over this is bbc news. i m reeta chakrabarti. the headlines. gcse students in england, wales and northern ireland are awarded record grades after exams were cancelled for a second year. some teachers say the assessments are more accurate than exams. they have been assessed and awarded results on the merit of what they have produced, and that can t be taken away from them. a change in self isolation rules in northern ireland the bbc understands fully vaccinated people who are a close contact of a covid case will no longer have to stay at home. the nhs waiting list in england hits a record high, of almost 5.5 million. the un warns of an unfolding humanitarian disaster in afghanistan, as taliban fighters capture the strategically important city of ghazni. two children are injured after a rollercoaster malfunctions at an adventure park in scotland.