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The News Agents

Global

Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall – three of the UK’s top journalists – host an award-winning daily news podcast: The News Agents.

They’re not just here to tell you what's happening, but why. Expect astute analysis and explanation of the day's news – and a healthy dose of scepticism and the ability to laugh at it all when needed.

Episodes are available every weekday afternoon. You can listen to The News Agents on Alexa, just say "Alexa ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is a Global Player Original podcast.

For advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: GlobalStudiosSales@global.com

You can visit our website here https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/

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Yesterday · 31 min
Why is Elon Musk sabotaging Ukraine?
Just days after Donald Trump signed a deal with Vladimir Putin to import Russian oil into America, Ukraine has been dealt a new blow from the US. Elon Musk has been accused of restricting the use of his Starlink devices - crucial satellites used by Ukraine in their war against the Kremlin. Why does it appear that MAGA seems intent on throwing the war for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and, as Andy Burnham hosts Ukraine's president in Downing Street - is there anything he can do to repair the damage? We speak to Trump's former Special Representative for Negotiations with Ukraine, Kurt Volker. Later, the Prime Minister has insisted he won't do any deal with the Greens while their 'Zionism is racism' motion remains party policy. Does he really mean what he says? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
Tuesday · 42 min
Why won't the Tories stop flogging Brexit?
Andy Burnham seems set on bringing the UK closer to the EU. How much closer still isn't clear - but some in Labour are now talking up the possibility of reversing Brexit entirely. Some Red Wall MPs aren't happy with that, but if Downing Street is serious about getting some growth into the economy, wouldn't it be one of the obvious levers to pull? And given, as the PM says, the public has moved more quickly than Parliament on Brexit - why are the Tories digging in on never going back? We speak to Kemi Badenoch's PPS John Glen. Later, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's house was raided by US federal agents, just three weeks ahead of crucial midterm elections. The DOJ says it's part of a federal criminal investigation - but is it simply an abuse of power intended to swing vote back to the Republicans? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
Monday · 37 min
Has Putin made Trump look like an idiot again?
Donald Trump knows who his friends are and who his enemies are. And in 2026, with midterm elections just days away, Trump has decide his friend is Putin and his job is to lift sanctions to buy Russian oil - enriching the Kremlin in the process. He’s hoping it will bring down the price of diesel to convince consumers to vote for his party in the elections. But it’s a move that smacks of cowardice and in any case comes too late to change the price at the pumps. Meanwhile here we are grappling with the cost of Trump's war in Iran as we head into our own budget . We ask Helen Miller of the IFS what levers she’d pull to change the country’s fortunes. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
Friday · 38 min
Polanski's by-election crash out - is he finished?
For Polanski, this was supposed to be a defining moment. He chose to put his own leadership on the line in the seat vacated by Keir Starmer. Instead, Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali won with 45% of the vote. With questions over the Greens’ economic offer, internal divisions and the fallout from their controversial conference motion on Zionism, is this the moment Polanski’s movement meets the limits of its appeal? And what is the future of the party now? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
October 8 · 43 min· Video
Premier League vs Man City | Nedum Onuoha: It feels like 'The End' - The Sports Agents
After the boardroom drama of the last fortnight the Premier League is back and focus shifts to Manchester City’s players who face the court of public opinion for the first time since the guilty verdicts vs Liverpool at Anfield. It’s going to be a bear pit and, as Liverpool await, lifelong City fan Nedum Onuoha opens up for the first time about how the Manchester City financial case has changed his relationship with the club. He joins Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman to explore the pressure facing City’s players and your ideas for making Premier League spending rules fairer. Plus: Manchester United v Tottenham — already a must-win? And what is going on with Cristiano Ronaldo after he accuses his Portugal manager of broken promises while insisting his international career isn’t over. 📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7 🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod 📱Follow us on socials: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/ X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod 📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com 💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6 Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Senior Producer: David Finch Video Producer: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents". 👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents
October 8 · 49 min
Did Trump just lose it in Texas?
Donald Trump’s latest campaign rally for the midterms was beset with hecklers as the president urged Texans to vote Republican. It was his third trip to the traditionally ruby red state this month alone. He made some characteristically inaccurate statements on stage, including calling Democratic senate candidate James Talarico a "christian who hates christianity", who also believes God is "transgender". So is Trump in panic-mode ahead of next months election? Jon and Lewis ask whether the President is starting to unravel as the polls turn against him across the country. Later, Emily speaks with Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist who spent 16 months in a Russian jail. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
October 7 · 36 min
Has Kemi decided Reform are a bunch of racists?
Kemi Badenoch's speech to the Tory party conference was much trailed for its tax cuts and its economic adventurism. What was not expected, however, was the manner in which she would choose to sock it to Reform. Drawing on her own family experiences, she called out the ethno-nationalism of the parties on her right, swearing she would not “unite with THAT”. This on the same day the Reform party - marking its own homework - declared no wrongdoing over the polling scandal exposed by Channel 4 News and Verbatim. Is Kemi winning new friends? Or is the party still deluded about its popularity? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
October 6 · 37 min
How a ketamine-fuelled gang rape case divided America
How did a woman who consented to sex with one man end up being allegedly raped by seven? Why was her 'availability' shared on a frat house Snapchat group? And what do newly released phone transcripts tell us about what went on in the subsequent weeks? We delve into the horrifying Cornell University rape case that has divided America and ask how Trump has, once again, decided where the nation’s sympathy should lie. Later, why is it all kicking off on the streets of France and Spain? Student protests have created violent clashes with police. And the Spanish demands for better housing have led to a snap election. What is it all about? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
October 5 · 42 min
Have the Greens just voted for a de facto ban on Jews?
The Greens have become the first UK political party to call for a one state solution in Israel - and passed a motion asserting that "Zionism is fundamentally incompatible with anti racist principles, equality and justice". The conference in Brighton voted to "support the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state" - but rejected an amendment which would have clarified that the motion would "not be used to pressure, proscribe or discipline members based on affiliation with Jewish community institutions, such as synagogues... that describe themselves as Zionist". Why have they gone further than Palestinian leaders? Are British Jews who attend synagogues now seen by the party as "racist"? And why are Greens singling out the one Jewish state - without asking equal questions of the legitimacy of the establishment of others? Jon and Emily speak to Guardian columnist and Unholy podcast co-host Jonathan Freedland. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
October 2 · 1 hr 2 min
Special Report: Has Zack Polanski peaked?
The Green party has growing pains. Its conference in Brighton this year is bustling - even despite members being urged to spend their time campaigning in Holborn and St Pancras this weekend. There's a big media presence. And there's a lot to celebrate; not least the local election results and that pivotal Gorton and Denton by-election win earlier this year. But that's only one side of the picture. Zack Polanski's approval rating has plummeted. Stories about his tax affairs and CV have dogged the Greens for many months. Andy Burnham has turned the Labour ship around. And a motion at this conference, that 'Zionism is Racism', has dominated the coverage as the party headed down to Brighton. Even the party's former leader has criticised the motion, warning that it could be seen "as a sign that Jewish people aren’t welcome in the party." So how do the Greens and Zack Polanski regain that sense of momentum? How can they reclaim the sense of insurgency that saw them inflicting such serious damage to Keir Starmer just a few short months ago? Or has the Green bubble simply burst? Lewis and Jon have this special report from Green party conference in Brighton. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
October 1 · 32 min· Video
Is Man City case keeping Andy Burnham awake? - The Sports Agents
The Manchester City case has become a political story. As calls grow for City’s owners to be removed, Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he would be sorry to see them go. Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman are joined by Telegraph sports writer Owen Slot and The News Agents’ Jon Sopel to examine the latest fallout, what happens next for Manchester City — and what the case now means for the Premier League, its owners and the British government. 📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7 🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod 📱Follow us on socials: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/ X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod 📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com 💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6 Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Senior Producer: David Finch Video Producer: Daniel Aihie Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents". 👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents
October 1 · 53 min
WTF went on at RAF Fairford?
It's still not clear what happened at Fairford in the early hours of Sunday morning. Or why the five suspects arrested in connection with the incident were released on bail - a move even Donald Trump has criticised. But it is increasingly clear that Iran was involved. The News Agents sat down with the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, for an exclusive interview about the growing threat posed by Iran on British soil, the rise of extremism and foreign-sponsored terror on our streets, and whether Palestine Action should have been proscribed as a terrorist organisation. And later, after the botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee, can the death penalty ever be justified? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 30 · 41 min
Andy Burnham’s dirty political secret
How much does it cost to top the Premier League? A secret £830 million, it seems. Manchester City, and its billionaire Abu Dhabi owners, have been found guilty of a scheme to hide millions pumped into the club, breaking UK spending rules – and possibly a few laws too. It's a problem that kicked off in the beautiful game, but is landing now in politics. In Burnham's celebrated first speech at the Labour Party conference as leader he spoke against big corporations trampling on the average person. So will he stand with his city's big investors, or with those who feel wronged by Man City's financial actions? And how much is his legacy as Greater Manchester Mayor now tarnished by accusations of dirty money? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 29 · 33 min
Did Andy Burnham just deliver one of the great political speeches?
Andy Burnham promised a speech of substance and he was true to his word. Big announcements on social care, the triple lock, electoral reform, the water industry, the EU - all tied together in a deeply emotional and passionate speech about his vision for Britain. If anyone in Labour had any lingering doubts about toppling Keir Starmer, Burnham put those to bed in an hour and ten minutes on stage in Liverpool. Will it be enough to save Labour? Has his pledge to end the triple lock to fund social care become a stick to beat him with? Has he delivered on the promise to bring back hope? Later, we speak to Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander - who has written conference speeches since 1991 - on where Burnham's efforts ranked. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 28 · 35 min
Burnham’s first conference - is there really hope again?
There's a surprising buoyancy at Labour conference this year. For all the warnings of the grim economic backdrop and the myriad challenges facing Andy Burnham, his message of 'Hope Again' does seem to have registered, at least with the party faithful at Liverpool. But John Healey couldn't really sell sunlit uplands in his speech today - he was at pains to point out that this is NOT the 1990s. And a potential diesel export ban from Donald Trump could make things a whole lot bleaker. Can Burnham sail through this conference on vibes? And if his government is so keen on growing the economy, why can't they say where they stand on another runway at Heathrow? We speak to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 25 · 36 min
How the Royal family gets away with it
What if King Charles did tell Earl Spencer that "we’ll forget [Diana] soon enough" in the days after her death? It's one word against another but the public discourse seems pretty settled - that Diana's brother is at best misremembering, at worst lying. How much has the Palace spin team forged that narrative? If you read the Palace statement closely, you'll notice that it never outright denies the claim, even if it does point out that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason". "Never complain, never explain" is the motto associated with the Buckingham Palace media strategy. But they do complain. And they do explain - just not often publicly. Andrew Lownie's bombshell biography of Andrew Moutbatten-Windsor - 'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York' - shone a light on Andrew's relationship with Epstein before the release of the Epstein files. He has reported on and written about the Firm for years, but - unlike much of the Royal rota - they would much rather he didn't. In the week where the Royals find themselves dragged into yet another scandal, he sat down with Lewis to explore how the press operation around the King works, why he believes Spencer, and what Andrew thinks now. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 24 · 48 min· Video
Andy Murray, Andre Agassi, Arthur Fery: Laver Cup All-Access Pass | The Sports Agents - The Sports Agents
The Sports Agents are at the Laver Cup 2026 in London for a special episode with three generations of tennis stars. Andy Murray joins Gabby Logan for a wide-ranging conversation about life after tennis, the intensity of competing at the very top, and how his relationship with the game has changed. Murray is joined by one of the biggest names in the history of the sport, Andre Agassi, who reflects on rivalry, pressure, longevity and what it takes to survive at the highest level. And with Wimbledon Semi-Finalist Arthur Fery also joining the show, we look ahead to the next generation trying to make their mark. From two Grand Slam greats to one of Britain’s emerging talents, this is tennis past, present and future at the Laver Cup. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:32 Andre Agassi 16:28 Arthur Fery 26:30 Andy Murray 📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7 🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod 📱Follow us on socials: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/ X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod 📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com 💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6 Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Senior Producer: David Finch Video Producer: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents". 👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents
September 24 · 42 min
Is Tony Blair getting in Andy Burnham’s way?
On the eve of Andy Burnham’s first party conference as Prime Minister, Tony Blair has entered centre stage - to talk about rejoining the EU. Is he nudging Burnham towards his own goal? Or putting unnecessary hurdles in the new PM's way? And what is the state of the relationship between them? We talk to The New Statesman’s Tom McTague. And, as a new mega MRP poll lands suggesting the current number of parliamentary seats each party would win if the election were held tomorrow, we analyse why a snap election is so unlikely. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 23 · 34 min
Will Piers Morgan make Earl Spencer pulp his own book?
"I made a small error and I've apologised and it will be put right in the second edition, but that's it." That's what Earl Spencer told Lorraine this morning. The error in question is about Piers Morgan. In his new book, Spencer claims that Morgan published a hidden camera photo of Diana in 1993 while working for the Daily Mirror. The big problem with that? Morgan didn't join the Mirror until 1995. He's launched legal action against Diana's brother - and speaks to Jon and Emily. Later, Andy Burnham will be pleased that his first face to face with Donald Turmp went off without any major hiccup. Their meeting on the sidelines of the UN was actually pretty chummy in large part - so why is the UK now having to rethink its plan for the Chagos Islands as a result? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
September 22 · 37 min
How Trump silenced himself
It wasn’t meant to happen like this. When Trump decided to ban three news organisations from the White House in his latest iteration of an old man sulk, he didn’t expect the rest of the press to back them. But they have. No one took up the reins to lead the press pool - so last night went unfilmed. And various news outlets have decided not to take Trump audio either. Which is why, in a magnificent volte-face Trump ended up crashing socialist Mayor Mamdani's press conference in New York so he could find the cameras. He looks ridiculous. He knows he’s going to lose in the courts. So why are his enablers still pretending everything makes sense? Later, why are London gangs creating their own video game out of real gang violence? An exclusive report from the streets of London by The Crime Agents Andy Hughes. The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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