Introduction

Rishi Sunak is handing out around one hundred new oil and gas licences for North Sea drilling and says it is entirely consistent with his plans for net-zero. But his former energy minister has said the government is 'on the wrong side of history'.

Can you get to clean energy by going back for more fossil fuels? Will voters thank him at the ballot box if he can make the transition less painful?

And what do the Independence-intent SNP make of this? We ask their leader for Westminster, Stephen Flynn.

Later, we ask what's happening in Niger? As a military coup in one of the world's poorest countries leaves it wide open to Russian mercenary influence. We talk to journalist and geopolitical expert Tim Marshall.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Producer: Will Gibson Smith

The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.