The former Mayor of Greater Manchester took office on Monday (July 20) following Sir Keir Starmer’s official resignation.

Burnham pledged to deliver a “circuit breaker for Britain” and return stability to government in his first speech outside No 10.

He promised a new political and economic model after becoming the UK’s seventh Prime Minister since 2016.

Burnham said: “I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street, the seventh prime minister since 2016, making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.

“It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge.

“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again.”

He also repeated his commitment to “take power out of Westminster” and give the public more control over “life’s essentials,” vowing to set out a 10-year plan later this year.

Who is in Andy Burnham’s cabinet after the reshuffle?

The cabinet has seen a significant reshuffle reflecting both continuity and change.

Here is the full list of Mr Burnham’s cabinet:

• Chancellor – John Healy
• Foreign Secretary – Ed Milliband
• Home Secretary – Shabana Mahmood
• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and First Secretary of State  – Louise Haigh
• Health Secretary – Yvette Cooper
• Defence Secretary – Wes Streeting
• Work and Pensions Secretary – Pat McFadden
• Housing Secretary – Angela Rayner
• Housing Minister – Matthew Pennycook
• Business Secretary – Jonathan Reynolds
• Education Secretary – Lucy Powell
• Justice Secretary – Alex Norris
• Transport Secretary – Heidi Alexander

Heidi Alexander was one of the few who kept their roles, remaining as Transport Secretary (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

• Culture Secretary – Lisa Nandy
• Environment Secretary – Dame Angela Eagle
• Energy Secretary – Miatta Fahnbulleh
• Minister of State – Hamish Falconer
• Minister of State (AI) – Kanishka Narayan
• Chief Whip – Anneliese Midgley
• Chief Secretary to the Treasury – Emma Reynolds
• Women and Equalities Minister – Bridget Phillipson
• Attorney General – Ellie Reeves
• Leader of the Commons – Alan Campbell
• Leader of the Lords – Baroness Smith of Basildon
• Northern Ireland Secretary – Sir Chris Bryant
• Secretary of State for Scotland – Douglas Alexander
• Wales Secretary – Stephen Kinnock

Andy Burnham outlines priorities as he becomes Prime Minister

Burnham outlined his priorities, which include building more council homes, reforming the education system to help young people into work, and creating a more “preventative state” to invest in people’s success.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, in a letter to Burnham, urged him to commit to spending cuts, rule out tax rises, and grant licences for the North Sea’s Rosebank and Jackdaw.

She also urged him to overturn the ban on new oil and gas licences.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski urged the Prime Minister to impose rent controls, bring the water industry into public ownership, and introduce wealth taxes.

He enters No 10 after formally accepting the invitation to govern in a private audience with the King.

His predecessor Sir Keir resigned after just two years in office, stating that he was leaving the country “stronger and fairer.”

Following his speech, Burnham was greeted with applause and hugs from supporters, before entering No 10 with his wife Marie-France van Heel.

They were welcomed by Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo and cheered in by Downing Street staff.

What do you think of Andy Burnham’s choices for his cabinet? Let us know in the comments.

The US military says it launched another round of strikes against Iran to “further degrade” its capabilities to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strikes – the 10th consecutive night of attacks – come after US President Donald Trump vowed to punish Iran for the deaths of US soldiers.

In response, Iran said it struck two oil tankers in the waterway, as well as US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, state news agency IRNA reported.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was now fighting a “full-scale war” with the US. Trump earlier said Iran had been hit “very hard” the previous night “in honour” of three US soldiers killed recently – two in Jordan and one in Iraq.

US Central Command (Centcom) said its latest strikes had hit Iranian “military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems”.

Explosions were reported near the north-western city of Tabriz, where state media said one person was killed and several wounded, as well at the Gulf ports of Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini and the south-eastern ports of Chabahar and Konarak.

Centcom also insisted that commercial vessels were continuing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran meanwhile said its forces struck two oil tankers as they attempted to transit through what it called the strait’s “unsafe and hazardous southern route” and rescue teams were picking up their crews, according to state media.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had reported being struck by an unknown projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel and board a lifeboat.

It was not clear whether the tanker reported by UKMTO was among those cited by Iran.

Six fuel tankers and cargo ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to preliminary data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler. Two of these vessels had previously been sanctioned by the US for links with Iran.

This is down from eight vessels crossing on 19 July, the data shows. All but one of the crossings made on 20 July were via the northern route near Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed to have targeted a data centre belonging to the US company Amazon in Bahrain, according to state media on Tuesday.

The IRGC “attacked and destroyed the central data infrastructure of the American company Amazon in Bahrain with several cruise missiles,” state news agency IRNA reported.

Jordan said on Tuesday that it had intercepted five drones after saying it had shot down three missiles late on Monday. Bahrain said drones launched by Iran had targeted its air navigation systems – but traffic remained unaffected. Kuwait’s armed forces also said they had intercepted Iranian drones.

At the same time, Tehran said diplomatic messages were still being exchanged by both sides through intermediaries, despite a collapse of a ceasefire.

On Monday night the Department of Defense confirmed the identities of two of the US soldiers – Pte Isabella Gonzales, 19, from Texas, and Lt Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Hawaii – who were killed in an Iranian strike on the Muwaffaq Salti base in Jordan over the weekend.

Centcom said earlier a third service member also went missing in action after the attack, and unidentified remains were later found in the area.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi gave a curious message to his players just moments before their World Cup final defeat by Spain, new footage has revealed.

Spain beat the 2022 world champions 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, triumphing thanks to Ferran Torres‘ goal in extra time after dominating the ball in one of the most one-sided World Cup finals ever staged.

Argentina, who had controversially edged past Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland before knocking England out in the semi-finals, were heavily criticised for their aggressive tackling and dirty tactics throughout the tournament – and their World Cup campaign ended in disgrace as they became embroiled in a mass brawl with Spain’s players after the final whistle. 

Speculation that something was not quite right within Argentina’s camp has been circulating on social media after new footage of Messi addressing his players before the final was shared to social media on Monday.

In the video, as Messi prepares to lead Argentina out holding his country’s pennant flag, he turns to his players who appear strangely downbeat and gloomy and says: ‘Come on, guys, stay calm, folks. Let’s stay calm, guys. Let’s just think about playing, stay calm. Let’s forget about everything. Let’s just think about playing, folks.’

The curious message has led many fans to speculate whether Argentina’s camp were in the right frame of mind heading into the huge match.

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Lionel Messi delivered a curious message to his Argentina stars before the World Cup final

Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain ended with a disgraceful brawl on the pitch

Some supporters have theorised whether Messi was telling his team-mates to forget about world football’s negative perception of them throughout the tournament, amid claims that World Cup referees had favoured Argentina in decisions throughout the knockout stage.

After staging a late comeback to win 3-2 against Egypt in the last 16, opposition manager Hossam Hassan furiously accused FIFA of rigging the World Cup after a string of controversial refereeing decisions went against his side.

Switzerland were also furious at officials after their 3-1 defeat by Argentina in the quarter-finals, as forward Breel Embolo was shown a controversial second yellow card following a VAR review.

Other supporters have suggested that Argentina’s stars were emotional about the prospect of playing with 39-year-old all-time great Messi for the final time at the World Cup, despite him not having officially retired yet.

Argentina reacted disgracefully to Spain’s celebrations at the full-time whistle as Leandro Paredes was sent off for throttling Eric Garcia and throwing Gavi to the floor in shameful scenes.

Nahuel Molina also punched Rodri in the torso as he was running by, while Thiago Almada was involved, too. 

Their emotional manager Lionel Scaloni then stormed out of his press conference in tears, saying: ‘We need time to reset and form another group like this one. It’ll be hard to recreate this one. It hurts my soul, I’m sorry.’

Responding to the video of Messi on social media, one fan posted: ‘I know Spain are a quality team, but Argentina’s performance genuinely left me baffled. They looked nothing like the team we’ve come to know. 

‘There was no intensity, no urgency, no excitement completely different from the energy they showed in their previous games. Something felt off about that performance. I still can’t explain what I watched.’

A second fan said in a post: ‘Argentina knew they couldn’t beat Spain so were trying to just make it to penalties.’

A third posted: ‘Something weird is going on here. Very weird. Lionel’s pep talk, Enzo’s eyes, Licha’s red nose… something VERY weird happened before the final. 

‘Neither Messi, nor De Paul, nor Paredes, nor Dibu, NO ONE is posting anything on social media. Minimally weird.’

Another conspiracy theorist added: ‘At the Qatar final, they got off the bus totally unhinged, tearing through everything. Something happened, some argument with Scaloni, Tapia told them something, some FIFA sanction, I don’t know. 

‘They were wrecked physically and mentally. I insist, something really shady went down there and we’re gonna find out about it in 40 years.’

Messi was in tears at the end of the game and refused to watch Spain lift the World Cup trophy

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Fans were not afraid to offer their speculative theories on social media in response to the video

Argentina also made headlines after the World Cup final defeat for refusing to watch Spain lift the trophy.

The defeated finalists collected their silver medals from FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump on the stage at the MetLife Stadium but decided not to watch as Spain lifted the trophy – which is customary in finals of major tournaments.

Instead, the Argentina players, coaching team and staff walked over to the end where the majority of their fans were located and spent time gazing into the crowd with glossy eyes.

Belong Atherton was named in care comparison website Lottie’s list of the top 100 UK care homes for 2026, repeating their success in the 2025 rankings.

Martin Rix, chief executive of Belong, said: “To be recognised as a top UK care provider for a second consecutive year demonstrates the unwavering dedication and effort of our team in providing outstanding care and support for residents and their loved ones.

“Our unique village model enables us to readily adapt our service to our residents’ preferences, enabling every individual to set the pace of their lives, resulting in a truly personalised experience.”

The awards add to a growing list of achievements for both villages, which are rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Belong Wigan previously earned a perfect 10/10 rating from carehome.co.uk and was ranked among the top 20 care homes in the North West for 2026.

Both Wigan and Atherton sites have also been shortlisted for the national Dementia Care Awards and national Palliative & End-of-life Care Awards.

The recognition reflects a commitment to high-quality, specialist care.

The son of a resident at Belong Atherton praised the care provided.

He said: “When choosing a care home, the only one we visited was Belong as it had everything we needed and had a good feel about it.

“The staff were always very caring, however in the last few weeks of Mum’s life we realised just how caring they were, many of the staff treated Mum like she could have been their mother, which was very comforting.”

More information about Belong can be found at www.belong.org.uk or by emailing enquiries@belong.org.uk.

“The little boy was apparently going inside with his mother to use the sweet machine”

A two‑year‑old boy was left ‘with no recognisable facial features’ after a dog “ragged him up and down” in what a witness described as an “absolutely horrific” attack in a pub beer garden.

The incident took place at The Wulstan pub in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, at around 3pm on July 15, shortly after the toddler had been enjoying some food, an onlooker said. Police have confirmed that an investigation into the events is underway, calling on the public to help, The Sentinel reports.

Philip Preece, a reported regular at The Wulstan, saw the alleged attack, claiming that the canine involved was “some kind of Bulldog breed“.

Standard Bulldogs, also known as English Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs are completely legal to own in the UK. However, the American XL Bully is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

“I was sitting outside with a few people. The child was sitting across from me on another pub table,” Mr Preece explained to The Sentinel. “He was playing with some plastic dinosaurs and sitting with his mum. He had been enjoying some chicken nuggets and chips. Just having a nice family time.

“I went inside the pub to get myself another lager shandy. As I went to go back outside, the mother ran into the pub carrying her child. He was in an absolute mess. You couldn’t make out any of his facial features. He was covered in blood. His mum was too. So much was gushing out.

“I quickly learned he’d been attacked by a dog. I came out of the pub and saw this lad. He had his dog on a lead. But it hadn’t been wearing it earlier. He must have put it on quickly after the attack.”

A West Midlands Ambulance Service statement confirmed that an ambulance and a paramedic officer attended the incident, and that the child was rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital for ’emergency care’.

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Mr Preece continued: “I asked what the hell was going on. Everyone was hysterical. A young lad who works for me called 999. Thankfully, the ambulance and the paramedics arrived very quickly to take the boy to hospital. I was in shock.

“He’d just been having a nice time. Then all of a sudden his mum is in tears and he’s bleeding. It was absolutely horrific. It’s not something I’d ever like to see again. Everyone was in utter disbelief.

“The little boy was apparently going inside with his mother to use the sweet machine. Then he’s been attacked. He’s only a baby. The dog ragged him up and down after biting his face. If the dog had gone a bit lower, it could have ended up biting the boy’s throat. It could have been even more serious. We’re all just wishing him a speedy recovery.”

Staffordshire Police are appealing for witnesses following the alleged attack. A police spokesman said: “We were called to The Wulstan following reports that a child had been bitten by a dog.

“Officers attended the scene alongside colleagues from West Midlands Ambulance Service. The child was taken to hospital with facial injuries. He has since been discharged. Our investigation is ongoing and we are appealing for anyone with any information that might help our investigation to contact us.”

Witnesses should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 592 of 15 July, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

A 44-year-old woman has died and a 46-year-old man has been arrested following a disturbance in Edinburgh.

A woman has died following a disturbance at a home in Edinburgh.

Emergency services were called to Craigievar Square after the alarm was raised at around 8.45pm last night.

A 44-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene and a 46-year-old man has since been arrested in connection.

It’s understood the Mid Yoken pub, just over a mile away, has also been locked down and is being guarded by police.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “A woman has died following a disturbance at a property in Craigievar Square, Edinburgh.

“Emergency services were called to the incident around 8.45pm on Monday, 20, July, 2026.

“A 44-year-old woman was found with serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her next of kin are aware.

“A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and enquiries are ongoing.

“There is no risk to the wider public and a police presence will remain in the area while enquiries continue.”

Holly Willoughby turned to her 15-year-old daughter Belle for advice on how YouTube works – despite launching her brand new show, Together, on the channel. 

The presenter, 45, filmed herself in the back of a taxi as she and Belle headed to the press launch on Monday. 

While Belle didn’t make an appearance in the clip, her voice could be overheard in the background sniggering as Holly tried to explain how YouTube works. 

Holly said: ‘Hello, hello, I’m heading over to the press launch of the new show, Holly Willoughby together.

‘It’s the launch, I’m very excited because this is the first time anybody is going to get to see the trailer. Today’s the day.

‘What I’m going to do is I’m going to put the trailer so you guys get to see it, over on the YouTube channel. First time I’ve said that, tomorrow, so that’s Tuesday.

‘I’m not quite sure when it’s going to go on there, so I think, and I’m looking at my daughter here now because this is all new territory, but if you head on over there, search it, Holly Willoughby Together YouTube, go and subscribe.’ 

After fluffing the word subscribe, Holly admitted she has to start saying it. 

Then the presenter turned to Belle and said: ‘Then I think you press the bell thing which gives you a notification when something drops, is that right?’

She then told her daughter to ‘stop laughing’, before asking: ‘You press the bell, don’t you, Belle?’

Holly’s daughter Belle provided inspiration for her next venture as the teenager is of a generation that no longer watches terrestrial TV but is glued to YouTube instead.

The new project, which she is self-funding, will involve both producing and presenting her own show, as well as celebrity interviews. Read the full story here. 

Holly Willoughby Together will launch on July 28 as a twice-weekly broadcast under five sections: Talk Together, Cook Together, Look Good Together, Better Together, and Hang Out Together.

She is working with a team at her husband Dan Baldwin’s television production company Hungry Bear, which is behind shows such as Gladiators and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, both screened on BBC One.

Holly Willoughby Together will launch on July 28 as a twice-weekly broadcast on YouTube

‘Holly has done television for 25 years, and now she wants to make her own thing,’ a friend of the star told The Mail on Sunday in January. ‘And now daytime television is very much on the slide and it’s time for something new. She is excited, it is something so new and innovative, hopefully it will work.

‘The television landscape has changed so much, people are consuming content on TikTok and other digital platforms.

‘Holly has seen an opportunity now to start something new, which has a future, unlike the kind of stuff she has done in the past.’

When Holly left This Morning after learning of an extraordinary plot to kidnap, rape, and murder her, she found herself with much more time on her hands.

For 14 years, she’d been up at the crack of dawn to sit on the sofa and present the show next to her former co-star and friend, Phillip Schofield. Holly had been ITV’s busiest star, and bosses at the network wanted her on screen as much as possible.

But Holly had been left badly shaken by the kidnap threat, for which former security guard Gavin Plumb was handed a life sentence in 2024.

Her return to TV was gradual, first hosting two episodes of You Bet for ITV and the Netflix reality show Bear Hunt in February 2025.

Since then, she has been a stay-at-home mum to Harry, 17, Belle and 11-year-old Chester, which she ‘loved’. Now, however, she is ready to get back out into the limelight.

Residents of Cambridge and surrounding villages have reported assaults and robberies

Five teenagers have been arrested after anti-social behaviour concerns. Assaults and robberies are among the incidents that have been reported by residents of Cambridge and surrounding villages.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “We know many residents in Cambridge city centre, Histon, Impington and Cottenham have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour, assaults, robberies and other incidents involving groups of young people.

“Our officers have been carrying out extensive enquiries and have made a number of arrests in connection with reported offences.”

Five teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been arrested and/or charged in relation to reported offences. These include:

• A 14-year-old boy charged with three counts of common assault and arrested on suspicion of robbery.
• A 17-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of theft of a pedal cycle and dealt with through the Youth Offending Service. He has also been arrested on suspicion of robbery and criminal damage.
• A 17-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of theft, racially aggravated common assault and robbery. He has been bailed with conditions not to enter Cambridge city centre.
• A 13-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of assault, theft, robbery, racially aggravated common assault, attempted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and criminal damage. He has been bailed with conditions not to enter Cambridge city centre.
• A 16-year-old boy charged with three counts of common assault and bailed in connection with a robbery investigation.

A 13-year-old boy was also voluntarily interviewed in connection with allegations of theft, robbery and assault.

Game Retail Limited, the video games retailer that once had more than 300 stores nationwide, fell into administration earlier this year.

A report from joint administrators James Saunders and Lauren Wentworth of KR8 Advisory revealed that, of the £15.8 million total debt, £3.5 million is owed to a secured creditor and around £12 million is owed to unsecured creditors.

Administrators have been appointed for a second time, with the company’s 2011 administration, The Herald exclusively revealed.

Game has fallen into administration (Image: Getty)

The administrators said: “The Game brand was originally established in 1990 and developed into the UK’s leading high street retailer of video games and consoles.

“The company started trading in 2012 following the acquisition of the UK trade and assets of the former The Game Group Plc out of administration.

“At the point of acquisition, the business operated over 300 retail stores together with two e-commerce platforms under the Game and Gamestation brand names.

“Following the completion of the acquisition, the company consolidated its operations under the single Game brand and undertook a financial and operational review, which resulted in the closure of certain loss-making stores but included plans to open new stores.”

Despite a period of renewed profitability, the company was unable to adapt to long-term changes in consumer behaviour and the broader retail landscape.

Administrators pointed to the industry’s shift from physical games to digital downloads, ongoing Brexit uncertainty, and mounting competition as key challenges.

Financial results highlight this decline.

What happens when a company goes into administration?

In the year ending July 2016, Game reported revenue of £584 million -a 10% drop on the previous year – while profit before tax fell 71% to £6.8 million.

By 2017, the company was operating at a loss before tax of £7.1 million on turnover of £493 million.

The financial outlook continued to darken.

By 2019, Game had posted a loss of £43 million on turnover of £423 million.

In a bid to stabilise the business, shareholder Frasers Group later agreed to acquire the company’s intellectual property for a cash sum “to support the ongoing business and make payment of outstanding rent due on the head office”.

However, the move was not enough to turn things around.

The administrators said: “Despite these efforts, the company’s financial position continued to deteriorate during the final quarter of 2025, which historically had been one of the busiest trading months for the business.

“There have been no major console releases since 2020, and large manufacturers have cited global chip shortages as a reason for further delays.”

UK high street shops that no longer exist

The business model, once reliant on physical game and console releases, was unable to pivot effectively to the digital-first landscape now favoured by manufacturers and consumers alike.

Game Retail Limited was ultimately placed into administration.

The administrators said after reviewing the company’s financial and operational position, “the business was no longer viable.”

The company’s secured creditor also withdrew financial support, sealing its fate.

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Administrators now estimate that there may be “sufficient realisations available to enable a distribution to be made to the secured creditor.”

However, they said: “It is currently anticipated that there will be insufficient funds available to enable a distribution to be made to unsecured creditors, other than by way of the prescribed part.”

Some concessions remain operational as part of Frasers Group’s efforts to preserve elements of the Game brand.

Which high street retailer do you miss the most? Tell us in the comments below.

The incident took place in the car park of Eggborough Fisheries on Saturday (July 11) at around 9.30am and involved multiple individuals.

North Yorkshire Police are continuing their investigation and are appealing for information and video footage from the public, including dashcam recordings from passing motorists.

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A police spokesperson said: “Extensive enquiries are ongoing and officers are now appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or has any video footage, including any passing motorists who may have captured the incident on dashcam, to get in touch if they have not already spoken to the police.”

The two individuals have been released under investigation. 

Members of the public with information can contact police online or call 101, quoting reference 12260131194.