There has always been a flamboyance to Donald Trump. His language, his hair, his addiction to the gay Anthem YMCA - but in recent weeks his chat on the campaign trail has become much more explicit. To cut to the chase, he’s spending more and more time talking about men’s arses. Is Trump becoming more unfiltered in his old age? Why does more and more of his recent attention seem to be fixed on the appearance of the men around him? Or is this all part of his consummate distraction project from the issues he really doesn’t want to discuss - the Iran war and the price of oil. We talk to his former homeland security chief of staff, Miles Taylor.

Later, why is Steve Witkoff - the man tasked with ending the war in Ukraine - praising Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian"?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Four years of war, an estimated 450,000 deaths – and yet Donald Trump says Russia’s actions in Ukraine have been “fine”.

The US president continues to unravel, on camera, as his personal ratings plummet to new lows (just 31% at the latest count) and the Republican Party readies itself for a disastrous midterm election result in November. Once again, Zelensky is on the receiving end of Trump's mood.

So why has Trump turned his back so dramatically on Zelensky? And what's he bargaining for with his love in for Putin? And could it all just be jealously?

The News Agents is a Global production.

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

After the horrifying scenes of violence and destruction all over France this weekend the Prime Minister has this morning called for partial curfews. Are these protests organic frustration amongst the young over rising costs and falling wages? Or is there a political movement afoot here? And is this something the rest of Europe is catching?

Later, former Home Office minister Mike Tapp is fresh back from Dunkirk ,Calais and Piddington. What’s the true picture of the immigration problem- and is he right to call it a crisis?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

The day he was elected for the first time as MP for Clacton, Nigel Farage promised to root out the "few bad apples" from Reform. Farage told the country: "We’ll never have any of their type back in the organisation, you can have my promise on that”.

ITV's latest piece undercover in Reform shows just how hollow that promise was. Their own MP Sarah Pochin condemns the "chauvinist" attitude in the party. A man who failed Reform's vetting for sharing Tommy Robinson posts reveals he was called up and asked to stand for the party. And, perhaps most damningly, Farage appears to defend a candidate accused of racism by one of Farage's own aides, refusing to take action beyond forcing an apology to be issued.

Does ITV's reporting put to bed the idea that there are just a "few bad apples" in Reform? What about Reform appears to attract these "bad apples" in the first place? And could Nigel Farage get caught up in the fallout from what looks set to be a bombshell documentary this weekend?

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

Manchester United’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid has left plenty to unpack — not least Lisandro Martinez’s explosive post-match comments. Mark Chapman and Nedum Onuoha react to the biggest talking points from another dramatic week in Europe.

Then, we turn to something far less visible but increasingly common inside football: Snus and nicotine pouch use.

Why has nicotine become so normal in dressing rooms? Why are players using it, and what happens when a habit that starts socially becomes something much harder to control?

We hear from a former Premier League footballer speaking candidly about his own addiction to snus, explore how these behaviours spread through teams and academies, and ask whether snus is really the story — or simply one symptom of a much wider issue.

From nicotine and gambling to nitrous oxide and the search for a release from the intensity of elite sport, this is a conversation about what happens away from the pitch — the dressing room culture which fuels addiction amongst footballers.

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Senior Producer: David Finch

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".

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ITV spent a year undercover with various elements of the Reform party. Last night, they published a taste of what is to come in the full programme this Sunday. The misogyny, racism, bigotry and stupidity is off the charts. Three councillors have resigned. Are they outliers? Or do they tell us what the party is really like? And is the Chairman right when he says this is just what ordinary Britain sounds like away from the cameras? We speak to former Reform insider Tim Montgomerie.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Just days after Donald Trump signed a deal with Vladimir Putin to import Russian oil into America, Ukraine has been dealt a new blow from the US. Elon Musk has been accused of restricting the use of his Starlink devices - crucial satellites used by Ukraine in their war against the Kremlin. Why does it appear that MAGA seems intent on throwing the war for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and, as Andy Burnham hosts Ukraine's president in Downing Street - is there anything he can do to repair the damage? We speak to Trump's former Special Representative for Negotiations with Ukraine, Kurt Volker.

Later, the Prime Minister has insisted he won't do any deal with the Greens while their 'Zionism is racism' motion remains party policy. Does he really mean what he says?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Andy Burnham seems set on bringing the UK closer to the EU. How much closer still isn't clear - but some in Labour are now talking up the possibility of reversing Brexit entirely. Some Red Wall MPs aren't happy with that, but if Downing Street is serious about getting some growth into the economy, wouldn't it be one of the obvious levers to pull? And given, as the PM says, the public has moved more quickly than Parliament on Brexit - why are the Tories digging in on never going back? We speak to Kemi Badenoch's PPS John Glen.

Later, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's house was raided by US federal agents, just three weeks ahead of crucial midterm elections. The DOJ says it's part of a federal criminal investigation - but is it simply an abuse of power intended to swing vote back to the Republicans?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

Donald Trump knows who his friends are and who his enemies are. And in 2026, with midterm elections just days away, Trump has decide his friend is Putin and his job is to lift sanctions to buy Russian oil - enriching the Kremlin in the process. He’s hoping it will bring down the price of diesel to convince consumers to vote for his party in the elections. But it’s a move that smacks of cowardice and in any case comes too late to change the price at the pumps. Meanwhile here we are grappling with the cost of Trump's war in Iran as we head into our own budget . We ask Helen Miller of the IFS what levers she’d pull to change the country’s fortunes.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

For Polanski, this was supposed to be a defining moment. He chose to put his own leadership on the line in the seat vacated by Keir Starmer. Instead, Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali won with 45% of the vote. With questions over the Greens’ economic offer, internal divisions and the fallout from their controversial conference motion on Zionism, is this the moment Polanski’s movement meets the limits of its appeal? And what is the future of the party now?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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

After the boardroom drama of the last fortnight the Premier League is back and focus shifts to Manchester City’s players who face the court of public opinion for the first time since the guilty verdicts vs Liverpool at Anfield.

It’s going to be a bear pit and, as Liverpool await, lifelong City fan Nedum Onuoha opens up for the first time about how the Manchester City financial case has changed his relationship with the club.

He joins Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman to explore the pressure facing City’s players and your ideas for making Premier League spending rules fairer.

Plus: Manchester United v Tottenham — already a must-win? And what is going on with Cristiano Ronaldo after he accuses his Portugal manager of broken promises while insisting his international career isn’t over.

📩 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

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📥 Email: [email protected]

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

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Senior Producer: David Finch

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