The News Agents

Whisper it quietly - but are we witnessing the strange rebirth of good, old-fashioned two party politics?
Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch are now the only party leaders with net approval ratings among the public. Labour and the Tories are both within touching distance of Farage's Reform in a number of polls. Burnham has had a strong first week, and he and Badenoch are dominating the political airwaves at the moment in a classic row around tax and the State.
Nigel Farage's £5m donation and Claction by-election backfire seems to have taken the wind out of his sails. Zack Polanski too has struggled with questions around his tax and appears unable to force himself into the conversation in the way he did when he first took over the Green party.
Later, we speak to Labour MP Chris Curtis about Labour's new chapter and why he thinks growth still lies at the heart of what Burnham needs to achieve.
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Spurs & Netherlands star Xavi Simons sits down with Gabby for an exclusive, in depth interview.
As he recovers from the ACL injury which robbed him of a place at the World Cup, Xavi opens up on the pressures of being a 12-year-old social media star watched by millions of followers, growing up without a father, and the truth behind his controversial exit from Barcelona at just 16 years old.
Xavi reveals all about his extraordinary footballing life, a life spent alongside Mbappe, Messi & Neymar, a life of incredible highs and bruising lows, one which led him from La Masia to London and the Premier League with Spurs - where Xavi is determined to prove himself to the fans and become the player he always knew he could be.

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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
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Have we just crossed the AI Rubicon? OpenAI has revealed that one of its models was involved in an "unprecedented cyber incident". One of its AI programs escaped a controlled testing environment, got onto the internet, and hacked into another AI start up without being asked to do so.
It's caused shockwaves in the tech industry - are we losing control of the AI we create? And whart should we make of OpenAI's admission that this type of incident is likely to become "more commonplace". We speak to LBC's tech correspondent Will Guyatt.
Later, Andy Burnham's bus pledge lands well but there are looming questions about his Budget - are tax rises coming? And will he need a fresh mandate?
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 gathered his cabinet, with several prominent Starmer allies shown the door and Burnham loyalists taking their place around the table. The cost of living is to be the defining mission of his premiership - announcing a cut to VAT on energy bills as his first major policy and a scrapping of Starmer's digital ID scheme to pay for it. But Former Chief Secretary to Starmer, Darren Jones, was quick to point out that the scheme itself was unfunded, highlighting the tough choices to come for Burnham's new Chancellor John Healey.
Does his intervention speak to a wider disgruntlement among Starmer’s allies? And is Burnham off to a good start? Or is he at risk of making more dangerous enemies than useful friends?
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

This week started like so many others - with a brand new British Prime Minister. At least Andy Burnham had the grace to acknowledge the speed with which this keeps happening, as he promised to end the circus (ie. stay longer in the job).
As the afternoon drew to a close we still had no clear idea of the shape of his cabinet - only those being sacked from it. It could signal a leak-proof government - or does it speak to difficulties in getting the right people to accept their new roles? All should be revealed shortly. One thing is for sure, Labour is praying that Burnham gets this right. There is a general consensus that the party can't roll the dice again.
And what of Keir Starmer leaving Downing Street with what he insisted was a smile on his face? Does every political career end in failure and tears - or does real political legacy begin twenty years after the event?
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/