logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
26m 30s

Who is Hezbollah? And what is this war?

GLOBAL
About this episode

The Prime minister has arrived in New York and called on British citizens to evacuate Lebanon after Israeli missiles targetting Hezbollah left more than 550 dead in one day. Who are Hezbollah? Where did this war begin? We talk to the historian James Barr about the strange paramilitary army that is sewn into the society of Southern Lebanon.

Later, Labour lose their first conference vote over winter fuel - UNITE union are triumphant. And... stay with us to the end for a special guest appearance. NO SPOILERS!

Tickets are now on sale for The News Agents 'live on stage' at The Royal Albert Hall on Sunday December 1st. Buy yours from Global Player at the link below.

https://app.af.globalplayer.com/Br0x/7ggnmqw4

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs & Jacob Paul

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

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

And you can grab your News Agents merch, including t-shirts, hoodies and water bottles at the link below.

https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

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

Up next
Yesterday
Is Trump's peace plan too good to be true?
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the initial phase of a ceasefire plan in Gaza.Donald Trump announced the agreement saying all hostages would be released, and Israel would withdraw troops.There have been celebrations on the streets in Gaza and Israel, but is the peace plan going t ... Show More
41m 13s
Oct 8
Kemi Badenoch promises to abolish Stamp Duty. Is it enough to save her job?
To rapturous applause and a full throated national anthem, Kemi Badenoch delivered the speech that may just have saved her job. She promised to end stamp duty, abolish VAT on private schools and scrap farmers inheritance tax. She will also ban doctors from striking, cancel univer ... Show More
42m 12s
Oct 7
Why Robert Jenrick wants to see more 'white faces'
Robert Jenrick has doubled down on remarks - from a speech he made in March - just leaked to The Guardian. In it he rued the 90 minutes he spent in Handsworth saying it was “like a slum” and wondering “where all the white faces were”. He insists he’s talking about the need for i ... Show More
36m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Braced for war: Life inside Lebanon
Israel and Hezbollah’s intensifying conflict is affecting a country already on edge. Over 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon as cross-border violence, ongoing for nearly a year, has reached new heights. More than 600 people have been reported killed across Lebanon since ... Show More
26m 32s
Oct 2024
A brief history of Israel and Lebanon at war
Tensions are escalating between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy militia in Lebanon. Attacks on both sides have led to thousands dead and over a million people internally displaced. The latest confrontations come after decades of conflict, so where did it all begin? This podcas ... Show More
30m 41s
Sep 2024
War in Lebanon?
It looks a lot like all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah. Semafor’s Sarah Dadouch has the latest from Beirut and CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh explains Israel's strategy.This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Hady Mawajdeh with help from Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Miranda ... Show More
27m 21s
Oct 2024
Ep71. Nasrallah Killed in Lebanon – What’s Next?
Over the weekend, Israel confirmed that they had killed Hezbollah’s charismatic leader – and terrorist master mind --  Hassan Nasrallah. He was frequently described as the leader of the globe’s most powerful non-state armed group.  So, what does Nasrallah’s exit from the stage an ... Show More
48m 55s
Jan 2025
118. Ex-Head of Mossad: Hamas, Ceasefire, and Netanyahu (Uzi Arad)
What’s the relationship between intelligence agencies and the politicians they serve? How does Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu react in a crisis? How confident should we be that the ceasefire will last? Alastair and Rory are joined by former Head of Mossad Intelligence ... Show More
1h 22m
Sep 2024
Witnessing the new face of cyber warfare in Lebanon + Headlines
Dozens of people were killed this week in Lebanon in two separate attacks that were unlike anything the world has seen so far in warfare. Pagers and walkie talkies belonging to militant group Hezbollah were set to detonate at the exact same time, injuring thousands of people. It ... Show More
21m 31s
Sep 17
Moazzam Malik, Chief Executive of Save the Children UK: Working on the ground in Gaza
Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Moazzam Malik, Chief Executive of Save the Children UK, about operating on the ground in Gaza.They’re one of a number of non-governmental organisations, or NGOs, operating in the Gaza strip amid a backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.On ... Show More
22m 59s
Feb 2025
Americanswers... on 5 Live! What's Elon Musk's latest threat to federal workers?
French president Emmanuel Macron is in Washington DC for talks with Donald Trump as he - and later in the week Keir Starmer - attempt to stop a deal on the Ukraine war that favours Russia. How do you get through to the president?And, the price of eggs keeps rising in the US due t ... Show More
31m 55s
Feb 2025
What does Lebanon's new government mean for Hezbollah?
Lebanon's president has named a new administration sidelining Hezbollah for the first time in decades. But where does this leave the group and its allies who have long played a major political role? And will this move usher in what the Prime Minister calls a government of reform ... Show More
24m 38s
Sep 2024
How Lebanese Australians feel about the escalating violence
Violence is building in Lebanon as the war is Gaza spills over multiple fronts. Over the weekend Israeli strikes killed several high-ranking Hezbollah leaders, while also injuring and killing many Lebanese civilians. Governments around the world are calling for ceasefire, with Au ... Show More
12m 12s