The News Agents
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: dax@global.com You can visit our website here https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/
Subscribe to this podcast
Episodes
-
BONUS EPISODE: Zelenskyy survives the Oval Office... but has anything really changed?
Tuesday, 19 August 2025
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 security of Ukraine?...
-
Trump-Zelenskyy: another showdown?
Monday, 18 August 2025
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 Kremlin objectives? Can ...
-
BONUS EPISODE: The panic driving Europe’s leaders to Washington with Zelenskyy
Sunday, 17 August 2025
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?You can visit our website here https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-b...
-
SPECIAL REPORT: Has America’s fentanyl crisis landed in the UK?
Friday, 15 August 2025
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. Nitazenes, a family of ...
-
Weekend Edition: Premier League Q&A - MOTD, Battle of the Bridge & time for hooters? - The Sports Agents
Friday, 15 August 2025
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)📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUva...
-
Why the hard right hate London
Thursday, 14 August 2025
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, death, and the commercialisation of grief.You can visit our website here https...
-
Why is the US lecturing Britain on free speech?
Wednesday, 13 August 2025
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 ...
-
Why has Trump ordered the army onto the streets of DC?
Tuesday, 12 August 2025
“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 the evidence doesn't ba...
-
Will Trump and Putin carve up Ukraine – then blame Zelenskyy?
Monday, 11 August 2025
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 it stands, isn't even invited to take part in the talks. It all lend...
-
Q&A: the Epstein files, Corbyn as PM, and are Reform clickbait?
Friday, 8 August 2025
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? You can visit our website here https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/ The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https:/...
-
Weekend Edition: Inside Sheffield Wednesday's crisis & who's next? - The Sports Agents
Friday, 8 August 2025
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)📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our...
-
Did the homelessness minister evict her own tenants for profit?
Thursday, 7 August 2025
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 that the house back on the rental market at nearly £...
-
Was Hiroshima a war crime?
Wednesday, 6 August 2025
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. Could both things ...
-
Is Netanyahu set on the full occupation of Gaza?
Tuesday, 5 August 2025
“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 eliminate Hama...
-
Why are Tories predicting a revolution?
Monday, 4 August 2025
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 we take...
-
What's going on with young people and God?
Friday, 1 August 2025
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.thenewsagents.co.uk/
-
Weekend Edition: Triple H on 'genius' of Trump, Hulk Hogan's legacy & replacing Vince McMahon - The Sports Agents
Friday, 1 August 2025
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 normal?!) with ex-England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (a huge ...
-
Why are defenders of free speech always shutting people down?
Thursday, 31 July 2025
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.thenewsagents.co.uk/ The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXC...
-
Is Starmer willing to recognise Palestine or not?
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
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 Thornberry where it leaves her par...
-
Is Nigel Farage really “siding with Jimmy Savile“ by opposing the online safety bill?
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
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 like the grown up in the room? Later, did Starmer do enough to defend ...
-
What do the Epping Protests tell us about 'civil disobedience' in the UK?
Monday, 28 July 2025
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? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a ...
-
Tina Brown on how Trump lost control of the Epstein narrative
Friday, 25 July 2025
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/ The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee
-
Weekend Edition: A letter from the Lionesses to the Prime Minister - The Sports Agents
Friday, 25 July 2025
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 to Tiger Woods? And will teenage sensation Michelle Ag...
-
Trump's Epstein cover is blown
Thursday, 24 July 2025
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?
-
Could Ghislaine Maxwell walk free?
Wednesday, 23 July 2025
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 if she does? Later, the broadcaster and journalist Mehdi Hasan found himself in a room...
-
Are Gazans starving so that Netanyahu can survive?
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
“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 team for trying to bring his father d...
-
Trump's $20 billion Epstein gamble
Monday, 21 July 2025
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?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://...
-
Q&A: Afghan data leak, Diane Abbott, and the Coldplay couple
Friday, 18 July 2025
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?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee
-
Weekend Edition: Usyk beats Dubois but where was the hype? - The Sports Agents
Friday, 18 July 2025
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! Watch our full episodes on YouTube at @sportsagentspodTikTok: @thesportsagentsInstagram: @thesportsagentsX: @sportsagentspodExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandGuest Booker: Kirsty GiddingsTom Hu...
-
Why is Starmer firing his MPs?
Thursday, 17 July 2025
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 to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIV...
Weather
Travel News
How To Listen
Download Our Apps
Podcasts
-
Happy Mum, Happy BabyHow can I ease back-to-school anxiety? Parenting SOS with Saskia Joss
-
AmericastWhat did Trump offer Zelensky after their Oval Office meeting?