The News Agents

Recently, the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, has seemed particularly exercised by one woman on Labour's front bench. Yes, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary and one of Keir Starmer's closest allies, has become something of an obsession for the Leader of the Opposition. Interviews come and interviews go, yet somehow Badenoch always seems to find a way to bring Phillipson into the conversation.

Much of the hostility stems from Phillipson's determination to impose VAT on private school fees, a policy she has defended without apology. For that, Badenoch has branded her a "spiteful class warrior."

So we thought this might be the perfect moment to get Bridget Phillipson into The News Agents studio. Is she really the "spiteful class warrior" her critics claim? And if she is, does she wear the label with pride?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

Can Gianni Infantino survive his friendship with Donald Trump?

The presidents of both FIFA and the USA have been busy this week ensuring that USA could field top scorer Folarin Balogun in their Quarter-final match against Belgium.

Trump’s incredible intervention into football has rocked the sport and left FIFA’s credibility in tatters - particularly after England defender Jarell Quansah’s own red card ban is extended - is it one rule for Trump’s team and another for the everyone else?

As FIFA stands accused of losing control of their own World Cup, and world leaders begin to ask questions, how does Trump’s close friend, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, survive this one?

Elsewhere as Englandprepare to face Norway in their quarter-final match, two of the best strikers in the business take to the field in Harry Kane & Erling Haaland - but how do you stop Haaland and Kane from scoring? Nedum has a plan and it doesn’t involve a shotgun…

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: David Finch & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

The bad news isn't stopping for Reform and Nigel Farage. He's facing fresh questions about the timeline surrounding the £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. The police are investigating a separate donation made to Robert Jenrick (who has described the claims as a politically motivated smear). The party has urged volunteers to divert from the Greater Manchester mayoral contest - in an effort to shore up Nigel Farage in a contest against a bin that he himself has triggered.

Just a few days ago, Farage thought his by-election gamble would put the focus squarely on him and pit his as a champion of the people wrestling against the establishment? Has that backfired in the most almighty way? And his the entire Farage project imploding?

It was Rupert Lowe - and not Farage - who became the first UK politician to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast yesterday. Over two hours he said stuff that was weird, inaccurate and inflammatory - but will his comments about the Dunblane massacre come back to haunt him?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Within hours of the Farage resignation statement all the main parties made it clear they would not be fighting his by-election and called the whole attempt a gimmick. Unity amongst the parties is a rare beast indeed - but they've all found their common enemy in a man who appears to resist transparency or accountability. What happens to the Clacton circus now? And more pressingly, what is the process for parliamentary scrutiny if the enquiry is temporarily suspended for a campaign? We ask anti-corruption campaigner and Kensington MP Joe Powell to explain the charges and the investigations now.

The News Agent is a Global Production.

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

Nigel Farage says he's "never been angrier in his life". He's accusing the media of intimidating his family. He's claimed standards are being weaponised to go after him. And for that, he's asking the people of Clacton to stomach a by-election and re-elect him as their MP. Farage is framing it as a 'People vs The Establishment' contest - but is it more of a smokescreen to move the conversation away from the growing questions around his finances?

Will the gamble work? And will it actually solve anything for Farage - or is this a Trumpian tactic taken from a point of weakness?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Jon has woken up in Mexico City with a fever dream about an epic England win and a football shirt covered in beer and tequila. Elsewhere the game doesn’t feel quite so beautiful - after it emerged that Trump's political meddling got a red card overturned for US player, Folarin Balogun.

Why did the FIFA president cave to Trump's swagger and pressure? How has it left the players feeling as they head into the next stages? And what does it tell us about Trumps tendency towards tyranny as America celebrates its 250 years of independence?

Later, why is Nigel Farage called “daddy“ by a convicted criminal who appears to be bankrolling him? The Sunday Times Insight Editor and host of 'Posh George: The Criminal Behind Farage', Gabriel Pogrund joins us in the studio.

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

After Harry Kane got them out of jail against DR Congo, Nedum believes this is the start of a glorious run for England at the FIFA World Cup.

It’s Mexico next at the iconic Azteca stadium, altitude, pollution, and an army of noisy fans await. Nedum & Gabby discuss performing at altitude, Mexican welcoming committees and what makes this the “hardest game that can be played at this tournament”

Elsewhere the guys reveal new Man City manager Enzo Maresca’s coaching philosophy - with insights from Guillem Balague - and they talk Nottingham Foresttoo, who have just sacked their 4th manager in a year - this time by email!

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: David Finch

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

It feels different this time around. Donald Trump's second term is more ferocious, more feral, more imperial. There are two chroniclers of the Court of Trump who know this better than anyone. And they have just published 'Regime Change' - the authoritative account of the White House under Trump 2.0.

Their access is remarkable. Inside accounts of the discussions, arguments, and fawning taking place inside the incredibly small circle of people truly in Trump's orbit. Trump has slated the book as a "Fake News...Con Job!". Its contents have led to calls for inquiries and subpoenas.

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Lewis spoke to Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about their reporting revelations, about a truly unprecedented President, and what comes next.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Nigel Farage has become the face of Direct Bullion. Not a surprise to those of you buying gold, perhaps, but it probably is to those who don’t. And it earned him £270,000 in the process.

He’s also amassed a five-house property portfolio (three undeclared) and then there’s the small matter of the 5 million crypto donation. Again undeclared.

How is this sitting with a man who voted against the Employment Rights Act and wants to scrap the current minimum wage? Is it hurting Reform UK? Or is it just confirming he's as a maverick politician who can get away with stuff that others can’t?

Later, Luke Tryl from the polling organisation More in Common on the realignment of British political parties, just as Andy Burnham is set to become Prime Minister.

And - where exactly is Jon Sopel?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

Everyone understands the need to leave on a high - whether it’s Prime Ministerial legacy or a sense of completing the job.

But the new defence investment plan that Starmer's signed off leaves Burnham with an unexploded bomb in the shape of a five billion pound debt.

Does Burnham stick to the plan? Or does he rip it up? And how does he fill the hole if he goes along with it?

We ask TUC secretary general Paul Nowak what unions want from a Burnham premiership.

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

How do you interview someone who’s been gagged? That’s the task we set ourselves on today’s episode. Sarah Wynn-Williams - a former Facebook executive turned whistleblower author - is not allowed to talk about Facebook, or her book, Careless People. She’s not allowed to.

She’s not even allowed to discuss the lawsuit that’s been slapped on her. Or how she’s finally responded with one of her own.

This is her story - told by another woman who knows how silence can be used to control and intimidate - Amy Wallace.

A spokesperson for Meta has said, "This former employee is trying to use the legal process to sell books, which an arbitrator already ruled broke the agreement she signed with the company when she accepted a large severance payment years ago. Her book is divorced from reality, disparaging and riddled with false claims."

The full arbitration can be read here:

https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Arbitration-Interim-Award.pdf

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Andy Burnham has made his first prime ministerial speech to the nation, even though he’s not yet PM. He spoke of the need for a "circuit break". Handing power back to people locally. Taking it away from Westminster. It was dynamic, bold and it was energising. But is Britain ready for electric shock therapy? And how does devolution not end up with badly run parts of the country becoming even worse off?

Later, what state is the Reform party in? Could they survive without Farage if he went? And would any of this hasten a general election?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

On the week of Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister, Jon and Lewis host a special Q&A edition of The News Agents, answering the questions you have about the future of the country.

How will Andy Burnham's cabinet take shape? What will his policies look like? And is he surrounded by "duplicitous" colleagues?

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

After Scotland’s humbling at the hands of Brazil, Mark has his say on FIFA’s “crap way to qualify for the knockout stages of a World Cup”...

Former USMNT, Spurs & Aston Villa Goalkeeper Brad Friedel joins Gabby & Mark to talk about the sporting miracle which is inspiring Mauricio Pochettino and his USA team’s belief that they can go all the way at their home world cup.

And with qualifiers set to end today, we meet Wimbledon wildcard Marcus Willis to talk about the gruelling realities of qualifying for the big slams if you’re a player outside the top 50.

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: David Finch

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Overnight, President Trump offered his first slither of a thought on the incoming prime minister Andy Burnham, calling him “extremely liberal" and a mayor of a "town” - which - arguably could have been much worse.

Does Burnham need to put his relationship with Trump centre stage? Or just ignore him? Will Trump be as relevant to Burnham as he was to Starmer?

Later, has the water closed over the Starmer premiership without a ripple? Why have we moved on so quickly? Are we in danger of turning the office of prime minister into a pop up shop?

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

Kemi Badenoch looked like - not for the first time - she was going to make the Chancellor cry in the Commons today. She accused her of treachery and betrayal in her behaviour towards the PM. Badenoch then turned her sights on Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, and accused her of being a spiteful class warrior. Why was the Tory leader so vicious in her seeing off of Keir Starmer and his team? Is this the result of being terminally online? Is it a reflection of a more authentic politics? And if the public disapprove of this discourse why has her popularity seemingly improved?

Later, ten years to the day since the Brexit result - what are the places that voted leave feeling?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

You’re going to hear from a staunch Burnham ally today - a blunt speaking man at the heart of his last leadership campaign - and an MP who recently lost the whip from Keir Starmer.

Can Karl Turner tell us what Andy Burnham thinks? And what he wants to do? And isn’t there hypocrisy in anointing another leader without going to the country first?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

And just like that, Keir Starmer became the sixth British prime minister to resign in ten years - triggering a leadership contest it’s increasingly likely no one will enter. Wes Streeting has pulled out of the race. Andy Burnham is arriving at Parliament where he will be sworn in as MP. If there is no challenger, he could be PM in just over two weeks' time. Is this the most perfect heist in political history? Does Starmer have a right to feel aggrieved? And does Burnham have an actual plan?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Overnight in Makerfield, Andy Burnham showed how to win more than fifty percent of the vote on the Labour ticket. It was political smack for his party. A reminder that they still have the electoral chemistry to win decisively in tight races where Reform has stormed in the past.

Keir Starmer is pretending nothing big has happened - and said Reform were already on the wane. He is refusing to make way for Burnham - who is rather hoping for a coronation rather than a bloody contest. So who will fire the first shot'? And when? Is it just a matter of choreography? Or are things about to get messy?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

England are used to a winning start in tournaments... but are we used to it being this... FUN?

The 3 Lions beat Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener and Thomas Tuchel's 'entertainers'have seemingly already captured the nation.

A now famous half-time team talk is said to have inspired the players. Is Tuchel's emotional and tactical management style what England need to get over the line?

And on the players themselves, are we going to witness a tournament where Harry Kane has his name up with Messi, Mbappe and Haaland?

Journalist and co-host of The Football Boardroom Henry Winterjoins Gabby and Mark for all that and more.

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Once you’ve listened to Trumps friends slag off his deal with Iran , you can’t help wondering what his critics will say. In one fell swoop, Trump has lifted sanctions on Iran, invited investment into the country to help the same old regime recover, agreed to a sixty day trial period on the reopened Strait of Hormuz, and "moved on" from his wish to help the Iranian people escape their tyrants. What has he achieved in this war? Precisely nothing. Who knows that? Practically everyone.

Later, we speak to Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minster Radek Sikorski about diplomacy in the age of Trump, the "madman with a gun" in Moscow, and ten years of Brexit.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Whatever happens in Makerfield in the next 24 hours, the outcome will be momentous. If Andy Burnham wins, we could see him challenge Keir Starmer for Prime Minister by the end of the week. If Burnham loses, then Labour are plunged into a whole new level of existential crisis. Either way, this will be one of the most significant by-elections in British electoral history - the stakes could hardly be higher.

Jon, Emily and Lewis have this special report from the constituency. What do the people of Makerfield want to see change in Westminster? Are voters happy with the prospect of potentially electing the next Prime Minister? And why are the Burnham team feeling nervy just hours out from polling opening?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

10 years on from the murder of MP Jo Cox, there is a grim warning from her sister Kim Leadbeater: the atmosphere in politics now is "probably worse".

Leadbeater warns of people trying to "sow division" in our country - and that's a division that Russia is seeking to exploit. One of the arsonists convicted of trying to firebomb Keir Starmer's house had also been tasked by Kremlin-linked actors with putting up far-right posters, seeking to stoke community tensions.

How can it be that, after the tragic murders of Jo Cox and David Amess, our politics continues to slide towards polarisation, anger, and conspiracy?

Later, Jake Richards - justice minister and lead on the government's men and boys strategy - on the crisis facing young men and the crisis facing Keir Starmer and his party.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

In what feels like one of the few genuinely radical decisions of his premiership, Keir Starmer has announced an almost complete ban on social media for the under 16s, starting next spring. Messaging apps will not be included, but YouTube (ie “television”) will.

Does the ban make sense? Will it actually happen? And is Starmer now thinking about legacy projects at this febrile moment of his leadership? We speak to the AI minister Kanishka Narayan.

Later Jess Asato MP found herself undressed by Grok - along with around 3 million others. She’s now suing Elon Musk to make sure X takes responsibility for sexualised image creation - including an estimated 23,000 of children.

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

Armed Forces minister Al Carns and a couple of junior frontbenchers followed the Defence Secretary John Healey in resigning from government last night.

Healey's accusation was a stinging one - that Keir Starmer is failing to commit to keeping the nation safe from attack. That, after Starmer pledged only a few months ago to put "petty politics" to one side and be bold on British defence.

He now faces a testing week like no other. His Defence Investment Plan, long delayed. is due to be launched on Monday. Can that go ahead? If the PM gets through that, he faces the prospect of Andy Burnham returning to the Commons on Friday - who could instantly make a move for the top job.

How damaging have the resignations of the past 24 hours been for Starmer's already dwindling prospects of staying in the job? And how on earth does the PM navigate the next week?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Nedum touches down in USA and joins Gabby & Mark to discuss the opening game of the World Cup 2026; How excited are the locals, dark horses for the tournament & more...

But with such a constant stream of controversy in the days leading up to the first match - fans fleeced for tickets, a Somali referee banned from entering US, national teams greeted by ICE on arrival and FIFA President Gianni Infantino'scall for everyone to just "chill out" - has a World Cup ever been harder to love?

The Athletic's Adam Craftonalso joins to debate whether the questions will actually stop, once the football starts?

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Around lunch time today, as The News Agents were battling their own excitement in the shape of a fire drill, the Defence Secretary suddenly resigned without warning. He left with a devastating critique of the Starmer government failures in his wake. The loyal and highly regarded Healey resigned out of frustration that promises made on defence spending weren’t being kept. And that the Prime Minister wouldn’t even set a date for the increases to happen. Has Starmer “failed to keep the country safe"? And a week out from the Makerfield by-election, is this the nail in the coffin for Starmer’s leadership?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Belfast was ablaze last night, 24 hours after the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie. Houses, cars and buses were set on fire during riots across the city. It has since been announced that Ogilvie has lost an eye in the attack and 30-year-old Hadi Alodid has been charged with his attempted murder.

The British government are laying at least some of the blame at the door of X owner Elon Musk, accusing him of whipping up tensions online ahead of the disorder.

Lewis is on the ground in Belfast with Andy Hughes from The Crime Agents with a special report on the events that unfolded last night.

Later, Jon and Emily speak with journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, who discusses how Musk and the far right have whipped up rioters and encouraged violence on the streets of Northern Ireland.

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

This morning Kemi Badenoch put equality laws at the centre of a new political dividing line, pledging that a future Conservative government would scrap the Public Sector Equality Duty. She says that “modern Britain is the least racist country on earth” and warned that fears of being accused of racism are leading authorities to not intervene to prevent crime.

What is Badenoch’s evidence that equalities duties are pushing “divisive” agendas? When did ‘common sense’ become satisfactory guidance? And why are some parts of the Right now suggesting that white people are the most discriminated against group in Britain?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

President Trump told the FTs' Edward Luce that he "called all the shots" over the Iran ceasefire. Shortly before he spoke, Iran had launched missiles at Israel.

"He [Netanyahu] won’t have any choice... He doesn’t call the shots", the President insisted. He told Fox that he was going to instruct Israel's PM not to retaliate. Netanyahu pointedly ignored those comments and started bombing Iran back. So is Trump becoming increasingly impotent in the Middle East crisis? And what part does the upcoming Israeli election play in Netanyahu's plans for war?

And Later, we talk to Edward Luce about when the best time is to pick up the phone to Trump - and what happens when you do...

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

It is now hard to imagine that just three weeks ago, Wes Streeting was still serving in Keir Starmer's cabinet. As Health Secretary, Streeting gave the PM one of his biggest success stories from Labour's so far deeply troubled time in government - getting waiting lists down, and dragging the NHS into the 21st century.

In the short time since he left role, he has become one of Starmer's biggest problems. His criticism of the PM is blistering, his analysis of where Labour has gone wrong is compelling, and his finger is twitching over the leadership contest trigger, waiting - so he says - for Andy Burnham to get into the arena.

Streeting has long been talked up as a future Labour Prime Minister, but bruising recent membership polling shows the Labour party faithful are still far from convinced by his pitch. So why is he so convinced that this is a fight worth having?

In this extended interview with Lewis, he explains why he fears that Keir Starmer, a man he respects, will become the "midwife" for a dangerous new kind of politics if he doesn't step aside - regardless of who replaces him.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

On Sunday the first contested Presidential elections at Real Madrid for 20 years will take place, so Gabby, Mark & Nedum are joined by Spanish football writer Guillem Balague to discuss some of the false promises being made on the campaign trail...

Will any of Erling Haaland, Rodri, Jose Mourinho or Jurgen Klopp head to the Bernabeu this summer?

And as Liverpool edge closer to appointing Andoni Iraola - four of the biggest clubs in the Premier League will be managed by coaches from the Basque country - what's so unique about football culture there and how did such a tiny region of Northern Spain produce so many top coaches?

Plus, the guys answer some of your World Cup questions - including which presenter is most likely to get arrested in US?

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Two police officers - both nominated for bravery awards - have been doxxed on the internet through a Musk disinformation campaign, where he called one a "scumbag" who should be in prison. One former officer is now in hiding, fearing for her safety after death threats. Neither was anywhere near Henry Nowak on the night he died.

Musk famously supports Rupert Lowe over Nigel Farage. Is the Right of British politics now tearing itself apart over who gets to sound more extreme? Is any of this helping British citizens solve a knife crime epidemic? We ask Lord Blunkett, former Home Secretary, whether there is any evidence that DEI has got in the way of good policing.

And, as we mourn the tragically early death of one of Britain’s best spooks, we celebrate the life of Alex Younger with his friend - another former MI6 chief - Richard Moore.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Nigel Farage was accused by many in the Commons today of inciting violence with his call for people to respond to a young man’s murder with "pure cold rage". The Reform UK leader explicitly ignored the wishes of Henry Nowak's family - who had urged politicians not to use Henry's death to ramp up tensions - to suggest that the anger seen in Southampton last night could even get worse. As he spoke, he was jeered and accused of hijacking a personal tragedy for political gain. The question perhaps is whether Farage's rhetoric on race has hardened - and if so why? Is it the spectre of the Makerfield by-election where Reform has another hard right party snapping at their heels?

Later, Jeremy Hunt is with us to discuss why those in power know what to do - but not how to get reelected afterwards. Is this a fatal flaw with our system?

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

The footage is almost unbearable to watch. 18 year old Henry Nowak, stabbed and bleeding to death on the floor - telling officers he couldn't breathe - being handcuffed by police responders rather than treated. Bodycam footage, released with the consent of Henry's family, shows that as Henry shouts out that he has been stabbed, one officer responds: "You’ve been stabbed? I don’t think you have, mate." The killer, Vickrum Digwa, had lied and claimed that Henry had racially attacked him. How did the police get their response wrong?

The Home Secretary has called the footage "disturbing and tragic", and insisted that Henry's family deserve answers. Nigel Farage is claiming that the murder is proof we are "living in a two-tier culture in this country where the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities." Andy Hughes, co-host of The Crime Agents, explains why that is nonsense.

Later, Belarus's President in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, on how Lukashenko is running the country like a gulag - and why he must be stopped.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

America is the only major country where visitor numbers fell last year. In fact it had its worst year for international tourism since 2008- barring the pandemic. Are tourists scared? Or has Trump put them off? Is this why Trump's Ambassador for Tourism is on a whistle stop tour of Europe drumming up business before the World Cup? We speak to the US Special Envoy.

Later why was a Facebook whistleblower silenced on stage at Hay Festival? We bring you Sarah Wynn-Williams - full throated and in vision - discussing her book Careless People in her first and last interview.

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

In his essay this week on the way forward for Britain, Tony Blair posits that "governing in the age of AI will be the principal challenge. And opportunity" for our political class.

Karen Hao certainly agrees that it will be one of the defining challenges of our lives. An MIT grad, she started off in Silicon Valley, before turning to journalism and becoming one of the most authoritative reporters on the new world of AI. She is deeply alarmed by the AI race, and by the companies - and men - leading the pursuit.

Her book, 'Empire of AI', contends that these new giants of industry have weaponised the sales pitch around AI to extract immense resources to swell their bottom line, and erode democracies around the world in the process.

Lewis sat down with her to discuss the acutely political nature of AI, the new, uniquely powerful empires being built, and how - and if - democracies can wrestle back control.

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

Mark & Nedum are joined by West Ham's all-time Premier League goalscorer Michail Antonio, days after the club's relegation - ending a 14-year stay in the top flight.

Michail lifts the lid on major decisions which he feels contributed to the club's decline in recent years; the controversial move to the London stadium, club training facilities, the appointment of Graham Potter as manager and how the club handled his exit last year following a very publiccar accident.

Plus, Jarrod Bowen's West Ham future & World Cup squad omission, Declan Rice's Champions League chance and more.

Michail Antonio's new book, ‘Humans not Robots: when elite sport and real life collide’is out on June 4th.

📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

The day after Tony Blair spoke to The News Agents we ask whether his comments have started a healthy debate, changed the leadership race, or galvanised the whole party against him. The only man to win three elections for Labour speaks from experience and confidence. But is his diagnosis right for today? Will he ever be trusted on foreign affairs? And is efficacy more important than Democracy in 2026?

Later, we talk to Alan Milburn who’s basically diagnosed that Britain is pretty f****d for young people. What’s the answer?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Since Keir Starmer took office almost two years ago - the first Labour Prime Minister in 14 years - Tony Blair has been holding his tongue.

But that has all changed in a dramatic fashion. Blair is profoundly concerned, about the UK's future, the leadership of his party, and of the wider political conversation taking place.

In a 5,700 word essay, he lays out a brutal assessment of the lack of serious policy thinking going on in government, warns of a "slide towards relegation from the Premier League of nations", and pens what is effectively his own manifesto to try and turn the country's fortunes around.

Today on The News Agents - an in depth interview with the former PM. Why has he broken his silence now? What does he make of the leadership conversation taking place in Labour? And how does he believe Britain can halt its slide into irrelevance?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Robert Kenyon, Reform's candidate in Makerfield, was a week on from defending his Facebook Nazi friend when things got ugly. Over the sunny bank holiday weekend old tweets resurfaced showing not only his utterly creepy views about women but also his original anti-Brexit stance. And yes, you can guess which one is the real headache for Reform. Polls suggest they are currently in second place behind Andy Burnham, with the even harder right Restore party snapping at their heels and threatening to eat into the vote. So is it time to take action? Or just dig in behind their candidate?

A Reform UK spokesman said: “We fully back Cllr Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be a superb MP for Makerfield."

Later, questions for Nicola Sturgeon resurface over her “lack of curiosity“ surrounding her convicted ex husbands ten year spending spree of stolen funds. Is First Minister, John Swinney, in the firing line too?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

As billionaire wealth soars to unprecedented heights, calls to “tax the rich” are getting louder across the world. But while politicians on the left often champion wealth taxes, governments have repeatedly struggled to make them work in practice. So why have they failed? And could that finally be changing?

This Friday, Lewis is joined by French economist Gabriel Zucman, the architect of the so-called “Zucman Tax” and one of the most influential voices in the global debate on inequality. Drawing on his new book We Need to Tax Billionaires, Zucman explains how extreme wealth has created what some see as two separate economic realities: ordinary citizens on one side, and a billionaire class operating on an entirely different political and financial plane on the other.

From private jets to ballooning fortunes, why have traditional tax systems have struggled to keep up? And could a coordinated global approach to taxing billionaires reshape democracy itself?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Southampton's failed attempt to appeal their expulsion from the final for spying means that it will be Middlesbrough heading to Wembley to take on Hull in football’s richest game.

Espionage that could ‘cost’ upwards of £200 million… normally a story for Ian Fleming but in an end of the season that keeps on giving, this is the tale of the Championship play offs.

But what is the legality surrounding the decision? Is Tonda Eckart's sacking inevitable? and is there a case for the final to be voided and Hull to go up automatically?

Gabby is joined by Former Saints midfielder & EFL TV presenter David Prutton and top sports lawyer Tom Murray to debate the ramifications.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Before he was ever taken seriously as a politician, Donald Trump was very much taken seriously in the world of wrestling.

His relationship with WWE stretches back as far as the 1980s - he went on to headline Wrestlemania and even challenged founder Vince McMahon to a match during a running feud.

But what if wrestling was where Trump learned how to win the White House? Reality-defying performances, smack talk, and stunts are, after all, quintessentially Trumpian techniques.

Munya Chawawa thinks that Trump's origin story in politics might start in the ring - and came into the studio to discuss why.

Later, it was announced today that net migration has fallen by almost half, to its lowest level since the Covid pandemic. But will Keir Starmer be able to claim any credit for it?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

You might not know the name Thomas Massie. But you will know what he did. The Kentucky Republican congressman was one crucial part of the campaign that forced Trump to release the Epstein files last November. Last night, he lost his chance to fight his seat again - against a challenger endorsed by Trump. Is Trump still worrying about Epstein? Or does he just hate dissent? And why did he take Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth out of an actual war with Iran to make him campaign in Kentucky? This does not feel normal.

Later, is democracy being killed by the rich? Lewis speaks to Jeffrey Winters.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Andy Burnham has launched his campaign video for the Makerfield by-election. The first thing you notice is how comfortable he sounds in it. It’s a level of human communication almost unfamiliar in today’s politics - with a pitch not just to the constituency but to the nation. But is there more to him than the chips and gravy good vibes? And does he have an actual plan not just for Makerfield but for the country?

We speak to Neal Lawson - who is inside the Burnham camp - about how he thinks about politics, and what would be different if he ran the country.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Andy Burnham has ruled out making a Makerfield by-election contest another Brexit referendum. But will it end up being one anyway? The Greater Manchester Mayor has already had to clarify his position on rejoining the EU after a weekend where the issue has dominated the news agenda. Reform certainly hope to turn it into another Brexit campaign. They’ve sent Robert Jenrick out onto the mean streets of Westminster to try and convince voters it’s an establishment stitch up. But who is "the establishment" now?

Later, Jess Phillips on why she resigned and who knew she was going.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

In a week of endless rumours and leadership speculation, Westminster is once again in turmoil - with both everything and nothing seeming to happen at the same time.

Yesterday saw the resignation of Makersfield MP Josh Simons, opening the door for Andy Burnham to pave his way back into government.

It will be a tough battle for the Makersfield constituency, but Wes Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday, says Burnham has “the best chance of winning” the by-election.

So, could the Mayor of Manchester be our next Prime Minister?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

Gabby is joined by rugby legends Ugo Monye and Katy Daley-McLeanahead of Red Roses' Grand Slam decider this weekend - 37 games unbeaten, on the cusp of their 8th Six Nations in a row - does the sport actually need England to lose?

The trio also react to a fascinating developing football story - dubbed 'Spygate 2.0' - with Southampton's Championship Play-Off final place in doubt after an analyst was spotted recording opposition training sessions!

And they go head to head over World Rugby's decision to trial smaller balls in the women's game.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Wes Streeting cited the unprecedented local election results and the unpopularity of the government as his reason for resigning as health secretary this lunch time. What he did NOT say was that he was directly running for the leadership - and now allies of the PM are saying he has bottled it because he doesn't have the support. Has today strengthened Keir’s hand? Or just drawn out a slow death?

Later - Nigel Farage managed to buy a £1.4m house in cash just weeks after receiving a £5m donation from a crypto billionaire. He told us last week it was for his personal security. Today he described it as a reward for delivering Brexit. Which was it?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

A key cabinet member, Hilary Benn, was asked this lunch time if Wes Streeting was still the Health Secretary. Astonishingly he said he did not know. Is Streeting about to launch a leadership campaign? is Starmer preparing to fight him? And could all this chaos somehow leave Ed Miliband in poll position as PM?

Later, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launches an investigation into Nigel Farage's undeclared 5 million pound donation from a crypto billionaire. What will they find?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

Anyone who thought Keir Starmer was about to succumb to pressure from the 80 strong list of MPs who turned against him were in for a shock this morning when they found a PM defiant and refusing to even discuss a leadership challenge. Can he hold them off? Is his position more or less perilous today? And what is Andy Burnham doing at Euston?

Jess Philips has become the most senior minister to resign - leaving a devastating letter in her wake. Will the King's speech stop the political regicide for 24 hours? Or are Starmer’s critics just building up steam?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

It's always risky when a Prime Minister's speech becomes billed as a 'reset' and 'make or break' but Keir Starmer's address this morning was exactly that.

Facing a surprise possible leadership challenge from backbencher Catherine West - and a growing number of MPS in open mutiny - Starmer insisted he would prove his doubters wrong, face any contest head on, and keep Britain from ushering in "dangerous opponents".

It didn't seem to win too many of his parliamentary colleagues round - indeed as soon as he'd finished the drip drip of MPs demanding he set a timetable for his departure continued. But has it been enough to stop serious contenders - like Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner - from coming forward? Or are they just waiting for the right moment?

Later, Emily and Lewis speak to London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan about where Labour goes now.

The News Agents is a Global Prodcution.

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

The morning after elections, political parties send their leaders out to areas where they outperformed expectations to try and sell a narrative about their results, even on the bruising nights.

Such was the scale of Labour's defeat that for much of the night, it wasn't clear whether there was anywhere they could send Starmer. Eventually, he headed to Ealing where Labour kept control of the council. In West London, Starmer insisted he isn't "going to walk away". He acknowledged that "voters have sent a message about the pace of change". But isn't that message that they would like a Reform government? Isn't it at the very least that they do not want him to remain in Downing Street?

Where does Labour go from here - and is Nigel Farage now measuring the curtains in 10 Downing Street?

Later, Luke Tryl on the complete collapse of the two party system.

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

Brighton are known as one of football's best run clubs with a seemingly constant yearly profit margin above £100 million... and today they have officially announced that their 33 year old manager Fabian Hürzeler has signed a new contract.

A club on the verge of a second season playing European football and that has recently announced they are the first club the world to have a purpose built women's football stadium.

Their CEO Paul Barber joins Gabby and Mark to give us insight on what really happens behind the scenes to keep it so successful.

Paul also tells all about his relationship with former managers Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi- followed by his history with Spurs, working under Daniel Levy.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

It’s polling day in elections across Great Britain. Labour is braced for a battering, at the hands of insurgent forces on every side. Birmingham is a microcosm of that picture: an unloved Labour administration dealing with complex problems and complex politics.

But here it’s not just the Greens and Reform the party must contend with, but the rise of the so-called Gaza independents. A new political force appealing largely to British Muslims who, like everyone else, are disatissfied with the status quo.

Is this really a new sectarian politics, as the newspapers suggest? And if it is - should we be concerned about who is propelling those forces? With the control of the biggest local authority in Europe up for grabs, Lewis has gone home to England’s second city to find out.

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

Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, is back asking questions of those in power. His new best-seller investigates the mysterious death of young Zac Brettler in the heart of London. What does it tell us about dark money, lies and corruption in this gilded city - now home to the world’s billionaires? And why were the police either unwilling or unable to provide his family with answers? We talk about identity, reinvention and oligarchs in his latest book, London Falling.

Later, Trump's Project Freedom in Hormuz ends on day one - has Trump capitulated or is a deal, finally, in sight?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Donald Trump launched "Project Freedom" over the bank holiday weekend - a "humanitarian gesture", aimed at guaranteeing the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz still stubbornly being controlled by Iran.

The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, announced today a "red white and blue dome" over the area as he insisted that the US holds all the cards in the conflict. There's just one problem: nobody seems to be buying it. Ships aren't moving through the Strait in any real volume, and there were fresh attacks from both sides over the weekend despite a ceasefire. Has Trump forgotten who started this war? And have other world leaders stopped listening to him?

Later, has Zac Polanski peaked too soon ahead of the local elections on Thursday? One poll shows his approval ratings plummeting over the last week - why?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

In the last weeks, the funding of the Reform party has attracted more and more attention. This is a party which tells us they are heading to Downing street, a party tipped to the top the poll in next week’s English local elections.

We now know that Nigel Farage’s party has been given over £12m from a single donor, a Thai based British businessman, crypto billionaire, Christopher Harborne. And we also now know that just before Nigel Farage was elected an MP in 2024, Mr Harborne gave Farage a gift of £5m, never before declared.

How could it be that Reform, a party we are told which is preparing to be government, is so dependent on a Thai based crypto billionaire? What does it say about the way we fund politics? And politics to come?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

PSGand Bayern Munich put on one the greatest displays of football in the history of the game on Tuesday night and Vincent Kompany has coached his side of start to break records this season.

But does a man who shared the pitch with him 231 times and lifted 5 trophies alongside him, even recognise his old teammate? Joe Hart joins to tell us if he could see Vincent succeeding Pep Guardiolaat the Etihad when the time eventually comes.

But back to the hear and now - just how has he managed to navigate and improve one of the biggest clubs in world football? The Athletic's German football correspondent Sebastien Stafford-Bloor gives us the insight into his success.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Report might sound like a dry and dusty economic report - and often it is - but today's made for truly shocking reading for Britain.

Its analysis shows living standards are already falling and, as a result of Trump's war in Iran, inflation could go above 6%, and as many as six rises in interest rates might be needed by the end of this year. That would mean rocketing mortgages, eye-watering increases in food prices, and job layoffs with the UK economy stunned by the fallout from Trump's war with Iran. Is there any sense of a way out of this mess from the White House? Or is Trump happy to sink the global economy if it increases his chances of pummelling the regime in Tehran into submission?

Later - 40 days until the world's most prohibitively expensive World Cup kicks off. Is America actually trying to keep people away?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Two men stabbed in broad daylight in Golders Green this morning became the latest victims of what Kemi Badenoch has called a national emergency of antisemitism. The last month has seen multiple attacks on the Jewish community of North London. Is this an orchestrated attack underwritten by Iran? Or is it further proof of the escalation of antisemitism in our country since the war in Gaza and Israel?

Later, has the King nailed it in Washington? Or did that fine speech change absolutely nothing?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Morgan McSweeney was called before MPs to explain HIS version of how Mandelson was hired: was he just finding a great job for a mate? Why hadn’t he responded to all the red flag warnings? Was due process really followed? And had he put Starmer in a position where the PM wasn’t told the whole truth?

Later, Tom Baldwin - Starmer’s friend and biographer- on how, and whether, the PM can survive, and whether the high body count of sacked staff speaks to a wider malaise in his Downing Street.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Trump has praised King Charles for pressing on with his US state visit in the wake of Saturday night's shooting, calling him ‘brave’. The President’s comments have thrust the King back into the diplomatic spotlight.

With tensions between the UK and the US compounding, it seems that Keir Starmer has deployed the King as a literal trump card. So can the King make any difference for the ‘special relationship’?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

In a world of increasing extremes, Liberalism itself has come to be an insult. From 'metropolitan liberal elites' to 'bleeding heart liberals' the liberal establishment seems bewildered and fresh out of devoid of new ideas in the face of populist extremes. Labour, Tories, Liberal Democrats – all now struggling to hold their own against Reform UK and The Green Party, both of which have taken populism from opposite ends of the spectrum to the heart of British politics.

This week, Lewis is joined by Adrian Wooldridge to discuss the complexities of the liberal argument in a fractured world, and what a renewed liberalism might look like.

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

After Liam Rosenior was sacked just 106 days into his 6-year-deal, life-long Chelsea fan & President of World Athletics, Lord Seb Coe joins Gabby and Mark to talk about Russia's returnto the Olympics, his views on The 'Enhanced Games' and why the world is running out of host cities for major tournaments?

Will British athletics be able to capitalise on their new 'golden generation' and when will Manchester United's new stadiumbe ready?

Plus Gabby & Mark reflect on the prospect of a classic Premier League title run-in afterMan City leapfrogged Arsenal last night - with the top two now only separated by goals scored...

Timestamps: 00:05 Trailer 00:41 Intro 6:52 Liam Rosenior sacked from Chelsea 14:54 Lord Seb Coe 25:14 Climate change affects World Championships 26:04 The Ultimate Championship 30:12 Keely Hodgkinson on West Ham 35:45 Russia in the Olympics 2029? 43:26 Manchester United's new stadium

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Is Keir Starmer a passenger and not a driver in his own government? At the end of a week of crisis management - with a sacked official spilling the beans on the grubby business of the Mandelson appointment - the charge against the Prime Minister that's really stuck is that somehow he’s never in control of anything within his own government.

Can Starmer weather this out? Or are his cabinet colleagues just playing a waiting game until after the local elections two weeks today? We talk to Sam Coates from Sky News who’s had his ear to the ground.

Later - what did royal protection officers around Prince Andrew actually see? Is it possible they guarded Andrew whilst he was with Epstein without asking any questions? The Crime Agents' Andy Hughes has an exclusive interview.

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

Keir Starmer came to power promising to clean up politics and end the games at the top of Westminster. Yet this week has brought another sacking, linked to the handling of Peter Mandelson’s appointment, alongside reports of efforts to secure an ambassadorial role for the Prime Minister’s former communications chief, Matthew Doyle.

As more details emerge, the picture looks increasingly complicated. So is Starmer creating the very problem he wanted to eradicate? And can he keep putting the blame on everyone else?

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

Olly Robbins - the foreign office top civil servant fired by Keir Starmer on Thursday - gave his version of events today. He described an atmosphere of immense pressure over the Peter Mandelson appointment and suggested Downing Street weren’t that interested in the vetting process at all.

Was he bullied into giving Mandelson the job? Was Starmer right to sack Robbins? And why was he hunting for another ambassadorial role for another friend of another paedophile? It’s all getting silly.

We talk to the chair of the committee Emily Thornberry about what she just heard.

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

Keir Starmer is still pleading his case before MPs. Should he have been told about the failed Mandelson vetting by Olly Robbins? Should he have asked? Who’s fault was it really that he didn’t find out until last Tuesday. And why, critically, did he ignore a letter of advice from then cabinet secretary Simon Case explicitly telling him to vet Mandelson BEFORE appointing him. We still have no clear answer…

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

That's the charge from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who has called on the Prime Minister to resign today.

The Guardian reported last night that Starmer appointed Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington even though he had failed government security vetting. The PM has said today he is "absolutely furious" he was not told about this - and has sacked Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office.

Starmer had previously insisted that “full due process” was followed in the appointment, and that Mandelson had cleared the vetting. Could it really be the case that Starmer was never alerted to the vetting issues? And if he was never told - should it have been his job to know? Why does he keep coming across as a passenger, rather than the driver, of government?

And does the latest revelation in the Mandelson affair put the PM in fresh peril - just as it looked like the leadership speculation was beginning to dim?

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

After Liverpool became the SIXTH English club to fall victim to Luis Enrique's all-conquering PSG in the Champions League - does their unique blend of intensity & swagger feel more and more like an indictment of Premier League pragmatism.

So how do they keep peaking at just the right time in the season, why wasn't there more of a battle to sign the likes of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and which PSG star was deemed 'not ready' for England's top-flight!

Plus, on the news Andoni Iraola will be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season - would Gabby & Mark swap Eddie Howe or Michael Carrick for him now?

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Martin Croser

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

The Pope didn’t mention Trump by name. But speaking to a large congregation on his trip to Cameroon he warned that the world was being "ravaged by tyrants". Has he upped the ante in his war with the president? And as a man of God is he allowed to warn about unjust war - or is that a political intervention? And is this a beed Trump can't win? JD Vance has conveniently told him to stop pontificating on theology too.

Later - three weeks out from the May elections is Reform on the wane? Is Plaid on the march in Wales? And is Starmer experiencing an 'Iran bounce'? We’re with More in Common's Luke Tryl.

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

MPs are voting again on a social media ban for U16s today - but the government has only committed to a consultation on the move so as it stands it's unlikely to become law. The clamour for the move is growing, and public opinion is strongly in favour of restricting social media use to adults only. So why is Keir Starmer dragging his feet and losing any capital he could gain from moving on it? Would a ban even work? And what impact is big tech having on our teenagers and children?

Later, after his historic ousting of Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar has wasted no time in trying to deconstruct his populist hold on the country. He's lashed out at state TV channels who'd banned him from their networks in opposition - and visited the country's president, telling him he was unfit to serve. Will his attempts to start a new chapter in Hungary work?

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

Today, the United States has imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, with JD Vance describing Iran’s earlier actions in the war as "economic terrorism". As global fuel markets remain volatile amid the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, the stakes are rising well beyond the region. China has condemned the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as "irresponsible and dangerous". So, with tensions escalating and risks of spillover growing, could China be drawn into the US war in Iran?

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

Victor Orban has held Hungary in his iron grip for the best part of two decades. He became known as the godfather of populism, overseeing democratic backsliding, media control, and the erosion of rights and laws.

Last night, that came to an end. An old, angry, Putin-adjacent man was defeated in a landslide. What does this mean for hard-right EU populism? For Ukraine? And for the Trump touch? Are there wider lessons for how to win elections in 2026?

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

The US/Iran war is now 45 or so days old. There has been much analysis, counter analysis, fire and brimstone about its causes, its effects and its aims. Iran has long been a security menace, but this war at the moment it began was a war of choice.

Today Lewis speaks with Ali Vaez, an Iranian analyst, one of the few people in the West who can truly claim to know about Iran, its people and its bewildering politics. He tells us the many ways Trump completely misunderstood the country he has just waged war on, with disastrous consequences.

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

Rory McIlroy returns to Augusta looking to be the 4th man in history to retain the green jacket. His Masters dinner was reportedly the 'most expensive' ever but it was without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson... will he be able to join them both as back-to-back winners instead?

Bryson De Chambeau is making his own clubs, Scottie Scheffler has arrived with a newborn son and Justin Rose is hoping to win and readdress 'cosmic justice'.

Netflix's Full Swing's Dan Rapaport joins Mark in Augusta and Gabby in London as we look at golf's most prestigious weekend.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Charlee Avis

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Did Israel ever sign up to Trump's ceasefire? Did Trump ever ask Netanyahu about Lebanon? The relentless bombing of the south of the country - strikes on bridges, cities, and civilian infrastructure - has left nearly a thousand injured or dead. So can anyone really claim that there even is a ceasefire in place? Today there are more problems with peace as the Iranian side retracts confirmation that they'll be attending Islamabad talks tomorrow night. And has Pakistan's PM even been brokering a peace or simply following instructions from the US?

Later - could Hungary's Viktor Orban be about to lose the election on Sunday? The EU's longest serving leader is facing a challenge like never before. And why are Irish farmers blockading the streets? Does all roads lead to Hormuz?

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

We start with the good news - Iran wasn’t obliterated last night as Trump had threatened this time yesterday. So that’s positive. And an 11th hour temporary ceasefire is now in place. Iran has come to the table with a ten point peace plan. Will America accept any of it?

Meanwhile Trump’s cronies are pretending he's won a war he may actually have lost.

What has the world learnt about Trump, his whims and how to deal with him? Will anything change?

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

It’s becoming increasingly hard to distinguish between mad rant and nuclear threat these days. Trump has gone off again and whilst this time he was expletive free and managed not to mock Islam, he did threaten to destroy an entire country.

Why is no one stopping him? And - dare we ask - what comes next?

Later, Kanye is blocked from coming to the UK. Are we happy with the state getting involved ? And what is JD Vance doing in Hungary talking about election interference.

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

Aden Durde became the first British-born coach to win a Super Bowlwhen the Seattle Seahawks masterminded a dominant display in California in February.

His story is almost unheard of in sport - from coaching grassroots level here in UK - to the very top of the NFL.

But what has made him so successful? How did a chance advert in a North London shop spark his career? And as the Premier League's managerial 'merry-go-round' starts to feel more like a circus - does our beautiful game still have a lot to learn?

Gabby and Mark are joined by Aden for all that and more.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

It's been another dizzying week of news and, as we head into Easter, Jon and Lewis stocked up on chocolate and headed into the studio for a special Q&A episode - answering your questions and dissecting some of the biggest stories in the headlines.

Could Trump's antagonism pull Keir Starmer and Britain back into Europe? Is Tucker Carlson harbouring presidential ambitions? Would losing Congress have any impact on Trump's remaining time in office? And why Lewis has been getting the sh*t kicked out of him for 'punching down' on the Prime Minister...

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

Trump warned his EU allies yesterday he wouldn’t forget their cowardice and refusal to help his Iran war. Today he went full throttle and said he was considering taking America out of NATO altogether. It’s not a new thought for him. But is there enough anger in him now to push it through? Would Congress allow it? And what will the rest of us do if we lose Americas defence?

Later the appalling investigation into illegal care homes where vulnerable children are being abused by former convicts whilst unscrupulous owners get rich on our council tax money. Why have so many local authorities seemingly turned a blind eye?

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

“GO GET YOUR OWN OIL!"

Just as Donald Trump woke up to begin his latest Truth Social assault on his European allies, berating UK and France for not helping him out of the Hormuz Strait, the King announced the state visit next month WOULD go ahead.

Are we right to look past Trump to protect the wider relationship? Or does it look pathetic to pay homage to a warmonger? And is King Charles merely following the wishes of his own PM?

Later, the Israeli parliament has just passed a law bringing back a discriminatory death penalty measure “for convicted terrorists of Judea and Samaria through the military courts".

What this means in practice is it would only apply to Palestinians. It’s thecause celebre of hard right security minister Ben Gvir - who toasted the vote with champagne. It has horrified western allies and many within Israel too. Is this a law Israel really wants to see enacted? And why has the PM stayed so quiet?

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

A week ago President Trump was promising peace with Iran. This week he looks set to land marines on Kharg island - with a threat to obliterate it and seize Iranian oil. Even Israel, which has been aggressive in striking targets in Iran, has warned against a ground invasion. And Keir Starmer has restated today that this is not Britain's war.

Is Trump finishing a project he first thought about back in 1988? Are we really about to see an amphibious landing and the ratcheting up of casualties? Or is Trump just buffeting around like a man without a plan?

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

CPAC is the biggest event in the MAGA calendar. Last year, it was a triumphant celebration of the total victory of the America First project. Donald Trump basked in the adulation. Elon Musk wielded a chainsaw and laughed maniacally.

This year, something feels different. The President, who has spoken at each conference for the past decade, is suggesting he's staying away this time. The war in Iran has got attendees feeling uneasy, even confused - what happened to the man who promised no more foreign intervention?

And there's a wider malaise. Trump is polling at an all-time low. The Republicans look like they're heading for a hammering in the midterm elections. Their grip on cultural and political domination - which just 12 months ago looked complete - is now weakening. You won't hear much talk of a Trump third term in Dallas any more.

The sunny optimism of MAGA has been replaced by something darker. There is increasing focus on a new enemy - Islam and Islamism. It's helping the base reframe and justify the attack on Iran; one event is literally titled 'MAGA vs. Mullah Madness'. It's helping them sustain an argument about the decline of Europe and the threat of the Democrats. And it's helping a very strange mix of characters stay relevant and keep the bookings coming in.

Liz Truss was at the Gaylord Convention Center telling a packed out crowd about the horrors of 'Europestan'. Is it any wonder that MAGA hates Britain?

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

The fan phenomenon of ‘Ultras’ has taken Scotland by storm… TIFO’s, flares and drums - like we’re used to seeing in Europe - popping up everywhere from the Old Firmright down to the 4th division.

So can this sub-culture be a force for good in an online sphere dominated by the ‘manosphere’ or is it actually just another mask for something more sinister?

Gabby & Mark are joined by Andy Hughes, host of The Crime Agents -who has spent time undercover reporting on football hooliganism in England, and Blair McNally - who has amassed millions of views online documenting Scottish ultras.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Donald Trump has urged Iran to “get serious” about reaching an agreement before it is “too late”. It’s nice having a world leader who takes peace so seriously. It’s just a shame Iran no longer believes a word he says. They’ve laughed at his fifteen point plan and insisted the Straits of Hormuz remain operational only to friendly traffic.

NATO’s general secretary is trying to encourage member countries to get behind Trump’s plan to smooth the wheels. We talk to an Iranian activist about why this conflict has made regime change much harder for protestors and ordinary Iranians.

Later, the government is changing the rules on politicalDonations to stop foreign interference. And we dig a little deeper with one government minister into those missing McSweeney messages...

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

The Met police took the unusual step of publishing a full transcript of a phone call that took place last October between Keir starmers chief of staff Morgan Mcsweeny and the 999 emergency services. In the call Morgan says his phone has been stolen out of his hand by a young man on a bike. He tells them it is a government device but doesn’t explain what his own role is or whether the material on it maybe confidential.

Why does any of this matter? Because the phone in question contained key messages between McSweeney and Peter Mandelson in the lead up to his appointment as ambassador to the United States.

Will we ever get to the truth of what happened between them? Will the public get past the “convenience“ of an apparently stolen phone? And were ministers sent out to fudge the truth on Morgan’s behalf as recently as this weekend?

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

"Unusual activity" was observed on the main US stock market just fifteen minutes before Donald Trump went public with the sudden and unexpected news that he would stop striking Iranian energy sites and talks with Tehran were apparently going well. Trading volumes were up to six times higher than normal - with oil futures seeing a sudden flurry of activity in the moments before Trump broke that news.

More than half a billion dollars was netted in that brief window, but it's not clear how. Experts and analysts are sounding the alarm about the activity - could some people close to Trump have known what was coming and gone straight to the market to place their bets? Why are Trump allies blocking investigators from looking into the Trump family and their allies? And what does this mean for the much bigger question of where the plans for peace actually stand ?

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

It's a funny old world when you have to check with Iran’s state TV before you know if the US president is telling the truth. In a post early this morning - just as the markets opened - Trump declared he’d had productive discussions to end with war with Iran. An hour later Tehran flatly contradicted him. But by then there had already been a market rally putting two trillion dollars back into the system. So what’s going on: Has Trump had enough of war? Has he had stern words from his Gulf allies? Or is he just trying to manipulate the price of oil?

Later, Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle on how to do business with America in the age of Trump and whether he’d call his actions "erratic".

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

It can be hard to decipher the reasons behind the US-Israeli decision to strike Iran. With a flurry of hyperbolic - often contradictory - statements from the American leadership, the objectives, the progress, and the endgame of this war are not much clearer three weeks into it.

But Donald Trump has turned to one man to make the case for this war in a way he could never enunciate. Dr Muhanad Seloom has cut a somewhat isolated figure in the defence world outside of MAGA. An international security academic, he has been arguing that Trump's war is succeeding. Trump obviously likes what he is saying. The President posted Seloon's argument on Truth Social, with the caption: 'The US-Israeli strategy against Iran is working. Here is why'.

Lewis spoke to Dr Seloom from Doha to try and understand what the thinking might just be in the White House and what success would look like for America - with more and more voices sounding the alarm about the consequences of its failure.

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

It has been like the longest VAR ruling in history… the match finished two months ago, the Africa Cup of Nations trophy was presented, the considerable celebrations and recriminations were complete.

And then, just as some last-16 Champions League fixtures were finishing on Tuesday night, a communication dropped from CAF.

Senegal had actually forfeited the match by staging their now infamous walk-off and Morocco are AFCON champions via a technicality.

But why has this taken so long? Can you really strip a country of a title? And what happens next?

Former Sierra Leone captain Steven Caulker and Co Host of the ‘On The Whistle’ podcast, Zayn Naabiboth join Gabby and Mark.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Producer: George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

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".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Looking and sounding rather like a frat boy emerging from a hazing, Pete Hegseth arrived blinking, bombastic and victorious into his press conference this morning to declare complete success in his Epic Fury military campaign in Iran.

He was quick to castigate America's ungrateful allies - telling the world that they should be thanking President Trump - and cracked a few jokes about Iranian ships being at the bottom of the ocean.

Outside the Pentagon's echo chamber, the world looks rather different. Iran's regime holds many of the cards in this conflict. And it’s making Trump sweat. Control of the shipping lanes gives Iran control of the price of oil and thus much of the world economy. And they’re acting like an army of insurgents - pounding energy infrastructure across the Middle East, sending gas prices rocketing. So how does America find a way out? Or is Trump's only play now to go all in and send in the troops?

Later - anyone remember the 70s? Ted Heath's dire warning to the nation that life would no longer be as we know it has some uncomfortable parallels for the current occupant of No 10. Should we prepare for everything we’ve taken for granted to change? And should Keir Starmer be rethinking his entire premiership as a result of this war?

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

Nick Timothy is the Conservative shadow justice secretary. This week, he took issue with Muslims gathering in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the last week of Ramadan and the breaking of the Iftar fast with prayer. He called the gathering an "act of dominance" in a Christian country - right beside a church. Does Kemi Badenoch agree with him? Tommy Robinson certainly does...

Later - why has Ofcom got no teeth when it comes to GB News? A major investigation by The New World puts the question to the media regulator. And gets little response. Sir Ed Davey raised it with the Prime Minister today. Has GB News simply become 'Reform TV'? We speak to Alan Rusbridger.

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

Donald Trump's Oval Office ramblings are nothing new. But last night was off the scale. He thrashed out at allies. Castigated his friends. Contradicted himself. Lied about former presidents in a way that was painfully easy to disprove and sounded like a man who’d missed his meds.

More significant than any of this is how the rest of the world received it: with a shrug - and very little anxiety or action. Has Trump lost the room? And the war?

And, as the first resignation comes in from his director of counter terrorism centre, could we be reaching a turning point where Trump is no longer scaring people in the way he once did?

Update: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has clarified that Ed Miliband has not suggested that pubs should serve warm beer. The 'carbon reduction tool' for pubs and restaurants identifies where hospitality vendors can save energy with suggestions such as turning extractor fans off overnight.

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

Last night, President Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he was "demanding" allies provided back up in the Strait of Hormuz and send ships to keep the supply of oil flowing.

“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response", he warned, "I think it will be very bad for the future of Nato."

Keir Starmer’s response this morning was clear - the PM insisting that the UK would not be dragged into a wider war. Instead, he’s working with European allies on a "viable plan" to ease the crisis. Others have used even stronger language. The Germans have said the war has "nothing to do with NATO". Luxembourg's deputy PM has warned his country won't listen to "blackmail". Italy has rejected Trump's request. Others too, are deciding that they no longer need to pander to the man in the White House.

Has Europe reached a fundamental turning point now when it comes to America? Does it see Trump - and his war -as a toxic asset? And how do we navigate lower oil prices in the midst of this geopolitical chaos?

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

Just over a year ago, Lewis spoke to Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire, co-authors of the authoritative account of Keir Starmer's rise to power 'Get In: The Inside Story of Labour under Starmer'.

Their book shone a light on the weird political inertia at the heart of the Starmer project, often lacking in instinct, allies, and any particular ideological belief. Morgan McSweeney was the driving force behind the operation that thrust him into Downing Street - his authority draining the second he picked his cabinet.

McSweeney is now gone. The Mandelson scandal still poses a potentially existential threat to Starmer's premiership. The UK has been sucked into a conflict Starmer did not want to fight. The local elections in two months' time look like they will be brutal.

Gabriel and Patrick have just released the updated paperback edition of their book. Does it take us any closer to understanding who is the real Keir Starmer?

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