José Mourinho is set for a sensational return to Real Madrid, 13 years after his initial departure from the Spanish footballing powerhouse.

The club announced on Thursday that the Portuguese coach has signed a three-year contract, with his second tenure officially commencing on 13 July, coinciding with the start of preseason training.

Mourinho’s first spell at the Bernabéu, from 2010 to 2013, was characterised by a managerial style that was both undeniably successful and deeply polarising.

While he guided Madrid to a Spanish league title and a Copa del Rey crown, his time is perhaps more vividly recalled for his confrontational personality, which reportedly fractured his own squad and alienated many beyond the most ardent supporters, alongside a significant portion of the local media.

He now faces the formidable task of inheriting an underperforming team and rejoining a club currently in disarray.

Real Madrid have endured a two-year drought without a major title, despite the high-profile presence of superstar striker Kylian Mbappé.

This season alone has seen the club cycle through two coaches, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa, highlighting the instability Mourinho is tasked with addressing.

Mourinho’s return had been expected after president Florentino Perez was re-elected.

Upon winning, Perez said: “We have won the elections and will continue working to keep winning titles.

“I am still here and I am here to defend Real Madrid. We will continue working so that Real Madrid keeps winning titles, and we will fight until the end to achieve the 16th European Cup. We will continue to take pride in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the best stadium in the world.

“Proud to have the best players in the world, proud to welcome back one of the best coaches in the world, a Madridista like Jose Mourinho. And rest assured, with me as president, Real Madrid has been, is, and will always remain owned by its members.”

The YPI National Event 2026, held at Perth Concert Hall, brought together more than 1,100 young people, educators, third-sector leaders, charities, and funding partners.

Pupils from Firpark Secondary School in Motherwell joined more than 1,100 young people, educators, charities and third-sector leaders at Perth Concert Hall for the YPI National Event 2026 – Scotland’s largest celebration of youth philanthropy.

The YPI National Event 2026, held at Perth Concert Hall, brought together more than 1,100 young people, educators, third-sector leaders, charities, and funding partners.

The event, delivered by The Wood Foundation, marked another successful year of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) operating across all 32 Scottish local authorities, with £840,000 directed to grassroots charities in the past 12 months alone.

Representatives from ten local authorities presented on the day, each championing a different charity and cause – from homelessness and domestic abuse to dementia and mental health. These were not issues they had simply read about.

They were causes these young people had engaged with directly: visiting charities, speaking with service users, and conducting months of research before competing to direct a £3,000 grant to the organisation they believed in most.

YPI, delivered and principally funded by The Wood Foundation, has operated since 2008 on a straightforward but ambitious premise: that young people are not simply burdened by Scotland’s deepest challenges, they are ready to lead on solutions to them now. The programme asks secondary school pupils to research the social issues affecting their own communities, identify the charities working to address them, and compete to direct real funding, placing genuine trust and responsibility in their hands.

Keynote speaker Dee Bleakley drew a direct line between the confidence and skills developed through programmes like YPI and the civic leadership Scotland needs from the next generation.

Attendees were also treated to music from sea shanty sensation Nathan Evans and acclaimed musical duo SAINT PHNX, who debuted their new track ‘Home’ ahead of Scotland’s World Cup campaign.

Lizbeth Paul, YPI Director at The Wood Foundation, said: “Our communities thrive when young people are given the platform to lead, and the National Event proved exactly that.

“By immersing themselves in youth advocacy, these young people have shown immense social action and a profound commitment to supporting those in need. The real power of YPI lies in the lifelong skills it builds.

“By tackling local social issues head-on, these young people are preparing themselves with the vision and determination required to lead our country through its greatest challenges in the years ahead.”

Sarah Chew, CEO at The Wood Foundation, added: “At a pivotal time when stimulating good advocacy in our young people is vital YPI offers a new model.

“One that starts in the classroom, reaches into communities, and asks young people not what they think about Scotland’s problems, but what they intend to do about them. When given the platform and the support, they are more than ready to answer.”

Since launching in Scotland in 2008, YPI has seen more than 430,000 young people across all 32 local authorities take responsibility for directing a cumulative £9.3 million to grassroots charities.

Many have gone on to carry that civic responsibility into their adult lives as volunteers, advocates, donors, and community leaders.

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Coronation Street fans are worried that actress Sydney Martin is about to leave her role as Betsy Swain on the ITV soap after two years of melodramatic twists and turns

Coronation Street fans are worried that Betsy Swain is about to leave the ITV soap. The Speed Daal waitress, who has been played by Sydney Martin since 2024, has been through an awful lot during her two years in Weatherfield.

Just over a year ago, Betsy lost boyfriend Mason in a knife attack, was then shot by her own mother DS Lisa Swain, who faced no consequences for her actions, and was landed in a freak situation when her other mother Becky came back from the dead, having faked it as part of a corrupt police coverup.

Following on from all that drama , Betsy recently discovered a dead body that turned out to be that of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) at the end of the much-hyped Murder Week.

In scenes set to air in the coming days, Betsy confides in best friend Laure (Cait Fitton) that she’s been offered a place at the London College of Fashion but she’s worried about leaving Dylan. It’s yet to be seen just how Dylan will react and, on top of that, Betsy explains that she is yet to inform her mother.

Fans of the world’s longest-running TV soap have instantly started to speculate that Sydney, who appeared in Assassin’s Guild before joining Coronation Street, is set to make a dramatic exit from the ITV soap.

Taking to X, one fan said: “betsy off to london? [sad face emoji],” whilst another posted a picture of Carla, Lisa and Betsy and said: “Don’t spilt them up please #corrie I think Lisa will take this hard and Carla will help both Betsy and Lisa to see it from each others perspective.

Another said: “You can just imagine Carla saying something like oh you’ll be fine Betsy in London I could tell you stories about what me and Michelle got up to, and Betsy saying something like and even to this day they involve the police.”

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Another wondered if this meant some sort of spin-off was on the cards. In the past, the programme has done various spin-offs such as Just Rosie, which followed Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan) on her quest for a modelling career, whilst a string of DVD releases like A Knight’s Tale and Out Of Africa were issued in the late 2000s.

Posing the theory, the fan wrote on X: “Is there any indication that Betsy going to London could be a limited summer off-shoot series like Hollyoaks Later where all the teens shared a summer house (obviously without the serial killer). But it will be Betsy’s adventures in the big city?”

It all comes after actress Sydney Martin, 24, was revealed to have been cast in a short film titled Favourite earlier this year. Filmmaker Georgia Leigh-Taylor said: “I’m so thrilled to announce the incredible Sydney Martin and the brilliant Isabelle Smith will be playing Mel and Ashley in my upcoming short film called Favourite.

“After graduating from the same acting school, Sydney and Izzy have both been working professionally in television since 2024, building exciting careers for themselves, taking on powerful storylines, and earning well-deserved recognition.

“Favourite is a dual-timeline drama exploring the lives of best friends Mel and Ashley both as teenagers, and as adults.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITV X.

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This is the heroic teacher stabbed during a triple knife attack at a high school in Blackley. Counter terrorism police have now taken charge of the investigation, Greater Manchester Police confirmed on Thursday evening (June 11), although it hasn’t been classified as a terrorist incident ‘at this time’.

Courageous Maysum Abdullah, 27, sustained a neck wound in the horrifying episode at Co-op Academy Manchester on Plant Hill Road in Blackley on Tuesday morning (June 9).

He dashed to shield pupils as the school went into lockdown following reports of a student armed with a knife. The youngster was swiftly ‘detained’ by staff, according to school authorities.

Three individuals were injured. A 14 year old girl sustained shoulder injuries; a 14 year old boy suffered ear injuries; and Mr Abdullah received wounds to his neck and hand, reports the Manchester Evening News.

All three are now recuperating at home. None of the injuries were considered serious.

A 14 year old schoolgirl was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, before being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She has since been returned to police custody following evaluation by healthcare professionals.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Co-Op Academies Trust, which operates the school, said it was ‘incredibly proud’ of the ‘swift’ and ‘brave’ actions of their staff to ‘quickly detain’ the student. On Thursday, GMP announced that ‘as a result of further enquiries, Counter Terrorism Policing North West have now taken primacy for the investigation with the support of Greater Manchester Police’.

“Searches relating to the investigation remain ongoing and counter terrorism detectives are keeping an open mind to the motivation of the attack,” a statement added.

“At this time, it has not been declared as a terrorist incident.”

The officer leading the investigation disclosed that ‘further information has come to light’, which the force has ‘made Counter Terrorism Policing North West aware of’.

Mr Abdullah, speaking to the Manchester Evening News while recuperating at home with his wife, said he was still ‘trying to process’ what had happened and requested privacy. He consented to his name being published, along with a photograph.

His wife Saima previously posted on TikTok to express gratitude for the support received after the incident. She said: “[On Tuesday] I received the devastating news that my husband had been stabbed whilst trying to protect pupils from a serious knife attack in his classroom.

“No one ever expects to receive a phone call telling them that their loved one has been taken to the hospital after being stabbed. I am grateful that his injuries were not life threatening. The wound on his neck and his hand have been treated, however these physical wounds are only part of what our family is now facing.

“My husband entered teaching to make a positive difference in young people’s lives and he is truly a hero for protecting and safeguarding those children.

“Our prayers are with the other two pupils who also suffered injuries and to all the students and staff who witnessed such a traumatic event.

“Thank you to all colleagues, family, friends, hospital staff, the police and members of the community for their support, kindness and wishes during this difficult time.”

Chief Superintendent David Meeney, Commander for Manchester, spoke out about the incident, stating: “Our local detectives have been investigating this incident at pace ever since we arrested a schoolgirl suspect on Tuesday morning. She remains in custody in Manchester.

“This has included ensuring the suspect is checked by health professionals to make an assessment while under the Mental Health Act, and to explore all available evidence to understand why this incident took place.

“Since our last update, further information has come to light that we have made Counter Terrorism Policing North West aware of.

“I know this update will only continue to make our local community concerned by Tuesday’s events. There is no information to indicate any further threat, and our local officers continue to be in the area. We are here to listen and to act, so please speak to our officers with any concerns.”

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Co-op Academies Trust, which oversees the school, said: “Shortly after the start of the school day, an incident occurred on site involving a pupil with a knife.

“The school was immediately placed into lockdown, and staff acted bravely to quickly detain a student before emergency services arrived.

“Greater Manchester Police arrested the student, who remains in custody. Police have confirmed this was an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public.

“Three people, two pupils and a member of staff sustained injuries. They were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, where they are in a stable condition with injuries not believed to be serious. We are incredibly proud of the swift actions of our staff and the mature response of our pupils.

“While our policies outline strict screening and search powers in line with Department for Education guidance, weapons can unfortunately be small and easily concealed without prior indicators. We had no reason to conduct a search on any student this morning.”

Jody Riley said she was ‘mid panic attack, when nursery staff told her someone had walked away with her daughter

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A distraught mum experienced ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’, when she was told a stranger had collected her child from nursery.

Jody Riley, 37, was working when she received the call from her daughter Rosie McDonald’s nursery, Kids Planet Crosby.

She said: “My phone rang at around 2.20pm and it took awhile for the staff member to tell me what had happened, but she eventually told me somebody had picked Rosie up and they were still investigating it.

“They let me know she was back at the nursery safe and everything felt like a blur from there. I had a panic attack and I had to try and calm myself down to go and get her.

“Getting that call is every parent’s worst nightmare and I feel like I’ve had a taste of what that is like now.”

Jody said she was told it was another child’s grandad who had picked up her sleeping two-year-old Rosie and driven away with her for at least 10 minutes before the mistake was noticed, reports the Liverpool Echo.

She said: “Rosie is a light sleeper and wakes up when you pick her up so I’ve just been trying to piece everything together because none of it makes much sense to me.

“I don’t understand how he was able to get through two security doors, enter the toddler room, pick up my sleeping child, and then leave the building, strap her into his car and drive off with her without anyone noticing it wasn’t his child.”

Jody and her partner Gary McDonald, 40, are both business owners and normally pick Rosie up from nursery at either 3pm or 5pm.

Jody explained when she collects Rosie, facial recognition technology is used to let her in and then she has to knock on the toddler room in order to collect her daughter.

She said: “You have to walk past the office and they tell you where your child is.

“Apparently his granddaughter was downstairs in the nursery garden so I don’t understand how this has happened or how he’s been able to walk out of the room with no one stopping him or seeing who had picked her up.

“By the time I got to the nursery she was upstairs, back in the room and when they brought her down to see me she was shouting ‘mummy’ and wrapping her arms around me.

“You could just tell she knew something had happened and it definitely wouldn’t have been nice for her because she’s really clingy with me and her dad.”

Jody said she is still waiting for a lot of questions to be answered on how the incident was allowed to happen.

She said: “The staff were shook up and couldn’t apologise enough but they didn’t have any answers for me.

“At that stage I was still mid panic attack and in shock so I wasn’t asking all the questions I could because I just wanted to see my daughter.

“Obviously I knew she was safe which was the main thing, but in a situation like that you start to worry about everything. I just kept thinking about how long she was missing for before either the nursery or the man noticed and I wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone.

“I barely slept last night and I feel like the more I process it and the more it sinks in the more questions I have. I still can’t figure it out.”

READ MORE: Scots girl, 7, in hospital after council flat ceiling collapses on top of her

READ MORE: Man guilty of attacking girl in Dundee axe and knife incident

Jody said Rosie won’t be returning to the nursery and she would be looking after her full-time for the foreseeable future.

She said: “She’d only been there for a few months because we really struggled getting her a nursery place. Trying to balance work with looking after her will impact me massively because I won’t be able to get her into another nursery now until at least September.

“At the minute I just want to keep her with me at all times because even though she’s fine and happy, I feel so shaken up. “

A spokesperson for Kids Planet, said: “We can confirm that an incident occurred at our Crosby setting in which a child was mistakenly released to a grandparent who is known to staff, has passed all required security vetting and who is an approved collector for a different child, who was also onsite at the time.

“The child was returned safely to the nursery within minutes, and we are in direct continuous contact with the families involved to offer our sincere apologies and to provide ongoing support while a full investigation takes place.

“The safety and wellbeing of the children in our care is our highest priority, and we take this unprecedented matter extremely seriously, which is why we have implemented immediate measures including supervised working for the team and additional security protocols, as well as working to revise our policies and training.

“In line with our safeguarding procedures, we have made immediate self-referrals to Ofsted and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and are cooperating fully with both organisations.

“As this remains an active investigation, we are currently unable to offer further comment.”

A Reform candidate who said Nigerians should be melted down to ‘fill in the pot holes’ has been let back into the party.

Glenn Gibbins was placed under investigation after he was elected as the new councillor for Hylton Castle Ward in Sunderland in early May.

In now deleted posts, he ranted on social media he ‘carnt [sic] believe amount of Nigerians in town’ and they ‘should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes’.

The comments – believed to be from march 2024 – sparked widespread condemnatin and led Reform to begin an internal disciplinary process.

However the party has now confirmed that Cllr Gibbins has been reinstated.

A Reform spokesman said: ‘Following an internal disciplinary process, Cllr Gibbins has been readmitted to the party and issued with a final written warning.

‘He has apologised for making the post and accepts that it was made in extremely poor taste showing poor judgment.’

Other social media posts from Glenn Gibbins showed that hadcomplained about women being on TV, calling Mel and Sue the two ‘unfunniest fat repulsive lesbian hosts ever’.

His views extend to sport, writing during the 2021 Ireland v Japan rugby match: ‘Yet another woman comentator. It’s getting out of controll. There must be a hundred better male comentators but had to give it to a female [sic].

‘Wish they wud stick to cooking, sewing and homemaking [sic].’

Reform deputy leader Richard Tice refused to directly criticise Gibbins at the time reports about the posts surfaced, instead accusing the media of ‘smearing’ his party.

Asked if Mr Gibbins views represented Reform UK, he said: ‘This weekend we are celebrating our incredible successes.

‘Like any party, we have internal party processes to look where people have said or done the wrong thing.”

He continued: ‘I condemn everything that is wrong and inappropriate.

‘Voters have heard all of this smearing and this sneering against all of us, and they have voted for more Reform.’

Other Reform councillors also faced scrutiny for controversial comments online.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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This is the hero teacher knifed in a triple stabbing at a high school in Blackley. The investigation into the incident is now being led by counter terrorism police, GMP said on Thursday evening (June 11), though it has not been declared a terrorist incident ‘at this time’.

Brave Maysum Abdullah, 27, suffered a wound to his neck in the horror incident at Co-op Academy Manchester on Plant Hill Road in Blackley on Tuesday morning (June 9).

He rushed to protect students as the school was locked down amid reports of a pupil with a knife. The child was quickly ‘detained’ by staff, school bosses said.

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Three people were hurt. A 14-year-old girl suffered injuries to her shoulder; a 14-year-old boy injuries to his ear; and Mr Abdullah injuries to his neck and hand. All are now recovering at home. None of their injuries were deemed to be serious.

A 14-year-old schoolgirl was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, before being detained under the Mental Health Act. She has now been released into police custody following an assessment by health professionals.

In a statement issued on Tuesday the Co-Op Academies Trust, which runs the school, said it was ‘incredibly proud’ of the ‘swift’ and ‘brave’ actions of their staff to ‘quickly detain’ the student.

On Thursday, GMP said that ‘as a result of further enquiries, Counter Terrorism Policing North West have now taken primacy for the investigation with the support of Greater Manchester Police’.

“Searches relating to the investigation remain ongoing and counter terrorism detectives are keeping an open mind to the motivation of the attack,” a statement added.

“At this time, it has not been declared as a terrorist incident.” The cop in charge of the investigation revealed that ‘further information has come to light’, which the force has ‘made Counter Terrorism Policing North West aware of’.

Mr Abdullah, speaking to the Manchester Evening News as he recovered at home with his wife, said he was still ‘trying to process’ what had happened and asked for privacy. He agreed for his name to be published, as well as a picture.

His wife Saima earlier took to TikTok to thank people for their support following the incident. She said: “[On Tuesday] I received the devastating news that my husband had been stabbed whilst trying to protect pupils from a serious knife attack in his classroom.

“No one ever expects to receive a phone call telling them that their loved one has been taken to the hospital after being stabbed. I am grateful that his injuries were not life threatening. The wound on his neck and his hand have been treated, however these physical wounds are only part of what our family is now facing.

“My husband entered teaching to make a positive difference in young people’s lives and he is truly a hero for protecting and safeguarding those children.

“Our prayers are with the other two pupils who also suffered injuries and to all the students and staff who witnessed such a traumatic event.

“Thank you to all colleagues, family, friends, hospital staff, the police and members of the community for their support, kindness and wishes during this difficult time.”

Chief Superintendent David Meeney, Commander for Manchester, said: “Our local detectives have been investigating this incident at pace ever since we arrested a schoolgirl suspect on Tuesday morning. She remains in custody in Manchester.

“This has included ensuring the suspect is checked by health professionals to make an assessment while under the Mental Health Act, and to explore all available evidence to understand why this incident took place.

“Since our last update, further information has come to light that we have made Counter Terrorism Policing North West aware of.

“I know this update will only continue to make our local community concerned by Tuesday’s events. There is no information to indicate any further threat, and our local officers continue to be in the area. We are here to listen and to act, so please speak to our officers with any concerns.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Co-op Academies Trust, which runs the school, said: “Shortly after the start of the school day, an incident occurred on site involving a pupil with a knife.

“The school was immediately placed into lockdown, and staff acted bravely to quickly detain a student before emergency services arrived.

“Greater Manchester Police arrested the student, who remains in custody. Police have confirmed this was an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public.

“Three people, two pupils and a member of staff sustained injuries. They were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, where they are in a stable condition with injuries not believed to be serious. We are incredibly proud of the swift actions of our staff and the mature response of our pupils.

“While our policies outline strict screening and search powers in line with Department for Education guidance, weapons can unfortunately be small and easily concealed without prior indicators. We had no reason to conduct a search on any student this morning.”

Calum Alexander and Liam Reynolds, participants from the charity AWARE Scotland, were part of a group of supporters who gave the men’s team a rallying cry.

Two lucky lads were among a group of fans who got the surprise chance to give the Scotland squad a World Cup rallying cry thanks to Specsavers,

Calum Alexander (24) and Liam Reynolds (29), participants from the charity AWARE Scotland, were part of a group of supporters who attended Barclays Hampden before the men’s team jetted out to the USA.

They believed that they would be writing postcards to send to the players and enjoying a tour of the national stadium.

While they took in their guided tour and prepared to post their messages, however, little did they know Scotland stars Kenny McLean and Lawrence Shankland were waiting in the wings to surprise them.

Kenny and Lawrence collected the messages of support from the gathered fans to share with the rest of Steve Clarke’s squad.

With the friendly matches now behind them and focus turning to the group-stage kick-off, Scotland fans will be vital in driving the team on. Specsavers was on hand to make sure their messages of support reached the squad directly before they headed off to the US.

Liam, from Cambuslang, went down the personal route, directing his message to Kieran Tierney, asking the left back to ‘score some more goals’ and wishing him the best of luck at the tournament.

And Calum, who is from Mount Florida, urged captain Andy Robertson to get the team ‘hyped up’ and to let him know if he needs any help.

The pair, who both have additional support needs and receive support from AWARE Scotland, enjoyed their day and hope Scotland can be successful Stateside.

Liam said: “It was an incredible experience, and I hope Kieran Tierney gets my postcard!”

Calum said: “It was so amazing and I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was great to wish good luck to the whole team and let them know all of Scotland is behind them.

“I think we’re going to win it all and if they want a hype man, I’m there.”

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Tasked with the responsibility of delivering the messages is Lawrence Shankland, who appreciates the support of the Tartan Army as Scotland attempt to make history this summer.

The Scotland striker said: “It was brilliant to meet Calum and Liam and to see their excitement about the tournament.

“We’ve got letters to Kieran Tierney we need to pass on now so it was good to meet them and it’s those small moments that those guys will remember for a long time.

“There’s been a long build up from qualifying and the excitement is building all over Scotland and you can really feel it.”

Specsavers renewed its sponsorship deal with the Scottish FA in 2024, becoming the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner and extending one of the longest-running partnerships in sport.

The agreement runs through to 2028 and includes continued support for referee training and development, as well as raising awareness of grassroots and local football across the country.

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The numbers ’86 47′ have appeared in the green grass on Washington DC’s National Mall in an apparent message to the President.

Days before Donald Trump turns 80 and a UFC match takes place in the area, new aerial photos have revealed the message in the dying grass.

It’s not clear when the numbers were etched into the grass, but they’ve previously been used to snub Trump – ’86’ being code in hospitality to get rid of an order or patron.

And given that Trump is the 47th US President, the rest of the message is quite clear.

Earlier this year, former FBI director James Comey was indicted for ‘threatening’ Trump with a photo of seashells spelling out ‘8647’.

The former FBI chief was interviewed by the US Secret Service in May after Trump administration officials claimed that he was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ’86’ as slang meaning ‘to throw out, to get rid of or to refuse service to’.

It added: ‘Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill’. We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.’

Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: ‘I didn’t realise some folks associate those numbers with violence… I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down.’

Trump, in a Fox News Channel interview, accused Comey of knowing ‘exactly what that meant’.

‘A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear,’ he said.

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Average asking prices have increased by 18 per cent annually in Bridlington, according to analysis by Rightmove.

The property website, which looked across Britain but excluded London from the analysis, found that Bridlington and St Helens in Merseyside led the way as first-time buyer price hotspots.

In Bridlington the average asking price for a typical first-time buyer home was £167,321, while the figure stood at £133,106 in St Helens.

First-time buyer homes were defined in the research as those with two bedrooms at the most, including houses and flats.

Rightmove said the fastest-growing areas for asking prices on its list had average prices below £170,000, highlighting continued demand for more affordable homes.

In contrast, several higher-priced southern markets, including Brighton and Southampton, are seeing average first-time buyer prices ease compared with last year, it said.

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Rightmove said that the average asking price across the research for a typical first-time buyer home is £228,048, down by 0.7 per cent annually.

Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “Affordability continues to shape where first-time buyers are looking, and we’re seeing the strongest price growth in areas where homes remain within reach for more people.

“Lower-cost locations are still seeing strong interest, with competition for homes helping to hold prices up.

“In more expensive markets, tenants are taking a bit more time and thinking more carefully about what they can afford, which is keeping growth relatively flat.”