The government opens up another fight, while the Reform leader throws his sidekick to the wolves

Gluttons for punishment. You’d have thought that after their experience of the last week in which they were forced to make not one, but two U-turn concessions to secure the support of MPs over the welfare bill, Labour would have been after a little down time. A chance to build bridges with its own backbenchers. A moment to regroup and hope the media can run stories about something other than where it all went wrong for Labour in its first year. Or just a chance to run down the clock to recess in a fortnight’s time. Then everyone in Westminster can go home for six weeks. Give us all a chance to forget.

But that’s not the style of this government. No sooner has one row ended – well, just about; there may still be some on both sides who want afters – than Labour opens up another one. This time, the target isn’t adults, it’s children. Which makes the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, either very brave or very stupid. As a general rule, picking on kids is not a vote-winner.

Spain continued their rich goalscoring form and closed on the knockout stages of Women’s Euro 2025 as they put six goals past Belgium on a rain-soaked evening in Thun.

The world champions were twice pegged back by Belgian equalisers, but Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir’s side were eventually overpowered and Belgium will now be eliminated unless Portugal beat Italy in Monday’s late kick-off.

Texas senator Ted Cruz defends response to flooding as risk of new deluge remains high with more rain forecast

• Camp Mystic confirms 27 children and counsellors died in floods

• Texas flood survivors question planning and response

Residents of Kerr County began clearing mud and salvaging what they could from their demolished properties as they recounted harrowing escapes from rapidly rising floodwaters late Friday.

Reagan Brown said his parents, in their 80s, managed to escape uphill as water inundated their home in the town of Hunt.

Exclusive: Changes to workers’ rights bill will prohibit the silencing of staff who suffer harassment or discrimination

• Labour has delivered where Tory ministers did not on NDA rules

Bosses in the UK will be banned from using non-disclosure agreements to silence employees who have suffered harassment and discrimination in the workplace as part of the government’s overhaul of workers’ rights.

Ministers will on Monday night table amendments to the government’s employment rights bill to prohibit the widespread practice of using legally enforceable NDAs to conceal unacceptable behaviour at work.

Sources confirm claim likely to cast further doubt among Labour MPs about judgment of Downing Street aides

George Osborne was on Downing Street’s shortlist to be the next UK ambassador to Washington, it has been claimed, despite the former Conservative chancellor being reviled by many in the Labour party and wider political left.

In the new edition of his biography on Keir Starmer, the writer Tom Baldwin suggests the prime minister’s senior aides “invested considerable effort” in unsuccessfully pushing Osborne’s application. Sources confirmed to the Guardian that the former Tory politician was approached about the role.