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.

Good luck everyone!

NI has bucked the trend in comparison to the rest of the UK where house price growth as slowed

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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’.

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. 

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. 

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.

‘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. 

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.

‘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. 

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.   

Harry and Meghan’s American dream has died — and with it, a nightmare for the UK is born.

Sympathies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

‘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.

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?

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.

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.

That is, after all, the way they wanted it.

If you are looking for somewhere “magical” to enjoy a meal, you might want to check out The Treehouse.

Found in the Alnwick Garden, The Treehouse allows guests to experience “unique dining” surrounded by the treetops and “twinkling lights.”

You can visit The Treehouse for either a luxurious lunch or a special dinner.

What is The Treehouse in Alnwick like?

The Treehouse’s website reads: “With hand-crafted furniture, excellent service, and notoriously good food, there is no better place to visit.”

The restaurant has a rustic interior with exposed timber beams, log fires, and branches decorated with fairy lights wrapped around the beams.

The lunch and evening menu features lots of different small plates from a seasonal soup of the day and smoked mackerel, fennel and orange salad to haggis wontons served with a whisky peppercorn sauce.

The lunch menu has plenty of mains to choose from, including the Treehouse double smash beef burger and a homemade pie of the day with creamy mash, smashed peas, and a rich jus.

The à la carte dinner menu has alternative choices for main meals such as roasted cod loin served with sweet chilli tiger prawns, jasmine rice, and Asian slaw, and lamb rump with Bombay-style potatoes, roast cauliflower, madras curry sauce, and a mint yoghurt.

You can add a few sides to your meal with options ranging from hand cut chips and parmesan truffle fries to a simple garden salad.

What do reviews say about The Treehouse?

The Treehouse has a score of 4 out of 5 on Tripadvisor with 2,898 reviews.

One reviewer said: “Fabulous food, setting, and atmosphere, Ben was a very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable waiter and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

“Would definitely recommend and would love to come back.”

The restaurant can be found in the Alnwick Garden. (Image: Tripadvisor)

Another reviewer said: “Incredible setting which was beautifully lit.

“We had three courses and all were amazing – particularly the smoked mackerel I had as a starter.

“We ordered Mocktails and these were also very reasonably priced and tasty!

“Service was quick and the meal was surprisingly cheap given the setting.

“Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the gardens!”

Would you love to have a meal at The Treehouse in Alnwick? Let us know in the comments.

The all-female herd is now grazing in newly sown meadows on the Castle Howard Estate as part of the Bog Hall Habitat Bank project, a 30-year nature restoration scheme delivered in partnership with Environment Bank.

Located in the Howardian Hills National Landscape, the project aims to turn low-yielding agricultural land into a thriving ecosystem.

Guy Thallon, head of natural environment at Castle Howard, said: “Welcoming the White Park herd is a wonderful moment for the Bog Hall project – it was really exciting for us to see them happily exploring their new home.

“We’re now working towards releasing beavers into the project area this autumn, which will be a truly amazing moment.

“The Conservation Volunteers have been preparing the site by creating ponds and planting willow.

“We can’t wait to see the positive impact of nature’s engineers in the coming years.”

White Park cattle are listed as a priority breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, which describes them as “likely the most ancient native cattle in the British Isles.”

Their traditional grazing patterns will help create more diverse habitats on the estate, supporting wider conservation goals.

The cattle are well adapted to year-round outdoor living and are particularly suited to wetter grassland environments.

Nature restoration efforts on the site were announced in autumn 2024.

In the first two years, the Castle Howard Natural Environment team, with the support of a team of award-winning Conservation Volunteers, has restored meadows now rich in yellow rattle, created scrub banks to protect young saplings, and installed ponds and leaky dams to begin holding more water across the site.

In preparation for the introduction of beavers, five kilometres of fencing has been put up, with badger tunnels and otter passes included to ensure safe passage for other wildlife.

Mr Thallon said: “Reintroducing animals to this area has been inspiring for the whole Castle Howard team and beyond, with local schools also getting involved.

“Our project partners Environment Bank invited local schoolchildren from Welburn Community Primary School, Slingsby Community Primary School and Terrington C of E Primary School to draw the animals they would like to see in the Bog Hall Habitat Bank project area in the future, and their drawings have been added to the signage on the fencing.”

Children’s artwork now appears on signage along the new fencing.

Fraser Rutherford, head of marketing at Environment Bank, said: “The project gives local children a rare opportunity to follow nature restoration throughout their school years and see first-hand how native wildlife returns to a landscape.

“We invited pupils from Welburn and Slingsby Community Primary Schools and Foston and Terrington C of E Primary Schools to draw the animals they hope to see at Bog Hall Habitat Bank in years to come, and their drawings now appear on signage along the new fencing.”

The arrival of the White Park herd marks a key step in the long-term plan to restore biodiversity across the site.

Beavers are expected to be introduced this autumn as the next phase of the scheme.

By turning unproductive farmland into a rich, varied habitat, the project aims to support a wide range of plant and animal species.

Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting, said a roadside breath test showed that Paul Wright, 62, was more than twice the drink drive limit the following morning.

He was driving a Polo too fast along a narrow country lane and when he saw a lorry coming towards him blocking the way, he tried to squeeze past him on the verge rather than use a passing place just behind him.

The driver of a second lorry travelling immediately behind the first decided after getting out and going up to Wright that he was “hammered” and both lorry drivers agreed he had been drinking because of the way he was slurring his words and other behaviour, said Ms Tyrer.

They took his car keys off him and kept him at the scene until police arrived.

Officers found three empty alcohol containers in the car, and after he failed the roadside breath test, arrested him and took him to Fulford Road Police Station when he refused to take a breath test that could be used as evidence against him in court, said Ms Tyrer.

Wright, of King Rudding Lane, Riccall, pleaded guilty to failure to provide a breath test at the police station.

For him, Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks said Wright had been watching a World Cup quarter-final the previous evening with friends in a local pub.

He had thought he was fit to drive the following morning when his daughter rang him asking him to pick her and two bags up from a bus stop some distance down the road.

He had medical problems which meant he had felt physically “very uncomfortable” when he was asked to take the breath test in the police station but he hadn’t explained this properly to the police.

Magistrates banned Wright from driving for 12 months, fined him £120 and ordered him to pay a £48 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Ms Tyrer said the two lorry drivers were working for a waste management company as they drove along King Rudding Lane, a single track road with passing places, at 9.10am on July 3.

The roadside breath test gave a reading of 84 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Ms Robins-Hicks said Wright thought the first lorry had been driving too fast and that he had gone onto the verge in response.  He had then been blocked in.