What the papers say – August 20
The front pages on Thursday concern the latest on exam results and the drowning of a teenager attempting to cross from France to England.
The Times says the Education Secretary was “warned directly” six weeks ago about problems with the A-level and GCSE grading system.
Williamson was warned about risk of exam fiasco#tomorrowspaperstoday@AllieHBNewspic.twitter.com/ZxkpNMn46v
— The Times Pictures (@TimesPictures) August 19, 2020
Regulator Ofqual was warned “at least a month ago” of flaws in the exams algorithm which led to A-levels chaos, according to The Guardian.
Guardian front page, Thursday 20 August 2020: Revealed: Ofqual ignored warnings on exams amid ministers’ pressure pic.twitter.com/EDiNhLFsDI
— The Guardian (@guardian) August 19, 2020
A last-minute decision by one exam board to delay publishing vocational results means tens of thousands of students will not get their grades today, The Independent reports.
Thursday’s INDEPENDENT Digital: “Exam grades pulled hours before results day” #BBCPapers#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/9z3Wfs1v4W
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) August 19, 2020
The Daily Telegraph estimates a larger amount will be hit by the decision, with the headline “Hundreds of thousands told: You won’t get your results today”.
Thursday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Hundreds of thousands told: You won’t get results today” #BBCPapers#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/ZErqmO0ZQ4
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) August 19, 2020
Metro says a 16-year-old migrant who drowned after falling from a dinghy while trying to cross the Channel from France “didn’t stand a chance”.
Thursday's front page:HE DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE#tomorrowspaperstoday#BBCPapers#skypaperspic.twitter.com/sEn6Q4gcin
— Metro Newspaper UK (@MetroUKNews) August 19, 2020
“Now will we wake up to this tragedy?” asks the Daily Mail following the Sudanese teenager’s death.
Thursday’s Daily MAIL: “NOW Will We Wake Up To This Tragedy?” #BBCPapers#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/eaaLckHYUK
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) August 19, 2020
The Daily Mirror refers to Manchester Arena “bomb plotter” Hashem Abedi as “the coward” and the families of his victims as “the brave” after he “hid in his cell” during sentencing.
Tomorrow's front page: The coward and the brave #tomorrowspaperstodayhttps://t.co/TN0cvzbt5Spic.twitter.com/1pwG7IgPGi
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) August 19, 2020
Brexit trade negotiations have hit a “road block” after Brussels threatened to curb British truckers’ access to European roads, the Daily Express reports.
Thursday’s Daily EXPRESS: “Brexit Trade Talks Hit Road Block” #BBCPapers#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/qB9SjCJTGz
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) August 19, 2020
Apple’s big day leads the Financial Times, which says the technology firm has “hit a 2 billion dollar (£1.8 billion) market capitalisation just two years after it became the world’s first trillion-dollar company”.
Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Thursday 20 August https://t.co/RrIU4rtxvLpic.twitter.com/Q5xcWGY0BV
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) August 19, 2020
And an expected battering across the UK from Storm Ellen, which made landfall in Ireland overnight, fills the Daily Star‘s front.
Tomorrow's front page: Yikes! 80mph hair-raising winds to batter UK #TomorrowsPapersTodayhttps://t.co/dGG7PDXGN2pic.twitter.com/v7Xp2kENj3
— Daily Star (@dailystar) August 19, 2020