Exclusive: Research shows extent to which schools are struggling to provide qualified teachers for every class

Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England and Wales are being educated “on the cheap” by low-paid teaching assistants (TAs) covering lessons for teachers who are off sick or have quit, according to new research.

A desperate teacher recruitment crisis, compounded by inadequate funding, means schools across the country are struggling to put a qualified teacher at the front of every class, unions say.

Monarch to resume public-facing engagements after palace says doctors ‘very encouraged’ by his progress

King Charles, who is being treated for cancer, is to return to public duties, with doctors pleased and “very encouraged” by his progress and “positive” about his continued recovery, Buckingham Palace has said.

Charles, who announced in early February he had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, will continue treatment while resuming some public-facing engagements, though he will not undertake a full summer programme.

Top UN demining official outlines scale of devastation as Egypt officials fly into Israel in attempt to revive ceasefire talks

Israel’s war in Gaza has created 37m tonnes of debris, much of it laced with unexploded bombs, which could take more than a decade to remove, a top UN demining official said.

Nearly seven months into the war, there is an average 300kg of rubble a square metre of land in Gaza, Pehr Lodhammar, the former United Nationals Mine Action Service chief for Iraq, told a news conference.

• Championship updates, 8pm BST kick-off at Loftus Road
• Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And you can mail Taha

Not far away now from kick-off. Sort your snacks, tea, whatever you consume.

“Taha, greeting from California.” Hello to you, Mary Waltz. “When it appeared that my beloved Everton was going down I began to try to learn a bit about the Championship. I have followed the chase for the last 10 weeks and started watching the Second Tier podcast. I found a distinctly different atmosphere from the PL and the fact that there wasn’t VAR was a plus. I am looking forward to the playoffs and to get a jump on the teams Everton will be fighting for relegation next year.”

Research finds hormone that indicates fertility at lower levels in vapers and tobacco smokers

Women should give up vaping if they are hoping to get pregnant, according to a study that suggests it may affect fertility.

In the first research to demonstrate a link between fertility prospects and electronic cigarettes across a large population, analysis of blood samples from 8,340 women revealed that people who vape or smoke tobacco had lower levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which indicates how many eggs women have left in their ovaries.

Oscar winner reveals she would enjoy fans using her given name despite using Emma professionally

Her films have racked up more than $1bn at the box office and she has won two Oscars under her stage name, but Emma Stone says she would now prefer to be called by her given name: Emily.

In a joint interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Nathan Fielder, her co-star in the surreal TV show The Curse, revealed that actors and crew members she worked with called her Emily.

Joshua Steinglass questions Pecker following cross-examination as Trump watches in New York courtroom

Trump defense attorney Emil Bove has resumed his cross-examination of Pecker.

“We were talking about Hope Hicks, right?” Bove asked, referring to the former campaign and White House aide to Trump. Pecker answered in the affirmative.

Campaign Against Antisemitism, led by Gideon Falter, cites safety fears and promises more protests to come

Campaign Against Antisemitism has cancelled its planned counter-protest against a pro-Palestinian march through central London on Saturday.

The group, led by Gideon Falter, had said it wanted to use the “walk together” initiative to support its view that the area around the planned pro-Palestinian march was not safe for Jewish people.

Over 100 firefighters, 30 lifeguards and 32 police officers called to help as flames tore through restaurant at end of California pier

A historic southern California pier caught fire on Thursday, burning for several hours until firefighters battling the blaze from boats were able to extinguish the flames.

Flames tore through a restaurant at the end of the Oceanside Pier, the longest wooden pier on the US west coast, and heavily damaged the closed diner and a neighboring business.

Two-year-old calf one step closer to reuniting with family group after tragic accident that left her stranded in remote lagoon

An orca calf, trapped for weeks in a remote lagoon in western Canada, has freed herself and is travelling towards open waters, hailed as “incredible news” by a growing body of human supporters.

The move puts her one step closer to reuniting with her family one month after a tragic accident left her stranded.