The News Agents

Is 9/11 the most consequential event of our lifetimes? It's hard to think of another moment that so completely turned the world on its axis and rewired the assumptions that a generation had come to take for granted.

The immediate human toll was unfathomably tragic - this was the most deadly terrorist attack in history, leaving thousands dead. But what came next - and how profoundly it changed politics, American foreign policy, global warfare, and civil liberties - has radically reshaped our world.

In this episode, 25 years on from that fatal morning in New York, Jon...

Conor Benn’s super fight against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas has brought the issue of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sport back into the spotlight.

While both boxers deny ever having taken PEDs, both have failed drugs tests and it remains a complex and emotive issue, particularly in potentially lethal sports such as boxing.

On this episode of The Sports Agents we have the whole conversation and not just the convenient parts of it...

Larry Olubamiwo was a British heavyweight contender before he failed a drugs test and he became a pariah. Larry jo...

“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000”. That's what Donald Trump told an audience of Republicans in Dallas last night. The 'Trump dividend' would cost America more than a trillion dollars. Critics are already announcing that the offer is illegal, And Democrats are bragging that this is a sign of just how desperate Donald Trump is ahead of the midterms which are looking bleak. So why's he done it? Could it work? Or will Americans see through such a naked attempt to buy their voters?

Later, Nigel Farage has created the mother of all...

It’s easy to paint Britain as a post-industrial nation in decline, plagued by crime and high taxes. Indeed, many do. But there’s a new power to Britain’s role on the world stage as America abandons its former allies. Whether it’s Ukraine, security, or now sanctions against West Bank settlers, Britain is in the ascendance - and not overly concerned about moving in a different direction to the US.

Have we decided that Trump is no longer important to our big decisions? Are we living in a post-American world? We speak to former foreign office S...

The Israeli government has reacted with anger to the British foreign secretary’s planned ban on products from Israeli settlements.

Ed Miliband described himself in the commons as a proud British Jew, but one unafraid to criticise the heinous behaviour of Netanyahu's government towards Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Has the UK government gone too far? Or not far enough? And what will it do to relations with Israel’s closest ally, Donald Trump.

Later - why were Harry and Meghan hearing from the King's sources at the same time we were? Why...

"Boo hoo". That was the reaction from Robert Jenrick, who wants to be Reform's Chancellor, to the videos showing a female heckler having her hair pulled and being beaten with a stick by Reform delegates at the party's conference in Birmingham. Lee Anderson has suggested a whip round for a new walking stick for one of the supporters involved.

Reform is quick to point to the deluge of threats Nigel Farage faces - so why won't the party condemn political violence when it is carried out by its own supporters?

Later, a new group...

Reform conference in Birmingham was supposed to revivify Nigel Farage and his party. After unrelenting scrunity over his undeclared £5m gift from Christopher Harborne, a parliamentary standards investigation, and a Clacton by-election which descended into farce, Farage needed this moment to get back on the front foot, set the terms of the media coverage, and show the country what Reform would look like in power.

But a Channel 4 News investigation has changed all that. Undercover filming captured two party officials trying to facilitate foreign donations - a potential criminal offence. Reform and the individuals involved deny wrongdoing, b...

Not long ago, women’s boxing was a different sport.

Banned in most countries and ridiculed in the rest, female fighters fought in the shadows.

Until one night in 1996.

That night Deirdre Gogarty, a painfully shy Irish woman and Christy Martin, a raging knockout artist from the coalfields of West Virginia spent 12 unforgettable minutes in each other's company and changed everything.

Their fight put women’s boxing on the map and it was the fight that inspired boxing icon Katie Taylor to pursue her dream.

As Katie Taylor prepares to b...

After a bit of will he won't he, Zack Polanski has thrown his hat into the ring and announced he will stand in Keir Starmer's old seat of Holborn and St Pancras (subject to the approval of the local Green party).

It's a high stakes move for the Green leader. If he wins, in what should normally be a relatively safe Labour seat, he'll puncture Andy Burnham's argument that he can persuade Left voters to stick with Labour. But if he loses, it's Polanski's authority that will come under the spotlight. He's already been hit by a...

Andy Burnham faced Kemi Badenoch for his first PMQs and while she chose to open the session with some innuendo, the hard questions soon came. Burnham has shown himself adept at diagnosis but less quick to nail his solutions to the mast. How long does he have to NOT answer questions when debt is rising and the economic headwinds are moving against him? Is he prepared to spell out - in this summer of optimism - where the pain might fall and trade offs might be made? And why are some commentators comparing him to Liz Truss? Is he...

It's the first day back at school - and Keir Starmer suddenly announces he’s out. He'd sad he'd stay as an MP just a few weeks ago - so why the change of heart? Is it a cheeky bid to wrestle the headlines from his successor? Or is he just trying to get out of Burnham's way? And what happens now to his Camden seat - will Zack Polanski try and win it for the Greens? And if he can’t - or won’t - where does that leave his party? It’s only day one of term and...

In this special Q&A edition of the show, Jon and Lewis answer your questions.

They discuss how long the Burnham bounce will last, whether Trump will attempt to cancel the midterms, and if Harry and Meghan's return will complete reshape the Royal Family (and even make Lewis a monarchist in the process)?

Plus, is there any chance Nigel Farage calls ANOTHER by-election in Clacton?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

An explosive statement from Atletico Madrid described themselves as the "only victims" in the ongoing transfer saga surrounding their wantaway striker Julian Alvarez. Ian Wright has publicly criticised the way Arsenal have handled Gabriel Martinelli's reported exit this summer... but does every transfer saga NEED to cast someone as the villain?

British football Agent Saif Rubie, who handled Yoane Wissa's controversial transfer to Newcastle last summer, joins Gabby and Nedum to discuss the narratives that are spun and where the blame lies in reality.

And later, we're joined by Frank Warren to reflect on the...

The last two years has seen a meteoric rise for Labour's Miatta Fahnbulleh. From backbench MP, she has just joined Burnham's cabinet as the new Energy Secretary, taking over from Ed Miliband. Today, she joined us in the studio to talk about why she quit Starmer's government, the changes Labour needs, and her return as a front bench MP.

And, with a Labour leadership contest always somewhere on the horizon, we ask could Miatta Fahnbulleh one day make history and be the first woman to lead the Labour party?

The News Agents is a Global...

Dolly Parton always avoided talking politics. She said you could find her opinions in her songs. She wrote about abortion, female rights, heartbreak, and wandering eyes. And yet, across America today Democrats have expressed their adoration whilst Republican president Trump lowered the flags to half-mast.

How did Dolly Parton unite people across the political divide? What is it about her that captured the hearts of a deeply polarised America? And is there a lesson that progressive politicians can learn from how she did politics?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

The News...

Rupert Lowe has a lot to be grateful to Elon Musk for. Last month, on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he credited Musk with helping to restore free speech on X. And it was Musk who publicly backed Lowe and promoted him as a political alternative to Nigel Farage - paving the path for Restore Britain.

But it would appear that Musk has also been helping to line the Restore Britain leader’s pockets. This year, Lowe is on course to earn as much from the social media platform X as he does from his salary as an MP f...

It’s happening again. Six years after Harry and Meghan fled Britain for California, citing the relentlessness of the British press, the reaction to their homecoming has been fevered. Why can’t we leave them alone? And do they really want to be? What does it mean for the House of Windsor? And why is Harry the only senior figure in public life seemingly without state backed security these days? Jon and Lewis dissect.

AND the US and Canada are at war - sort of. Why have the latest tariff talks collapsed and what does it tell us a...

How has a Trump family luxury development sparked a protest movement so large that it is threatening to bring down a European Prime Minister? Well that's exactly what has happened in Albania. A proposed 4 billion euro resort complex in on of the country's most cherished nature spots has led to the largest demonstrations seen there in over three decades.

Dubbed the 'Flamingo Revolution' because of the threat to Albania's birds, the capital Tirana is seeing nightly marches - sometimes attracting hundreds of thousands of people. What started off as an environmental cause has become something much bigger...

It’s almost upon us.

A mere month after the World Cup Final, we are staring down the barrel of a brand new Premier League football season and Gabby, Mark & Nedum are as excited as a bunch of rowdy kids on Christmas eve.

Join the guys as they break down the most unpredictable Premier League season ever. We are talking about the Big 6 - who will be Mikel Arteta’s rival this season, how can Maresca replace Pep and how are Spurs part of the Big 6 after narrowly avoiding relegation…twice?!

It is the fi...

It's nearly a week on from the death of Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor who came under scrutiny after allegations of plagiarism were levelled against him. Even after his resignation, media coverage scrutinised his work, personal achievements and medical conditions. Former students and class mates were chased for interviews and the story continued to grow. At a vigil for Arday on Monday, Lord Simon Woolley told how just days before his death Arday had told him that he was being 'hounded to death.'

In the immediate aftermath of his death there was a question over whether...

Borrowing costs have hit new highs in some of the world's biggest economies. While Trump's war with Iran is behind some of rise, it's the AI effect that is spooking some market analysts. A huge surge in corporate borrowing for AI development and data centre building has led to fears that there are risks involved in betting on an artificial intelligence boom - and investors are demanding higher returns on their lending as a result.

Data centres have become increasingly under the political spotlight too. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro - a recent cheerleader of AI - has...

A leading Democrat was mid stump speech which he suddenly sent the crowd wild. It wasn’t his mention of Trump's failed Iran war. It wasn't an attack on his tariffs, or his failed cost of living policies. It was the moment he let slip that the only thing Trump is interested in is his ballroom and his "travel with Natalie". So who is Natalie Harp? Why have Democrats been pushing unsubstantiated innuendo about the President and his aide? And could this turn into a real political headache for Trump? Or have the Democrats just turned a bit... Trumpian?

The chancellor of Cambridge University today has condemned the "racist feeding frenzy" around Jason Arday. Arday was found dead on Friday after a relentless slew of articles querying the veracity of his academic work and life story. Was it really in the public interest to scrutinise every aspect of his life - even after he'd resigned from his post? Or did the controversy around Jason Arday's appointment become a bloodsport for the British media? Would he have faced anything like the same level of hostility if he had been white?

Later, why are Albanians taking to the...

The people of Clacton will be relieved it’s over, but one candidate was conspicuously absent from the proceedings last night: Nigel Farage. He and his team will say he was advised not to attend because of a security threat, Essex police deny any such advice.

Nonetheless, in a surprise to absolutely no one, Farage won the Clacton by-election, seeing off a record 33 other candidates. But just how impressive was the victory? Is Farage’s win really as big as he’d have us believe? Or is it even more hollow than the bin he defeated?

And...

The England Men’s test cricket team are in a hole. After a spectacular collapse at home to New Zealand which saw the end of Stokes, McCullum and the ‘Bazball’ era earlier this summer England now face a must win series against Pakistan.

But guess what?

Their new test coach, who has never coached a test team, is in New Zealand and it’s all got Mark Chapman feeling a bit down about his favourite sport. Nedum, Gabby & Mark are joined by Wisden editor Lawrence Booth to discuss an ECB omni shambles and the immediate future...

Not content with calling a former Defence Secretary a "traitor" and getting a ticking off from Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf has outdone himself today. He's accused Vodafone of aiding and abetting the "invasion of Britain" by handing out SIM cards to British charities - one such charity works with migrants in Calais. In an open letter today he's told the Vodafone board a Reform government would jail them if this happened under their watch. Is it actually Zia Yusuf who needs his SIM card taken off him?

Later, Karoline Leavitt has decided that with two toddlers in...

"The West Bank is at breaking point" - the words of a top UN official at a Security Council meeting in New York last night. Settler violence has been ramping up. Two Palestinian homes have been under siege with the weekend, with families warning that their supplies are running out. The IDF has denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside West Bank villages but doesn't seem to be doing much to dismantle them. Why is the violence on the rise? Are the Israeli elections fuelling extremist action? And can anything be done to stop it? We s...

It turns out running a poll to ask Twitter whether Ben Wallace should be prosecuted for treason is perhaps not savvy politics.

Zia Yusuf. the Reform home affairs spokesman has today been slapped down by his leader Nigel Farage for labelling the former Tory defence secretary a "traitor" for allowing thousands of Afghans into the country. Farage has said the language is "over the top" and that Yusuf will be getting a "ticking off". A poll today has Reform at their lowest since the 2024 general election. Are Reform crashing out hard? Why is it that after getting...

Is the Democratic party fundamentally metamorphosing? After Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan last week, attention is turning to another big test for the Democratic Socialists in Wisconsin. There, the progressive candidate is being dragged for old social media posts suggesting she wanted to cancel Thanksgiving. Is the Dem new breed too woke? Or are they exactly what the party needs to breathe new life into the fight against Trump?

Later, why is Ukraine pummelling the Russian equivalent of Amazon - Wildberries - and is the tactic working? Jon speaks to the New York Times reporter Nataliya Vasilyeva...

A northern leader. A sudden change at the top. A cost of living crisis engulfing the country. A Labour party accused of tacking left. Not Andy Burnham in 2026, but Harold Wilson in 1963.

Considering his priorities and his focus, Burnham would do well to learn the lessons from Labour's last great northern leader. A four-time election winner, a progressive pioneer, a comms master, who shaped the country in his image.

Nick Thomas-Symonds was until recently the Minister in charge of our relations with the EU. He'd been on the Labour frontbench for 11 years - but Burnham's...

Who does football really belong to?

After the highest grossing world cup of all time, and as FIFA & UEFA accuse each other of selling football’s soul, Gabby Mark & Nedum debate who sport belongs to and surprise, surprise it aint the fans.

But are supporters in the stands really just props for a TV product or do they still have a genuine stake in the sports they pay so much to follow?

Elsewhere as the opening weekend of the Championship looms large, the guys tell the tale of Lincoln City with CEO Liam Sc...

24 hours on from the Tory neo-Nazigate , a curious development. The candidate himself, Joshua Bonehill-Paine, has now withdrawn from the election in Somerset council - only to find himself promoted by the Conservative leader herself to a national advisory role.

Why is 'no gaffes' Kemi choosing this eccentric hill to make her point - and what in fact is it? Meanwhile, she’s given an interview ruling out any future pact with Reform - and lambasting THEIR leader as "too woke". All ok, Kemi?

Later, the singer Tulisa was the victim of a sting 13 years ago by...

UPDATE: Since publishing, the convicted antisemite Joshua Bonehill-Paine has withdrawn running as a Tory candidate, saying that if he carried on "other political parties will spend all their time focusing on my past rather than the work I'm doing today, or even fighting antisemitism in their own midst".

Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, released at statement saying; "While I am sad that Joshua feels he won't be given the space to explain his position and represent his community, I am glad he is going to work with me and the party on tackling radicalisation as part of our...

Why are hard right politicians now flocking to the tiny Spanish enclave of Ceuta off the coast of Morocco? And why is Europe so spooked? After tens of thousands of migrants flocked to this northern corner of Africa, the EU has gone into emergency mode - nearly a hundred people died or drowned in an attempt to enter Spain through Ceuta. Italy has suspended free movement with Spain for a month. Other countries are suggesting they might follow suit. The government in Madrid is on the EU's naughty step - could it cause a bigger rupture?

Later...

Nigel hates Rupert but needs him and Rupert wants Nigel to beg. Could Restore and Reform ever do a deal to take on the newly invigorated Labour party? Or is there too much toxicity to even get on the phone?

Later - Will FIFA president Gianni Infantino last the week after so many football associations have turned against him - and will Trump stick by the man who gave him the peace prize?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Andy Burnham hasn't even been Prime Minister for two weeks, but the early verdict is positive. He's looked decisive, commanded the agenda and projected authority. The question is: will that matter?

New governments often think they know what will define them but history has a habit of intervening. The biggest political events are often the ones nobody sees coming. Could the next defining crisis already be taking shape?

This week saw a bruising sell-off in AI stocks as investors questioned whether the more than $1.5 trillion pouring into AI can ever deliver the returns being promised...

As Eddie Howe dramatically quits Newcastle 3 weeks before the start of a new Premier League season, Mark Chapman & guests unpack the financial meltdown which led to Newcastle losing their most successful coach for 70 years.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh explains the timing of Eddie Howe’s decision and asks if club captain Bruno Guimares’ seemingly imminent departure to Arsenal was the final straw?

But how did Newcastle, a club with some of the richest owners in world football, find themselves in a situation where they have to sell their best players?

Football finance expert...

Dr Anthony Fauci became a world-renowned figure during Covid - one of America's top virologists with a lifetime of public service to his name. And yet, in a Senate committee yesterday, he was condemned in the strongest terms by several Republicans, and had to plead the fifth amendment 100 times.

He accused the senior GOP Senator Rand Paul (who chairs the committee) of having an "obsession" with him. Ted Cruz has said that his silence should lead to a contempt of Congress charge and potential jail time. How on earth has he became such an enemy of the...

Andy Burnham has set out plans to fix England’s struggling social care system - promising a new National Care Service, cross-party talks and a review designed to tackle a system he says is no longer working. But how quickly can reform happen, and who will pay for it?

In this episode, we unpack the announcement, and ask whether the new PM can finally deliver meaningful change.

Later, we're joined by Sky News' economics and data editor and of host of the 'Stuff Matters' podcast - Ed Conway - to analyse the economic challenges ahead fo...

Reform UK has referred Green party leader Zack Polanski to the police for "inciting murder" after a post he shared on social media.

The image, shared and then deleted on Instagram, showed a man wearing a tee shirt with the words “we’re only making plans for Nigel” next to a picture of a guillotine.

Farage has said: "“If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski”. The police are now "conducting inquiries".

The Greens say that Polanski “condemns the image on the tee shirt” a...