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Northern Ireland A-Level Results Hit Record High as Top Grades Surge in 2026

More than 26,000 Northern Ireland students received A-level and AS-level results on 13 August 2026, with provisional data showing a record 44% achieved A*–A grades.

5 min read

Four female students standing together in a classroom or school corridor, holding sheets of paper and talking in a small group. Blue lockers or notice boards are visible in the background, and the group appears to be reviewing or discussing the documents.

Clacton Voters Head to Polls in Record-Breaking By-Election

A record 34 candidates are contesting the Clacton-on-Sea by-election, triggered by Nigel Farage's resignation, with voters handed Britain's longest-ever ballot paper.

3 min read

Clacton Pier with helter-skelter and rides in the distance

New NI Police Ombudsman Alarmed by Rise in Sexual Misconduct Cases Among Officers

New Police Ombudsman Jacqui Durkin says 36% of her office's most serious investigations involve officers accused of abusing their position for sexual purposes, calling the trend deeply concerning.

4 min read

A studio-style head-and-shoulders portrait of a woman in a beige blazer and white blouse against a softly blurred background.

A-Level Results 2026: Your Guide to Grades, Appeals, Resits and Clearing

A-level students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received results on 13 August 2026. Here is how grade boundaries, appeals, resits and Ucas clearing work, including new priority review deadlines.

5 min read

Four young women smile as they compare A-level results. They wear t-shirts and sweatshirts and are standing in their school hall.

A-Level, T-Level and BTec Results 2026: Record Grades, Widening Gaps and University Places

A-level, T-level and BTec results were released across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 13 August 2026, with rising top grades, a record number of university acceptances, and widening regional and gender gaps in attainment.

10 min read

A mum and daughter sit together on a blue sofa in a bright room, looking at a smartphone. The mum, who has dark brown hair and wears a turquoise top with blue jeans, has her arm around her daughter's shoulder. The daughter has fair hair tied back and wears a grey hoodie and holds the phone. A kitchen with white cupboards, blue wall tiles, wooden worktops, chairs, appliances and a fruit bowl is blurred in the background.

Japan Lodges Formal Protest Over Putin's First Visit to Disputed Kuril Islands

Japan has formally protested after Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first personal visit to Iturup, a disputed island in the Kuril chain also claimed by Tokyo, deepening a decades-old territorial dispute.

3 min read

Putin looking at a distance, wearing a dark coloured suit

Miloedd o ddisgyblion Cymru yn derbyn canlyniadau Safon Uwch a chymwysterau eraill

Mae miloedd o bobl ifanc yng Nghymru yn derbyn canlyniadau Safon Uwch, Uwch Gyfrannol a BTec ddydd Iau, gan gynnwys diffoddwr tân sy'n astudio, myfyrwyr sy'n anelu at y brifysgol ac eraill yn cymryd llwybrau gwahanol.

9 min read

Bobi Jones mewn crys gwyn a tei coch yn sefyll o flaen injan dan

Putin Can No Longer Claim Victory in Ukraine, Says Nobel Peace Laureate

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov says Putin cannot claim victory in Ukraine after nearly five years of war, warning of nuclear escalation and describing Russia's deepening crackdown on dissent.

10 min read

2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the influential Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, New York, USA - 20 Jun 2022

Two Killed as Army Apache Helicopter Crashes in Central Texas

Two people died when a Fort Hood-based AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near Salado, Texas, sparking a large fire. No structures were hit, but roads were closed as investigators examine the cause.

3 min read

Welsh A-Level Results Day 2026: Firefighter, Future Medic and Army Hopeful Await Grades

Welsh students received A-level and vocational results on 14 August 2026, including a firefighter who juggled exams with wildfire call-outs, amid falling A-level progression rates and rising Neet concerns.

8 min read

Bobi in a firefighter uniform looking at the camera and holding on to the side of a fire engine. He has short dark hair and is clean shaven.

ICE to Roll Out Electric-Shock Gloves for Immigration Agents, DHS Confirms

DHS has confirmed a plan to spend up to $20m equipping ICE agents with electric-shock gloves capable of delivering 380 volts, amid criticism from civil rights groups over the agency's use-of-force record.

6 min read

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrol Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026

Fire Guts Five Bungalows in South Wales, Forcing Street Evacuations

A fire destroyed five bungalows in Newbridge, Caerphilly county, forcing street evacuations and leaving residents needing temporary housing. No casualties have been reported.

3 min read

Two photos; one shows flames covering the front of a property and the other shows think black smoke rising high over homes