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 HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly& Arvind BadewalYou 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 RadusVideo Producer: Rory SymonYou 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 HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickField Producer: Gabriel RadusSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly, Rory Symon & Arvind BadewalYou 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-agentsJon’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 HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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 have a real live government Secretary of State with us in News Agents HQ today - David TC Davies insists the election still winnable for the Conservatives  - and says if you want to see what Labour would do in power, then look at the mess unfolding in Wales. Is he missing something or are we? Later, Peter Conradi - author of Who Lost Russia - takes us gently through all that is unfolding right now in Russia, Ukraine and Georgia, and why - despite the Western sanctions - it all speaks to a resurgent Putin.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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

If it had been a speech about defence, it might have made more sense. But Rishi Sunak had no new policy offerings in todays pronouncement - he warned of a scary future under Starmer - then started talking about football shirts, ozempic, civic duty, literacy, and optimism. It was, in essence, an electioneering speech - criticising labour for blaming the Tories for the last 14 years. Meanwhile his Common Sense Minister Esther McVey has gone to war on the office lanyard. Later, will former lawyer and indeed felon Michael Cohen make or break Trump when he appears in court this week?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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

Lewis Goodall hosts a special report from Port Talbot, South Wales, where thousands of jobs are about to be lost at Tata Steel.Port Talbot is Britain's last great steelworks, and a community has been built around it for generations. But Tata has announced 2,800 job losses across the UK as part of the closure of the site's blast furnaces and a transition to greener steelmaking.We visited the site and the town itself, to assess the impact it could have on an economy already battered by the de-industrialisation of the 1980s.Editor: Tom HughesField Producer: Rory Symon Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellYou 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, Gabby & Mark took a closer look at a controversial new rule in cricket - the impact player in the IPL - and whether it's introduction became a threat to the fabric of the sport. The Telegraph's Nick Hoult joined us in the studio to discuss it's impact on the game and whether the current domestic schedule demands too much from players.And with the 'fight of the century' a week away between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, just how big is the latest drug scandal to hit boxing? Two-weight world champion Carl Frampton and broadcaster Adam Catterall explore how sensation Ryan Garcia is making headlines. Catch up with full episodes for more on how much Declan Rice's West Ham depature impacted David Moyes and his final season at the club, and just how do Real Madrid always find a way in the Champions League? New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

Did the Labour Party screw up in welcoming Natalie Elphicke into its party? One former frontbencher tells us Keir Stamer got this wrong. They're calling on him to now re-admit Dianne Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn into the Labour fold. Has Keir just made his life much harder in search of onesexy headline? Later, Is Biden about to stop arms sales to Israel - and why doesn't the Speaker of the House know about this? And what's happening to Israel's Eurovision entry. Can we remove politics from the cultural stage?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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

Very little political news is truly jaw dropping. But this morning's was. Natalie Elphicke, on the Conservative right of the party, and MP for Dover, has defected to Labour. She crossed the floor before Prime Minister's Questions and was warmly welcomed by Keir Starmer. It was not so long ago that Rachel Reeves was telling Elphicke to "fuck off", after her comments about Marcus Rashford. And it was not so long ago Elphicke herself was defending her convicted sex offender husband as being the 'victim of dirty politics'. Is this really the new face of Labour? Later, why has Astra Zeneca pulled it's Covid vaccine from the shelf. Is this about legal woes? Or commercial ones? And where is this country now on vaccine hesitancy? Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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 government is determined not to let a little thing like a disastrous set of local elections put it off its stride. Over the course of the bank holiday we were told that 'the plan is working... it just needs a little more time'. Labour is having none of it - accusing the PM of 'gaslighting' the public over the state of the UK economy. But what if the economy DOES start to improve? What if inflation DOES start to fall? Can the public be pursuaded things... can only get better...? We have an extended interview with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Later. What do Javier Milei and Liz Truss have in common? Erm, nothing. Nothing whatsoever it transpires....The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agentsCip Credits:Rachel Reeves speech on Tuesday 7th MayAndrew Mitchell on Sky NewsAndrew Griffith on BBC Radio 4 Rishi Sunak on Sky NewsMark Harper speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBCIone Wells speaking to Javier Milei in Buenos Aires for BBC NewsLiz Truss interviewed on GB News

The local election and mayoral results flood in. How bad are they for the Tories? How much of that is Reform? And how well have Labour actually done?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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-agentsCip Credits:Ben Houchen with Sophie Ridge on Sky NewsRishi Sunak talking to BBC NewsAndrea Leadsom with Jo Coburn on PoliticsLive on BBC Two

This week on The Sports Agents, Gabby & Mark explored whether a Premier League salary cap will actually help smaller clubs bridge the gap to the 'Big 6' and if it could lead to a bigger drain on top English talent... Former Lioness Jill Scott was in the studio to explain why Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham is the obvious candidate to succeed Bayern Munich's Harry Kane as England captain - as they went head-to-head in the Champions League semi-finals. And legendary boxing promoter Frank Warren joined us to reflect on his rivalry with the Hearn family, the British public's complicated relationship with Tyson Fury and the night he was shot outside one of his shows... Catch up with the full episodes for more on Billy Vunipola's Mallorca arrest and Jadon Sancho's resurgence in Dortmund. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

After several delays, Brexit checks finally came into force this week - adding cost and delay to how small businesses can get their goods into the UK. It'll see prices pushed up on the consumer's end too.But, you won't hear either main party discussing this in great detail. Why? As an election issue - it's almost radio silence - even as the UK becomes the worst performing economy in the G7.We'll hear from Peter Foster from the Financial Times and What Went Wrong With Brexit on the Brexit economics and Labour's strangled relationship with this issue - and from Tim Shipman - chronicler of Brexit diaries with No Way Out - on what the Conservatives now make of the brexit they delivered.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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

As of this week, Rishi Sunak can boast he has sent asylum seekers to Rwanda. Admittedly, it was just one guy. Admittedly he was paid £3k to go. Admittedly he'd already failed the asylum test to remain in Britain and admittedly - crucially - he went voluntarily. This is NOT the same forced deportation plan that Rishi promised would "stop the boats". But don't let pesky details get you down. The headline - conveniently dropping before tomorrow's local elections - make it sound like the Rwanda plan is flying. Later - what should you be looking out for in the Glastonbury weekend of fun that is the local elections. And what's going on with the protests on US college campuses - are we next?Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/

If the Palace of Westminster were a village - the Head of Counter Terrorism police tells us - NO one would dare to live there. Today we ask why so many of our MPs face threats to life - and what it's doing to our democracy more broadly, in terms of how they vote and speak out. Also, should we be concerned about actual terrorist acts from countries like China and Russia and Iran - are they operating on our streets - without the public even knowing?Editor: Tom HughesProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/

On the stroke of midday, Humza Yousaf, Scotland's First Minister, made the announcement that just a week ago would have been unthinkable. Acknowledging the miscalculations he made in the sacking of his Green cabinet members last week - and the confidence vote he would - in all likelihood - have lost - the head of the Scottish government resigned. For fifteen years the SNP have been a political behemoth in Scotland - writing the rules of devolution and looking to a time of future independence. But after a year of utter political turmoil, is their time in power up? Today, we look at how we got here, the mistakes made, and who can take the party forward. We talk to a potential future leader, Stephen Flynn, and ask what this means for Labour at the General Election and for the shape of British politics more broadly.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/

In 2024 Britain nearly 140,000 kids are homeless. Just because you don’t see them on the street doesn’t mean they’re not there. This is Britain’s temporary accommodation crisis, one which is worsening. Temporary accommodation was once a safe harbour for a few days, a week, a month or so at most. Now, thanks to rocketing rents and inadequate housing supply, more and more families find a single room in a hotel or accommodation block their permanent home. In this latest News Agents Investigates series, Lewis hits to road to find out just how big a problem it is, where it comes from and why so many working class kids may find themselves ruined by forces outside their control.Producer: Laura FitzPatrickVideo Production: Rory SymonYou 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/

This week on The Sports Agents...A Premier League launched an attack on VAR via their social media account - and threatened legal action... Is there actually any legal recourse for victims of a dodgy offside decision? The Athletic's David Ornstein joined us on the pod to discuss the chaos at Nottingham Forest. Ultra-marathon runner Jasmine Parris then spoke to Gabby & Mark about becoming the first women to ever complete the Barkley Marathons and just what it takes to conquer the legendary 100-mile race.With the NFL Draft taking place this weekend and the number one pick going to Mark's beloved Chicago Bears, former Dallas Cowboys star Jason Bell told us how it all works and why the ingenious system should be the envy of European football. And after Liverpool's defeat to Everton in midweek we asked if Jurgen Klopp has announced his Anfield departure too soon. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.