode Georgina Lee from our FactCheck team explains how close, or not, the world is to a possible nuclear conflict.
Sources: BBC NEWS
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