For the first time since Donald Trump's re-election there is renewed optimism among Democrats, after Zohran Mamdani and other candidates won big. Alongside the win in New York and the governor races in New Jersey and West Virginia, the party also won important – albeit less glamorous – races in Pennsylvania and Georgia. In this episode, Justin, Anthony and Sarah are joined by Jim Messina, a Democrat strategist and former deputy chief of staff to Barack Obama. He gives his take on what he thinks lies behind Tuesday’s wins, what he thinks the party has learned since 2024 and whether he agrees with Prop 50 - the redistricting measures passed in California to redraw the state’s political lines to favour Democrats. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #BBCNews

McDonald's will bring in new sexual harassment training for managers in strengthened measures agreed with the equality watchdog to protect its staff from abuse. The move was "in response to serious allegations raised", the watchdog said, after it initially intervened in the company. A BBC investigation two years ago was told that workers, some as young as 17, were being groped and harassed. Earlier this year, McDonald's staff told us they still faced sexual abuse and harassment. McDonald's said it welcomed the new measures, adding that they would "build on the significant progress we have already made in this space". Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #BBCNews

Sir Stephen Fry, actor, comedian and recent star of 'Celebrity Traitors', joins the renowned Canadian computer scientist and 'Godfather of AI' Yoshua Bengio. They discuss their shared concern about the development of advanced AI systems. Does the world need a red telephone, as introduced in the nuclear era? What are the dangers of people forming emotional attachments with machines? And where do the solutions lie? This week presenter Christian Fraser is joined by regular host Dr Stephanie Hare. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #BBCNews

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that there are 170,000 Russian troops on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub in the Donetsk region which it has been targeting for more than a year. Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, some analysts are pointing to Turkey’s apparent pivot away from Russian oil purchases as evidence that new US sanctions are beginning to bite. To answer your questions, Lucy Hockings is joined in the Ukrainecast studio by the BBC’s Europe digital editor Paul Kirby and senior digital journalist Laura Gozzi, as well as diplomatic correspondent James Landale from Kyiv. Could Ukraine develop its own nuclear weapons? Will a Swedish aircraft become a gamechanger? And would the seizure of frozen Russian assets held in Belgium really discourage external investment in Europe?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is "angry and frustrated" over the mistaken release of two prisoners from Wandsworth jail, just a month after another prisoner was accidentally released in Chelmsford. A BBC Question Time audience members asks: "How hard can it be to keep the correct prisoners in prison?", featuring Labour's Anna Turley, Conservative Graham Stuart, Trades Union Congress General Secretary Paul Nowak and journalist Tim Stanley Catch up with the whole of the debate with BBC Question Time on iPlayer and Sounds now. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #BBCNews

Today, after another two prisoners were mistakenly released from prison - why is the justice system failing and who is to blame? Justice Secretary David Lammy is under increasing pressure after details have emerged that two more prisoners have been wrongly released. Why didn’t Mr Lammy explain the situation when he was speaking during PMQs? And what has gone wrong? Plus, after a week where it has become increasingly clear more tax rises are expected at the budget - what is the chancellor’s plan? Adam and Chris are joined by the head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Helen Miller and Luke Tryl from More in Common.