Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power." About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:37 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce."  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 by Tim ZadorozhnyyAn Israeli soldier runs from a Patriot missile launcher on Feb as the anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile is ready to launch in the town of Gadera (David Silverman / Getty Images)A Patriot air defense system based in Israel will be transferred to Ukraine after refurbishment citing four unnamed current and former U.S According to the publication, Western allies are also discussing the logistics of supplying additional systems from Germany or Greece as Russia escalates its attacks across Ukraine The sources declined to go into detail about U.S. President Donald Trump's stance on the decision or clarify whether the move was initiated before he took office during former President Joe Biden's administration Kyiv has consistently pressed Western partners to bolster Ukraine's air defenses, warning that its current capabilities are insufficient to counter the scale of Russian missile and drone assaults The Patriot system a U.S.-made surface-to-air missile platform is widely recognized for its high-precision detection Ukraine currently has eight Patriot systems The remaining two are reportedly undergoing refurbishment President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated Ukraine's urgent need for air defenses in an April 13 interview with CBS News, saying Kyiv is ready to purchase 10 U.S.-made Patriot systems for $15 billion to shield densely populated cities "We will find the money and pay for everything," Zelensky said emphasizing Ukraine's intention to buy Despite Kyiv's appeals, Trump dismissed the request on April 14 accusing Zelensky of "always looking to purchase missiles" and falsely blaming Ukraine for instigating the war Trump's tone on Ukraine has shifted in recent weeks. On April 24, he criticized a Russian strike on Kyiv that killed at least nine civilians and injured 87, calling it "not necessary" and urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the attacks Shortly after taking office, Trump threatened to impose tariffs and sanctions on Russia to force negotiations saying "we can do it the easy way or the hard way," though no measures have materialized so far Trump has recently questioned Russia's intentions to seek peace, as Moscow continues to reject a complete ceasefire agreement intensifying attacks against Ukrainian civilian areas Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent he is pursuing studies in International Relations Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor Nine out of 10 school leaders tell survey they are finding it harder to meet special needs of pupils than a year ago The crisis in special needs education appears to be worsening with nine out of 10 school leaders finding it harder to meet pupils’ needs than they did a year ago Almost all (98%) of the respondents to a National Association of Head Teachers’ (NAHT) poll covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland said they did not have the resources to meet the needs of all their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). One school leader who took part in the research described levels of Send funding as “diabolical”, while another said demand was continuing to mount, with Send pupil numbers doubling in nursery and reception in the last three years. Four in five (82%) mainstream school leaders said they were struggling to support pupils who needed specialist provision that had been agreed in their education, health and care plan (EHCP) but was not available. The NAHT general secretary, Paul Whiteman, said pupils’ needs were becoming more complex. “Right now, too many schools have children who should be getting specialist support who are being let down by the lack of capacity and availability of places in the specialist sector. “Schools are desperately trying to do their best for those pupils, but without access to the specialist help they need, their hands are tied. We also know that many special schools are struggling to meet the demand on them for places and are massively oversubscribed.” The government is due to publish its plans to transform the Send system in Englandin a white paper, which is expected to prioritise inclusion and better support in mainstream state schools, with the aim of cutting council spending on costly private provision. Read moreGuardian analysis earlier this year revealed that many English councils had built up debts running into hundreds of millions of pounds as a result of Send spending on independent special schools pushing the councils to the brink of bankruptcy Whiteman said: “We are not opposed to the government wanting mainstream schools to be inclusive and school leaders take this duty really seriously resources and specialist staffing to be able to support their students appropriately and effectively “And this doesn’t remove the fact that there will also always be a need for special school places for pupils with the greatest needs Capacity in both mainstream and specialist schools must match need.” Delegates to the NAHT’s annual general conference in Harrogate this weekend will vote on a number of motions calling for more funding training and support for educating Send pupils “There is no higher priority now in education than fixing the Send crisis,” Whiteman said Free newsletterGet the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning The poll drew almost 900 responses from school leaders across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and included anonymous contributions that revealed the daily struggle faced by schools “We are in a deficit budget position,” one said “We are supporting children with significant needs and don’t receive the funding we need … It is having a detrimental impact on the education of others in school.” Another said: “We are at crisis point with the level of need and what we can actually offer the children Staff morale is low and staff are leaving the profession.” A Department for Education spokesperson said the government had inherited a Send system on its knees and had already invested an additional £1.7bn to improve provision we are thinking differently about what the Send system should look like to restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they are crying out for so every child can achieve and thrive.” Travel costs are again in the sights of local authorities desperate to cut costs More than one in three councils are taking new measures to slash spending on home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sparking fears more vulnerable pupils will be left with hour-long school drop-offs One council even admitted cutting travel support will be “significantly disadvantageous” for the hundreds of affected children and families but was “necessary” given the financial challenges A Schools Week investigation into councils’ 2025-26 budgets also found an early intervention social worker programme for schools being axed An enrichment scheme guaranteeing disadvantaged youngsters a chance to go to the theatre and own musical instruments is also being scaled back 10 councils are planning to increase the cost of traded services to schools to boost income Baroness Anne Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives think tank said declines in funding for wider services means schools are “increasingly being left to pick up the pieces and the most vulnerable children are forced to bear the brunt” “It should be a core function of local government to fund transport to the most suitable school for a child,” she added “We can’t expect every child can go to their closest school whatever their circumstances and whatever the consequences.”  Schools Week found 60 councils with education responsibilities aim to reduce SEND transport costs by at least £100,000 this year councils expect to spend £1.5 billion on SEND transport for pre-16 year olds in the 2024-25 financial year – which is triple the bill incurred in 2016 It is part of the broader crisis in the SEND system that has seen surging needs councils in crisis and widespread unmet need Common measures being adopted by local authorities include increased use of independent travel training replacing directly provided transport with personal travel budgets for SEND children’s families changes in routes and reduced use of single-passenger taxis Some councils are also factoring in reduced transport costs stemming from plans to increase the number of SEND children educated within the local area thereby cutting the number of expensive journeys to schools outside a locality the measures are intended to temper the growth of SEND transport costs rather than cut spending outright with home to school transport frequently being both a cost pressure and savings measure in local authorities’ budgets Leicester City Council has among the severest proposals affecting 350-450 children and young adults with SEND Its plans mean such pupils would “not be provided with any transport assistance save in certain limited cases and where exceptional circumstances apply,” a council report said Any transport assistance that is provided would only be in the form of a personal transport budget The council report recognises the changes are “likely to be significantly disadvantageous for affected young people and young adults (and their families)” but are “necessary… in the circumstances facing the council” A spokesperson for Leicester City Council told Schools Week the proposal had been through consultation and the authority expected to publish a decision shortly said: “Too many [councils] are ignoring Department for Education guidance reminding them of their equality duties to young people with SEN and disabilities who should not be disadvantaged when it comes to accessing further education in comparison with non-disabled peers.” She expressed particular concern over measures focused on young people aged over 16 where councils’ legal obligations are weaker than for those of compulsory school age Schools Week has identified 16 councils with savings plans related to post-16 SEND transport which is looking to save £300,000 in 2025-26 and £2m in 2026-27 The council will cease post-16 transport for families not on low incomes Those on low incomes will be expected to make financial contributions and act as “passenger assistants” Councils are not legally obliged to provide free SEND transport to over-16s but Wright warned that councils will be breaking the law if transport cuts mean young people cannot get to the school or college named in their EHCP “We are hearing anecdotally of disabled young people who have had to leave education because they cannot travel to their school or college joint head of Frank Wise community special school in Oxfordshire reviews of access to transport focus on exploiting weaknesses in the statutory requirements in order to minimise cost irrespective of whether the outcome is reasonable for children and families “The system is broadly incoherent and this incoherence can impact significantly on children and their families access to transport is just another battle for families to fight as local authorities try to reduce expenditure that is rising due to the wider dysfunction of the SEND system as local authorities try to reduce their costs it is children and families who pay the price.” Barnet Council in north London is among those looking to increase the take-up of personal transport budgets where parents have to arrange transport themselves as well as using multi-pickup points rather than individual taxis Ten councils are seeking to increase independent travel training for SEND pupils while others are proposing “optimisation” of travel routes But Wright said travel budgets “often fall far short of the actual costs involved” while optimising routes can drag out journey times causing potential difficulties for children with medical conditions such as musculoskeletal problems She said: “Routes tend to be changed so that one taxi or bus can take more pupils which can take journey times well over 75 minutes as the vehicle travels to various pick-up points and may take time loading in a number of disabled children.” Other councils are making individual cuts to education programmes is ceasing to fund its Social Workers in School project which carries out child protection work and engages with schools to reduce the flow of cases coming into statutory services The council’s budget documents admit the funding cut will mean additional statutory child protection work having to be absorbed by current social work teams that are “already under pressure” Newham in east London is cutting 25 per cent of funding for its Enrichment Programme which funds cultural and creative activities for 25,000 children and young people This includes axing its secondary school theatre scheme meaning teenagers will no longer be guaranteed a professional theatre experience schools will no longer be able to bid for arts and culture projects the maximum value of school music grants will be lowered and the fund to purchase musical instruments for children will be scrapped The council says it will develop “a revised approach to enrichment heritage and cultural strategy programmes” Dorset is halving funding for its Education Board which works to close the school attainment gap and commissions projects to improve outcomes.  10 councils are seeking to drive higher income from traded services to schools Oldham and Staffordshire – are registering parental fines for unauthorised school absences as income growth to help balance the books said a new national framework introduced in September had “led to an increase in requests for the council to issue fines for leave/holidays in term time” “The [national] fine rate has been increased from £160 to £180 and we are now able to issue two fines to the same parent for the same child within the same academic year,” he added In its response to the National Audit Office’s report into the SEND crisis the Department for Education said the “rising cost of school transport underscores the need for more children to attend a local mainstream school that meets their needs” A new data collection was launched in February to help councils benchmark their provision find efficiencies and support decision making” New guidance for “partnership working” on school transport will also “be published soon” Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College In today’s outcome-driven education landscape Finding new teaching talent for your school can be time consuming and costly the Inspiring Leadership Conference enters its eleventh year and to mark the occasion the conference not only.. Catch Up® is a not-for-profit charity working to address literacy and numeracy difficulties that contribute to underachievement A solicitor representing two claimants said the case 'brought important national attention' to the struggles families are facing Millions funnelled in just one year to settings that have failed independent school standards The education committee received an 'unprecedented' number of responses to its SEND inquiry and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Become a subscriber and stay up to date with the latest breaking news and industry discussion Website by Creative Sponge The Ukrainian attack comes after Russian drones in Odesa kill one and damage local infrastructure Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraine has launched a massive drone attack against Moscow for the second night in a row as the Russian capital’s four airports were forced to close over safety concerns At least 19 Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow after 105 were launched across Russia overnight Airports in a number of regional cities were also closed. It comes after four drones were launched at the Russian capital a day earlier The city is set to host a Victory Day parade at the weekend, a major event where Vladimir Putin will meet with a number of world leaders including Chinese president Xi Jinping Russia has already been forced to cancel its Victory Day parade in occupied Crimea due to safety concerns On the war's frontline, Ukrainian forces attacked a power substation in Russia's western Kursk region after launching an audacious second incursion into the region Last month, Russia's top general said that Ukrainian troops had been ejected from Kursk, ending the biggest incursion into Russian territory since the Second World War US President Donald Trump said Moscow and Kyiv want to settle the war in Ukraine and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was more inclined towards peace after the recent fall in the price of oil “I think Russia with the price of oil right now The price of oil - which drives the Russian economy - has fallen around $15 a barrel since the start of the year Three civilians were killed and seven injured after Ukraine’s attack on Kursk Ukraine's military confirmed its forces were engaged in fighting inside the Russian region over the past 24 hours But Russian troops managed to retake most of the territory as US support dwindled under US president Donald Trump Russia has attacked the north-eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine with drones overnight The attack has caused a huge fire and widespread damage in the Barabashovo market Dismissing Vladimir Putin’s offer of a brief ceasefire in May as yet “another attempt at manipulation” is an understatement. The Russian president is – according to the former head of MI6 – intent on taking much more than just Ukraine Far from being worried by recent mini-threats from Donald Trump to increase sanctions or stung by the US president’s irritation at Russia’s stalling over a ceasefire Putin is cupping his ears in a pantomime of attention and carrying on doing as he pleases Such behaviour chimes with the uncharacteristically stark message from ex-spy chief Sir Alex Younger who after a lifetime in the shadows of espionage has a simple message: “If you don’t stand up to him he comes back for more – how many more times do we need to be told this?” President Donald Trump greeted Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina and esthetician who was held in a Russian prison for over a year, at the White House Mr Trump met with Karelina, 34, in the Oval Office yesterday, shaking her hand and telling her it’s “an honour.” When the 34-year-old responded that it was her honor to meet him, Mr Trump, speaking to the people she had arrived with, said: “Now I know why you fought so hard to get her out of there.” Ms Karelina was born in Russia and immigrated to the US more than 10 years ago, building a life in Los Angeles as an esthetician at a spa and obtaining citizenship in 2021. But Karelina was arrested in January 2024 while visiting her parents and sister in the southern Russian city of Yekaterinburg. At least one person was killed after a Russian drone attacked Odesa oblast yesterday, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. Several houses were damaged in Odesa oblast as a result of the attack, the official said. "The body of a deceased person was found in one of the houses. Additional information about the victims is being verified," he said. At least three residents were killed and seven others were injured in a separate attack by Russian forces on a village in Sumy oblast in Ukraine’s north on Monday. The European Union will publish plans today to ban new Russian gas deals by the end of the year, and phase out existing contracts with Moscow by the end of 2027, three EU officials told Reuters. The European Commission will publish a "roadmap" of how it plans to end Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, the officials said. The roadmap will include a commitment to propose, in June, a ban on new Russian gas import deals and spot contracts by the end of 2025, the officials said. The roadmap will also include a commitment to make a legal proposal to ban Russian gas and liquefied natural gas imports under existing contracts by the end of 2027, said the officials, granted anonymity to discuss the confidential plans, which could still change before they are published. US president Donald Trump and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone call yesterday that both leaders described as "very productive" and said they discussed everything from how to end Russia's war in Ukraine to Syria and the Gaza war. In a social media post, Mr Trump said the Turkish leader had invited him to Turkey "at a future date" and that he would also be coming to Washington, but did not say when. Mr Trump, who described as "excellent" his relationship with Mr Erdogan during his first tenure at the White House, said the two countries would cooperate on ending the war in Ukraine. "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous but deadly War between Russia and Ukraine ended – NOW!" Mr Trump said in his post. Mr Erdogan welcomed the US efforts to end the war, Turkey's presidency said. Mr Erdogan, in a subsequent X post, confirmed the mutual invitation. "The phone call that I had today with my friend Donald Trump was very productive, comprehensive and sincere," the Turkish president said. After Russian military bloggers reported a fresh Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region on Monday, Ukraine's military has now confirmed its forces were engaged in combat operations there over the past 24 hours. The earlier reports said Ukrainian forces conducted a series of limited attacks across the Russia-Ukraine international border near Tetkino in Kursk Oblast, including strikes on energy infrastructure. Last month Moscow said it had fully defeated Ukraine's incursion into Kursk that began in August last year, but Kyiv has insisted it maintained a foothold in the region throughout. In a daily update posted on Telegram this morning, the Ukrainian military said its forces in Kursk had fought off Russian attacks, and come under fire from Russian artillery and air-dropped bombs. Newer1 / 2Older{"liveBlogId":2063712,"initialPosts":[{"type":"post","data":{"name":"2063712","title":"Vladimir Putin 'wants to settle' war Trump claims","id":2063737,"uuid":"29705209-eccf-443c-90f0-1befbd804369","scheduleTime":0,"created":1746518064,"changed":1746518064,"container":2063712,"user":{"name":"Alexander Butler"},"extra":{"authorName":"Alexander Butler"}},"postJson":[{"type":"markup","data":{"markup":"US President Donald Trump said Moscow and Kyiv want to settle the war in Ukraine and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was more inclined towards peace after the recent fall in the price of oil Firefighters work at the site of the Barabashovo market hit by Russian drone strike in Kharkiv A firefighter works at the site of the Barabashovo market damaged heavily due to a Russian drone attack A firefighter tries to bring the blaze at the Ukrainian market under control A vendor sits at the site of the Barabashovo market hit by Russian drone strike Dismissing Vladimir Putin’s offer of a brief ceasefire in May as yet “another attempt at manipulation” is an understatement. The Russian president is – according to the former head of MI6 – intent on taking much more than just Ukraine Far from being worried by recent mini-threats from Donald Trump to increase sanctions or stung by the US president’s irritation at Russia’s stalling over a ceasefire Such behaviour chimes with the uncharacteristically stark message from ex-spy chief Sir Alex Younger who President Donald Trump greeted Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina and esthetician who was held in a Russian prison for over a year, at the White House Mr Trump met with Karelina, 34, in the Oval Office yesterday, shaking her hand and telling her it’s “an honour.” When the 34-year-old responded that it was her honor to meet him, Mr Trump, speaking to the people she had arrived with, said: “Now I know why you fought so hard to get her out of there.” Ms Karelina was born in Russia and immigrated to the US more than 10 years ago, building a life in Los Angeles as an esthetician at a spa and obtaining citizenship in 2021. But Karelina was arrested in January 2024 while visiting her parents and sister in the southern Russian city of Yekaterinburg. \"The body of a deceased person was found in one of the houses. Additional information about the victims is being verified,\" he said. File: A destoyed apartment in a residential building seen after a drone attack in Odesa The European Commission will publish a \"roadmap\" of how it plans to end Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, the officials said. US president Donald Trump and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone call yesterday that both leaders described as \"very productive\" and said they discussed everything from how to end Russia's war in Ukraine to Syria and the Gaza war. In a social media post, Mr Trump said the Turkish leader had invited him to Turkey \"at a future date\" and that he would also be coming to Washington, but did not say when. Mr Trump, who described as \"excellent\" his relationship with Mr Erdogan during his first tenure at the White House, said the two countries would cooperate on ending the war in Ukraine. \"I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous but deadly War between Russia and Ukraine ended – NOW!\" Mr Trump said in his post. \"The phone call that I had today with my friend Donald Trump was very productive, comprehensive and sincere,\" the Turkish president said. US president Donald Trump and Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan leave the stage after the family photo to head to the plenary session at the Nato summit at the Grove hotel in Watford Russian T-90M tanks drive through central Moscow during a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade where Russia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany Russia will mark ‘Victory Day’ on 9 May with a huge military parade of troops and hardware on Red Square presided over by president Vladimir Putin Russian Yars Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM)s travel through central Moscow during a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade Russian T-90M tanks seen rolling out in central Moscow as Russian forces prepare for the Victory Day parade Russian Yars Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) are likely to be a part of huge military parade of troops and hardware on Red Square this weekend Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies govt and politics/politics"},{"score":0.707523,"label":"/travel/transports/air travel/airports"},{"score":0.70227,"label":"/law BROOKLYN Beckham's fans have issued a stern warning to his wife after the couple snubbed David's milestone birthday celebrations The Sun exclusively revealed David's "heartbreak" over his eldest son’s absence from the event Billionaire heiress, Nicola, 30, has faced accusations of “controlling” Brooklyn and is believed to be at the center of the escalating feud between the Peltz and Beckham families The couple were notably absent from Victoria’s Instagram images - including a family shot of Posh and Becks with their three other children - Romeo It is understood the pair instead flew to New York ahead of their Met Gala appearance tonight As the celebrations were in full swing at the weekend, Nicola shared an emotional post on Instagram describing her special bond with her late grandmothers. She wrote: “in life we have core memories and this is one of my most favorite days i’ve ever lived. they were my best friends, there wasn’t a day i wasn’t with them. "to my naunni and my gina i can’t fathom the thought of not being able to hug you or hear your laugh right now - i just miss you both so much. i got us all matching dior fancy sneakers and i was so proud to match you both this whole summer "the kentucky derby is today and i will never forget watching it on tv with you both every year "i love you both more than anything and think of you every second "i hope you’re together right now looking after me and i hope i see you soon "to my forever soulmates i more than love you because the word love doesn’t touch how you have made me feel growing up "i felt more than loved and that is what i feel for you both The post prompted fans to urge an end to the rift One commented: “I’m sure your husband has core loving memories with his family growing up too.” Stop controlling your man," a sentiment echoed by others A third user said: “I hope you and Brook patch the rift with his family A fifth chimed in with: “If you cherish family so much Insiders said David and Victoria were sad Brooklyn did not attend any of the parties two council officers arrived at the restaurant at 3.35am yesterday An onlooker said: “David’s party really went off and the longer time went on “Some neighbours weren’t very happy when it was still so loud at 2am and leaned out windows to see where the racket was from.” Kensington and Chelsea Council said advice was given to minimise disruption An onlooker added: “Whatever the council said worked because the music stopped immediately.” Chef Clare Smyth designed a special menu and vegan Bavarian lager Noam Beer was on offer After dinner Cruz serenaded his parents with a performance of Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton An insider said: “Everyone had an amazing time “Naturally David and Victoria were upset Brooklyn wasn’t there with them but made sure it was an occasion to remember.” Brooklyn previously fell out with his parents shortly after his marriage to Nicola Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ I hope this message finds you well and that you’ve had a restful Easter break I wanted to share this month’s SEND and Inclusion updates with you We’re also pleased to share an update on the Delivering Better Value (DBV) Programme and this month’s article provides further detail on High Needs Funding and the next steps A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed their time and expertise to this important work – your commitment is truly appreciated thank you for your continued dedication to supporting children and young people with SEND both within schools and settings and across the wider partnership and it is great to hear how this is being used by schools to support their SEND provision and practice There have been a number of schools who have been using the OAG as part of an action research project over the last 12 months and we are really pleased to be able to share their ‘Stories of Implementation’ to showcase practice in the next SENCo Noticeboard Similar action research projects have taken place with groups of parents working alongside the SENCo for their child’s school on various aspects of the OAG as part of understanding what is ordinarily available provision for their child - we hope to share their stories next term The EYS version has now been drafted and is ready to share with EYS settings and reception classes across primary schools and a working group has now been established to develop the Post 16 OAG We will be working across the partnership to review the school age version during the Autumn term ready for the online version to be published April 2026 – this will incorporate the EYS We will be inviting schools and settings to get involved in this to share their views and support any revisions as well as looking for schools and settings willing to share their practice through video clips to be published on the Online OAG For any queries or further information please contact Heather Wood at Heather.Wood@birmingham.gov.uk a repeat series of webinars (30 minutes) to provide an update on the most recent action the high needs spend analysis on sample returns from schools. The webinars will also be inviting expressions of interest from Headteachers to join two task and finish groups that are supporting the option development phase of the workstream that will take place this term Group one is looking at future options for high needs top up funding for pupils with EHC plans. Currently we have unaligned banded resource systems deployed separately in our education sectors The task and finish group will involve five meetings between May and early September It is important to have representation from mainstream (including early years) Group One will meet on the following dates: Group two is the final stage of the review of SEN Support Provision Plans the current pre-statutory high needs funding model in Birmingham The group will support recommendations regarding future options.  The task and finish group will involve 2 meetings in June and July It is important to have representation from early years Group Two will meet on the following dates: Expression of interest for the task and finish groups can be sent to: DeliveringBetterValue@birmingham.gov.uk A recording of the webinar will be made available after the final session along with a FAQ response to any queries or questions raised in the chat or via email For any queries or further information please contact the team at DeliveringBetterValue@birmingham.gov.uk Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages McLaren’s Oscar Piastri moved further clear at the top of the Drivers’ Championship with his third win in as many races The Australian matched a feat for McLaren last achieved by Mika Hakkinen in 1998 as the Woking team took another big step towards both titles already Here are your conclusions from the 2025 Miami Grand Prix Whether it was a conscious effort or a mindset that subconsciously ensnared everyone at the MTC – McLaren have been on a mission to insist they do not have the outright best car Oscar Piastri’s 40-second gap to the rest of the field means that approach is no longer realistic It may be a tactic to take the pressure off their drivers but rarely has a team been so hesitant to admit they have built an absolute rocket-ship Piastri cut through Antonelli and then Verstappen with ease and even every inch of the four-time World Champion’s talent was not enough to keep him behind Norris too had little problem getting by the field after his lap one moment and you got the sense that neither driver were at their best Cars will suit certain tracks of course and Verstappen’s win in Suzuka shows that dominant teams can have an off day but McLaren now go into every race as heavy favourites they have a driver in red-hot form and it would take a catastrophic capitulation for anything other than both titles heading to Woking to occur enough with complaining about Red Bull – it is time for Zak Brown and Andrea Stella to be bullish in their assessment a hattrick of successes may well be looked back as Piastri’s knockout blow to Lando Norris Norris was celebrating becoming a race winner for the first time – something his team-mate had not achieved – yet fast forward 12 months and not only has Piastri won Every season Piastri has improved but this year he looks very close to the finished article If a quali result is still sometimes short – he has taken pole just twice – he has the speed and race craft to more than make up for it in the race His battle with Verstappen was one of high skill with both drivers fighting desperately to stay ahead but ultimately it was Piastri who triumphed in a move that would not have seemed out of place had Verstappen himself pulled it off The Australian’s lead at the top is 16 points with a quarter of the year gone and it is hard to see how anyone but himself will knock him off his perch Aside from an espresso served with a slice of thin-cut pizza there are few things more Italian than a Ferrari embarrassment In a display that will have been crucified in the Italian press Ferrari were back to their most indecisive selves It was this apprehension that frustrated Lewis Hamilton into mocking his own team and one that left Charles Leclerc with a painfully familiar exhausted expression on his face But away from the strategy blunders that cost both drivers a chance to attack Kimi Antonelli it is the pace of the car that should be the true worry for Fred Vasseur Leclerc believed he drove a great lap in Q3 and the best it got him was eighth as both drivers watched in disbelief as Williams qualified ahead Carlos Sainz proved a thorn in both Ferrari drivers’ side but Alex Albon was too far up the order to even be a bother Ferrari are fourth in the Championship but unless major upgrades come they will more than likely stay there for the remainder of the season Whatever Aston Martin’s sponsors are paying The omission of either car from the broadcast aside from when they are spinning out of control is a visual representation of just how off it they have been this season Sauber have become a forgotten team while some viewers may soon struggle to pick Nico Hulkenberg out of a line-up The problem with this is that teams are perfectly happy to be dead last Miami GP: Piastri continues winning streak after more Verstappen v Norris fireworks Tempers flare between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in Miami GP radio transcript All 10 teams know they will be on the grid next season meaning if you have nothing to fight for a certain stage of the season you may as well pack up and focus on next year this creates an incredibly underwhelming viewing experience and one where you could quite easily pick the bottom five drivers even before the lights have gone out it will soon not just be the bottom teams that have nothing to play for and with the spectre of 2026 looming Relegation is a tool used across sporting leagues to ensure teams at least try until the end but F1 is not set up to do this and considering they get a vote in such matters teams would never support the introduction of it But there does need to be something to encourage the lower teams to at least fight until the end of the season Money of course is a motive but considering a lot of teams are already profitable finishing lower down the order with its extra development benefits is a positive rather than the negative it should be Drivers and teams will explain it away as a focus for next season but for a sport that bills itself as the fastest in the world having some distinct backmarkers is not a great look Read next: How LEGO brought 10 life-size, fully-drivable F1 cars to life © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications InstagramXThreadsSnapchatTikTokYouTubeLAD Entertainment Home> News> US News Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock ImageTopics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics, Crime, Prison he has always been interested in writing about a range of subjects After graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Media he got a job freelance writing for SPORTbible while working in marketing before landing a full-time role at LADbible he's unhealthily obsessed with Manchester United which takes its toll on his mental and physical health President Donald Trump has announced his plans for one of America's most infamous penitentiaries to reopen 62 years after it closed its doors for good The 47th US president has not been shy when it comes to making changes during his second term in office, having infamously introduced tariffs on almost all goods coming into the country to the highest level reached in over a century which is prohibited under the 22nd Amendment But just yesterday (4 May), the 78-year-old shared news to do with the world of law and order, a realm which previously saw him send accused gang members to a brutal prison located in El Salvador Trump has officially ordered his government to reopen Alcatraz and expand it he said of the San Francisco prison: "REBUILD who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering." Adding that when they were a 'more serious nation' they 'did not hesitate' to throw the most serious prisoners behind bars and keeping them 'far away is how 'it's supposed to be' "No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders "We will no longer be held hostage to criminals and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals who came into our Country illegally." He concluded: "The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law The prison used to house some of the country's most dangerous criminals Following the island prison's closure in 1963 USP Alcatraz ceased operations after just 29 years though it had nothing to do with the escape of prisoners It was all to do with the costs it took to continue operating with an estimated $3-5 million required at the time to run and maintain the facility This was without operating costs, as the federal prison cost almost three times as much to operate compared to other prisons, with the official Federal Bureau of Prisons stating that the daily per capita cost at Alcatraz was $10.10, while USP Atlanta as an example was around the $3 mark. The steep expenses were due to the physical isolation of the island, meaning that all supplies would have to be brought in by boat, which included one million gallons of water per week. It was eventually decided that it was more cost-effective to build a new prison than to keep the island penitentiary open. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday she had rejected Trump's offer President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he offered to deploy US troops to Mexico to assist in combating drug trafficking, an offer that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed she declined Trump's confirmation of the offer underscores the ongoing tensions and cooperation challenges between the two nations regarding drug control strategies While the specifics of the offer remain undisclosed it highlights the US government's concern over the flow of narcotics across the border signals Mexico's commitment to maintaining sovereignty in addressing its internal security issues Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Florida, said he had made the offer because the drug cartels were "horrible people" who had caused thousands of deaths I would be honored to go in and do it," he said Asked if he was disappointed that Sheinbaum had turned down the offer but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can't even think straight." Sheinbaum on Saturday she had rejected Trump's offer because "sovereignty is not for sale." Her comments came in response to questions about a Wall Street Journal report published on May 2 that said Trump was pressuring Mexico to allow deeper U.S. military involvement against drug cartels to combat trafficking across the shared border. Sheinbaum said the two countries could collaborate, but Mexico would "never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory." A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) told Reuters on Saturday that Trump had been clear that Mexico needed to do more to combat gangs and cartels engaged in drug trafficking, and the U.S. stood ready to assist. Trump has said publicly the U.S. would take unilateral military action if Mexico failed to dismantle drug cartels. The two leaders have had several calls in recent months to discuss security issues, trade and immigration. President Donald Trump speaks at the U.S.-Mexico border on August 22, 2024 south of Sierra Vista, Arizona govt and politics"},{"score":0.644409,"label":"/society/crime/organized crime"},{"score":0.6025,"label":"/law BY KIT EATON @KITEATON One in four people will be pushed to a different job as artificial intelligence gets more widely adapted in the workplace, according to a company that’s aggressively trying to accelerate this profound change. Sales software giant Salesforce is making this bold prediction based on the idea that agent AI tools will take over enough job functions now done by humans and has carried out a study of HR workers that supports this idea and it pins this boost as an average productivity gain and drop in labor costs equivalent to saving over $11,000 per worker that the Salesforce study suggests a quarter of current roles will be affected and all the training that would be needed to give those people new roles in your company Salesforce’s study surveyed 200 global HR executives, and their conclusion is that AI agents acting as “digital labor” isn’t just a trend, “it’s a business strategy revolution.” In a release accompanying the new research, Salesforce echoes a line previous experts have touted as a pro-AI argument: AI isn’t necessarily about replacing people’s jobs and instead it’s about boosting efficiency for your whole workforce Broad AI agent adoption could boost productivity some 30 percent as business adoption of agents jumps some 327 percent over the next two years This will represent such a deep impact on the workplace that it’ll force HR departments and leaders to reorganize whole teams and think about retraining current workers as well as looking for different skill sets in incoming recruits Salesforce backs this forecast up with some stark statistics pointing out that over 80 percent of HR leaders are planning to or already are reskilling their workers to fit better into the AI era most leaders agree that soft skills—like interpersonal work in relationship building and collaboration—are going to become more important as AIs really aren’t working in this way (yet) Fully 85 percent of HR leaders think their company has yet to really embrace agent AIs with 73 percent saying staff don’t yet grasp how AI will impact their jobs as 80 percent of HR leads say they think within five years “most” workforces will be built of a mix of human workers and digital AI-powered laborers This shift in who and what you think of as a worker will see some 61 percent of workers staying in their role while 23 percent of workers will shift to new roles or teams—a move the HR leaders surveyed said was the most cost-effective way of dealing with AI’s arrival versus hiring new talent Some of these assignments will be to more technical roles like “data scientists or technical architects” in the near term presumably because AI agents will have taken over enough of the basic behind-the-scenes work in the office freeing up workers for more intellectual tasks This task shift will also see finance teams Why should you care about data from a company selling the technology it says will upend the workplace For one reason: Even if your company is too small-scale to really have an HR department the impact of AI on your office will be felt in the same way big corporations anticipate Some basic office duties will be taken over by AI tools—and you’ll want to let this happen because of the cost savings these efficiency boosts offer This also means your staff will need to be AI-savvy to help monitor the output of the AI’s work and also to work alongside the tools on a daily basis Salesforce’s survey really drives this point home as it found HR leaders think “AI literacy is the number one skill workers need as businesses move into the agentic economy.” This means workers used to things happening in a certain way will have to rethink their duties and you may have to spend some money on AI training This could even become an ongoing necessity because the cutting edge of AI technology continues advancing at a rapid pace The super early-rate deadline for the 2025 Inc. Power Partner Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now Learn More It was obvious from the get-go that when a parade was mentioned Farke demanded the title for the parade, and he got exactly that, which saw the Leeds City centre filled to the brim with diehard supporters 🏆 CHAMPIONS AGAIN OLÉ OLÉ!!! pic.twitter.com/hBRuwEMCQZ It was a day for Farke and the players, but also for the fans who didn’t have a chance to celebrate the 2020 title success under Marcelo Bielsa but one stood out in a message from the players to the hierarchy After Manor Solomon got the job done in the 91st minute to wrap the title up in dramatic fashion The Leeds faithful want Solomon signed permanently and after his heroics and an immaculate season Farke has to make it the first call of next season With fans clearly showing their admiration for the winger, Solomon expressed his love for Leeds fans proving how it would be a match made in heaven But the Leeds camp also share this same view, as during the parade celebrations, captain Ethan Ampadu got the squad to join in with a chant for Solomon singing: ‘Solomon again ole ole’ which was followed by ‘sign him up sign him up I say’ READ MORE: How much RedBull are going to be involved in Leeds United’s Premier League transfers it’s seemed like the Israelian moving to Leeds full-time has looked likely However, Tottenham fans now want to keep Solomon in a decision which could take a major blow to Leeds’ summer they may actually want to keep the 25-year-old However, Spurs want £20m for Solomon which is no doubt doable and seen as a bargain for Leeds fans But Daniel Levy is known to be a tricky negotiator and with three years still left on his contract both clubs might come to an agreement of another loan in a way of Spurs seeing how he does in the top flight The hope is that a permanent deal can be struck “The [Department of the Air Force] has supported the sustainment of European-donated F-16s to Ukraine by providing disused and completely nonoperational F-16s to Ukraine for parts,” the spokesperson said. “These F-16s were retired from active U.S. use and are not flyable. Importantly, they lack critical components such as an engine or radar, and could not be reconstituted for operational use.” The State Department also on Friday approved a possible foreign military sale to Ukraine, worth about $310.5 million, to sustain the besieged nation’s F-16s and train its pilots and maintainers. The sale includes spare parts and accessories, modifications and upgrades to the jets, ground handling equipment, publications and technical documents, software delivery and support, engineering, technical and logistics support and training for operations, maintenance and sustainment support. The State Department said this will support the U.S.’s foreign policy goals and national security objectives “by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.” The equipment and training sale will improve Ukraine’s ability to defend itself by making sure its pilots are trained, the department said, and making it more interoperable with the U.S. through training with the Air Force. Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine has urged its Western allies to send it modern, fourth-generation fighters to modernize its air force and improve its ability to defend itself. When the war began in February 2022, Ukraine had at most 69 MiG-29 Fulcrum and Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker jets. But the U.S. was initially hesitant to agree to Ukraine’s requests. Top defense officials and some lawmakers said it was unclear whether jets such as the F-16 would provide Ukraine enough of an advantage, and the Pentagon instead focused first on providing other assets such as critical munitions. Former President Joe Biden in August 2023 cleared the way for F-16s to go to Ukraine, with the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium either having already donated the jets or pledging to do so. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, told lawmakers in a hearing last month that F-16s have helped Ukraine shore up its defenses and that more jets are on the way. “There are more F-16s prepared to be deployed in [Ukraine],” Cavoli told the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 3. “There are more pilots in the training pipeline. … The planes are active and they fly every day. They’ve defeated a large number of cruise missile threats and they’ve delivered an awful lot of offensive attacks as well” along Ukraine’s eastern front. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feedDefense News © 2025 all you need to do is send one emoji to trigger them just send an applicable emoji to any of your contacts to trigger its corresponding full-screen effect Message effects aren't enabled for every single emoji but they do work with quite a few commonly used ones Note that you'll need to limit your text to just one emoji to see the effect it won't work (prior versions of the feature required you to send two of the same emoji to trigger an effect although I couldn't make that work on the new beta) animated video the moment you send an emoji which makes for some really pleasing feedback Unless you find yourself frequently sending or receiving texts that only have a single emoji in them these effects probably won't pop up so frequently that you'll need to turn them off Disable Show expressive animations to stop seeing full-screen effects.  Pranay Parab is an independent tech journalist based in Mumbai and specializes in tutorials and in-depth features Prof Ian Kessler gave evidence at Westminster On 29 April 2025 Prof Ian Kessler was among a number of experts giving oral evidence to the House of Commons Education Select Committee on 'Solving the SEND Crisis' The session provided members of the committee the opportunity to enquire about the main points of the Unit report on the challenges facing the SEND therapy workforce and approaches to how these are being Further details about the report (including a summary and a blog) are available via the 15 May 2024 news item at the time of its publication by Prof Kessler and Unit Director Prof Boaz formed part of the Policy Research Unit's commissioned work under the 2019-23 contract A recording of the committee session is available on parliamentlive.tv Kessler, I., & Boaz, A. (2024) The Demand and Supply of Therapists for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: A Scoping Study London: NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce An Executive Summary is available at the above link | Project page at King's Dr Dougal Sutherland is principal psychologist at Umbrella Wellbeing Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU View all partners A new report from New Zealand’s Classification Office has revealed how young people are being exposed to harmful content online and what it is doing to their mental health The Classification Office spoke with ten different groups of young people aged between 12 and 25 from a diverse range of backgrounds They found that encountering extremely harmful – and sometime illegal – content is part of the online experience for young people And they are often trying to deal with this without adequate support or guidance The types of content young people talked about most involved graphic depictions of real-world violence – including executions suicide and extreme cruelty towards animals Seeing extremely harmful content was mostly – but not always – described as unintentional or unwanted Participants described encountering this content in much the same way they engaged with other types of content Participants talked about coming across this content in their social media feeds or having content shared directly by others either online or in person You can just be in like a server that’s for and someone can just send something that’s crazy Another male high school student commented: I got sent something of people shooting themselves Even if young people did not actively look for this content some engaged with it when it was shared or showed up unexpectedly in their social media feeds Curiosity – or a desire to test their boundaries – lead to some young people looking at content even if they were aware this could be harmful or disturbing someone actually posted it on their WhatsApp status “Where did you get this video from?” He said it was from a website so we went there […] but there was some bad stuff Content depicting real-world graphic violence injury or death was mentioned in every group the Classifications Office spoke to Participants also talked about young people sharing sexual images or videos of themselves or others online Participants described a range of impacts young people may experience when exposed to extremely harmful content This includes emotional or psychological impacts ranging from short-term shock or disgust to a longer-term impact on their mental health and wellbeing Young people also discussed the harmful impacts of content on individuals’ attitudes “petrified” “traumatised” or “embarrassed” Others talked about not being able to “unsee” content harm can be something that gets on your mind and doesn’t leave it and keeps coming back again and again at times that you don’t want that thought to come into your head the immediate reaction to finding their teen has watched harmful content might be to take away a young person’s device or attempt to ban them from access to the internet But young people involved in this research stressed the importance of being able to talk without fear of criticism or punishment They felt that judgement or punitive actions – such as taking away devices – tend to hurt rather than help Some reported that strong emotional reactions or assumptions can complicate the situation and lead them to avoid reaching out altogether A former female Youth Advisory Panel member said: it’s recognising how unhelpful it is ‘cause it’s just like then you wouldn’t have seen this stuff.” So I imagine if someone was to find objectional content then they wouldn’t feel like they could go to their parents So I guess trying to build that understanding and bridge for communication Participants consistently emphasised the need for supportive and understanding responses when seeking help with difficult content or online experiences They wanted adults to remain calm and allow them to fully share their experiences before reacting What they are seeking is practical guidance that acknowledges their efforts and agency in managing challenging situations [If my parents are] worried about something that’s happened and then we’ll talk about their worries afterwards I will talk to them first because I know that they’ll have my back and they’ll sort it out for me we’ll talk about it after things are sorted out There are several things parents can do to help young people cope with what they have seen online Reassuring young people that it’s not their fault can reduce any feelings of guilt or shame Helping them to process what they’ve seen by acknowledging the upsetting nature of it and allowing space to discuss it can help process any intense emotions that may arise parents need to be encouraging young people to think critically about how viewing this material might affect them in the long term and any steps they can take to reduce their exposure to it This will help young people build their own long-term solutions and competence in managing their online experiences your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Several European countries will send firefighting aircraft to Israel on Thursday to help extinguish a massive wildfire that began on Wednesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared not just a local one,” in a video statement recorded Wednesday evening “The priority right now is defending Jerusalem,” added Netanyahu France and Romania are set to send planes to Israel including North Macedonia and Cyprus are set to send water-dropping aircraft The fire was fuelled by hot and dry conditions before being fanned by strong winds that quickly led flames to burn through a pine forest 10 firefighting planes were operating on Thursday morning while a further eight aircraft are set to arrive over the course of the day The main motorway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv has reopened after it was shut off on Wednesday due to flames encroaching on the road leading drivers to abandon their cars and flee in terror Israel's emergency services Magen David Adom Ambulance said that at least 12 people were treated in hospitals on Wednesday — mainly due to smoke inhalation — while another 10 people were treated in the field The timing of the wildfire coincides with Israel’s Independence Day which is typically marked with large family cookouts in parks and forests Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services have warned the public to stay away from parks or forests and to be exceptionally careful while lighting barbecues a massive forest fire burned for four days on northern Israel’s Mount Carmel claiming 44 lives and destroying around 12,000 acres Forward Danny Whitehall reacts following his brace which contributed to the Iron's 4-2 win over Chorley to send the Iron into the play-off final we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site.  Published: Invalid Date ACTOR Ryan Reynolds is splashing out £500,000 to send his Wrexham squad on a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate promotion — for the third year in a row He and fellow owner Rob McElhenney promised to reward the players and staff if they made it to the Championship It will be his first trip to Sin City in Nevada but the third for some of the club — with Ryan and Rob picking up the tab the Welsh side will be in the second tier of English football Manager Phil Parkinson, who is not going, said: “They deserve it. 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and Furness have been welcomed by council and health leaders.The report published today (9 April) by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) gives Westmorland and Furness Local Area Partnership the middle rating for the delivery planning and commissioning of SEND services.Inspectors found that children and young people with SEND are valued in Westmorland and Furness and that there is a strong commitment from leaders to provide them with the support that they need to flourish. It also said that the partnership is ambitious for children and young people with SEND that leaders understand what is working well and what needs further improvement It found that the updated Westmorland and Furness joint strategic needs assessment provides reliable data which has helped inform the commissioning of services and improvement work support for young people at risk of not being in education employment or training and clear priorities for the updated SEND strategy many school leaders in Westmorland and Furness feel heard by local authority leaders and value being part of the area’s improvement planning.The report found areas for improvement and concluded that children and young people often have varying experiences and that there are inconsistencies across the education health and social care partnership which can negatively impact on the experiences of some children and young people with SEND.The report identified four key areas for improvement:1.    That waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments are reduced.2.   That leaders across the partnership improve communication to professionals and children and young people and that their strategies and available services should be better understood further developing trust in the SEND system.3.    That leaders continue to strengthen the systems and processes to further improve the quality of children and young people’s EHC plans including updates following annual reviews.4.    Area leaders should strengthen multi-agency working across the partnership so that children and young people’s needs are identified and assessed in a more efficient and timely manner.Commenting on the inspection report on behalf of the SEND Partnership Board Cabinet member for Children’s Services at Westmorland and Furness Council said,“We welcome the publication of this inspection report The report recognises that following LGR only 2 years ago we have had to work hard to establish our new partnership and new ways of working Whilst we are pleased that our work to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND has been noted alongside our ambitious plans for children and young people with SEND we also recognise that we have much more to do to improve the experiences of our young people and their families across all agencies in this partnership.”Mil Vasic Director of Children’s Services said: We are pleased that the Inspectors found that children and young people with SEND are valued in Westmorland and Furness and that there is a strong commitment from our teams to provide them with the support that they need to flourish We do have an ambitious partnership here and we understand what is working well and what needs improvement For a partnership that is less than 2 years old we are definitely on a positive track." The full report can be found on the https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/      Westmorland and Furness Council - Open - Find an Inspection Report - Ofsted  Subscribe today and we'll email you the latest newsletter updates about your new council Choose from a range of topics so that you only receive emails about the areas and services which interest you the most Subscribe to news updates New Help improve this site by giving feedback Only use this form to give us feedback about how the website is working - If you want to tell us about an issue or problem with our services, or you need a response to an issue, please contact us US President Donald Trump blasted his Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum after she rejected his offer to send American troops to fight drug cartels The public row threatens to derail what had been — by Trump’s standards — a relatively stable relationship, with Sheinbaum winning plaudits for her handling of the US leader’s pressure over trade and security. Mexico, Washington’s biggest trading partner, largely evaded “Liberation Day” tariffs, while the number of migrants crossing the border has plummeted. Transparent news, distilled views, and global perspectives. Sign up for Semafor .css-w8sqnb{text-transform:capitalize;}flagship new video loaded: Trump Offers to Send U.S transcriptBackbars0:00/1:12-1:12transcript sir.” “So Mexico is saying that I offered to send U.S troops into Mexico to take care of the cartels Do you think I’m going to answer that question?” “That’s why I’m asking They are horrible people that have been killing people left and right that have been — they’ve made a fortune on selling drugs and destroying our people I told her that I would be honored to go in and do it But the president of Mexico is a lovely woman but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight.” Prince Harry gives new interview after court case defeat. Meghan Markle has been accused of sending a "giant f*** you" to the Royal Family with her latest post relating to Prince Harry on social media The Duke of Sussex undertook a bombshell interview on Friday where he discussed his ongoing feud with members of the monarchy Prince Harry also ruled out bringing Meghan Archie and Lilibet back to the UK following the dismissal of his appeal in his legal battle against the Home Office over his security provision in the UK Following the Duke of Sussex's interview Meghan took to Instagram to share a black and white photograph of Prince Harry alongside his children Harry can be seen holding his son Archie's hand and carrying his daughter Lilibet on his shoulders The Duchess of Sussex did not accompany the picture with a caption "Well that's a rather giant f*** you isn't it?" one royal insider told the Mail about the timing of the post One source described Meghan's role as "unhelpful" and "an enabler" in the ongoing situation "For her the loss of status is a much more significant issue," another source told us Another insider close to the royals criticised Harry's approach to family matters They said: "He is utterly obsessed with the idea of airing 'his truth' "Harry lives his life permanently under a victim narrative and never takes responsibility for his own actions." A third source commented on Harry's contradictory position regarding his family "Harry says he wants to reconcile while still betraying the confidences of the family Is it any wonder the King doesn't speak to his son?" "It's not that he doesn't want to We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports More children and young people will be supported to achieve and thrive in their local school as the government today announces that 10,000 new school places will be funded for children with SEND £740 million is being invested by the government to deliver adaptations expand specialist units in mainstream as well as create new places in special schools – enabling more children to succeed at a school close to their homes and families Fewer than one in 10 mainstream schools have SEN units or resourced provision - specialist facilities which provide more intensive support for pupils with SEND the number of children with EHCPs or their previous equivalent being educated in independent special schools increased from 7,000 to 26,000 – while the latest data released today shows an escalating gap of 8,000 places in state special schools The funding can be used to ensure an inclusive environment in which all pupils can be supported for example by creating breakout spaces where children can go to self-regulate or investing in assistive technology This comes alongside a significant £1 billion investment to fund 44,500 places in mainstream schools needed by 2028 helping meet current and future demand across the country we want every family to have access to a good local school for their child breaking the link between children’s background and their opportunities in life This investment is a big step towards delivering not only enough school places supporting all children and particularly those with SEND and plugging the significant gaps in provision we inherited This investment will give children with SEND the support they need to thrive marking the start of a turning point for families who have been fighting to improve their children’s outcomes Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council had a shortage of specialist classrooms in local mainstream schools for pupils with SEND forcing them to attend schools far from home for the right support almost half of all schools in the area have resourced provision which has improved outcomes for young people and kept them educated locally with their peers and in their communities Recent analysis suggests that at least 15,000 more children and young people could have their needs met in such specialist provision in mainstream schools in an improved SEND system all of our work stems from a shared belief and understanding that all children have learning alongside support from the Local Authority has been an essential part of realising our school’s vision for truly inclusive practice The modification and creative use of existing spaces has had a significant impact on the learning engagement and integration of children with Autism who attend our Additional Resource Provision as well as having a huge impact on the learning and understanding of all members of our school community The announcement comes as new data shows the urgent need to reform the SEND system to save families from a gap in support potentially stretching to tens of thousands of places Directors and Co-Chairs for the National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C The NNPCF welcomes the government’s commitment of £740 million in capital funding for the 2025–26 financial year to support the creation of school places for children and young people with SEND families have faced limited options and long waits for appropriate support Creating more inclusive environments—where children and young people with special educational needs can thrive alongside their peers—is a positive step forward We look forward to continued collaboration with the Department for Education to ensure that parent carers’ voices remain central to the development and implementation of these plans We also hope that local authorities will work closely with their local Parent Carer Forums to ensure the lived experience and voices of parent carers are at the heart of local delivery The reform to the SEND system will look to ensure that children’s needs are identified and met earlier; and that early years and staff in mainstream settings across the country are equipped and supported to be inclusive of all children School-based early education – which the government is championing through its commitment to create thousands of new school-based nurseries – tends to have a higher proportion of children with special educational needs than other settings And in line with new guidance published today over the coming years local authorities can use their capital funding for children with SEND to create places in local mainstream schools – putting an end to the desperate battle to find a place that meets families’ needs which helps pupils with SEND to build skills in a supportive and flexible environment – developing their confidence and fostering inclusion with the wider school at Iveson Primary has had a significant positive impact for the whole school community enabling us to provide specialist facilities with a high-quality This fosters integration and inclusion and supports children to thrive and feel confident in school alongside their peers Adapted to suit individual pupils’ needs and interests provision in The Aviary includes life skills and social skills and enables children to access mainstream classes while also receiving specialist support Parents welcome the flexibility of the provision and the positive impact this has had on their children’s social Raising school standards is at the heart of the government’s mission to improve children’s life chances and making sure pupils and staff have access to high-quality and sustainable buildings are a key part of that The 54,500 new places will help deliver on the government’s Plan for Change commitment to make sure every family has access to a good local school place for their child no matter their ability The department has also announced today the details of a £2.1 billion investment for the 2025-26 financial year to improve the condition of the school and sixth-form college estate in England – almost £300 million more than 2024-25 The funding will ensure schools can continue to invest in essential maintenance projects such as replacing roofs Director at the Council for Disabled Children We welcome the announcement on how this investment can be used and the focus on Local Authorities supporting schools to ensure that disabled children and young people can have their needs met in inclusive local schools and through the What Works in SEND programme that there is some very effective practice across the country and we encourage local areas to share and learn from this as they develop inclusive provision which enables children and young people to learn develop friendships and be part of their community Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details CCN Latest News, CCN News 2025 | 21 March 2025 The tags: These ‘unmanageable’ deficits have been rapidly growing for years as demand and costs for SEND services has soared Since 2020 councils have been given accountancy immunity meaning they do not have to include these giant and growing deficits in their budgets But that accountancy trick – called the statutory override – is due to end in March 2026 which represents England’s largest councils says if government does not urgently address this issue and if these deficits are placed onto council budgets in 12 months’ time A survey carried out by the CCN found that if the override ends in March next year with the deficit placed onto budget books 18 county and unitary councils will be insolvent overnight: half of its member councils Research by CCN has shown that these deficits are being driven by councils spending record amounts on SEND services as a result of an explosion in young people in receipt of Education Health and Care Plans and the costs of specialist school placements These cost on average £58,000 per pupil: seven times higher than placing a child with an EHCP in a non-special school the number of young people on EHCPs has soared from 240,183 in 2015 when government introduced reforms which widened eligibility SEND deficits which have been kept off councils’ books due to the statutory override have ballooned in tandem with increased demand and are set to more than double in just a 24-month period These deficits were estimated to be £2.4bn nationwide last March by the Association of Local Authority Treasurers and the Society of County Treasurers and are in line to rise to £5.9bn by the time the override runs out in March 2026 County and unitary councils account for half of that national figure – amassing deficits of £2bn last year which are projected to increase to £2.7bn by the time the override runs out Despite the government announcing it was to reform the SEND system with a white paper promised it has not given local councils clarity on how it intends to manage these gigantic deficits Communities and Local Government said it would set out government’s plans for the future of the statutory override in December’s provisional Local Government Finance Settlement it only stated that ‘the government intends to set out plans for reforming the SEND system next year’ But with less than 12 months now on the clock the CCN says it is urgent that government provides immediate clarity to councils and a national solution on how the Treasury intends to manage councils’ high needs deficits the CCN warns that removing or limiting councils’ exposure to high-needs deficits is only one part of the solution In tandem with action on the statutory override the forthcoming white paper must set out ‘root and branch’ reform of the SEND system which does not work for parents young people and councils alike and must address spiralling demand and costs Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Spokesperson for the County Councils Network “The clock is ticking to March 2026 and we are now just twelve months away from what would be a financial catastrophe for local councils if these unmanageable SEND deficits are placed onto local authority’ budget books half of England’s largest county and unitary councils will be insolvent overnight and virtually every upper-tier council across the rest of England will tell you that the prospect of having to address and pay down these deficits would risk their financial sustainability “We know that the government has committed to reforming the SEND system which is a vital step in the right direction but the future of the statutory override is not a can to be kicked down the road We need urgent clarity on how the government intends to manage these deficits including a national solution to the issue We also would like to know how addressing these deficits will fit into the government’s reform agenda bearing in mind that solving this financial crisis will only ever be one part of the solution to the wider SEND crisis” The CCN undertook a separate survey with chief executives of 38 county and unitary authorities last Autumn The survey asked councils when they would have to issue a S114 notice if the statutory override was not in place Education and SEND Families with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can find out more about services and support in Nottinghamshire in a new interactive online SEND journey map The SEND journey map includes detailed information about education health and care services for children and young people at different ages An important element in developing this resource was the co-production and initial development from partners There’s also been a consultation phase to gather further feedback with the aim of making ongoing improvements said: “Families in Nottinghamshire tell us that they can find it difficult to navigate the complex SEND support system this is partly because services are provided by so many different organisations and change at different stages of their children’s lives to respond to their concerns and to help them find the right support at the right time ensuring that our children and young people with SEND can thrive.” Chief Nurse at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire said: “We’ve worked with families with experience of the SEND system to make this guide as accessible as possible The guide includes a video with voiceover and captions with links to the support mentioned There is also a text-only version of the guide which can be accessed by people who use screen readers or need translated versions We hope that Nottinghamshire families will find it useful.” Find the SEND journey map  on the Notts Help Yourself website 7 findings from health experts at the education committee inquiry into SEND More from this author The health sector must take on “increased accountability” for SEND provision as they warned a national focus on NHS reform “crowds out” local ambition for greater partnership working The Parliamentary education committee also heard that cuts to integrated care boards (ICBs) NHS bodies responsible for planning health services in local areas will have an impact on SEND and are hindering greater collaboration MPs heard evidence from experts in speech and language therapy educational psychology and officials from local and national health organisations head of SEND at the South West London Integrated Care Board was asked if it was fair for most of the accountability in the system to sit with local authorities I think there does need to be an increased accountability for the local area and that should be the local authority and the ICB and the providers within that She also said we needed to “move with statute to a position of joint commissioning where we are looking at how our services are being designed how do we enable services like speech and language therapy to have the flexibility to work at the universal targeted level Increased accountability would be “really important” “With all of this I think it is about We have children waiting…for far too long in my own opinion they will be getting support from other bits of the system And other bits of the system can provide some really excellent support “I think sometimes we’re driven into a position that we are splitting education and health rather than looking at a proper needs-based approach to children offering the right support at the right time.” ICBs replaced clinical commissioning groups in 2022 Ministers recently told boards to find cuts in their running costs of 50 per cent as part of wider NHS reforms that will also see the closure of NHS England Asked what impact the changes would have on SEND director of the ICS network at the NHS Confederation said it was “inevitable…the turbulence that integrated care boards are responding to at the moment and an environment which has a great degree of instability at the moment Boards are now working on “what the future model will look like in across England “And I think it is likely that we will see change to potentially the number and the shape and size of integrated care boards so that does create an additional degree of instability within the system.” She said ICBs had “existed for less than three years have already had a 30 per cent reduction in their running cost allowance and now are subject to this 50 per cent cut that that has been a hindrance to some of the attempts to develop greater collaboration and partnership across local government Walter said many integrated care partnerships had “prioritised children and young people’s support” but national priorities currently “feel very fixed towards a more short term and more financially driven approach” She said there was a “clear need for the NHS to recover services There are significant financial and performance challenges at the moment “But I think some of that then crowds out the ambition locally to have a greater focus in some of these partnership spaces and for children and young people in particular.” vice president of the Association of Educational Psychologists warned cuts to council budgets and the academies movement had led local authorities to “reduce considerably their EP services with many of them only employing EPs to carry out statutory duties” This has had an effect on early intervention among younger children we would have been working with the Every Child Matters framework and working with other publicly funded services health services and education specialist services and we would be working together collaboratively and promoting inclusive practices “That’s one of the areas where there is a considerable difference these days We are in a position where we haven’t the capacity to do as much early years work as we would like to O’Connor also called for clarity over future funding for EP training with government support not confirmed beyond 2026 “We would like to see an increase in the training of educational psychologists each year so that there would be an educational psychologist available for each school It’s very hit and miss at the moment.” She said some council EP teams now acted as a “traded model” with their services bought back by some academies we don’t know whether they seek out other EP providers or whether they just go without.” The committee also heard from Janet Harrison head of service at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists She said most therapists “have got inordinately large caseloads” having to deal with “extraordinary large numbers” and resulting dissatisfaction among families and adverse on therapists’ health and wellbeing “I have lots of concerns about the health and wellbeing of staff and particularly newly qualified therapists who we want to really stimulate to be excited to be part of the profession “They really didn’t come into it to deal with those large numbers even when we are fully staffed…the workforce is still massively insufficient in relation to the demand.” US EditionUK EditionScottish SunIrish SunSearchMy Account Real Madrid have stepped up their pursuit of two Bournemouth stars The Spanish giants are eyeing potential moves for Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez this summer Both players started as the Cherries came from behind to beat Arsenal on Saturday Real Madrid scouts were present at the Emirates Stadium to cast an eye over the duo They would have been impressed with what they saw as Huijsen got on the scoresheet The defender headed in Antonie Semenyo's long throw to equalise for the visitors Huijsen's goal was his third in the Premier League since joining the club last summer Following his arrival from Juventus he has made 33 appearances across all competitions The Spaniard, who only turned 20 last month, penned a six-year deal through to 2030 upon signing for Bournemouth. he has already attracted interest from a host of clubs after a stellar first season at the Vitality Stadium Real Madrid are set to face competition from Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham for his signature Iraola hailed Huijsen following the win over the Gunners telling Sky Sports: "I think he is playing very well Even in this scenario being on the ball he was confident "I think it's the third goal he's scored on set plays he's our biggest threat there and he's helping us a lot." Huijsen himself addressed the transfer speculation surrounding him admitting: "I think I’m pretty relaxed "I don’t really think about it too much great everything at the club and I just enjoy my football it’s going well so I’m really happy." Meanwhile, Real Madrid would also have to battle Liverpool to sign Kerkez this summer The Reds are currently the frontrunners in the race for the Hungarian left-back Kerkez has made 71 appearances across all competitions for Bournemouth since signing from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 He has also evolved into an attacking threat with two goals and six assists in 35 league matches this season WATCH NOW: The Prince and Princess of Wales have been met with loud cheers as they arrive in Tobermory Princess Kate and Prince William have embraced a "fresh start" following the future Queen's cancer treatment with their recent trip to the Isle of Mull showcasing their renewed affection and strength as a couple The pair marked their 14th wedding anniversary on the stunning Scottish island delighting locals with their warm approach and obvious devotion to one another After what Prince William previously described as a "brutal" year dealing with both Kate's and King Charles's cancer diagnoses the couple appeared to have a spring in their step was seen exchanging loving looks with William and placing her arms around him during their engagements Princess Kate ‘determined’ to send a message as she steps out with Prince William The couple prioritised time for themselves which was captured in a romantic photo they later shared on social media Their tactile behaviour throughout the visit demonstrated the strength of their marriage after facing significant health challenges together Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond observed that Kate's love for William was evident in her gentle touches and direct eye contact "I think her love showed in the way she gently touched William rubbing his back and looking so directly into his eyes as they exchanged a few private words - even though they were in public," she told the Mirror Bond added: "They looked like a couple of deliriously happy honeymooners Body language expert Judi James noted that Kate appeared "determined to allow the world to see the strength of their love now." James observed how Kate can still "reduce her husband to a state of bashful shyness" with just a lingering glance The couple's trip to Mull was particularly meaningful as they had previously visited the island as students more than 20 years ago they stayed in a cosy self-catered cottage away from prying eyes was signed "W & C" and captioned: "Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome." this was an "intentional gesture" to show their loving relationship and equal partnership "Their bodies pressed together and their arms entwined around each other's waists in a pose of completely mirrored affection and symmetry," James noted Prince William and Princess Kate visited the Isle of Mull The couple ditched formal royal protocol throughout their visit sporting matching country casuals of jeans and tweed blazers Kate showed off newly highlighted chestnut hair that glistened in the sunshine as they toured a market in Tobermory The princess was even spotted giving William a flirty pat on the bottom during their engagements Bond believes their hands-on approach bodes well for the monarchy's future saying: "This is precisely the direction I think they should be going in." TikTok has to pay €530 million in penalties because it sent the personal data of Europeans to China illegally and wasn’t transparent enough with users Ireland’s powerful privacy regulator said Friday The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said TikTok breached the EU’s flagship data protection rules when it sent European user data to China because it couldn’t guarantee that the data was protected under China’s surveillance laws Taking a stance on data transfers to China for the first time the regulator said TikTok failed to adequately assess the implications of Chinese surveillance laws on Europeans’ data Those laws — which give the Chinese government sweeping powers to order companies to hand over data — “materially diverge from EU standards,” TikTok acknowledged during the inquiry The regulator also said TikTok breached transparency rules between 2020 and 2022 because it didn’t tell users that personal data was being transferred to China It noted that TikTok updated its privacy policy in 2022 and is now “compliant.” The company has been fined €485 million for its data transfers to China and €45 million for the lack of transparency in its privacy policy The fine is the third-largest ever for a breach of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation meaning the Irish DPC is the lead authority in charge of enforcing the EU rules TikTok had for years claimed it did not store European or American user data on servers in China but in April informed the regulator that it had discovered in February that “limited EEA User Data” had in fact been stored in China Irish DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said the regulator was taking this discovery “very seriously,” and while TikTok has said it deleted the data on Chinese servers was considering “what further regulatory action may be warranted.” TikTok has been given six months to bring its data processing practices in line with the EU’s privacy rules or suspend all data transfers to the country TikTok said it “strongly contest[s]” the Irish DPC’s findings and plans to appeal in full "Beyond the DPC’s failure to substantively consider the extensive safeguards [already implemented by Tiktok] we are disappointed to have been singled out despite relying on the same legal mechanism employed by thousands of other companies providing services in Europe,” said Christine Grahn TikTok’s head of public policy and government relations for Europe TikTok pointed to its €12 billion investment in Project Clover which is rolling out data centers in Europe to store data locally in the EU The Irish DPC acknowledged the project but said it was not enough to sway its decision Grahn emphasized that TikTok has “never received a request for European user data from the Chinese authorities and has never provided European user data to them.” She said that the Irish DPC ruling “risks setting a precedent with far-reaching consequences for companies and entire industries across Europe that operate on a global scale,” and “delivers a blow to the European Union’s competitiveness.” The US has similar concerns over how Chinese authorities can access data from the popular app Privacy regulator’s secretary general traveled on the EU’s dime to Spain Budapest has faced EU scrutiny over the use of spyware against the opposition and civil society in past years The investigation threatens to stoke further tensions between the EU and U.S Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that she doesn’t want her communication with U.S President Donald Trump to become an exchange of statements in the press in response to questions on Trump’s offer to send U.S Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum attends her morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City Her remarks to supporters in eastern Mexico came in response to a Wall Street Journal article published the day before describing a tense phone call last month in which Trump reportedly pressured her to accept a bigger role for the U.S military in combating drug cartels in Mexico ‘How can we help you fight drug trafficking I propose that the United States military come in and help you.’ And you know what I said to him White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said in a statement later Saturday that Trump has worked closely with Mexico’s president “to achieve the most secure southwest border in history.” “Dangerous Foreign Terrorist Organizations continue to threaten our shared security and the drugs and crime they spread threaten American communities across the country,” the statement said “The President has been crystal clear that Mexico must do more do combat these gangs and cartels and the United States stands ready to assist and expand the already close cooperation between our two countries.” military presence has increased steadily along its southern border with Mexico in recent months following Trump’s order in January to increase the army’s role in stemming the flow of migrants but you in your territory and us in ours,” Sheinbaum said If you get it right for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable I’m not just saying that because I’m here at the SEND and Inclusion Conference: I’ve probably said it every day since I became Chief Inspector If any of them are getting it right for their most disadvantaged children they will be getting it right for all of their children and learners I do not believe that there is a single provider who is getting it right for the most disadvantaged at the expense of their other children and learners It’s just about getting it right for everyone And that’s why I am proud that Ofsted is putting inclusion at the very heart of its renewed approach to education inspections If you don’t already know, we’re consulting on that approach right now. You can go on our website and find it today and I hope that you will all in this room take part by then Because what we’re proposing is significant There’s been a lot of noise about our new report cards we’ve seen some helpful and thoughtful suggestions I do believe that they will give parents and families a clearer and more detailed understanding of the things that really matter to their children’s education And I believe they will give a more rounded and fairer evaluation of a provider’s strengths and areas for improvement But the report cards are just one part of what we’re proposing They’re part of a whole new approach to the way that we inspect education in England That approach will help families make better and more informed decisions about their children’s education It will help providers celebrate what they do well and focus on where they can do better It will help alleviate the pressure on practitioners and let them get on with the vital work that they But it will also put a laser-like focus on inclusion It will do this more than Ofsted has ever done before possibly more than any inspectorate anywhere has ever done before We’re doing that because we believe it’s right We’re doing it because children believe it’s right – they ranked support for pupils with SEND among their top 5 priorities in response to our Big Listen while England’s education system compares positively to many others around the world by openly and proudly putting the most disadvantaged children at the heart of what we do I believe we can really shift the dial nationally When Ofsted put curriculum front and centre in our approach We saw schools and other providers really prioritising substance Making sure they always had a clear idea of what children should know and by when But I now want to do the same for inclusion To make sure every provider across the country is thinking really hard about what they are doing we’re already seeing this starting to happen I’ve been in this job for a little over a year and I’ve been banging on this drum for that whole time and indeed for my whole career in education before that And we are hearing reports already of the system responding She told me about her area of Wokingham and the strengthened focus across the education partnership on inclusion combined with the increase in national attention that we and others are driving is resulting in real and tangible benefits for children The education partnership there has established 2 SEND resource bases within the primary sector just last year And they are working to establish a further 5 across primary and secondary by 2026/27 as we do more to put it at the centre of everything we do as we provide a consistent and constructive challenge on what more could be done… we are proposing the introduction of a new evaluation specifically on inclusion We will report on how every single education provider we inspect supports disadvantaged children We want to fully understand what leaders are doing to create a culture in which every child feels welcomed But inclusion is not an add-on or separate from everything else a provider should be doing We want to bring a real focus to it through its own evaluation area But it will also be threaded through every other inspection area Everything we look at will include a consideration of how it works for disadvantaged and vulnerable children can a curriculum be of a high standard if it isn’t accessible to every child Can teaching be of a high standard if teachers aren’t trained to work with all children in their class Can leadership be of a high standard if inclusion isn’t ingrained in the culture Can children’s welfare and wellbeing be of a high standard if some children are left behind or fall victim to the soft bigotry of low expectations Can you have high standards for behaviour if you are lowering your expectations for young people with SEND Can a provider be serving their community if they engage in off-rolling Or if they never on-roll disadvantaged or vulnerable children Can you really have high standards for attendance if you aren’t making sure your setting is a welcoming and inclusive environment for all children Because you need to get it right for everyone And you can do that by getting it right for the most disadvantaged I hope all of you today agree with me on that that’s the very nature of your role and your work every single day we’re going to do everything we can to recognise when providers are doing everything they can for every child and learner We’re going to do more to recognise the context you’re operating in and the unique challenges that you’re facing And we’re going to do that without lowering the rightly high expectations we have for every child And we’re going to make sure our inspectors have the specialisms and recognise the uniqueness of what you’re doing I hope that some of you listening today will consider joining us – I know some of you actually do inspect I’ve seen quite a few of you already – joining us to do just that and lend us your expertise We are at our best when we reflect the sectors that we inspect I’m delighted to announce that Mark Vickers will be joining us as our external adviser on inclusion Having been a huge help in our developments and proposals Mark will now be supporting us implementing our reforms I need your help to not just make sure we rightly put that focus on the most disadvantaged But to make sure we do it in the right way So please, please, please take part in our consultation In the consultation you will find a working definition for inclusion We’ve developed it with the sector and with our external reference group In the consultation we have standards for inclusion in our inspection toolkits for every type of inspection and education provision Will leaders be able to easily understand them you will be able to see the thread of inclusion through everything else we inspect against Do they meet the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable children and those with SEND Do they make sure standards are appropriately high for every single child Do they consider the right context and offer a fair standard This isn’t a hollow exercise or a PR stunt I want this to be the best inspection approach for parents and families The best inspection approach for you – leaders and practitioners And the best inspection approach for children and especially for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children I’m looking forward to taking some questions Respond to the consultation Exclusive: Councils say multibillion-pound debts caused by years of overspends on special educational needs support Nearly 20 councils have warned publicly that they are at risk of insolvency because of multibillion-pound debts caused by years of overspends on special educational needs support Overspending on special educational needs and disability (Send) services in England is forecast to grow by nearly £2bn over the next 12 months, a Guardian investigation shows. Councils will see mounting special educational needs and disabilities (Send) deficits rise by 54% on average, with some anticipating accrued debts to increase by millions of pounds every month as they struggle to cope with soaring demand. The deficits – currently totalling £3.4bn – will hit £5.2bn in 12 months. At least 18 councils have warned explicitly that the debts put them at risk of insolvency unless the government intervenes, with council estimates suggesting even more could go bust. “The deficits are pushing councils all over England to the financial brink. The clock is ticking, and councils are being left in limbo with significant uncertainty over the future of services,” said William Burns, social care policy adviser for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa). Mass defaults on Send deficits would cause chaos and damage other local services, said Cipfa, because councils that declare effective bankruptcy would be forced to drastically rein in spending in all areas, not just local schools. It estimates that as many as 75 councils are at risk. The spiralling debts were kept off council books by Tory ministers using an accounting fix called a “statutory override” but this ends on 31 March 2026, when the debt returns to town hall balance sheets. Ministers must now decide whether to clear the debt, or extend the override until the deficits can be cleared safely. The Send deficit ballooned under the last government, triggered by rapid increases in the cost of meeting education and health care plans (EHCPs) which give children and young people up to the age of 25 the legal right to school support from local authorities for conditions such as autism, and speech and language difficulty. In 2015, 240,000 EHCPs were in place in England, more than doubling to 576,000 in 2024, according to Department for Education (DfE) statistics. Insufficient special needs capacity in state schools, and the high costs of Send placements in private specialist schools, have been driving overspends. A government insider said: “Those [council] forecasts can only have been based on the failing Tory system that we will change. Tackling the chaos that the Tories left in our Send system is a major priority for [the education secretary] Bridget Phillipson, so we can give every child the opportunity to get a brilliant education.” A Guardian investigation shows at least 101 English councils – over two-thirds of the total – spent more than their allocated Send budget during the past year, with 18 councils breaching their annual allocations by evermore than £30m. Nearly nine out of 10 English upper-tier councils – of the 131 that responded in full to the FoI – will have an accumulated deficit on their high needs budgets by the end of next March, with one in four (32 out of the 131 who responded in full) now predicting debts of more than £50m and 15 debts of £100m or more. Leeds city council, which covers the chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Leeds West and Pudsey constituency, has forecast its accumulated Send deficit will soar from £17.5m to £50m by the end of the next financial year, and warned the increase will put it at “serious financial risk”. Hampshire county council, which has England’s largest forecast deficit at £312m, is projecting its debt to rise by £111m over the next year. In its budget reports, the council said that if the override was removed and the debt became a part of the organisation’s deficit, “a section 114 notice would become inevitable”. Middlesbrough, one of England’s most deprived authorities, said its forecast Send deficit will rise by more than a quarter to £26m over the next 12 months. In council papers last month, it called this “a critical risk to the council’s financial viability, given that it will wipe out the council’s general fund reserves”. The average forecast accumulated deficit across the councils covered by the analysis is £40m by the end of March 2026, with 112 forecasting their accumulated high needs deficit will worsen over the next 12 months. A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The evidence is clear that the Send system has been on its knees for years – with too many children not having their needs met and parents forced to fight for support. “It will take time, but as part of our Plan for Change we are thinking differently about what the Send system should look like, to spread opportunity, restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they are crying out for.” This article was amended on 31 March 2025. In an earlier version, Kingston-upon-Thames was wrongly included in the chart showing the councils that expect to go from an accumulated surplus to a deficit or break even in Send spending in 2025-26. In addition, the figure for Kingston-upon-Thames in the map showing the projected cumulative deficit or surplus by council for 2025-26 was corrected from -£15.3m to -£15.0m. Shoppers back retailer after hacker group linked to attack last week Thousands of Marks & Spencer customers have rallied around the retailer by sending messages of support as the firm continues to grapple with the fallout of a cyber attack Disruption at the British brand began over a week ago, with shoppers facing problems with contactless payments and click and collect orders. M&S later paused online orders through its app and website As the retailer battles to resolve the issues it said thousands of its customers had backed its response to the attack M&S said almost 2,000 people sent positive comments on social media when its chief executive wrote to customers alerting them to the problem last week in a successful crisis management initiative It added they received a further 2,000 messages from customers praising how in-store staff dealt with the technical issues Comments included a customer saying staff members at their local store were “setting the bar for retail crisis management” while another said they were doing a “sterling job” Scotland Yard have been called in to investigate the cyber attack which left stores with empty shelves and slashed the company’s market value Marks and Spencer is also working with experts from both the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to “better understand the incident and support the company” M&S has not confirmed the cause, but it has been widely reported that the company has been the victim of a cyber attack, and specifically a ransomware attack Ransomware incidents involve hackers gaining access to a computer system and using malware to steal or block access to files – often encrypting them – before demanding a payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to return the impacted data. Many cybersecurity experts, and the official advice in the UK, urge organisations not to make ransom payments in incidents like this, because there is no guarantee that the hackers will return the stolen data, and making payments can help criminal enterprise and encourage others to carry out similar attacks in the future. A hacking group operating under the name Scattered Spider has been linked to the attack, according to reports, with technology industry title Bleeping Computer first linking the group to a potential ransomware attack against the retailer. However, that group, nor any other, have yet publicly claimed responsibility for the incident. {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Marks and Spencer","description":"A Marks and Spencer store on Oxford Street (PA)","caption":"Disruption at the well-known British brand began over a week ago Disruption at the well-known British brand began over a week ago His focus is on covering news and politics in Texas as well as other general news across the United States James joined Newsweek in July 2022 from LBC and previously worked for the Daily Express You can get in touch with James by emailing j.bickerton@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Newsweek contacted the Mexican Foreign Ministry for comment on Monday via email outside of regular office hours Between 2015 and 2021, the number of murders in Mexico per year linked to organized crime increased from around 8,000 to 23,500 per year, according to figures from the Mexican Peace Index. Major cartels operate on a transnational basis and are heavily involved with smuggling fentanyl and illegal migrants into the U.S Speaking to journalists on Sunday onboard Air Force One Trump said it was "true" that Sheinbaum had turned down his offer to send American soldiers into Mexico to help combat the cartels He said: "Well she's so afraid of the cartels she can't walk In April, Trump issued a presidential memorandum instructing the U.S. military to take a more direct role in securing the southern border including repelling attempts at illegal entry the United States recorded more than 74,000 deaths that were attributed to fentanyl overdoses according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention If Mexico wanted help with the cartels we would be honored to go in and do it The cartels are trying to destroy our country." Sheinbaum said she had turned down Trump's offer of military assistance inside Mexico commenting: "He said 'How can we help you fight drug trafficking I propose that the United States military come in and help you.' And you know what I said to him President Donald Trump.' Sovereignty is not for sale but you in your territory and us in ours." military to operate in Mexico could increase tensions with the Trump administration which is already in a dispute with the Mexican state over trade and tariffs Any unilateral deployment would be highly contentious and could see American forces become involved in a protracted conflict Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Newsletters in your inbox See all 02 May 2025BBC Breakfast: Naga Munchetty opens up on hay fever allergy BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty has been hailed as "brave" by fans on social media after discussing her health struggles in a recent interview who has just released her book titled 'It's Probably Nothing' endured pain for 32 years before receiving a diagnosis of adenomyosis Naga updated her followers on social media She posted an excerpt from her latest interview writing: "I am delighted to be featured in the Sunday Times with my book She continued: "This interview was published on Sunday and highlights my own experience and what I have learned from those of the many incredible women and professionals who contributed to this book." Sharing a glimpse of the interview in the @sundaytimesmagazine @thetimes, she also included a snippet from her book that is set to release next week on May 8th, reports the Express "I hope you will enjoy this and share it with anyone you think might need it and appreciate it." Another follower eagerly anticipated the book, saying: "I can't wait to read this! You're an absolute inspiration to all women who suffer. I just had my 5th surgery for my endometriosis yesterday, and was diagnosed with adenomyosis as well, and also had my left ovary and tube removed... but 6 months prior 'the scans were all clear'. It's shocking what women have to go through, but you know you're own body better than anyone else." One person commented, "Incredible book. And you are a Wonder Woman for being so generous in sharing your story." A fourth commented, "Good move, Naga. My daughter-in-law had a hysterectomy, and she is not free of symptoms. Make sure plenty of people know." Naga was branded brave by her followers(Image: (Image: BBC))‌A fifth expressed their dismay: "So sad to hear that, so many females left in pain that doctors can't explain and give no support to," while another applauded, "Brave woman." One fan simply offered their sympathy, saying, "So sorry to hear that." Naga opened up about her health battles with adenomyosis, which wasn't diagnosed until she was 47, although she experienced its torment from as early as 15 years old. Sharing her plight with the i Newspaper, Naga revealed, "I'd always pass out when my periods started, have diarrhoea, feel dizzy, and often be crying or screaming in agony. Every time I brought it up, I'd be told by doctors it was normal or that I'd grow out of it." Reflecting on those dismissals, she added, "When I look back on those occasions, I realise it was a form of gaslighting because I was effectively repeatedly told, 'You are just not coping with what is normal for everyone else.' So, I stopped bringing it up." BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One.