The challenge will raise money for research into motor neurone disease (MND).

Doddie Weir’s wife and son will join former England rugby captain Lewis Moody on a gruelling 500-mile charity cycling challenge to raise cash for research into motor neurone disease (MND) this month.

Kathy and Hamish Weir will take part in the seven-day charity ride alongside the 2003 World Cup winner, who last autumn revealed he had also been diagnosed with MND.

Moody is raising money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, founded by the Scottish rugby great and MND campaigner who sadly died in November 2022 aged 52 after a six-year battle with the disease.

Moody said having Weir’s family alongside him will be “incredibly poignant and powerful”.

“Doddie did so much to change the conversation around MND, and in many ways this ride feels like continuing something he started,”

Moody added. “There’s a real sense of carrying the baton forward. Doddie inspired people because he faced this disease head on with unbelievable courage, humour and determination, and I think all of us involved in the ride feel a responsibility to keep pushing that fight forward.

“When you see Kathy and Hamish there beside you, it’s impossible not to feel extra motivation.

This ride is about raising money, of course, but it’s also about showing the MND community that we’re still fighting, still driving awareness, and still refusing to accept that this disease cannot be beaten.”

The Lewis XV’s challenge will begin on Sunday June 14 at the northernmost Prem Rugby club, Newcastle Red Bulls, and will end at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, south-west London, on Saturday June 20 to deliver the match ball for the Gallagher Prem Rugby Final.

Moody and Kathy and Hamish Weir will be joined by a group of rugby stars during the challenge. “When you get diagnosed with something like MND, you very quickly realise how important people are.”

Moody said. “This ride is about mates coming together, communities coming together, and hopefully showing people living with MND that they are not alone.

“This disease affects families everywhere and we need people to rally behind the MND community in the same way rugby people always rally behind each other.

“If people can donate, come out and support us along the route, or simply help spread the word, it genuinely makes a difference. We want this to feel like something the whole rugby community is part of.”

Paul Thompson, director of fundraising at the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “Lewis has already inspired so many people through the way he has approached his diagnosis, and this challenge is another example of that courage and leadership.

“This is about much more than rugby. It’s about friendship, family, resilience and communities coming together behind a common cause. Every mile ridden and every pound raised will help us continue accelerating research towards effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND.”

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HONOLULU (AP) — Authorities in Hawaii have charged a 36-year-old man with murder in the killings of three people in a remote community known for its eclectic, communal lifestyle.

Jacob Daniel Baker was charged with counts of first- and second-degree murder Saturday, the Hawaii Police Department said in a news release.

Baker remained jailed without bond Sunday and police said his first court appearance was scheduled for Monday. It was not immediately known if Baker had an attorney who could speak for him.

Charges in the killings came two days after police apprehended Baker following a manhunt on Hawaii’s Big Island, where the three victims were found in the rural Puna community known for its tropical landscape and free-spirited residents.

Robert Shine, 69, was found dead Monday partially submerged in a cement pond, according to police. The second victim, a 79-year-old man, was discovered Tuesday a few hundred feet away. Friends identified him as Chitta Morse.

Police found the third victim, 69-year-old John Carse, late Tuesday at a property 19 miles (31 kilometers) from where the other two bodies were located.

Police have not given a suspected motive for the killings. Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna has said investigators found no connections among the victims other than that two of them lived near each other.

In addition to the murder charges, Baker also faces counts of burglary, auto theft and criminal damage to property.

The killings left residents on edge in Puna, a community set amid lush jungle and barren lava fields where people seeking to live off-grid commonly trade work for lodging.

Puna resident Stephen Shaffer said that Baker had worked for his ex-wife, climbing coconut trees on land where she grows fruit, in exchange for a place to live. After several months, Shaffer said, his ex-wife sought a restraining order against Baker, saying she felt threatened by him.

Donald Hyatt, a friend of Shaffer’s ex-wife and of two of the men killed, said Baker left the cabin where he had been living months ago. Hyatt said that Baker recently returned claiming “squatter’s rights” and threatened Shaffer’s ex.

Just days before the killings, two women had requested temporary restraining orders against Baker, saying he had threatened and harassed them, according to court records. A judge denied both applications, saying there was not enough proof of harassment.

Court records showed Baker named in 20 other cases in the past two decades, many of them traffic infractions. In most of those cases, Baker had no attorney and represented himself.

The Scottish estate is said to be a ‘cherished home’ for the Royal Family.

King Charles has highlighted the importance of Balmoral to the Royal Family, saying is holds a “uniquely special place” in their hearts. Located in Aberdeenshire, the estate has been in the Royal Family since 1852 when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert.

Writing in foreword in a new 80-page guidebook, the King describes the Scottish estate as a “cherished home” of his family, that boasts a “precious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape” along with “startling individuality”.

Over a century ago, Queen Victoria fell in love with the Highlands of Scotland and decided to build a castle on the land. Over the decades, Balmoral has been used as a summer retreat for the Royal Family, with many kings and queens adding their own stamp to the castle and its grounds.

Balmoral also became the property where the late Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days in 2022. After serving as the sovereign for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, aged 96.

Writing in the new paperback guide, Charles wrote: “Balmoral has been the cherished Scottish home of my family since the estate was purchased by Prince Albert, my great-great-great-grandfather, in 1852.

“With its buildings of startling individuality, which never fail to fascinate, and its precious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape, it is a place where there is constant change, yet everything remains unaltered, with a sense of timelessness which refreshes the soul.

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“Since my earliest childhood, it has held, and continues to hold, a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself, and my late mother particularly treasured her time at Balmoral. It was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days.”

Concluding, he added: “Whatever the circumstances in which you are reading this book, I hope that you, too, will be inspired by the rich complexity of the architecture and share in the magic of the surrounding countryside, whose ‘wild and majestic’ landscape has been the source of inspiration and enjoyment for so many.”

Alongside the foreword, the guidebook opens with an image of a watercolour of the Scottish castle, which was painted by Charles in 1989.

In the past, the only part of the Balmoral that was open to the public to visit was the ballroom, which is home to a different exhibition every year.

However, in July 2024, the King opened the castle to the public for the first time in 170 years and has notably made a number of changes to the gardens and the interior.

It is not only the Royal Family who have taken up residence in the castle as prime ministers are traditionally invited to stay with the Firm at Balmoral during the summer. It is said that Harold Wilson even joined members of the family for riverside picnics on the estate as he “got on like a house on fire” with Queen Elizabeth II.

The new guidebook, written by journalist and historian Mary Miers and titled Balmoral, shares some insights into the recent changes that have been made to the property. For instance, the King has introduced more furniture, carpets, paintings and objects, many from the Royal Collection, into the castle.

Meanwhile, outside the wrought-iron gates in the Queen Mary’s garden were remodelled in 2023 to celebrate the centenary of its creation, with Charles and Camilla cyphers included to mark their coronation. It is also noted that the King decided to replace the ballroom lawn with an intricate maze to reflect his interest in geometric patterns.

Ms Miers said: “Balmoral will forever be associated with Victoria and Albert’s love affair with the Highlands, but there’s so much more to the story, which I hope this guidebook reveals.

“Now that Balmoral is more publicly accessible, it’s possible to appreciate how central the Prince Consort’s interests in architecture, design, landscaping and estate management were to its creation, and how effectively the King, who shares these passions, has added a new layer of interest and style, while preserving and enhancing the original.”

Graham Platner’s wife called the media reports that her husband had previously exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women “shameful” over the weekend, the latest controversy to hit the Maine Democrat’s whirlwind Senate campaign.

Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran, posted a video taken by his wife, Amy Gertner, who reportedly told his campaign of the text messages last year. In the five-minute video, Gertner avoided speaking directly about her husband’s reported texts, dubbing the broader coverage as “gossip” and saying that “being married is hard.”

“I find it really shameful that there’s a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip,” she said in the informal, selfie-style video where she walked along a road. “No marriage is perfect, and I don’t want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage.”

Platner is seeking the Democratic nomination for one of the most closely watched Senate races as Democrats hope to defeat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the party’s efforts to win control of the narrowly divided Senate. The Maine primary is June 9.

Genevieve McDonald, a then-campaign staffer for Platner, told the The Associated Press that the candidate was “sexting multiple women while married” and that “the campaign tried to assess that as an election vulnerability.”

Platner told reporters Sunday that what McDonald had said wasn’t true. Asked if he was confirming that the text messages didn’t exist, Platner replied, “I’m confirming that what Genevieve McDonald said in The New York Times is not true.” Platner didn’t provide any specifics. He was referring to a Times story that names McDonald Saturday, after The Wall Street Journal first reported the story.

Gertner had told the campaign in August about the messages, which she had discovered on his phone last year, to make sure they weren’t a liability to the campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal. Platner’s campaign team reportedly decided that the texts were private and being handled by the couple, who were married in 2023. The two are in counseling, Gertner has said.

Platner told reporters that he and Gertner spoke with the campaign about their marriage, but reiterated that McDonald’s claims were false.

Platner’s campaign on Sunday did not specifically confirm the text messages to the AP, but issued a statement from Gertner saying the disclosure of the conversations she had with a campaign aide was a betrayal that “deeply hurt.”

“I trusted this person with the most private chapter of our lives — the early days of our marriage before any campaign was on our mind,” she wrote.

It’s not Platner’s first controversy

Platner, who has never held public office, has a gruff, less buttoned-up approach on the campaign trail, fashioned a platform around economic equality and has already had to navigate statements that surfaced from his past.

The candidate had a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol, which he said he didn’t realize until he was several weeks into the campaign. There’s also been much attention on his former Reddit posts, which were dismissive of military sexual assaults and used homophobic slurs, for which he has apologized.

Platner’s campaign weathered those earlier revelations in what had been considered one of the most competitive Democratic primaries before Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race in late April due to a lack of campaign funds. Mills, a two-term governor, had been seen as one of the Democrats’ top 2026 recruits when she entered the Senate race before her campaign fizzled out.

Platner has still pulled support from big-name Democrats, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego as well as U.S. House Rep. Ro Khanna. The latter is scheduled to rally with Platner on Friday, and so far, it appears he hasn’t lost any endorsements with this latest texting revelation.

Two Democratic senators on Sunday declined to directly address the topic when pressed by reporters. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Platner had served his country and community, but “also made mistakes and he has admitted that.”

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim sidestepped, too. “With any campaign in the country, the character and the transparency about the different candidates is going to come out,” said Kim, “and the voters are going to decide what they ultimately think.”

Barreling forward Sunday, Platner posted a video on X from an event “happening now” where he entered a room to a standing ovation from ecstatic supporters.

Questions over whether additional controversial information about Platner could still surface have added to some Democrats’ anxiety over his chances in a general election against Collins, who has represented Maine in the Senate since 1997.

In October, after the revelation that he once had a Totenkopf tattoo on his chest and promptly had it covered, the AP asked him if other scandals were on the horizon.

Platner said he was expecting his opponents were “going to keep dragging things up.”

“They’re going to keep making things up,” he said. “I fully expect people to just lie about me at this point.”

Voters are familiar with the couple’s struggles, including with infertility and traveling out of the country to afford IVF treatment, which they’ve discussed on the campaign trail.

In late April, Platner shared that Gertner had suffered a miscarriage, and he’s discussed his own mental health struggles and the role of his family and therapist in helping.

Former aide explains why she went public

McDonald initially worked on Platner’s campaign as his political director and resigned a few months later when his now-deleted Reddit posts began surfacing, saying she couldn’t stand behind him as a candidate. She later declined a severance offer from the campaign in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement.

On Saturday, McDonald wrote on Facebook that Platner’s campaign had “demanded” she retract her statements she had made to The Wall Street Journal or his team would accuse her of violating the couple’s trust. McDonald wasn’t named in the newspaper’s article, but after that exchange, she said she made the choice to be publicly named in a New York Times story.

“His consultants greatly overestimate how much I do not aspire to be them,” she wrote on Facebook.

After resigning from Platner’s campaign, McDonald moved to help Democrat Jordan Wood’s congressional campaign in Maine’s second district. McDonald submitted her resignation from Wood’s campaign Saturday morning, according to Wood’s campaign.

Wood endorsed Platner after Mills dropped out.

___

Bedayn reported from Austin, Texas and Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

Fans have flooded social media with tributes to the Boogie Fever singer

Former child star Foster Sylvers has died aged 64. The musician rose to fame during the 1970s, performing alongside his family in their band The Sylvers.

His brother, Leon Sylvers III, confirmed that Foster had passed away in hospice care after battling stage four pancreatic cancer. Following his death, his daughter Erin shared a photograph of her father on Facebook, writing: “Rest well, Daddy. I love you so much.”

Foster played bass for the family ensemble, which achieved chart success with tracks including Boogie Fever, Fool’s Paradise and Hot Line. This represents the second time one of the siblings has died from cancer, after Edmund’s death from lung cancer in 2004. Before that, the youngest brother Christopher, who never became part of the group, died in 1985 from hepatitis, aged just 18.

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The remaining Sylvers siblings are Olympia, Leon, Charmaine and James, who formed the original quartet known as Little Angels, alongside Joseph, Ricky, Angie and Pat. Throughout their career together, the siblings released 10 albums, all issued during the 1970s, and were regularly compared to the Jackson family.

The debut album Foster contributed to, a solo project he recorded with his brother Leon, was released in 1973, when he was only 10 years old. Due to his considerable popularity, Foster appeared on multiple American television programmes, including American Bandstand and Soul Train.

Two years afterwards, he joined the family ensemble and took on shared lead vocal responsibilities with Edmund for their 1976 number one smash Boogie Fever. Come the 1980s, the outfit decided to adopt a new approach to stay current with the decade’s shifting musical trends. As a result, Foster took over lead singing duties for their 1981 success Come Back Lover, Come Back. The group officially disbanded four years on, with Foster later forming his own outfit, Hy-Tech, in 1989.

The band’s biggest commercial success was Boogie Fever, which dropped in November 1975. In the number, the protagonist describes how his partner has undergone a recent change and now “boogies” to disco while dining, viewing pictures, and the like. After concluding she has “boogie fever”, he rings a physician, only to find he has caught the condition himself, reports the Express.

While Edmund handled the bulk of the track, a 13 year old Foster had a notable presence in the bridge section. Since hitting the shelves, the record has featured in countless films and television shows including Despicable Me, Roll Bounce and the Stephen King miniseries The Stand.

Following news of his passing, admirers flocked to social media in large numbers to honour the performer. One wrote: “RIP you were a great talent along with your siblings you will never be forgotten.” Another wrote: “I remember him performing with his older siblings. However, my favorite song of his was/still is “Misdemeanor”, with his sisters Angela and Patricia singing background and doing their choreographed dance steps (on Soul Train). R.I.P. Foster Sylvers.”

“Now that Balmoral is more publicly accessible, it’s possible to appreciate how central the Prince Consort’s interests in architecture, design, landscaping and estate management were to its creation, and how effectively the King, who shares these passions, has added a new layer of interest and style, while preserving and enhancing the original.”

The hit BBC show’s newest adventure, Circuit Breaker, releases in just a few weeks.

Circuit Breaker is a major, interconnected multimedia storytelling event centring around the Fugitive Doctor, played by Jo Martin.

It will span audio dramas by Big Finish Productions, as well as novels, comics from Titan Comics, mobile games, and digital platforms to unfold a single escalating crisis.

Doctor Who teases return of Osgood 11 years since character was last seen

Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor was first introduced in 2020 alongside Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor, in the episode titled Fugitive of the Judoon.

Martin has since appeared in several Big Finish Productions audio dramas depicting stories starring the Fugitive Doctor.

However, she is not the only returning Doctor Who character for the Circuit Breaker storyline.

Ingrid Oliver will also be reprising her role as Petronella Osgood, having previously played the character opposite the 10th, 11th and 12th Doctors, played by David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.

Osgood was a scientist who worked for UNIT, working as an assistant to Kate Stewart, and notably first appeared in the show’s 50th anniversary, The Day of the Doctor, in 2013.

She was last seen in season 9’s The Zygon Inversion, back in 2015.

Now, a new image teasing Osgood’s return was posted to the show’s social media, with the caption: “Osgood is awaiting YOU in the Black Archive! Sign up to UNIT HQ on the #DoctorWho website for exclusive access to the first instalment of CIRCUIT BREAKER, coming 25th June!”

Osgood is awaiting YOU in the Black Archive! 🫵🌐

Sign up to UNIT HQ on the #DoctorWho website for exclusive access to the first instalment of CIRCUIT BREAKER, coming 25th June! pic.twitter.com/iOLmeKOY6o

— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) May 26, 2026

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What is Doctor Who’s Circuit Breaker?

Circuit Breaker was originally revealed by BBC Studios last year.

It is an “epic, multi-platform adventure unfolding this summer across audio, publishing, gaming and digital, bringing fans together for one connected, must-follow Whoniverse event”, the Doctor Who website says.

It explains: “The story event will see a single, escalating crisis play out across multiple formats, with each chapter unlocking new clues, new dangers… and a new side to the Time Lord.

“Circuit Breaker brings together a range of longstanding Doctor Who partners, including Titan Comics, Doctor Who Magazine, BBC Audiobooks, East Side Games, Puffin, BBC Books and Big Finish, each delivering a unique chapter of the story across the summer.”

The first chapter of the story launches on the in-universe UNIT website on June 25.

A synopsis for the story reads: “In the depths of UNIT’s most secure facility, the Black Archive, familiar objects have been pulled through time and space surrounded with a dangerous energy signature threatening to tear reality apart.

“With time running out, newly appointed Head of the Black Archive, Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) and her assistant Andrew (Omari Douglas) turn to the only person who can help… the Doctor (Jo Martin).

“This is no ordinary crisis, and not the Time Lord they are familiar with.

Recommended reading:

“As the Doctor confronts her most infamous enemies such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans and a rogue Weeping Angel, she is forced to complete a mission with an insidious presence lurking in the shadows.

“Secrets begin to surface, and trust between UNIT and the Doctor begins to erode as those who idolise her start to question if she really is the Time Lord they thought they knew…”

Will you be following along with Doctor Who’s Circuit Breaker storyline this summer? Let us know in the comments.

The Monday letters page is loving 007 First Light and its amazing montage, as readers are glad that Fable has been pushed back until next year.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

A promising week
It’ll be Monday by the time you show this (if you show it!) and what I’m hoping will be the biggest week for video games this year. We’ve got the State of Play on Tuesday, Summer Game Fest on Friday, and Xbox on Sunday. I’m also seeing rumours of Nintendo on Thursday but if not they’ll be sometime this month I should think.

There’re usually two candidates for the biggest moments on the gaming calendar, with not-E3 week and The Game Awards. Although this year you’ve also got the launch of GTA 6. That’s obviously the biggest overall, but I’m hoping this week will be the biggest in terms of reveals and news and general upbeat-ness.

We’ve had a few years like this now, but 2026 really is shaping up to be an ugly mixture of great game releases and absolutely everything else about the industry being awful. I’m hoping that this year we get a lot of positive news, not just of new games, but maybe new hardware, lowering prices, and Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft acknowledging the problems and saying they’re going to do better.

I know I’m being naïve there, but I hope we get something to be optimistic about for all three formats. It feels like a long time since we’ve had optimism in anything and it’s starting to wear on me.
Crispin

Yearly Call
So Fable is delayed till 2027. I’m surprised Call Of Duty hasn’t been delayed, I know some people would rather play Call Of Duty back in the day. I’d choose Call Of Duty over everything but times really have changed. Wasn’t so long ago Xmas number one was always Call Of Duty, now it’s Battlefield or EA Sports FC but when a company says there going to make $8 billion in the first year of a game coming out everyone knows you don’t release a game a month before or a month after.

Maybe give it a good five months for that and as big as Call Of Duty was it won’t make £1.5 billion in the whole year before the next one comes out, never mind the $8 billion Rockstar are saying it’s hoping it will do. If I was Microsoft, I’d delay it. I really would, because I’ve got a feeling on November 19th, on my friend’s list, it’s going to be saying GTA 6 they’re playing. Call Of Duty is a big game but compared to what GTA 6 is going to be, it’s going to make Call Of Duty look like an ant on a hilltop.
David

GC: You are grossly overstating how much Call Of Duty’s popularity has dwindled. Its reveal trailer is now at 48 million after just three days. Plenty of games are coming out within five months of GTA 6, including Fable.

Back to school
Can’t say the Persona 6 leaks were particularly interesting… I mean, the characters have some high school anime designs that are slightly different to the high school anime designs of the last lot. Great, tell us something we don’t know.

However, I wonder where they’re going to take the franchise generally? Persona 5 was such a great realisation of the concept that I’m struggling to come up with something that wouldn’t be a step backwards. It’s as perfect a piece of young adult fiction as I can remember, up there with other media like Harry Potter or Hunger Games. Also, despite the anime inflection the games story is as relevant today as it was in 2016, if not more so. It feels like they had a real lightning in a bottle moment, so no wonder it’s taken them a while to come up with the follow-up.

The quality of Metaphor: ReFantazio shows Atlus still have the talent to pull something out the bag. That game shows where obvious improvements could come about too… in the technology. It’s a great game but the art design carries it and it looks terrible on my 4KTV, it’s basically a PlayStation 3 game. Post Clair Obscura they need to up their game, though Persona 6 has been in development for years at this point, so is likely similar. Even Atlus’s own Shin Megami Tensei 5 in Unreal 4 looks far better, especially after it was ported to modern platforms from Switch.
Marc

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Best. Montage. Ever.
Having just completed the Malta training sections, I’m enjoying 007 First Light. During the opening mission the game did feel like it was on autopilot a bit, but I must say that with regards to the game’s locations, characters, and dialogue the developers really have managed to capture the essence of Bond, and it was a great relief to me that the man himself isn’t annoying at all.

What I found particularly interesting during the Malta training mission was the playable montage. So here the game was cut together just like a film. Bond/the player starred in a series of short playable scenes in slightly different locations. I wonder if this cinematic device has been used in other games. This was the first time that I’ve seen it implemented. I think the technique worked because it gave the player different things to do while driving the narrative forwards at an entertaining pace.

I’m looking forward to seeing what else First Light has to offer. Personally, I’d like a bit more gunplay but otherwise so far so good.
Michael Veal (@msv858)

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Max disappointment
My PS5 has stopped working in this heat, so I’ve gone back to my Xbox 360 and dug out Max Payne 3. I forgot how good this game is!

I won’t go on a list about why but it’s hard hitting and the gunplay is second to none. I’m probably the only person on the planet who isn’t interested in GTA 6 but if they ripped off the gameplay from this then I’d buy it on day one.

An absolute classic.
Simon

GC: They had the chance to do so with GTA 5, but they didn’t. So the chances seem very slim.

Wise move
Sensible decision, I feel, to move Fable back to February 27. I always felt Microsoft made a mistake putting Indiana Jones And The Great Circle out in December. Made the game feel a bit of an afterthought and missed the nominations for that year’s awards.

It’s why I’m happy to take Microsoft’s reasons for the delay as stated and genuine, rather than just cover for it not being ready. With Wolverine in September, Call Of Duty in October, and GTA 6 in November, along with a lot of other games, it is a busy period.

Microsoft have delayed big games like Starfield and Halo Infinite, after the Craig the Brute mocking, and made no bones about the reason being they’re not ready.

It’s only really haters that respond negatively to delays for that reason. Anyone actually interested in the game would rather a delay and for it to be ready than put out unfinished. Which is why I think Microsoft would of just said that if that was the reason for Fable being moved to next year.

Microsoft even put a funny Easter egg in Halo Infinite for Craig the Brute. I say funny but as they botched the post launch content for that game, it’s more a sad testament to their incompetence rather than taking ownership of their failings.

Due to things like that I’m really not sure how Fable will turn out. I have my fingers crossed though and if it’s as good as Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, and deserves success, then moving it out of a busy release schedule that includes the most anticipated game ever, so it can enjoy more column inches upon release, is a sound decision.
Simundo

Adding to the list
Very pleased Microsoft chose to delay Fable. As an Xbox Series X owner I don’t need it this year, just my personal opinion.

And it’s one less game for me to focus on, as I still haven’t found the time for Resident Evil, Forza, or 007 First Light yet, not to mention when and if GTA 6 ever comes out. Besides, they should take their time with Fable and make it decent at least.
icelticghost

Bond is back
I completed 007 First Light over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. More Uncharted than Hitman, but you can feel the influences of both.

I really enjoyed switching between melee, guns, and gadgets in combat, in a very satisfying and free-flowing way. There were a few too many situations where the game just has loads of enemies firing at you from all angles though. I died too many times during a particular part near the end.

What I would like to see is a crossover with Agent 47. They’ve already done a Bond mission in Hitman, with Mads back as LeChiffre, so I don’t see why not.

Ideally, they’d have the same event in both games, and you could play as Bond and 47 in their own games and see the same scenario from the different perspectives and skillsets.

I could see them having a little chat and 47 mentioning he’s never been bothered about having to have a licence in order to kill.

I’ve got the Tacsim side of the game to explore now. I’m hoping it’s not just various combat scenarios and there’s more of the Hitman style investigations and problem solving.

I hope the game sells well and iO can make the next game so heavily signposted by the events at the end. I also hope that whenever they cast the new movie Bond they don’t force him in the game and stick with Patrick Gibson as he was excellent throughout.
Euclidian Boxes

Inbox also-rans
Any plans to review Necrophosis: Full Consciousness? Art direction and visuals look morbidly interesting.
Lizardpudlian

GC: Not at the moment, no.

Thank you for reminding me of the Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg theme tune, definitely one of the all-time greats!
Coursier

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John Baker, now 69, was working a few miles off the coast of the Inner Hebrides island when he came across the strange vessel in May 2005.

Two fishermen have recalled how they unexpectedly hauled in a “yellow submarine” off Islay more than 20 years ago, with their surprising catch prompting a months-long mystery.

John Baker, now 69, was working a few miles off the coast of the Inner Hebrides island when he came across the strange vessel in May 2005.

He reeled in the 10ft craft, which weighed around 850kg.

Despite Royal Navy markings on the side of the yellow submersible, the Ministry of Defence initially denied it owned it.

The submarine then found its way into the garden of Harold Hastie – Mr Baker’s brother-in-law – in Port Ellen, where it became a local tourist attraction.

The mystery around the ownership of the “yellow submarine” prompted international media attention.

It was only in September 2005 that the Royal Navy dispatched minesweeper HMS Blyth to retrieve the craft, after eventually admitting it was its property.

The “yellow submarine” was in fact a remotely-operated vehicle used in mine-clearing operations.

Bruichladdich distillery, which is based on Islay, is releasing a special version of its Yellow Submarine whisky this year.

In a video recorded for the distillery, Mr Baker said he initially thought the craft was some kind of buoy when he spotted it in the water, before realising it was “something significant”.

He said: “There was no way of getting it aboard, so we got a rope on it and started towing it.

“The weather wasn’t helping – it was hard going – but we knew we had to get it ashore and figure out what it was.

“We knew it was some kind of submersible, but we had no idea where it had come from.”

The Ministry of Defence initially denied it owned the submersible, but when the fishermen were able to provide serial numbers the official story changed.

Mr Hastie, now 72, reflected on the international attention created by the mystery.

He said: “It just grew arms and legs. What started as a local curiosity became something people were talking about all over the world.

“One minute it’s sitting there in Port Ellen, the next we’re doing interviews with everyone – every newspaper in Britain, BBC World Service, even calls from overseas.

“It just went mad.”

Mr Baker became something of a local celebrity after his discovery of the craft.

He said: “I didn’t buy a dram for three months.

“Everywhere you went, people wanted to hear about it.”

While the “yellow submarine” was still on the island, Bruichladdich quickly created a whisky named after the strange vessel.

The distillery is now releasing a new 14-year-old limited edition single malt of its Yellow Submarine whisky.

In 2018, Bruichladdich acquired and restored a replica version of the submersible.

It now stands in the distillery courtyard as a permanent reminder of the episode.

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Heavy rainstorms are forecast to sweep across the UK on Monday (June 1)

Cambridgeshire’s heatwave is due to come to an abrupt end, with heavy rain forecast for Monday (June 1). Heavy rain is due to sweep across the UK, with rainstorms forecast throughout the week, bringing an unsettled start to the summer.

Met Office weather maps indicate heavy downpours are predicted across most of the UK over a 30-hour period, initially striking Wales and parts of the north-west of England before spreading across the country, where 34 counties are in for a thorough drenching.

While the maps display a wave of blue across the UK indicating light showers, yellow markers highlight areas bracing for heavy downpours of 4 to 8mm per hour, while orange denotes even heavier rainfall of 8 to 16mm.

From Monday (June 1) at 1pm, rainfall is set to sweep across England, stretching well into Tuesday night at around 7pm, before clearing, affecting the vast majority of the country.

The warning comes just days after the UK recorded its hottest-ever May day, with temperatures reaching a scorching 35.1C at Kew Gardens, London, on Tuesday, reports the Mirror.

The Met Office’s long-range forecast up until Wednesday (June 3) paints a markedly different picture, with meteorological summer beginning on an unsettled note. Spells of rain on Monday could well be followed by further heavy and thundery showers on Tuesday.

“The widespread heatwave will gradually reduce in intensity in the coming days,” with a transition to more unsettled and cooler weather for many, the Met Office said. Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “We’re now starting to see this spell of very hot weather break down.

“While parts of the southeast could still reach highs of 32C on Thursday, many areas will begin to feel fresher conditions moving in through Friday and into the weekend as a weak cold front moves southeast and becomes more established across most of the UK by Saturday. As the heat starts to ease, the weather will also turn more changeable, with some showers and thunderstorms possible.

“By the weekend, temperatures should be much closer to average for the time of year with accompanying rainfall for many through the weekend and into the start of next week.”

The Met Office has indicated that from Monday onwards, further periods of rain or showers are likely to sweep across the UK, albeit potentially interspersed with brighter spells. Temperatures are expected to be closer to average than they have been in recent days,” it adds.