the us president donald trump has announced a peace deal between israel and the united arab emirates. hamas, which controls gaza, has rejected the deal, but the un and egypt have welcomed it. as part of the agreement, israel has agreed to suspend its controversial annexation of parts of the occupied west bank. the israeli prime minister has described the annexation as delayed, not cancelled. workers at a huge state—owned factory have gone on strike and are calling on the belarus president alexander lukashenko to step down. protests have been continuing against the disputed re—election of mr lukashenko and subsequent violent suppression of dissent. and hundreds of thousands of students in england, wales and northern ireland have received their final high school grades for exams they didn't sit, because of the coronavirus lockdown. but there has been anger from thousands, who say they've had their grades unfairly lowered.

you are watching bbc news. let's return to our main story. hundreds of thousands of students in england, wales and northern ireland have received a—level and btec grades, after the huge uncertainty caused by coronavirus. but the results caused anger among schools, colleges and students, after nearly 40% of a—level grades were marked down. the prime minister has defended the system, describing it as "robust". i want to congratulate all the students who have worked so hard to get the grades that they have and have done so well. and let's be in no doubt, the exam results we got today are robust, they are good, dependable for employers will stop already, there is a record number of candidates, of students who are able to get their first choice course at the university of their choice. plus, there's a record number of students and pupils

from disadvantaged backgrounds who now, as a result of these grades, will be able to go to university. is it not the case that this system for awarding a—levels has actually downgraded some of the most vulnerable? do you actually have confidence in your secretary to resolve the mess? i think obviously it was going to be very difficult in the absence of formal proper exams this year of the kind that we normally have, because of the virus. we've had to put in the system we have, i do think it is robust, and as i say, a couple things are very important. first of all, more students than ever before were able to go to their university of choice, to do the course of their choice. and on your point about pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, more than ever before are now able to go to university or go into university this year, as a result of the grades they've got today.

do you have confidence in gavin williamson to resolve this? of course i do. it's a system this is a robust system and it's one that's dependable for employers. it is important for years to come that people should be able to look at these grades and think they are robust. and obviously where pupils are disappointed, where they feel that they could've done better, whether they feel that an injustice has been done to them, there is the possibility of appeal. and they can resit, take a resit this autumn, a resit this autumn, as well. looking at the big picture, we've got a robust set of grades, plus we've got the situation in which more pupils than ever before are getting their first choice and from disadvantage backgrounds are going to university. meanwhile the university admissions service, ucas, says the number of students who've

already accepted places, is up by almost 3% on this time last year. nearly 359,000 students have confirmed their choice of university so far, including more than 7,500 who've found a place through clearing. 0ur education correspondent, dan johnson, has more. you got an a? yes! oh, well done. a for achievement... oh, my gosh! ..means many students taking places as planned. but with the agony of some of these calculated grades comes the question of what next. i've never failed anything, actually. i'm not used to not getting into places. i think that's why it hit me so hard this morning when i opened it. abbi was one of those left disappointed. we've all been downgraded. i haven't got into uni because of it. and i was supposed to be going to durham, and now i can't. so, i've got to look over options, i've got to appeal, go through clearing, resit my exams and we haven't been learning since march. layla also received

unexpected marks. so, one grade above, but one grade below, so i was like, "i don't know what it means." and ucas had crashed and no—one could get on, but luckily i've just seen online that i still got in. so, you know, i'm quite thankful. others are trying their chances through clearing. some with lower grades, some who did better looking to trade up. here at hull, the advice is even those appealing should be able to start their course. it's at least a month away. there's a lot of time actually to maybe again undertake that appeals process, but still start university in september. so, my advice would be still secure that place. these are really important calls. they're big decisions, and it's all so much more complicated this year. i got a u in biology... on her midwifery course. the university's holding my place.

and so, when i appeal my grade, i'll see if i get in. there are more clearing places this year, and they're already being accepted. 0verall, university admissions are up, but after so much upheaval, some students will take a little longer to work out their next step. well, as dan said, working out the next step is something that students across the uk will be trying to do tonight. a little earlier, jane hill spoke to two experts about some of the options available in your questions answered. as you might imagine, we've had an awful lot of questions about exams. and here to answer them is sean coughlan, the bbc‘s education correspondent, and also clare marchant, the chief executive of ucas, which operates the university application process. a warm welcome to both of you, and clare, thanks for being with us on a busy day for you by definition.

let's start with the question from sarah. this might be a query for both of you. "a child i know was predicted three as and got them in his mocks. however today, he has been given a, b, b. that means he can't go on to do medicine at the university he'd chosen. his school seems reluctant to appeal. how do we use the mock exam results in this scenario?" sean, can i come to you first on that one? you can imagine this is something that could be facing so many students all over the country. what are your thoughts on this? you can feel the anxiety in life—changing moments like this. i know it's very high stakes. the tricky thing is in theory the appeal should allow someone to have their grade raised at least as high as in the mocks. there is a question of how you define a mock.

they‘ re ta ken differently in different schools. next week, 0fqual will tell us how that works. i would say don't panic, hold fire, things might change for the better. the only difficulty is it has to go through the school, the individual can't apply by themselves. so, we see this rather worrying phrase, "the school reluctant to appeal. " they have to pressure the school, say what the case is, and hopefully ucas will come to the rescue and consider this favourably. clare, the next question is very specifically your field, but this speaks to what a difficult time this is. very difficult and very complex set of circumstances. i certainly think the school may be reluctant because they're waiting for that guidance, in terms of what constitutes a mock.

hopefully this is helpful, clearing has some medicine places, so that is worth considering. they are competitive and there are few of them, but it is worth looking at that as an alternative. jazmine says, "i have received two sets of grades, as per the triple lock, but the university i am applying to is only accepting the first set, which is lower, and so has declined my application." she says, "the triple lock is not working where it's needed most. how do i get my ucas grades changed to the higher set?" clare, i'll come to you. yeah, so, obviously we're reacting to the government announcement as of 36 hours ago, and the understanding is that if those mock exams were higher, then that is about going through that appeals process. what we do know is that in terms of those looking to enter university or college for higher education,

those will be prioritised in terms of those appeals to allow students to go on to higher education as planned. the triple locks, go through the appeal process if your mocks are higher. sean, your thoughts? i agree. the 36 hours is the key. the triple lock appeared at a very late date, and we don't quite know how it works. the thing will be, what is the process that will determine it? what is a mock? it sounds like an abstract question, but it is a very real question. the head teachers have said in some schools, a mock exam might be something to boost everyone‘s confidence, where they see questions in advance, and somewhere else they might use it to scare the hell out of the kids, because they say we'll mark you terribly, so you will work hard for the real exam. are those two things comparable? are they fair for deciding grades?

it's difficult for universities, as well. they haven't quite digested how it will work. i think the clarity will come with the regulations next week hopefully. you mentioned next week, this reminds us that today is by no means the end of it for a lot of students. there's still time to wait, and that is very stressful. angela says, "my daughter has one grade lower in all her subjects than she was predicted. we feel she has been disadvantaged because of the college she's been attending. her gcses were 7s, 8s and 9s. has there been any consideration of prior achievements?" would gcses ever be part of that equation? it's an excellent question. the prior achievement considered was mostly of the school and not of the individual. so if, in this case, we're talking about angela and her daughter, angela's daughter's gcses would not have been directly

linked to her outcomes. her schools or colleges might have done. that's maybe the missing link, and perhaps some people have raised this. there are concerns that could adversely affect bright young people in schools that don't do very well, because they fit outside the pattern, they're outliers. the government has addressed this very specific point and said they will allow appeals on this basis if you have high—achieving children who are in schools which historically have low results. and so, these predicted grades will be artificially low, they can come back and appeal and hopefully it will be sorted out in time for them to go to university in the autumn. if the government has specifically addressed that, you can imagine how many students may be in that scenario and therefore the time—lag, how long it is going to take for these to be processed, and that poor pupil thinking, "i may get what i deserve in the end, but will all of the university

places be gone by then?" 7 september is the deadline that has been set for resolving all of these appeals. but as you say, places could have gone, decisions could have been made. universities have been told to keep places open for appeals, but that is the place you have already applied and so in a sense, if you are already in the pipeline, if you say something has gone wrong, universities have been told not to give the place away yet. you can imagine families worrying about it. a lot of confusion over the weeks ahead. and clare marchant from ucas, that is tricky, as well, from your perspective? certainly it's a worrying time for many. i do think it's worth pointing to the majority who have got their first choice of university today and are progressing. but for those who are considering an appeal, my one piece of strong advice would be if you are going to appeal through your school is to do it in parallel, either proceeding with your first choice,

which is where the majority are, or are exploring a choice in clearing or talking to your university if you are dead set on that one, ringing them up, explaining you are going through appeal, and we will do everything we can to support you. i accept it's a very anxious time not just for students, but their parents and teachers supporting them. but that is why we are doing so much through social media in unprecedented times but also last—minute changes at the moment. you make a good point. the majority have got what they wanted and what they applied for. is it too early in the day to know the stats on that? do we know how many have got that? yes, we know about 1.5% more people at this point this year, compared to this point last year, got their place at university or college to go to higher education, and two thirds of people have their first choice. more people than ever from most disadvantaged backgrounds have got a place,

so lots of people have reason to celebrate and to congratulate them today. but i accept there are people, and many people are saying, "i haven't got what i want and i want to look at an appeal process, i want to sit on autumn exam. and that where that support, particularly in remote working, which we're all in at the moment, that digital support comes in through social media channels when you cannot get that face—to—face time with perhaps teachers or friends. that's worth remembering, two thirds have got their first choice. fran talks about her son, who has done really well — a*, a, b. his ucas points score was 144, his offer at leeds was 144. but he has been rejected for economics and offered physics instead. do you know what the logic is, clare? yes, it sounds to me

like they have got a condition where they want an a in maths, and so they're looking specifically for that in terms of that economics course. they obviously want him at leeds university, which is great news. my advice would be to ring up the university and see if there's a possibility in terms of the b instead of the a, and talk about other options that may be available at the university, if that's where they want to go. it's not all bad news, ring them up, see where you get to, and then come back to us if you need further support. i will put william's question to you because it is about taking a—levels asa because it is about taking a—levels as a private candidate. he's working full—time. what effect has this had on private candidates? what will be the effect next year? because i will not have mock exams to rely on if i cannot take the final exam so how would i be traded? ithink

cannot take the final exam so how would i be traded? i think a lot of people would not even know about private candidates, so explain that. you could be an adult who want to ta ke you could be an adult who want to take an exam. it could also be people who are home—schooled. the complication is that these grades are firmly anchored on how school got on last time. if you did not go toa got on last time. if you did not go to a school, what do you base it on? there have been all sorts of rows about this and questions about how you do it and looking ahead, you just have to look longingly into the crystal ball and hope things work because again this is a very difficult question. if you are not pa rt difficult question. if you are not part of a system which, exams are built on a system are not individuals in a way, i think you will have trouble. hopefully, the best hope is that we have a vaccine. and exams go ahead as promised they will go ahead next year so in theory he could take them but about unknown really. goodness. next week may be

back next summer, hopefully fingers crossed. let's hear this question from ahmed who has had disappointment with chemistry. he has been given an e but under his mark under exam he got an why has my grade been given as any? is it because my school is in a disadvantaged area ? is it because my school is in a disadvantaged area? i think he is suggesting it is because his skill is disadvantaged. how will it work out? it seems a very big drop. we know about 40% have been marked down, 3% by two grades but this is huge. you have to get into what happened? is it a mistake? because if he was doing so well maybe it is an administration —— error. that sort ofjump can happen if you go, have a terrible day in an exam and it goes horribly

wrong but in a sense no one has taken an exam so if it is based on prior achievement that cliff edge should not happen. and it would only be if something entirely untoward has gone wrong and we know things had been lowered and are being lowered in more poor areas so i would check it. i would go back and pursue. do not take it lying down, really be tenacious on that one. there is a question from sam. can you advise when my daughter sets the exa m you advise when my daughter sets the exam in october she decides to set them in october, as she still able to apply for a place in 2020 or does that mean she is part of the 21 inta ke that mean she is part of the 21 intake and application? how will it work because some students might be doing that, choosing to sit the exams in october. that is a route

thatis exams in october. that is a route that is open to them. there's a numberof that is open to them. there's a number of things if you set an exam in october. effectively sitting coming back in 2021 and entering autumn 2021 is one option. there are january start courses in january 2021 and that's another option. i would be open and honest with students, there are narrow set of coui’ses students, there are narrow set of courses available in 2021. the other option is there will be some courses that potentially if you ring them up and say you can start late but again there will be few and far between. so your first instinct is right, talking about 2021 but there will be options injanuary talking about 2021 but there will be options in january or talking to the university and i would deftly do that. when the exam results come out for autumn around december. that. when the exam results come out forautumn around december. give that. when the exam results come out for autumn around december. give us a call and we are happy to help you navigate through what three or four potential options at that point. ok, good advice, thank you. more broadly, it will be interesting to

see how many students do opt, ferc w011 see how many students do opt, ferc won happy with this in the appeals process and think i am going to do it again and i am, not again but they will set an exam, october. and it's a competition for the school. how will this work in practice? if you think of someone who has been getting their results today, they left school in march, they finished their sixth form and no longer pupils, they are now adults, will they go back to the school have left in october? who will teach them, who will prepare them? we have not opened the book possibly since march. suddenly, they get an a—level in october. on what? on what basis, and also having papers, we don't know, the whole thing is again still to be explained. it's an area we are yet to have clarity on politically?

schools will already be full of their current upper sixth so these strays from last year, the government will promise money for extra rooms where people can take exams and other things but in reality who will teach them? who will prepare them, what will they study? they are not going to do a full revision set in about seven or eight weeks. it's not going to happen. will they be the same validity as full a—levels if they are not? the october thing was offered as a very generous good spirited here is another chance don't worry, but how will it work in practice is a huge question. in two really interesting. still we do not know lots. another question why are some universities not waiting for appeals to be completed before making a decision? my attained grades do not meet the conditions but i mock exam results do. one for you again. what many universities

will do is they have been asked to exercise fix ability and for those students to have missed in terms of grades one or two grades, they will be confirming them and saying we will take you onto the course because we're clicks ability. i think other universities perhaps might take a bit longer because they are taking theirtime might take a bit longer because they are taking their time to take the context of an individual through work experience and personal statement and that kind of thing. some of those holding or confirmation decisions coming through will take a bit longer this year because of the complexity. we will close with a broader thought about an extraordinary day. a—level results and btec results day is a lwa ys results and btec results day is always stressful even people of my age you get butterflies talking and thinking about it. but this is unlike anything else we have seen before. you've covered education for a long time. your thoughts about what students, parents are going through with all the uncertainties you have highlighted many of them.

that still exist. exactly that, you feel their pain and death poor group of young people who left school in a hurry in march and put on their coats and left and suddenly here they are getting exam results for exams they have never taken. in a way that has been put upon them. you have to take your hat off to them and see their future is theirs and hopefully they will go onto better things and in a way that system has been put together at great pace and it's ourjob to pick holes in it and moan but it has held together and people will be going to university on the back of it, getting jobs and going on to training and one would hope this never happens again and thatis hope this never happens again and that is the dream, that next year will be real exams and possibly for the first thing people will say isn't it great you had real exams? laughter people are nostalgic for revision than exams and all that comes with it. exams have never been surpassed

scratch might exams have never been surpassed scratch popular, ever closing thought. thank you both very much indeed. hello there. the extreme heat is coming to an end. thursday has not been quite as hot, but we have seen quite a few storms around and it is the southern half of the uk that in the next few days will stay very humid, there will still be some heavy rain, the threat of some flash flooding too. further north in the next few days, it's a bit quieter. a lot of dry weather, some sunshine, but areas of mist and low cloud coming in off the north sea around that area of high pressure on an easterly breeze. to the south, we have lower pressure, weather fronts and areas of showers and obviously those showers will be heavy, thundery and the rain could be torrential enough to bring some flooding as well. mainly across wales,

the midlands, southern england and east anglia, further north, some sunny spells here as well but the cloud retreating back to the coast of northern and eastern scotland and the north—east of england, keeping it cooler here. otherwise, in the sunshine still going to be a warm day. temperatures peaking at 25, 26 but it was only on wednesday that we had temperatures of 35. during the evening and overnight, we have still got the potential to drag some more showers across from continental europe across the southern half of the uk. where those temperatures are not going to really drop very far again it is still quite muggy, quite humid air, further north the temperature is beginning to drop off a little bit as it turns a little cooler and fresher. still some cloud affecting some of those eastern coastal areas on saturday. sunny spells developing in most parts, the threat of some further thundery heavy downpours and still the risk of some localised flooding across more southern parts of england and into wales. where those temperatures again at peak 25, so not much change into saturday. for the second half of the weekend,

the higher pressure keeping it drier in the north start to slip away and these weather fronts and showers will start to move away northwards perhaps into northern england, northern ireland, threatening southern parts of scotland, other areas of scotland seeing some sunshine away from the east coast. we will have some sunshine in between those downpours in england and wales, particularly in the south—east, where we see top temperature of 25. as we move into the early part of next week, we still have some very slow—moving weather patterns with lower pressure tending to dominate our weather on monday. so that means there's more rain in the forecast, especially for england and wales. this is where we are likely to find the heaviest rain and still the threat of some thunderstorms too. but drier for scotland and northern ireland with a sunnier weather probably in the northern areas of scotland. here temperatures of 17, we're looking at 23 or 24 at best across east anglia and the south—east. that lower pressure starts to ease away, just little bump of high pressure threatening to bring us a bit drier on tuesday. fewer showers around on tuesday. some sunshine at times but a drier day across more of the country.

not completely dry, there will be a few showers left over, but the heavier ones are moving away into continental europe. those temperatures are near average, 21—23. looking further ahead and there is an area of low pressure out in the atlantic that will dominate in the outlook, sweeping across the uk. we will see some spells of rain heading our way. the winds, they will be strengthening as well, we not really going to see the heat returning, maybe on thursday could be a bit warmer but on the whole we have got more atlantic wind sweeping our way around those areas of low pressure. temperatures remain pretty much near normal for the time of year. but there will be some wetter weather. wettest in the north—west, driest with the best of the sunshine towards the south—east.

hello, welcome to outside source. donald trump announces an historic peace deal, between israel, and the united arab emirates. workers at some state—run companies in belarus down tools — as demonstrations continue against president lukashenko over his disputed election victory. more than six thousand people have been detained there are reports of torture and brutality, we'll speak to the un's special rapporteur for human rights for the country.