Will GTA 6 reinvigorate the games industry or destroy it? (Rockstar Games)
The Monday letters page argues that gaming has never been cheaper than it is now, as one reader questions the purpose of pre-orders.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Fear the future Completely agree with the Reader’s Feature over the weekend, about publishers destroying themselves, and especially the big about no one – from execs to fans – seeming to care.
I get that people just want to lose themselves in their favourite games, and not have to worry about industry problems and people getting laid off and whatever, but the way things are going there’s not going to be much of gaming left. I can envision a nightmare future where all the current publishers have gone bust or been bought out and everything is made by AI.
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Everything is going to be just live service online shooters and indie gaming is the only creativity left, although it struggles to compete against AI slop that can be made quickly and far more cheaply, and which gamers lap up without any problem.
Obviously, things could go differently but with EA, Ubisoft, and Activision all now in different levels of trouble what is the future going to look like? I think GTA 6 is going to decide it. That is going to be so massive that whatever the games industry looks like after that I don’t think any of us can guess at right now.
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A post-GTA 6 world is either going to be the signal of the end times for gaming or lancing a boil that allows companies to get back to the coalface. What gaming looks like in another five years I really wouldn’t want to bet on. Zoltar
All new-ish I could take or leave a Smash Bros. themed animated show but the Reader’s Feature at the weekend did make me think about how Nintendo has done very little to promote its whole range of characters since the Switch 2 came out. The new Mario Kart doesn’t have other characters in it, the Zelda game doesn’t feature Link, the Donkey Kong game is a redesign, and even the Metroid game doesn’t feature recurring characters.
I’m trying to figure if this is on purpose or not and I’m really not sure. What I do know is that Nintendo has done very little to show off what makes Nintendo so great with the Switch 2, and I say that as someone that likes Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.
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If they’ve got any kind of plan for Smash Bros. they haven’t hinted at it, but I really do think they need to move things up a gear and have some kind of all-in-one game and announce what’s going on with Smash and Zelda and 3D Mario. Tacle
OAP vs. BOW I’m surprised Capcom decided to have their Resident Evil characters age in real-time, because Leon, Claire et al. are eventually going to get too old to realistically fight zombies and they’ll have to rely on new characters instead of recognisable and iconic ones.
On the other hand, Heihachi from Tekken was as old as the hills in the very first game and still gets wheeled out to fight because, you know, they’re video games and not real-life. ANON
Cel division Lately I’ve been thinking about the cel-shaded racer Auto Modellista.
I’d like to try the game but there doesn’t seem to be many second-hand copies available and the copies that are available are imports, not playable on a PAL PlayStation 2 and ultra expensive. Was the game any good or was its title the best part of it?
In my mind there was a time in the past when several cel-shaded games came out in close succession and that style of graphics seemed to become a popular fad, amongst developers anyway.
Wasn’t there that wolf game Ōkami and a spy/shooter game called XIII? Is Borderlands the only mainstream cel shaded game that has prevailed? If so that’s a shame because cel-shading is an attractive art style. Michael Veal (@msv858)
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GC: Auto Modellista wasn’t great, it just looked nice. Cel-shading was popularised by Jet Set Radio in 1999, when it was still a new technique. Interest began to peter out over the next few years, for the obvious reason that none of the games were particularly successful. It’s still used occasionally though, most obviously with anime inspired titles.
Not awful I’ve been going through Metroid Prime 4 and I actually don’t mind it… I totally understand all of the criticisms, and they are completely justified, but I’m still liking it. The bike and open world are awful but outside of that it’s fine.
I feel the same way about Resident Evil 5. It’s totally underrated and a genuinely good game that upset people because it wasn’t 4.
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I guess it’s a bit different for you guys, as you have to review stuff, but I’m guessing you have games that you have reviewed badly but still quite like. Simon
GC: We gave Metroid Prime 4 7/10, we didn’t hate it. We’re not sure anyone does.
Wait and see I really don’t understand the point of people pre-ordering video games. Why are you giving the publishers your money now? You’re rewarding them for successful marketing, while removing the chance for you to react to negative reviews and cheaper deals closer to launch.
The games industry is in a bad state at the moment, but I really think gamers have as much to blame for it as anyone else. We never buy new franchises, we’d rather waste money on pointless cosmetic items than spend them on actual games, and we killed the physical and second-hand market for the benefit of not having to get up and change discs when we want to play a different game.
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Pre-orders barely made any sense when you were reserving a physical copy but now that’s not how most people buy games there is absolutely no reason to pre-order and every reason to avoid giving publishers the benefit of the doubt.
There’s lots of games I hope turn out good, but I’ll wait and see whether they are or not, before I ever consider spending any money on them. Gorsch
Get on with it I am convinced Nintendo enjoys trolling fans, especially with these Direct announcements. Can’t wait to find out which four year old third party games are coming to Switch 2, especially as they’ll be full price and yet probably only a tenner on PlayStation or Xbox, because they’re old.
I’m being negative, I realise, but this is what happens when Nintendo go to so much effort to avoid doing the obvious thing that everyone wants. Just please get a move on and announce what is happening this year. I do not care about anything you’ve revealed so far and probably not anything that’s going to be in the Partner Showcase. Korbie
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Video games forever With all the negative press around the games industry nowadays I’d like to throw my hat in. Now, gaming consoles lately are expensive I agree, but I paid £299 for my second-hand PlayStation 5 from Cash Converters around a year ago. It was a Slim disc version and I know it was only a few months old, as when I checked Sony’s warranty checker it was well within the time frame.
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Now, I don’t know if I could access that warranty, I’m not sure how it works, but when I had issues with Xbox in the past I only had to give the serial number, no receipt or anything, so I assume it would be OK. I built my daughter a PC from mostly second-hand parts and a second-hand PC already built for under £500, which I’ve used for Battlefield 6 at over 100fps in 1440p.
I also bought a PlayStation Portal for £120 from another store second-hand and it literally doesn’t have a mark on it. I would put my hand on my heart and say gaming is cheaper than ever. With Game Pass (OK that’s gone up) and PS Plus at a few pounds per week, to a massive library of games I wanted to play, and a huge amount of games I’ve enjoyed but would never have paid for is amazing value.
Nintendo is Nintendo, I paid a lot for my Switch 2 and all the games but Nintendo doesn’t do sales so it is what it is and if you are a Nintendo fan you know you’ll pay for it eventually. I’ve been into games since the ‘80s and so long as I live long enough I’ll be playing games until the 2080s.
Is it getting a little stale? Sure. Are companies chasing trends that I’m not interested in? Absolutely. But am I a happy gamer with more quality titles I have time to play? 100%, yes. So, like all things in life, stop looking at what’s wrong and look at all the things that are right. And if you live by that, you’ll game and live happily ever after.
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If you’re like me then we’ll still be here playing researching and enjoying games forever. Philly B
Inbox also-rans I would definitely agree that not only is there no need for the PlayStation 6 but that a portable PlayStation 5 would be a great thing to do instead of it. This is such a good idea I expect that Sony will not consider it for even a moment. Rusty
Been playing Look Outside for the last few days and wanted to thank GC for the recommend. Never heard about it before but it’s a great mix of role-player, survival games, and Lovecraftian horror. It has a really weird atmosphere that I love. Pyro
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Andrzej Mucha was reported missing on December 30, 2021
23:13, 04 Feb 2026Updated 23:13, 04 Feb 2026
Police have confirmed that human remains have been found on Wednesday, February, 4 during a search for missing Andrzej Mucha. The 57 year old Polish man who was reported missing in Slough, Berkshire on December 30, 2021.
A new search was started in fields near Grays, Park Road in Stoke Poges, yesterday on Tuesday, February 3. The family of Mr Mucha has not heard from him since November 29.
Mucha was classified as a missing person until April 2022 until police started a murder investigation. In November, two men were extradited to Poland in November to face trial over his disappearance.
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His family are currently being supported by specialist police officers. Thames Valley Police (TVP) have been working closely with Polish law enforcement during the investigation.
A post-mortem will be carried out to establish a cause of death. Detective Superintendent Andy Howard said: “The force has been supporting Polish law enforcement by carrying out searches in a field on Grays Park Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, since Tuesday 3rd February.
“Sadly, during these searches human remains have been discovered and now recovered from this area.
“Formal identification as well as a post mortem to try and ascertain the cause of death will be carried out in due course.
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“Andrzej’s family are being supported and kept up to date regarding the progress of the murder investigation.
“I would like to again thank the community for their cooperation while we are in the area carrying out these searches.”
This race marks the return of legendary American skier Lindsey Vonn, six years after her retirement from the sport.
Downhill is the 41-year-old’s speciality and she’s won a record 45 World Cup races in this event, plus her only Olympic gold medal in 2010.
We will have to see how much of an affect crashing in the final World Cup downhill before the Winter Olympics hinders Vonn’s bid.
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Keep an eye out for her superbly-named compatriot Breezy Johnson, who is the 2025 world champion.
The host nation will be hopeful of at least one podium place, although World Cup champion Federica Brignone only returned to action in January, nine months after breaking multiple bones in her left leg and tearing her ACL during a giant slalom crash at the Italian Championships.
Bergamo native Sofia Goggia took downhill silver four years ago despite suffering a knee injury just 23 days before the event.
Cross country skiing: Men’s skiathlon (11:30-12:50)
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It’s a fifth Winter Olympics for Britain’s Andrew Musgrave, whose best Olympic result is seventh in the skiathlon in 2018.
In this event, competitors complete 10km using the classical technique before changing skis and doing 10km using the freestyle technique.
Johannes Hosflot Klaebo is the world champion and this could be the first of a bobble-hatful of golds for the Norwegian at these Games.
Snowboard: Women’s big air qualification (18:30-20:45)
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Britain’s Mia Brookes has every chance of becoming Britain’s youngest Winter Olympic medallist for 78 years.
The rider from Cheshire has just turned 19 but has already won back-to-back big air World Cup titles and comes to Italy fresh from winning medals in the X Games.
But she will face a stacked field, including Japan’s Kokomo Murase, Reira Iwabuchi and Mari Fukada, who formed a clean sweep of the medals at last year’s World Championships.
Austria’s Anna Gasser is aiming to win the event for the third Games in a row at the age of 34.
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Maisie Hill, whose career was almost ended by a horrific training accident three years ago, will be Britain’s other representative.
Figure skating: Team (20:55)
The team figure skating competition concludes with the men’s free skate.
The USA won gold after the Russian team was demoted in Beijing in a protracted saga that delayed the medal ceremony by over two years.
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The USA are the reigning World Team Trophy champions and won three of the four individual events at last year’s World Championships but Japan and Georgia will be pushing them hard.
A girl pulled her little sister out of a swimming pool after they and four other kids were left alone with no life jackets at a pool at Deer Lake Athletic Club in Michigan, police said
23:17, 04 Feb 2026Updated 23:18, 04 Feb 2026
A four-year-old tragically died after she and five other children were left alone in a pool while two women meant to be supervising the kids headed to a bar, police said.
The little girl was pulled from the water by her own sister, at an athletic club, when their mum sipped on drinks and tucked into food at a club bar, according to local cops. Two women brought six kids to a pool at the Deer Lake Athletic Club in Independence Township, Michigan, around 40 miles north west of Detroit, police said. The six children left alone in the waters were aged 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4.
The two women, who have not yet been identified, left the young kids with floatation devices, on January 30. They then spent 35 minutes ordering food and drinks at a bar, a preliminary report from Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.
Police who arrived at the scene reported seeing the young children around the deck while CPR was being administered by two men and a woman. Paramedics rushed to the scene but the four-year-old was sadly pronounced dead after she was taken to a nearby hospital.
Cops said the pool was between three to five feet deep and investigators found pool toys and swimming noodles, but no life jackets.
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The local police urged parents and guardians to carefully look out and be ready to help their children while swimming. Sheriff Michael Bouchard said: “This is a horrific and tragic death that easily could have been avoided.
“We always encourage that not only is there an adult present for any children swimming activity, but one adult is specifically tasked with watching and not just in the area. We have seen cases where children have drowned in a pool surrounded by adults.”
Police added that an investigation into the horror death was launched and is ongoing, while a report was sent to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Deer Lake Athletic Club, in a statement, said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the news of a tragic incident involving a child that occurred at our facility on January 30, 2026.
“Our hearts are broken for the child and their family. While we don’t know the outcome of the event at this time, we extend our most sincere prayers for everyone involved. No words can adequately express the sorrow felt by our entire club community.
“Emergency services were contacted immediately, and staff members responded in accordance with established safety and emergency protocols. We are cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their review of the incident.”
A person may become distressed and even experience hallucinations or delusions during this period
A psychologist has delved into an overlooked sign of dementia and exactly what patients can do to manage it. The symptom is thought to be particularly noticeable in the afternoon and may initially seem difficult for loved ones to understand.
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Dr Kellyn Lee, CEO of The Dementia Care Hub and Visiting Academic at the University of Portsmouth, explained in a TikTok during 2025: “So, this can happen at any time of day, but what we see a lot with people living with dementia is that it can happen in the afternoon.”
She then added: “So, what I would be looking at is this would be, again, a symptom of anxiety and agitation and maybe increased confusion.” Dr Lee is referring to a phenomenon known as ‘sundowning’, which describes more unpredictable behaviour in dementia patients after midday, towards the evening.
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Within this period, a person may become particularly distressed while potentially experiencing delusions or hallucinations as well. Although the exact causes are not fully understood, the Alzheimer’s Society indicates that it is not necessarily related to sunset.
Instead, sundowning is more commonly linked to a person’s unmet needs in that moment. This may include the following:
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Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression
Hunger, pain or other unmet physical needs
Disturbed hormone levels
Side effects of prescribed drugs
Sensory impairment, including sight loss
Disturbance to the person’s ‘body clock’ caused by damage to the brain
Overstimulation during the daytime
Overtiredness
Lack of exposure to sunlight
Lack of interaction with other people or carers (if relevant)
“Sundowning can happen at any stage of dementia but is more common during the middle stage and later stages,” further advice from Alzheimer’s Society adds. It then continues: “Think whether something that’s happened during the day has affected them. If they seem agitated, try to calm them by distracting them, perhaps talking about a favourite memory or event they enjoy thinking about.”
If you are concerned that your loved one is experiencing sundowning, Dr Lee also recommended noting the symptoms at different times of day. In her past video explanation, she continued: “So, what I would be looking at doing is noting down when this is happening and what’s happening. There are tablets that can be used, such as lorazepam.
“Absolutely these drugs are drugs that need to be taken with caution because they are highly addictive. So, some GPs may not want to prescribe them.
“However, I think we really need to balance the risk of addiction compared to the fact the person has dementia.”
Other possible symptoms of dementia
Dementia is an umbrella term encompassing various health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease, all marked by a progressive decline in brain function. NHS statistics show that over 944,000 people throughout the UK are currently living with dementia.
Symptoms of dementia vary depending on the type, but early signs often include:
Mood changes
Difficulty concentrating
Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
Memory loss
Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
Being confused about time and place
NHS guidance adds: “These symptoms are often mild and may get worse only very gradually. It’s often termed ‘mild cognitive impairment’ (MCI) as the symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.
“You might not notice these symptoms if you have them, and family and friends may not notice or take them seriously for some time. In some people, these symptoms will remain the same and not worsen. But some people with MCI will go on to develop dementia.
“Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. This is why it’s important to talk to a GP sooner rather than later if you’re worried about memory problems or other symptoms.”
Andrzej Mucha was 57 when he was last seen in November 2021
Zahra Khaliq News Reporter and Annette Belcher
22:42, 04 Feb 2026
Police have found human remains in the search for a man who went missing five years ago.
Andrzej Mucha was 57 when he was last seen in November 2021. He was last known to have made contact with his family on November 29.
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Thames Valley Police made the horror discovery while helping Polish law enforcement search a field on Grays Park Road in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, the Mirror reports.
Andrzej, from Slough, was classified as a missing person until April 2022 when a murder investigation was launched. Two men were extradited to Poland in November to face trial over his disappearance.
Detective Superintendent Andy Howard said: “The force has been supporting Polish law enforcement by carrying out searches in a field on Grays Park Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, since Tuesday 3rd February. Sadly, during these searches human remains have been discovered and now recovered from this area.
“Formal identification as well as a post mortem to try and ascertain the cause of death will be carried out in due course”. Andrzej’s family are being supported by specialist officers, he added.
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“I would like to again thank the community for their cooperation while we are in the area carrying out these searches.”
Manchester City will ask permission to field Marc Guehi in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal with the rules currently leaving the defender ineligible
Manchester City will ask the Football League for permission to field Marc Guehi in March’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. The Blues new boy missed the semi-final second leg victory over Newcastle United having not signed in time for the first leg. City’s other January signing Antoine Semenyo had joined prior to that game in the north east and played and scored in the 2-0 win.
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City benefited from a rule change this season that allowed players to play for two teams in the same competition, meaning Antoine Semenyo and Max Alleyne were able to play in the semi-final despite appearing for Bournemouth and Watford respectively in previous rounds. They were also able to name Sverre Nypan in their squad for the second leg, as he had not featured in the competition while on loan at Middlesbrough.
However, Guehi is unable to play at Wembley against Arsenal as there was a time restriction that meant players had to be available for their second club before the first leg of the semi-final. That means Guehi again will have to sit it out despite Semenyo and Alleyne being eligible for selection.
City boss Pep Guardiola said after the semi-final win over Newcastle United that he has asked the club to contact the authorities to request a rule change to allow Guehi to feature at Wembley. Guardiola is perplexed that a player signed in January will not be able to play for City in late March, when the Carabao Cup final takes place at Wembley.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola said: “Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the player’s fit and hopefully you can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final because it’s difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I don’t understand why he cannot play the final.
“So hopefully we write a letter and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He’s not able to play for a rule that I don’t understand why. Hopefully, they can change it.”
GALATASARAY’s clash against Istanbulspor was temporarily halted after Ahmed Kutucu was knocked out during a clash with keeper Isa Dogan.
The Turkish giants welcomed the second division side in the Turkish Cup and secured a 3-1 win.
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Ahmed Kutucu and Isa Dogan had a worrying clash of heads during their Turkish Cup gameCredit: Spor CanliPlayers and medics quickly rushed to their aid after Kutucu was left unconsciousCredit: Spor Canli
But there was huge concern for Kutucu and Dogan after they suffered a clash of heads during an aerial challenge midway through the match.
Television cameras quickly panned away from the scenes after the worrying situation became clear.
Both players were floored after the head clash, with Istanbulspor keeper Dogan covering his face.
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But Galatasaray star Kutucu was left unconscious on the pitch, with his team-mates racing towards him to put him in the recovery position and stop him from swallowing his tongue.
Some players had their head in their hands as they urgently beckoned medics over.
The medical teams rushed onto the field of play to treat both players and Kutucu eventually regained consciousness.
An ambulance also appeared on the pitch to take both players off the pitch.
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Dogan suffered a broken cheekbone and was taken to hospital for further treatment.
An ambulance was brought onto the pitch during Galatasaray’s 3-1 win over IstanbulsporCredit: Spor CanliKutucu eventually regained consciousness after the worrying scenesCredit: Getty
Dogan was subbed off for Mucahit Serbest, while Kutucu was replaced by Ismail Jakobs.
Galatasaray boss Buruk sent his support to both players after the “unfortunate” incident.
He said: “It was an unfortunate collision. I wish them both a speedy recovery.
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“Ahmed is fine. Isa appeared to have a fracture. I wish him a speedy recovery as well. We are thankful there were no serious injuries.”
Meanwhile, Istanbulspor released a statement about Dogan’s condition.
They uploaded a picture of Dogan on Instagram and said: “We wish a speedy recovery to our goalkeeper Isa Dogan who had to leave the game after the collision that happened with Galatasaray.”
Kutucu shared the post but did not comment further on his own scare.
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The forward has been with Galatasaray for the last year after joining from Turkish side Eyupspor.
The Turkey international started his career with German side Schalke before joining Istanbul Basaksehir in 2021.
He has been detained on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
The suspect remains in custody while investigations continue.
Detective Inspector Mark Braithwaite, from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “Our thoughts are with the young child and his family at this difficult time and we continue to do everything we can to piece together exactly what took place.
“As part of our enquiries we are appealing for the public’s help. We ask anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who has dashcam footage, to come forward and contact officers.
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“Any information, no matter how small, could be extremely helpful to the investigation.”
Anyone who may have witnessed this collision or have CCTV/dash cam footage is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0207 597 4874 or 101, quoting CAD 5654/03FEB2026.
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 5.04pm on Tuesday 3 February to reports of a road traffic collision in Kilburn High Road.
“We sent resources including an ambulance crew, a clinical team manager, an advanced paramedic practitioner, and London’s air ambulance.
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“We treated a child at the scene before taking him to a London major trauma centre.”
The child was hit by a car while walking down Kilburn High Road, in north west London
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
The Winter Olympics got off to an embarrassing start for the organisers as the lights went out 10 minutes into the curling as two British hopes were forced to wait
The Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina was only 10 minutes old when a power cut struck and bought a halt to proceedings. The Games got underway with the curling, but those competing were forced to wait when the lights went out.
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Despite the Opening Ceremony at the San Siro not taking place until Friday some of the events have begun. The curling started with the first mixed doubles round robin matches, but they were forced to pause due to a power failure at the Olympic Ice Stadium.
Play was halted by officials with Britain’s Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds in the first end of their match against Norway. The British curlers seemed to be in good spirits despite the delay, with Dodds seen laughing at the disruption while an official was communicating with staff in the venue.
BBC commentator Steve Cram, who couldn’t help but laugh at the disruption, said: “We have had a power cut here at the stadium. Not a great start for the organisers here. I think play has been paused, because the scoring screens have gone off. Most of the lights on the ice seem to be still on, but certainly most has gone.”
The crowd saw the funny side as they cheered after the lights flickered back into life in the arena to allow competition to resume following a delay of around five minutes.
Dodds and Maout would ultimately earn an 8-6 win to start the round robin phase impressively – the latter making light of the unexpected disruption. “It was a great atmosphere, the venue is amazing and the ice is really good,” he said. “I didn’t really mind the lights going off, it was a bit of a dance and a boogie, a rave, nightclub you know.”
Britain’s best medal haul from a Winter Games is five – that coming at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 – but UK Sport says up to eight medals could be won following continued investment.
Funding through the National Lottery and government, UK Sport has invested more than £32.5m across the current four-year cycle for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics with an “ambition for the UK to become an ever-greater force” in winter sports.
Eve Muirhead OBE is a gold medal winner from the last Games at Beijing 2022. She has since retired from elite sport, but stepped straight into a senior leadership role within Team GB, leading them as Chef de Mission for Milan-Cortina 2026.
She has said: “The potential within this team is exceptionally high, and while we don’t always benefit from the same ease of access to snow and ice as some of our rivals, when I look at the class of 2026, I see a real opportunity to challenge the status quo.”
Calls have been made for Belfast City Council to revoke George Mitchell’s Freedom of the City.
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US President Bill Clinton and Senator George J Mitchell were made Freemen of the City of Belfast in a joint ceremony at the Ulster Hall in April 2018, in recognition of their services to peace-building in Northern Ireland.
A bust of Mitchell, a former United States senator who played a crucial role in Northern Ireland’s peace process, and who was the Queen’s University Belfast chancellor for 10 years, was removed from the grounds in front of the Lanyon building on Tuesday (February 3). The bust, installed in 2023, cost around £35,000.
The university has given up all attachments to the former senator over his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations from victim Virginia Giuffre. Mitchell denies any contact with Giuffre or any underage women trafficked by Epstein.
A spokesperson for the former Senator said he “profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women.” Earlier this week the US-Ireland Alliance said the George J Mitchell Scholarship Program would have its name changed.
The Freedom of the City tradition dates back to the early thirteenth century, and while in earlier times there were many privileges and benefits connected to the title, today it is purely honorary. Many well-known figures have been made a Freeman of the City including Queen Elizabeth II, Kenneth Branagh, Van Morrison and Dame Mary Peters.
Belfast DUP Councillor Sarah Bunting said there are “serious concerns in relation to links between Senator Mitchell and Jeffrey Epstein, and the expectations of the people of Belfast as to recipients of this highest civic honour should be to the fore in any decision.”
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The Ulster Unionist Party said in a statement: “We would support reviewing and potentially stripping Mitchell of his 2018 Freedom of Belfast award to uphold its integrity, and we welcome any relevant committee action, prepared to propose or back a motion if needed.”
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said the party is “liaising with council officials on necessary actions that could be taken in relation to any recognition bestowed on George Mitchell by Belfast City Council.”
Belfast Alliance Councillor Michael Long has also said “it is no longer appropriate” to award Mitchell the Freedom of the City.
West Belfast People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said: “George Mitchell’s horrendous association with Jeffrey Epstein should warrant the immediate revocation of his freedom of the city award.
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“Mitchell and the Clintons have been lauded by the political establishment, north and south. The crimes exposed in the Epstein files are unforgivable. Belfast City Council must follow Queen’s lead and cut all ties with Mitchell.
“Belfast shouldn’t honour wealthy predators and their enablers, no matter how powerful they are.”