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A-level results: almost 40% of teacher assessments in England downgraded

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A-level results: almost 40% of teacher assessments in England downgraded Ofqual figures show 39.1% of 700,000 teacher assessments were lowered by at least one grade A-level results - live updatesTeachers in England had nearly 40% of their A-level assessments downgraded by the exam regulator’s algorithm, according to official figures published on Thursday morning as sixth-formers around the UK received their results.A-level entries awarded A or A* increased to an all-time high in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with 27.9% securing the top grades this year. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘Hierarchy of racism’ fears threaten Starmer’s hopes of Labour unity

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'Hierarchy of racism' fears threaten Starmer's hopes of Labour unity After the antisemitism rows of the Corbyn era, there are concerns that black voters are now being pushed awayWhen Keir Starmer approved apologies and six-figure damages last month for former Labour officials accusing the party of antisemitism, he probably hoped to draw a line under a damaging issue that had dogged the party under its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn.But rather than solving Labour’s problems, the settlements – regarded by some on the party’s left as principally about repudiating Corbyn’s leadership – could transform one racism row into another. Continue reading... Go to Source

Study of Covid deaths in England is latest to find air pollution link

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Study of Covid deaths in England is latest to find air pollution link Single-unit rise in exposure to small-particle pollution over previous decade may increase death rate by up to 6%Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLong-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of death from Covid-19, according to a large study by the Office for National Statistics.It analysed more than 46,000 coronavirus deaths in England and showed that a small, single-unit increase in people’s exposure to small-particle pollution over the previous decade may increase the death rate by up to 6%. A single-unit increase in nitrogen dioxide, which is at illegal levels in most urban areas, was linked to a 2% increase in death rates. Continue reading... Go to Source

Supertrawlers ramp up activity in UK protected waters during lockdown

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Supertrawlers ramp up activity in UK protected waters during lockdown Fishing time in first half of 2020 almost double that in whole of last year, Greenpeace saysSupertrawlers vastly stepped up their fishing in the UK’s protected waters during the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year, while most of the UK’s smaller vessels were confined to port.The amount of time supertrawlers spent fishing in marine protected areas in the first half of this year was nearly double that spent in the waters in the whole of last year, according to a Greenpeace investigation. There were 23 supertrawlers catching fish in UK protected areas in the period, none of them UK-owned. Continue reading... Go to Source

Belarus protests: 25-year-old man dies in police custody

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Belarus protests: 25-year-old man dies in police custody Alexander Vikhor left in van for hours after being detained in Gomel, mother tells local newsBelarus has confirmed that a young man has died in police custody, the second death since mass protests began on Sunday against the country’s leader, Alexander Lukashenko.Alexander Vikhor, 25, died after being detained on Sunday in the city of Gomel in south-east Belarus during countrywide protests over accusations of mass vote-rigging in presidential elections. Protests continued for a fourth night on Wednesday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ministers braced for backlash as England’s teachers despair at A-levels fiasco

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Ministers braced for backlash as England's teachers despair at A-levels fiasco Students prepare for results day amid growing revolt, with some schools seeing 50% or more of grades revised downHeadteachers across England last night expressed shock and despair at the human cost of the A-level grades being published today, with pressure mounting on the government to institute a fairer system or face a backlash.As teachers braced to deliver the news to their students, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned of “major turbulence” once grades were revealed. Continue reading... Go to Source

MPs ask No 10 to clarify Dominic Cummings role in defence review

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MPs ask No 10 to clarify Dominic Cummings role in defence review Committee complains of lack of transparency amid claims PM’s aide is driving the exerciseA group of MPs has demanded Downing Street clarify Dominic Cummings’ role in the defence and foreign policy review, saying it is unclear who is in charge of the exercise.The defence select committee complained of a lack of “clarity and transparency” and called on No 10 to set out what role special advisers led by Cummings, the prime minister’s chief aide, will play in the review, which is designed to set national security priorities for the next five years. Continue reading... Go to Source

Stonehaven train crash: three dead after derailment in Aberdeenshire

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Stonehaven train crash: three dead after derailment in Aberdeenshire Driver and conductor among those killed after four carriages leave track in flood-hit areaThree people have died after a passenger train derailed near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire following a night of thunderstorms and torrential rainfall.The train’s driver and conductor were among the dead and six other people were taken to hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not believed to be serious. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: death toll lowered by more than 5,000 after change in how Covid fatalities are counted

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UK coronavirus live: death toll lowered by more than 5,000 after change in how Covid fatalities are counted Methodology change brings England in line with rest of UK; pupils caught up in Glasgow coronavirus clusterSchool exams and Covid: what could the UK have learned from EU?A-level appeals in England will benefit only ‘small group’, says ministerCould England and Wales follow Scotland’s exam grades U-turn?UK economy plunges into deepest recession since records beganGlobal coronavirus updates – live 6.39pm BST Responding to the chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson’s remarks about the need for a “fit for purpose” test and trace system to be put in place within weeks, the shadow health secretary, Justin Madders, has said:We have been war...

Decision on A-level and GCSE appeals a ‘rolling disaster’, say teachers

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Decision on A-level and GCSE appeals a ‘rolling disaster’, say teachers School leaders say plan to allow pupils in England to use mock results fails to address issuesTeachers and school leaders in England have reacted with anger to the government’s 11th-hour decision to allow mock exams as a route of appealing against A-level and GCSE grades, describing developments as “a rolling disaster” and “a national outrage”.The fudged announcement was made just hours before this year’s A-level results were delivered to schools. They will be published on Thursday and 250,000 students will find out the grades they have been awarded, based on an algorithm conceived by the regulator Ofqual in the absence of exams. Continue reading... Go to Source

Last decade was Earth’s hottest on record as climate crisis accelerates

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Last decade was Earth's hottest on record as climate crisis accelerates 2019 was second or third hottest year ever recordedAverage global temperature up 0.39C in 10 yearsThe past decade was the hottest ever recorded globally, with 2019 either the second or third warmest year on record, as the climate crisis accelerated temperatures upwards worldwide, scientists have confirmed.Every decade since 1980 has been warmer than the preceding decade, with the period between 2010 and 2019 the hottest yet since worldwide temperature records began in the 19th century. The increase in average global temperature is rapidly gathering pace, with the last decade up to 0.39C warmer than the long-term average, compared with a 0.07C average increase per decade stretching back to 1880. Continue reading... ...

End of family reunion rule would mean more Channel crossings, say charities

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End of family reunion rule would mean more Channel crossings, say charities UK urged to agree deal to replace EU’s Dublin regulation before Brexit transition period endsPeople will continue to risk their lives crossing the Channel in small boats if the UK government does not strike an adequate family reunion deal before the Brexit transition period ends, humanitarian charities and leaders have warned.EU legislation known as the Dublin regulation determines the member state responsible for handling an asylum application, with family unity being a primary consideration. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid-19: UK economy plunges into deepest recession since records began

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Covid-19: UK economy plunges into deepest recession since records began GDP falls 20.4% – the worst of any G7 nation in the three months to JuneUK falls into recession – live business updateAnalysis: a full recovery from the Covid slump will be slowHow does UK’s Covid recession compare with previous ones?Britain has entered the deepest recession since records began as official figures on Wednesday showed the economy shrank by more than any other major nation during the coronavirus outbreak in the three months to June.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic prosperity, fell in the second quarter by 20.4% compared with the previous three months – the biggest quarterly decline since comparable reco...
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