Kemi Badenoch has urged Andy Burnham to rule out tax rises or increased borrowing to pay for social care reform.

In a challenge to the Prime Minister ahead of an expected intervention this week, the Tory leader said her party was willing to work with the Government but only if two “core principles” were met.

Mr Burnham is expected to make a speech on adult social care in the coming days as he aims to “run towards problems that have been neglected”, according to a No 10 source. He believes the issue of how adult social care works and is funded in England has been “neglected” by previous administrations.

In a letter to the new PM, she wrote: “First, any solution to the issues around social care must also be fair to those who have made provisions and saved up over the course of their lives.

“Second, the money must be found by reducing current spending. You must rule out any tax rises, or increased borrowing that will ultimately fall on the next generation to pay for.”

Continuing: “The tax burden has risen to a record high under Labour, and there is already speculation that you will increase taxes further at the budget this autumn in order to pay for all the things you have announced in your first week, plus the outstanding gaps in funding for the defence investment plan.

“On borrowing, over the course of this Parliament the Labour government is currently planning to borrow over a quarter of a trillion pounds more than the plans you inherited, and debt is forecast to rise every single year.

“With businesses closing or relocating, youth unemployment higher than in the eurozone, and the cost of living already causing real hardship for many people, the last thing Britain needs is further tax increases to pay for social care.”

Unlike NHS care, social care is not free at the point of use and high costs sometimes mean people are forced to sell their homes to pay for what they need.

People with savings worth more than £23,250 are not entitled to help with the cost of care from their local council.

Mr Burnham has already pledged to “use some of my political capital” on overhauling the system, which prior governments have promised and failed to do.

Mr Burnham previously set out plans to overhaul social care for the elderly with the creation of a national care service for England when he was health secretary in Gordon Brown’s administration in 2010, but the plans were scuppered by the Tories’ claim Labour would levy a “death tax” to pay for it.

In her letter Mrs Badenoch said she hoped they could “find common ground” on a “hugely important issue for so many people and one that matters a lot to me”.

And she cautioned that “previous efforts to form a durable consensus around social care has not been at all simple”.

Ukraine launched a strike on an Iranian tanker in an attack that threatens to ‘drag Europe’ into the Middle East conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed strikes against sanctioned ships transporting military cargo between Iran and Russia in the Caspian Sea on Saturday.

Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi hit back: ‘Zelensky has attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor.

‘A blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.

‘In calls with EU High Rep Kallas and FM Lavrov, made clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.’

Tehran and Kyiv are just 1,200 miles apart, well within range of ballistic missiles which both countries own, sparking fears of the wars merging effectively creating the conditions for WWIII.

Zelensky also accused Russia of giving Iran satellite images of US targets to attack.

‘Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and US military facilities located there,’ Zelensky said on X.

‘These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes — both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted.’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry reported an explosion aboard the commercial vessel on Saturday morning that also wounded another sailor before adding Tehran has remained neutral in Russia’s invasion.

Iranian deputy parliament speaker Ali Nikzad added: ‘Iran will always exercise its legal right to defend its territorial integrity.

‘Any location used as a launching point for aggression against our country and territory will undoubtedly be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces, and the Ukrainian government’s reckless action will not go unanswered.’

He also warned Ukraine, Britain and Bulgaria against supporting US military actions, saying any location used to launch attacks on Iran would be considered a ‘legitimate target’.

The conflict threatened to boil over even after President Donald Trump abruptly called off his two-week-old bombing campaign.

After ‌13 nights of intensifying US airstrikes on Iran, the Pentagon abruptly suspended the campaign late on Friday, with no attacks reported on either Saturday or Sunday.

The Iranian Health Ministry says 3,434 people have been killed since the war began, including 55 during the recent escalation. The latest strikes temporarily disrupted transportation and communications within Iran, and damaged water infrastructure used by thousands of people.

Eighteen American service members are believed to have been killed since the start of the Iran war, including four US soldiers in recent days

MORE: Ukrainian troops on the frontline get KFC delivered by drone

MORE: Donald Trump sends message to Ferran Torres after Spain hero wears MAGA-style hat at World Cup parade

MORE: No muppets can spoil my World Cup memories but I’m not ready for goodbye

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Jackson Koivun won the 3M Open by three strokes Sunday in only his third start as a professional, holding off Scottie Scheffler with a closing 5-under 66 for a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.

Koivun played a safe and steady game on a 97-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities, going bogey-free for the second straight day after a 61 on Saturday gave him a three-shot cushion.

The 21-year-old player who led Auburn to the NCAA championship last month confidently fended off the world’s top-ranked player in Scheffler, who surged into contention with a 63 while playing five groups ahead.

Scheffler had his fourth runner-up finish this season. His lone win this year came in his first start at The American Express in California.

Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillips and Denny McCarthy tied for third at 20 under.

Koivun, who became the fourth rookie winner this season, missed the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tied for 10th at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlier this month. He made 10 starts as an amateur on tour events.

Earning $1,584,000 for his win in Minnesota, Koivun also jumped 124 spots in the FedEx Cup standings into 70th, the last place above the cut for the playoffs with two regular season events remaining on the schedule.

Lee Hodges held the previous 3M Open record, finishing at 24-under 260 in 2023.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

By NIK SIMON

Published: 20:18 BST, 26 July 2026 | Updated: 23:10 BST, 26 July 2026

Adam Ramsay-Peaty paid tribute to his wife Holly for supporting him during a ‘whirlwind’ 24 hours, after he missed out on 100m breaststroke gold at the Commonwealth Games.

The Olympian returned to the pool on Sunday evening to compete in the 50m breaststroke semi-final, with his pregnant wife proudly watching on, and a second placed finish booking him a spot in the final race on Monday night.

After his 100m loss, Adam broke down in tears in an emotional interview that saw him take aim at his estranged family, saying that his fallout with them ‘has taken its toll’.

But the swimmer said his performance was ‘much better’ during his 50m run, and during his post-race interview, he was asked who he turned to for support while he strived to bounce back from his 100m swim.

The swimmer failed to mention his family, and instead praised Holly, who is pregnant with her first child, and his close friends for being there for him.

Friends of Adam’s mother, Caroline, told the Daily Mail that she’s heartbroken after not being able to watch her son compete in Glasgow. Read the full story here. 

Holly watched on as Adam swam in the 50m breaststroke semi-final, and a second place finish for the swimmer booked him a place in Monday’s final

Adam said: ‘The last 24 hours have been a bit of a whirlwind, not something I’m not used to.

‘But I guess in sport, it’s not really about when you get beat down because it’s going to be inevitable, that you do that, you make mistakes, it’s how it takes you to look at that, perspective, turn it around for tonight and I’m really happy for that. On a great trajectory for tomorrow.’

Asked who he leans on for support, Adam continued: ‘It was a lot of people I talk to, obviously my wife, my coach, my best mate Ed. You’ve got your friends, your teammates.

‘The best way to get everything out in my head, is to just write it out, I write down what is going wrong, what is going right, what can I change, what can’t I change and then I’ve got a battle plan.

‘I can go ”right I can do with this’,’ take it into tomorrow. So even now I’m thinking, what’s part of that battle plan.’

Adam broke down in tears and went home with a bronze medal when he finished in third place in the 100m breaststroke final on Saturday night.

In an interview after his defeat, Adam acknowledged the family feud and said the fallout ‘has taken its toll’.

‘It’s hard because I know how hard I’ve worked,’ Adam cried. ‘I know the s**t I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll.’ 

The roots of the family conflict go back to 2024, when Adam and Holly snubbed wider members of the Peaty family by not inviting them to their engagement party and their wedding.

The mother-to-be was present in the stands as Adam returned to the pool for his semi-final

Holly sported an all-black look as she attended the race, with Adam praising her for supporting him after he missed out on his 100m win

Advertisement

The swimmer said his performance was ‘much better’ during his 50m run, and during his post-race interview, he was asked who he turned to for support

The swimmer failed to mention his family, and instead praised Holly, who is pregnant with her first child, and his close friends for being there for him

Holly also showed her appreciation for her husband Adam in a sweet social media post

After finishing in third place during his 100m final, Adam rushed to embrace Holly in the stands, before kissing her bump

Advertisement

Adam broke down in tears following his third place finish on Saturday, and said his feud with his family had ‘taken its toll’

Caroline, who spent years ferrying her son to early-morning training sessions, was also not invited to Holly’s glamorous hen do.

Then, months later, Adam broke his silence on the feud as he insisted there are ‘two sides to every story’ in a statement he posted on Instagram.

The latest blow came last month when the Daily Mail revealed Adam’s pregnant sister Bethany – the only member of his family to still be in contact with the couple – has now sensationally fallen out with Holly. Read the full story here. 

The reports of his strained relationship with his parents have clearly taken their toll on Adam, as he was overcome with emotion after the result.

He added in his post-swim interview: ‘I’m never afraid to show emotion. It’s important because it helps create stronger people, stronger men, stronger fathers and stronger husbands.

‘This cycle especially, I’ve worked harder than ever. To get a result like that hurts because I know I’m better than that.

‘It’s still very raw. I honestly feel like I deserve more. There’s a lot of thinking to do, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions.

‘Maybe it was just an off swim. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away from championship racing for two years. I honestly don’t know.

‘What’s the point of all the 5.30am starts? What’s the point of all the metres every single day? What’s the point of being exhausted all the time, or missing family events because you have to train?

‘It has to mean something. For me, that means striving for excellence, and today wasn’t excellence. That’s where the emotion comes from.

‘The choices I’ve made over the last few months have been difficult. At the same time, I’m proud that I got here and that I didn’t quit after Paris [Olympics in 2024]. I know I deserve more, and I know I can work for it.

‘It’s been two years since I’ve raced heats, semis and finals, so maybe it’s just an adjustment. It’s too early to know what I’m capable of at this stage, but I’m a fighter.

‘We’ve got another opportunity at the Europeans in two weeks, and I do enjoy a scrap. I lost that scrap today, but that’s sport. Most of the time I’ve won those battles – this time I didn’t.’

He continued: ‘Over the last couple of months I’ve had to make some hard decisions so I could focus on doing my job. 

‘I’ve had to ignore a lot of the rubbish people write online. Enough is enough. This goes beyond sport. It’s about being decent people. We all have to do better.

Adam has cut ties with his parents, after a fall-out which began when wider members of his family were not invited to his wife Holly’s hen party last year 

‘My wife will always be proud of me. As a father, it doesn’t matter whether you come home with a gold medal, as long as you come home. That’s what really matters.’

Adam changing his name to Ramsay-Peaty and registering under the double-barrel surname for the Games in Glasgow is the latest blow for his estranged loved ones – especially as Ramsay is placed first before Peaty.

A source said previously: ‘Adam may be rich, but we have something that he hasn’t and that is brains, loyalty, integrity and family.

‘Money makes for a cold bedfellow. It can’t hold you tight when things go wrong or when you have a bad day.’

They added: ‘When you live to be famous you aren’t living, you are playing a role. Fame is but fleeting but family is forever.’ 

Eighteen-year-old Filip Nowacki, from Jersey, finished in second place, 0.31 seconds behind world record holder Ramsay-Peaty, with gold going to Australian Sam Williamson. 

The teenager was superb again on the biggest stage on All-Ireland final day as Mayo ended a 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup, alongside his half brother Jordan Flynn

Kobe McDonald may be a newcomer to GAA circles, but the 18 year old has quickly made a name for himself as a truly special talent.

The teenager was superb again on the biggest stage on All-Ireland final day as Mayo ended a 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup, alongside his half brother Jordan Flynn.

When asked about how he took to that stage like he hadn’t a care in the world, McDonald told RTE ‘sure every pitch is the same, a set of goalposts at either end’.

Weeks removed from sitting his Leaving Cert, McDonald showed immense resilience to keep going even when things weren’t coming off for him at Croke Park, ultimately getting his moment late on with a fabulous point that sent the Mayo fans wild.

With his family ties and talent, all eyes were always going to be on the youngster this year, and that scrutiny increased when it was announced that he would be joining AFL giants St Kilda’s in 2026.

And while he is Australia-bound, his heart belonged to Mayo on Sunday.

“I’m not thinking about Australia right now, I just want to soak every single bit of this in. This is where I come from, and to give these people of Mayo something to cheer about, it’s special.”

McDonald has lit up the summer with sheer reckless abandon and credits the Mayo backroom team for allowing him to play so freely

“It’s very easy when every single player and every single one of the coaching staff gives you the license to go out and express yourself and enjoy yourself. And when you’re playing in front of 80,000 it’s hard not to have a bit of fun.

Written off from the get-go, Mayo have had to hang tough at times this year, and McDonald credits the bond in the dressing room for turning things around.

“it’s impossible to put into words. We had a tough year. I suppose a lot of the country probably wrote us off after that tough day against Roscommon.

“But Andy is so big on trusting our process. We said at the start of the year that our goal was to climb the Hogan Steps, to be honest it’s still surreal that we are after doing that.

“Every team probably says it, but we’re like a family. When we come into training three nights a week, it’s like 40 brothers. We know every single person in there has each other’s backs, and whatever anyone is saying outside of the group doesn’t affect us.”

Having made his senior debut for Mayo GAA in February, he put in a standout performance, playing a pivotal role in securing a hard-fought victory over Monaghan. At club level with Crossmolina Deel Rovers, he helped claim a Mayo Minor A championship in 2025 – the club’s first Minor A title in 32 years.

Off the pitch, the teenager has just completed his Leaving Certificate and has an exciting future ahead of him – one that takes him to the other side of the world.

Last November, he signed with St. Kilda Football Club in Australia as a Category B rookie. His move was delayed until his school exams were finished, meaning he will likely make the trip shortly after the Mayo All-Ireland celebrations wind down.

The well-regarded club has a strong track record of nurturing rookie-listed players into top performers, and fans are hopeful that Kobe will one day return to Irish shores.

Kobe is the son of former Mayo Gaelic footballer and All-Star Ciarán McDonald, which may go some way to explaining his innate ability. The now 51 year old led Crossmolina Deel Rovers to their first ever All-Ireland Senior Club title in 2001 and represented Mayo’s senior side in three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship finals in 1997, 2004 and 2006.

Since retiring from playing, he has transitioned into coaching, beginning with a two-year stint at the Mayo GAA academy between 2017 and 2019. He subsequently served as both coach and selector for the Mayo Senior team through to 2022, before stepping up to take charge as head coach of the Mayo Under-17 squad, a position he still holds to this day.

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The Popular Force party, led by Peru’s President-elect Keiko Fujimori, won the Senate presidency on Sunday in an alliance with another conservative party, paving the way for the incoming government.

Miguel Torres was elected president of the Senate with 30 votes — out of a total of 60 senators— in alliance with the right-wing Popular Renewal party, whose member, Alejandro Muñante, won the first vice presidency.

After reinstating the bicameral system for the first time in more than three decades, Peru’s Congress is defining its leadership two days before Fujimori’s July 28 presidential inauguration for the 2026-2031 term.

The leadership of the lower house, composed of 130 deputies, will be elected in the upcoming hours.

Torres said during his swearing-in ceremony that the goal is to have a “more prudent” state and to regain the trust of its citizens.

The new bicameral Congress faces the challenge of overcoming the governance crisis that has prevailed in the Andean nation and has seen eight presidents come and go in the last decade. None of the political forces hold a majority.

Torres, a lawyer and politician with a legislative career from 2016 to 2020, will preside over the Senate for one year. He is also Peru’s second vice president-elect, having been elected in the recent elections alongside Fujimori and first vice president Luis Galarreta.

Peru’s Congress will officially begin its annual legislative session on Monday.

The fire service, police and ambulance service were all in attendance, with the area around the crash cordoned off.

Pictures and videos from the scene show two cars on the pavement outside the Haribhai Travel Service shop.

One car was heavily damaged on the passenger side, while the other sustained front-end damage.

Crash on Deane Road (Image: Supplied)

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews attended the scene but were not required.

Greater Manchester Police have also been contacted for comment.

Following the crash, Rumworth ward councillor Ismail Ibrahim issued a statement thanking the emergency services for the swift response.

He has also highlighted the wider issues of dangerous driving in the area following a string of similar accidents.

Cllr Ibrahim told the Bolton News: “It’s just a very busy area. It’s very congested, it’s got a lot of footfall, a lot of businesses, wedding venues, colleges, university and we’ve got big stores, you have got stores everywhere.

Crash on Deane Road (Image: Supplied)

“I just feel we need to do something. We need to do more. Do we reduce the speed? Do we have more CCTV cameras?!

In his statement, he added: “We cannot afford to wait until another serious collision or tragedy occurs before taking action. Where residents and road users are consistently raising concerns and there is a pattern of serious incidents, we have a responsibility to review what more can be done to make our roads safer for everyone.”