Wishing all the best to the many students who will be receiving their results today!
We have reporters at several schools across the region and we will be bringing you all the results, reactions, photos and videos throughout the day.
Today, our reporters Bethan Finighan and Ludwik Lipiec will be bringing you updates from Co-Op Academy Belle Vue, Co-Op Academy Failsworth, Lowry Academy and Irlam and Cadishead Academy.
In camps and rural communities across Syria, a brightly painted bus is bringing books, puppets and art workshops to children who have grown up with war
In a dusty clearing inside Kafr Lusin camp, in the rural reaches of northern Idlib in Syria, a brightly coloured bus pulls up with books and cartoon characters painted across its sides.
Within minutes, children begin moving towards it, curious at first, then excited, gathering around the doors as they open to reveal shelves of books, boxes of art supplies and a small puppet theatre.
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Soon, a performance begins, and the space around the bus fills with the laughter of children who have had little chance to experience anything like this. For a few hours, there are stories to listen to, pictures to draw, games to play and characters to cheer. In a place where childhood has too often been shaped by displacement, fear and waiting, the arrival of a bus can feel like a small festival.
The project is known as the Mobile Cultural Bus, an initiative launched by Syria’s Ministry of Culture with support from a group of volunteers. Its aim is simple enough: to take books, art and cultural activities to children and families in areas that have little or no access to libraries, community centres or safe creative spaces.
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For the children who run to meet it, however, the bus is more than a travelling library. It is a break in the day, a doorway into stories and, for some, the first time they have been invited to make something, imagine something or hold a book of their own.
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Syria’s long years of conflict have torn through the country’s education and cultural life. Schools have been damaged or destroyed, community centres have closed, and families have been uprooted again and again. In rural areas and camps, where daily life can be reduced to the search for safety, food, water and work, cultural activities are often treated as a luxury.
Mohammad Murad, the project director, says that is exactly why the bus was created. “We realised that many children had never stepped foot inside a library,” he says. “Our thinking was simple: if they cannot go to culture, we must bring culture to them.”
For a few hours, there are stories to listen to, pictures to draw, games to play and characters to cheer
The initiative began with an old bus donated by a supporter. Volunteers cleaned it, repaired it and repainted it in bright colours before turning it into a mobile educational space. Today, it carries novels and short stories for both children and adults, alongside learning materials, drawing equipment and craft supplies.
When the bus arrives in a village, town or camp, the team usually spends several hours with the children. A visit might begin with a group storytelling session, followed by drawing, handicrafts or reading, before ending with a puppet show or educational games. The format is deliberately simple, but the response can be immediate.
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“For these children, the arrival of the bus is an extraordinary event,” says Sarah al-Khatib, a volunteer teacher with the project. “Many have spent years living in a state of tension and fear because of the war and the shelling of their towns by the former Syrian regime. But when we arrive, we see the atmosphere shift completely; laughter and joy reclaim the space.”
Al-Khatib says the volunteers are not pretending that a book or a puppet show can undo what the children have lived through. What they can do is offer attention, routine and a brief return to something that looks and feels like childhood.
“Seeing the happiness on their faces is what makes us forget our exhaustion,”she says. “We may not be able to offer a lot, but we can offer our time and expertise. Sometimes, a simple story or an activity can leave a profound impact.”
That impact is often felt most clearly by children who would otherwise have almost no access to books. Among them is 12-year-old Walid al-Samahi, from the town of Al-Qutayfah in rural Damascus, who loves science fiction but can’t afford books. For him, the mobile library’s visit is one of the few chances he has to enter a world beyond his daily life.
When we arrive, we see the atmosphere shift completely; laughter and joy reclaim the space
“I find so much joy in reading these stories, and I am always eager for a new book,” he tells Positive News. “This is the first time I’ve held a book filled with so many pictures and tales. When I grow up, I want to become a teacher so I can give children books like these, so they don’t have to feel as lonely as I did.” As he speaks, he hugs the small book and breaks into a wide smile, as if he has found somewhere to live for a while inside its pages.
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So far, the Mobile Cultural Bus has visited dozens of villages and neighbourhoods, reaching thousands of children. According to the project team, its first phase covered 39 areas in Damascus and its surrounds before expanding to other provinces, with Homs among its more recent stops. The project currently operates with two buses, which means the volunteers still have far more requests than they can answer.
The need is enormous. Unicef’s 2026 humanitarian appeal for Syria says that more than 2.5 million children are out of school, while nearly 8,000 schools need urgent rehabilitation. Overcrowded classrooms, damaged buildings, a shortage of learning materials and the displacement of families continue to make education difficult for many children.
Against that backdrop, a bus filled with books cannot solve the education crisis. It cannot rebuild a school or replace the teachers Syria has lost. But it can reach children who are cut off from learning and culture, and it can remind them that they are allowed to ask questions, make things, laugh loudly and imagine a future that is not defined only by loss.
For Murad and the volunteers, the bus is not just delivering stories; it is treating culture as something children in camps and rural communities are entitled to, rather than something reserved for those living in city centres or more stable places.
In a country trying to recover from years of devastation, the sight of children gathering around a brightly painted bus may look modest. But for those waiting on the roadside, it brings a rare window of joy and learning, and perhaps the start of a new dream.
Images provided by Sonia al-Ali
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The boss of Travelodge has abruptly quit as the chain continues to overhaul its safety procedures following a sexual assault at one of its hotels.
Travelodge said Joanna Boydell, who had been chief executive for just over four years, stepped down and will be replaced by finance boss Ray Reidy on an interim basis.
The budget hotel chain has faced criticism over security failures, following the sexual assault of a woman by a man who was given a key card by Travelodge staff.
Kyran Smith, who was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for the assault, attacked a woman in December 2022 at the Maidenhead branch of Travelodge. He lied to staff, telling them that he was the victim’s boyfriend.
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Boydell was asked to meet MPs and peers to discuss the case, including Travelodge’s security procedures that led to it offering the victim a £30 refund after the incident.
It apologised for the offer, which it said was inappropriate under the circumstances, and opened a review into its security processes.
Boydell faced criticism for cancelling a meeting with MPs, with Sir Keir Starmer calling on Boydell to ‘seriously engage’ with the government. Reporting of the case led to other people coming forward to report security concerns at Travelodge hotels.
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Jo Boydell joined Travelodge as chief financial officer in 2013 before stepping up as chief executive in 2022
The hotel chain ordered an independent review and, among other measures, now requires explicit permission from guests for any additional or replacement room keys.
It said it had also launched a partnership with a Violence Against Women and Girls expert.
Boydell joined Travelodge as chief financial officer in 2013 before stepping up to lead the hotel chain in May 2022.
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Reidy today said: ‘We remain focused on the safety and well-being of our guests and will continue taking the actions necessary to strengthen the business. We will also continue to engage proactively and constructively with Government and the wider hospitality industry on the issue of safety and security.’
Travelodge chair Stephen Shurrock added: ‘We are delighted that Ray Reidy has agreed to serve as Interim CEO.
‘This announcement does not change anything about our focus on safety and security. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Jo for her dedication to Travelodge over the last 13 years.’
Boydell’s departure comes as Travelodge reported a jump in revenue from £471.3million to £491.3million in the first half of the year.
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It said it had benefited from a strong summer of events, including Harry Styles at Wembley Stadium, and the London Marathon which delivered a ‘record revenue night for London’.
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WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT A horrific crash saw a Boeing 747 jetliner collide with the side of a mountain as the pilot and crew desperately tried to save the plane, uttering some devastating final words as the plane went down.
The single deadliest air crash in aviation history left the desperate pilot uttering “harrowing” final words as he faced his impending death.
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In 1985 a Boeing 747 jetliner crashed into a mountain range just north west of Tokyo – in Ueno, Gunma, Japan.
Amid the remains of the Japan Airlines plane and the souls that tragically lost their lives on board, an investigation meant the black box was recovered. The information inside it was horrifying, according to France 24.
The cockpit voice recording left aviation journalist David Learmount, who has investigated and reported on air incidents for almost five decades, shocked.
David said reading the CVR transcript was so upsetting that it left him in tears.
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David, a consulting editor on Flightglobal magazine toldThe Mirror: “I’ve lost count of the number of CVRS I’ve listened to and transcripts I’ve read from accidents – and the Japan Airlines 123 remains the only one that ever made me cry.
“The transcript was so harrowing I could not listen to the CVR. The pilots were talking to each other in a state of deep distress because they didn’t know what was going on and what they could do.
“It wasn’t just fear. They wanted to save their airplane, to save their own lives and the lives of everybody on board, and they didn’t know what to do. You’ve never heard that kind of distress. “
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The doomed plane took oon August 12 from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The airport was crowded with thousands trying to get home as it was the eve of Obon – a Japanese Buddhist custom when most of the country traditionally honour their ancestors, often returning to their home towns for family reunions.
At 6.12pm, Japan Airlines 123 took off heading to Osaka, 400 kilometres to the west. It was filled almost to capacity. 509 passengers and a crew of 15. The flight time was 52 minutes. The most senior pilot on board was Captain Masami Takahama, 49.
Takahama was was one of the airlines’ senior training captains. He was supporting the First Officer Yutaka Saski, 39, who was captaining the flight. Also on board was Hiroshi Fukuda, a veteran flight engineer.
For the first few minutes after take off, all was fine. As the plane climbed, the air pressure difference between the air inside the cabin and the air outside the cabin grew greater and greater.
Approximately 12 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft experienced a loud explosion. Oxygen masks dropped down in front of hysterical passengers. The cabin altitude alarm was blaring, alerting the pilots that the air inside the plane was now too thin to breathe.
The piloting crew radioed an emergency to air traffic control.
Captain Masami Takahama requested a turn back to Haneda- now 70 miles behind them. He was unaware the bang which was heard in the cockpit was due to a hole at the rear of the plane and this wave of pressure had blasted off a huge section of the aircraft’s tail, including the rudder, the auxiliary power unit, and several other critical control systems.
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The captain instructed his first officer to turn to the right to head back to Haneda but he started banking too steeply. But no matter what the first officer did, he couldn’t turn the plane back to wings level.
Horrified Hiroshi Fukuda, the flight engineer could now see that hydraulic pressure has dropped. The plane had a complete hydraulics failure and there was no checklist to deal with this nightmare scenario.
Flight 123 began to swing from side to side like a falling leaf – a nauseating movement for passengers. Without hydraulic power, the pilots could no longer control the pitch of the aircraft. It began plunging up and down hundreds of metres at a time in a terrifying rollercoaster cycle.
Passengers began scribbling farewell notes to loved ones, which were later found in the wreckage. Using the engine power, they were able to slow down the erratic moments and even turn the plane momentarily.
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“By increasing engine power on the left side, the plane would turn to the right. Increasing power on the right side, the airplane would turn to the left. So that helped. However, they still thought they could attempt to control the plane manually, which they couldn’t,” said David.
And their altitude pilots were now dulled by hypoxia – having been too distracted to put on their oxygen mask. In the cabin, passengers were running out of oxygen.
Their best hope was a controlled crash landing at Haneda, but the plane needed to lose altitude. The flight engineer suggested they could lower the landing gear without hydraulic power. For the first time since leaving Tokyo, the plane had now dipped below 20,000 feet.
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A lower altitude now brought a new danger. Straight ahead of the plane loomed a towering mountain range. The aircraft began diving at more than 18,000 feet per minute, 10 times the normal rate of descent.
“Raise nose, raise nose…. power” were the captain’s last words as the ground proximity alarm buzzed around him before the CVR cut out on impact. The pilots fought a losing battle for almost 30 minutes before the plane hit the Mount Takamagahara area, close to Mount Fuji.
The right wing tip and its outermost engine hit the mountain ridge and was ripped off. The plane spun onto its back and careened into the mountainside at hundreds of kilometres per hour, igniting into an enormous fireball.
Miraculously – there were some survivors. This included a 12-year-old girl whose parents and sister were killed in the crash. Her family were all seated at the back of the plane, where impact forces were not as great as at the front, and luck protected them from flying debris.
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The investigation into the crash concluded that a faulty repair on the aircraft seven years earlier had ultimately caused the fatal malfunction. During a landing in Osaka in 1978, the pilot had pitched the plane’s nose too high and slammed the tail into the runway.
The rear pressure bulkhead, a critical structural component in aircraft, specifically designed to maintain cabin pressure, was severely damaged.
Boeing engineers performed the botched repair – which led to an ever weakening structure, which led to an ever-weakening structure. It wasn’t a question of if it would fail, it was when. David said: “It was a patch-up job, not a repair. They took a shortcut trying to fix it and put the plane back in action.”
Over time, repeated pressurisation while in the air put stress on the incorrectly repaired section. The cracks led to metal fatigue and ultimately, the separation of the aircraft’s tail.
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By August 12, 1985, the plane had flown more than 12,000 times since the dangerously sub-par repair. But on that flightt, the damaged bulkhead reached breaking point.
The rapid decompression also ruptured hydraulic systems, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable, although the pilots tried desperately to prevent the inevitable.
Boeing redesigned the tail of the 747, so that rapid pressure spikes in the tail plane would no longer cause the kind of structural failure which occurred on flight 123, and also redesigned the plane’s hydraulic systems, so that the loss of the aircraft’s tail would not result in the total depletion of all hydraulic systems.
Japan Airlines also changed its maintenance procedures, putting in place stricter supervision of important repair work and making regular inspections more thorough.
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Although the crash was Boeing’s fault, the airline was subject to an onslaught of national fury. After the crash, Japan Airlines paid 780million yen ($7.6million) to the victims’ families – not as compensation, but as “condolence money”. The company decided against taking criminal action against Boeing.
Japan Airlines president Yasumoto Takagi resigned from his post. The company’s maintenance manager, Hiroo Tominaga, died by suicide. Susuma Tajima, the engineer who checked and cleared the 747SR for takeoff before its final flight, also took his own life after the crash.
NI has bucked the trend in comparison to the rest of the UK where house price growth as slowed
Vicky Shaw
06:00, 20 Aug 2026
Average annual house price growth in Northern Ireland jumped by 9.2% in the second quarter of 2026, significantly bucking the trend across the rest of the UK, where price growth has slowed.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the average house price in Northern Ireland reached £202,000 between April and June 2026. This represents a £17,000 increase from the same period last year and marks the highest annual inflation rate for Northern Ireland since the fourth quarter of 2022.
The ONS attributed the rise in the annual inflation rate to a larger price increase between the first and second quarters of this year (2.1%) than in the same period in 2025 (0.6%). Lower price growth in early 2025 had coincided with Stamp Duty Land Tax changes introduced on April 1, 2025.
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Relative affordability in Northern Ireland means that higher borrowing costs have also had a proportionally smaller impact on buying power than in other parts of the UK.
In contrast, broad national momentum across the UK slowed significantly. Across the UK as a whole, average annual house price growth slowed to 2.0% in the 12 months to June 2026, down from 3.0% in May, bringing the average UK property value to £272,000. Average house prices increased by 1.8% in England (£293,000), 1.8% in Wales (£213,000), and 2.3% in Scotland (£195,000).
The figures were released alongside broader economic data showing that the UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation accelerated to 2.9% in July, up from a 15-month low of 2.6% in June, driven by a surge in gas costs.
David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages, noted that the inflation increase was largely in line with market expectations. However, he warned that “financial markets are already factoring in the threat of interest rates having to climb to combat higher inflation,” adding that the backdrop remains volatile for prospective borrowers.
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On the rental side, the ONS reported that private rent inflation continues to rise nationally, with average UK monthly private rents increasing by 3.7% in the 12 months to July 2026. In Northern Ireland, average private rents increased by 2.3% in the 12 months to May 2026, reaching an average of £875.
A weekend away in Derby might not have been on the bingo card of London trendsetters and art enthusiasts in the past — but that’s all changing. The culture-rich, gastronomy-loving city is welcoming world-class art exhibitions, while new foodie spots and hip boutiques are filling the historic cobbled streets.
Just a 90-minute journey on the fastest trains from London St. Pancras International, in Derby you can flit between relaxing boat trips on the River Derwent, wine tasting in the suburbs or getting busy amidst the city centre’s bars, museums and vintage stores.
Here’s what you can look forward to in this culturally vibrant cathedral city in the East Midlands.
Experience Derby’s most famous artist’s homecoming
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Get up close to Joseph Wright’s masterpieces, including An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, at Derby Museum and Art Gallery
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Attracting much of the attention is Derby Museum and Art Gallery’sWright of Derby: From the Shadows exhibition, which arrives from The National Gallery in London, where 75,000 art lovers paid to see the works of the Derby artist, renowned for the visionary use of light in his paintings during the 1700s.
This time, the Joseph Wright exhibition is free, and is anchored by two iconic masterpieces — An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768), pictured above, and A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery (1766) — which have been reunited in Derby for the first time in 80 years, main image.
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The exhibition sits in the home of the world’s largest collection of Wright’s works, which includes oil paintings, drawings, sketchbooks and objects. Often cited as Britain’s answer to Caravaggio, Wright’s work stretches beyond his revolutionary use of light and shade (chiaroscuro) and explores deeper themes, including death, melancholy and morality.
Exhibitions and museums in the home of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider
The free Lara Croft: 30 Years On — From Derby to Global Icon exhibition at the Pickfords’ House museum celebrates all things Tomb Raider
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Although Wright trained in London, he regularly returned to Derby, where he was heavily influenced by the city’s foundational role in the Industrial Revolution. Derby Silk Mill, which was established in 1721, pioneered the world’s first modern factory system and centralised mechanised production. The area is now, 300-years later, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the award-winning Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill.
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Style lovers should also check out the museum’s Field to Fashion exhibition, which celebrates the skill set of textile practitioners including farmers, weavers and dyers.
Wright isn’t the only Derby icon being celebrated this year, as 2026 marks 30 years since the creation of Tomb Raider and its heroine, Lara Croft, by Derby games studio Core Design.
The free Lara Croft: 30 Years On — From Derby to Global Icon exhibition sees Pickfords’ House (the family home of Georgian architect Joseph Pickford) turned into Croft Manor, showcasing over 400 items including original Tomb Raider development materials, memorabilia and collectables, as well as interactive activities and themed cosplay days throughout the free exhibition.
History and culture lovers should also make a trip to Derby Cathedral and check out the elaborate, self-designed tomb of famous Elizabethan socialite and shrewd businesswoman Bess of Hardwick.
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Continue your history lessons on the streets with a Derby Uncovered walk, choose to learn about pioneers, hauntings, ancestors, ‘weird Derby’ and more — or opt for the Joseph Wright walking trail, where you can step into the shoes and walk in the footsteps of the artist and explore this inspiring city.
Derby’s impressive foodie sceneand shops
Check out the new home of Bustler market at St James’ Yard for street food, craft beer and cocktails
Visit Derby
All that art and culture will have you work up an appetite. Handily, Derby has a growing gastronomy scene that covers every taste and budget — not to mention drinking holes that range from historic pubs to contemporary bars and local wine distilleries.
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Head to the Cathedral Quarter for BEAR, serving Derby’s best coffee and brunch; check out the artisan deli counter at Milk & Honey; and savour arguably the finest Kerala food the city has to offer at Houseboat Restaurant.
Wander the high-street shops, pre-loved stores and local boutiques selling clothes and crafts — particularly around the cobbled streets of the historic Sadler Gatearea. Check out 80s Casual Classics and Threadz Vintage Clothing — both goldmines for streetwear and retro sports looks. Then grab a pint of real ale at the Old Bell Hotel: built in 1650, one of the last surviving coaching inns in Derby.
For music lovers, real ale pub The Flowerpot houses a spacious 250-capacity back gig room hosting rock, blues, folk, indie and tribute bands, while Derby’s new Vaillant Live is a state-of-the-art 3,500-capacity entertainment and events venue showcasing live music, comedy, family shows, sporting events and conferences.
For food and drink with a contemporary twist, make the short walk to vibrant Bustler market at St James’ Yard: think BOXPARK meets Pop Brixton. Vendors, bars and even a book shop are set in a lively beer garden with a backdrop of DJs and live music. Be sure to try an El Capo’s wood-fired pizza or Super Turbo’s chef-made sandwiches, washed down with beer, wines and cocktails from Buxton Brewery’s Dukes bar.
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International cuisine, traditional Sunday roasts and award-winning wines
Raise a glass to The Pepperpot in the Nightingale Quarter, one of Derby’s most celebrated restaurants
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Foodies will also be impressed by the 160-year-old, Grade II listed Derby Market Hall, which reopened last year after a mega restoration project. Here, you’ll find the popular Farmers’ Market every last Sunday of the month: it’s a showcase of the best growers, producers and independent food traders from across the city and surrounding areas.
Also worth a mention is award winning restaurant and bar The Pepperpot, situated inside the restored, 130-year-old towers of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary.
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Wine lovers should head a few minutes north of the city centre to the UNESCO Darley Abbey Mills World Heritage Site, where the award-winning Darley Abbey Wines has a distillery, shop and chic bar — with stunning courtyard — offering wine and whiskey tasting.
In the same complex is the English Wine Project, the only true winery in Derby, which offers wine tasting and tours to discover award-winning English wine from grape to glass. Also, Lorentes in Darley Abbey serves up unforgettable tapas in one of Derby’s most picturesque settings by the River Derwent.
Luxury accommodation for every budget awaits you
Stunning boutique bed and breakfast The Coach House could be your home away from home on a getaway to Derby
Dan Wray
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Looking for some contemporary creative? Artcore Gallery and Café on Albert Street is a vibrant hub for art and workshops, including cutting-edge ceramics and pottery classes for all abilities at Craftcore — and you can even try an authentic chai.
From there, make the two-minute walk to Derby QUAD, an independent cinema and cultural arts centre with gallery, artist studios, and a café-bar serving pizzas and snacks.
Tired after all that? Rest your head at the stunning boutique bed and breakfast The Coach House; opt for a touch of luxury without the price tag at Holiday Inn Derby Riverlights (soon to be transformed into voco Derby Riverlights); or stay in serviced accommodation at The Stay Company, including free parking.
For a city break that merges cool and culture, discover your Derby weekend away now with Visit Derby
The summer window is really heating up again as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham all look to complete some huge deals before the deadline. Arsenal are set to sign Ezri Konsa as he undergoes a medical on Thursday, while the Gunners are also moving for Manchester United duo James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye in a shock double raid. Arsenal have been handed a fresh boost over Julian Alvarez, while the likes of Kenan Yildiz and Victor Osimhen remain on their radar, along with Jarell Quansah and Jack Hinshelwood.
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT The horrendous ordeal traumatised the village, and her husband, who blames himself for letting his beloved wife walk around, alone.
A mum of four was on her way to a market when she was attacked by a terrifying 20-foot python and swallowed whole.
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Her lifeless body, still fully clothed, was cut out of the reptile after she was declared missing. The people from the village she lived in cut open the snake’s gut and found her body.
Farida, 50, from Indonesia, disappeared, to the horror of her loved ones, after heading through the woods alone so she could reach a local market to sell produce in the town of Kalimpong.
Her husband, Noni, 55, desperate to find his wife, formed a search party with his neighbours after becoming concerned when she failed to come back in the evening.
The head of the village, Suardi Rosi told AFP that her husband “found her belongings… which made him suspicious. The villagers then searched the area. They soon spotted a python with a large belly.
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“They agreed to cut open the python’s stomach. As soon as they did, Farida’s head was immediately visible.”
Sadly, the villagers found a bloated snake hiding amongst the undergrowth. On closer inspection it was clear there was a human sized shape in its stomach. The search team had to use a machete to open up the huge reptile, where they discovered the mother dead on June 6, 2024.
“I am forever sorry that I let my wife go out alone. If I had been with her that day, the snake would not have dared to touch her,” Noni said. “I feel sorry for the suffering she went through. I am sorry for our family.”
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It is believed that the snake sank its teeth into her leg before it decided to swallow her whole. Locals believe she died through suffocation and also endured a bite mark to her limb. Her lifeless body was removed from the predator so a religious burial could take place in the Pitu Riawa district of Sidrap Regency.
Despite several previous python attacks in Indonesia, this is reportedly the first time such an incident has happened in Kalempang. Suardi Rosi, head of the village, said: “We have warned everybody to be careful when they walk through the woods. Women should be accompanied by someone.”
Back in 2022, 54-year-old Jahrah vanished after collecting rubber from a plantation in the Jambi province. Two days later, terrified locals found the body in a giant python stretched out in a small clearing.
Mother-of-two Wa Tiba, 54, was also a victim of a snake attack in 2018. Her sandals and machete were discovered a day after her mysterious disappearance, just 30 metres next to a giant python. Local resident Ayu Kartika said at the time: “Everybody was crying, everybody was shocked. The poor woman. This is like a horror movie. People are terrified. We are scared to go outside. We can only pray for safety.”
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Police superintendent Agung Ramos from the Muna district Indonesian National Police explained the moments leading up to her death. He said: “Children and residents had been looking for Wa after she did not return home. Some items belonging to victim, sandals, machete, and flashlights, were found but the victim was not there.
“The family then reported this to the police and the search reached its conclusion at 9am. Residents found a python that looked like it was unable to move. Residents then suspected the snake swallowed Wa Tiba. People took the snake into the village and started splitting it open. The suspicions were true, and there was a body intact inside the snake. Unfortunately, the victim was lifeless.”
Prince Harry beamed with delight as he was pictured for the first time since it was revealed he will imminently return to the UK to live with his family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are understood to be relocating to Britain for an ‘extended period’, with Archie and Lilibet set to enrol at a British school.
The family will move into a non-royal residence and will not be working royals. King Charles was only informed by his son on Sunday that he plans to move back to the UK later this month.
As royal experts speculated on what such a move could mean for Harry and Meghan, the Duke, 41, was seen broadly smiling at a roundtable event discussing increased support for veterans, in Washington, on Wednesday.
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Harry, who served 10 years as a captain in the British Army and completed two frontline tours in Afghanistan, listened intently to the speakers, who included Jane Horton, senior adviser to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
He was later seen speaking with Sarah Verado, chief executive of The Independence Fund, a non-profit dedicated to helping wounded veterans and their families, while also sharing a light-hearted conversation with fellow red-haired veteran William Bringer.
His public appearance came just hours after it was reported that he and his family will move back to the UK.
It is not yet known, however, whether the move will be a permanent one. The location of Harry and Meghan’s new home has not been revealed for privacy reasons.
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Prince Harry beamed with delight as he pictured for the first time since it was revealed he will imminently return to the UK to live with his family
Harry was seen sharing a light-hearted conversation with fellow red-haired veteran William Bringer at a roundtable event on Wednesday
Harry has maintained a passion for helping veterans, having served 10 years as a captain in the British Army and completed two frontline tours in Afghanistan
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The Duke was seen with Sarah Verado, chief executive of The Independence Fund, a non-profit dedicated to helping wounded veterans and their families
The couple is set to retain their £11million home in Montecito, California, where they have lived since moving across the Atlantic Ocean. They also still own a residence in Portugal.
The surprise news comes six years after the couple left Britons in disbelief when they stepped down as working royals.
In a statement released at the time, following a 12-month review, Queen Elizabeth II confirmed that they would not ‘continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service’.
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The former monarch added that Harry and Meghan would not be maintaining a ‘half in, half out’ approach to their duties.
Harry was later stripped of his honorary military titles.
The move came after the pair, who wed in 2018, announced their decision to leave without consulting Charles, Camilla or Prince William – sparking fierce criticism.
The Duke and Duchess were accused of ‘press[ing] the nuclear button’ when they made the bombshell announcement just days after returning from a six-week break in Canada. They later permanently moved to California in March 2020.
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It was claimed earlier this year that Palace staff had given Meghan the nickname ‘Duchess Difficult’ during her time living in Britain.
The American was accused of bullying and, on certain occasions, even making staff cry.
It was said that workers were left ‘in a psychologically delicate state’ and ‘viewed her capacity for revenge as infinite’, an expert has alleged.
Meghan vehemently denied the allegations and described their as an orchestrated smear campaign against her.
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Veteran royal correspondent Valentine Low first broke the bullying story in March 2021, just before Harry and Meghan were to appear on screen with Oprah Winfrey to discuss Megxit.
He said: ‘There had been one or two stories which suggested there were difficult relations between Meghan and her staff. We’d seen them and the phrase “Duchess Difficult” had been used.
‘We knew Meghan was angry about those stories. We knew she challenged that narrative’.
He claimed that some of the royal staff who had worked with the Sussexes were still in a ‘very fragile state’ more than two years later – and despite the royal couple having emigrated 5,000 miles away to the US.
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‘They were very worried about what Meghan would do to them. They viewed her capacity for revenge as infinite.
‘They’d left the employ of the Royal Family and they still were in a psychologically delicate state as a result of what happened to them at that time’.
King Charles is understood to have found out about his son’s impending move back to Britain on Sunday (the pair are seen together in 2022)
It is not yet known where Harry and Meghan will be living when they move later this month (The Duke and Duchess are seen with Princess Kate Middleton and Prince William in 2022)
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The couple famously appeared in public together for the first time at the Toronto Invictus Games in 2017 when they were pictured hand-in-hand at a wheelchair tennis event.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex later moved to Vancouver Island in 2020 after their decision to leave the royal family was made public.
Harry’s relationship with both his father and brother, Prince William – the future monarch – is since believed to have become strained.
The siblings are not thought to have spoken for years, with William and his wife Kate Middleton understood to have been ‘deeply hurt’ by allegations made in Harry’s memoir, Spare.
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The brothers were said to have promised to put aside their differences in honour of their late mother Princess Diana – but, according to royal author Phil Dampier, that promise has been broken.
He told the Mail: ‘William and Harry put aside their differences for the unveiling of the statue of their mother Princess Diana [five years ago], but things are much worse now.
‘I think William would find it very hard to meet Harry, even to honour Diana’s memory. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of her death, so that would be an obvious time for them to try and heal their rift and at least be seen together, but I don’t think William’s heart is in it.
‘Friends tell me that, as far as he is concerned, Harry is the past, and he is only concerned about the future for his wife Catherine and their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
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‘He will never forgive Harry, in my opinion, not just for leaving the Royal Family, but for the dirt he dished out in his book Spare, the Netflix show and the Oprah Winfrey interview.
‘It led to Catherine being smeared as a racist, and he will never forget that.’
William, Charles and Harry are pictured at the procession for the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth in 2022
Sources, however, suggest that King Charles ‘welcomes’ the opportunity to see more of his family (Harry, Meghan, Charles and Camilla are seen together in 2022)
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Harry is said to have missed living in the UK – and it has even been speculated that he has been ‘desperate’ for Archie and Lilibet to experience life in his home-country.
Harry hopes that Charles will open next summer’s Invictus Games alongside him in what would be a major move towards reconciling their relationship. It is, nevertheless, currently unknown whether that will materialise.
The pair enjoyed a private reunion, along with Meghan and their children, only last month – four years after the monarch last saw Lilibet and Archie.
The Duke and Duchess were welcomed by Charles and Camilla to the King’s private residence, Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, in a move which marked a step towards healing Harry’s relationship with his father.
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Charles, as well as Camilla, had also been subject to criticism from the 41-year-old in his 2023 memoir – but Harry visited the King a year later amid news of his cancer diagnosis.
The Sussexes had already set about rebuilding a base in Europe prior to tonight’s revelations, having bought a property at the plush Costa Terra resort in Melides Portugal, three years ago.
The couple and their children holidayed at the resort only a month ago as Meghan shared snaps of pristine beaches, swimming pools and restaurants to her Instagram.
This is an epic humiliation for Harry and Meghan. But these two are dangerous… we should fear the twisted real strategy behind their UK return: MAUREEN CALLAHAN
Knowing what we know, there’s really only one question here: What are they really up to?
The bombshell announcement late Wednesday afternoon in America that the Sussexes are moving back to England — and that Archie and Lilibet will begin school there this September — is believed to have blindsided King Charles.
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Sources tell the Daily Mail that no mention of a move back was made by either Harry or Meghan during their meeting with the King in July.
And that trip was notable for several reasons:
Meghan never showed her face publicly.
She was reported to have enraged Prince William by posting a photo of Harry and the children on what looked like a procession to Diana’s grave.
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Harry and Meghan’s American dream has died – and with it, a nightmare for the UK is born. Sympathies.
This attempted reconciliation came as so many of the Sussexes’ commercial projects seem to have failed, money is surely tighter, and all their old Hollywood friends — Oprah, Ted Sarandos, Kris Jenner — appear to have made themselves scarce.
Netflix, Spotify, Lemonada — all done. As Ever reportedly has $10 million in unsold jams and other sundries on the books. Harry is said to be increasingly isolated and at loose ends.
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It’s an epic humiliation, to be sure.
But there’s reason to suspect Harry and Meghan see this as a win.
The stated reason for their ignominious return, sources tell Page Six, is to be closer to King Charles. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, these sources say, want their children to have a relationship with Harry’s family.
Code for: Returning to England, after Harry and Meghan have banged on about their lives being in mortal danger there, has absolutely nothing to do with needing the halo effect of proximity to the royals.
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Truly, that explanation makes no sense to me.
The children could have had a relationship with their family had Harry and Meghan not, as they did to Oprah, made wild claims about race or accused the royals of not caring about her mental health.
They could have preserved their relationship had they not disrespected the late Queen Elizabeth II by announcing Megxit without her sign-off.
Had Meghan not compared the British Royal Family to the American theme park franchise Medieval Times in their Netflix documentary.
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Had she not mocked meeting the Queen, in that same documentary, with an exaggerated curtsy and a smirk on her face, as her hapless husband looked on in disbelief.
Had Harry not sold out his father and brother’s private moments or printed private text messages sent by Kate in his memoir Spare.
I could go on and on, but we all get the gist.
It surprises no one that People magazine, the preferred outlet of the Sussexes and one that has historically been very friendly to them, broke the exclusive here in America.
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And their version of this narrative is a very positive one.
The magazine reports that ‘those close to the Sussexes believe they have successfully executed the ‘half in, half out’ model Harry and Meghan proposed to the royal family in 2019.’
A model that was thoroughly rejected by Queen Elizabeth at the Sandringham Summit in January 2020.
Yet here Harry and Meghan are, with sources telling People that they’ve pulled off the very thing that has been forbidden.
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These two, in my estimation, are dangerous. They didn’t just ‘flee’, in their version of events, to the US for a new life.
They attempted to destroy the British royal family, levelling sensational claims as Prince Philip lay on his deathbed.
It was convenient for them to leave then, just as it’s convenient for them to return now.
The best part, the most Markle-a-vellian, is what People reports as their primary reason for leaving America:
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‘While the couple appeared to have an idyllic life in Montecito, they have made no secret of their disillusionment with the current White House. With the midterm elections fast approaching, concerns about the direction of the US loom large for many.’
In other words: Trump!
President Trump, who warmly greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla during their state visit to the US this summer. Trump, who invited King Charles to address a joint meeting of Congress during that visit!
Harry and Meghan make an absolute mess of everything.
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Many questions have yet to be answered: Where will the Sussexes be living? Who will be paying for this new residence and the accompanying expenses — including security?
How will these two also be maintaining their properties in Montecito and Portugal, which they say they intend to keep?
The British taxpayers will surely not abide that expense.
And what of Prince William?
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It’s an epic humiliation, to be sure. But there’s reason to suspect Harry and Meghan see this as a win.
Are Harry and Meghan hoping that, as they mend their relationship with the cancer-stricken King, they can paint William as heartless for refusing to forgive?
If that’s a strategy they’re considering, they’d do well to abandon it. No sane person thinks William is overreacting to the traitorousness of his brother and his ghastly (my opinion) wife.
Certainly not the British people. William is regularly ranked as the most popular member of the royal family, with a 71 percent approval rating, according to a recent YouGov poll.
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Kate follows closely.
The danger here is surely that Harry begins making quasi-royal appearances — perhaps not technically as a working royal, but with the optics and messaging of one.
And that would be an absolute insult to William and Kate.
If Charles wants to reconcile with Harry privately, almost everyone could understand that. But this is not just any family, and it should be made clear that there is no public, official role left for Harry and Meghan.
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