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National News

Starmer sets out education reforms

Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to smash the “class ceiling” if his party wins the next election, as he sets out plans to reform the education system in a major speech. The Labour leader is expected to set a goal of half a million more children reaching their early learning targets by 2030 as he expands on the party’s intention to improve teaching for the under-fives. Modernising the curriculum to

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National News

Council windfall announced

Councils will get an extra £204 million to help them deliver a major expansion of free childcare announced in the March budget, the Education Secretary has said. Gillian Keegan told a conference for town hall chiefs the money, which local authorities will get from September, will allow them to increase the hourly rates they pay providers. Funding allocations for each local authority will be confirmed later this week but the

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National News

Hostile Headingley awaits Australia after Bairstow row Ashes talking points

England and Australia will renew their Ashes battle at Headingley on Thursday, four days after Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal sparked a controversy that escalated far enough to draw in the Prime Ministers of both nations. The hosts are 2-0 behind and need to win to keep the series alive, while their opponents have the chance to become the first Australia team to win in England since 2001. Here, the PA news agency looks

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National News

Prince and Princess of Wales drop in for NHS tea party

The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised NHS staff by dropping in for a tea party at a London hospital. William and Kate added the finishing touches to cupcakes and helped lay tables at a reception at St Thomas’ Hospital to celebrate the health service’s 75th anniversary. The royal couple met with guests including Aneira “Nye” Thomas, the first baby born on the NHS, named after NHS founder Aneurin Bevan.

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National News

NHS boss praises constant compassion of NHS staff as service reaches 75

An NHS chief has paid tribute to the “constant” compassion of the service’s 1.4 million staff, as the institution celebrates its 75th anniversary. But Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS in England, acknowledged the “enormous challenges” faced by workers, including the record demand for services and the backlog of care. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for the health service in England, said that staff were meeting these

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National News

UK architects sign landmark climate pledge with Commonwealth countries

British architects have signed a landmark climate pledge alongside those in Commonwealth countries to address environmental degradation and the rapid growth in urban populations. The agreement has been signed by 10 members of the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), which represents national architecture professional bodies. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is among those which have signed the pledge which aims to underline the sector’s “fundamental role” in tackling

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Sport

Speedway, Seahenge and Star Wars – All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays July 4, part one:July 2013: This was the scene at Lynn Town Hall marking the end of an era for the Lynn Stars Study Centre, which was being closed by Norfolk County Council Children’s Services because of budget cuts. The centre, based at the Providence Street Community Centre, had opened in 2006, offering out-of-school courses to help children from local schools develop an enthusiasm for learning.These Year

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Local News

Main town route will be closed overnight for resurfacing work

A main road through Lynn will be closed off again tonight as resurfacing work is carried out.The A148 London Road will be closed and parking will be suspended between 7pm tonight and 6am tomorrow morning, just as it was last night.The road will be shut just south of Blackfriars Street to the Southgate Street junction, while a “road rejuvenator” is sprayed onto the surface, which “requires time to soak into

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National News

Wimbledon organisers not complacent about high risk of protest

Wimbledon organisers have insisted they are not complacent about the “high” risk of protest at the tournament. Operations director of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) Michelle Dite told reporters that “nothing happened” on the first day of the championships in relation to protests and the AELTC received “no intelligence”. When asked whether there might be greater chance of disruption on Tuesday, she told reporters: “I think generally it’s high

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