The News Agents

"The West Bank is at breaking point" - the words of a top UN official at a Security Council meeting in New York last night. Settler violence has been ramping up. Two Palestinian homes have been under siege with the weekend, with families warning that their supplies are running out. The IDF has denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside West Bank villages but doesn't seem to be doing much to dismantle them. Why is the violence on the rise? Are the Israeli elections fuelling extremist action? And can anything be done to stop it? We speak to the Jerusalem-based reporter Noga Tarnopolsky.
Later, fifty police chiefs from across the UK have warned that the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers would undermine police morale and faith in the justice system. Andy Burnham is scrambling to find a solution to his first major test as Prime Minister. But should we be wary of our police forces wading into politics on this scale?
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It turns out running a poll to ask Twitter whether Ben Wallace should be prosecuted for treason is perhaps not savvy politics.
Zia Yusuf. the Reform home affairs spokesman has today been slapped down by his leader Nigel Farage for labelling the former Tory defence secretary a "traitor" for allowing thousands of Afghans into the country. Farage has said the language is "over the top" and that Yusuf will be getting a "ticking off". A poll today has Reform at their lowest since the 2024 general election. Are Reform crashing out hard? Why is it that after getting so much right - it now seems like they are getting everything wrong?
Later, comedian and host of the Screen Rot podcast Jacob Hawley has been campaigning to save the high street for years. Today, Andy Burnham announced plans to stop rogue vape shops, barbers and confectionary stores from popping up all over the place. Did he nick the idea from Jacob's podcast? Jacob is on tour this autumn with a new show, 'Fighting Age Man'.
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Is the Democratic party fundamentally metamorphosing? After Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan last week, attention is turning to another big test for the Democratic Socialists in Wisconsin. There, the progressive candidate is being dragged for old social media posts suggesting she wanted to cancel Thanksgiving. Is the Dem new breed too woke? Or are they exactly what the party needs to breathe new life into the fight against Trump?
Later, why is Ukraine pummelling the Russian equivalent of Amazon - Wildberries - and is the tactic working? Jon speaks to the New York Times reporter Nataliya Vasilyeva who has been taking a close look at what's going on.
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

A northern leader. A sudden change at the top. A cost of living crisis engulfing the country. A Labour party accused of tacking left. Not Andy Burnham in 2026, but Harold Wilson in 1963.
Considering his priorities and his focus, Burnham would do well to learn the lessons from Labour's last great northern leader. A four-time election winner, a progressive pioneer, a comms master, who shaped the country in his image.
Nick Thomas-Symonds was until recently the Minister in charge of our relations with the EU. He'd been on the Labour frontbench for 11 years - but Burnham's ascendance brought an end to his time in government.
A close ally of Starmer's, he's also a respected historian and a biographer of Labour PM's past. We asked him into the News Agents studio, to look at politics through an historical and contemporary lens: what were those last days of in the Starmer bunker like? Why has the European question dogged British politics? How will Starmer be remembered? And what can Andy Burnham learn from one of the political geniuses of the 20th century?
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Who does football really belong to?
After the highest grossing world cup of all time, and as FIFA & UEFA accuse each other of selling football’s soul, Gabby Mark & Nedum debate who sport belongs to and surprise, surprise it aint the fans.
But are supporters in the stands really just props for a TV product or do they still have a genuine stake in the sports they pay so much to follow?
Elsewhere as the opening weekend of the Championship looms large, the guys tell the tale of Lincoln City with CEO Liam Scully. For the first time in 65 years The Imps will kick a ball in the second tier of English football and it is all thanks to a miracle FA Cup run a decade ago.

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Senior 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
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