“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.

READ MORE: Fury as migrants to be locked up in Dunkirk detention centre under UK-France dealREAD MORE: Breakthrough small boats deal reached with France as UK issues ultimatum

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.

Tim Martin, Founder and Chairman at JD Wetherspoon, said: “The West End is one of the world’s great hospitality destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year, and we believe this site is exceptionally well suited to the Wetherspoon model of offering good-quality food and drink at reasonable prices in well-managed and historically interesting buildings.

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

Race Across the World has revealed its 2026 winners.

Best friends Jo and Kush claimed victory at the final checkpoint following a frantic last-minute sprint, screaming “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!”

Five teams had embarked on the latest series of the popular BBC programme, which challenges contestants to race vast distances without mobile phones or bank cards, carrying only the equivalent of what their flights would have cost, 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 challenged to travel from Europe “to the uncharted edges of Mongolia” in what the BBC described as “the toughest journey yet”.

Andrew and Molly finished in second place, with Katie and Harrison close behind. Mark and Margo arrived last, more than a day later, visibly emotional as they paid tribute to Julia, Mark’s late wife and Margo’s sister, whose last wish had been for the pair to forge a friendship.

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The teams had departed from the sun-drenched streets of Palermo, covering more than 11,000km across Europe and Asia. Their route wound through Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, before concluding on the banks of Lake Khövsgöl in northern Mongolia. In the most demanding race to date, conditions shifted from 30 degree Mediterranean warmth to subarctic temperatures of –20°C, which the teams had to traverse on less than £26 per person per day.

The contestants all encountered various obstacles during the journey.

Katie and Harrison were initial frontrunners, succeeding in reaching checkpoints hours before the remainder of the field, but they failed to maintain their advantage. Meanwhile, cousins Puja and Roshni were knocked out early after placing last in one leg, leaving the other four vying for the £20,000 prize.

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

The final leg proved emotional for Andrew and Molly, who became tearful after they realised that they had taken a wrong turn 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 Julia – encountered financial difficulties, with their budget diminishing rapidly.

Race Across the World first 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.

Tobias Sampson, 35, is alleged to have committed some of the offences in York.

Sampson, who joined the Army when he was 17-and-a-half, now of Harrowby Street, Stafford, denies seven charges of rape, two of sexual assault and four charges of voyeurism.

The 12 jurors started their deliberations at midday today (Thursday, May 21) after an eight-day trial and were sent home at 4.30pm. They will return to York Crown Court tomorrow.

All eyes will be on the SpaceX Starship V3 as it blasts off from the launch facility in Texas. This will be the 12th test flight of the massive craft, but previous attempts have not been without incident.

During two separate test flights of Starship V2 in January and March 2025 the rocket exploded near populated areas east of Florida, with debris hitting roadways in the Turks and Caicos islands.

Then in May 2025 the Starship spacecraft spun out of control as it descended toward its landing site in the Indian Ocean. In that mission the Super Heavy booster also exploded as it attempted to land early in the mission.

A Starship spacecraft also exploded during a ground test last June sparking an emergency response from authorities in nearby Brownsville, Texas. During another ground test in November another explosion occurred as a Starship V3 rocket underwent a fueling test.

SpaceX has previously said that its process of “rapid iterative development” means building and deploying prototypes quickly and accepting added risks during tests.