The News Agents

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?
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/

Playing in front of a record 80,000 fans at Twickenham, captaining your country in a World Cup final and winning World Rugby’s Player of the Year… all in a day's work for Sophie De Goede.
All that despite returning from a huge ACL injury just one month before the World Cup, Canada crowdfunding to get there, and training against teammates' partners to make up the numbers. Sophie joins Gabby and Mark to talk about where women's rugby goes next.
Plus we look back at the best bits from The Sports Agents this week - was it right for Tottenham to sub their goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after a 17-minute nightmare? And how can Welsh rugby build back to its former glory?
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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Producer: Sophie Penney
Producer: George Sexton-Kerr
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Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
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The release of the Mandelson files revealed that Keir Starmer pushed on with appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite warnings over his links to Epstein. The National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, called the appointment 'weirdly rushed' and said that Mandelson was ‘always a disaster’. The Prime Minister 'it was me that made the mistake'.
So, was due diligence really followed in the appointment of Mandelson? And how much have we actually learnt from the files?
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/