National News

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Kylie Minogue said she is “feeling incredibly lucky” as she celebrates the 35th anniversary of her debut album which sparked a long and successful career in music. She rose to fame acting in Australian soap Neighbours before her 1988 record Kylie topped the charts with hit pop songs Got To Be Certain, The Loco-Motion, and Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi. In a Tuesday Twitter post, Minogue wrote: “35 years since my debut album Kylie and what a journey

The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black has said she will step down at the next general election, citing the “toxic” environment at Westminster as the reason for her departure. Speaking to The News Agents podcast, the Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP said Westminster is “one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in”. She was first elected in 2015, when a surge in support for the