4+ min ago (829+ words) Tory special needs reforms upended council finances, but Labour's plan to rebuild public provision won't come cheap if it's done properlyThe crisis over special educational needs and disabilities in England is not just a question of cash. Children and parents spend months and years battling for support to which the law entitles them, schools lack the funding to meet needs, and specialist provision is inadequate. An adversarial system shunts families towards tribunals that councils almost invariably lose.Tory reforms created obligations for local authorities but did not adequately fund them " allowing ministers to duck responsibility. The result has been financial chaos, with the overall overspend on special educational needs and disabilities (Send) predicted to reach "6.6bn by next March, and keep rising. Taking responsibility for funding away from councils and handing it to the Department for Education is the right move....

7+ min ago (427+ words) Arne Slot said Mohamed Salah was still in is plans after he was left out for the win against West Ham Mohamed Salah still in Liverpool's plans, says Arne Slot Egyptian left on bench in win at West Ham "Mo will have a very good future at club' Arne Slot played down the significance of his decision to leave Mohamed Salah out of Sunday's Liverpool's 2-0 victory at West Ham. Salah had been selected for every league game for which was available since a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium in April 2024, when J'rgen Klopp was still manager, but Slot was keen to stress that this does not mean that the Egyptian's time at the club is coming to an end. "I get this question a lot," Slot said, referring to occasions when he's omitted Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak " who scored his…...

9+ min ago (139+ words) " Updates from across seven 6pm GMT Sunday games " The Super Bowl Shuffle at 40 | Mail Graham Hello, football fans! What a treat week 13 has been already. Chicago being a Super Bowl contender certainly wasn't on my bingo card but football is like a box of chocolates. Delicious. The action continues with a selection of seven games at 12pm CST/1pm EST/6pm GMT (home teams listed first): (6-6) Carolina Panthers v Los Angeles Rams (9-2) (3-8) Cleveland Browns v San Francisco 49ers (8-4) (8-3) Indianapolis Colts v Houston Texans (6-5) (4-7) Miami Dolphins v New Orleans Saints (2-9) (2-9) New York Jets v Atlanta Falcons (4-7) (6-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Arizona Cardinals (3-8) (1-10) Tennessee Titans v Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4)...

14+ min ago (205+ words) Barcelona midfielder faces lengthy spell out Blow to Spain's chances in second leg of final The three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmat" has been ruled out of Spain's Nations League final second leg at home against Germany after fracturing her left fibula in training. The Barcelona midfielder, who has topped the Guardian's list of the 100 best female footballers in the world for the past two years, fell awkwardly during a session on Sunday and tests have revealed a broken leg. Catalan media suggested Bonmat" would be out for "a minimum of two months" as she heals from the injury, which could rise above three if she requires surgery. "Aitana Bonmat" finished the morning session at the Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas in pain after a bad landing in an accidental action," the Spanish Football Federation said in a statement....

21+ min ago (1096+ words) Exclusive: PM hits back at critics as he insists Rachel Reeves right to impose "26bn worth of tax rises at budget Keir Starmer: Labour is getting on with the job of economic renewal Labour's economic plan will take years to deliver in full, Keir Starmer has said as he tries to regain the narrative after a turbulent response to last week's budget. In an article for the Guardian, the prime minister hit back at his political opponents, insisting the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was right to impose "26bn worth of tax rises. He also promised a long-term plan that he said should be judged at the end of the parliament. Starmer's comments form part of a broader intervention designed to bolster his and Reeves's position after days of arguments about whether the chancellor had needed to put up taxes to their highest levels…...

37+ min ago (410+ words) Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played Sam in Richard Curtis's film, thinks streaming ushered in genre's decline If modern romcoms aren't sweeping you off your feet anymore, you're not the only one wondering where the magic went. Romantic comedies are not as good as they used to be, according to one of the stars of Love Actually. Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played lovestruck teenager Sam in Richard Curtis's Christmas film, has said the rise of streaming had led to "rushed, cheaper productions, draining the genre of the spark it had in its 90s heyday. The actor, 35, told the Daily Telegraph that classic romcoms such as Love Actually were made in the pre-smartphone years " a "bygone era. He said: "It was a kind of simpler time, and maybe that is more romantic. "And there were some greats, like Nancy Meyers and Nora Ephron, who did…...

38+ min ago (250+ words) Champions recover from 14-0 down in bonus-point win Henry Arundell settled this thrilling contest in Bath's favour, crowning an individual performance that should make Steve Borthwick take notice with a second try to finally sink Saracens. In a gripping match-up that could easily be repeated at Twickenham come June, Bath edged home thanks to their 23-year-old flyer, who was on hand to finish after Max Ojomoh's telling break in the 76th minute. It was a statement win for Bath, founded on resilience and the power of their replacements, the visitors roaring back from 14-0 down to clinch victory. Arundell's performance was all the more eye-catching given he outshone Noah Caluori " another England hopeful and his direct opponent " and will give Borthwick food for thought after an autumn campaign in which he featured only fleetingly against Fiji. A second reinforced Saracens' early dominance, finished…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (307+ words) TonnyMy friend Tommy Gee, who has died aged 100, was a progressive colonial service administrator during the 1950s and 60s in Uganda, where his sympathies with the local population won him few friends among the expat community. Born in Nottingham, Tommy was the son of Tom, a butcher, and Beatrice (nee Whitby). After attending High Pavement grammar school in Nottingham he gained a mathematics degree at Brasenose College, Oxford, and went into the Royal Navy at the end of the second world war, rising to be chief navigator on HMS Glasgow. Afterwards he passed the civil service exams and was posted to Uganda, where his first role was as an assistant district commissioner. He later became district commissioner for the kingdom of Bunyoro and then secretary to the legislative council in Kampala. After independence Obote appointed Tommy on a three-year contract as a…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (701+ words) Bryce Young excels in Carolina victoryAFC South now a battle between three teamsBryce Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns " two of them coming on fourth down " and the Carolina Panthers (7-6) forced three turnovers by Matthew Stafford to beat Los Angeles (9-3) and snap the Rams" six-game winning streak. Carolina"s defense intercepted Stafford twice with Mike Jackson returning one for a 48-yard touchdown and ended the 37-year-old"s NFL record of 28 straight TD passes without an interception. Derrick Brown, who tipped a ball resulting in one of Stafford"s first pick, came up with a key strip-sack with 2:25 left in the game to preserve the win. Stafford completed 18 of 28 passes for 243 yards with two touchdown passes to Davante Adams, his 13th and 14th of the season. Continue reading... NFL roundup: Panthers shock Rams as Shedeur Sanders loses first home start…...

1+ hour, 6+ min ago (126+ words) Forward scores twice in 2-0 win at Pisa Villarreal edge out Real Sociedad in thriller Inter's Lautaro Mart'nez scored a second-half double to earn his side a 2-0 at Pisa that kept the visitors very much involved in the Serie A title race despite a less than convincing performance. Cristian Chivu's Inter are third in the standings on 27 points, level with second-placed Roma, who host Napoli later on Sunday, and one behind the leaders, Milan, who beat Lazio 1-0 on Saturday. Pisa are third bottom with 10 points. In the late game in Spain, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a win to go back to the top ahead of Barcelona, who beat Alav's 3-1 on Saturday....