a crashing u—turn on a—level and gcse results — pupils across the uk will now get the grade given them by their school or college. it follows uproar after tens of thousands of a—level teacher assessments were downgraded by the exams watchdog. it apologised, so did the government. where there is quite obviously injustices and we have seen that in this system, we have to act. and that's why we have had to make the decision this we have done. out of anyone in this, we should just be trusting the teachers. they're not going to send us off the uni courses that they know we can't do. they're not going to push us intojobs that they know we can't do. as universities now try to decide whether they can offer places to students who missed out, labour accuses the

government of a fiasco. also this evening: in belarus, more protests and strikes against its president of 26 years after his disputed re—election. how the lockdown has widened the gap between the richest and poorest primary school children. and the winners and losers from the government's second and final support grant. and we ask pupils in bristol how the uncertainty over exam results has affected them and coming up on bbc news: delays to the start of the final day in southampton between england and pakistan, but could they salvage anything after a rain ravaged second test?

good evening. in a huge policy reversal, affecting hundreds of thousands of pupils, a level and gsce results across the uk will now be based on teacher assessments, rather than grades generated by computer analysis. the education secretary gavin williamson apologised this afternoon for the distress caused and the chairman of the exams regulator quual acknowledged "the real anguish" and the damage to public confidence. around 40% of all a—level results were downgraded from teacher's assessments across england, wales and northern ireland, leading to an outcry from pupils who lost out on university places. the teacher assessments will now stand in every nation in all but the very few cases where the grade awarded by computer was higher and in wales, where a pupil's as level was higher than both. our education editor branwenjeffreys has more. itches predicted a star and two as

andi itches predicted a star and two as and i was given a star and b, b. stef has lost a place at cambridge. when we have to work extra hard for where we we are and we haven't got anything from it. my grades are still very good, but i missed an opportunity. out of anyone, we should be trusting the teachers. they won't send us to courses that they know we can't do orjobs. it is such a small time frame that we have, it is just too late for so many people. you got an a. it has been five days since results, now when confidence already lost, with uni places gone for some, a u—turn from the regulator and an apology. uni places gone for some, a u—turn from the regulator and an apologylj would from the regulator and an apology.” would like to say sorry, we have recognised the difficulty that young people have faced coping with the

receipt of grades that they were unable to understand the basis on which they had been awarded add... i would like to say sorry for that and we are now taking steps to put that right. universities had closed some courses. they had told not to offer to too many. no i the limit on places in england is lifted. very sorry for all those students who have been through this. we are removing the caps, so that they have the ability to ex—and the expand the number of places. this problem has been there for months and the government has not sorted it out. it came to the wrong decision last week. now there is a huge amount of unravelling. but don't underestimate the distress and anger it has caused

to young people. in birkenhead, the couege to young people. in birkenhead, the college principal is not impressed. for some students it came too late. they're going to unleash a different set of problems now. this won't be the silver bullet to cure the ills that have been developed. we will have a different set of problems and anxiety. this thing is a mess that didn't have to be. stef and other stu d e nts didn't have to be. stef and other students downgraded face a dilemma — live with the decision they have made or renew the battle for their first choice. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. our political correspondent vicki young is at westminster. this feels like a humiliating u—turn from the government? yes, throughout this pandemic the government has had to respond to changing situations, to unprecedented situations, sometimes the evidence changes and they change

their minds. but this does feel like a screeching u—turn, because as soon as exams were cancelled, they had months to prepare for it. that is the government and the regulator. the fact there wasn't even an appeals process agreed upon tells you that there has been a problem. ministers do point to the regulator and they came up with the system for reviewing grades, but i don't think it reflects well on gavin williamson either. the problem for him, he has presided over a flawed system to get primary schools all back to school before the summer break. that didn't happen and now this. there are some conservatives who feel he should have got a grip on this much sooner and of course it does put him under pressure as they prepare to get all pupils back in cement. thank you. -- in september. thank you.

scotland announced last week that teacher assessment grades would stand for all students there. and in wales, the government has now said that a—level, as level and gcse grades will also be awarded on that basis. in a moment we'll be talking to our northern ireland correspondent chris page in belfast, but first we go to our wales correspondent tomos morgan at the welsh government building in cardiff. the welsh government had already started to shift on this before the announcement by quual? yes, that's right, we had rumours s all morning about a change. following protests and that decision in northern ireland, the pressure on the welsh government had become intolerable. kirsty williams, the education minister, made that u—turn that all students in wales, a—level and as and gcse students would be

graded by their teachers this year. 4296 graded by their teachers this year. 42% of a—level studented had their grades lowered and there was criticism from opposition parties. following that decision that 42% lowered, the welsh education minister made a pledge that no student would get a grade lower than last year. the welsh government said that was the correct decision and said that was a more credible decision that has been made by other devolved governments. but when they found out that the uk government would follow scotland and northern ireland, wales had to follow. an independent review has been promised following what happened here. northern ireland was the first to announce a change to the exam results system. this morning the education minister said he decided that gcse results would be based

solely on the estimated grades provided by schools and colleges. that begged the question, would he do the same for a—levels. he said at that time, well, the issue was a fifth of a—level papers are set by english exam boards and he couldn't make a decision in isolation scotland it. so it was no surprise that mrweir scotland it. so it was no surprise that mr weir gave scotland it. so it was no surprise that mrweirgave a scotland it. so it was no surprise that mr weir gave a news conference to say in northern ireland teachers' estimated, they will be awarded to pupils where they are higher than the grades that were awarded. teachers, parents and of course students have very much welcomed this, but they have questioned as to whether the stress of the last few days could be avoided. last week, about a third of a and as—levels results were downgraded. so it is clear it will make a significant

difference to many pupils. the questions for peter weir will continue in a measure of the political significance of this, the assembly is being recalled to discuss the issue. thank you. our education editor branwen jeffreys is in birkenhead. what does this now mean for students and universities? well, thor the e turmoil is far from over. there could be a bumpy couple of weeks as universities try to work out how to make this work. around 70% of students have been accepted on to theirfirst 70% of students have been accepted on to their first choice places. but of course that leaves 30% who haven't. so what should they do? they're being advised to speak to their teachers and parts and consider their options. do they accept a second choice that they have already made or try to go back to their first choice to fight for a

place? in england, the numbers in university had been limited by the government to only a 5% increase this year. today, gavin williamson has lifted that cap on numbers. in theory allowing universities to take many more students. but of course there are other considerations. we are going into a university term where universities will have tobacco individual secure and they're thinking about how many they can fit into seminar rooms, or lecture theatres. many lectures have moved online. but one thing that has not is student accommodation and they have limits on the numbers that they're putting into their accommodation, often a key part of the experience of going away from home for the first time is being with other students. it is not clear how they're going to manage those difficulties. and six form college like this are now scrambling to

write their own admissions policies. come thrs and friday and next monday they could be facing a lot of stu d e nts they could be facing a lot of students with very similar looking gcse grades, they're going to have to find some way of deciding which ones of those to let on a limited number of places for a—level courses. and of course as vicky said, there will be a political reckoning as well. gavin williamson, the education secretary for england, was asked why it had taken him so long to make the decision and how he would mark himself. he said he thought it was always better to let others apportion the marks. thank you. some students are still waiting for the results of their vocational qualifications — four days after they were due. the association of colleges says most students have received their qualification, but the exam board pearson admits there has been a delay for some. there has also been a wait for some vocational students who took cambridge technicals,

with the administrator ocr saying they would confirm results as soon as possible. you can see more on this including your questions answer on the bbc web—site. the latest government figures show there were 713 new confirmed coronavirus cases across the uk, in the latest 2a hour period. that means the average number of new cases per day in the last week is 1,080. the deaths of three people were also reported in the last 2a hour period — that's those who've died, within 28 days of a positive covid—i9 test. that takes the total number reported across the uk to 41,369. across the world the number of new coronavirus infections continues to soar. the worst affected countries, including the united states and india, have registered many tens of thousands of deaths.

in europe, a rise in infections in some countries has raised concerns that more holiday destinations could be added to the quarantine list imposed by the uk. with a look at the global picture, here's our medical editor fergus walsh. there are now more than 21 million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world, and that figure is rising by more than a quarter of a million new cases every day. the global death toll now exceeds three—quarters of a million. in the past 2a hours, the world health organisation recorded nearly 6,000 deaths linked to covid—i9, a grim statistic and, yet, it is less than a quarter of the daily deaths globally from cancer. worldwide, nearly 10 million people a year die from cancer. the number of new covid infections in the four worst affected countries, the us, brazil, mexico and india,

is trending upwards and the death toll is rising, too. more than 170,000 in the us and more than 50,000 in india. there are vast numbers of new covid—19 cases per day, but death rates are not going up at quite the same rate. we do now have several months of clinical knowledge to fall back on, we do have some treatments that we know will work, and that is useful for patient management. as we head towards the winter, we do have the threat of large—scale influenza outbreaks, so a health service trying to cope with flu and covid—19 at the same time, that could be devastating. in the southern hemisphere, well into its winter, there have been spikes in cases in new zealand and australia. new zealand's general election has been postponed by a month and its largest city, auckland, remains in lockdown. while australia, where a second wave began in melbourne injune, has witnessed its deadliest day yet, with 25 deaths. so what about europe and the quarantine measures imposed by the uk?

well, if you are coming to britain from any of the countries highlighted in red, you must self—isolate for 1h days. france, the netherlands and malta were added to a list at the weekend that already included spain and belgium. there are concerns that other holiday destinations may be added to the quarantine list. croatia, greece and turkey have all seen a recent spike in cases. downing street said protecting public health remained the main priority. the quarantine list will be updated later this week. fergus walsh, bbc news. the time is 6:16pm. our top story this evening... a crashing u—turn on a—level and gcse results. pupils across the uk will now get the grade given them by their school or college. coming up, we'll be hearing from students affected by this year's exam system. coming up on sportsday on bbc news, wimbledon champion simona halep

chooses not to play in the upcoming us open due to coronavirus concerns. lockdown has hit deprived parts of the country particularly hard. now research by the institute for fiscal studies suggests that, in england, it's widened the education gap between the richest and poorest primary school children. it shows that, during the pandemic, the richest 20% of pupils were spending over six hours a week more on educational activities compared to the poorest 20%. 0ne headteacher told the bbc it will take nearly two years to close the gap. the government says it's vital for children's education that all pupils return to the classroom by next month, as our special correspondent ed thomas reports. educating through coronavirus. in the most deprived parts of the country.

children with hope and ambition. my dreams are to become a dancer and a singer. i'm determined to do the best in high school that i can. the last day of term inside st mary and st thomas primary in st helens. an outstanding school, where almost half of the 220 pupils have a special need. in a deprived area, there is already a gap that we are always striving to close. what's coronavirus done to the education of the most vulnerable here? it's stalled their education and that gap will have grown hugely. have you been speaking to your mental health worker... they call 50 of the most vulnerable children and their families every week. i can hear them all playing in the background. more than six out of ten pupils here receive free school meals. how are you for food? on our list, it is looked—after children, domestic abuse. low employment in the area, drug misuse. even before lockdown, the school handed out at least 30

food parcels every month. hiya, sweetheart, got your bags for you. linda's in charge of the welfare of all pupils, including home visits. it's making sure we provide a safe, secure environment for them and that they feel ready to learn, that their worries are left at the door. i need a bag for kelly that i can drop off. these are for kelly, a single parent and mum to rhea. rhea is eight years old and her mum's young carer. she's got two bad legs, and one hand, so it is hard for her cooking and stuff. we've moved house during lockdown and it's really hard for me, just packing stuff and packing. just packing stuff and unpacking. and, on top of all of this, you've got to learn. yes. hi, kelly, can i come in? of course you can. how are you, love? i'm brilliant. liking this new house. 0h, you've dropped on here, kell. rhea's mum has cerebral palsy. is she your support?

she's me everything, she's me world, my rock. and she's just eight years old. eight years of age, i know. the school and kelly want rhea to reach her full potential. yes, i'd like herto go to uni and go on to find a decentjob and be set for life, really, yeah. home—learning for children like phoebe has been especially tough. i do struggle with maths, so i have been worried, if i do go down. cos dad didn't know long division and the short divisions. hi, george. george is phoebe's dad. like many parents here, he struggled with his own education. i failed in maths. the school helped to get me english qualification. if i don't know, i can't help my child. a single parent with diabetes and anxiety, the school has supported him throughout.

it's been tough for the past eight years, but they've been there all the way. this is a school. let's remember that. but we are the community and they are our family. every day, during lockdown, poorer children were doing 75 minutes less learning than richer pupils, according to the institute for fiscal studies. since march, andrea decided to keep her girls away from school. i was terrified. my mum actually had corona. i didn't want to catch it because i thought, who is going to look after these? at st mary and st thomas, there were 130 children just like andrea's, not in school, learning from packs sent home. i'm trying to do schooling at home. wow, that's a whole new ball game. from the decision you've made, what don't you want to happen? i would like them to be able to pull it back and not a struggle. it back and not struggle. i don't want it to affect their education.

a child could have been away for six months and not done any home learning. what has that made you think? it's a mountain to climb. this is going to take the next academic year and into the one after to really get those children back to where they need to be and if there was ever a time for us to step up, it's now. this pandemic is exposing inequalities and, in the classroom, the poorest are falling further down. behind. ed thomas, bbc news, st helens. the foreign secretary, dominic raab, says the uk doesn't recognise the result of the elections in belarus. there have been further demonstrations in the country today against the re—elected president, alexander lukashenko, who's been in power for more than 25 years. he was heckled by workers today on a visit to a factory, made in the wake of a massive protest rally in the capital minsk at the weekend. jonah fisher sent this report. car horns honking.

this was the day the workers turned on alexander lukashenko. thousands downing tools and marching to a tractor factory. while the strikers rallied outside, belarus' beleaguered president arrived by helicopter to address those who had stayed at work. he was no doubt hoping for a friendly crowd. jeering. what he got was a public relations disaster. chanting outside the plant, the striking workers were visited by the only opposition leader who hasn't been arrested or fled the country.

translation: for 26 years, the authorities have humiliated us. thank you for not being afraid. we are not the little people, we are the nation. cheering are you worried about your own safety? no, i'm not worried, i feel very safe here with my people in belarus. what's your message to the international community as they watch what is happening here? we are very thankful for the support of belarus and, please, only with love and dialogue, we can change our lives and our country. the momentum is certainly with the protesters. who seem to grow in confidence with every passing day. it's very hard to see any way back from this, politically, for the president. the last few days have shown that belarussians are willing to take to the streets and to stand up against him. that surely can't be reversed. the big question now is more

when and how he goes and whether it happens peacefully. jonah fisher, bbc news, minsk. a ao—year—old woman has appeared in court in west london charged with murdering her disabled son. the body of ten—year—old dylan freeman, whose father is a celebrity photographer, was found at home yesterday after his mother, olga freeman, walked into her local police station. self—employed workers who are eligible for government support during the covid crisis, can now apply for a second — and final — grant. the first scheme, launched in may, saw nearly £8 billion claimed by 2.7 million people. but many self—employed people are concerned that they are again being left out. emma simpson reports. vanessa's getting ready for her next client. more prep work now, but this beautician from kent is just relieved to be working properly again, helped by the first government self—employed grant. it was a life—saver for our family

and it kept us afloat, it kept us fed and itjust meant the world to us. but things are far from normal. it's very important to catch up with all the lost finances that we've had and just to keep us afloat and to keep me running my business. vanessa's now banking on getting more self—support from the government. more than three million people may qualify for a second grant. this payment‘s worth up to a maximum of £6,570. it will cover three months and has to be claimed by mid—october. but not everyone will get it. from the cricket world cup to events and festivals, the performers all have to be booked. that's sue's business, but the work's dried up. pre—covid, i'd just had my best year ever. not so good now, though. sue's not entitled to the same government support, because she's

a limited company director and paid mainly in dividends. we were getting nothing, apart from a very, very small amount of furlough income. how long can you go on like this, sue? we are literally on a knife edge here, you know? i don't know how we are going to be able to keep going and it's frightening and it's also distressing to feel that, you know, we have been abandoned. the treasury has already said these schemes won't help everybody and that there are other areas of support. but, come the autumn, the pressure may be on to do more to keep people in theirjobs. emma simpson, bbc news. cricket — and england and pakistan did finally manage to play some cricket today, on the last day of the second test. rain had interrupted much of the match — meaning a draw was all but guaranteed, but zak crawley hit a half century as england made 110—4 in reply to pakistan's 236 all out.

back now to our main story, and thousands of a—level students around the country have been absorbing the news that their teachers' assessment grades will stand, rather than the grades calculated by exam bodies. jon kay has been getting some reaction in bristol. four o'clock this afternoon. and these bristol teenagers are anxiously waiting for news that could change their lives. englandmy a—levels and gcses to be based on teachers' assessments. a-levels and gcses in england will be awarded based on the centre assessment grades from teachers. the government u—turn means all of these students will now have their a—levels upgraded. it is like they are trying to save face or something and they have just given us all that stress for no reason. it means when one will get the a grade he was predicted, instead of the b he was given last week. i should be happy that it given last week. i should be happy thatitis given last week. i should be happy

that it is like they have toyed with our emotions too much to be happy. i'm not sure what to feel. freire thought she had missed out on uni after getting three grades lower than predicted. now with the upgrade, she told me she should be 0k, upgrade, she told me she should be ok, but it has been a horrible few days. really upset on thursday, leica, inconsolably upset but then i've just been stressed, trying to get my head around different plans for the future because, all along, i have been planning to go to uni and thenl have been planning to go to uni and then i thought i might have to reta ke then i thought i might have to retake the year or have a forced gap year. so are you happy tonight, relieved? mostly, it is a bit of a shambles, really. who do you rely on? hannah's place at lancaster university was already guaranteed but she is still fed up with how the exams have been handled. i suppose the government would say, look, we have been dealing with a pandemic, we've never had to deal with anything like this before, we have listened, we have acted. they have listened, we have acted. they

have made it really confusing and made it even more stressed at a time when we are really stressed. dylan is still confused about where it leaves her with resits and remarks. she is planning a protest later this week, calling for the whole system to be overhauled. the fact that they have done a u—turn now, i am really glad, it shows they are listening to us but i wonder if that is because they want a good reputation and want to be re—elected or whether they actually care about us and our futures and everything else. just four students back at stories from four students back at stories from four students back at stories from four students who have had a four days they would rather forget. jon kay, bbc news, bristol. time for a look at the weather. here's susan powell. hello, yet again this afternoon, we have seen dramatic thunderstorms breaking out across england and wales. some great looking cloud scapes on the ground if you have been caught in the showers, not so clever. localised flash flooding and plenty of shell are still rattling away at the moment, working their way northwards through the evening, they will start a payday but this curl of rain will push its way into

wales and the north—west of england by the end of the night. it gives northern ireland a