from a tiny village there. where my family is from, um, but i'm here in chennai just before i head back to the us. and, courtney, i think this is where your dad's from, right? it is. yeah. that's my my dad's hometown. um, big fan of chennai. and actually, that's also where, uh, former vice president kamala harris's family is from as well. yeah. and a somaskanda on this podcast, which is dangerous to have these two luckily we have katrina perry, which is a lot more pronounced pronounceable. with the irish spelling. but hey, that's what makes life exciting. spelling challenges.

it's interesting that you're there at the moment because of course, narendra modi is due here next week to visit donald trump. we've seen his first foray into foreign policy this week yeah, super interesting time actually to be here. just coming from northern sri lanka and also here in chennai, that you know everyone when you say your american is asking that, you know, everyone when you say your american is asking you, so what about trump? you know, there's such interest in the second trump term and what's happening in the us at the moment. narendra modi, are said to have a very good, strong, warm relationship, a good rapport with each other. and, you know, that is important, of course. also among us allies, and that includes india. and that is because in part of the tariff threat that we saw the trump administration wield towards close allies.

so canada and also mexico, in the sense that perhaps india in some way could also be in the cross hairs. india trade relationship. to them, because this is a really great article. soutik biswas and nikhil inamdar. and they were looking at the fact that just last week. so ahead of this meeting that modi is going to have with donald trump, including heavy and and lightweight motorcycles. including heavy and lightweight motorcycles. so for heavy motorcycles, for example, from 50% that india imported.

we're ready to make a good deal. carrying more than 100 indian nationals who had entered so obviously, something that the trump administration is very keen to have from allies. and you know, this all against the backdrop, that allies are trying to walk with this trump administration to ensure that they are on the right side of the playing field i mean, iwonder, you know, courtney, i know that you came here as well. and that us relationship.

much the power dynamics have shifted on the world stage, particularly because, you know, modi is treated as a rock star everywhere he goes, right. and we saw him in washington for a state dinner. you know, it wasjust an absolute spectacle. right? policy on containing china. right? and india's, sort of, vital role in that, you know, and here we are with, you know, it almost feels like india

as you pointed out. and so, ijust, ifind it so interesting how quickly, you know, the worldview has shifted. and people are really, you know, foreign leaders are really taking seen him follow through on some of these more drastic, um, you know, import duties. i mean, how do you feel about it? catriona? what do you what's what's stood out to you so far? yeah, for me, i think it's really interesting, the selection of the first foreign visits of this trump administration. foreign leader to visit the white he'll be here before modi at the start of next week. and obviously, that's very linked to everything that donald trump has been proposing around the middle east, and that could be

quite a contentious interaction there, especially his latest thing, which, you know, hasjust been discussed wall to wall on every of gaza should stay in gaza. trump administration, the first foreign leader to come and how the focus of this donald trump foreign policy of this donald trump was gone for four but they've met so many times donald trump has been to india. who can forget? namaste, trump. and you know, so there's an interpersonal

that he forged through his first administration. and you saw that up close and personal, courtney. and that namaste trump trip. how do you think that will influence their negotiations next week when modi is here for these three days? that's why you're seeing all of these foreign leaders sort to come to washington and get in a room with him. right? it's it's about convincing him of your worldview, you know, convincing him that, you know, whatever their agenda or motives are make sense within, you know, donald trump's foreign policy view. ministerjump at the chance to come

here as soon as possible. um, and really lean into that, that bromance. at the the inauguration in the capital. um, jaishankarand he said at the time, after coming back, that he sees donald trump as an american nationalist, are so close and probably because of that relationship as you're describing. but, you know, a broader view in the region as this threat and could be hit by these tariffs as well. so there are concerns about,

obviously, the specific economic interests of us allies in the region, important of whether there could be this slowdown as as there's more of this america first tariff agenda implemented. but, you know, as you both pointed out, it could be a bit of a threat that's being wielded at the moment or something that really i mean, president trump really is using tariffs as a foreign policy tool, not just an economic tool. we've seen it now with canada and mexico and even with india linking it to immigration. and as you mentioned, sumi, that first flight that arrived but he hasn't actually, with the exception of china, still a little bit left

to run on the deadline. you know, it's a carrot and stick type of thing. and, um, you know, the tariffs that have been suggested are just so broad brush and so wide sweeping and they don't have a time limit on them, which is what's really troubling for other countries to try and deal with. but i've been kind of looking into what's instructing his view on this. like, who are the people that he's turning to? because it's been really interesting. several times a day. are in and out of the oval office. and each time you see different individuals in the oval office beside him. jared kushner and ivanka trump. they had job titles like special adviser to the president or something. but this week, when president trump

was signing that sovereign wealth beside him rupert murdoch, the media mogul, extremely wealthy man. you had larry ellison, the head of oracle, another billionaire. howard lutnick, a billionaire. and obviously, donald trump himself says he's a very wealthy man. you have elon musk, the world's richest man. so you have this cadre of very wealthy individuals setting these policies and speaking to some people on wall street. the american economy, because, you know, they don't want the impact of that. but it's really interesting when you just look and see who's

around andwhohe�*sgiving shout .. . . .. .. these various bills. what's your guy's view on that? it has to be the wealthiest cabinet in history. even his ambassador picks, right? you know, you've got tom barrack, who's been a long—time friend and donor. and as the ambassador of turkey, you have charles kushner, jared kushner's father for france. um, and and steve witkoff, envoy to the middle east and it's these, these people who are in the room with him. i mean, the one thing that, you know, i think we've all learned so it's whoever's in the room with him influencing how he's thinking about something,

you know, influencing how you know, just talking about with, with foreign leaders, but also with those advisers who are around him day in, day out and helping shape this policy, both domestic and foreign. according to wall street, people looking out for the economy, i see this from what i can tell in polling, as well as being something that is not at all going to detract from donald trump's popularity among those who who have voted for him, you know, if you look at some of the polling that we've seen initially at elon musk�*s influence

in the us treasury department that that's maybe something that could prove to be a bit more unpopular among american voters. but the, you know, the the billionaire class that he's built around him is also what donald trump promised to do, right, is to improve the way that the us government operates more like a business coming into the administration. into those swing states that we visited before the election, and see how much of any of this is even of interest or notice there already for a year. given everything that he's done. um, but when that starts to trickle down into people's lives, i mean, nothing has changed in grocery prices or fuel prices,

will take some time. yeah. i mean, i think the elon musk narrative here, um, has been interesting in, in that he has been given carte blanche tojust, you know, completely level some agencies. he's doing there and he's moving from agency to agency. and, you know, the question is, you know, where does it end, right? but as you said, how much is that affecting life outside of washington? and i think the people that need to be asking themselves this question is are the democrats right? rebuild their party, but also rebuild themselves and, you know, we saw them

this week protesting is leading the way on. right? of congress about some of the, you know, the foreign aid freezing and the, you know, the spending freezing. but i think because they are so limited in, you know, a lot of this, you know, comes down to legislative power, um, they're really struggling, it seems, on messaging, and they've found that they're really limited in any sort of power or oversight, and it's left them just in this moment of protest, which doesn't with at least within their party, you know, some of the, um, you know, mass frustration over,

you know, finding a way to vocalise i mean, what have you guys been hearing? political system works or doesn't work, depending on your point of view. i mean, for the last few years, when we had split power on the hill, done, you can't pass legislation and all of that. and now when you have one party in control of the white house and both houses on the hill, and they can do things and then the other party is like, oh no, we don't want that. given the way the system is set up here. to me is that some of the members of the republican party on the hill are uncomfortable with what's happening there as well.

use executive powers to shutter an agency or merge it with another one? and, you know, there is this kind of sense, does president trump have now? and as you say, democrats are protesting it or launching but it seems like that's the limit. they don't have a leader. they don't have someone who is kind of going head to head with donald trump. who's in charge here now of our party? where's our party going? resistance this time, as these lawsuits are launched against various executive orders that we've seen from donald trump, for example, on birthright citizenship, which we've discussed

in previous episodes. with a number of high ranking democrats talking about usaid and stopping donald trump, you wonder how much of that again, really? we're talking about foreign aid and funding. and on the one hand, you have programmes like pepfar, which has been so extremely instrumental with hiv treatment catriona, we've seen some republicans express on the other hand, you know, there are examples of ways that the trump administration has been pointing to that seem perhaps needs to be, if not radically reformed, then done away with altogether. and so it's going to be a question

of as as you both said, without congress. the american people if there's not more resistance beyond these you wonder, ok, well, then where does where do things go from here? i think successive governments have done a poorjob of messaging in the middle of america, people don't have enough to eat. so why is money being sent somewhere else? but if you haven't been messaging for many years about the importance, you know, the moral importance. if you want to say, of an extremely wealthy country helping those who are less well off. at that protest yesterday talking about the importance to us military

like what it stands for, that this is a way of not about the american view on life, about issues around, and girls and so on. and i think if you're not explaining to people why that's important, then it's very difficult when you get to this point to say i also just want to note something else that happened yesterday a bit under the radar, which was that california governor with donald trump, which is a meeting that is hard to imagine even a few months ago would be happening. right? even three weeks ago. right. they were exchanging such insults.

yeah. i mean, this is somebody who has really stepped forward, um, as one, you know, a 2028 presidential contender for the democrats. california is ready to fight. shaped by political fortunes, both for donald trump but also for gavin newsom, which is dealing with the devastating wildfires. and that has seemingly led to him to sort of temper some of that, that criticism that we've seen him put forth. um, you know, to the to donald trump and shrug off some of the comments um, you know, to donald trump and shrug off some of the comments and try and rationalise or explain it in a way thatjust signals he's he's really um, he's stepped back in this role and it's it'sjust, i think another example ofjust how rudderless the democratic party

is at this point, where you have somebody who really wanted to be the face of the of the resistance. the face of the resistance. right? and even even he is, is coming to washington and, a way to smooth over relations with donald trump. and interesting that that was a closed press event. for donald trump and gavin newsom. i don't think the president was going to let the governor have any chance to get in front of the if the microphones and say anything he wouldn't want him to say. but speaking of having a chance to get in front of the microphones, courtney, this is your last day with us for some months because you are going off to have your precious baby and we will miss you so much, but we willjust wish you the very,

but we'll see you later in the year. thank you guys so much for having me on. it's been an absolute blast. we'll have lots more to talk about. but you know, in the meantime, um, you know. thanks. thanks so much. hello there. lower levels seeing the rain, and, in fact, it will be reverting north out of iberia, squeezing the isobars together, bringing the windy weather. but you'll notice it also bring some lighter colours

across the country for this weekend, so a little less cold before more on an easterly wind. so this evening and overnight, cloudy skies for large parts of england and wales. perhaps, for the pennines, certainly the south pennines across the peak district. some of this snow getting in a little bit further north as well, perhaps southern scotland at times. but the rest of scotland and northern ireland will see clear skies, a sharp frost in places. a little less cold further south and east, where we have the cloud, the breeze and the rain. so for saturday, it's a rather grey picture. we'll have further spots of rain across england and wales, a bit of wintriness on the pennines, maybe some wintry showers for eastern scotland. and perhaps some brightness developing across the south—east later in the day.

and the winds lighter across the board on saturday to what we've had today. temperatures range from around six to eight or nine degrees. so that's how saturday is looking. through saturday night, it looks like that cloud starts to thin and break, allowing more clear spells to develop. there'll still be a few spots of rain and hill snow across northern england and into southern scotland. where skies are clear, then we're likely to see frost and maybe some fog, because the winds will be lighter. we're drawing an easterly wind again across the country. perhaps drier and a bit brighter. should be more sunny spells around, but some areas could and temperatures 6—9 degrees — that's a little above the seasonal norm. but into next week, temperatures drop below the seasonal norm. it turns colder, easterly winds. a lot of dry weather because of high pressure, but there will still be some rain and some hill snow across central, northern and eastern areas.

the security services access to users' encrypted data. hello, i'm carl nasman. welcome to the programme. to dismantle the us agency for international development, in what the judge described as a "very limited" order here in washington, almost all staff at the world's largest aid organization would be put on leave. reports suggested that usaid�*s staff could be slashed from a force of about 10,000 worldwide tojust a few hundred. headquarters, where crews were seen removing the sign

from usaid�*s headquarters.