Episodes
Donald Trump took to the stage at Davos to take the military invasion of Greenland off the table, cue sighs of relief from European leaders and NATO.But his ambitions for the US to own the territory have gone nowhere. He still wants to acquire it, and demanded immediate negotiations to begin that process. Increasingly. it seems that America's one-time allies have grown impatient with Trump's belligerent approach. What happens if he doesn’t get what wants? And is Europe actually growing a bit of a spine?It was a rambling speech from Donald Trump, in which he appeared to forget names, and fre...
We bring you a special report today of the 'dark flights' that are deporting hundreds of people - the vast majority of them here legally - in shackles from Minnesota to Texas detention centres.There is no official record these flights exists, so one man - an aviation specialist - has made it his life’s work to document each flight that leaves and count the number of people who are being "disappeared" without trace.But - on this inauguration anniversary - we start with the latest conundrum for the world’s leaders: who is Trump threatening to invade now? And can any of their words make a diff...
Emily and Lewis report from Minneapolis which has become the dark heart of President Trump's ICE agent immigration crackdown. We patrol the streets with ICE watchers - witnessing a raid alongside the patrollers literally sounding the alarm. We are at a far right rally - watching a January 6th insurrectionist get chased out of town. And we are with people from Somali and Latino communities who describe to us how their lives have been turned upside down by Trump's random and often lawless deportation plans.Why Minneapolis? Why now? And could Trump really send the army to the streets of the ci...
Here's a new podcast you might like - this is episode 1 of Explosive Lies. All episodes are available now on Global Player, or search for 'Explosive Lies' wherever you get your podcasts.Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder.McCormick sold hope to armies and security forces across the globe. But hope turned de...
Just a few months ago, historian and author Rutger Bregman found himself at the centre of a very British controversy. He had been asked to deliver a BBC Reith lecture. His theme was the decadence of the political elite and in his lecture, he made a throw away line about President Trump. But when the lecture was broadcast, that critical line had been taken out. What followed was a row about censorship, media power and truth.This Friday, Rutger Bregman joins Lewis in the studio to talk about that controversy, why broadcasters must stand up to Trump, and our moral obligations in a divisive pol...
Hosts Morocco face Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday. At this AFCON almost 40% of players were born outside Africa, like the face of the tournament Ashraf Hakimi.So where should teams be putting their money - improving recruitment from the diaspora or investing more at home? What needs to change to attract these players? And can Sadio Mane and Senegal stop the powerhouse of Morocco from winning their first AFCON in 50 years?Gabby and Mark are joined by former Premier League defender and Sierra Leone captain, Steven Caulker, and The Athletic's Jay Harris.Plus, we l...
The politician who once complained of not seeing enough "white faces" in Birmingham probably had a very white one himself this morning.Robert Jenrick's apparent imminent plot to defect to Reform was left in tatters when his party leader Kemi Badenoch uncovered the plan, sacked him and booted him out of the party, and announced it to the world on a polished video clip.What happens now to the shadow justice secretary - as was - and to both the Tory party and Reform?Emily and Lewis speak to theTory party anthropologist Paul Goodman.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsb...
The images coming out of Minneapolis since the killing of Renee Good are nothing short of dystopian. Day after day, Minnesotans dragged from their vehicles, off the streets, and out of their houses. Often, seemingly, for the crime of nothing other than their ethnicity.Donald Trump took to Truth Social yesterday to tell Minnesota: "THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!". ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are flooding the streets with personnel. Joe Rogan has compared their tactics to the Gestapo - questioning whether this is the country America wants to become. Where does t...
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! ... HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!"It was a characteristically Trumpian post from the American president on Truth Social (where else?) today which led to more fevered speculation that the US might be about to step in to topple the Iranian regime.Protests across Iran are into their third week, and evidence of the slaughter of Iranian civilians is becoming clearer and clearer. One Iranian official told Reuters that some 2,000 protestors and security forces have now died in street clashes. Iranian media more critical of the regim...
Is the government about to stand up to Elon Musk? That now seems possible. Downing Street said today that they would support action from Ofcom - the media regulator - against his platforms if they deemed it necessary.Ofcom has announced that it has launched an investigation into Musk's X platform over its AI tool Grok being used to create non-consensual sexualised images of women and children. Ministers have said they expect action within days.After unveiling the lowest homicide figures in more than a decade, Jon and Lewis speak to Sir Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor - about how to confront th...
We are barely a week into 2026, and already Donald Trump has toppled the president of Venezuela, threatened a NATO ally, labelled a protestor killed by ICE as a "professional agitator", and insisted his own morality is the only check on his otherwise total power.It appears that America's president is entering the second year of his term more aggressively, more defiantly, and more viciously. What does that mean for the US, and the wider world? And when Trump dismisses legal constraints, threatens to tear up the constitution, and brands entire ethnic groups as suspicious and "garbage", at wha...
What does a strong succession plan look like? Before Darren Fletcher took over as Man United's interim manager he felt he needed Sir Alex Ferguson's blessing. But when everyone's still harping back to Ferguson, who left the club over 12 years ago, you know the succession plan has gone wrong.Man City will be taking note, as their own legendary manager Pep Guardiola isn’t staying forever. While Chelsea have used their multi-club system to take Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg - primed and ready to play in that system but leaving Strasbourg distraught.Mark catches up with football journalist Guil...
The killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota has exposed just how fragmented American society is in 2026. The mother of three was shot repeatedly in her car by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, reportedly there as an observer of a protest against the immigration raids in the city.The shooting - and the administration's response - have been condemned by Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, the Mayor of Minneapolis, and many other politicians. Mayor Frey urged ICE to "get the f*** out" of the city and said they were endangering residents.Footage appears to show Good ...
In dramatic scenes in the Atlantic this afternoon, American forces seized an oil tanker, 'the Marinera', flying the Russian flag. The British military was involved - supporting the US operation with air surveillance and a navy ship.The Kremlin has only said that it has been "following the abnormal situation with alarm" - but the maritime confrontation draws Russia and the US closer to direct conflict.It comes the day after the US, the UK, France, Germany and other allies reiterated their supported for security guarantees in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. But is the British army in any...
Less than 3 days after kidnapping the Venezuelan leader, Trump has doubled down on his ambitions to make Greenland the 51st state - despite warnings that coming for the Danish territory would be the end of NATO.With one of Trump's top aides, Stephen Miller, declaring "nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland" is there anything that world leaders can do to stop Trump now?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
Not content with the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One and appeared to spell out the countries now in his line of sight.Colombia is "very sick", according to President Trump. Iran will get "hit very hard" if it kills anti-government protestors. Cuba is "ready to fall", he declared. And, in words that have sparked concern across Europe, he repeatedly declared that America "needs Greenland" from a national security perspective, and that Denmark is incapable of defending it properly.It seems something of a damascene conversion from...
In the dead of night, President Trump sent US forces into the Venezuelan capital Caracas and - after bombs and explosions - emerged with its kidnapped head of state, Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Trump claims they are extradited narco traffickers.In a press conference to mark the operation, Trump revealed that America is "going to run" the Latin American petro state, and oil does appear to be at the centre of his motivations for striking. US oil companies, he announced, will be sent into Venezuela to fix its broken infrastructure and start making the county money - and presumably make Americ...
Who is the most unlikely comeback of 2026? Will the Far Right continue to rise this year? And are things really starting to crumble in MAGA-land?In this special Q&A we look ahead to the year of 2026 and all that it could bring.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
It was a year of White House stand-offs, viral kiss cams, shock resignations, and the rise of the far right.From rising stars to jaw dropping moments, we look back at the defining stories of 2025 and hand out awards to the moments that shaped the year.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
It's the final Q&A edition of 2025 and Jon and Lewis answer your questions - including the elections to look out for next year, whether algorithms are making the UK impossible to lead, plus - is there actually a decent case to be made in the defence of Keir Starmer? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
The Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix was supposed to be a tribute to the work and legacy of Charlie Kirk, the influential conservative influencer who was assassinated in September. But it turned into something very different.Over the course of the weekend, it emerged that a struggle for very the heart and soul of the MAGA movement was playing out. Ben Shapiro took to the stage to warn of the "danger from charlatans who "traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty", slamming Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes, and Tucker Carlson. Carlson hit back, claiming it was "hilarious" that there were attem...
As parliament wound down to a close, Jess Phillips ended 2025 with one of the government's boldest announcements to date. In the Commons, she declared a "national emergency: over the prevalence of violence against women and girls, and unveiled the government's strategy to halve it. It bookended a dramatic year for the Home Office minister, who in January found herself in the crosshairs of Elon Musk, labelling her a "rape genocide apologist" and called for her imprisonment. She's also faced calls to resign over the government's handling of the grooming gangs inquiry. And after she spoke in p...
Two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, is taking on YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul. Like it or not they’re two of the biggest names in boxing - and we’ll get into why that’s problematic...So why is the star of the London 2012 Olympics, who beat Wladimir Klitschko, fighting an influencer? Do fight fans believe it's not been scripted and what's actually more at risk - Paul's chin or AJ's reputation?Gabby & Mark sit down with Light-Heavyweight prospect and Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker - a showman in and out of the ring at a time when the sport is crying out...
This week, the head of the British army warned the public that "more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means", given the increasing threats to the UK. European leaders are meeting today to discuss billions of dollars of seized Russian assets that are sitting in a vault in Brussels. Ukraine is desperate to use the money to help it fight two more years of war. Europe is on the brink of saying yes - but America is trying to stop them. Why? And will a war on our doorstep become more likely if we say no? Later - what is the link between Andrew Tate and Barron Trump? We speak to M...
Vanity Fair may be contenders for this years 'scoop of the year' after securing a series of interviews with Trump's closest White House ally, Susie Wiles. The candid interviews provide a rare window into the West Wing and Trump's inner circle. She went much further than perhaps the President might have expected - describing the teetotal President as having “an alcoholic’s personality", the Vice President as a "conspiracy theorist", admitting the tariffs had been "painful", and suggesting the administration's approach to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal had been lacking. Why has she been airing t...
Overnight came Trump's ten billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC. It claims malicious intent in the edit of his speech in the Panorama documentary. And it claims the programme would have been viewed in Florida ahead of the 2024 election. Is there a legal case here? Is there the political will to stand up to Trump? And where does the British public stand when it comes to backing the BBC?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
As the sun was setting on the first night of Hanukah, a father and his son opened fire on Jewish people celebrating on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. 16 people were left dead - forty remain in hospital, including the hero who tried to disarm one of the IS-linked terrorists. Jews around the world have been sounding the alarm on the rise of anti-semitism. They believe their fear has gone unheeded. Will this tragedy change anything? And how should governments police free speech that intimidates entire communities?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
Although some Labour MPs are still fawning over Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York, they may be better off looking to a very different sort of American politician if they want lessons they can draw on in the attempt to recover the party's fortunes. Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator for the Times, is one of the UK's best connected and closest observers of Keir Starmer's government. And he's written this week about how Huey Long, the wildly controversial 1930s Louisiana populist, provides something of a model that Starmer could seek to emulate. He came into the News Agents studio...
Pippa York, then known as Robert Millar, was crowned the Tour de France King of the Mountains, winning three stages in the 1980s. But ever since she was five she wanted to be a girl. Years after quitting cycling, aged 41, she started a 10-year transition process to become Pippa York, who joins Gabby and Mark. What was it like racing the Tour de France with gender dysmorphia? And what does she make of the debate around trans-inclusion in sport now?Plus we look back at the best bits from The Sports Agents this week from Mo Salah's shock outburst at Liverpool, to Mike Tindall's plans to create...
Trump has attacked a huge oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela - and when asked what would happen now to the oil responded “we will probably keep it". Is there actual strategy behind the piracy? Will it help him topple the illegitimate Venezuelan President Maduro? Or is it just about seizing assets? And what does Nobel peace prize winner Maria Machado make of Americas posturing? Later, why is Tony Blair interviewing Shabana Mahmood at his own Xmas party? Is this a not too subtle endorsement? Or a friendly festive chat? Is the replacement of Keir Starmer now an open secret even in Blair cir...