The News Agents – Details, episodes & analysis

This Friday, Jon and Lewis answer your questions.

What's behind Biden and Obama's "complicated" relationship? Do members of the royal family vote? And which state will be the most interesting battle ground in the US election?

And, win a money-can’t-buy meet-and-greet with Jon, after enjoying a live podcast recording by pre-ordering a copy of his new book Strangeland here…www.waterstones.com/win/strangeland-prize-draw

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Shane Fennelly

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs & Jacob Paul

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

The disastrous "mini budget" of Liz Truss' short time in Downing Street will go down in history. But did she really consider stopping the NHS treating cancer patients in a bid to find the savings to clean up the fallout?

Jon and Lewis speak to political biographer, Sir Anthony Seldon, about the dramatic 49 days of the shortest serving British Prime Minister.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Shane Fennelly

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Jon and Lewis are live from Chicago on the eve of the Democratic Party national convention, as Kamala Harris prepares to address the nation as her party's presidential nominee.

Is she able to put to bed any lingering doubts that she's capable of defeating Donald Trump? Will the positive vibes around her campaign continue? And as tens of thousands of people are expected to protest outside the convention centre on Monday, can she unite the party over the war in Gaza.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producers: Natalie Indge & Zeynel Can Yuce

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Shane Fennelly

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

We are not ones to gossip but frankly the Westminster rumour mill is in overdrive, so we thought we should talk you through how the talk of a general election began and why we are all suspicious of a big announcement.

Later, we talk to the Palestinian High Commissioner as three EU states - including Ireland - state their recognition of Palestine. What effect will this have - what changes?

And we speak to the brother of an Israeli hostage - Naama Levi- about the sexual violence inflicted on women being held by Hamas since October.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

David Cameron has accused Rishi Sunak of hurting Britain’s soft power and putting universities at financial risk with his threat to curb the visa rights of international students.

Rishi is desperate to see immigration numbers come down. But what will be the knock on effect of these curbs on our own students?

Later, an interview with Ukrainian and Arsenal footballer Zinchenko - and why is Lee Anderson sounding one mushroom

Short of a full English ?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister and Defence minister and three Hamas leaders - accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Israeli cabinet has already hit back - calling it 'moral blindness'. But this means the country's leaders could face arrest in over 120 countries (the signatories to the ICC) if they travel abroad.

Why has the prosecutor sought the warrants now - and what impact could this have on the war in Gaza and on Israel's relationships with the international community? Could Netanyahu really end up in the Hague?

Later, as the infected blood scandal finally acnkowledges decades of failure and cover up we ask why these slow burn scandals that wreck so many lives are such a familiar story in the UK.

And we talk to Omid Djalili about the death of Iran's PM in a helicopter crash.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly& Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

We are on the ground in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where Europe and Asia meet. For weeks hundreds of thousands of (overwhelmingly) Gen Zs have taken to the streets to protest against their government. The gates of Parliament have been stormed, tear gas repeatedly deployed, protesters beaten up and with even a fist fight among MPs thrown in.

The clash has centred on the governing Georgian Dream Party’s “Foreign Agent” law, which opponents fear will be a tool to suppress political opponents. But the divisions being exposed in Georgia are far more fundamental and go much beyond than that. At the beating heart of it all is the influence of Russia, Vladimir Putin and a question which haunts many of the Soviet successor states- are we the next Ukraine?

Lewis reports from Georgia in this special extended episode, where he tells a tale of geopolitical intrigue, of misinformation and conspiracy, and of a generation yearning for a different future.

Field Producer: Gabriel Radus

Video Producer: Rory Symon

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

This week on The Sports Agents former England defender Rio Ferdinand joined us to discuss the stigma around mental health in football and whether teams are now better equipped to work with players who are struggling.

We were also joined by Jadon Sancho's former youth coach and mentor Sayce Lewis-Holmes to find out more about the level of pressure on aspiring footballers today.

Plus, with a huge final couple of days in the Premier League and WSL seasons this weekend, football writer Henry Winter talked us through a whole host of topics including the 115 charges for Manchester City over alleged breaches of financial fair play.

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday

Keir Starmer has rolled up his sleeves, taken off his tie and headed to Essex to unveil his six first steps for government.

Is Starmer looking for Blairite comparisons? Is there the same enthusiasm for change as there was in 1997? And what are the hard questions Labour still needs to answer, but won’t?

Later we speak with Lewis in Tblisi ahead of another critical day of protests by those fighting the Russification of democracy in Georgia.

And the big reveal today comes from Jon. Right at the end. Don’t miss it!

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Field Producer: Gabriel Radus

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly, Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Jon’s brand-new book, Strangeland: How Britain Stopped Making Sense, will be available on 26th September 2024. To pre-order a copy or buy a ticket to Jon’s tour, please click this link: lnk.to/StrangelandsBook.

Unlock priority booking for Jon’s tour with the presale code NEWSPRIORITY. General sale booking opens at midday on 17th May.

In an exclusive early interview we speak to the Government's Independent Advisor on Political Violence.

John Woodcock, a cross party peer, has spent the last four years putting together recommendations to make public life safer by cracking down on extreme protest.

He'll present his findings to parliament next week. Why do we need this? And which groups is he talking about banning? Is this a clampdown on democratic norms or a necessary precaution to protect those in public life.

Later, why are the Labour MPs making scary 'whooooooo' noises in Prime Minister's Questions? All will be revealed....

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

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

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents