Angharad Evans scooped her second gold of the Games in the women’s 200m breaststroke final.

The First Minister has congratulated the Scottish swimmers who competed in the Commonwealth Games finals after they bagged four medals on Wednesday night, including a gold.

Angharad Evans scooped the gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke final with a time of two minutes, 23.79 seconds. This comes after her 100m breaststroke gold earlier in the week.

Toni Shaw took the bronze medal for the women’s 100m freestyle. Keanna Macinnes bagged a silver medal in the women’s 200m butterfly final – and Team Scotland later won another silver in the women’s 4x100m medley relay, narrowly missing out on first place against Australia.

Following the finals, Scotland’s athletes earned a total of 12 medals for swimming and Para swimming, with five gold, five silver and two bronze all in. John Swinney, who attended the event, said the athletes had “inspired a whole new generation to take up the mantle”.

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Mr Swinney, who previously met Team Scotland swimmer Duncan Scott when he brought the King’s Baton to Scotland on July 1, said: “It was brilliant to attend the swimming tonight to see our Team Scotland athletes perform and achieve on the world stage.

“Every one of our athletes, across every sport, has done Scotland proud at these Games – and they’ve inspired a whole new generation to take up the mantle.

“Winning a medal for Scotland on home soil is truly special and I want to congratulate Angharad Evans, Keanna Macinnes, Katie Shanahan, Evelyn Davis and Toni Shaw on their success.

“This is a moment the whole country will remember. The Team Scotland athletes are brilliant ambassadors for Scotland.

“Moments like this are exactly why we are investing in our £20 million Summer of Sport programme to inspire young people across the country to get active and participate in sport.”

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Texas community college leaders are bracing for cuts because they’re missing out on millions that the schools earned but the state can’t afford to pay.

The administrators spoke publicly for the first time about the stress that the state funding shortfall puts on their budgets during a Texas Senate committee hearing Tuesday. They said it will be hard to sustain the investments that state officials asked the colleges to make to improve students’ success.

“When I put that (shortfall) into our budget, it turns into faculty salaries. … It’ll definitely affect advising,” said Brenda Hellyer, president of San Jacinto College. “For us, it’s going to be a hard budget year.”

Schools surpassed state projections on student outcomes, which is primarily how community colleges are funded. In response, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board officials prorated the dollars each college will get to stay within the budget. That contributes to a more than 15% drop in state funding for nearly a dozen colleges.

Colleges don’t have a lot of options to make up for the shortfall, especially since state schools have kept tuition and fees flat in recent years, Hellyer said. She expects to recommend to her board spending more money than the school takes in this year.

Legislators could fund the dollars colleges are owed during the next legislative session. They did that last year when the gap between earnings and payouts for that biennium was nearly $90 million. THECB hasn’t put a price tag on how much the gap is this biennium.

The challenges with the community college funding formula comes three years after House Bill 8 created financial incentives for the schools to get more students to complete certificates or degrees, transfer to a university, and participate in dual credit.

During a separate Senate finance committee meeting on Tuesday, lawmakers questioned how forecasts are so off for the funding model.

“Was that a mistake of your projections?” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, asked THECB officials.

“This is a new program, and the growth really vastly exceeded even our pretty significant growth expectations,” responded Andy MacLaurin, assistant commissioner for funding and resource planning for THECB. As Texas gathers more data on community college outcomes, MacLaurin said forecasting will become more accurate.

A new Texas 2036 analysis released the same day suggests tying dollars to outcomes is showing early signs of success, which then directly increases the amount of money schools are owed.

From fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2025, students enrolling in dual credit increased by 20%, and students completing credentials, from short-term certificates to associates degrees, increased by about 22%, according to the nonprofit think tank’s findings.

“The first two years show incredible growth in student outcomes,” said Grace Atkins, postsecondary and workforce policy advisor at Texas 2036. “The next phase is ensuring this change reaches more students and that state funding keeps pace with the outcomes colleges earn.”

In a move to lower the amounts colleges are owed, THECB changed the funding formula at a board meeting last week, trimming the incentives that trigger additional dollars when schools educate high-need students. Colleges will now see smaller bonuses for getting low-income students and adult learners to graduation.

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The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Open Campus, San Jacinto College and Texas 2036 have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

She never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion.

And Florence Pugh looked sensational as she posed up a storm at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere in London on Wednesday night.

The actress, 30, stunned in a silver tassel dress with a statement structured neckline for the star-studded event. 

She will reprise her role as Yelena Belova in the film alongside other leading stars Zendaya and Tom Holland.

She boosted her height with strappy heels and accessorised with dangly silver earrings, while her blonde tresses were swept back. 

Elsewhere Zendaya continued her stylish press tour alongside husband Tom.

The actress, 29, who portrays MJ in the film, turned heads as usual in a plunging white gown from Tamara Ralph with a silver sequin web design.

The actress, 30, stunned in a silver tassel dress with a statement structured neckline for the star-studded event

The stunning dress featured sparkly straps and cinched her in at the waist before flowing out into a chiffon train. 

The pair put on a typically loved-up display as they posed together at the premiere after confirming last month that they were indeed married. 

Meanwhile Tom, 30, – whose performance in Christopher Nolan‘s $250million epic The Odyssey was recently roasted by critics as ‘comic book basic’ – wore a dark purple Anderson & Sheppard suit and bespoke Pragnell spider brooch.

Tom steps back into the iconic suit as Peter Parker for the latest installment – which is already impressing fans – taking on the role once played by Tobey Maguire. 

A host of other stars were also at the premiere and all stuck with a mostly black theme including Myleene Klass, Laura Whitmore, Cat Burns, Lottie Moss and Nadiya Bychkova.

The new film was released in cinemas on Wednesday and the fan reviews are already very positive.

Fans penned on X after wasting no time in heading to the cinema: ‘I’ve just returned from watching Brand New Day, it’s genuinely one of the best Spider-Man movies ever, and if we’re talking about Tom’s, this one takes the crown alongside No Way Home. I also wanna add this, marvel is SO back.,’

She will reprise her role as Yelena Belova in the film alongside other leading stars Zendaya and Tom Holland 

She boosted her height with strappy heels and accessorised with dangly silver earrings, while her blonde tresses were swept back

The new film was released in cinemas on Wednesday and the fan reviews are already very positive

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L-R: Florence Pugh, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Marisa Tomei all posed together at the premiere 

The new film follows the ending of No Way Home, in which a spell cast by Dr. Strange caused everyone in the world to forget the existence of Spider-Man’s secret identity, Peter Parker

‘Just came out of Spider-Man Brand New Day… I can’t lie I enjoyed it very much. I loved it. Spider-Man is still my GOAT superhero and Tom Holland has done a great job. Super excited for the future.’

Zendaya and Tom famously met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016.

Fast forward ten years, and the pair are now married and back on the promotional trail for their latest Spider-Man film.

The new film follows the ending of No Way Home, in which a spell cast by Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) caused everyone in the world to forget the existence of Spider-Man’s secret identity, Peter Parker (Holland).

Brand New Day picks up four years later, after Parker has largely given up on his connection to the world around him and has devoted himself entirely to fighting crime as Spider-Man, even as his former girlfriend MJ (Holland’s real-life wife, Zendaya, who stunned in a black arachnid-themed gown at the film’s premiere on Monday in Los Angeles) has moved on with a new love interest after forgetting that they were ever a couple.

Amid the turmoil in his life, Parker’s superpowers begin to undergo a sometimes disturbing evolution, which several critics compared approvingly to the direction taken by the popular original trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as the web-slinger.

Critics have called it one of the best of the iconic web-slinger’s films – and a return to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Warrendale Wagyu, based near Pocklington in East Yorkshire, received a three-star award at the 2024 Great Taste Awards—run by the Guild of Fine Food—for its British Wagyu brisket.

The award is the highest given by the scheme, which is the world’s largest accreditation scheme.

Tom Richardson, managing director at Warrendale Wagyu, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award that reinforces our goal to produce Britain’s best tasting beef.

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“It’s great news for everyone across our quality supply chain, from our farmers working to the highest welfare standards to our highly skilled butchery team; we are making superior products everyone is proud of.”

Judges praised the meat as “rich, with a pleasing depth of flavour,” and described it as “a stunning piece of meat with a long finish, a great example of brisket.”

More than 15,000 products were judged in this year’s competition, with only around 1.8 per cent achieving the sought-after three-star rating.

The Pocklington-based producer also received one-star awards for its Flat Iron (227g), Wagyu Picanha and Wagyu Sirloin (227g).

Its British Wagyu brisket is particularly well-suited to slow-cooking methods such as roasting, braising or smoking, which allow the finely marbled fat to melt through the meat and create a “melt-in-the-mouth” texture.

Three-star winners are offered an opportunity to enter the Great Taste Golden Fork awards, which celebrate the best food and drink products from around the world. Warrendale Wagyu will find out if it has secured a Golden Fork in September.

The success follows last year, when Warrendale received one-star honours for both its Wagyu Brisket and Wagyu Flat Iron Steak.

In 2024, the Wagyu Denver Steak received two stars, while the Beef Bourguignon Dine in Meal and Warrendale fat-washed WA-GYN each received one star.

The company supplies wagyu beef to Aldi and Waitrose, as well as some of the UK’s top steak restaurants.

The award-winning brisket is also available for home delivery through its website at warrendale-wagyu.co.uk.

The Great Taste judging panel is made up of more than 500 experts, including chefs, buyers, critics and food writers.

The likes of Alexander Isak and Virgil van Dijk are still in middle of some added time off following their exertions at the World Cup. However, the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai are out with the travelling squad.

As too is Welsh international Lewis Koumas.

Goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, Vitezslav Jaros, Bailey Hall, Harvey Davies.

Defenders: Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Kostas Tsimikas, Jeremie Frimpong, Luke Chambers, Calvin Ramsay, Calum Scanlon, Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Trey Nyoni, Josh Abe, Stefan Bajcetic, James McConnell, Kieran Morrison.

Forwards: Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike, Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha, Will Wright, Josh Sonni-Lambie.

Wildfires could engulf ‘all of Europe’ within days, the EU’s emergency response chief warned on Wednesday, as two firefighters were killed battling a blaze in Greece and infernos continued to rage across France, Spain and Portugal.

Greece, Italy and Central Europe are now expected to face the highest wildfire risk in the coming weeks, raising fears of fresh disasters even as firefighters continue battling major blazes across southern Europe.

Maria Zuber, head of the EU’s Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre, said the next few days would be ‘very difficult’ and warned the wildfire threat was shifting eastwards after devastating parts of France and the Iberian Peninsula.

‘The next risk, it’s already moving to Greece and also Central Europe,’ Ms Zuber told reporters. ‘Greece for the moment was spared, and now we see that it will go to Greece. 

‘Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire.’

The forecast reflects weather conditions that help fires ignite and spread rapidly, such as high temperatures, dry air, wind and a lack of rain.

Europe suffered its worst wildfire season on record last year, with more than a million hectares of land burned. Ms Zuber said Europe’s fire situation this year so far was similar.

‘We have the potential that this is another record,’ Ms Zuber said. 

Trees burn during the wildfires in Artana, Spain

Fire crews and emergency vehicles operate along the Fethiye-Antalya highway close to the fire

Firefighters respond to a forest fire both from the air and land in Turkiye’s Seydikemer district 

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Footage shared on social media shows bright orange flames rising above the mountains as dark clouds of smoke engulf the Greek island Paros

According to Greek news outlet Proto Thema, emergency crews have been battling the blaze non-stop since Tuesday afternoon

Firefighters respond to a forest fire in Turkey

A firefighting vehicle operates as smoke rises from a fire burning inside a military base, amid drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France

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The EU centre coordinates the deployment of aircraft and firefighters to countries that request emergency support, drawing on resources pooled by European countries and rented by the EU. It has sent seven planes and four helicopters to France, and six planes and three ground forest firefighting teams to Spain.

Not all planes in the EU fleet are currently occupied, and some are pre-stationed in eastern and central Europe as the risk there rises, Ms Zuber said.

More of Europe’s tourism destinations have been hit by wildfires today, as nine villages were evacuated on the Greek holiday island of Paros.

Footage shared on social media shows bright orange flames rising above the mountains as dark clouds of smoke engulf the island.

Nine villages have been evacuated due to the growing inferno. Local media has reported that residents are fleeing to the beaches on the instructions of emergency services, while two firefighters died in Crete after becoming trapped in their vehicles.

According to Greek news outlet Proto Thema, emergency crews have been battling the blaze non-stop since Tuesday afternoon.  

State TV ERT said the men had been trapped by the fire in their fire engine in the foothills of a mountain near the western city of Rethymno.

The fire department in a statement said the men had died ‘during an operation to contain a rural forest fire in the Krya Vrysi area of Rethymno’.

Local municipal official Sifis Vavourakis told ERT the fire front was over nine miles long.

‘The fire is out of control,’ he said.

Some 110 firefighters with 27 fire engines and four aircraft had been dispatched to deal with the fire, the fire department said earlier.

But the winds had complicated efforts to fight the fire from the air, local mayor Yiannis Tatarakis told ERT, adding that six villages had been evacuated so far.

‘The wind keeps changing direction, it’s very easy to get trapped,’ Mr Tatarakis said.

1949: A photo of the gigantic fire of the forest of Landes de Gascogne which killed 82 people taken on August 22, 1949

2026: An aerial view depicting a residential area engulfed in flames during a wildfire in the forest of Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France on July 23, 2026

The blaze comes as Europe is battling some of the worst wildfires in living memory across multiple popular holiday destinations including France, Spain and Turkey.

The response team in Paros includes 66 firefighters, specialised forest firefighting units from Athens, five helicopters, and two water-bombing planes. 

They will soon be reinforced by 20 additional firefighters travelling from the mainland town of Rafina.

One resident who fled to the neighbouring island of Antiparos told Swiss outlet Blick: ‘This is turning into a real catastrophe! The fire spread further south with the wind in just three hours.’

Early on Wednesday, residents in Trypiti, Glyfa, Pyrgaki and Aspro Chorio were ordered to evacuate towards Dryos, after an earlier alert told people in Ageria to flee to Aliki beach. 

The orders followed Tuesday’s evacuations from Agios Charalambos, Kambi, Bougados, Aneratza and Kamari as the blaze continued to spread.

Deputy Mayor Haris Giourtzidis said authorities did not yet have ‘a clear picture of the extent of the damage’, adding: ‘So far, we know that two barns have burned down.’

He said strong, persistent winds were hampering firefighting efforts and revealed emergency crews had been forced to remove some residents from their homes after they refused to leave their animals behind.

Local media said the wildfire had split into two fronts advancing towards Faragas Beach and Tripiti, with Agkairia among the worst-hit areas. 

Fire service spokesman Yiannis Artopoios said the blaze was slowly being brought under control by 86 firefighters but warned: ‘The battle continues so that the fire does not escape.’

Elsewhere on the island of Crete, two firefighters, aged 28 and 60, died after becoming trapped in their vehicle as they battled flames in the Sachtouria area, in Nea Krya Vrysi, Rethymno, Greek news outlet OEMA reported. 

Fire crews and emergency vehicles operate along the Fethiye-Antalya highway as thick smoke from a forest fire reduces visibility in the Seydikemer district of Mugla, Turkey

Firefighters respond to a forest fire both from the air and land in the Seydikemer district of Mugla, Turkey on July 29

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Firefighters work as flames and smoke rise during a wildfire, amid drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France

Residents smother embers with dirt to prevent reignition after a wildfire was brought under control near La Adrada, 95 kilometres west of Madrid, on July 28, 2026

Trees burn during the wildfires in Artana, Spain

Smoke rising from right next to the settlements is covering the sky as firefighters and Turkish General Directorate of Forestry teams continue their efforts to extinguish the fire

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According to initial reports, the pair lost their orientation as they tried to navigate thick smoke. 

The fire in Crete’s Rethymno area has been burning uncontrollably since early afternoon on Wednesday, forcing six villages to evacuate. 

Some 156 firefighters are understood to be operating in the area. 

A wildfire also broke out in Moroni, Heraklion, in Crete, with a team of 58 firefighters working to extinguish it. 

In mainland Greece, a blaze also tore through the seaside village of Ageranos in Laconia, sparking an evacuation order.

The fires in Greece come as Europe is battling some of the worst wildfires in living memory across multiple popular holiday destinations as temperatures hit up to 47C (117F).

Around 4,000 holidaymakers were evacuated yesterday from a popular French beach resort.

Officials ordered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks to be cleared in the surfing hotspot of Lacanau, around 35 miles west of Bordeaux.

1949: A photo taken on August 22, 1949, of a gigantic fire in the forest of Landes de Gascogne which killed 82 people

2026: Residents on their bicycles looking at smoke rising behind a residential area during a wildfire near Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France taken on July 23, 2026

Firefighters in France and Spain were battling to contain the blazes before the arrival of a fourth heatwave of the summer brings scorching temperatures.

Flames have torn through vast swathes of forest in both countries, incinerating properties and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

In a sign of progress, Spain’s interior ministry said it ended evacuation orders for 13 municipalities on Tuesday afternoon, without providing details of how many people were covered.

Locals in Bordeaux are suffering the economic fallout of the devastating fires, with one tour guide telling the Telegraph: 

‘For one of our most popular walking tours, we’d normally have 20 to 30 people at this time of year. This morning we had six. I’ve had 10 people cancel next week.’ 

‘This city relies heavily on tourists – we get about 6.5 million tourists per year – and this is going to really severely impact us. This is the busiest time of year. We are looking at a severe financial hit.’

Roland Lescure, France’s finance minister, said on Monday: ‘This is also an economic thunderbolt, hitting a region that did not need it.’

Conditions are set to worsen as a fresh heatwave hits western Europe this week, with temperatures climbing again in France from Tuesday and Spain from Wednesday, according to meteorologists.

French firefighters were ‘on the offensive’, commander Eric Pitault insisted, standing beside a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula.

Over the past six days, the largest French wildfire since 1949 has raged west of Bordeaux, forcing more than 220,000 people to flee and destroying 240 homes.

The prefect’s office said that, while there were flare-ups overnight, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased.

An aerial view of emergency vehicles near a wildfire in Lege-Cap-Ferret in the Gironde department

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns next to the village of Plomari on the island of Lesbos, Greece

Firefighters use controlled burning to halt a wildfire that continues to spread near Cebreros, Spain, on July 28, 2026

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Nine villages have been evacuated due to the growing inferno in Turkey

Outside Spain’s Aldea del Fresno, on the edge of the vast fires burning west of Madrid, evacuated locals queued up in their cars in the hope of returning to properties and pets.

They were among 60,000 people forced to flee by fires that have consumed 190,000 acres, an area almost the size of New York City.

For now, though, the Guardia Civil gendarmerie was blocking their return, blaming the risk of smoke inhalation.

Galia Borisova, a 55-year-old domestic helper, wanted to reach her animals in nearby Picadas but was having to wait.

‘They say there’s so much smoke that you can’t breathe, even with a mask. And I believe it, because you could see it from here.’

Gemma Collins has revealed her beloved mum Joan has passed away ‘peacefully’ and ‘surrounded by love’ at the age of 70.

The former TOWIE star, 45, took to Instagram on Wednesday evening to share the sad news with her followers. Joan’s cause of death has not been revealed. 

Joan battled pneumonia twice in the last six months of her life. She was admitted to hospital last month, with Gemma writing at the time: ‘Sending my mummy so much love she has caught Pneumonia.’ 

Gemma penned in her tribute to her mum as she announced her death: ‘My heart is shattered into a million pieces. Today our beautiful mum passed away peacefully surrounded by LOVE. Mum, Today, every piece of my heart left with you.

‘No words will ever be enough to thank you for loving me, guiding me, and being my mum. You gave me life, you gave me strength, and you gave me memories that I will carry for every day I have left.

‘The house will never sound the same without you. Your voice, your smile, your little ways, they are woven into every corner of my life. I will miss you more than I could ever put into words.

‘I hope you are finally free from pain. I hope you can walk again, laugh again, and feel light. I hope you are surrounded by peace and by everyone who has gone before you, watching over us with love.

Gemma Collins has revealed that her mum Joan has passed away ‘peacefully’ and ‘surrounded by love’

The former TOWIE star, 45, took to Instagram on Wednesday evening to share the sad news with her followers 

‘Thank you for every hug, every sacrifice, every lesson, and every moment. Thank you for being my mum. It has been the greatest privilege to be your daughter.

‘Until we meet again, I will carry your love with me. I will look for you in the sunrise, in the flowers, in the birds singing, and in the quiet moments when I need you most. Sleep peacefully, my beautiful Mum.

‘You will be loved forever, missed every single day, and never, ever forgotten. Gemma.’

She was quickly inundated with messages of support from her nearest and dearest, including celebrity friends such as Dani Dyer, who wrote: ‘Oh Gemma I’m so so sorry, thinking of you.’

Amy Childs added: ‘Thinking of you Gemma, what a beautiful lady your mum was, xxxx RIP beautiful Joan xxx’

Lauren Goodger commented: ‘So sorry Gem. Thinking of you and sending you so much love my darling, thinking of you all xx.’

Joan battled pneumonia twice in the last six months of her life. 

She was admitted to hospital last month, with Gemma writing at the time: ‘Sending my mummy so much love she has caught pneumonia but she is doing well thank you to all the wonderful nurses and doctors for looking after her.

‘Still looking glam mummy.’

Gemma’s mother has battled with ill health in recent years, in December 2025, she was admitted to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, after contracting pneumonia but she made a recovery after five weeks.

In March 2020 she was hospitalised with pneumonia for the first time.

In 2024, Joan was in intensive care after she stopped breathing. The health scare left Gemma fearing the worst after Joan made an emergency dash to the hospital.

She told The Sun newspaper at the time: ‘I’ve had a lot of stress the last couple of weeks.

‘My mum was suddenly taken into hospital and I was told she could die. They would not resuscitate her if she went into cardiac arrest.

Joan battled pneumonia twice in the last six months of her life. She was admitted to hospital last month 

In 2024 Joan also appeared on Gemma’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? which delved into their family past 

The episode traced the story of her mother Joan’s biological mother who was forced to give her up to a foster family leading Gemma to break down 

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‘So imagine that, you know, I’m in the hospital having been out for dinner the day before, and then the next day I’m like, ‘Wow’, so that was a massive shock.’

Joan, a former hairdresser, was well-loved by TOWIE fans and made several appearances on the show.

In 2024, Joan also appeared on Gemma’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? which delved into their family past. 

The episode traced the story of her mother Joan’s biological mother who was forced to give her up to a foster family. 

Joan had lived most of her life thinking that her mother – also called Joan – had abandoned her. 

But Gemma and the team on the show discovered she may have been forced to give up her daughter amid misdiagnosed mental health problems.

Joan had lived most of her life thinking that her mother – also called Joan – had abandoned her 

Gemma’s grandmother was in and out of psychiatric hospitals from 13 years old and was eventually diagnosed as a chronic schizophrenic – which has now been disputed.

An expert then said that when she got pregnant as a teenager out of wed lock she could have been told to give up Joan and was forced to limit her contact with her child due to her ‘mental health issues’.

Joan broke down as she spoke about feeling abandoned and unloved as a child as she said: ‘You’re always left wondering. My foster family was my family. I went into foster care a two weeks old.’

As Joan and Gemma read her foster statement they both broke down in tears as they said: ‘This is a lot. It’s a huge mix of emotions.’

Joan herself then told how she was sent to a children’s home at age 13 for playing truant and cried again as she told how she was bullied there.

In tears she said: ‘I went in with my suitcase, it brings it all back and the other kids started taking all my clothes off me. It felt like a prison to me. I went back home after that.’

Of her biological mother Joan added: ‘She did come and meet me my real mother once. We had a cup of tea and then she said goodbye. I only saw her three times.’

Viewers penned on X amid the emotional scenes: ‘Not knowing a family history must be so hard bless her. #WDYTYA.’,

‘That’s so sad #wdytya.’,

‘God, poor Gemma’s mom #wdytya.’,

At the start of the episode Gemma said: ‘My mum was fostered. Why was she left at the hospital? Why did they not try and come back for her? She never talks about it. I just think it’s too painful for her to go there.’

The clip ended with Gemma saying: ‘It will be nice to know where my mum is from. And just put all the pieces together.’

Gemma has recently spoken out on her own health issues, describing how her Ozempic journey left her ‘liberated’ before she encountered side effects and was forced to stop after she experienced a gallbladder attack.

She detailed how taking the drug was ‘great, it was liberating, freeing’ yet she was forced to end her journey, although she has still managed to shed 3.4st.

By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT

Published: 19:49 BST, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 22:10 BST, 29 July 2026

Marjorie Taylor Greene got married to a dapper former TV reporter in a surprise lavish ceremony on the Las Vegas strip.

The former Georgia Republican congresswoman and ex-ally of Donald Trump shared pictures from their Nevada nuptials on social media on Wednesday. 

She married her longtime partner Brian Glenn, a former White House correspondent for Real America’s Voice, a day earlier. 

‘Last night, surrounded by our families … and I said ‘I do.” Greene wrote alongside the wedding photos.

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The couple, who are both on their second marriage, met at a Trump rally in 2022. They were both married at the time, but began dating the next year in 2023 after Greene went through a divorce.

Images posted by the couple show Greene looking stunning in a white wedding dress standing next to her new tuxedo-clad beau.

In the background, the Vegas strip and skyline can be seen around dusk from The Bellagio’s Terrazza di Sogno, which overlooks the hotel’s iconic fountains. 

The couple couldn’t help but indulge in Sin City’s many luxuries; Glenn and Greene dined at Italian staple Spago before the ceremony and were spotted gambling while still in their wedding wardrobes afterwards, TMZ reported. 

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Former Georgia Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene married former Real America’s Voice White House correspondent Brian Glenn in Las Vegas on Tuesday

In the background, the Vegas strip and skyline can be seen around dusk from The Bellagio’s Terrazza di Sogno, which overlooks the hotel’s iconic fountains. Greene and Glenn met in 2022 at a Trump rally. Glenn proposed to the former Congresswoman in December

The outlet also shared that they played craps, roulette and slots with family and friends at the hotel. 

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The couple got engaged in December last year at  Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Washington, DC. 

‘I called ahead to make sure I had our usual table in the back that has a curtain,’ Glenn previously told the Daily Mail of the engagement. 

‘After the waiter delivered the drinks to our table, I proposed to her via a surprise. And she said yes. We are both overjoyed and have shared the news with our families.’ 

The announcement received widespread congratulations from GOP circles. 

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‘Congrats to two great people,’ Republican Congressman and Greene’s close friend Thomas Massie responded to the wedding pictures. 

Greene and Massie vacationed together recently in Costa Rica with their spouses. The current and former lawmaker became close after crusading for the Trump administration to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

That effort earned Greene the scorn of the President, who has since referred to his formerly close ally as a ‘traitor,’ among other nicknames. 

‘Last night, surrounded by our families … and I said ‘I do,” Greene wrote alongside the wedding photos she posted

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The newlyweds and their families were spotted gambling in the casino after the ceremony. The announcement received widespread congratulations from GOP circles

The former representative resigned her seat in Congress earlier this year as the spat with the President intensified.

Glenn later gave up his White House reporting gig to move to Georgia and be closer to his then-fiancée. 

Greene and Glenn were contacted for comment.  

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An investigation by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First revealed that 14 travel adaptors purchased from major platforms like AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop all failed basic safety tests.

The worst offenders posed a risk of serious electric shock or electrocution.

Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Shopping for your holiday getaway should be an enjoyable experience, not one that puts you at serious risk.

“Shoppers in the UK shouldn’t have to question whether the products they buy might put them at risk, yet our investigation shows that dangerous electrical goods are still finding their way into people’s homes through online marketplaces.”

What travel adaptor issues were identified?

Among the most serious failures were universal travel adaptors that allowed more than one set of plug pins to be exposed and live at the same time.

This design flaw means users could come into contact with up to 240 volts of electricity.

In total, 14 adaptors (eight universal and six basic) were tested, all of which failed.

Several also lacked surge protection despite being labelled as offering it, and all universal adaptors failed mechanical strength tests, meaning pins could snap off in sockets.

Some listings had thousands of reviews and sales, raising concerns that thousands of dangerous devices may already be in UK homes.

One Amazon Marketplace listing had almost 9,000 reviews, with customers reporting overheating and device damage.

Another on AliExpress was reported to have exploded during use.

Mr Capanna said: “What looks like a bargain could come at a much higher cost.

“We urge Brits heading abroad this summer to think before they buy and only purchase travel adaptors from reputable retailers they know and trust, so they can travel with confidence and avoid taking a potentially dangerous device away with them.”

Basic travel adaptors, designed for use in a single region, were also found lacking.

Failures included missing safety shutters, absent fuses, oversized pin holes and lack of earth connections—all of which increase the risk of electric shock or fire.

One Amazon Marketplace adaptor with more than 1,000 reviews was reported to have “fell apart” in a customer’s hands, who said they “could have been electrocuted” if it had broken while in use.

Laboratory flammability tests showed that six adaptors failed to resist ignition and would contribute to spreading a fire.

This investigation follows a similar one by the charity less than a year ago, which found 15 dangerous travel adaptors across multiple major platforms.

Electrical Safety First has repeatedly called for online marketplaces to be legally accountable for the safety of products sold on their platforms—a measure currently under government consideration.

How did online platforms respond?

A spokesman for AliExpress said: “Product safety is our top priority at AliExpress.

“We have removed the three travel adapter listings identified by Electrical Safety First and are contacting affected customers to initiate a recall through our established channels.

“We welcome detailed findings like these and remain committed to tackling product safety issues through our established processes.”

eBay also took action following the investigation.

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A spokesman said: “We have removed the listings identified by Electrical Safety First and we’re carrying out wider checks to find and remove any similar listings.

“At eBay, we combine technology, AI-supported monitoring and specialist teams to help maintain a safe and trusted marketplace.”

Amazon issued a similar response.

A spokesman said: “We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and our own policies.

“The products identified have been removed from sale.”

TikTok also removed the identified listings and associated videos, and said it continues to use a mix of technology and manual moderation to enforce its product safety policies.

Have you bought a travel adaptor from an online platform? Let us know in the comments.

The Big Conversation on Care is the latest attempt to fix England’s broken social care system. Getting a handle on this issue has been attempted no fewer than 22 times since the 1990s – but Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed that this time they’ll find the right answers. But what might these be – and will the tough choices on how to pay for it lose Labour votes?

More pay, more prestige for care workers

Anna Barford, Research Professor, Language Technology Lab

Care is a broad concept covering things like cooking, cleaning, childcare, teaching and healthcare. These labour-intensive activities are essential to enable individuals, communities and societies to survive in the face of challenges such as poverty, economic shocks and climate change. As such, spending on care should be seen as an investment rather than a cost.

Care needs are met by a diverse set of people, including the family or household, volunteers, not-for-profit organisations, businesses, and the state. Some of this work is paid (often underpaid), while some is unpaid. And it falls disproportionally on women.

England’s social care budget does not cover this full range of activities. For adult social care, the budget includes spending on community-based support as well as care homes. Investing in adult social care translates into better jobs, better-supported families, and care needs that are met more fully. Burnham’s speech pointed to this, with his plans to increase pay and prestige in the social care workforce.

Spending should be understood within the wider ecosystem of care. However, decision-makers often overlook how unpaid care work, paid care work and other paid work relate to one another. As paid and unpaid care is largely done by women, well-paid care work could improve gender pay gaps. And providing paid-for support for care activities can free up women’s time to do paid work. For example, providing childminders and carers for elderly relatives can help to balance the competing demands on women’s time.

Fixing social care is a huge – and expensive – job

Conor O’Kane, Senior Lecturer in Economics

The prime minister has outlined what he would like social care reform to look like. Broadly speaking, he wants to see better pay and career paths for those who work in the sector. He would also like to protect people from having to sell their property or other assets to pay for care, which can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. But while almost all political parties in England agree that social care needs to be reformed, there is little consensus on how this should be paid for. Burnham provided no further detail.

I suspect that the UK nations will eventually adopt a scheme similar to the one the Republic of Ireland introduced in 2009. The “Fair Deal” addresses some of the key concerns that the PM has raised. The scheme takes into account a person’s income, savings and assets when deciding how much the state contributes towards residential care costs. Crucially, the assets element, which for many will be their home, only counts for the first three years that they are in residential care. This prevents assets being completely consumed by care costs. But this type of scheme does not come cheap.

Ireland’s Fair Deal costs the state the equivalent of around £1 billion a year. Given the difference in populations, a similar scheme for the UK could cost around £13 billion a year. That still does not cover the cost of the pay increases that Burnham wants to see for that sector. To raise this kind of money, he would need to increase the 20% income tax rate by about 2%, for example.

There is also some talk of an estate tax to raise the funds. Given that the PM is committed to both the current fiscal rules on borrowing and not raising taxes, I would expect Labour to go into the next general election with an outline of how a reformed social care system would operate and be paid for. But only time will tell whether voters will give them the mandate to finance this major reform to adult social care.

Public are confused – but clear that the state should pay

Anthony Kevins, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies

Any discussion of attitudes on social care in England must begin with two
observations: people are not happy with the status quo, but they also don’t really understand how the current system works or how it is funded. This is a tricky starting point, since it makes it difficult to assess how much public support there would be for any proposed reforms.

What does seem clear however, is that most people want the state to share the cost of social care with users. Support for full state coverage for everyone is relatively low, and even fewer people believe that users should have to cover costs on their own.

So how might the public want that new spending to be financed? My research suggests a hierarchy of preferred funding options, ranging from council tax – the least popular option – to a wealth tax on people with assets worth more than £1 million – the most popular option. Increases in inheritance tax and national insurance contributions were relatively unpopular. And an income tax rise on higher earners was second only to wealth taxes in popularity.

As always though, the devil will be in the detail of the funding plan. It’s unlikely that any mechanism will avoid at least a little backlash.

Technology is not a silver bullet

Kathrin Cresswell, Professor of Digital Innovations in Health and Care

One of the biggest challenges is moving beyond treating health and social care as separate systems. Burnham has promised a more integrated approach. I don’t believe that the two necessarily need to be fully integrated, but they do need to work together more effectively. That means investing in the relationships, governance and basic infrastructure that allow organisations to coordinate care around people’s needs. It is this kind of investment that enables lasting change.

Technology will undoubtedly be part of the solution, but it is not a magic bullet. The history of large-scale digital programmes in the NHS shows a consistent pattern. Expectations have often exceeded reality because the complexity of implementing the changes was underestimated.

New technologies, including AI, are unlikely to be different if they are seen as solutions in themselves. Real transformation depends less on adopting the latest tech than on supporting organisations to work together, developing shared ways of working, and building the culture needed for information and services to flow across organisational boundaries.

Social care presents an even greater challenge than the NHS. It is more fragmented, operates with fewer resources, and levels of digital maturity vary greatly. For many providers, the priorities are quite simple: reliable connectivity, basic digital infrastructure and technologies that support communication, independence and day-to-day care. It’s not always about the latest innovations.

Perhaps most importantly, we need to be realistic about how quickly success can be realised. Social care is fundamentally about supporting people to live well, maintaining independence and preventing crises. These benefits emerge gradually, requiring sustained investment and realistic expectations.

Better connections with communities

Robin Miller, Professor of Collaborative Learning in Health and Social Care

Burnham is right to emphasise both that social care is more than a complement to health and that the NHS will not work effectively without a strong social care system. For the past 30 years, successive governments have sought to ensure better collaboration between health and social care. The latest iterations see multi-disciplinary teams working on the ground while overall coordination is handled by “integrated care systems” (partnerships between health and care organisations in both the public and private sectors).

While some progress has been made, long-standing tensions remain. These are due to professional dominance of healthcare in local and national debates and insufficient investment in social care. At the same time, national performance focuses predominantly on NHS waiting times.

The proposed national care service may bring some consistency, but ultimately collaboration will be achieved through closer working between professionals and services – focused on what matters to communities. Health and social care will have to be better connected with local people and the networks that sustain them – this will involve health and care professionals working as equal partners with the voluntary and community sector. One example of this is through community hubs, where professionals are available within accessible venues such as libraries, supermarkets and sports clubs.

This is certainly a good start from the prime minister. But improving social care will also mean tough choices for the NHS – including changing its priorities on how its money is spent to divert more towards community and prevention.