Wes Streeting will definitely run in the upcoming Labour leadership contest, his allies have told HuffPost UK.

It is the first confirmation that he plans to mount a bid to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister.

Supporters of Starmer have claimed that the former health secretary – who resigned with a ferocious attack on the prime minister yesterday – does not have enough support from Labour MPs to mount a challenge.

Under Labour Party rules, any candidate must have the support of at least 20% of its MPs to make it onto the ballot paper. At the moment, that is 81 MPs.

Starmer allies have claimed that Streeting currently only has 43 names, leaving him well short of the number required.

They said that was why he did not formally trigger a contest when he quit the cabinet, as had been expected.

But a source close to Streeting told HuffPost UK: “He has the numbers and will be a candidate when there’s a contest.”

In his resignation letter, Streeting stopped short of saying he would challenge the PM.

But he said: “It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism.

“It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this.”

A leadership contest appears inevitable, despite Starmer insisting he “won’t walk away” from No.10.

Cabinet ministers, including home secretary Shabana Mahmood and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, have personally told the PM to set out a timetable for his departure.

More than 90 Labour MPs have so far publicly called on him to quit, while four junior ministers have also resigned from the government.

Andy Burnham kicked off his own attempt to be the next PM when it was announced that Labour MP Josh Simons is standing down to let the Greater Manchester mayor stand in his Makerfield seat.

Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) is not expected to block Burnham’s bid to be the party’s candidate in the resulting by-election.

However, he faces a huge challenge to see off Reform UK and be elected the new MP for the constituency.

If Burnham wins, he is expected to immediately challenge Starmer, triggering a full leadership contest.

Others who could throw their hats into the ring include former deputy PM Angela Rayner, defence secretary John Healey, energy secretary Ed Miliband, Mahmood, Cooper and junior defence minister Al Carns

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Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer has shared that the BBC took measures to make sure he’d be able to cope with the “pressure” of the contest.

Look Mum No Computer – the stage name of musician and YouTuber Sam Battle – is representing the UK at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest this weekend with his original song Eins, Zwei, Drei.

Given how the UK has fared at the competition in recent years, it’s fair to say that picking up that mantle is not for the faint of heart, and in a new interview with BBC News, the performer opened up about how bosses wanted to make sure he was up to the challenge.

“They gave me a stress test [to see] whether I could deal under pressure,” he explained, with the BBC describing him as flashing a nervous “should-I-be-saying-this” glance towards his press team as he made the revelation.

“It’s nothing, really,” he added. “Just making sure that you don’t get too nervous and things like that.”

HuffPost UK has contacted the BBC for additional comment.

Past UK Eurovision acts have made no secret of the intense toll that the scrutiny and attention associated with the contest can bring.

Back in 2025, Olly Alexander claimed that his number one advice to the UK’s next Eurovision entrant would be to “get yourself a really good therapist because you’ll have a lot to talk about – for years!”.

Meanwhile, Look Mum No Computer isn’t the only Eurovision performer whose delegation took measures to prepare them for the contest.

Earlier this week, Israeli representative Noam Bettan claimed that, like his recent predecessors, he rehearsed while being booed to prepare for any disruptions that might occur during his performance.

“I had a few people in my crew trying to make it hard for me, to practise for this moment,” Noam told the BBC earlier this week. “But you can’t really prepare for this.”

During Noam’s semi-final performance on Tuesday night, pro-Palestine chants could be heard coming from the audience, with Eurovision later confirming that audience members had been removed for causing disruption.

After a two-year wait, Rivals is finally back – and if any fans out there were nervous about whether season two could deliver on the outrageous fun provided by the first run, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Disney+’s adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s bonkbuster novels returned with three brand new episodes on Friday morning, with three more to come in the weeks ahead, and the rest of the season following later in the year.

In the lead-up to the release, these episodes were met with unanimous praise (check that 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes if you don’t believe us), with many of those glowing four- and five-star reviews hailing the new season as even better than its predecessor.

Here’s a selection of what the critics are saying about Rivals’ second season so far…

“How best to reward such exquisitely knowing escapism? Ten stars? Ten thousand stars? Rivals is beyond earthly praise. Let us instead insert a single rose between its tireless bum cheeks and raise a glass of Cinzano to its naked audacity. Bottoms up!”

“Despite its deliberate corniness, this is also gloriously uplifting television. It is unashamedly celebratory and perhaps even better than the last series, though there is no naked tennis this time.”

“The new series delivers exactly what we need in a week of grim headlines: pure, unadulterated escapism. Its unique blend of utter silliness, seriousness and chaos makes us glad that Rivals is so much more than an illicit affair, it’s a long term relationship we want to keep far beyond the morning after.”

“This is glossy, wickedly funny, politically incorrect and completely unashamed. When it comes to old-school escapist TV, Rivals is unrivalled.”

“[Season two is about] class, petty human jealousy, sex, and love […] of course this is a must watch!”

“What a romp this is. Any notion of second season nerves for the surprise Disney+ hit Rivals (Jilly Cooper was hardly hot property) are quickly dispelled in a gleeful continuation of the bonking, big hair and hilarity where there’s a belly laugh every 30 seconds.”

“Rivals continues to refresh the parts that other television cannot reach – a heady mix of guilty pleasure, trenchant satire, rambunctious comedy and out-and-out trash. Repeatedly, characters take their clothes off and jump into swimming pools for no reason. Sometimes you just have to go with it and take the leap yourself.”

“Dame Jilly Cooper died last October, a few months after season two of Rivals went into production. But her legacy looks secure: the residents of Rutshire are in safe hands.”

“Rivals [is] such a rare treat in today’s television landscape. It is well-written and well-acted, but it aspires to nothing more than being fun. Real, associable human emotions are kept at arm’s length in favour of stylised bucolic horniness.”

“If it were all about the plentiful sex, the audiences’ hard-on for the thrilling ’80s-set revenge drama would have long softened. As such the hateful feud between Tony and womanising MP Rupert Campbell-Black is even more fiery than the passionate entanglements that run rife in the season.”

“An unabashedly over-the-top 1980s-set drama that gleefully embraces the idea that there’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure, it’s a series that, at its heart, is about indulgence, both for its characters and for those watching along at home.

“Though it boasts a prestige cast, lavish sets, and a story that’s grounded in class tensions among the British society elite, it’s a show that determinedly refuses to take itself too seriously, and one that is deeply uninterested in lecturing its viewers about its characters’ (many, obvious) moral failings.”

“If Rivals’ first season was glam and fun, season two uses that as a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. The more complex and morally grey storylines refuse to take the easy way out despite the fluffy packaging.

“You might have found yourself rooting for extramarital affairs in season one, but season two is ready to douse you in some cold water and remind you that all actions have consequences. That’s what makes the series work: you get the good and the bad.”

The first three episodes of Rivals’ second season are now streaming on Disney+. Check out HuffPost UK’s full review here.

A spokesperson for Britney Spears is sticking up for the singer following accusations that she caused a scene at a Los Angeles-area restaurant on Wednesday night.

TMZ reported on Thursday that Britney had been seen dining out with two people, one of whom was a man she apparently kept saying “I love you” to while they fed each other.

Britney’s rep clarified that she was dining with her assistant and bodyguard at the Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks, and told a different story than the one reported by TMZ.

Eyewitnesses told the outlet they heard the Piece Of Me star raising her voice, screaming and barking. One described the vibe as chaotic and “kind of sad” though the Grammy winner reportedly “still looked cute”.

At one point, it was reported that staffers had to ask a person with Britney to put out a cigarette she had lit inside, but the most startling moment may have been when she allegedly walked through the restaurant holding a knife.

Entertainment journalist Jeff Sneider wrote on X that he had been dining at the Blue Dog Tavern at the same time as Britney, and called the incident both “wild” and “insane”, adding: “One diner feared for her life. This is not a joke.”

In a statement released to the media, a rep for Britney said the whole story has been unfairly exaggerated.

“Britney was enjoying a quiet dinner with her assistant and bodyguard,” her spokesperson said, while insisting any noise from the singer was because “she was simply telling the story about how her dog was barking at the neighbours”.

“At no point did she put anyone in danger with a knife. She was cutting her hamburger in half,” they added.

“This constant attack on everything that she does and this is exactly what happened 20 years ago when the media tried to depict Britney as a bad person. This is ridiculous and it needs to stop now.”

Britney’s rep notably did not address TMZ’s kissing allegations or the “I love you” comments in the statement.

The story about Britney’s supposedly erratic behaviour comes just over a week after she avoided jail for a DUI charge by pleading guilty to a lesser charge.

She had previously checked herself into a rehab facility following her arrest earlier this year.

A Reform UK MP was laughed at by the BBC Question Time audience after he was left stumped by the detail of one of his own party’s policies.

Danny Kruger admitted he didn’t know how Reform plans to save £10 billion from the welfare budget by ending payouts to people with mild anxiety.

He was quizzed on his party’s plans for government by Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce.

She said: “Just coming back to the cuts in welfare, because I’ve heard Reform say this every time asked, ‘we’d get rid of benefits for people with mild anxiety’.

“What percentage of the welfare bill do those people make up?”

Kruger, the MP for East Wiltshire who defected from the Tories last year, replied: “I don’t know what that number is, Fiona.”

As the audience laughed, the presenter asked him: “How can you possibly know it’s going to save you £10 billion?”

The MP said: “Excuse me, I don’t know every fact and figure.”

Bruce said: “You’ve just given us a fact which is £10 billion, but you have no idea how you’d get it.”

Kruger insisted he could “stand that up later if you like”.

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If you’re considering booking flights for your family, you might want to think carefully about the times you book in order to try and swerve jet lag and the inevitable meltdowns that can happen when kids are overtired.

One badly-timed flight can end up with children refusing to sleep at 3am, emotional airport meltdowns and exhausted parents spending the first three days of the holiday trying to “fix” everyone’s body clocks.

Omar El-Gohary, CEO and superintendent pharmacist at IQ Doctor, suggested the time families choose to fly can have a bigger impact on children’s jet lag than most people realise. And while many parents assume overnight flights are always the best option, he argues that isn’t necessarily true for every age group.

Here, El-Gohary recommends the best time of day to fly with children depending on their age, plus practical tricks to reduce travel exhaustion.

Mid-morning flights often work best (9am-12pm), said the expert.

“For babies and young toddlers, consistency matters more than forcing them into overnight sleep patterns they don’t fully understand yet,” he explained.

Mid-morning flights are often the least stressful as they avoid:

• Extremely early airport wake-ups
• Overtired evening travel
• Disrupted bedtime routines
• Pressure for babies to ‘sleep on cue’

“At this age, many children still nap unpredictably, meaning overnight flights can sometimes backfire completely. A baby who usually refuses to sleep on a red-eye can leave parents dealing with 10+ hours of overstimulation, crying and exhaustion in a confined space,” he added.

Morning departures tend to align better with natural wake windows and allow children to nap more naturally during parts of the flight.

• Keep naps flexible on travel day
• Avoid arriving at the airport too early
• Feed during take-off and landing to help ear pressure
• Pack one completely ‘new’ toy for mid-flight distraction
• Don’t try to force destination bedtime immediately after arrival

Early afternoon flights (12-3pm) can help reduce meltdowns.

“Toddlers are usually the hardest age group to travel with as they’re energetic enough to become restless, but emotionally sensitive when tired or overstimulated,” he said.

“Afternoon flights work well because children have already burned energy during the morning, parents avoid pre-dawn wake-ups, children may naturally nap during the second half of the flight and arrival times are often easier to manage.” (As a toddler mum whose two-year-old is usually out for the count by 1pm, this makes a lot of sense.)

The expert warned that very early departures can be “especially difficult” at this age as disrupted sleep routines can trigger emotional dysregulation for the entire day.

• Let them run around before boarding
• Avoid too much sugar pre-flight
• Download familiar comfort shows beforehand
• Bring snacks in small ‘surprise’ intervals
• Use destination daylight strategically after arrival

Once kids reach school age, overnight flights start becoming more useful. El-Gohary said 6-10pm is your sweet spot.

Night flights work because their body clocks become more adaptable and overnight flights become more effective for reducing jet lag, the pro suggested, especially if you’re going long-haul.

“At this age, children are more likely to understand travel routines, sleep for long stretches, cope better with delayed bedtimes and manage airport waiting times,” he said.

That said, beware of treating flights like ‘holiday mode’ too early, as “overexcited children staying awake for films, snacks and games throughout the flight often arrive more jet-lagged than adults”.

• Slowly change bedtime a few days before departure
• Encourage sleep shortly after meal service onboard
• Keep screens dim during overnight flights
• Change watches and devices to destination time immediately
• Prioritise sunlight exposure after landing

Again, late evening flights usually work best. El-Gohary recommends 8-11pm flight times for this age group as “teenagers naturally experience later sleep cycles” so they “often adapt better to overnight travel than younger children”.

“Late evening flights tend to suit teens as they naturally stay awake for longer anyway, tolerate time-zone changes better, sleep more independently during flights and recover quicker from disrupted sleep schedules,” he added.

Teens can still be affected by hidden jet lag symptoms such as travel fatigue, irritability, mood changes, low motivation, headaches or poor sleep quality for several days.

To avoid this, he advises parents to:

• Reduce caffeine before flights
• Encourage hydration before and during travel
• Avoid sleeping immediately after landing if arriving during daytime
• Limit overnight scrolling and blue-light exposure
• Keep first-day holiday plans light.

During a wide-ranging Thursday night interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, President Donald Trump went on quite a tangent about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s appearance, especially his stature.

“But I say about him (Xi), that if you went to Hollywood and you looked for a leader of China to play a role in a movie … ” Trump said.

“Central casting,” Hannity interjected.

“He’s central casting, you couldn’t find a guy like him,” Trump said. “Even his physical features, he’s tall, very tall. Especially for this country, cause they tend to be a little bit shorter. You look at the military, I mean, the military today was incredible, that military marching was incredible. But no, if you went to Hollywood, you wouldn’t find that. You’re not gonna find a guy to play the role.”

“I mean, I’ll get criticised, they always criticise me when I say good things about certain leaders,” Trump continued.

Trump and Xi met behind closed doors on Thursday morning, where the Chinese president reportedly told his counterpart “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” according to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” she wrote.

Trump also told Hannity during the interview that Xi said during their conversations that he “would like to be of help” in negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the war in Iran.

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