Allies of Wes Streeting have sounded out Angela Rayner about a pact to run on a joint ticket for the Labour leadership, aiming for No 10. Informal talks examined roles and timing for a potential challenge to the PM, though both sides publicly downplay any immediate move.

Analysts say the Chancellor’s Budget has stalled the housing market, as uncertainty over potential tax changes deters buyers and sellers. Prices were flat last month and activity is expected to stay weak through year‑end while households wait for clearer policy and rate stability.

Baroness Falkner, former EHRC chair, says Labour has let women down, abandoning feminism and failing to protect single‑sex spaces after a Supreme Court ruling. She accuses ministers of delaying guidance and being slow to tackle grooming gangs, blaming internal pressures.

Health experts urge anyone with flu-like symptoms to wear a face mask, limit contact and ventilate spaces as a record surge strains hospitals and drives school absences. Ministers are pressed to extend the flu jab to over-50s and address vaccine fatigue among staff amid an early, stronger strain.

England were drawn with Croatia, Panama and Ghana in Group L for the 2026 World Cup. Observers view it as a favourable but testing path. At the draw ceremony, FIFA praised Donald Trump as a peacemaker.

Netflix will buy the studio behind Harry Potter and Game of Thrones for $72bn, its largest deal to date. The takeover secures control of major franchises, boosts production capacity and libraries, and steps up competition with Hollywood rivals, subject to regulatory approval.

Netflix has agreed an $83bn takeover of Warner Bros, combining major film and TV assets to form a global entertainment giant. The deal will proceed alongside a spin-off of cable operations. Regulators will review the merger; both sides expect cost savings and stronger streaming scale.

Dementia causes one in nine deaths, around 76,000 a year, with the NHS missing diagnosis targets in over half the country. Campaigners highlight a postcode lottery in care, no drugs available on the NHS, crippling care home fees and thin research funding, urging fair access and urgent reform.

Donald Trump received a peace honour from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who called him a close friend and credited him with ending “eight” conflicts. The move drew scepticism, with many questioning the claim and the relevance of a football body issuing such an award.

A former Dulwich College pupil, Yinka Bankole, alleges Nigel Farage made a racist remark to him when they were 17. He spoke out after the Reform leader’s press conference denying racism and antisemitism. Farage rejects the claim and criticises broadcasters for reporting earlier allegations.