US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Friday's summit in the US state of Alaska with contrasting priorities as they prepare for talks on ending Russia's war in Ukraine.

Putin has been consistent on his desire to win Ukrainian territory, while Trump has made no secret of his desire to act as a global peacemaker.

But both men may also sense other opportunities, such as diplomatic rehabilitation on the world stage on the part of Putin. Second-guessing Trump's aims is harder, as he has recently made vacillating statements about his Russian counterpart.

Here's a fuller look at what the two leaders might want from the meeting.

Putin eyes international recognition... and more

By Russia editor Steve Rosenberg

The first thing Putin wants from this summit is something he's already been given.

And that's recognition.

Recognition from the world's most powerful country, America, that Western efforts to isolate the Kremlin leader have failed.

The fact that this high-level meeting is happening is testament to that, as is the joint press conference that the Kremlin has announced. The Kremlin can argue that Russia is back at the top table of global politics.

"So much for being isolated," crowed the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets earlier this week.

Not only has Putin secured a US-Russia summit, but a prime location for it. Alaska has much to offer the Kremlin.

First, security. At its closest point, mainland Alaska is just 90km (55 miles) from Russia's Chukotka. Vladimir Putin can get there without flying over "hostile" nations.

Second, it's a long way - a very long way - from Ukraine and Europe. That sits well with the Kremlin's determination to sideline Kyiv and EU leaders, and deal directly with America.

There's historical symbolism, too. The fact that Tsarist Russia sold Alaska to America in the 19th Century is being used by Moscow to justify its attempt to change borders by force in the 21st Century.

"Alaska is a clear example that state borders can change, and that large territories can switch ownership," wrote Moskovsky Komsomolets.

But Putin wants more than just international recognition and symbols.

He wants victory. He's been insisting that Russia keep all the land it has seized and occupied in four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson) and that Kyiv withdraw from the parts of those regions still under Ukrainian control.

For Ukraine this is unacceptable. "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier," says the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Kremlin knows that. But if it secures Trump's support for its territorial demands, the calculation may be that rejection by Ukraine would result in Trump cutting all support for Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russia and the US would get on with boosting relations and developing economic cooperation.

But there is another scenario.

Russia's economy is under pressure. The budget deficit is rising, income from oil and gas exports falling.

If economic problems are pushing Putin to end the war, the Kremlin may compromise.

For now, there's no sign of that - with Russian officials continuing to insist that Russia holds the initiative on the battlefield.

• Follow live updates ahead of the Trump-Putin summit
• European leaders tentatively hopeful after call with Trump ahead of summit

Trump seeks chance to claim progress toward peace

By North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher

Trump famously promised during his 2024 presidential campaign that ending the Ukraine war would be easy and that he could do it in a matter of days.

That promise has hung over the American president's efforts to resolve the conflict, as he has alternated between frustration with the Ukrainians and the Russians since returning to the White House in January.

He harangued Zelensky at a dramatic White House meeting in February, and later temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with the war-torn nation.

In recent months, he's been more critical of Putin's intransigence and willingness to attack civilian targets, setting a series of deadlines for new sanctions on the Russians and other nations that do business with them. Last Friday was the most recent deadline, and as with all the ones before it, Trump ultimately backed away.

Now he's hosting the Russian president on American soil and talking about "land-swapping", which Ukraine fears may consist of land concessions in exchange for peace.

So, any discussion about what Trump wants during his Friday talks with Putin is muddied by the president's vacillating statements and actions.

This week, Trump has made a concerted effort to lower the expectations for this meeting - perhaps a tacit acknowledgement of the limited possibilities of a breakthrough with only one party in the war present.

On Monday, he said the summit would be a "feel-out" meeting. He suggested that he would know if he could reach a deal with the Russian leader "probably in the first two minutes".

"I may leave and say good luck, and that'll be the end," he added. "I may say this is not going to be settled."

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced this message, calling the summit a "listening session".

With Trump, it's often best to expect the unexpected. And Zelensky and European leaders spoke to him on Wednesday in an effort to ensure that he doesn't strike a deal with Putin that Ukraine won't - or can't - accept.

One thing has been clear practically all year, however: Trump would welcome the chance to be the man who ends the war.

In his inaugural address, he said he wanted his proudest legacy to be that of a "peacemaker". It is no secret that he longs for the international recognition of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump is not one to get bogged down in details. But if there is an opportunity for him to claim that he has made progress toward peace during the talks in Anchorage, he will take it.

Putin, always a savvy negotiator, may seek a way to let Trump do just that – on Russia's terms, of course.

Follow BBC's coverage of the war in Ukraine

• EXPLAINER: Where in Alaska is Trump meeting Putin and why?
• VISUALS: The war-ravaged Ukrainian territories in maps
• VERIFY: Russian attacks on Ukraine double since Trump inauguration
• GROUND REPORT: On Ukraine's front line, twisted wreckage shows sanctions haven't yet stopped Russia

They call it "dronocide": new training to deal with what is now the greatest threat to a Ukrainian soldier's life on the battlefield – drones.

These machines saturate the front line and cause the largest number of casualties, according to Ukraine. If Donald Trump can't make Vladimir Putin agree to a ceasefire at their meeting in Alaska on Friday, then this training in eastern Ukraine might be essential to saving lives on the front.

The continuing preparation for battle suggests few in Ukraine are expecting this war to stop any time soon. The training is not especially sophisticated: their defence is a shotgun. The soldiers go through drills to hit fast-moving targets – shooting first from the ground, and then while on the move. Ihor, their experienced instructor, tells the men a shotgun is currently their most effective means to bring down a drone at close range.

Ihor has been fighting on Ukraine's eastern front since 2014, the year Russia illegally annexed Crimea and sent troops into the Donbas region. His call sign is "The Knifer". He also trains troops in hand-to-hand combat.

Ihor's been trying to help stop the Russian advance for the past ten years. He bristles at any suggestion that Ukraine will have to give up territory as part of any "land swap".

"Neither me nor my comrades are ready for this," he tells me. He says they'd rather continue fighting until "we liberate our territories".

That doesn't seem likely, with some Ukrainian front line units now well below strength. One soldier told us renewed efforts to mobilise more troops had been a "disaster". They know they're still outgunned and outnumbered.

Ukrainian troops also admit they're tired and losing ground. It's an undeniable fact. But this training shows they're not giving up.

Oleksii, one of the soldiers honing his skill with a shotgun, says he's already lost his father and friends in the war.

He admits "the war must be stopped one way or another". But as for the suggestion that Ukraine hands over more territory to Russia, he says: "It wouldn't be my suggestion, I don't like this idea."

Ukrainian troops point out that Russia is also taking heavy losses, suffering around 1,000 casualties – dead or injured – every day. Russia's resources are slowly being exhausted too.

The views from the front are reflected in Ukraine's towns and cities. Civilians are also suffering the consequences of this war more directly, not least with the recent ramping up of Russian missile and drone attacks across the country. Last month Russia launched more than 6,000 drones at Ukraine. In July 2024 that figure was much lower - just over 400.

In the streets of the capital Kyiv there's no doubt they want to see an end to the war. "If we don't stop, we will lose even more territory and people," Oleksandr says. He uses the analogy of gambling in a casino: "The more you play, the more you lose."

Volodymyr, another passer-by, is downbeat about the prospect of the talks between Presidents Trump and Putin. He believes Ukraine will probably have to give up more territory in return for a ceasefire. "We don't have the resources," he says. "All our boys are in heaven or in hospital."

President Zelensky has already expressed his frustration that Ukraine's voice will not be heard in Alaska. He's also made clear he won't be surrendering Ukrainian territory. "It's not my private property," he said earlier this week. But some recent polls suggest that more Ukrainians are resigned to the fact that they might have to sacrifice land for peace.

The bottom line though is that few believe Russia really wants peace. Oleksandr Merezhko, an MP and Chairman of Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Committee, thinks the Alaska meeting is just a PR stunt for President Putin.

"Putin doesn't have any desire to reach a compromise," Merezhko says. "He thinks he's winning the war. He is not going to back down."

Merezhko also dismisses President Trump's suggestion that Ukraine will have to "sign something".

"Absolutely not," he says. "I don't believe any agreement which leads to our destruction can be imposed on Ukraine." He says it's both morally and legally wrong to sacrifice people's homes for peace.

But many Ukrainians have already lost their homes and lives. According to the UN, more than 13,000 civilians have been killed in the country, while 3.5 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes.

More than 500 of those displaced people are now living in a temporary village, just outside the capital. Their new homes are metal containers, rather than bricks and mortar. Many are the elderly who fled the fighting in the East. There's a small play area for children who'll probably never see the towns and villages they were born in. Their old homes are now in occupied territory.

The face of 78-year-old Hennadii wells up with tears when he tells me doesn't think he'll ever see the grave of his mother again. He tells me he still misses what he had to leave behind. "I liked fishing there, I had a small plot of land, my grapes and my walnut tree," he says. "And now it doesn't exist."

No one we talk to here expresses much confidence about the talks between Presidents Trump and Putin. "I really hope there will be something good after those talks but I don't have much hope," says Valeria, an 18-year-old student whose family lost their home.

But 78-year-old Valentina is more defiant. Her husband was killed by a Russian missile. "This is our land and our people are dying for it," she says. "How can we give it up? No way."

In Alaska Presidents Trump and Putin will be talking about Ukraine's future - without Ukrainian representation, and over their heads.

Ukraine may gradually be losing this war, but it's not yet been defeated. That makes it harder for anyone else to force through a peace it cannot accept.

Additional reporting by Firle Davies, Anastasiia Levchenko and Mariana Matveichuk

For the past seven years, girls have outperformed boys in securing the highest A-level grades. But this year it's the boys who have taken the lead in getting the top marks.

The percentage of boys' grades that were A* or A was 28.4%, narrowly beating the 28.2% achieved by girls. It marks a reversal of last year's 0.4% lead for female students.

Boys also strengthened their advantage at the very top of the scale - 9.9% of their entries were awarded an A*, compared with 9.1% for girls.

These are slim margins, but not insignificant ones. Factors including a surge in the popularity of STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering, and maths - are likely to have contributed to this swing.

These subjects have been on the rise for a number of years and are significantly more popular with boys than girls.

For the 12th year in a row, maths is the most popular A-level - and the number of entries is up more than a fifth since 2016 and has increased from last year.

There's also a clear gender divide in who studies it - boys account for nearly two-thirds (63%) of entries and the divide is only getting bigger.

Jill Duffy, chairwoman of the JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, explains that "proportionally there are fewer girls taking the subject than in 2019".

Boys' performance in maths improved very slightly this year from 42.5% of entries marked A* or A last year to 42.6% this year. In comparison, girls' results dipped from 41.2% last year to 40.2% this year.

Richard Harry, executive director of qualifications and assessment at WJEC exam board, says maths is a "significant contributor" to high A-level grades overall.

Overall, 16.7% of all maths entries scored an A* this year, compared to 9.4% of entries for all A-levels.

'Don't speculate too much'

Executive director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board, Claire Thomson, says that while the percentage of girls achieving A* and A grades is lower this year than their male counterparts, nearly 19,000 more females achieved at least an A due to more girls entering for A-levels in general. Girls made up 54% of all entries.

"It is important not to speculate too much about what has led to any differences between males and females as the figures are small, they do bounce around a bit over time and the causes will be multi-faceted and complex," she says.

Zoe Lewis, Principal and Chief Executive of the Middlesbrough College Group, agrees and says it's still too early to tell if this is significant but "is something to keep an eye on in the coming years".

She adds that the swing is likely due to the "continued growth in STEM subjects and bias towards studying maths".

"There's a lot more information about subject choices and that's perhaps attracting more boys to it."

Business rises, humanities fall

Maths isn't the only subject that continues to rise in popularity. Business studies and economics entries have also increased and Thompson suggests that social media influencers may be fuelling the interest in those subjects.

She explains that both subjects have "a real world relevance" and that students are following influencers in "gaining some entrepreneurial skills so that they can go out and emulate the people that they see all the time on social media".

Figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show a 5.5% increase in entries for A-level economics compared to 2024, while business studies entries are up 0.6%.

Ola, a recent engineering graduate, shared a video on social media about why she chose to study A-level business and how it helped her in her degree.

She says that things she studied during A-level business, like accounting, were in her university degree, which made that module "a breeze".

One student at Oaklands College in Hertfordshire shared her business grade on social media, explaining that she chose the subject as it would open up opportunities in the future.

However, humanities like English, history and some modern languages have seen a drop in popularity.

It is the first time since at least 2000 - the earliest available archive data - that no arts or humanities subjects have appeared in the top five most popular subjects.

Meanwhile, the proportion of entries in arts subjects such as drama and music has fallen by 31% since 2010 and is "approaching a one-third collapse", according to an analysis by the charity Campaign for the Arts.

The charity says the arts have been "systematically underfunded and undervalued" in recent years, particularly in English state secondary schools.

The conversation around boys' academic struggles and fears they are "being left behind" in education has been around for many years, but there was a renewed interest this year with the release of hit Netflix series Adolescence which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate.

Exploring themes of toxic masculinity and the psychological pressures faced by teenage boys, there's been a greater discussion around how boys are supported emotionally and academically.

Asked about whether this renewed focus on helping boys achieve, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the pressures boys and young men face.

"They face challenges in their lives and external pressures can give rise to some challenges," she said. "I want to celebrate the success of many young men who have gotten the grades they needed."

However, she added that there are fluctuations every year "so there isn't anything to take away at this point".

King Charles has honoured those whose "service and sacrifice" helped to bring an end to World War Two in a personal message marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

In an audio message recorded earlier this month, the King will vow that those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East "shall never be forgotten".

On Friday, the King and Queen, alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will attend a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to commemorate the anniversary.

VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year, and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, ending the war.

An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting in Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.

• Explore: More on VJ Day
• Ex-prisoner of war recalls 'torpedo after torpedo'
• Historic aircraft to take part in VJ Day flypast

The King's message is expected to echo, and reflect on, the audio broadcast made by his grandfather, King George VI, 80 years ago, when he announced to the nation and Commonwealth that the war was over.

He will make reference to the experience endured by Prisoners of War, and to the civilians of occupied lands in the region, whose suffering "reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life".

The King will describe how those who fought in the war "gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected", since victory was made possible by close collaboration between nations, "across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides".

This demonstrated that, "in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link", he will say.

Two-minute silence

At Friday's service, a national two-minute silence will conclude with a flypast from the RAF Red Arrows.

It will be followed by a reception in which the King and Queen will meet veterans who served in the Far East during the Second World War, along with their families.

VJ Day falls more than three months after VE Day, when fighting stopped in Europe following Germany's surrender.

Events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day will conclude with a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the Autumn.

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and rape following the death of a 13-year-old girl in Huddersfield.

Police were called by the ambulance service to a flat on Sheepridge Road just after 23:30 BST on Monday to reports the girl was unresponsive. She was taken to hospital where she died in the early hours of Tuesday.

The arrested boy, from Huddersfield, remains in custody, West Yorkshire Police said.

He was also arrested on suspicion of rape relating to a 16-year-old girl from a separate incident elsewhere in Kirklees.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Wednesday found the girl's death was unexplained pending further investigation.

Det Ch Insp Stacey Atkinson of the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team said: "A post mortem was not able to determine how she died, and we continue to treat her death as unexplained at this time, pending more inquiries.

"Those inquiries are complex and are likely to be lengthy as we work to fully understand the circumstances of the girl's death.

"Specially trained officers are supporting her family at this time."

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