Television production crews were set up in Le Mans Crescent, a popular location for producers of hit dramas.
The Bolton News understands the crew were filming a ‘courtroom drama’ and aptly the shoot was taking place outside the old courthouse, which has been used for some of the biggest dramas, including the detective series Ridley.
Those on the set said it was a Liverpool-based production.
Currently filming in the North West is Saviour, which is a courtroom drama.
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Actors could be seen on the steps of the building, looking lawyerly in full suits, overcoats, and briefcases.
The production crew was made up of around 30-40 people, operating boom mics, several sets of cameras, and a big white backdrop screen.
ITV crews were spotted in Bury last month filming a new season of the Liverpool-based courtroom drama Saviours.
The show stars Anjli Mohindra, Shaun Parkes and Aidan Gillen, who played ‘Little Finger’ in the hit HBO show Game of Thrones.
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Three actors could be seen on the steps of the building, outfitted in lawyerly garb (Image: Dan Dougherty)
Saviour follows Ben (Archie Fisher), who, after borrowing his dad’s police uniform for a costume party, gets into an altercation that results in a man’s death.
In defending Ben from an allegation of murder, Indy is confronted with a world of corruption, racial politics, media buzz, a frustratingly traditional justice system and a defendant who is keeping secrets from her.
Saviour will air on ITV, STV and stream on ITVX and STV Player.
Federal Police said they were on site after a potentially unauthorised “flying object” was spotted.
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According to a Munich Federal Police spokesman, the airport had closed after reports of a ‘drone’ in the vicinity, writes the Mirror.
Stefan Bayer said pilots “made a suspicious observation” at around 9am. He says a potentially unauthorised flying object was seen near the airport, reports German newspaper BILD.
Several police officers were spotted searching the area while passengers on board one plane were informed via an announcement before takeoff that the airport was suddenly closed, German site FOCUS reports.
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The outlet said passengers were told the airport would remain shut until “at least 10am” with a helicopter drafted in to carry out a search for the drone.
At 10.05am police said their search had found nothing and the airport fully reopened, although there have been dozens of cancelled or delayed flights.
“The search by the Federal Police revealed no suspicious findings,” a spokesperson told BILD.
According to Flight Radar, which tracks live flights, the airport was back operational just after 10am.
In a post on X, it said Munich Airport is currently “our most disrupted airport with 33 cancelled flights and 124 delays so far, averaging nearly an hour”.
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There are no trains going in and out of Heathrow Airport after flooding and a major signal fault.
Passengers are asked to allow extra time and replacement bus services have been laid on.
Heathrow Express, which normally runs from Paddington to the airport every 15 minutes, is closed in both directions due to a fault with the signalling system, according to the service’s website.
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The Elizabeth line is suspended between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow Airport due to a signal failure caused by flooding at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, according to Transport for London.
Police in Budapest are studying camera footage to identify supporters fighting before Saturday’s Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain.
A police statement said the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Footage emerged on social media showing what was said to be about 30 supporters of each club brawling and lighting flares.
“Several fans got into a fight on May 30, 2026, at around 00:20 in Budapest’s 7th district, on Kiraly Street,” a police statement said.
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“The BRFK 7th District Police Department has initiated proceedings against unknown perpetrators for the crime of gang violence, within the framework of which the camera recordings are also being analysed.”
Nearly 4,000 police officers will be deployed across the Hungarian capital for the Champions League final, with tens of thousands of fans expected to travel to Budapest without tickets.
On Tuesday, Hungary’s deputy national police chief Zoltan Janos Kuczik said: “This will be the largest single-day police deployment in Hungary’s history.”
It was described as a “high-risk event” with security preparations beginning more than a year ago.
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Two Portuguese and a British man were arrested on Friday following a fight at the Champions League fan festival site and charged with disorderly conduct.
Police said a British man who climbed on to the roof of a parked car and damaged the vehicle was also arrested.
I once met the late jazz musician Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins (1930 to 2026). It was in the mid 90s on Manhattan’s 48th street at Rod Baltimore’s New York Woodwind and Brass Center. The shop had the best repair department so there were always some serious players around.
Consequently, as I was sitting on a step checking out my newly-repaired flute, no doubt playing through some “hip” patterns or something, I spotted some long, well-suited, legs passing me by. Then an instantly recognisable voice somewhere above said: “Sounds good man.” This was the same voice I had heard making effortlessly cool introductions on the live album A Night at the Village Vanguard (1957), (Sonny was no recalcitrant jazz microphone mumbler).
Six feet above me was the man, carrying a saxophone case, giving me a small seal of approval that ranks as one of my most treasured musical moments. Because, like the record title, he was The Saxophone Colossus. Rollins’s generosity of spirit and kindness are well known.
Sonny Rollins was the last surviving Jazz luminary from the famous ‘Great Day in Harlem’ picture. Wikimedia
The poignancy of Rollins dying the day after Miles Davis’s 100th anniversary is amplified by the realisation he was the last living musician from the famous Great Day in Harlem photo from 1958. This picture brought together jazz’s leading lights for Esquire’s 1959 Golden Age of Jazz edition, including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Thelonius Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charles Mingus, Mary Lou Williams and Count Basie.
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Without any hyperbole, Rollins’ death marks the end of an era. The obituaries will be itemising his greatness: his joyful and often humorous playing and ability to create endless newness out of every moment (improvising). And the self-discipline and rigorous hours of practice, despite which he always felt he could do better – no matter how many accolades he received.
Consequently in 1959, despite growing success and opportunities to make money, he took a two-year sabbatical, during which he famously practised on the walkway of The Williamsburg Bridge. He did this partly to avoid disturbing his neighbours – but also because this communion with the outdoors at all times of year fuelled a growing spirituality (he was to take second break in 1969 to study zen buddhism).
Rollins is the (jazz) musician’s musician and it was always about the music and his playing within it. Like Miles Davis, he was continuously developing through his own spiritual growth and ability to musically absorb what was happening in music. But, unlike Davis, this growth was largely expressed through the classic jazz combo.
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True he made a few electric albums with funk grooves and he occasionally played soprano saxophone. But in general, Rollins’s music was about his tenor saxophone, sometimes with a trumpet player, a jazz drummer, an upright bassist (occasionally electric) and, when he chose to use one, a pianist. And, while he wrote some Jazz standards, such as Oleo (1954), improvisation was his primary creative process – the fleeting moment and sense of flow were his “compositional” impulses.
It’s hard to add much to what will already have been written, so with my last few words I’ll suggest some listening, beyond the album Saxophone Colossus.
1. Worktime (1955)
A 25-year-old Rollins is heard to great effect on Worktime (1955). He often made tongue-in-cheek song choices, and here Berlin’s There’s no business like show business showcases his incredible relaxation at blistering tempo (310 beats-per-minute) with all the confidence and joyous control that were making him a rising star.
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2. 1958’s Freedom Suite
This album dispensed with the harmonic support of a piano, using only bass and drums (Oscar Pettiford and Max Roach respectively). This afforded greater musical freedom certainly, but is also more challenging without the option of coasting on lush chords supplied by a pianist. Rollins’s melodic and rhythmic invention are bursting out of the seams here, and with reference to the title he penned a carefully worded civil rights statement for the liner notes.
3. East Broadway Rundown (1966)
Finally East Broadway Rundown (1966) has Rollins with two-thirds of John Coltrane’s classic rhythm section, (Elvin Jones, again, and Jimmy Garrison on bass). Blessing in disguise is a monster blues riff. While the title track shows him absorbing free jazz, but with dynamic contrast and plenty of groove – he even plays the mouthpiece alone for several minutes. But don’t let that put you off.
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Finally, I’ll borrow the words of saxophonist Charles Lloyd: “He lifted the music and inspired those of us who followed in his footsteps to reach for something higher.”
He’s been out of the spotlight in Wales ever since it was revealed he had groomed a young man on social media and paid him thousands of pounds for explicit images.
The publication claims he’s working on a book as well as negotiating with multiple broadcasters, both in the UK and the US, about potential docuseries and interviews.
He was sentenced to six months in jail two years ago (Picture: Lucy North/PA Wire)
Edwards has reportedly taken issue with his portrayal in the press and in the Channel 5 drama Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards.
He’s said to be annoyed that the series, which featured Martin Clunes as the presenter, repeated the ‘lie’ that he had engaged with a minor.
‘The guy was 19 when he contacted me. I have his birth certificate and can prove it,’ Edwards reportedly told a friend.
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‘I am deeply ashamed of my engagement with him – but he was a consenting adult. And he initiated the contact, not me. It soon turned to blackmail.’
However, the mum of the teenager has spoken out against Edwards’ potential return.
She told The Sun on Sunday: ‘It’s absolutely disgusting Channel 4 has given a convicted paedophile a platform. I don’t understand what he has to say — or what his side of the story really is.
‘Who wants to hear that? And why would they agree to it? Whatever he says, there’s no excuse for how he behaved.’
She asked ‘Haven’t we been through enough?’ in a final plea to the broadcaster to scrap any plans to work with the disgraced presenter.
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Meanwhile, Edwards has been vocal about his dislike of the drama series based on his public downfall.
‘Much has been written and reported in the past week following Channel 5’s one-sided account,’ he wrote when it aired in March.
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‘Other opportunities will arise later this year for me to state my case and to challenge the misleading or fabricated claims made in recent coverage.
‘A number of serious questions still remain to be answered, and not just by me. It will now take some time for me to produce my own account, and until then, I do not intend to comment any further.’
Edwards joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984 and went on to become one of the corporation’s most prominent and highest-paid news anchors, having famously broken the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.
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Contestants from every series of BBC’s Race Across the World will take part in the Great Manchester Run in memory of Sam Gardiner
Olivia Wheeler Content Editor Screen Time
11:51, 30 May 2026
Contestants from every series of BBC’s Race Across the World will compete in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday in honour of late participant Sam Gardiner.
In 2020, BBC audiences watched Sam take part in the beloved television programme alongside his mum, Jo. While the duo didn’t claim victory, they captured the nation’s affection as they journeyed through South America.
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Sam died tragically in hospital after sustaining injuries in a car accident in May 2025. The 24 year old had been travelling on the A34 near Manchester when his vehicle, which had inadequate tyre tread, veered off the road and overturned before settling on its side.
In tribute to Sam’s memory, contestants from every series of BBC’s Race Across the World will run in remembrance of the former participant at the Great Manchester Run on Sunday.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Saturday, Emon Choudhury, who claimed victory in the second series featuring Sam, and recent competitor Harrison Devine discussed the race, reports the Mirror.
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Presenter Sarah Campbell said: “Just looking back at those images of Sam, I mean, he seemed like a really lovely guy. You sort of knew him. I know you sort of travel separately, but you spend time together as well.”
To which Emon responded: “Yeah, I think with Sam, I think when we got together at checkpoints, we sort of like let it all loose. So, you know, we experienced such a magical race with him and then, obviously, sad news.
“It was actually yesterday, last year, that we found out that he passed away. It hit us all hard, do you know what I mean? Because we had a shared experience, not just myself, but his family, his family and friends. I just wanted to do something for him, I guess.”
Emon went on: “I managed to get a star-studded cast from, I’ll say star-studded, from Race Across the World, from all seasons one to six.
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“We’re going to be running in memory of Sam. For the person he was, his love of life, you know, he was more than a handful. I know Jo will be watching today, will probably have tears in her eyes. But we’re all there to support each other.
“Our experience that we had is just, it’s one in a million. So, yeah, we’ll be taking part in the Great North Run Manchester 10K and we’ll be supporting an amazing charity that’s close to us all, and that’s The Christie Charity.”
Meanwhile, Harrison commented on his participation: “I was a massive fan of [Race Across the World] before going on it myself. So, like, I vividly remember Sam and the relationship with his mum and how amazing they were and their travels around South America.
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“I think was one of the most inspiring stories and series to watch so far. So, yeah, when I got the call about it from Emon, it was a no-brainer. We both loving running as well so it was a perfect combination.”
BBC Breakfast continues at 6am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Ukrainian drones strike port, oil depot in southern Russia, authorities say
Ukrainian drones struck a tanker at Russia’s port of Taganrog overnight and hit an oil depot in the city of Armavir, authorities in the southern regions of Rostov and Krasnodar said on Saturday.
Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar said on Telegram that fires on the tanker and in the port of Taganrog – a city of about 240,000 – had been extinguished, with no oil spill reported. Two people were injured, he said.
The city’s mayor, Svetlana Kambulova, said a local state of emergency, introduced on May 27, had been extended. Russia’s Defence Ministry said that its forces had downed 127 drones overnight.
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In the neighbouring Krasnodar region, authorities in Armavir, which has a population of 185,000, said a fire at an oil depot in the city’s industrial zone had been brought under control and that there were no injuries.
Rostov governor Slyusar said that almost 50 drones had been downed in the region, with attacks reported across the province, which borders Ukraine’s Donbas, the focus of fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
Outside Taganrog, he said, only minor damage was reported.
The commander of Ukraine’s drone forces said they had struck Taganrog, as well as an oil depot in Feodosiya in Russian-controlled Crimea. He made no mention of a strike on Armavir.
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Bryony Gooch30 May 2026 11:32
Russia’s ballooning $28bn Ukraine war bill forces Putin to make spending cuts
Russia expects to run at least $28bn over budget on its Ukraine war spending this year as advances slow and Kyiv gathers momentum with strikes across the border.
A letter from finance minister Anton Siluanov in February urged the cabinet to freeze around ₽2.9 trillion Russian roubles ($40.8bn) in planned non-war-related spending this year, warning that the ₽2trn overspend could rise to as much as ₽4trn in a “negative scenario”, according to the Financial Times.
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Mr Siluanov also anticipated that Russia would overspend on the war by a further ₽4trn in 2027 and 2028.
Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 10:50
Russia says Ukrainian drone strike kills two in Belgorod
Russian officials said a Ukrainian drone strike killed two people travelling in a car in the Belgorod border region early on Saturday.
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Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the drone hit a vehicle in the village of Nikolskoye, south of the regional capital, killing two passengers instantly and injuring two others. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene.
The region, which borders northeastern Ukraine, has faced repeated shelling and drone strikes since the start of the war because of its proximity to the frontline.
Kyiv has not publicly commented on the reported attack.
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of targeting civilian areas in the region, while Kyiv says strikes inside Russian territory are aimed at military and logistics infrastructure supporting Moscow’s invasion.
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Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 10:30
Zelensky warns Russia preparing ‘massive’ new strike on Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday that Russia was preparing a “massive” new strike against Ukraine as Kyiv renewed calls for western allies to accelerate deliveries of Patriot air defence systems.
In a Telegram post and later video address, the Ukrainian president said intelligence assessments indicated Moscow was preparing intensified attacks in the coming days. “We understand what Russia is preparing for and what it is counting on,” Zelensky said, urging Ukrainians not to ignore air raid alerts.
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Zelensky also defended Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian infrastructure, saying Kyiv would continue targeting Russia’s logistics networks and oil industry to weaken its war effort. “We are defending ourselves actively,” he said. “Everything that makes it harder for Russia to wage war helps bring peace closer.”
He added that Ukraine was working “with all partners” to strengthen air defences amid escalating Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 10:10
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Putin says it is ‘too early’ to blame Russia for Romania drone
Vladimir Putin has questioned whether a drone that struck an apartment building in Romania was Russian, despite Romanian authorities and Nato attributing the incident to Moscow.
The strike hit a residential building in the border city of Galați on Thursday during a wider Russian attack near the Danube, injuring two people and prompting Bucharest to summon Russia’s ambassador.
Speaking on Friday, Putin said it was “too early” to determine the drone’s origin and suggested it could have been Ukrainian instead. “Who said this was a Russian drone? Has anyone conducted an examination?” he said, adding that Russia was willing to jointly analyse the debris with Romania.
(AP)
Putin compared the incident to previous cases in Poland and the Baltic states where, he claimed: “The first reaction is always the same: ‘The Russians are coming.’”
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Putin also criticised European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for accusing Russia of crossing “another line” with the strike, while Nato chief Mark Rutte said the alliance would defend “every inch” of its territory.
Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 09:50
Nato must be more willing to push back when the Kremlin goes too far
That a Russian drone, probably fired from Crimea, crashed into a Romanian residential block and injured two people, is a gratuitous, unprovoked and serious act of aggression against an independent Nato state.
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It demands a suitable response. That the incident is hardly a surprise is no reason for complacency.
It is true that in Romania, Poland and other states neighbouring Ukraine, Russian munitions and aircraft have been venturing into Nato airspace since before the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. The danger was always that they’d stop landing harmlessly in a field. Not all were “accidents” – and there’s been too much activity more openly on the offensive.
Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 09:30
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Nato vows to defend ‘every inch’ after drone strike in Romania
Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador after a drone identified by Nato as Russian struck an apartment building in the border city of Galați on Thursday night, injuring two people and starting a fire.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said the alliance was ready to defend “every inch” of its territory following the incident. “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” Rutte said after speaking with Romanian president Nicușor Dan. “Nato stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory.”
Dan described the strike as the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and said Bucharest would strengthen air defence measures along its eastern border.
Russian president Vladimir Putin disputed the attribution on Friday, saying it was “too early” to conclude the drone was Russian. “Who said this was a Russian drone? Has anyone conducted an examination?” Putin said, suggesting the drone could have been Ukrainian instead and calling for the wreckage to be handed over to Moscow for an independent investigation.
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Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 09:10
Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Russia has lost 500,000 soldiers since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK’s intelligence chief said in London.
GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler gave the latest figure for Russian casualties in Ukraine during her first public speech at Bletchley Park, saying it proved Vladimir Putin was “going backwards in the battlefield”.
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Ms Keast-Butler warned Russia was risking a wider conflict in Europe by targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains across the continent.
Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 08:49
Russian spies are aggressively seeking Western technology as sanctions bite, officials say
Shahana Yasmin30 May 2026 08:22
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Japan pledges $14.7m to Ukraine support scheme amid air defence shortages
Japan has committed around $14.7m (£10.8m) to a Nato-backed programme that helps purchase US-made military equipment for Ukraine, according to Japan’s foreign ministry.
The funding will go towards the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a Nato-US initiative launched last year to speed up deliveries of equipment requested by Kyiv.
Japan said its contribution would be restricted to non-lethal items, in line with the country’s post-war constitutional limits on exporting lethal military aid.
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Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the move, calling Japan’s support a “powerful message of solidarity”.
Airports at Brit holiday hotspots including Spain, France and Portugal have reported severe delays and long queues – some as long as three-and-a-half hours at peak times
11:27, 30 May 2026Updated 11:27, 30 May 2026
British tourists are being advised to allow more time at airports across Europe before travelling home because of major delays caused by biometric checks.
Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan warned holidaymakers returning home from an EU destination that they should arrive at the airport three hours before their flights are due to depart amid concerns about the new security procedures.
The EU entry-exit system (EES) has now replaced passport stamps with a digital registration, involving biometric checks carried out on entry and exit for all non-EU citizens.
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The EES has been gradually introduced across Europe since October last year but came into full force last month. Since then, tourists have reported huge delays at border control,.
Just last week, French police temporarily lifted the EES checks at the Dover port to free thousands of tourists trapped in long delays in the scorching heat.
Ms Moynihan told the BBC: “Because there is another passport check … that’s where we see that people have, again, experienced longer waiting times than anticipated.”
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She said that while usual advice is to arrive at the airport two hours before a flight, “in these circumstances, we are advising three hours”.
The new measures have been “fragmented across Europe”, she continued, with some EU countries recording “seamless travel” while in extremes, there have been long queues and delays at “usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France”.
“When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water,” Moynihan said her airline is advising in general to any British customers travelling from an EU destination.
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For those with connecting flights, she advised planning for several hours.
Her comments come as the European airports association ACI Europe warned queues have been reaching an eye-watering three-and-a-half hours in peak traffic times, based on its survey conducted across 45 airports in 20 EU states on May 26.
“Airports which previously did not report excessive waiting times are now doing so despite the extensive use of partial suspension of EES,” it said in a statement to Travel Weekly.
However, the European Commission told the BBC that the EES was not the only factor that can cause delays at the border, stating information may only take around a minute to register.
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Scammers are swindling British animal lovers out of thousands by posting pitiful pictures of dogs from fake shelters to beg for cash
16:48, 05 May 2026Updated 11:31, 30 May 2026
BBC Eye TV Documentary ‘Save our Dogs: Inside Uganda’s Rescue Scam’ is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer
Hundreds of social media accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube – claiming to be fundraisers from pet shelters – are being operated from Mityana, a town in central Uganda. Open-source intelligence techniques (OSINT) were used to examine fundraiser for pet shelters in Uganda. They raised more than £540,000 in five years, according to BBC data, after appealing for financial help on the donation platform GoFundMe. A lot of these operations could have been involved in scamming, the BBC revealed.
Now a BBC Africa Eye investigation from the BBC World Service, which has been shared with The Mirror, has exposed their lies. An undercover reporter said: “Last year, we received a tip off about the large-scale scam. “Grassroot organisations in Uganda and Europe told of their worry about what was happening to dogs in Mityana and to donors around the world. The volume of videos was overwhelming – so many accounts, often changing their names – and so many dogs.”
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One 15-second TikTok video posted in January, showed an injured dog lying on the side of the road, saying it “got into an accident” and asking viewers “to save his life” by sending donations via an online link. Named Russet by a donor, thousands of pounds were raised before, three weeks after the post, a UK donor secured his release and he was taken to a veterinary clinic in Kampala.
The vet, Dr Isa Lutebemberwa, said his injuries were unlikely to have been accidental and, despite his best efforts, Russet died. Dr Lutebemberwa said: “He endured a lot of pain and suffering.” The undercover reporter continued: “Russet appeared to have been passed around different content creator groups for three weeks, while having severe injuries to his hind legs. Russet and his pain appeared to have been used as props for generating content, and possibly revenue.”
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Animal lover Lianne Stone, a 38-year-old carer from Manchester, was scammed out of her savings, which she donated to help dogs like Russet. She said: “The videos are heartbreaking, painfully thin dogs, some injured, some in pain. It’s hard to scroll past them without thinking, ‘I should help them’.” Of the scammers, she continued: “They fooled me. Over six months I gave them more than £1,300 – over half of my savings. I sent money by PayPal and Western Union. I thought I was making a difference to these poor dogs.”
Investigators reviewed hundreds of online pages raising money for pet shelters in Uganda. Almost 40% of them were linked to shelters in Mityana. The donation money was being used to buy phones, on pool parties and cars, according to the BBC. Bart Kakooza, chairman of the Uganda Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, said: “These young men [the scammers] realised they can make money if they get a dog.”
Typical videos show dogs living in makeshift shelters. Viewers are told “they are hungry” asked “please help us”. Lianne stumbled on videos of hungry dogs while scrolling on Instagram in January 2025. She said: “I’ve got a chihuahua called Rowley. It was clear to anyone who came across my page that I loved dogs. These videos started appearing on my feed – starving six week old puppies in Uganda, desperately trying to eat bones. I commented underneath, ‘Why are they so hungry?’ and started getting messages back asking for money to help feed them.”
Scammers assured Lianne, who is single, that they would rescue the dogs, but needed funds to care for them. She said: “I transferred my first £70. The person on the other end promised to use it to feed the dogs in the video. I felt better knowing that I’d helped them.” Her friends donated, too.
The BBC’s undercover reporter went to one shelter run by Charles Lubajja, where about 15 dogs were kept in the same cage, lying in their own waste. Many appeared severely underweight and lethargic. Lubajja said the shelter primarily exists to make money from social media viewers abroad. He gave advice on how to increase revenues, sharing tricks including how to film fake veterinary treatments.
He was secretly filmed telling the reporter: “Once you receive the GoFundMe money, you use it to buy a car or build a house.” He told the reporter to “squeeze” and “drain” donors – also confessing that content creators have “cut the dogs” to make them appear more battered. This all tallies with Lianne’s experience. She explains: “I got loads of messages asking me to donate via Paypal, which I did. I’d pay £5 here for a taxi for them to take the dog to the vets, another £10 for cartons of milk, £25 for big bags of dog food. I’d throw in £15 for the men to get themselves some dinner.”
Lianne, who had little disposable income, added: “I had about £2,000 in my savings account and gave away £1,300 of it – probably more.” She first suspected wrongdoing when she asked for a personal video of the dogs eating. She said: “They sent me a clip of a group of older dogs – not the puppies I’d wanted to help. Something wasn’t quite right.”
Last July, the penny dropped. She said “Despite my donations, the dogs just weren’t getting better. When the videos came, I could see the dogs were hurting. The dogs cowered like they’re going to get hit. I suddenly thought, ‘that dog is scared of that man’. Something isn’t right.”
Realising she’d been scammed, she continued: “My stomach dropped. I was devastated.” The “business” is so organised that some shelter owners allow multiple content creators to film with the animals for a fee. In turn, they run their own fundraising drives, using the video footage of dogs.
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Last August, following the scam, Lianne deleted Instagram. She says: “I came off social media, It had affected my mental health.” Mityana Police said they have investigated animal cruelty at dog shelters in the area, rescuing injured dogs and making arrests. One case was closed with a warning.
Lianne said: “I’ll never get the money back that I’ve lost and the dogs are still in danger. The more successful the scam gets, the more animals these people will harm. It’s disgusting.” Dr Isa says fundraising platforms must carry out more due diligence, adding: “On the government side, there needs to be better shelter regulation.”
The Mirror contacted TikTok. And, according to TikTok, per their Community Guidelines, they don’t allow content that shows or promotes animal abuse, cruelty, neglect, or exploitation. Nor do they allow content that promotes scams, fraud, or deceptive schemes.
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They said between October and December 2025, 97.7% of content they proactively removed for breaching their fraud and scam policies was taken down before being reported. They also proactively removed 99.4% of content that breached their animal abuse policies. We also contacted GoFundMe, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for comment.
Meanwhile, a Go Fund Me spokesperson said: “Our Trust & Safety team works around the clock to make sure people can give safely on GoFundMe and misuse is rare. We have banned several accounts linked to this activity and would encourage anyone with concerns to report it to us. We remain the only major platform with a Giving Guarantee allowing donors to give in confidence.”
BBC Africa Eye’s TV Documentary Save our Dogs: Inside Uganda’s Rescue Scam can be seen on BBC iPlayer. The World Service radio documentary For the love of Dogs is available on BBC Sounds.
Westmeath and Cavan are set to face off in Round 1 of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on Saturday evening – but what time does the game start and how can you watch it on GAA+? Here’s everything you need to know
This weekend sees Westmeath take on Cavan in Round 1 of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
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Westmeath arrive full of confidence following their extraordinary Leinster championship campaign, during which Mark McHugh’s squad caused a major upset against Meath before going on to defeat Dublin in the provincial decider.
Cavan, on the other hand, are aiming to regroup following their departure from the Ulster championship and will view this fixture as a significant chance to make their mark in the All-Ireland series.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match:
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