Behind the Headlines

Students across the UK have been getting exam results, with pass rates up. We hear the reactions from teenagers planning their next steps

We also head to the West Midlands where police have created “grab bags” to help domestic abuse victims who flee with nothing.

Plus: the partial solar eclipse - we are with people around the country

Wednesday 12th August, 2026: most significant solar eclipse until 2090; PM chairs emergency meeting about the heatwaves; the stats and impacts on children injured by eScooters; a couple of energy issues; and the row over drinking on the streets of London's West End. Kat Wright is your host.

We're asking if there's too many vape shops and betting venues on high streets, as councils are to give permission for new ones to open.

Temperatures are heading for 38C so we've found out how chocolatiers are managing to keep products from melting.

Plus, we’re at the scene of a major wildfire in the New Forest, where protected heathland and ancient trees have been damaged.

And we’ve got everything you need to know about tomorrow’s partial solar eclipse.

In today's episode, we're looking at the ways that smart glasses are being used, for both visual impairment and discreet recording.

We have audio of the moment a house in Buckinghamshire exploded, and have heard how Harry Potter fans have worked their magic to protect a Dobby memorial.

We've also got details on the protests taking place after the culling of 51 cows, and how the Prime Minister will be touring the nation this summer.

Most 16 and 17-year-olds say they’d opt out of the government’s planned overnight social media curfew

After a third night of unrest in Thetford, Norfolk, police continue patrols

Plus, farmers warn the bluetongue outbreak is worsening in the hot weather, and we head to Bristol’s International Balloon Fiesta

A 73-year-old farmer who shot dead his lodger and hid his body in concrete for six years has been jailed for life.

We also meet a Telford police officer and his two teenage daughters, honoured for rescuing a man from the sea in Cornwall.

Plus, the government’s plan for 150 new mental health centres, pressure on families facing rising school uniform costs, calls for Northern Ireland’s first safe refuge for male domestic abuse victims

Wednesday 5th August, 2026: reaction to increase in antisemitic incidents across the UK; Scotland's First minister's plea to missing Commonwealth Games athletes; we hear both sides of the argument as single-sex space laws change; and we're at the opening of the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall.

Behind the Headlines - Tuesday 4th August 2026

Behind the Headlines - Monday 3rd August 2026

Behind The Headlines - Friday 31st July 2026