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He outlined his intention to unveil a 10-year "new plan for Britain" later this year, explaining this would lay out a path to where he believes "we all want Britain to be".

Burnham promised to make announcements this week to "give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living" and explain how he would pay for them.

Burnham also started making cabinet appointments after removing loyalists of former PM Sir Keir Starmer. Out went Rachel Reeves as chancellor, David Lammy as deputy prime minister and justice secretary, and Steve Reed as communities secretary.

Healey, who quit Sir Keir's government due to a row over defence spending, was in as chancellor.

With Burnham saying he wants to honour the UK's commitments on defence spending, Healey will face the challenge of finding the extra money he believed the last government failed to deliver to keep the UK safe.

Speaking to broadcasters, Healey said the pair will "work in lockstep to meet the fiscal rules with a buffer against uncertainty" and on how they will "make life more affordable for working people right across the UK".

Ed Miliband moves from energy secretary to foreign secretary, replacing Yvette Cooper who is now the health secretary.

Miliband told the BBC it was the "honour of my lifetime" to become foreign secretary, a role his brother David held between 2007 and 2010.

Shabana Mahmood remains as home secretary and Louise Haigh takes on the role of Burnham's fixer across government, serving as first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.

Angela Rayner returned to a cabinet job as housing secretary, a role she previously held in Sir Keir's government. She stood down in September 2025 after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove.

Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who at one stage was seen as a possible leadership challenger, is the new defence secretary.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed Burnham to his new role but said he has not "set out a clear plan for government".

She said "Britain needs a leader who can take difficult decisions, not a people pleaser" and criticised him for "promising to undo Margaret Thatcher's policies".

Burnham's first policy pledge as PM was to end rough sleeping in the country, something he promised for Greater Manchester but failed to achieve during his time as mayor for the area.

Burnham also spoke of his ambition to help more young people into work, build more council homes and honour the UK's commitments on defence spending.

He said: "We will help people to live well, building a more preventative state, investing in people's success rather than paying for failure."

Burnham added: "Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope."

Burnham later told reporters that he would be "looking at" the tax-free personal allowance ahead of his first budget in the autumn, after the issue was repeatedly raised during his successful by-election campaign in Makerfield.

But he stressed that changing it would be "difficult" in the current economic circumstances.

Asked if he could pay for a change by reintroducing the 50p top rate of tax, he said it was "premature to say that".

The standard personal allowance is currently £12,570, which is the amount of income someone does not have to pay tax on.

Burnham also said he "does not want to leave office" without reforming the social care system.

He said that Westminster's record on the issue over the last 30 years was "not defensible".

Little more than a month after he secured his return to Parliament as MP for Makerfield, Burnham found himself having an audience with King Charles III in Buckingham Palace for almost 35 minutes on Monday.

He was asked to form a new administration, accepted and made the short journey to Downing Street to announce the news, to cheers and applause from a large crowd of his supporters.

Unlike his predecessors, Burnham opted not to use a lectern and did not have any notes to hand as he stood in front of the famous black No 10 door to address the nation.

Burnham said: "I'm 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, and that is our challenge – to make politics work, to make it work better."

Burnham described the moment as a "circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years - a new political model and a new economic model".

After his speech had finished, the new PM kissed his wife, Marie-France van Heel. He also shook hands with supporters before entering No 10.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Edward Davey said it was "disappointing not to hear anything from the new PM on social care, on Europe, or on protecting our precious natural environment".

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for a general election, saying Burnham "cannot be allowed to make the 'biggest changes in politics for 40 years' without a mandate".

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said now is the time for "bold politics".

He said: "The prime minister's speech today will leave many sceptical that Andy Burnham really plans to challenge the wealth and power of the establishment and it all starts to look and sound like more of the same."

Burnham spoke to US President Donald Trump shortly after taking office.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the PM told Trump about his "vision" for the UK and that ensuring the security of the UK and its allies "was at the top of his agenda".

The pair also spoke about the Middle East and the World Cup, while Burnham also told Trump he hopes to be able to show him "what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future".

Burnham also spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky, with the Ukrainian president writing on X: "I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had a "very good" first discussion with Burnham", adding: "We are both committed to bringing the EU and the UK closer and closer."

A day of change at the top began with Sir Keir completing his departure from Downing Street, two years after he led Labour to a landslide general election victory in July 2024.

Sir Keir, flanked by his staff and supporters, said Burnham has his "full support".

He added: "I go with good grace. I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved." %!s()

The 26 players and their coaching staff met with the country’s royals and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday after arriving in the Spanish capital a day after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final in New Jersey, United States.

“Thank you to the coaches and players for the style of play, the effort, and the victory,” Sanchez said. “We have truly enjoyed watching you play.”

The squad then boarded an open-top bus for a raucous parade through central Madrid. “Stars shine together” was written on the bus, which also carried photos of the footballers.

The players carried the World Cup trophy and wore shirts with “Somos Campeones” (“We Are Champions”). They danced and interacted with the fans along the route.

“It’s been an emotional and proud experience to represent a wonderful country with such passionate and devoted fans,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said before the parade started. “We are filled with joy.”

The squad travelled down Madrid’s historic avenues from near Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s official residence, to Cibeles Square, where authorities told local media that some 120,000 people were on hand for a ceremony.

Groups of fans had begun securing their spots near Cibeles late on Monday morning ahead of the team’s arrival, bringing umbrellas to protect against the sun and temperatures of up to 35 Celsius (95 F).

The square is where previous Spain teams and their supporters have typically gathered to celebrate. It is also the traditional celebration spot for Real Madrid when it wins titles.

Singers Aitana, Ana Mena, and Lola Índigo were set to entertain the crowd at the ceremony at Cibeles.

Officials estimated that about 1.8 million people welcomed the team in Madrid.

Spain walked off with the trophy on Sunday after Ferran Torres scored the winner in extra time to secure their second World Cup title – and the first since 2010 in South Africa.

The team was congratulated by the leaders of the three countries that cohosted the tournament: US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

After the final whistle, Madrid erupted into celebrations, with thousands of supporters pouring into the streets from bars and restaurants, many draped in Spanish flags or wearing the team’s colours.

Crowds packed the capital’s Puerta del Sol and other major squares, singing, dancing, and setting off flares while car horns blared.

Many celebrated Sunday’s victory long into the early hours of Monday morning.

“I’m very happy. I’ve slept three or four hours, but for the team, I’ll do whatever it takes,” 19-year-old Victor Alvarez said.

The men’s victory, combined with the Women’s World Cup won by Spain in 2023, makes the European nation the first to hold both titles simultaneously.

“Honestly, it was very exciting. We preferred not to go to any bar or anything, to experience it at home, focused and very happy, very joyful,” 59-year-old civil servant Gema Rodero said.

Celebrations were dampened, however, after local authorities reported that a 13-year-old in Salamanca, northwest of Madrid, had died after a fountain he had climbed onto with friends to celebrate had collapsed.

For many young supporters, the triumph is their first time witnessing the men’s team lift the trophy and the national delirium that has followed. %!s()

Football’s global governing body confirmed the probe on Monday, saying its disciplinary committee assessed match reports of the multi-player brawl which resulted in an ugly end to a heated match that was decided in extra time.

“FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regard to the post-match incidents,” FIFA told Al Jazeera in a statement.

A report on the findings and results of the probe will be shared once it is completed, the statement added.

Spain’s celebrations after winning their second world title were marred by the melee, which seemed inevitable given the flared tempers and angry outbursts between both teams and their staff.

When the referee blew the full-time whistle at the end of extra time, a few players from both teams fell to the ground in celebration and heartbreak, but several others were involved in an ugly brawl.

In what has now become a viral video, Spanish star Lamine Yamal is seen going down on his knees and raising his hands in a prayer of thanks while multiple fights break out in the background, with Argentinian players physically attacking their Spanish opponents.

Argentina defender Leandro Paredes shoved Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat, and when Spanish substitute player Gavi jumped in to intervene, Paredes pushed him to the ground.

The 2022 champions’ coach Lionel Scaloni rushed to the scene and separated Paredes from the two players, only for the number five to push more Spanish players before he was physically pulled back by a teammate.

While a few players from both sides greeted each other after the match – most noticeably, there was a warm embrace between Yamal and Argentine captain Lionel Messi – the overall atmosphere remained bitter between the two finalists.

As the post-match ceremony stage was being set up, Spain’s players formed a guard of honour for the runners-up and applauded the Argentinian players when they walked up to receive their silver medals.

However, Argentina did not return the favour and instead turned their backs on the newly crowned champions as they were handed gold medals and the famous winners’ trophy.

It is unclear when FIFA’s probe into the incident will conclude and whether any action will be taken against the players.

Last week, FIFA said it was investigating Argentinian players’ display of a political banner after their World Cup semifinal victory over England, a move that violated its stadium code of conduct and struck a nerve in the United Kingdom over the political sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, a self-governing British overseas territory off the coast of Argentina.

Defender Lisandro Martinez and unused substitute Giovani Lo Celso held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “The Falklands are Argentinian”, as they celebrated the win on the pitch, grinning and waving to fans in the stands after securing a dramatic comeback win on Wednesday.

The move sparked a row in the UK, where top government officials urged FIFA to investigate the matter and the global governing body confirmed it had launched a probe as a “standard procedure”.

“FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA disciplinary code,” a FIFA spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Thursday.

FIFA has not provided an update on the probe. %!s()

Trump insisted that Benjamin Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form” while in the US.

The president made the pledge on Monday in a social media post that did not name Mamdani directly but credited Israel with helping the US in its war on Iran.

Mamdani earlier said his administration is still considering whether to arrest Netanyahu should he attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said in an interview published on Saturday.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, charging him with committing war crimes during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani added, saying that his view is shared by many, given the actions the Israeli PM has “wrought over these last many years”.

Mamdani said he remains uncertain whether he has the legal authority to direct the police department, which he oversees, to detain a foreign leader and that he is in “an active conversation” with the city’s Law Department.

“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” he said.

During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani warned that he would order police to arrest Netanyahu if he set foot in the city, framing it as enforcement of the ICC warrant.

Netanyahu typically travels to New York each September for the UN gathering.

Posting on X, Israel dismissed Mamdani’s remarks, calling the ICC a “kangaroo court” and its warrant “bogus”, while accusing him of trying to divert attention from his own troubles.

The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, has jurisdiction which Israel rejects; neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the court.

The Trump administration has launched a campaign to try to disable the ICC, imposing sanctions on judges, prosecutors and groups that seek rulings against Israel over allegations of human rights violations. %!s()

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“There won’t be ⁠⁠any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power,” he said during a speech on Sunday at an event commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution.  

“The days when parties backed by the Yankees and the Somocistas would return to power are over – never again,” he added, according to the Reuters news agency.

He has been accused of crushing dissent in a bid to remain in power. The last election in 2021 was disputed after his government cracked down on dissent and detained opponents.

Last year, the presidential term was extended to six years and Ortega’s wife, Rosario Murillo, was named as co-president.

The UN’s Human Rights Council has said the couple have built a repressive regime, accusing government officials of having key roles in “arbitrary detentions, torture, extrajudicial executions [and the] persecution of civil society and the media”.

Ortega was widely criticised when more than 300 people were killed in a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018.

Since then, the government has stripped hundreds of Nicaraguans of their citizenship and forced others to flee the country in fear of being imprisoned.

Ortega previously served as president from 1985 to 1990, when he implemented leftist reforms in the wake of the overthrow of the United States-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979.

He has since detained many of the Sandinista National Liberation Front revolutionaries who were formerly his comrades. %!s()