Sky News
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Dropping university grades by a couple of grades could increase the number of poorer pupils admitted to top universities by half, new research suggests.
Lizzy Burden
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View as a gridMake poorer students lower offers to increase university access, says Sutton Trust
Keep a stiff upper lip! British attitudes to crying are becoming more negative
Sky News
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British people are increasingly negative in their attitudes towards crying, and more so than Americans, a study of almost 13 million social media conversations has found.
Flatulent shellfish put the wind up climate scientists
The Times
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Not since the campfire scene in Mel Brooks's film Blazing Saddles has the world been exposed to flatulence on such an epic scale. But rather than cowboys chewing their beans, it is shellfish that have been blamed for unusual amounts of climate-warming gas in the ocean.
Killer drivers face life in prison under tougher sentences
The Times
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Motorists who cause death by dangerous driving will face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, the government has said. Those who kill while speeding, street racing or using a mobile phone could be given the highest penalty. A new offence of causing serious injury through careless driving will be created.
Prince Harry: I'm married to continuing the Invictus Games
The Times
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Prince Harry has promised to continue organising the Invictus Games, although he may have the added distraction of a wedding before next year's event in Sydney. On the last day of the week-long Games for sick and injured veterans in Toronto, Prince Harry, 33, said: "The world needs Invictus, these guys need Invictus, I need Invictus, we all need our fix.
Artists using living proof that their work is genuine
The Times
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Britain's last manufacturer of vellum has claimed to provide the only foolproof method of detecting art forgery. The prepared animal skin, usually derived from calves, has been used to print Magna Carta, the Domesday Book and thousands of other historical documents. Now artists are returning to it to prevent copies of their work being sold as originals.
Notting Hill carnival marred by acid attack
The Times
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A "mild acid" was thrown into the crowd at Notting Hill carnival yesterday but fears of disorder and a public outpouring of anger over the Grenfell Tower disaster failed to materialise. By 10pm yesterday police had arrested 191 people, compared with 122 on Sunday. Fifty of the arrests yesterday were for possession of an offensive weapon.
Newham: the poor London borough with a wealth of educational talent
The Times
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Newham may be one of the most deprived areas in the country but it is also home to some of its most outstanding schools. The east London borough has become an area of educational distinction thanks in the main to Newham Collegiate and the London Academy of Excellence.
Why the library is the hottest late‑night venue
The Times
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The "all-nighter" has become a bastion of student life in Britain; however undergraduates are up to the small hours not in the bar - but in the library. Bath was the first university in the UK to introduce a 24-hour library, in 1996, but many have followed suit.
Three rail accidents in 48 hours
The Times
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Two trains derailed and another hit the buffers during a chaotic 48-hour period on the railways that will affect some travellers into next week. Thousands of passengers faced disruption after a derailment early yesterday outside Waterloo station in London.
UK cyber expert released on bail and allowed online access
The Times
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A British cyber security expert who was hailed a "hero" for unravelling the NHS hacking scam has thanked his supporters in his first public comments since he was arrested in the US. Marcus Hutchins, 23, from Ilfracombe, Devon, was arrested on August 2 at Las Vegas's McCarran Airport on his return from the Def Con hacking convention and is accused by American authorities of creating malware software.
Bad summer weather means one third of households have already switched on their central heating
The Times
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It may be only mid-August, but one in three households has already turned on the central heating and almost one in five is thinking about following suit, a survey has found. While many Europeans south of the jetstream swelter in the Lucifer heatwave, some Britons have been shivering through temperatures as low as 2C.
How to save face with the emoji etiquette guide
The Times
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With 69 emoji introduced this year alone, even the most seasoned texters could find themselves inadvertently causing offence. The announcement of a girls' night out could be misinterpreted as a pair of Playboy bunnies, a purple fruit as a phallus or a snowflake as an illegal white substance.
Mysterious powder sent to Borough Market two months after London Bridge attack
The Times
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An envelope containing white powder was delivered through the door of a restaurant in Borough Market, London, weeks after the area was caught up in a terrorist attack. Staff at the Feng Sushi restaurant were left "shaken" after handling the substance, which was delivered yesterday at around 1.40pm.
Think inside the box, wine snobs urged
The Times
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Serving boxed wine to guests would once have been unthinkable for middle-class hosts but "goon bags", as they are known in Australia, are going upmarket. The Wine Society, a members-only club founded in 1874, has introduced a £27 three-litre box of organic Soave from the Italian vineyard Coffele.
Dealer sat tight for 12 days after swallowing his drugs
The Times
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A drug dealer who swallowed 22 wraps of cocaine and heroin refused to use the lavatory for nearly two weeks in an attempt to avoid being charged. Paulo Alberghini's stubbornness cost the taxpayer £20,000 as police had to watch him round the clock to ensure the drugs were found.
Prince Philip: Telegraph declares Queen's consort dead by mistake
The Times
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The Duke of Edinburgh has died, The Daily Telegraph accidentally and wrongly announced this morning. A templated story for the death of the very much living duke, with blanks left to be filled in, appeared on the newspaper's website as he prepared for his 22,219th and last solo engagement.
Sleeping pill row before wife's suicide
The Times
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The wife of a millionaire hanged herself after arguing with her husband about her sleeping pill addiction, an inquest was told. Sharon Halliwell, 48, was due an appointment with a psychiatrist upon her return from a month-long trip to Singapore, Dubai and Malaysia but a mistake by an NHS nurse meant that the referral was never processed.
Outdoor child's play is good for everyone
The Times
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Playing outside should not be consigned to childhoods past as it benefits not just youngsters' health but also community spirit, researchers have found. There have been calls for roads to be temporarily closed on a regular basis after an analysis by the University of Bristol from 2013 to 2016 showed that for every hour of "playing out", children had 16 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity that was beneficial to their health.
August is deadliest month warns RNLI after dinghy rescue
The Times
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August is the deadliest month on the British coast and beachgoers should take extra care in the sea, the RNLI has warned. Over the past five years, 122 people have died in UK seas during the month of August, including 31 last year, a rise of 55 per cent from the year before.
Outdoor child's play is good for everyone
The Times
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Playing outside should not be consigned to childhoods past as it benefits not just youngsters' health but also community spirit, researchers have found. There have been calls for roads to be temporarily closed on a regular basis after an analysis by the University of Bristol from 2013 to 2016 showed that for every hour of "playing out", children had 16 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity that was beneficial to their health.
Gordon Ramsay hunts for Colombian drug cartels . . . in Wimbledon
The Times
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With his make-up artist in tow, mud across his cheeks and two men with fake rifles on his tail, Gordon Ramsay screeched past a film crew in a Land Rover, that read "Policia", apparently on the hunt for Colombian criminals. This was not the South American jungle, however, but the middle of Wimbledon Common, southwest London.
Why we choose death over dishonour
The Times
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One May evening in 1845, two men aimed pistols at each other on a beach in Hampshire. James Alexander Seton, a former cavalry officer, had been pursuing the wife of Henry Hawkey, a lieutenant in the Royal Marines, for which Hawkey branded Seton a "scoundrel". To defend his name, Seton challenged Hawkey to a duel.
Boyfriend gets in way of runner Amy Hughes' world record
The Times
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Support from a loved one is surely an essential ingredient in beating a Guinness world record. For one woman hoping to claim the title for running the longest distance on a treadmill in a week, her boyfriend proved to be her downfall.