The show in Dumfries on Thursday May 21 was paused for presenter Fiona Bruce to share a huge update on the next two BBC shows – before discussions on drilling in the North Sea

Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce halted tonight’s show to make two huge announcements.

The show in Dumfries on Thursday May 21 included panelists; Cabinet secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Steven Flynn, Kirsty McNeill Scottish Labour MP, Conservative MP Harriet Cross, Thomas Kerr Scottish Reform Deputy Leader and Ross Greer Co-leader for Scottish Greens.

Following a heated discussion about food price caps, she said: “Before we go on, I want to tell you about our programme next week, because… we are going to be in Dulwich in South London for a special programme about artificial intelligence. So many questions we get, probably not every week, so we’ll probably get two or three. But I have to say they just build up over time, and we decided we’re going to tackle this subject.

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“Do we understand it? Can we control it? Are we all going to lose our jobs? What it will mean for us, so that’s a special programme on artificial intelligence next week. If you would like to come and be part of that audience, Dulwich in South London, we would love to see you,” she told viewers.

She then teased the upcoming edition of the show on Thursday, June 4, telling viewers: “The week after that, you might have noticed there’s a by-election happening in Makerfield. We’re going to be there,” she revealed.

“So two programmes, don’t want to miss them”, Fiona concluded.

BBC Question Time returns on Thursday May 28 in DUlwich and Thursday June 4 in Makerfield.

The First Minister has issued a state apology after a damning review found vulnerable children were repeatedly failed by authorities for years before the horrific “Beastie House” abuse ring was uncovered.

Scotland’s First Minister has apologised to those involved in a “deeply distressing” major report into a notorious abuse ring.

John Swinney offered an apology on behalf of the state for any failures outlined in the report into the so-called “Beastie House” gang.

The 75-page report published on Wednesday found several children at the centre of a Glasgow abuse ring were failed by authorities despite clear warnings and cries for help over the course of years.

The learning review found it was “difficult to comprehend” that abuse was not detected earlier despite more than a decade of involvement from social work and a host of other public agencies.

When asked by journalists in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday if he would make an apology for failures outlined in the report, Mr Swinney said: “Yes, I would make that apology because I think the contents of the report are deeply, deeply distressing.

“Lord Beckett – when he summarised the court case and disposed of the case and stressed the extreme nature of what he had experienced, what had been presented to the court – Lord Beckett made the point that the court hears terrible things, but that was of a different order.

“I think that is completely unacceptable, and I apologise to everybody who has been involved.”

Two women and five men were all convicted of gang raping a child and abusing other children, and were given sentences of between eight and 20 years in jail before they can apply for parole.

Iain Owens, 46; Elaine Lannery, 40; Lesley Williams, 43; Paul Brannan, 42; Scott Forbes, 51; Barry Watson, 48; and John Clark, 48, were convicted in November 2023 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Four of the group – Owens, Lannery, Brannan and Williams – were found guilty of attempting to murder a child by pushing them into a microwave and trapping them in other places.

Wednesday’s review found staff repeatedly failed to thoroughly investigate abuse and neglect of several children between 2012 and 2019.

This was despite mounting evidence over more than a decade, including adults around them taking drugs, several children missing multiple teeth at a young age, reports the children were dirty and smelled like urine, and one of the children saying they wanted to kill themselves.

Glasgow City Council chief executive Susanne Millar held senior roles in social work services during this time.

In 2012, she became the city’s assistant director for social work and retained the chief social work officer job while taking on roles for planning and strategy until she became interim chief officer role in 2019.

Mr Swinney was asked if Ms Millar should resign given her role in social work during this time period.

He said: “I think, obviously, there’s proper discussions that have got to take place by the individual responsible bodies, and it shouldn’t be for me to comment on those issues.

“For my part, I obviously lead the Government, and this is a deeply distressing report about an extreme example where child protection has clearly failed. There’s no other way to talk about it.

“We have had other examples where there have been failures in performance, and there are measures taken to strengthen that. There is obviously inspection regimes taken forward of individual child protection arrangements. Indeed, this review is part of that process to identify where there are failings, and where those failings have got to be addressed.”

Glasgow City Council have been approached for comment.

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The Loose Women star required an operation after developing acute pancreatitis

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Linda Robson, star of Loose Women, revealed a scary health issue that left her ‘fearing she could die’. The 68-year-old said she spent ten days in intensive care while doctors fought to save her.

The Birds of a Feather actress required the operation on her pancreas after developing acute pancreatitis, which left her in agony. She told The Sun: “I was petrified in intensive care. I thought I was going to die.

“I had to have most of my pancreas removed because there were two tumours in a difficult position. I had to have a brain scan as well.”

Daily Star reports Linda had the op after gallstones damaged her pancreas. She took time out from Loose Women last year after doctors found a small cyst on the gland, which is behind the stomach.

She said that it was the support from her kids that got her through the terrifying ordeal. Linda added: “Seeing my kids’ faces got me through it.

“They were at the hospital all the time. They’ve been amazing.”

Linda has since returned to public life and on Wednesday night (May 20) she attended a gala night for Mamma Mia! The Party at London’s O2. The star explained that she’s had to “take a back seat” for a while in order to get better but she’s now “on the mend” and wants to “make the most out of life”.

Linda opened up about her pancreas issues last year on Loose Women. She told the panel: “Well I’ve had a bit of a health scare myself.

“So, quite a few years ago I had gallstones and they damaged my pancreas, and they’ve been keeping an eye on me for a while now. Because I had a cyst on my pancreas and it’s gone from 1cm to 2cm, so the kids have obviously been really worried about me.”

Linda had multiple MRI and other scans at the time. Last December, she ended up having to pull out of a performance of the Aladdin panto at the Orchard West Theatre in Dartford due to the pancreas problems.

The star has been open about her health issues over the years, including her battles with alcohol addiction and her mental health.

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“The performance of all company owned stores across our Convenience business is subject to continuous review. This process has identified a number of stores, which were part of the McColl’s acquisition, whose performance has been challenged for a number of years and which are loss making, despite remedial action.

Available for over a year

Today, the chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a series of measures aimed at reducing the costs for families in the summer holidays.

Ticket prices for families at various attractions such as theme parks, zoos and museums will be cheaper during the summer holidays through a cut to VAT, the chancellor has said. The government didn’t however announce any major package of support aimed at energy costs.

On Thursday it was also revealed that UK migration had dropped to 171,00 almost half of 2024’s figure. Adam, Chris, Joe Pike and Helen Miller from the Institute for Fiscal Studies discuss.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes are released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC.

The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Poland has been a huge ally to Ukraine as the Russian conflict continues

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Donald Trump is celebrating the ‘successful election’ of the Polish president by sending 5,000 troops to the country. There is already a US military presence in the country which will now increase, Poland is also a major ally to Ukraine as the Russian conflict continues.

Trump has always stated he is has a good relationship with the Russian President, but Putin has been critical of NATO forces surrounding Russia. Daily Star reports Putin even claimed NATO as one of his reasons for his invasion of Ukraine, despite the conflict actually prompting more of Russia’s neighbours to join the organisation.

Writing on Truth Social, the United States President said: “Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

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The winners of the latest series of the BBC’s Race Across the World have been unveiled

BBC favourite Race Across the World has revealed its 2026 champions.

Best friends Jo and Kush reached the final checkpoint first following a final sprint. They exclaimed “oh my God” as they became the first pair to cross the finish line at Lake Khövsgöl in northern Mongolia.

“I can’t put it into words!” said Kush. “We’ve done it!” “It’s hard to get my head around it,” Jo admitted. “First win for Liverpool!”

The latest series of the BBC programme began with five teams, challenging contestants to travel vast distances without mobile phones or bank cards, carrying only the equivalent cash value of an air ticket, reports the Mirror.

Jo and Kush, cousins Puja and Roshni, siblings Katie and Harrison, father and daughter Molly and Andrew, and in-laws Mark and Margo were set the challenge of travelling from Europe “to the uncharted edges of Mongolia” in what the BBC described as “the toughest journey yet”.

Andrew and Molly secured second place in the competition, with Katie and Harrison finishing third.

Mark and Margo arrived last, over 24 hours behind, and became emotional as they called out a thank you to Julia, Mark’s late wife and Margo’s sister, whose final wish had been for the in-laws to forge a friendship.

The teams had departed from Palermo’s sunny streets and had to cover more than 11,000km across Europe and Asia.

Their journey took them through nations including Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan before concluding at the shores of Lake Khövsgöl in northern Mongolia.

In the most demanding race to date, conditions fluctuated from 30-degree Mediterranean warmth to sub-zero temperatures of –20°C, which participants had to manage on less than £26 per person daily.

All competitors encountered various obstacles during the journey.

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Katie and Harrison were initial frontrunners, succeeding in reaching checkpoints hours before the remaining contestants, though they failed to maintain their advantage.

Meanwhile, cousins Puja and Roshni were knocked out early after placing last in one stage, leaving the other four vying for the £20,000 prize.

In the last leg, the remaining contenders had to cover a distance of 950km to reach the finish line in Hatgal.

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The final leg proved emotionally charged for Andrew and Molly, who became tearful after realising they had taken an incorrect route that could eliminate them from contention.

And Margo and Mark – who were competing together in an attempt to forge a friendship following the death of Mark’s wife and Margo’s sister – encountered financial difficulties, with their budget depleting rapidly.

However, all of the four remaining teams managed to make it to the last checkpoint.

Race Across the World initially premiered in 2019 and has now aired six series, alongside a celebrity spin-off edition.

Race Across the World is available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

Labrador Luna, springer spaniel Callie and a springer-cocker spaniel mix Sprocket, will join UK-trained German short-haired pointer Adele, helped intercept 48kg of cocaine last week

Three British sniffer dogs are being deployed in the fight against Channel smuggling gangs at one of the world’s busiest land borders, between Bulgaria and Turkey.

Labrador Luna, springer spaniel Callie and a springer-cocker spaniel mix Sprocket, will detect small boat equipment which the trafficking gangs try to sneak into Europe. They are trained by the National Crime Agency to sniff out the rubber of people smugglers’ dinghies hidden in lorries.

The dogs hope to build on the success of the UK-trained German short-haired pointer Adele, who helped Bulgarian police to intercept 48kg of cocaine at the border last week.

Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, announced the new support during meetings in Sofia on Thursday with the new Bulgarian Government which took up office last week.

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Mr Doughty said: “Our cooperation with Bulgaria is delivering real results, stopping threats long before they reach the UK. Last year alone, our joint work intercepted 91 boats, with the potential to transport thousands of people in dangerous journeys across the Channel.

“That’s why I’m in Sofia, to expand that partnership and ensure European security remains at the heart of our work with the new Bulgarian government.

“Building a closer relationship with the EU is a priority for this government, as stronger partnerships with EU countries means greater security and growth at home.”

While in Sofia, Mr Doughty saw first-hand the work of Bulgarian law enforcement. Alongside sniffer dogs, the UK has provided drones to track illegal migrants crossing through Bulgaria’s mountainous terrain, and vehicle scanning equipment to uncover concealed contraband and people illegally trafficked in vehicles crossing the border.

With its southern border one of the busiest entry points into the EU, Bulgaria already seizes more small boats than any other country. Alongside Romania, the Balkan country became the most recent state to join the EU’s Schengen Area in 2025, which allows people and goods to move freely through Europe without internal border checks.

It comes after Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper secured agreement from 46 European partners to modernise how the ECHR handles migration cases, strengthening the UK’s ability to take firm action on border security.

The NCA and the Home Office International Operations, work with a range of international partners to seize small boat equipment, including Europol, Bulgaria, Belgium, France and Germany. This has seen more than 1,000 boats and engines seized since early 2023. More than 500 were confiscated in 2025 alone.

NCA Head of Region, Kenny Dron, said: “Bulgaria is a key partner for the NCA in tackling a range of threats from serious and organised crime, and we have an extremely positive relationship with our law enforcement colleagues there, regularly sharing intelligence and mounting joint operations.

“I’m delighted we are able to expand our work with them, and the deployment of these new dogs will further increase our ability to disrupt the criminal networks threatening the security of both of our nations.”

Among gang leaders who have used the smuggling route was Hewa Rahimpur, 32, who was jailed in Belgium for 11 years. Rahimpur headed one of the largest human trafficking gangs involved in smuggling people across the English Channel.

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Police believe he masterminded a ring that brought 10,000 people to the UK in small boats. Rahimpur arrived in Britain in 2016 and claimed asylum, saying that as an Iranian Kurd he would face persecution at home. He was allowed to stay in 2020.

The gangmaster set up a barber’s shop in London but then used Britain as a base for a far-reaching criminal operation. He led a group that sourced boats, engines and life-jackets for migrant crossings. They bought engines and parts from Turkey and China and transported it through Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Americans are increasingly turning against the war in Iran and the president that launched it. According to a survey conducted in April by US-based pollster, Pew International, 61% of people in the US disapprove of the war while only 37% approve. The US president’s overall approval rating, meanwhile, has slipped to 34%.

In many other countries, however, this disenchantment looms larger. Pew’s spring 2025 survey revealed 12 months ago a strong lack of confidence in Donald Trump across much of the world. The survey was conducted in 24 mostly European countries, but also countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Respondents were asked a question about the confidence they had in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs.

Confidence in President Trump to do the right thing

The country with the lowest levels of confidence was Mexico with Canada, Sweden and Germany not far behind. Interestingly, proximity to the United States appears to boost a lack of confidence in the president, with Canada and Mexico much less confident than other countries.

Respondents in the UK were more likely to be confident than those in other European countries such as France, Spain and Italy. But even then, only 37% of UK respondents were confident, compared with 63% who were not. The UK score is rather similar to Japan which has also been a longstanding ally of the US.

There were five countries in which the president enjoyed a positive net level of confidence: Hungary, Kenya, India, Israel and Nigeria. These are all classified as hybrid authoritarian regimes or flawed democracies by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It shows that citizens of weak democracies or authoritarian states quite like him.

Is Trump dangerous?

This lack of confidence in the president is only part of the story. The survey asked what respondents thought about various traits that could be associated with Trump as president. It asked if they thought he was he was “well qualified”, “strong”, “honest” or “diplomatic”. It also asked if he was “arrogant” or “dangerous”.

The second chart shows the percentage of respondents who thought that he was “dangerous”. It makes sober reading. More than 50% of the respondents in 21 of the countries thought this. It seems likely that the US and Israel’s attack on Iran, which took place after the survey was in the field, will have reinforced these perceptions. The war is stalled and the economic repercussions are likely to increase its unpopularity both in the US and around the world.

Perceptions that President Trump is ‘dangerous’

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The prospects for post-Trump America

The US can, of course, recover from the Trump era. Unlike Russia, where periods of democracy have been an aberration in its history, the US has been a democracy for 250 years. That said, it is currently classified as a “flawed democracy” in the Economist Intelligence Unit database.

But if, as seems likely, the Democrats outperform the Republicans in the midterm elections in November this year, they will regain control of either the House or the Senate, or both. This would be a severe blow to Trumpism.

If Congress is controlled by the Democrats, they can veto any of Trump’s legislative proposals, hamstring his policies by withholding funding and at the same time initiate impeachment proceedings against him. Such actions will very likely make him a lame duck, leading to a loss of support for Republicans in the presidential elections in 2028.

Favourable and unfavourable views of the United States in 2025

The survey also shows that America’s reputation as a reliable ally and supporter of democracy has been seriously damaged across the world in his two terms in the White House. The third chart shows the percentage of survey respondents who have a favourable or unfavourable view of the US.

It is striking that many of America’s traditional allies such as Australia, Canada, Germany and France now have a very unfavourable view of the US. This contrasts with the flawed democracies or hybrid authoritarian states who like him. Although, to be fair, attitudes to the US overall are much more favourable than attitudes to Trump.

How might the US regain the international respect it has clearly lost under Trump as president? In the realm of foreign policy, actions speak louder than words – and America’s Nato allies will need to see some kind of concrete assurance that Washington is prepared to resume the leadership and security roles it is apparently abandoning under the current administration.

Perhaps what it also needs is some kind of “truth and reconciliation commission”, along the lines of the one set up by Nelson Mandela following the collapse of apartheid in South Africa. Once Trump has left office, America needs to understand clearly what has happened so that it can avoid this in the future. It is a cliché – but nonetheless true – that people who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.