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/

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/

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 @sportsagentspod

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Guest Booker: Kirsty Giddings

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

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

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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/

Questions are still mounting after the super-injunction imposed on The News Agents - to stop us reporting the story of a catastrophic data breach that put up to 100,000 Afghan allies at risk - was lifted.

Who bears the heaviest burden of responsibility for creating this mess?

Emily, Jon and Lewis discuss the questions that the Tories, who imposed the super injunction in 2023, need to face up to - and why Labour, who upheld the super-injunction for nearly a year, must also be held accountable.

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

The government admitted today that the superinjunction which for two years prevented us from reporting on a “catastrophic” data breach which put the lives of 100,000 Afghans at potentially lethal risk by the Taliban was “constitutionally unprecedented”.

The Defence secretary stood up in the Commons to issue an apology to those Afghans whose data had been leaked, and said that it had been “deeply uncomfortable” to have kept parliament - and the public - in the dark.

On the day that the story finally became public, John Healey came in to speak exclusively to Lewis, the first journalist to be issued with a superinjunction by the MoD.

You can listen to Lewis’s special episode on the story that the government spent two years from preventing us from telling here:

https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/episodes/7DrsZBQ/

For nearly two years the government has taken The News Agents and other journalists to a secret court to prevent us from reporting a story of huge public interest.

In August 2023 Lewis was told of a massive data breach at the Ministry of Defence - a dataset including the names and contact details of 18000 applicants to the ARAP programme, the scheme for Afghans who had helped the British armed forces in the 20 year war in the country.

These people were already at risk of reprisal from the Taliban and now their details were out there, provided courtesy, in effect, of the British government. Including family members, nearly 100,000 people were affected. This led to a constitutionally unprecedented super-injunction, where the government forbade us from reporting the story, under threat of prison.

We can now finally tell you the full extraordinary story as to what has happened - The News Agents were the only media organisation there every step of the way, in a case of huge importance to our politics, to the thousands of Afghans affected - and potentially to the way our democracy works in the years to come.

More in Common's latest research of 20 thousand people suggests nearly 90 percent of us have little or no trust in politicians. 70 percent of voters think this country is on the wrong track, and the prevailing word used to describe Britain is 'broken'. What does that mean for main stream political parties? How do they convince people politics can improve their lives? And will the next electoral race be between populists on the left and populists on the right?

We dig into the 7 political tribes as described by More in Common's Luke Tryl and ask the man who wants to lead the Green Party - Zack Polanski why he believes Ecopopulism is the only answer to Reform UK.

You can take More In Common's quiz to find out which political tribe you are here: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/seven-segments/

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