The News Agents

Last night - after Israel's Prime Minister addressed the nation - the troops went into Gaza. It was a raid that paved the way for what Netanyahu promised would be the ground invasion to come. But what is the end game here? And are any of Israel's allies prepared to try and stop them? We talk to the Economist's Defence Editor Shashank Joshi about how Israel is preparing for war and what the end game might be. Also - has Keir Starmer done enough to reassure large Muslim communities - and others - he understands their pain over the loss of life in Gaza? What do they need to hear him say if a ground war begins?And the US finally have a Speaker. And it's a guy that frankly, no one has ever heard of. Who is he?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Labour Muslim MPs have had a long meeting with leader Keir Starmer in which they expressed their discontent with their leader for not explicitly calling on Israel to do more to save civilian life in Gaza. He’s also seen at least 23 councillors step down over their frustration with Labour's position. Does the Labour leader need to do more to offer reassurance to Muslim voters and MPs? And why is it so problematic to ask for a ceasefire?Editor: Tom HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Rishi Sunak’s premiership is almost one year old. Is this where the Tory party wants to be 12 months out from an election? Can a party that’s been in power for 13 years win again? And what has to happen to make that possible?We talk to Ben Riley-Smith author of The Right to Rule and political editor of The Telegraph.Editor: Tom HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Producer: Phoebe Dampare-OseiVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben Bate You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Emily and Jon host a weekly US politics podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

Should it be a crime to shout "jihad" on the streets of London during a protest to support Palestinian rights? The Home Secretary had a meeting with Met Commissioner Mark Rowley to ask why the police weren't prepared to arrest those seeking to incite "violence or hatred" on Britain's streets. Context is everything of course, and jihad can mean many things. So where does free speech collide with threatening behaviour - when hate crime has risen so sharply since the October 7th Hamas attacks?We speak to one of the country's top voices on counter terrorism, Sir Peter Fahy - who warns politicians not to put community relations in jeopardy. And - after historic by election losses last week what is the Tory strategy? And is the chancellor going to stick around to find out?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Producer: Phoebe Dampare-OseiVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Two massive by-election losses in Tory heartland. Are Rishi Sunak's hopes of holding onto his premiership next year in tatters?They may still win Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire back in next year's general election, but that doesn't arrest the growing expectation that there is a distinct possibility the Conservatives could soon face electoral annihilation. We speak to Lara Spirit, editor of The Times' Red Box, to understand the political implications for the Tories and Sunak in the wake of last night's results.And - a voice from each party. Tory MP Robin Walker, who, despite campaigning in Mid Beds is still confident his party can recover (though one might say there's a slight falter in his voice);Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper tries to dampen her party's disappointment;and Labour shadow secretary Peter Kyle, who led the Labour campaign in Mid Beds has a thing or two (or three) to say about the Lib Dem's campaign - which he calls 'filth'.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Producer: Phoebe Dampare-OseiVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Just one day after the US president Joe Biden, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is on the ground in Israel pleading for the lives of British hostages and facing calls from Netanyahu for Britain’s “continuous support “. Rishi like Biden, is walking a fine line. We talk to Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor of The Economist about what's next as Western leaders scramble in the search for de-escalation.And later - is Sam Bankman-Freid a crook or a victim of a political pile-on? Once anticipated to be the world's first trillionaire he’s now got a "99.5% chance" of going to prison for fraud for 115...years. We speak to Michael Lewis - of 'Moneyball' and 'The Big Short' fame. He’s written a biography of SBF - Going Infinite - and talks to us about understanding the man many can't.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Producer: Phoebe Dampare-OseiVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

A deadly inhumane attack on a Gazan hospital by Israeli forces killing hundreds. Or, a failed rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, aimed at Israel, landing accidentally in a hospital car park killing dozens. We are at that inevitable stage of the conflict where truth has become another casualty.How does Biden - who's just landed in Israel - attempt to forge a path of peace through such differing narratives? And what happens when the truth comes out, if no one chooses to believe it?We talk to Lord Simon McDonald, who not only called time on misinformation in the Boris Johnson era - famously over what the former PM knew and denied - but was also Israel’s ambassador in the years of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in the mid 2000s.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

The Israeli military has denied that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but there are now reports of people drinking toilet water to survive.So will Joe Biden's visit tomorrow make any difference in the hope for peace in the middle east, and help accelerate a resolution to the current conflict? And will the Rafah crossing open into Egypt to allow for food and medical supplies into Gaza, and for the safe passage of people out?And as Humza Yousaf makes makes his first leader's speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen today, we ask whether the party has really refocused its aim of independence. Editor: Tom HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Emily and Jon host a weekly US politics podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

Over the weekend, Palestinian flags flooded central London as thousands marched for 'Free Palestine'. But has legitimate support for the rights of Palestinian citizens been merged with more sinister support, or acquiescence of, the presence of Hamas, a deeply illiberal, misogynistic, homophobic and anti-semitic terrorist organisation, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories?And as Israel starts to evacuate parts of the north of the country - is Hezbollah - the Islamist militant group in Lebanon far stronger than Hamas with equal hate for everything Jewish and Israeli - about to get heavily involved in what could soon become a regional war? We ask former UK Ambassador in Beirut, British diplomat Tom Fletcher.Poland went to the polls over the weekend - and voted in their masses for more pro-European, less far-right governance. We talk to Jakub Krupa, Polish journalist, about what this means.And another MP is suspended for sexual misconduct. The train of sleaze in Westminster trudges on.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Ben BateYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Israeli officials have told Gazan citizens to leave the north and head south ahead of a potential ground invasion - retaliating after a week of war crimes perpetrated by Hamas on Israeli soil. 1.1million people - the number of people roughly in Birmingham, trekking largely on foot, down one of two roads, in the middle of a war. Is that possible? Most think not.Are many, many thousands of Palestinian civilians about to get caught up in warfare that will see so many lives, on both sides, lost? Israel say they're acting proportionately - but are they about to commit war crimes, and why are British politicians largely happy with this interpretation?We speak to the former Director of Prosecutions at the International Criminal Court, Fabricio Guariglia, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns, author of The Only Language They Understand: Forcing Compromise in Israel and Palestine & A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: A Palestine Story, Nathan Thrall, and military expert Michael Clarke.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Charlie ClintonYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

There are an estimated 150 hostages in Gaza - all ages, all nationalities, some taken from their beds as they slept. How does Israel even begin to contemplate ground war when so many of its people are the other side of that border? And how do you begin to negotiate with terrorists when they've broken every rule of war with the sheer evil of their acts? We speak to an expert in hostage negotiation Rachel Briggs OBE.Later, we discuss the SNP defection to- checks notes - the Conservative party, and we ask whether judges are going to let convicted rapists roam free because our prisons are now full. The former barrister who broke that story for the Times, Catherinke Baksi, is with us.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Rory SymonYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Keir Starmer was asked live on LBC how far he'd be prepared to see Israel go in response to Hamas.Would he support a blockade? A siege of Gaza? And that's where the questions get tough. Israel has the world's sympathies right now - but no one wants to see this escalated into an existential middle east war. Who is prepared to say so? And later, we talk about the new BBC drama about Jimmy Savile and "hiding in plain sight" with Meirion Jones, the journalist who first tried to tell the world Jimmy Savile was a monster.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producers: Rory Symon & Charlie ClintonYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

The News Agents at the Labour Party Conference: Day 2If Sir Keir Starmer was looking for a bit of sparkle today in his Leader's speech he shouldn’t have worried: it came to find him in the shape of a glitter-throwing protestor before he’d had the chance to say a word.Undeterred, he took to shirt sleeves and spelled out a working class mantra of aspiration and renewal for a country on its knees. Was it enough?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Rory SymonYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

The News Agents at the Labour Party Conference: Day 1The Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves joins The News Agents following her speech in Liverpool.We discuss her plans to tax tech firms, her unwillingness to tax the rich and the Labour members carrying Palestinian flags outside the conference centre.We also talk about the war that has begun formally today in Israel, after Hamas carried out a series of terror attacks this weekend.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Rory SymonYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

In the biggest story of the past week - a flagship, important, party conference week for the Prime Minister, he announced the scrapping of the biggest infrastructure project in Britain in a decade. A project that many saw key to levelling up the north of the country. But, is 'scrapping' it even that easy, that possible? And what's to say what they've promised in its place will come to fruition?We then go to Scotland and a seismic result in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, where the Labour Party have romped home to victory, unseating a decent SNP majority. What significance will results like this have in determining how Labour will do in next year's general election?And Lewis sits down with Dawn Butler, to talk race (and racism), Suella's 'multiculturalism' rhetoric, her journey to being a Labour MP and former shadow minister and the state of the Labour Party going ahead into next week's conference.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

The Tory conference is over, but the next one - Labour - looms large. What will Sir Keir Starmer do with the new look rail plans? Will they resurrect HS2 or get into line behind Sunak's plans? And whilst the mood of the country may demand change, how confident is Labour or bringing them on side?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Rishi Sunak was on his feet in a speech that was frankly too long. It ripped up HS2 and replaced it with a nebulous Northern Network pledge. It promised to rethink A levels and ban young people from smoking. There was nothing on housing, energy, social care , the environment - it felt, indeed, like the end of the road. Has he convinced anyone he is the future ? And what will Labour do with the cancelled project now?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

The News Agents at the Conservative Party Conference: Day 2What does Conservatism look like in 2023? At their party conference in Manchester this year, the right of the party are being very vocal about redefining how their party looks. We hear from the politican whose drawn the biggest crowds at the event this year... not a government monster but former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage.And the PM still hasn't announced his decision on the northern leg of HS2 - we talk to West Midlands Mayor Andy Street about his campaign to keep the train line going north of Birmingham.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

The News Agents at the Conservative Party Conference: Day 1The queue to see the former PM stretched right the way through the Midland Hotel in Manchester. And it wasn’t to see her apologise for the chaos she caused to the economy a year ago. No, these are die hard Trussites. They love her, hate taxes and want to rip up regulation. She’s the most popular politician here - and that’s a headache for the PM who still hasn’t got his lines straight on major policy announcements that appear utterly muddled. We discuss the shape of the Conservative Party on Monday of the Manchester conference and speak to International Development minister Andrew Mitchell.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Northern France is full of the ghosts of British history. Today it haunts our present.The News Agents went undercover and spoke directly to a people smuggler - who traffics asylum seekers across the Channel in small boats for thousands of pounds a traveller. Lewis reports from the beaches of Dunkirk.Field Producer & Newsgathering Producer: Rory SymonEditor: Gabriel RadusExecutive Editor: Tom HughesCommissioning Editor: Vicky EtchellsThe News Agents Investigates is presented by Lewis Goodall.You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original podcast.

Michael Heseltine is a politician with a long political memory. He heard Neville Chamberlain declare war on Germany in 1939. He saw Suez unfold. He attended Churchill’s funeral. He’s served Conservative prime minister after Conservative prime minister and became the man who eventually even brought down Margaret Thatcher. He never reached the highest office himself, but having seen so many who did up close, and witnessed so much of Britain’s political journey over the last century, there can be few who can offer more perspective, more wisdom about the state we are in and where we might yet go, than he. In the latest of our extended political interviews, Lewis talks to Heseltine about his life, his journey, his passionate belief that we must re-enter the EU and how he worries that the current Home Secretary is echoing the rhetoric and division of Enoch Powell.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Rishi Sunak has refused to answer whether his government is set to scrap the Northern leg of HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester.The indecision is already creating division within the Conservative Party ahead of the party conference next week. So today we ask whether Rishi Sunak really cares about the north of England.And we look at the latest "flip-flop" from Labour leader Keir Starmer.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

Laurence Fox's weird sexist rant last night on GB News got short shrift from the organisation which immediately suspended him from the platform, and followed on later by suspending their presenter, Dan Wootton.But GB news has still got plenty of presenters on its books who spout conspiracy, confect outrage, and misinform. This didnt come from nowhere - so why is everyone suddenly arguing this is a turning point for the fledgling broadcaster? We discuss the growth and the direction of GB News. Later, We look at 'the Voice' referendum in Australia into Aboriginal representation. Is this the Aussie's brexit moment? And will it tear the country apart?

Suella Braverman wants to make it harder for people to call themselves a refugee. She's in Washington setting out her case for a major overhaul of the UN Refugee Convention - signed in 1951 in the aftermath of the Second World War (but updated continually since). She says the numbers of people crossing the channel now make it unsustainable. Is she right? And where are her numbers coming from....Also today we speak to Naomi Klein on the war against objective truth - her new book is about being confused with a conspiracy theorist. And Lewis is back from the Lib Dem conference and an interview with Ed Davey.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Rishi Sunak and his lectern are promising 'long term decisions for a brighter future'. But just whose future is getting brighter? Plans for HS2 are in chaos after rumours the PM might be about to ditch the wildly over-budget rail project. He's called environmental policies heavy handed - and ditched some of those targets. And now his ministers are starting to suggest that inheritance tax could be 'deeply punitive'. Will that be axed too? And we discuss the outlier poll for ABC news which gives Trump a 10 point lead over Biden in a presidential election.[Clip credit: Trevor Phillips on Sky News]Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Gordon Smart was the editor of The Scottish Sun, and deputy editor of the Sun. But before that, he was the paper's showbiz editor who got to know very well, among others, Russell Brand. He sits down with Emily and Lewis to talk about the man that's been accused of sexual assault and rape, as well as debauchery in tabloid journalism and showbiz in the 2000s and 2010s.Russell Brand denies all allegations of sexual impropriety.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

92 year old Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of News Corp, the owner of The Sun, The Times and Fox News - he was in charge of his media empire for 70 years.In true Succession style, his eldest son, Lachlan takes over. Emily and Lewis ask one of his former prodigal sons, Gordon Smart - who once was deputy editor of The Sun and editor of The Scottish Sun - about the man who used to be his boss. And later, we discuss the ramifications of Rishi Sunak's changes to his net-zero policies.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Zac Goldsmith, one time energy minister, who resigned from Rishi Sunak's government, has accused his old boss of delivering a 'moment of shame' after he revealed plans to adjust (water down) his commitment to green policies. Rishi Sunak was propelled into explaining his new position in a hastily arranged press conference after details were leaked to the BBC. What effect will these changes have environmentally, economically, and politically. And why are Tory MPs now tearing strips off each other? We speak to Lord Greg Barker - former energy minister and Anna Valero who advises the chancellor.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Youtube has announced it's demonetising Russell Brand's video content on its site - in other words, pulling the ads from the content he makes. The BBC and Channel 4 have said they are withdrawing 'some' Russell Brand content. But in an age where Brand can reach 6.5 million subscribers and sell out Wembley, does any of this stuff really hurt him? Also today, we hear from the son of Jimmy Lai - the world's richest political prisoner -and British citizen - who has stood up for Democracy against Chinese dictators. Why hasnt the UK government done more to fight for his freedom?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday exclusively on Global Player and all other platforms every Wednesday.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

**CW: This podcast includes discussions of rape and sexual assault**This weekend saw the culmination of an extraordinary piece of investigative journalism that began four years ago. In 2019 Russell Brand - now accused of rape and sexual assault by women featured in the Sunday Times and Dispatches investigation - began a path of reinvention as a “ wellness guru “, eschewing main stream media platforms for a YouTube following of over six million. So was the defensive reaction by so many of his fans already baked in? We discuss with Rosamund Urwin and Louisa Compton who broke the story.Later, just when you thought it was safe to go back to your mortgage broker, Liz Truss is back. She’s unrepentant, she’s back on the tax cutting path and she says none of what happened was her fault...Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

There is no money left.The reason Britain can afford less and less is apparently because we have no money. It's why we can't spend on schools, on hospitals, on defence. But what if it's not actually about scarcity at all?Today, Lewis reimagines our state's finances and argues why we need to talk about wealth.And - it's the first time in US history that a sitting President's child has been criminally prosecuted. Lewis talks to Olivier Knox of the Washington Post about what it means for Joe Biden and his bid to be re-elected ahead of Donald Trump now that his son Hunter is now facing serious jail time, should he be found guilty. Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, has accused the Leader of the Opposition of having no balls. No, she seriously did - comparing Sir Keir Starmer to flip flop beach Ken. But beach Ken, as it happens, is currently talking to Europol at The Hague trying to work out a plan to stop small boats by treating people smugglers like terrorists. The Tories say it will make us a dumping ground for migrants. We discuss. And as former presidential candidate Mitt Romney quits the US Senate, we ask what this tells us about US politics.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

BREAKING NEWS: Rishi Sunak’s SpAd has hit back at Keir Starmer's ‘Inaction Man‘ gag and called him - wait for it - a ‘man of action’. But first, Labour is voting against the government’s bill to build more new homes. Why? Because the Tories say they would rip up old EU environmental regulation to get morew homes built. Do we really have to choose between the two? Conservatives argue the ‘nutrient neutral ‘ regulations are out dated. Labour says it’s ridiculous to wait 13 years for a solution which then endangers the land. And Later we give the Lib Dems the right to respond to the row over the by-election in Nadine Dorries' old seat.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

"The battle for the General Election is getting started" - that was the message from Labour's Deputy Leader today. Angela Rayner made also a promise to change anti-strike laws within the first 100 days of a Labour government, in her speech to the TUC.So on the day that Labour gets serious about the next election, Emily hears from Labour's Peter Kyle - the new Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology.He's also running their campaign in the Mid Bedfordshire by-election and claims the Lib Dems there have launched "personal attacks" on the Labour candidate there.The Lib Dems say no personal attacks have been made. A source said:  "People in Mid Bedfordshire are disappointed that Labour have chosen a London councillor as a candidate to represent their rural towns and villages. After Nadine Dorries, people want a local MP, not someone who has been parachuted in." And could there be a spy for China in Parliament? If so, how did they get there and what damage could be done? Christopher Steele, former head of the Russia desk at MI6 joins Emily in the studio.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday exclusively on Global Player and all other platforms every Wednesday.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

*CW: This episode contains discussions about suicide* More than a hundred of you - our listeners - have been in touch to share your own experiences with mental health care (or lack of it) in this country. Collectively, you paint a picture of a system in crisis, a pandemic particularly amongst the young which we cannot deal with. We hear from Roman Kemp - who's called on the government to put mental health provision in all our schools. And we talk to those working on the front line who offer their understanding of brain chemistry - where it's going wrong and what's happening in our society.Samaritans have helplines open to all callers including young people 24/7. They also respond to emails and have an online chat system that uses volunteers and not bots. You can find Samaritans by calling 116 123.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

David Lammy, the next Foreign Secretary?This felt like the week when Labour really began to be treated as a government-in-waiting. One area which has barely been considered is how the party will handle foreign policy, Britain’s place on the world stage. David Lammy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, talks to Lewis at length about what he wants to do if he gets that top job and his political journey. Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

How does a man wearing red and white check trousers escape from a prison underneath a moving truck?Daniel Khalife - as we record - is still on the run. So where has he gone, how did he do it and what are the implications of the whole saga?Also on today's episode - Chris Pincher resigns as an MP, Britain (sort of) rejoins the... via the Horizon project) and we discuss abortion laws in Mexico.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Could Suella's new Illegal Immigration Act be about to backfire horribly on the Home Office? Over the last year, money to house asylum seekers has come from the Department for International Aid. It's taken nearly 30 percent of their budget or just over £3.7billion. But the introduction of the new law - which criminalises asylum seekers - means that the government is no longer allowed under OECD rules to spend Aid money on them. Instead - the money looks like it may have to come from the Home office itself. Yup - all the money this government would prefer to be spending on policing, anti-terror, fire services etc. Was this a big fat own goal? Or is the government prepared to break international rules to avoid the change?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

A government poster warning us "MOST SCHOOLS ARE UNAFFECTED" by lethal crumbling concrete may not offer the reassurance the Department for Education is aiming for. Indeed it was a gift to Labour - whose comms department instantly retorted with "Most swimmers not at risk of sharks". So what has happened to capital spending on schools since the Conservatives came to power? And what on earth is going on inside Number 10?Later, we look at why Birmingham City Council has gone bust.... with our own resident Brummie.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are available every Tuesday exclusively on Global Player and all other platforms every Wednesday.Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

The blame for the school concrete scandal has landed right at the Prime Minister's feet - after a former civil servant from the Department for Education revealed it was Chancellor Sunak that cut the funding for rebuilding schools five years ago. But it's his Education Secretary - Gillian Keegan - who's conducting the political heat today after a sweary off-mic rant which she is almost certainly now regretting. In fact she gave a subsequent apology ON mic. The News Agents are back - yes all three - asking what it means for our children's education - and how damaging it is to the Sunak government. And as Keir Starmer shuffles his top team, we ask what it tells us about Labour's priorities a year out from an election.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

David Dimbleby is one of the biggest names in the history of broadcasting. From election nights, to iconic political panel shows, to huge Royal occasions - he's been at the forefront of TV and radio news and politics for decades. He's also had a front seat for the shift in the industry's relationship with both politicians and the audience.In an end-of-summer special extended interview, David Dimbleby reflects on the biggest moments from his phenomenal career and talks to Lewis about his memoir: Keep Talking.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

The PM announces a mini-reshuffle, with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace leaving the post and Grant Shapps warming a new Cabinet seat for the fifth time in less than a year. Claire Coutinho becomes the new Energy Security Secretary. But does this do anything to help arrest the Conservatives' seemingly-inevitable slide toward electoral defeat next year (if the polls are to be believed). We ask Lara Spirit, of The Times.Jon talks to Leah Williamson, Lionesses' captain and Arsenal defender, about her team missing out in the World Cup final and the furore around Luis Rubiales and the Spanish FA in the match's aftermath.And Jon also speaks to former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. He talks Trump, populism and whether Australia is ready to become a republic. Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Producer: Will Gibson-SmithYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.