The News Agents

Why was the king heckled outside Litchfield Cathedral? Will Andrew vacate Royal Lodge for two other royal homes? And when will the public appetite be satisfied that the palace has done enough? We take you behind the curtain to the events at the end of last week and the key conversation that never happened.

Later, was Reform MP Sarah Pochin racist in her comments about TV adverts? And is she a danger to Reform, or an asset?

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Thank you for all the positive reactions to Global's latest unmissable podcast series, Coining It. This is episode 4. If you don't want to wait for episode 5 on this feed, the entire series is available now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode... James Parker’s secret has been rumbled. But he’s not about to give up his millionaire spending. And instead of handing back all his glitched bitcoin, he and his financial advisor have come up with a deal to broker. Meanwhile, James’ friends realise the depth of the trouble they’re all i...

As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on and populist politics shake Western democracies, NATO is facing one of the most turbulent moments in its 75-year history. This Friday the former NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, joins Lewis to talk about the war in Ukraine, the rise of populism in the West, and how to deal with Trump.

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Formula One might be about to witness a comeback worthy of a Drive to Survive Hollywood film. With five races to go, the McLaren driver win that seemed as certain as death and taxes, has suddenly been put in jeopardy by Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Could they pull off the impossible?

Gabby and Mark are joined by 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, who has history with both teams as a world championship runner-up with McLaren, who became the highest scoring British driver of all time while at Red Bull. 

Plus, we look back a...

Keir Starmer came to power vowing to smash the gangs and stop the boats. He believes in the power of returns agreements to solve the problem - and established the 'one in - one out' system with France. An irregular migrant is returned for each refugee who has gone through the process properly. But, in a moment of low farce and high tragedy, an Iranian man - one of the very first to be sent back to France - turned back up on these shores on a small boat for a second time. So much for a deterrent, it...

The pressure is mounting on Parliament to scrutinise the housing arrangements of our Royal family after the times revealed this week Prince Andrew pays a mere peppercorn rent on Royal Lodge.

Could he be called before MPs to explain his finances? Does the tax payer still fund this disgraced Royal? And what is the nature of the relationship between Parliament and palace that makes them so unwilling to ask?

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Amy Wallace, the co author of Virginia Giuffre‘ s memoir - which is published today - has told Emily it’s possible more women will now come forward to reveal what they know about Prince Andrew’s actions on Epstein’s island. She calls on Andrew to “name names” of other abusers around Epstein. And she speaks for the first time about what Virginia believed happened on the night Epstein died.

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Virginia Giuffre is speaking to us from beyond the grave - with her memoir about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein and - she claims - Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew continues to deny those allegations.

The book is a harrowing account of abuse, pain and control. Does it change how we see Andrew? Should he now stand trial? And what does it tell us more widely about complicity and power?

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You've loved Coining It, so it's back for episode 3. Thank you for the brilliant response to the first two episodes. If you don't want to wait for episode 4 on this feed, the entire series is available now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode... Destination: Dubai. James Parker and his newly hired financial advisor are on the trip of a lifetime - to meet a man who can turn their glitched Bitcoin into gold and cash. But just as they’re about to board the plane, James gets a call. It’s the...

It's just six weeks since Zack Polanski became leader of the Green party. He's not even an MP. And yet, in that short space of time, he's become something of a political rockstar for those on the left of British politics.

His party is shooting up in the polls, he's attracted a devout and growing following on social media, and his modern style of communication is marking him out against what can at times feel like a rather stale political establishment in Westminster.

In this extended interview, Lewis speaks to Polanski about his political journey...

British Gymnastics has been on a journey of root and branch reform since the damning 2022 ‘Whyte Review’ exposed systemic abuse and cultural failings.

We are now three years into its "Reform 25" plan, which was designed to "create safe, positive and fair experiences for all in gymnastics by 2025" by implementing the Whyte Review recommendations.

So as the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships starts, has enough progress been made?

Gabby and Mark are joined by Joseph Carr, Senior Associate in the Abuse Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, who has acted for around 40 clients bringing abuse cases in g...

Zack Polanski is riding high right now. The polls have buoyed since he became leader of the greens. And membership has significantly increased too. Today he suggested to Lewis that Labour MPs might defect to his party. Is that going to happen?

And what does it tell us about the way left wing populism is mimicking the style of right wing populists in 2025?

Later, France’s new prime minister looks ravishingly similar to France’s new prime minister. Because it’s the same man. Will he stay in the job longer than a month? And what i...

JD Vance has had his sights on the UK since becoming vice president - fixating on our free speech laws, criticising Britain in strong terms.

But is that part of a wider movement? There is evidence of a growing concerted effort, by rich and organised American advocacy groups, setting their sights on the UK, trying to influence public mood and indeed politics itself.

Tommy Robinson is claiming that his legal bills are being funded by Elon Musk, and a new report from the New York Times suggests that one American organisation is set on shifting...

The Conservatives have accused Keir Starmer and those around him of wilfully forcing the collapse of a trial involving two young British men accused of spying for the Chinese government - allegations they deny. Security minister Dan Jarvis got to his feet in the Commons last night to angrily deny Kemi Badenoch's attacks - it's all the fault of the last Conservative government was his counter charge. So why exactly did the case collapse? Did those in government really choose to protect economic interests over national security? Or could this be a case of cock up rather than conspiracy?<...

The 20 living hostages, taken captive on October 7th two years ago, have been freed from Gaza and now begin to try and piece together shattered lives.

In Gaza, Palestinians are returning to homes of rubble - free of gunfire - but displaced and dispossessed. The politicians are telling a different story today, full of victory laps and self praise.

In Israel's Knesset, Donald Trump spoke of a "new dawn of the Middle East", and even "peace for all eternity". Are leaders really committed to the long haul of peace? And what part did the UK...

After the brilliant response to episode 1 of Coining It, here's episode 2. If you don't want to wait for episode 3 on this feed, all episodes are available now, on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

James Parker has turned a digital glitch into a fortune. Most would keep it quiet - but not James. The newly minted millionaire flaunts his wealth across Blackpool, playing Robin Hood to a tight-knit circle who share his secret. But his spending spree hasn’t gone unnoticed. One cop is watching, puzzled by the sudden riches of a man who, until re...

As this year’s party conference season draws to a close, Lewis sits down with Neil Kinnock to reflect on his iconic 1985 Labour Conference speech. They discuss leadership, the power of political courage, and what the future holds for the Labour Party.

Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/

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Gabby and Mark answer all of your questions from building their 'dream athlete' and their favourite Match of The Day moment so far, to England winning a home Rugby World Cup and the Ryder Cup crowds.

Plus, we look back at this week on The Sports Agents. Double Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas joined us in the studio to talk about how recent pro-Palestinan protests might change the future of cycling. Former Bournemouth Chairman, Jeff Mostyn, discussed saving the club and whether Eddie Howe is England manager material. And after former England rugby...

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the initial phase of a ceasefire plan in Gaza.

Donald Trump announced the agreement saying all hostages would be released, and Israel would withdraw troops.

There have been celebrations on the streets in Gaza and Israel, but is the peace plan going to last? And does the President now have an outside chance of securing the Nobel Peace Prize?

Later in the show we speak with Lucy Powell, one of the two contenders for the Labour deputy leadership, who struggles to tell us what she really thinks...

To rapturous applause and a full throated national anthem, Kemi Badenoch delivered the speech that may just have saved her job.

She promised to end stamp duty, abolish VAT on private schools and scrap farmers inheritance tax. She will also ban doctors from striking, cancel university courses she doesn’t rate, and dismantle the structure of Britains human rights protection.

Will this move the dial for a party struggling to make its voice heard? Emily, Lewis and Jon discuss from inside and outside the conference hall. And we talk to John Glen - Kemi’s righ...

Robert Jenrick has doubled down on remarks - from a speech he made in March - just leaked to The Guardian. In it he rued the 90 minutes he spent in Handsworth saying it was “like a slum” and wondering “where all the white faces were”. He insists he’s talking about the need for integration and community cohesion. So how’s that working out?

Later we report live from Manchester on the new Conservative policy to remove judges. What are they lining up next for the rule of law? And does anyone mind that it’s straight from the Trump p...

This week at a depleted Tory conference Kemi Badenoch must try and convince her party of its need to exist and of her own place at the top of it. The problem, though, is many voters simply haven’t heard of her. Is anonymity worse than unpopularity? And how does she make new policy announcements without sounding like Reform-lite? We talk to Luke Tryl from More in Common.

Later, what does the ECHR really do, and what would happen to Britain if we left it? Joshua Rozenberg gives us the lawyers lowdown.

Visit our new we...

Here's a new podcast you might like - this is episode 1 of Coining It. All episodes are available now, on Global Player or search for 'Coining It' wherever you get your podcasts.

In a damp Blackpool flat, James Parker is broke, restless, and stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouring millions into his account.

Most people would keep it quiet. James doesn’t.

He starts handing out money, buying cars for mates, throwing lavish parties in a town where fortunes ar...

Should pro-Palestine protests be going ahead in the immediate aftermath of the attack on a north Manchester synagogue? Could Keir Starmer's days be numbered? Is Nigel Farage a snowflake for his response to claims that his deportations policy is racist? And has the Tory party ever felt this irrelevant?

Lewis and Jon answer your questions in this Q&A episode.

Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/<...

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker joins Gabby and Mark on The Sports Agents to talk about his time in prison.

The former world number one was sentenced to over two years in jail after going bankrupt. So how did he go from tennis glory to prison? What was it like living with murderers and drug dealers? And how did he feel watching Wimbledon from a jail cell?

Plus, we look back at the best bits from this week's shows about England winning the Rugby World Cup, Europe storming to Ryder Cup glory and the fight...

A terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester has left two people dead and several others fighting for their lives on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

The prime minister has cut short his trip to Denmark to chair Cobra - as police investigate whether the perpetrator was known to security. Manchester is sadly once again coming together to reject hatred in the aftermath of appalling violence.

Andy Hughes, presenter of The Crime Agents podcast, talks through the police response and the changing nature of terrorism in the UK.

Later, David Yelland...

Earlier this week President Trump announced his so-called "Board of Peace", to help bring an end to the war in Gaza.

He also announced that Tony Blair would be a member. He's a "very good man", Trump said. But considering his legacy in the region, is the former Prime Minister really the person to work alongside Trump and Netanyahu to bring about peace?

Later in the show, Emily speaks with the playwright Suzie Miller, who discusses how we should be educating young men to help them avoid a growing culture of toxic, abusive and misogynistic...

The PM took on what he called the "enemies of national renewal" in his conference speech today - accusing Nigel Farage of exploiting the “politics of grievance”.

Keir Starmer instead pledged a Britain "built for all" - he spoke of the fight for the "soul" of the country. It was all spelt out in quite stark terms, and Starmer's clearest enunciation yet that he sees Farage and Reform, not Badenoch and the Conservatives, as his main threat. He portrayed a new political clash - between decency and division.

The Labour faithful lapped up his patriotic line...

Labour politicians are upping their attacks on Nigel Farage and Reform UK in Liverpool.

Rachel Reeves took to the conference stage to brand Farage "the single greatest threat to our way of life". And over the weekend, Keir Starmer levelled the accusation that Reform's policy on deporting migrants with indefinite leave to remain was "racist".

The shift in tone is not without risk - with the tabloids already accusing the PM of labelling voters more generally who are concerned about migration as racist.

But so far at party conference, cabinet ministers appear to...

Cast your mind back to last year in Liverpool and it's hard to imagine much more of a contrasting picture to this year's Labour party conference.

Then, party members were still basking in the glow of the election victory, Keir Starmer applauded as the leader who'd defied the odds and returned Labour to power.

Now? Leadership jockeying is well underway, a deputy leadership battle could further divide the party, and there is widespread dismay at the speed with which Labour's honeymoon period in office ended - if it ever existed at all.

Is...

In many ways, Leo Varadkar was a historic Taoiseach. The youngest Irish PM, the first from an ethnic minority, and the first openly gay head of government.

His time at the top of Irish politics was also historic - he grappled with Trump's first term, the Brexit years, and the Covid pandemic.

At just 44 years of age, he walked away from politics. But he is still fascinated - even obsessed - by the political arena.

He's written a memoir, 'Speaking My Mind', about his rise to power and his time at the seat...

Gabby is joined by Ruby Tui - the nation has fallen in love with this World Cup winner and Olympic medallist over this Women's Rugby World Cup. She tells her story, from calling King Charles "bruv", to escaping domestic abuse, and getting 40,000 fans to sing a Maori folk song after winning a home World Cup.

Ahead of Saturday's final, Ruby says it's an honour to witness this moment in sporting history. England haven't lost since the last World Cup Final... no pressure then!

If you have been a victim of domestic abuse, help is available...

It feels like Andy Burnham is everywhere right now. Interviews in the New Statesman and The Telegraph have propelled the question of his leadership ambitions into Keir Starmer’s face. Does he have a really chance of challenging the PM? And what is his vision for Labour if so?

Later, we interview comedian and director of The Producers, Patrick Marber, about Nazi satire, Jimmy Kimmel and Tommy Robinson's march.

Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/

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Ed Davey closed the Lib Dem conference with a warning not to let Trump’s America become Farage's Britain. What might have sounded hyperbolic 24 hours ago sounded prescient by 8 am this morning - after Farage went on LBC and refused to distance himself from Trump's Tylenol conspiracy and then segued neatly into a discussion about immigrants eating swans (the Royal Park’s police deny all knowledge of this). Opinion polls suggest the Brits are not big fans of Trump. Has Ed Davey spotted political opportunity in exploiting this fully? And is Farage going off the boil?

Later, we s...

The US president is pushing his health secretary’s latest conspiracy theory from the White House. This one links a paracetamol painkiller with autism in pregnant women - a claim which has been discredited by numerous large scale studies and scientists. But is the damage already done? Today our own health secretary took to the television to warn women not to listen to the US president. How damaging will Trump’s words be? And is it all part of a larger movement to discredit science and expertise?

Later, Reform UK are being told their "numbers don’t add up...

The PM's recognition of a nominal state or Palestine has provoked a furious response from the right flank of the Israeli government - several members of which are openly calling on their own government to now seize the occupied West Bank in retaliation.

Israel says this is a reward for Hamas and that Keir Starmer is concerned with his own party management - is there any truth to any of that? Why is Netanyahu unable to see the part he himself has played in bringing this historical move about? Will any of the rhetoric bring salvation to...

Imagine if the Industrial Revolution took place over 10 years instead of 100. Imagine if most human labour was about to become redundant. Imagine if machines transformed our economy, our society, our politics.

You'd think politicians would be talking about it, making policies to manage it - leading a critical national conversation, perhaps even raising the alarm.

Well you don't need to imagine it. It's already happening. And our politicians are, almost entirely, silent.

In this special report, Lewis sees firsthand the almost unbelievable changes already afoot on America's west coast, at the pioneering forefront...

Eddie Hearn sits down with Gabby & Mark to talk about the evolution of Matchroom from a £100 sports promotion company, formed under under the staircase of the Romford Snooker Club, to a billion pound global behemoth.

Eddie speaks openly about still trying to impress his Dad, Matchroom founder Barry Hearn, planning for life after Anthony Joshua and his pain at how much more profitable the darts is than the boxing!

And in the week we lost ‘The Hitman’ Ricky Hatton - Eddie also pays tribute to one of the most loved boxers this country has ever produ...

Overnight, the late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was literally cancelled - taken off air and his show suspended, for what his ABC network bosses called "insensitivity" over Charlie Kirk’s death.

The firing came after comments from the broadcast regulator suggesting he would revoke licences if the show wasn’t stopped.

Are media companies now complicit in Trump's plan to silence them? And why isn’t anyone in MAGA calling out this version of cancel culture now?

Later, we are with Trump and Starmer in the Chequers press conference as they face questi...

POTUS has landed in the UK - where he's been so effectively directing public conversation and with increasing noise on the Right about the need for Britain's own MAGA movement. What do the British public really think about Trump? Do they welcome or resent this "unprecedented" state visit? And will it make Keir Starmer’s own position stronger or weaker? We speak to More in Common's Luke Tryl.

Later, why are British MPs getting barred from Israel? And what do they want the PM to say to Donald Trump on Gaza? We speak to Dr Simon Opher, on...

Last night, JD Vance appeared as guest host on Charlie Kirk's podcast. He took the opportunity to use the platform and vow to "dismantle institutions on the left that promote violence and terrorism." He used the death of his good friend, Charlie Kirk, to warn that “an incredibly destructive movement of left wing extremism“ contributed to his killing. Is the Trump administration genuinely blind to the violence also coming from the right? Or are they using this high profile tragedy as a way to justify a crack down that was always part of their plan?

Later, what did...

Elon Musk popped up at Tommy Robinson's march in London on Saturday, calling for parliament to be dissolved, overthrown and for people to fight or die. So, that’s all normal. UK Politicians by and large seemed to think that was all fine. So is the far right now normalised to such a degree even the government won’t properly call it out? And who are all these people lining up alongside Tommy Robinson - a man once considered a racist and a thug by many?

Later, the MP for Wiltshire Devizes has just switched parties without a by...

Nicola Sturgeon has a message for Keir Starmer. Stop legitimising Nigel Farage - or you’ll make him the next PM.

Scotland’s former first minister has done a lot of reflecting since she left office. In an extended interview we talk about her fractious relationship with Alex Salmond, her conclusions on her gender ID policy, the police investigation that saw a blue “murder tent“ erected in her garden, and whether she could have won Scottish independence if she’d led the campaign.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.c...

A special interview today with a sprinter - who ironically - is living proof that it’s NEVER too late to start! Eugene Amo-Dadzie has shot to stardom as ‘The World’s Fastest Accountant’, literally balancing spreadsheets with sport until he was 26 years old!

Last month he tied his hero Linford Christie’s 100M time and became the joint second-fastest British man over 100m (9.87). It’s an amazing story that has led all the way to the start line at this weekend’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and you’re gonna love him!

Plus we'll look back...

American flags are flying at half mast today to honour the memory of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and MAGA influencer shot dead at a university event in Utah.

It is hard to state how influential Kirk was in attracting younger voters towards the Republicans. Donald Trump has said he was influential to his 2024 election campaign.

In a White House video, Trump said the “radical left” were "directly responsible" for the "terrorism" now present in America, by comparing “wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers”. He pledged that it would be p...

Lord Mandelson has admitted there may be more embarrassing emails and correspondence between himself and the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The US ambassador was speaking to The Sun the day after a birthday message emerged calling Epstein his “best pal“, and just as the Telegraph revealed details of a business deal that Mandelson worked on with Epstein AFTER he had been convicted.

Keir Starmer has stood by his ambassador but failed to answer Kemi’s PMQs question - did he know about these dealings when he originally signed off the job? Can Mandelson stay in his ro...

A US congressional committee has made public the 'birthday book' allegedly given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 to mark his fiftieth birthday. In it, messages, photos and drawings from his friends - including Donald Trump.

The White House is furiously denying that the American President ever submitted a drawing to Epstein, insisting that the signature is not his. Democrats have called it "revolting" and "sick". After spending so long shouting about an Epstein cover up, how wounded are Trump and the Republicans by the latest revelations?

Later, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web...

Labour's new home secretary Shabana Mahmood has barely got her feet under the desk, but already the rhetoric out of the home office has changed. Countries that don't "play ball" on migrant returns could lose visas - Mahmood stressing she will do "whatever it takes" to secure Britain's borders and stop the boats.

Her appointment appears to be a tacit admission that Labour's first year has failed on migration - and in response, it looks like Keir Starmer has tacked right in the hope of beating off Reform. On welfare, suggestions too that Labour could be set...

Keir Starmer announced 'Phase 2' of his government on Monday - a reset of his Downing St operation supposed to get Labour gripping the agenda and on the front foot for the year ahead.

Just four days on, the PM faces his biggest test yet. Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, housing secretary, and deputy Labour leader resigning after a breach of the ministerial code for not paying the correct tax on the purchase of a flat in Hove.

In response, Starmer is undergoing a sweeping reshuffle - only the chancellor Rachel Reeves was told her...

Former Super Bowl champion Jason Bell joins Gabby and Mark to talk about the NFL's biggest transfer drama of the summer, which puts the Alexander Isak saga to shame. We're talking about a huge standoff, the highest paid non-quarterback in history and a new Super Bowl favourite. (05:30)

Plus we look back at this week on The Sports Agents. Former Premier League striker, Troy Deeney, joined us after deadline day as we asked, should Marc Guehi should have thrown a transfer tantrum like Isak? And with Olympic medallists still owed millions of dollars from Michael Johnson's Grand Slam...

The morning after Nigel Farage appeared in Washington DC to berate his own country before Congress, the News Agents decamped to a Farage-free zone; his own constituency of Clacton-on-Sea.

On Capitol Hill, Farage warned that the UK was turning into "North Korea" due to the restrictions on free speech laws. He urged the US not to follow Britain down this path - even urging Donald Trump to slap sanctions on his own country if it forces big tech companies to follow UK law rather than America's.

We’ve been asking people here how they feel ab...

Angela Rayner broke cover today - just before PMQs - to give an interview to Sky News in which she admitted she may have made a mistake on the tax she paid for her seaside property. The details are complicated - and involved both her special needs son and her divorce - but was it tax evasion (illegal) or tax avoidance (not illegal)?

And will her political future rest on the answer?

Later, we’re discussing Graham Linehan , Lucy Connolly, JD Vance and freedom of speech in the UK.

The News Agents is br...

Nick Clegg worked intimately alongside Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook/Meta for seven years. He departed Silicon Valley in January and has written a new book - How to Save the Internet - and given his first broadcast interview to The News Agents.

Is the world wide web as we know it being dismantled? Does he still see social media as a force for good? Could it impact an election? And how much did Zuckerberg care about the impact the product has on children’s health? We chat AI, British politics, and why he suspended Trump from the pl...

Keir Starmer has shaken up his core team in Downing Street today. It's an attempt to grip the agenda, improve the government's messaging and take on Nigel Farage after a difficult first year in office.

"Delivery, delivery, delivery" was what the Prime Minister said was the government's priority for the year ahead - but deliver what? There is a debate taking place in the Labour party between those who believe a more progressive case is needed, that you don't beat Farage by apeing his talking points.

Others are convinced that it is only by addressing...

This is the first part of two special Friday episodes on the way AI promises to transform our politics, economies and societies. Lewis has been in San Francisco, where trillions of dollars of investment in AI is fuelling the 21st century equivalent of the space race. Around half a dozen firms are powering this revolution, largely out of sight or scrutiny. While the political and economic implications are profound, politicians seem unwilling or unable to even conceptualise what might be about to happen to their own voters.

In the first of these special episodes, Lewis has been...

Our guest today, Alice Cooper, fought to set up the first ever Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, along with three other trailblazing women. It took players selling Russian dolls and vodka to pay their way, organising everything over fax, and Alice losing her job - but they did it. Alice tells Gabby and Mark the story of how they paved the way for this year's World Cup.

Plus, we look back at the best bits from this week's shows: former Nottingham Forest player David Prutton asked, could Mourinho replace Nuno at Forest?! After dream debuts for 16-year-old...

There's news today of a Downing Street shakeup and speculation too about a ministerial reshuffle next week. Parliament returns on Monday, with Labour MPs hoping that the new term will bring with it a chance to rejuvenate a government that has plummeted in the polls and a party that seems almost mutinous.

This summer, Nigel Farage has planted himself at the centre of the news agenda - with regular press conference, media stunts and interventions. Labour ministers have been doing the round too - but they seem to have less to say in recent weeks than the...

It's a story that reads like it's jumped out of a thriller novel. Denmark has today summoned America's top diplomat in the country, after reports emerged that figures connected to the Trump administration had infiltrated Greenland to conduct “covert influence operations”.

Denmark's national broadcaster has today come out with a jaw-dropping story alleging that three US citizens are suspected of recruiting Greenlanders for a US-sponsored “separatist” movement. Are they rogue operatives - or are they working on behalf of the US State? Jon and Lewis speak to the journalist who broke the story,

Later, Labour are on t...

In an airport hangar in Oxfordshire, Nigel Farage unveiled Reform UK's mass deportation plan. Farage pledged to tear up international treaties, build new removal centres, and strike deals with foreign countries in an effort to drive up returns at pace should he become PM. There was a dark message in his speech - that without his radical programme, Britain faces rising anger, even civil disorder.

Speaking at length about a political class and a legal class pitted against this action, Farage asked: "Whose side are you on?".

It follows a weekend in which Tory politicians...

Does Putin have something on Trump? Is Trump deliberately deflecting attention from the Epstein saga? Is Starmer's advisor, Morgan McSweeney, overestimated by the media? And what response has Lewis had to his 100% inheritance tax theory...?

This Friday, Lewis and Jon answer your questions.

Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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As part of a special weekend edition of The Sports Agents - Gabby's been at Twickenham - the home of England rugby - to speak to key members of England's Red Roses squad ahead of the start of the Women's Rugby World Cup!

Over 375,000 tickets have already sold for a 32-match home tournament which kicks off on Friday as England bid to avenge their narrow World Cup final defeat to New Zealand back in 2021.  

Gabby sits down with Mo Hunt and Emily Scarratt, two of England's most decorated players, as well as, former captain-turned-coach Sarah Hu...

Palestinians have started to flee Gaza City after the IDF commenced its offensive on the largest city in the Strip.

The incursion has been condemned by aid agencies, international allies and hostage families. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the move is necessary to "shortening the timelines" to seize "the last terror strongholds" in Gaza from Hamas. What happens now? We speak to Leila Molana-Allen, special correspondent for PBS Newshour.

Later, Jon interviews the historian Andrew Lownie about his bombshell new book 'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York'.

...

Anti-migrant protesters are celebrating today, with The Bell Hotel in Epping set to close its doors to asylum seekers after becoming a battleground over the summer on the issue.

A High Court ruling ordered The Bell to stop housing migrants on a planning technicality. It did not receive the proper permission to switch its use from short-term stays to people living there for more than 30-day stretches, despite having run as such without incident for more than five years.

A failed last-minute attempt by the Home Office to get the case dismissed laid out the...

There is a growing chorus of opinion - both inside the Labour party and out - which is increasingly uneasy about the recent mass arrests of demonstrators who have been showing their support for the now proscribed group Palestine Action.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, banned the direct action group under terrorism legislation in July - but since then hundreds of people have been detained for expressing solidarity with the body and its aims. But that decision has been questioned, with Labour members opposed to the move, Labour MPs critical, and even the author Sally Rooney pledging...

In a tone entirely different from Zelenksyy’s last visit to Washington in February, this evening saw Trump praising the Ukrainian president. Zelenksyy was on the charm offensive. And it seemed to work. Trump bestowed his other European guests with compliments and promised that America would play a key part in the security guarantees if there is a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

It was in some ways a remarkable event, with European leaders sat around the roundtable kissing the ring of President Trump. But will it amount to anything? Can the US really guarantee the se...

There's plenty about the build up to this Trump-Zelenskyy summit which tells you that it is no normal meeting. The questions over whether President Zelenskyy will wear a suit and tie. The video from the plane where Keir Starmer pleads with Trump to secure a "just peace". And the Truth Social posts from President Trump, just hours ahead of their talks, where he pre-emptively told the world that NATO membership was off the cards for Ukraine, as was the prospect of Crimea being returned.

Why is Trump seemingly setting pre-conditions for Ukraine which look very much like...

President Zelenksyy is on his way to Washington to meet with President Trump. He's followed by several European leaders, including Keir Starmer. Rarely is international diplomacy carried out under these circumstances. So, what would a deal look like? Why are those European leaders choosing to go to with Zelenkyy? And is this Europe's final stand against Putin?

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From coast to coast, America’s towns and cities have been besieged by an opioid epidemic, a crisis which has wrought misery and wielded political consequence.

Deep in the Nevada desert, Las Vegas - a city renowned for its seedy underbelly, has some 1,500 people living in its 600 miles of flash flood tunnels - many addicted to fentanyl. Lewis meets some of the tunnels’ residents to find out how this years-long epidemic is still wreaking havoc and claiming lives.

Despite being insulated from the crisis for so long, British treatment services are sounding the alarm bell. Nita...

Gabby and Mark answer your Premier League questions ahead of the new season!

Which Match of the Day pundit is most fun to watch a match with? Best Premier League game we've ever watched live? And what's our wildest hot take for the season? (09:15)

Plus we look back at a big week on the podcast featuring Alan Shearer's Premier League predictions, Chris Wilder's survival guide for promoted sides, and David Ornstein's updates on the biggest transfers. (03:00)

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Barely a day goes by without a right-wing influencer proclaiming that London has fallen. Crime in the capital, it is said, is rampant, police nowhere to be seen - it's a grim picture painted by those who decry 'Sadiq Khan's London'.

But is any of this actually borne out in reality? Do the facts back up this portrait of the city? And if not, why are there so many on the hard right so determined to trash London's image?

Later, a report from Vegas about a jaw-dropping new AI product, which raises questions about life...

While the Vice President holidays in the Cotswolds, Donald Trump's administration has accused the British government of “repeatedly” imposing “serious restrictions” on free speech - and accuses the UK of backsliding on human rights.

The US State Department cites the Online Safety Act and abortion buffer zones, in its rationale for sounding the alarm about Britain's recent record - does it have a leg to stand on? LBC's political editor Natasha Clark joins Jon to explore that report.

Later, with European leaders meeting with President Zelenskyy today, capitals across the continent are bracing for impact ahead of...

“Violent gangs", "bloodthirsty criminals", "roving gangs of wild youths", "drugged out maniacs". These may sounds like scenes from a Charles Dickens novel, but they are the words used by Donald Trump to describe Washington DC, as he announced he was sending the National Guard in to the capital.

As recently as May, President Trump was proclaiming a sharp drop in crime in the city. Indeed, the official statistics suggest DC has made significant improvements in safety in the past couple of years. So why is he declaring a war on crime, and taking such drastic action, when th...

In just a few days time, Vladimir Putin is set to set foot on American soil for the first time in a decade. He's been invited to Alaska by Donald Trump, a man desperate to claim that he has brought the conflict in Ukraine to an end.

There is just one problem with that. Putin hasn't offered any significant concessions, and Ukraine and its allies are demanding that no Ukrainian territory seized by Russian soldiers during the war is given up - a red line it looks like Trump is set to ignore. Ukraine's President Zelenksyy, as...

This Friday, Jon and Lewis are back with more of your questions. Would the markets take fright at a Jeremy Corbyn or Nigel Farage premiership like they did with Liz Truss? Is the media biased towards Reform over the Lib Dems? And could we ever see Benjamin Netanyahu arrested?

Later - it may feel like we are living in a uniquely settled world, but was there ever a time in the past century where things actually felt any calmer?

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The Championship kicks off this weekend but Sheffield Wednesday players and staff are still waiting to be paid. For the inside story of how the club fell apart, Mark is joined by Chris Powell, the assistant coach who left a few weeks ago. And it's not just Sheffield who are struggling - so who's next and how do we keep finding ourselves here? (02:00)

Plus, we look back at this week's shows where we asked... Is Isak to Liverpool the last transfer saga? And should cricket ditch The Hundred? (18:30)

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Labour's homelessness minister is facing fury from her own side and calls to resign - not for her track record in government but her track record as a landlord. Rushnara Ali, the MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney, rented out a four-bedroom townhouse in east London, and the tenants have gone to the press to complain about their treatment. One told the I newspaper that they received an email saying that the lease on their tenancy would not be renewed as Ms Ali was looking to sell the property - and yet just weeks after they left, they found...

Thousands of people have gathered in Hiroshima - including representatives from 120 countries - to come together with a renewed call for nuclear disarmament.

America's use of the atom bomb on the Japanese city, followed by Nagasaki a few days later, remains the only time in human history that nuclear weapons have been deployed in armed conflict.

To some, it was a decisive turning point in WW2 - the moment where the Axis powers realised they were destined for defeat. But to others, including Jeremy Corbyn, the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were crimes against humanity...

“The die has been cast. We’re going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip – and defeating Hamas." That was the quote from the Israeli Prime Minister's office given to media last night in Jerusalem.

Despite mounting criticism of the plan, including from former military officials, politicians and the families of the hostages still in Hamas captivity, Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to occupy the entirety of Gaza.

Why is he ignoring the pleas, both domestically and internationally, not to escalate the conflict? Would it help or hinder his efforts to free the hostages and elimin...

More protests at migrant hotels took place this weekend - with people trying to break into a hotel in Canary Wharf on Sunday. As things escalated, rumours started to swirl. Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi posted that police had banned all protest outside the hotel- only for the Met to point out that no such ban existed. Another Conservative MP quoted a video claiming (incorrectly) to show an illegal Deliveroo worker getting a police escort. So why are some Tories spreading misinformation? And why are they talking about 'revolts' against the 'regime'?

And, as Lewis returns from Japan...

Why are more and more young people turning to God? A recent YouGov poll suggests the number has doubled in the past six years from 22% to 45% saying they now actively have faith.

It's being called the “Quiet Revival“. It may be happening under the radar but the numbers suggest a revolution. Is it a response to covid, smart phones, or perhaps a crisis in masculinity? Or has atheism just had its day?

We are at the Wildfires Christian festival to find out what’s going on.

You can visit our website here https://www.th...

We bring you a UK exclusive interview with a genuine WWE icon - Triple H!

Mark Pougatch sits down with 'Hunter' to discuss what makes President Trump a 'genius', why wrestling is more real than you might think behind the scenes, and to pay tribute to the late Hulk Hogan. (5:30)

Plus, a taste of this week's special interview with Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl winner who rewrote American sporting history, and is now a minority owner of Birmingham City FC. And we reacted to the Lionesses winning the Euros again (is this the new...

Exclusively on The News Agents, we speak to top democrat Jamie Raskin. He's here on a mission to find out if free speech is under threat in Europe. It’s a big talking point in the MAGASphere - he’s visiting with the judiciary committee. So why did he find himself shouted down at a public event by one Nigel Farage?

Later, we talk to Bafta winning actor Adeel Akhtar - famed for Four Lions- about his latest play about money, family, and politics - The Estate.

You can visit our website here https://www.then...

After a ninety minute crisis cabinet meeting - driven by the appalling scenes of starvation in Gaza - Keir Starmer emerged with a plan: the UK would recognise Palestine by September. If Israel hadn’t changed its behaviour before then. So, is statehood for Palestine an end goal for UK foreign policy? Or just a punishment for Israel? And what happens if there ARE moves towards peace in the next six weeks - is that rewarded by the UK stepping back from its pledge? We talk to global historian Peter Frankopan about what “recognition“ really means. And ask Emily Thornb...

Nigel Farage is no stranger to harsh criticism from his political rivals, but never before has he been linked to prolific paedophile Jimmy Savile.

That is, until now.

Cabinet minister Peter Kyle has accused the Reform UK leader of being “on the side” of Savile after Farage said he would repeal the government’s online safety act.

Farage has now demanded an apology - but Kyle’s doubled down.

Are Labour brushing over the genuine unease that many people have about the online safety act? And is their rhetoric making Farage look lik...

A wave of anti-migrant protests and counter-protests took place at migrant hotels around the country this weekend, with police being drafted in from all around. So, how close are we to another summer of riots? We sent The Crime Agent's Andy Hughes down to the protests in Epping as tensions in the community have been escalating for weeks.

Later, how safe are the new online age verification measures brought in for the Online Safety Act?

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This Friday, Jon is joined by Tina Brown - former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker - to discuss her run ins with Jeffrey Epstein, the fallout from the Epstein files, and what this could all spell for President Trump.

You can read Tina's substack 'Fresh Hell' here: https://tinabrown.substack.com/

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England are into the Euros final again! Last time, as soon as they won the Lionesses sent a letter to Downing Street demanding equal access to PE for girls. If they wrote again this time, what should they ask for to make football more inclusive for women? Gabby figures it out with Vice Chair of Kick It Out, Chris Paouros, and author of "Get Your Tits Out For The Lads", Sally Freedman. (06:30)

Plus we share our favourite bits from this week's episodes - how will Marcus Rashford fit in at Barcelona? Can we start comparing Scottie Scheffler...

This is the story that Trump just can’t escape. The White House has pushed back after reports that the President was told in May that he was among hundreds of names mentioned in the Epstein Files.

As the pressure mounts, and Trump’s attempts to deflect the story fail, can he ‘fake news’ his way out of it? Or could the MAGA faithful finally turn on the President?

For the last two weeks, Donald Trump has been trying to make the Epstein story go away after he claimed there were no missing files and there was nothing more to see.

Now, Ghislaine Maxwell - the former partner of Jeffrey Epstein, and the only person to serve jail time for his crimes - has been summoned to a meeting with the US justice department. Why? What information could she offer up that she hasn’t before? Do they want her to name names? Or take Trump’s name out of the frame? And might she walk free...

“Let them eat burgers“ - Israel’s PM Netanyahu has popped up on a Canadian fratcast talking about his favourite fast food and weighing up the merits of the Double Whopper. Across the border, Gazans are starving to death - UN estimates suggest a thousand have been shot in the meagre food distribution queues. Many more are facing malnutrition and critical levels of hunger. We keep being told that 80 percent of Israelis are against the war - so why hasn’t it stopped? We speak to Ayala Panievsky.

Later, Hunter Biden rants at George Clooney and Barack Obama’s...

Donald Trump has filed two defamation suits of ten billion dollars each against Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal. The newspaper claimed Trump sent a lurid birthday note to the grim dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - something Trump has vehemently denied. Why is Trump trying to kill the Epstein story now? And why won’t his MAGA base let it die?

Later, has environment secretary Steve Reed really stopped water bosses bonuses? Or are they just taking home their millions in a different way?

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This Friday, Jon and Lewis answer your questions about the Afghan data leak - what were the legal loopholes? Why hasn’t the Speaker resigned? And is there a situation where you'd ever disobey a super injunction?

Later, why is the Labour party at war with Diane Abbott? And is the story of the couple caught having an affair at a Coldplay concert really a public interest story worth our attention?

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As almost 100,000 fans head to Wembley Stadium to watch Oleksandr Usyk fight Daniel Dubois to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion, Gabby and Mark are joined by boxing reporter, Steve Bunce, who never fails to make us laugh! (09:00)

Plus, Gabby and Mark look back at the best bit from this week's shows!

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Last night the Prime Minister chucked four of his more rebellious MPs out of the parliamentary Labour Party. Technically, he 'removed the whip' which means that for now they cannot call themselves Labour MPs. Was he right to move against them? Does it make him stronger or weaker in his job? And what message does it send out about how Starmer wants to govern?

Later, why were key intelligence figures not informed of the Afghan data breach? And did the government mislead the courts over the severity of the situation?

The News Agents is brought...

Questions are still mounting after the super-injunction imposed on The News Agents - to stop us reporting the story of a catastrophic data breach that put up to 100,000 Afghan allies at risk - was lifted.

Who bears the heaviest burden of responsibility for creating this mess?

Emily, Jon and Lewis discuss the questions that the Tories, who imposed the super injunction in 2023, need to face up to - and why Labour, who upheld the super-injunction for nearly a year, must also be held accountable.

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The government admitted today that the superinjunction which for two years prevented us from reporting on a “catastrophic” data breach which put the lives of 100,000 Afghans at potentially lethal risk by the Taliban was “constitutionally unprecedented”.

The Defence secretary stood up in the Commons to issue an apology to those Afghans whose data had been leaked, and said that it had been “deeply uncomfortable” to have kept parliament - and the public - in the dark.

On the day that the story finally became public, John Healey came in to speak exclusively to Lewis, the first journa...

For nearly two years the government has taken The News Agents and other journalists to a secret court to prevent us from reporting a story of huge public interest.

In August 2023 Lewis was told of a massive data breach at the Ministry of Defence - a dataset including the names and contact details of 18000 applicants to the ARAP programme, the scheme for Afghans who had helped the British armed forces in the 20 year war in the country.

These people were already at risk of reprisal from the Taliban and now their details were out there...

More in Common's latest research of 20 thousand people suggests nearly 90 percent of us have little or no trust in politicians. 70 percent of voters think this country is on the wrong track, and the prevailing word used to describe Britain is 'broken'. What does that mean for main stream political parties? How do they convince people politics can improve their lives? And will the next electoral race be between populists on the left and populists on the right?

We dig into the 7 political tribes as described by More in Common's Luke Tryl and ask the man who wants...

It would be an exaggeration to say the vultures are already circling the wagon - but there are already conversations taking place about Keir Starmer's future. Bloomberg and Sky have both reported that sources in Labour are already contemplating the prospect of a move against the PM next May after the local elections.

Absolutely crucial to those results will be Wales. Labour has never been out of power since devolution in Wales - more than a quarter of a century ago. But if polling is to be believed, that could. all be about to change. Reform and...

More bonus content from our new-look weekend edition!

The British & Irish Lions are soon to face Australia in the big three Tests, after wrapping up their warm-up games. So Gabby caught up with former Lions & England flanker, James Haskell to talk about Henry Pollock, where the team need to improve, what it's like to get a late call up like Owen Farrell and almost killing Rory Best on Tour.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault support is available. You can contact The Survivors Trust on 0808 801 0818 or online for confidential...