Last night’s Question Time from Makerfield, scene of a by-election later this month that could upend British politics, was touted as a blockbuster event, a chance to see where we stood ahead of voters going to the polls on June 18. 

In many ways, it delivered – with Andy Burnham breaking cover to confirm that he would challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour Party leadership, and the keys to Number 10, if he triumphs in the constituency. 

But in all honesty, the by-election has been a foregone conclusion for a while now, and Burnham knows it. 

That, alongside Starmer’s apparent willingness to cling on in Number 10 until he’s forcibly removed by bailiffs, meant that the Manchester Mayor threw caution to the wind on Question Time. 

Taking the by-election first – Burnham has always been the favourite, but frankly his opponents on the right and the left have gifted him an easy route back to parliament. 

Reform selected local tradesman Robert Kenyon for this most crucial of contests, and it wasn’t long before he showed just how singularly unsuited he was for the spotlight. 

Visibly terrified under the studio lights on Thursday, he was pressed on his previous sexist comments about Carol Vorderman, not by Burnham, but by Green candidate Sarah Wakefield. 

Robert Kenyon referred to his female-centric upbringing in a bid to ‘address the issue’, a hardly novel spin on the Chris Finch defence, when the infamously sleazy villain of the British Office asked ‘how can I hate women? My mum’s one.’ 

For a man who railed against career politicians, Kenyon spent much of the hour-long show sticking rigidly to clearly rehearsed lines, and as a consequence looking about as down-to-earth as Keir Starmer in a Wetherspoons. 

It is not just Reform who have unwillingly assisted Burnham back to Westminster – Restore UK, the brainchild of Rupert Lowe (formerly a Reform MP), are consistently outflanking Farage’s party from the right.

Endorsed by Elon Musk, and armed with questionable polling about their own success, Lowe’s upstart movement has clearly caused a stir in the by-election. Nationally, many people think that threat on their right flank is what drove Reform’s ‘White Lives Matter’ response to the killing of Henry Nowak. 

Apart from Kenyon being made to sweat, Question Time was fairly low key, and even Burnham’s declaration that he would take part in a leadership contest was more ‘oh, go on then’ then tubthumping. 

But declare he did. 

Burnham knows, despite his modesty yesterday in ‘taking nothing for granted’ that only an unprecedented disaster will stop him winning in a few weeks. 

A poll on Thursday (albeit with a normal sample size than usual) had the Mayor 10 points ahead of the hapless Kenyon. 

His personality in Greater Manchester is well known, and the prospect of removing Starmer and getting their own man is clearly tempting for voters in the North West. 

Which brings us to the Prime Minister. 

A few weeks ago, the well connected Dan Hodges revealed that Starmer, despite surviving the immediate danger of over 100 MPs calling for him to go and Wes Streeting’s resignation, had accepted that the writing was on the wall. 

The PM, Hodges revealed, would soon ‘set out a timetable’, with allies saying that it could even come in advance of the by-election to avoid the indignity of being effectively bullied out of office by Burnham. 

Now, however, the mood music appears to be changing, and that is why Burnham could no longer afford to hedge his bets on Question Time. 

Starmer is stepping up his policy announcements, and laying the groundwork for his promised ‘decade’ in office, despite scepticism from all sides that he’ll even last the summer. 

Far from resigning in advance of the by-election, Starmer revealed that on June 11 he’ll unveil the details of an £18 billion defence plan. 

The government as a whole (and particularly individual ministers like Pat McFadden and Darren Jones) might have been embarrassed by Monday’s new batch of Mandelson files, but Starmer himself emerged relatively unscathed. 

A cynic might suggest that’s because the Prime Minister is something of a bystander in his own administration, but the fact remains that Starmer seems strangely buoyed recently. Spoiling for a fight, not demob happy. 

Today, he told LBC that he won’t walk away, and that a leadership campaign isn’t good for the country.

Soon, he won’t have the luxury of choice.

The hour-long film is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer

An intimate documentary showcasing previously unseen photographs of one of the globe’s most celebrated performers is available to stream now.

Britney Spears is well-accustomed to public attention, having achieved fame during the noughties and securing her place amongst the most iconic pop artists in history.

Given her level of celebrity, discovering unseen photographs of the American vocalist from any stage of her career proves challenging.

Yet the BBC has managed precisely that with its latest production, Britney: In Ten Pictures. The hour-long documentary forms part of the broadcaster’s ‘ten pictures’ collection that has profiled icons including Freddie Mercury.

Currently available on iPlayer, the film notably includes a photograph of Britney, now 44, taken the week prior to her debut album’s release in 1999, reports the Mirror.

Captured by photographer Lisa Means, it depicts a young Britney enjoying herself with friends and relatives during an outing for ice cream.

Lisa, who features in an interview within the documentary, had been engaged by People magazine to photograph the emerging talent in her native Kentwood, Louisiana.

Remarkably, Lisa remembers Britney and her companions singing along to a Madonna track. She explains in the film: “Britney was like, ‘I hope I get to meet her one day!’ and we were like, ‘oh that would be really cool.’”

Merely four years afterwards, Britney appeared alongside Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, with the pair sharing their now-legendary kiss onstage. A photograph from that evening also appears in the film.

The BBC’s synopsis teases: “Britney Spears was one of the biggest pop stars of her generation. She grew up in the limelight, and like so many music stars, she was defined by imagery. But she was also the subject of extraordinary exploitation and control.

“Years of personal and professional turmoil would play out in the frenzied glare of the media spotlight: breakups, breakdowns and familial fall outs.

“From the over-sexualisation of a child performer to the very public struggles with her mental health, this is the story of a manufactured child star fighting for control over her music, her life and her image.”

Britney: In Ten Pictures is streaming now on BBC iPlayer

Bret Parker and Victoria Pickup will run 26.2 miles on Saturday, June 6, to raise money for Scallywags Preschool in Edgworth, which organisers say is facing financial pressure after losing two years of major fundraising income.

The pair will set off from Edgworth Cricket and Recreation Club at 9am before heading through Bolton and Horwich and returning to the village.

Marcus Milton, who helped organise the event, said the fundraiser is aimed at supporting a preschool that has been part of village life for many years.

More than £4,000 has already been raised towards a £4,500 target through a GoFundMe appeal.

The runners will finish at Turton Edgworth Primary School, where supporters are being invited to a community picnic from noon.

(Image: Scallywags Preschool)

Previously, Scallywags manager Susan Hodgkiss, said: “It is usually an annual village day in Edgworth.

“It raises money for the nursery and helps us raise money for nursery enhancements over the following months.

“We only have 20 children, we’re only tiny, so when you only get a small amount of money from the government, it makes everything tight.

“This extra money that we get from fundraising helps.”

The school opened in 2023 in collaboration with the University of Cambridge

A maths school has been rated as ‘exceptional’ by Ofsted – a rating given to schools that are among the best nationally. The Cambridge Maths School, a specialist sixth form college in Mill Road, has had its first ever Ofsted inspection.

The school underwent an Ofsted inspection in April and has been rated ‘exceptional’ across all five areas. These areas are: inclusion, leadership and governance, achievement, curriculum and teaching, and participation and development.

An ‘exceptional’ grade from Ofsted is considered rare. It is only awarded for “practice that is among the very best nationally, which should be shared with other schools or providers to help them improve”.

Clare Hargraves, head at Cambridge Maths School said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Ofsted report recognises the unique ethos of Cambridge Maths School. Our vision has always been to create a place where a love of mathematics can truly flourish, while opening doors for young people from all backgrounds to access and excel in the mathematical sciences.

“What makes this community so special is not only the depth of academic challenge, but the warmth, inclusivity and shared sense of purpose that students and staff bring every day. It is inspiring to see our students immerse themselves so fully in their learning, while also embracing the rich range of opportunities beyond the classroom that help them grow in confidence, curiosity and ambition.”

Inspectors praised the school for nurturing a “deeply inclusive culture” and that students who attend the school “enjoy the constant debate and discussion in lessons”. Inspectors added that the students “make excellent progress and achieve very highly in examinations”.

Cambridge Maths School opened in 2023 as part of a collaboration with the University of Cambridge. Sixth formers who attend study maths and further maths, and then choose physics, chemistry, biology, or computer science A-levels.

Rajen Shah, Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge, and a governor at Cambridge Maths School, said: “The dedication and enthusiasm of students and staff at Cambridge Maths School, and the success of the School’s association with the University, is recognised in this truly exceptional report.

“We look forward to building on this excellent work and providing even more opportunities for the School and the University to learn from each other and inspire a passion for maths in more young people, regardless of background.”

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man who was having an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair is scheduled to be sentenced Friday for the murder of his wife and a man who was lured to the couple’s home as a fall guy.

Brendan Banfield, a former IRS law enforcement officer, claimed that he shot Joseph Ryan after he came across Ryan attacking his wife on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. But prosecutors said Brendan Banfield and au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães set Ryan up in a scheme to get rid of Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse.

Brendan Banfield faces the possibility of life in prison. In addition to murder, jurors in February convicted Banfield of child endangerment because the couple’s 4-year-old daughter was home during the killings.

During Banfield’s trial, Magalhães testified that he had told her he wanted to marry her and have children with her, but he needed to “get rid of” his wife first. He didn’t want a divorce because “she would have more money than he would” and because he wanted custody of the couple’s daughter, said Magalhães, who was 21 when she started working for the Banfields in 2021.

Magalhães told jurors that she and Brendan Banfield had impersonated Christine Banfield on a website for sexual fetishes. They used the site to lure Ryan to the house in Herndon, Virginia, for a sexual encounter involving a knife and staged the scene to look as though they had shot a violent intruder.

Magalhães testified that on the day of the killings, she waited in a car outside the house with the Banfields’ child. When Ryan arrived, she called Brendan Banfield, who was waiting at a nearby McDonald’s. The pair took the child to the basement and then went to the bedroom, where they encountered Ryan. Brendan Banfield shot Ryan and then stabbed Christine Banfield with the knife Ryan had brought. When Magalhães saw Ryan moving, she fired a second shot that killed him.

Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter after agreeing to testify against Brendan Banfield. Magalhães was sentenced to 10 years in prison after Banfield’s trial.

The Fry Awards have named the best fish and chip shops across the UK, with Yorkshire well-represented among the top 50

It’s time to celebrate the finest of British food, as the Fry Awards unveil their coveted honours for fish and chips across the country.

Not that we require an excuse for fish and chips, but what better occasion to sample your neighbourhood chippy than National Fish and Chip Day today.

Taking place annually to recognise the importance of our national dish, it provides our cherished chippies an opportunity to sparkle.

And if you’re searching for an exceptional serving of chips, have a look at some of those which secured recognition in the Fry Awards, who revealed their leading choices for fish and chips throughout the UK.

These standings follow months of undercover assessments by judges who’ve been sampling fare at chippies nationwide, evaluating them on crucial elements including food quality, cleanliness, staff, and value for money, reports the Mirror.

Only those venues securing the highest marks made the grade, with an impressive pass mark of 96% or above needed in both categories. The awards, now entering their 13th year in 2025, demonstrate that Britain’s passion for proper grub continues as robust as ever.

The top 10 restaurants span a range of locations, from the southern coastline of Devon right up to Glasgow in Scotland, with the majority nestled in picturesque coastal towns.

Nevertheless, London’s only representative in the top restaurants list, Toff’s of Muswell Hill, succeeds in holding its own amongst the competition.

10 Best Restaurants

Catch, Giffnock, Glasgow Eric’s Fish and Chips, Hunstanton, Norfolk

Fish City, Belfast. Harbour Lights, Falmouth, Cornwall

Pier Point Bar and Restaurant, Torquay, Devon

Squires Fish Restaurant, Braunton, Devon

The Elite, Tritton Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire

The Magpie Cafe, Whitby, North Yorkshire

The Scallop Shell, Bath, Somerset

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Toff’s of Muswell Hill, Muswell Hill, London The comprehensive list includes a substantial number of Yorkshire businesses, with seven entries in total, featuring notable names such as Lighthouse Fisheries of Flamborough and Two Gates Fisheries.

Essex, famous for its cherished seaside resorts like Southend-on-Sea and Clacton-on-Sea, also secured its place with four fish and chip takeaways receiving accolades, making considerable waves in the seafood industry.

Competition organiser Reece Head commended the victors, stating: “Another year has passed and, once again, these shops have shown resilience, adapting to today’s challenges with remarkable dedication.

“At a time when inflationary pressures are being felt, these businesses continue to stay positive and prioritise their customers, maintain exceptional standards, and find innovative ways to keep fish and chips affordable.

“Starting the year as award winners is a fantastic way for fish and chip shops to kick off 2025, setting the tone for a successful year ahead.

“Whether served in a restaurant, a takeaway, or from a mobile unit, the Fry Awards prove that quality fish and chips can be enjoyed anywhere.”

The nation’s fish and chip shops have proved their value yet again, with the best securing coveted spots in this year’s awards – an excellent start to 2026 for businesses battling tough economic times while maintaining exceptional quality at reasonable prices.

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Best Takeaways (in alphabetical order)

Ainsworth’s Fish and Chips, Caernarfon

Angel Lane Chippie, Penrith, Cumbria Angell’s Fisheries, Newark, Nottinghamshire

Batterfly Fish and Chips, Surbiton, Surrey

Bredon Village Fish and Chip Shop, Bredon, Worcestershire

Callaway’s Fish and Chips, Dorchester, Dorset

Churchill’s Fish and Chips Langney, Eastbourne, East Sussex

Farnham’s at Fontygary, Rhoose, Vale Of Glamorgan

Fiddlers Elbow, Leintwardine, Herefordshire

Fintans Fish and Chip Co. Llanishen, Cardiff

Fishnchickn, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex

French’s Fish Shop, Wells next the Sea, Norfolk

Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

Greg and Lou’s, Redruth, Cornwall

Henley’s of Wivenhoe, Colchester, Essex

Hiks, Brynhyfryd, Swansea

Hirds Family Fisheries, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Howe and Co 55, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Joe’s Traditional Fish and Chips, Strabane, County Tyrone

Kellaway’s Fish and Chips, Truro, Cornwall

Kirbys of Horsforth, Horsforth, Leeds

Kirbys of Meanwood, Meanwood, Leeds

Lighthouse Fisheries Of Flamborough, Flamborough, East Yorkshire

Malt and Anchor, Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Moore’s Fish and Chips, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway Oysters Fish and Chips, Lightwater, Surrey

Oysters Fish and Chips, Marlow Bottom, Buckinghamshire

Pennington Plaice, Leigh, Greater Manchester

Pier Point, Torquay, Devon

Pisces, Fleetwood, Lancashire

Portside Fish and Chips, South Elmsall, Leeds

Portside Fish and Chips, Kirkstall Road, Leeds

Quintiliani’s Fast Food, Hamilton, Larkhall, South Lanarkshire

Redcloak Fish Bar , Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire Sea Blue Fisheries, Clowne, Derbyshire

Sea Salt + Sole, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire

Seafront Chippy, Hornsea, East Yorkshire

Shappy Wheels, Shap, Cumbria

Shaws Fish And Chips, Dodworth, Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Squires, Braunton, Devon

Sykes Fish and Chips, Manchester

DIBBINE, Lebanon (AP) — Israel’s air force struck different parts of southern Lebanon on Friday as the military issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, including one that has been spared much of the destruction and was sheltering thousands of people displaced by the three-month war.

Six people were killed, Lebanon’s state news agency reported. The warnings forced hundreds of families to flee the village of Anqoun and the area of Aarnaya, on the edge of the predominantly Christian village of Maghdoucheh, near the southern port city of Sidon.

The strikes came a day after the Hezbollah militant group rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, and demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a strong ally of Hezbollah who has been acting as a mediator on behalf of the group, said in his first comment on the agreement reached in Washington this week that he accepts Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the areas south of the Litani River as long as it coincides with the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

The river, located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border with Israel, forms the boundary of a 2006 U.N.-established buffer zone in which Hezbollah is banned. Israeli troops have currently pushed far past the Litani River into southern Lebanon.

Berri added in a statement that the ceasefire should be “complete and comprehensive” without any restrictions or conditions on land, at sea and in the air, and “without bulldozing and demolishing everything that exists.” He was referring to wide areas that have been demolished by Israeli troops.

Berri criticized the creation of “pilot zones” in the agreement as well as calls for a unilateral ceasefire by Hezbollah and its withdrawal from border areas south of the Litani River.

Lebanese and UN troops take positions in a village vacated by Israeli soldiers

The war in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south since March 2, threatens efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extend to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, wants to press ahead with Israel’s offensive until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat.

Nearly three hours after the evacuation warnings were issued by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Israeli warplanes struck the villages, including Anqoun. About 2,500 people displaced by the fighting were sheltering in Anqoun, the Lebanese news agency NNA reported.

On Friday, U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troops were seen at an entrance of the village of Dibbine, near the town of Marjayoun, after Israeli forces withdrew following intense clashes with Hezbollah fighters.

The ceasefire agreement calls for Lebanon’s armed forces to take control of security zones in Lebanon from which the militants would be banned.

It was the first time Israeli troops pulled out from an area in southern Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began three months ago. At the entrance of the village, dozens of homes were seen destroyed as a result of the clashes and airstrikes. A bulldozer for the peacekeeping force was opening the main road leading to Dibbine.

Israeli troops have seized around a fifth of Lebanon, pushing further into the country’s south than at any time since the end of Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation. The latest declared ceasefire came about through U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon’s government, which accuses Hezbollah of dragging the country into war and had made efforts to disarm it before the latest hostilities.

On Thursday night, an airstrike in the southern city of Tyre killed three and wounded seven people, including three children and two women, the Health Ministry said.

More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon since the war began. The fighting has killed at least 29 Israeli soldiers and three civilians.

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Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

“While many will see some sunny spells today, cloud will build bringing a small chance of isolated showers later. A maximum temperature of 18°C is predicted. Through the weekend and into next week, conditions turn more unsettled at times, with outbreaks of rain, breezy periods, and temperatures hovering around or slightly below normal.”

Year 3 and 4 pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School had parents and friends cluck in delight as they staged the heartwarming musical Spring Chicken.

A school inspection delayed rehearsals, limiting pupils’ time to practise to just two weeks.

But the boys and girls delivered peerless performances to packed houses filled with humour, catchy tunes, and energy.

Putting a feather in their caps, the cast of Spring Chicken which was performed by Year 3 and 4 pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School (Image: Supplied)

The musical captured perfectly the ethos of Barney Prep as it embodied the school’s values of courage, teamwork, self-belief, and resilience.

Co-director Nina Summerson-Brown said: “The children were magnificent, especially as they really hadn’t had that much time to rehearse because the school was being inspected.

“Every one of the cast gave it their all and the audiences really appreciated their efforts.

“We believe in the importance of performing.

Putting a feather in their caps, the cast of Spring Chicken which was performed by Year 3 and 4 pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School (Image: Supplied)

“Our children are on stage from the moment they join the school, either in chapel or in various performances throughout the year.

“This is invaluable in enhancing the soft skills they will need to thrive in an increasingly complicated and technology-driven world.

“It gives them self-confidence, resilience and character – a bit like the chicks in the musical – and it makes the transition through Prep and Senior school into adulthood so much easier.”

Putting a feather in their caps, the cast of Spring Chicken which was performed by Year 3 and 4 pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School (Image: Supplied)