Keir Starmer plans to build up UK military, but domestic companies could lose out if it is forced to turn to US weapons instead

• European defence stocks soar as arms makers expect orders boom

Crowds of people cheered the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier as it sailed out of Portsmouth harbour last week, on its way to join the cream of the Royal Navy for a round trip to Japan later this spring.

Only a few months ago rumours were swirling in Westminster that the carrier and its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, could be mothballed or scrapped as the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, tightened her grip on public spending before next month’s spring statement.

Every year, volunteers brave the icy Tuel Lane lock in West Yorkshire to clear leaves, litter – and pickled onions

It is said that an imitation Rolex watch was once found during the spring clean of the UK’s deepest canal lock. Today the most glamorous discoveries are a Tesco shopping trolley and an empty can of Sprite – but spirits are still high.

“I did once come across a full jar of pickled onions,” said Maureen Readle, a volunteer. “But that was a bit further up. Here it is mostly leaves.”

White paper being prepared as councils hope for relief from huge deficits in special schooling budgets

• ‘A ticking time bomb’: the neglected crisis of Send education in England

Labour is preparing major changes to special educational needs provision in English schools, as individual councils raise the alarm over debts running into hundreds of millions of pounds that have pushed many to the brink of bankruptcy.

A Guardian analysis has found the vast majority of English upper-tier councils have accumulated often eye-watering special educational needs spending deficits. At least 12 have forecast accumulated deficits of more than £100m, running as high as £312m, when the debts have to be settled in a year’s time.

Some councils have raised concerns over profiteering amid frustration over huge fees charged by private specialist schools, which can charge between £50,000 and £100,000 per place, typically two to three times the cost of state provision.

Tensions between headteachers and councils over attempts by the latter to shift millions of pounds from local school budgets to ease high needs deficits. Some schools have warned such moves would force them to sack Send support staff.

Attempts to rein in local Send demand and spending via “safety valve” initiatives at 42 councils have largely failed, with most failing to hit savings targets on time, despite receiving government grants running into tens of millions of pounds.

For too long UK has law trailed behind internet platforms. After a long-awaited review, ministers must put this right

If you’ve seen porn in recent years, you’ll know it’s grim out there these days. Incest and strangulation are rife, as is coercion, racism, and also sexual violence. It’s front and centre on mainstream porn sites and many social media platforms, pushed by recommendation algorithms on a drive to maximise engagement and profit. It’s a world away from the days when “hardcore” porn meant an erect penis. But we might be on the brink of change.

Last week the long-awaited independent porn review led by the Conservative peer Gabby Bertin was published, marking the biggest review of pornography regulation in more than 40 years. Its findings amount to a clear indictment of what counts as porn today and the inaction of successive governments to do anything to fix it. It was a Labour government which first brought in the extreme porn law in 2009, recognising the need for a step-change in how we regulate pornography. It’s now time for the next great step forward, and it’s one that will be integral to the success of the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

Fiona Vera-Gray is a professor of sexual violence at London Metropolitan University and co-director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit

Clare McGlynn is a professor of law at Durham University and expert on the legal regulation of pornography

• Reports say 49ers Enterprises to take 51% stake in club
• Due diligence now set to begin on offer

A takeover deal for Rangers is set to be completed, with the owners of the San Francisco 49ers on track to acquire a majority stake in the Glasgow giants, according to reports.

The news follows months of discussion around a proposed investment and comes at a delicate time for the club, with Rangers 16 points behind Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership but about to face Fenerbahce in a Europa League last-16 tie.

Top tips on better batter, cooking techniques and cooling time, to ensure a reliable vegan yorkie every time

I can never get my vegan yorkshire puddings to work – help!
Traditional yorkshire puddings have eggs and milk to thank for their golden, crisp and puffy looks, so it’s no wonder people run into bother in their absence. “Vegan yorkshires are a mighty task,” says Lianna Lee Davis, who is behind the much-lauded vegan Sunday roast at Our Black Heart in Camden, London. Your first task is to decide on their replacements, and for that you have a few options. “I use aquafaba and whisk it with apple cider vinegar, rapeseed oil, dijon mustard, unsweetened soya milk and water,” she says. She then combines plain flour, chickpea flour, salt and turmeric (“for a bit of colour”), and whisks that into the wet mix to make a batter.

Marc Joseph, of E3 Vegan, meanwhile, prefers a combination of soya milk, baking powder and self-raising flour: “I’ve tried all sorts of things,” he says, “and baking powder gives the best results.” Once mixed with the flour and popped into a really hot oven, “they rise quickly like a cake at the start, so, by the time they’re cooked, you have really crisp edges”. That’s also Gaz Oakley’s preferred route. For 12 yorkshire puddings, the author of Plant to Plate, published in May, combines 260g self-raising flour, one and a half teaspoons of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt. “Add 480ml soya milk, whisk until smooth, then pour into a jug.” Just like the OG, vegan yorkies also benefit from a rest, Joseph says: “Make the batter at least 30 minutes before you want to use it.”

Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com