A record number of UK students earned top A-level grades this year, but many have been unable to secure places in their preferred university courses. Universities, facing limited spaces and strict intake limits, have asked some students to defer their studies or accept alternative courses due to higher competition and course closures.
Key Facts
Nearly one-third of A-level results in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland were top grades (A and A*).
Universities rejected more students who narrowly missed higher grades, increasing competition for places.
Cardiff University asked some students in certain programs to defer until 2027 due to too many qualifying applicants.
Geography courses at Exeter’s Cornwall campus were closed, forcing students to change courses or move to a different campus.
73% of students received firm university offers this year, lower than 76% in recent years.
A record 23,000 students have deferred their university places this year.
The share of students placed in their first-choice courses dropped to 79%, down from 82% last year.
Selective universities increased applications by almost 10% but only raised offers by 5%, tightening admissions.
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France’s highest court blocked a law that banned children under 15 from using social media, saying it violated free speech rights. The government plans to create a new proposal that meets constitutional and European legal standards to protect children online.
Key Facts
France’s Constitutional Council rejected a law banning social media use for children under 15.
The court said the ban unfairly limited freedom of expression and communication.
The law also banned mobile phone use in high schools.
This was the first such comprehensive ban passed in the European Union.
Both chambers of the French Parliament approved the original law.
The law was introduced during President Emmanuel Macron’s term, set to end next year.
President Macron is committed to revising the law to protect children while respecting legal rights.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has been asked to quickly prepare a new legal proposal.
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Associated Press photographer Fernando Vergara documented the aftermath of two deadly earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia, focusing on the impact on people and buildings. He compared the greater destruction in Venezuela, with taller collapsed buildings and higher death toll, to the damage in Pereira, Colombia, where buildings were shorter and fewer lives were lost.
Key Facts
Fernando Vergara has worked as a photographer for AP for 20 years.
He covered earthquakes in Venezuela in late June 2026 and in Pereira, Colombia, in August 2026.
The earthquake in Venezuela caused more damage and more deaths than the one in Colombia.
Venezuela’s damages included many tall apartment buildings collapsing.
Colombia’s earthquake mostly damaged shorter buildings, one to three stories tall.
Vergara highlighted the emotional moments when rescue workers find survivors.
The environment in Venezuela included dust, heat, and the smell of decomposing bodies.
Vergara took photos of rescue efforts and survivors in both countries.
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Two passenger trains derailed in England within two days. The latest derailment happened near Wickford station in Essex with no injuries, following an earlier derailment near Lewes that seriously injured two people and caused minor injuries to others.
Key Facts
A train derailed near Wickford station in Essex, about 30 miles east of London, on Friday.
The rear carriages of the Wickford train came off the tracks but stayed upright.
No injuries were reported from the Wickford derailment.
Emergency services including police, paramedics, and firefighters responded to the scene.
The day before, a train derailed near Lewes in East Sussex, causing serious injuries to two people and minor injuries to 18 others.
In the Lewes incident, three carriages overturned.
All passengers from the Lewes derailment were safely evacuated within about three hours.
Investigations are ongoing to find out the causes of both derailments.
Major train service disruptions were expected in the area following the incidents.
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France’s Constitutional Council approved a new law allowing assisted dying for seriously ill patients under strict conditions. At the same time, the council rejected a law that would have banned children under 15 from using social media, due to concerns about privacy and freedom of expression.
Key Facts
France's highest constitutional court upheld a law legalizing assisted dying in specific cases.
The law allows patients with incurable, life-threatening illnesses who suffer unbearably to request medical help to end their lives.
Pharmacists and private treatment centers can refuse to participate in assisted dying if it conflicts with their beliefs or mission.
The law requires patients to give free and informed consent to the procedure.
The court struck down a law banning social media use by children under 15, citing privacy and freedom rights.
The social media ban law required people to prove their age but lacked clear legal safeguards for privacy.
President Emmanuel Macron supported both laws, but now plans to revise the social media bill.
Amnesty International called for better regulation of social media companies instead of banning children from platforms.
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An 18-year-old student working on a building site in Belgium found gold worth about €9 million while digging trenches for a sewage system. The treasure included gold coins, nuggets, and bars hidden in a bricked-up cellar wall of a former brewery villa, and the find is now under official investigation.
Key Facts
The student found the gold while working on a site in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, about 30 km northwest of Brussels.
The gold was stored in a bag inside a bricked-up cellar wall beneath a villa built for brewery owner Theophilus Van Assche in the late 1800s.
The hoard includes gold coins, nuggets, and numbered bullion bars.
Brewing on the site lasted from 1899 until 1970; the building is now being renovated by a social welfare group to create offices and housing.
The find was reported to the police and transferred to a secure location in Brussels.
Authorities will check if the gold is stolen or linked to crime and if others have legal claims.
Belgian law requires finders to wait five years before claiming unclaimed treasure.
Possible claimants include the construction workers, the welfare organization, and descendants of the Van Assche family.
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North Korea has threatened to respond with "overwhelming force" against the upcoming large military exercise between the United States and South Korea called Ulchi Freedom Shield. This warning came after North Korea fired a missile into the Sea of Japan and as its troops reportedly gain combat experience by participating in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Key Facts
North Korea condemned the joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise starting August 17, calling it a threat to their security.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise lasts 10 days and aims to prepare for new forms of warfare, including drone and cyberattacks.
North Korea fired a missile into the Sea of Japan recently, the 11th missile launch this year.
Thousands of North Korean soldiers are reportedly involved in fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine, gaining military experience.
South Korea hosts about 28,500 U.S. troops, and Japan sometimes takes part in these exercises.
North Korea claims its missile and nuclear programs are for defense and often calls the exercises provocative.
The Korean War ended with a ceasefire, but North and South Korea have not signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war.
U.S. and South Korean officials worry that North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine makes it more capable militarily.
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Zambia’s electoral commission stopped counting votes across the country because of attacks on election workers and theft of some ballots. The commission plans to decide whether to continue the count after reviewing the situation in 24 hours.
Key Facts
Zambia’s election vote counting was paused nationwide on Friday.
The pause happened because there were attacks on people working at polling stations.
Some ballot papers were stolen during the election.
The commission said it will review the situation in 24 hours.
No further details were given about how many votes were counted before the pause.
The suspension aims to keep the election process safe and fair.
The situation affects Zambia’s current national election.
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Qatar’s football association questioned the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for issuing a public letter criticizing FIFA President Gianni Infantino without consulting them. The dispute highlights divisions within Asian football as Infantino faces pressure over a failed plan to sell part of World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
Key Facts
Qatar’s Football Association President Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani wrote a letter to the AFC president saying Qatar was not consulted before AFC joined UEFA and CONCACAF in criticizing FIFA President Infantino.
The letter questioned the AFC’s authority to speak for all 47 of its member associations without prior consultation.
Infantino is up for re-election next year and has faced criticism over a proposal to sell 20% of World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
Six Arab football association leaders, including Qatar and Morocco (2026 World Cup co-hosts), publicly supported Infantino despite the controversy.
Four of those supporting Infantino, including Al-Thani, are also FIFA Council members.
The AFC, UEFA, and CONCACAF released a collective letter calling for Infantino to quit over his conduct and failed investment plan.
Al-Thani emphasized that neither he nor Qatar had any input or chance to comment before the AFC’s letter was published.
Infantino’s proposal aimed to raise about $4.2 billion by selling part of FIFA’s World Cup commercial rights but was withdrawn after backlash.
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A large wildfire in the Landes region of southwestern France has burned more than 1,000 hectares since Thursday. About 520 people were forced to leave their homes as firefighters worked to control the fire, which remains unpredictable.
Key Facts
The wildfire started in the Landes area in southwestern France.
Over 1,000 hectares (about 2,470 acres) have been burned by the fire.
Around 520 residents were evacuated to keep them safe.
Firefighters have brought in extra help to fight the flames.
Authorities warn that the path of the fire is still uncertain.
The fire has been burning since Thursday.
The article mentions heatwaves and climate change as related environmental factors.
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France’s Constitutional Council stopped a proposed law that would have banned social media use for children under 15. President Emmanuel Macron supports the ban and has asked his government to revise the law to try again before the next presidential election.
Key Facts
The French court ruled the social media ban for under-15s violates freedom of expression.
The banned bill aimed to restrict young people’s access to social media platforms.
President Macron supports the bill and wants a new version created.
The government plans to try passing the revised law before France’s next presidential election.
The decision is seen as a setback for Macron’s policy efforts.
The Constitutional Council is France’s highest legal authority for reviewing laws.
The issue relates to protecting children online while balancing free speech rights.
Macron’s administration is actively working on digital regulation and child safety.
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The USS George Washington aircraft carrier will replace the USS Abraham Lincoln to give its crew relief after a long deployment without a break. The Lincoln’s crew has faced supply problems and mental health challenges during their extended time at sea, prompting concern from lawmakers and military officials.
Key Facts
The USS George Washington will relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a planned crew rotation.
The Lincoln has been deployed since December without a port stop, leading to supply shortages and mental health issues among sailors.
At least one sailor went overboard but was rescued quickly; no deaths have occurred during the current deployment.
The Lincoln was initially sent to the Pacific but rerouted to the Middle East, with its deployment extended multiple times.
Defense officials say they provide support and resources to crew members, although some earlier complaints were dismissed as false.
Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed concern over the length of deployments and sailor welfare.
Both the Lincoln and George Washington are Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carriers, carrying about 5,000 sailors and up to 75 aircraft.
The carriers use steam catapults to launch aircraft from their short flight decks and typically operate as part of a carrier strike group with other ships.
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A woman named Chanel Fong was found not guilty of owning an XL bully dog that fatally bit her partner’s father, Keven Jones, in Wrexham, Wales. The court heard the dog belonged to her partner, and Fong was not responsible for the dog’s control during the attack in May 2022.
Key Facts
Keven Jones died from severe blood loss caused by dog bites on his leg.
The bite happened before XL bully dogs were added to the banned dog list.
The dog, named Cookie, was owned by Joshua Jones, Fong’s partner.
Fong was charged with owning the dog and being in charge of it but was found not guilty.
Jones had been in poor health and taking medications that could affect bleeding.
Fong tried to help after the attack by calling emergency services and giving first aid.
Cookie the dog was euthanised after the attack.
The jury took three hours to reach a unanimous not guilty verdict.
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Spanish officials are investigating after Toñi, an older female orca known for ramming boats near the Iberian Peninsula, was found with injuries that look like shots from a pellet gun. The orca population in this area is very small and at risk, and Toñi’s injuries have raised concern among researchers and conservation groups.
Key Facts
Toñi is the oldest female orca in a group off the Iberian Peninsula that is famous for hitting boats.
She was seen with wounds on her fin consistent with pellet gun shots.
Some pellets appear stuck in her fin, which could cause infections.
The orcas travel between waters near Portugal and Spain.
This group of orcas has damaged many boats and even sunk some, but scientists think the behavior may be play or practice hunting skills, not attacks.
Toñi’s group is critically endangered, with only 30 to 40 orcas left.
The orcas face challenges like lack of food, injuries, pollution, and heavy ship traffic.
Conservation groups are closely watching Toñi’s health and stress that shooting at these animals is not acceptable.
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There is an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an illness caused by a parasite, linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. It is difficult to know exactly how many people are infected because tracking cases takes time and effort.
Key Facts
Cyclosporiasis is caused by a parasite that can make people sick with stomach problems.
The current outbreak is connected to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.
The parasite contaminates the lettuce before it reaches stores and restaurants.
People who eat the contaminated lettuce can get sick.
Tracking the exact number of cases is hard because it requires testing and reporting by health officials.
Symptoms usually start a week after eating contaminated food.
Health agencies work to find the source and warn the public to prevent more sickness.
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Ahmed al-Sharaa became Syria’s leader after the long rule of the al-Assad family ended in 2024. He aims to rebuild Syria as a modern Arab democracy by restoring international ties and improving the economy and society.
Key Facts
The al-Assad family ruled Syria for 53 years before losing power in December 2024.
Armed opposition led by Abu Mohammed al-Julani forced Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia.
Al-Julani became President Ahmed al-Sharaa after taking power.
Al-Sharaa worked to restore diplomatic relationships with regional and global countries.
Western sanctions and isolation had stopped Syria’s economic and social progress.
Al-Sharaa mentioned a possible security deal with Israel.
He said Syria will not take part in military actions in Lebanon or disarm the group Hezbollah.
Al-Sharaa resolved conflicts with Syria’s Kurdish community and plans to gradually bring back democracy.
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The United States government has spoken out against settlers surrounding Palestinian homes in the West Bank town of Qusra. This siege has been going on for nearly a week, putting pressure on the Palestinian families living there.
Key Facts
Settlers have surrounded homes in Qusra, a town in the West Bank.
The siege has lasted for almost a week.
Palestinian families are trapped inside their homes.
The U.S. government officially condemned the actions.
The situation is part of ongoing tensions in the West Bank region.
The West Bank is a disputed territory with frequent conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians.
International attention is focused on the rights and safety of the Palestinian residents.
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Police in Italy have found three paintings that were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Museum near Parma in March. The stolen artworks, created by Cézanne, Renoir, and Matisse, are valued at about €9 million.
Key Facts
The theft happened on the night of March 22.
Two masked thieves broke into the Magnani Rocca Museum.
The stolen paintings are by famous artists Cézanne, Renoir, and Matisse.
The total value of the stolen art is approximately €9 million (£7.8 million).
Police released CCTV footage showing the theft.
The artworks were recovered during police searches.
Authorities have not given more details about the recovery.
The investigation is still ongoing.
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Britain has temporarily banned the sale of disposable barbecues across the country to help prevent wildfires during dry and hot weather. The government is also bringing in the military and planning to use firefighting planes to combat fires, while preparing emergency support for fire services.
Key Facts
A temporary ban on disposable barbecue sales is now in effect across Great Britain.
The ban aims to reduce the risk of wildfires during a period of very dry and hot weather.
At least 19 people were hospitalized in the West Midlands after multiple fires damaged homes.
The military is helping to manage the wildfires.
The government plans to use firefighting planes similar to those used in Europe and the US.
Officials warn the hot, dry conditions may continue into October, increasing fire risks.
Emergency financial support is being prepared for fire services fighting wildfires.
The prime minister said the country must adapt to climate change while gradually shifting to cleaner energy.
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Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, will visit Israel and Egypt to support a US-backed peace plan aiming to end the conflict in Gaza. This visit follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of the peace plan, which includes disarming Hamas and Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
Key Facts
Jared Kushner plans to visit Israel and Egypt next week to promote a peace plan for Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected the 15-point peace plan backed by President Trump.
The plan calls for Hamas to gradually disarm by transferring weapons to a third party and for Israeli troops to leave Gaza.
Hamas has agreed to a preliminary version of the plan and remains committed to it.
Kushner will be joined by Nickolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the trip.
The peace plan is part of a broader ceasefire agreement reached in late 2025.
Despite the ceasefire, fighting and violations continue, with over 1,260 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the ceasefire started.
Violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank has increased, leading to US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemning attacks on civilians.
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