Russia’s crucial oil and gas revenues, which have sustained its war against Ukraine, have suddenly dwindled to multi-year lows as the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion approaches.
The resulting revenue drop is forcing President Vladimir Putin to borrow from Russian banks and raise taxes.
While these measures are currently keeping state finances “on an even keel”, they only increase strains in a war economy now plagued by slowing growth and stubborn inflation.
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In January, Russian state revenues from taxing the oil and gas industries fell to 393 billion rubles (US$5.1 billion). This is down from 587 billion rubles ($7.6 billion) in December and from 1.12 trillion ($14.5 billion) in January 2025.
Janis Kluge, an expert on the Russian economy at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, says this is the lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic.
To pressure the Kremlin to halt fighting in Ukraine, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil (Associated Press)
In January, Russian state revenues from taxing the oil and gas industries fell to 393 billion rubles ($5.1 billion).
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That’s down from 587 billion ($7.6 billion) in December and from 1.12 trillion ($14.5 billion) in January 2025. That’s the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, says Janis Kluge, an expert on the Russian economy at German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
A new approach to sanctions
To pressure the Kremlin to halt fighting in Ukraine, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, from 21 November. That means anyone buying or shipping their oil runs the risk of being cut off from the U.S banking system — a serious concern for any multinational business.
On top of that, on 21 January, the EU began banning fuel made from Russia crude — meaning it could no longer be refined somewhere else and shipped to Europe in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel.
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The head of the EU’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Friday proposed a full ban on shipping services for Russian oil, saying sanctions offered leverage to push Russia to halt the fighting. “We must be clear-eyed: Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so,” she said.
The head of the EU’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Friday proposed a full ban on shipping services for Russian oil, saying sanctions offered leverage to push Russia to halt the fighting (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
The latest sanctions are a step beyond the oil price cap imposed by the Group of Seven democracies under the Biden administration. The $60 per barrel cap, enforced through insurers and shippers based in G-7 countries, was aimed at reducing Russia’s profits, not banning imports, out of concern over higher energy prices.
The cap did reduce government oil revenues temporarily, especially after an EU ban on most Russian seaborne oil forced Russia to shift sales to China and India.
Modi hasn’t commented. Foreign affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said India’s strategy was “diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow was monitoring the statements and remains committed to our “advanced strategic partnership” with New Delhi.
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In any case, Russian oil shipments to India have declined in recent weeks, from 2 million barrels per day in October to 1.3 million per day in December, according to figures from the Kyiv School of Economics and the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Buyers are now demanding bigger discounts on Russian oil to compensate for the risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions and the hassle of finding payment workarounds that skirt banks reluctant to touch the transactions. (Associated Press)
Data firm Kpler says “India is unlikely to fully disengage in the near term” from cheap Russian energy.
Ukraine’s allies increasingly have sanctioned individual shadow tankers to deter customers from taking their oil — raising the number to 640 among the U.S., U.K. and EU. U.S. forces have seized vessels linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil, including one sailing under a Russian flag, while France briefly intercepted a suspected shadow fleet vessel. Ukrainian strikes have hit Russian refineries, pipelines, export terminals and tankers.
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Russian oil is trading at a steep discount
Buyers are now demanding bigger discounts on Russian oil to compensate for the risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions and the hassle of finding payment workarounds that skirt banks reluctant to touch the transactions.
The discount widened to about $25 per barrel in December, as Russia’s primary crude export, Urals blend, fell below $38 per barrel, compared with about $62.50 per barrel for international benchmark Brent crude.
Since Russia’s taxes on oil production are based on the price of oil, that cuts into state revenues.
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“It’s a cascading or domino effect,” said Mark Esposito, a senior analyst focused on seaborne crude at S&P Global Energy.
Ukraine’s allies increasingly have sanctioned individual shadow tankers to deter customers from taking their oil (Associated Press)
Including diesel and gasoline created “a really a dynamic sanctions package, a one-two punch that are impacting not only the crude flow, but the refined product flow off of those barrels. … A universal way of saying, if it’s coming from Russian crude, it’s out.”
Reluctance to take delivery has meant an inordinate amount — about 125 million barrels — has built up in tankers at sea. That has driven up costs for scarce capacity, with rates for very large oil tankers reaching $125,000 per day “and that’s directly correlated with the ramifications of the sanctions,” said Esposito.
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Slowing growth strains Russia’s budget
On top of that, economic growth has stalled as the boost from war-related spending reaches its limits and as labor shortages put a cap on potential business expansion. And lower growth means less tax revenue. Gross domestic product increased only 0.1 per cent in the third quarter.
Forecasts for this year range between 0.6 per cent and 0.9 per cent, down from over 4 per cent in 2023 and 2024.
“I think the Kremlin is worried about the overall balance of the budget, because it coincides with the economic downturn,” said Kluge. “And at the same time the costs of the war are not decreasing.”
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The Kremlin responds by raising taxes and borrowing
The Kremlin has resorted to higher taxes and borrowing to fill the gap left by dwindling oil revenues and by slower economic growth.
The Kremlin-controlled parliament, the Duma, raised value-added tax paid on consumer purchases at the cash register to 22 per cent from 20 per cent and increased levies on car imports, cigarettes and alcohol.
The government has increased its borrowing from compliant domestic banks and a national wealth fund still has reserves to patch budget holes.
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So the Kremlin has money — for now. But raising taxes can slow growth even more. And borrowing risks worsening inflation, brought down to 5.6 per cent through interest rates of 16 per cent from the central bank, down from a peak of 21 per cent.
“Give it six months or a year, and it could also affect their thinking about the war,” said Kluge. “I don’t think they will seek a peace deal because of this, but they might want to lower the intensity of the fighting, focus on certain areas of the front and slow the war down. This would be the response if it’s getting too expensive.”
Swedish is a vibrant language spoken by about 10 million people, mostly in Sweden and Finland. But Swedish young people are often proficient in English, too.
Although English has no official status in Sweden, proficiency in English is a formal requirement to progress in education, and often for employment and social activity as well. The Swedish national curriculum points out that “the English language surrounds us in our daily lives and is used in areas as diverse as politics, education and economics”.
Like many national languages in Europe, Swedish is increasingly sharing its space with English. Public spaces have long been papered with signs and advertising in English, or both Swedish and English.
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There is a lack of interest in learning other foreign languages among Swedish young people: English is thought to be enough.
English is the default language (lingua franca) for Swedish speakers in any situation where someone is thought not to be fully proficient in Swedish, both in international travel and at home in Sweden when talking to visitors or migrants. In fact, migrants report finding it hard to get Swedes to speak Swedish with them.
In Swedish secondary schools, English language teaching aspires to help students speak English with confidence. English communication skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – are taught and assessed, with national testing beginning in year six (age 12). The emphasis is on implicit language knowledge (being able to use the language) rather than explicit language knowledge (knowing about the language).
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Accurate language production is not an explicit aim in the curriculum. Consequently, young people, though often orally proficient due to widespread exposure to English, may lack knowledge of grammar and conventions, allowing them to communicate effectively but not always with full accuracy.
This potential lack of accuracy does not stop young Swedes from gravitating towards English. Outside of the classroom, Swedish students engage with English more extensively than many of their peers abroad. English retains significant appeal due to its prominence in media and advertising, the popularity of British and American culture, and the prevalence of Swedish music artists using English in songwriting.
What’s more, many young people are inclined to use English on social media platforms, for swearing, and in slang expressions. Much of the language young people in Sweden encounter online is English. Youth media consumption in Sweden, from Netflix to YouTube, from TikTok to Snapchat, is primarily in English.
Much of the social media content Swedish teens interact with is in English. Ground Picture/Shutterstock
Many Swedish influencers generate content in English. Gaming in Sweden has always been overwhelmingly in English.
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Although schools provide exposure to formal language aspects and a chance to receive some corrective feedback, students will usually simultaneously be acquiring English informally outside the classroom.
This English language use is based on students’ personal interests, such as gaming, sports, pop music and reading. The students are not actively aiming to develop their English, but pick up vocabulary, pronunciation and structure while doing something that interests them.
Willingness to use English is not the same thing as a solid knowledge of the language. Most students benefit from combining classroom learning with out-of-school exposure to fully develop their English proficiency. Ideally, teachers should acknowledge and integrate this language use into their instruction.
The new upper secondary English syllabus reflects this by emphasising the value of raising students’ awareness of how language can be learned beyond school.
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What goes on in schools is only a small part of how young people learn English in Sweden. Formal instruction and informal language use offer much more together than separately.
Sometimes, a piece of jewellery just feels right. At present, that piece is a choker necklace, whether it’s an Art Deco style torque or a string of dainty strands.
Call it the “Wuthering Heights” effect. Margot Robbie’s press tour wardrobe for Emerald Fennell’s hotly anticipated adaptation has featured winning look after winning look, from archival Galliano to custom Chanel couture by Matthieu Blazy. Alongside sculptural corsetry, intricate lace and elaborate feathering, chokers have been a hallmark of the romantic soft goth aesthetic Robbie has embraced during the tour.
And they haven’t been any old chokers. At the world premiere of the film, Robbie made headlines for wearing the famous $8 million heart-shaped Cartier necklace given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton. For the Paris premiere, she opted for a 100-carat diamond Lorraine Schwartz whopper.
Justin Bieber, left, and Hailey Bieber arrive at the 68th annual Grammy Awards (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
But Robbie is not the only A-lister opting for this classic kind of neck adornment. At the Grammys, Hailey Bieber, Chappell Roan and Tate McRae all went for bold choker styles. Taylor Swift is another fan who has been spotted wearing one of late, as she has done for years (remember that custom Schiaparelli look from her 2024 Grammys win).
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The look works off the red carpet too, as evidenced by spikes in sales recorded by jewellery designers including Laura Vann. “Despite launching them last summer, our torque chokers were one of our best-performing styles over Christmas and have continued to stay strong into 2026,” she says.
“There’s something about chokers that feels both cool and nostalgic. They nod to the ’90s and early 2000s but have come back in a more refined, sculptural way. They strike that perfect balance between elevated and causal.”
FilmMagic
As for how to wear one without feeling like you’re on a press tour of your own, the key is to make sure the choker is the statement piece — don’t bother with any other jewellery pieces if you’re wearing one. They’re great for elevating everyday looks, too.
“Keep it casual and layer a sleek choker over a simple knit or tee, or pair it with an open shirt and jeans,” says Vann. “It adds a touch of polish without feeling too dressed up.”
Rowallane DUP councillor Callum Bowsie said: “In relation to senior officers’ register of interests, I think the council is making this more difficult than it needs to be.”
14:22, 10 Feb 2026Updated 14:34, 10 Feb 2026
A DUP councillor has raised transparency concerns over council officers’ conflict of interests in decision making.
In a report to the chamber, the Information Commissioner’s Office is said to advise that senior officers’ disclosure was a matter for consideration on the UK’s GDPR.
Rowallane DUP councillor Callum Bowsie said: “In relation to senior officers’ register of interests, I think the council is making this more difficult than it needs to be.
“The issue with the report is that it is stated that senior officers’ register of interests is not put on the council website based on ICO guidance. Having asked for sight of that guidance we now know that the guidance didn’t exist as I suspected.
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“The advice now states that senior officers’ interest should be published in line with data protection. But, senior management is saying that the entirety of that register cannot be published because of data protection.
“Once again that is not what is in the guidance.”
During council committees senior management provide reports to the councillors in order to make decisions including on policy and funding.
However, at times senior officers are given ‘delegated authority’, which means they have the power to make decisions without the need for elected members.
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Councillor Bowsie added: “I have been in touch with the ICO office and they have confirmed to me that they expect information in relation to senior officers’ declaration of interests to be published.
“It also states you should publicise which public registers you hold and how the information in them is made known to the public.
“I have requested sight of the register for senior officers and to date my right to view that has even under a freedom of information request, been rejected, because the register is ‘commercially sensitive’.
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“The public is entitled to know at the very least if the commercial interests of those within our council who have delegated authority to make decisions without council approval. It is the antithesis of transparency that senior officers’ declaration of interest cannot be published.
“The fact they are not is concealment of interests. What use is a register of interest if nobody can check it for any potential conflict of interest. Surely deciding not to share interests is a conflict of interest in itself.”
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Currently all councillors in Northern Ireland must declare their interests on a register including employment and membership of any organisations, which is then published on local authority websites.
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Senior management made up of the CEO and four directors do not have their interest published.
A council legal adviser responded: “The clarification you sought related to declaration of interests for senior officers. It is important to remember they are not elected members and the requirement for elected members is different to employees who have protection of GDPR.
“Officers make declarations of interest and are properly recorded, but there is no lawful requirement to say they must be published on a website
“If we are aware of any disclosure that has not been made it should be properly investigated.”
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Councillor Bowsie said: “GDPR means you remove things like personal addresses, trade unions and health status; it doesn’t mean you block an entire register.
“The council’s own policy we agreed at the last audit committee states, the council publishes declarations of interest from councillors and senior officers, but not for remaining staff.
“This is in compliance to ICO guidance. So, you do or you don’t publish declaration of interests for senior officers on the website.
“The policy says you do, but I’m now being told you don’t. What is being said is completely inconsistent.
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“I wonder do any of the other parties have concerns about declarations of interest being made public?”
No other members of the committee raised any concerns.
Independent chair Brona Slevin advised Councillor Bowsie to take the matter up with senior management outside of the audit chamber.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie pleaded for the public’s help at “an hour of desperation” in the search for her missing mother as the family’s latest attempts to reach the abductors failed to yield any proof she is alive or communication with the culprits.
Guthrie and her family have posted several videos to Instagram in recent days in which they pleaded for the return of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie and offered to pay a ransom for her safe return. Her latest message Monday evening struck a different tone as she talked about entering “another week of this nightmare” and was more focused on helping investigators gather clues into the disappearance than earlier posts.
The FBI said Monday that it isn’t aware of ongoing communication between Guthrie’s family and any suspected kidnappers more than a week after Nancy Guthrie went missing. The FBI has also not identified any suspects or persons of interest in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, said in a statement. The agency is operating a 24-hour command post equipped with investigative teams and crisis management experts while asking for help from the public.
The family continues to believe Nancy Guthrie is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers, Savannah Guthrie said in the video released Monday.
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“She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram, urging people nationwide to be on the lookout “no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”
The mysterious disappearance and search has riveted the country — from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the online sleuths who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.
The FBI is asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.
Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first passed last Thursday and a second one passed Monday evening.
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Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that law enforcement tip lines have received thousands of calls.
Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
In a video Saturday, Savannah Guthrie said the family was prepared to pay for her mother’s return. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and her doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.
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Outside the home Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff’s deputy remained stationed out front.
Law enforcement’s work at Guthrie homes will continue Tuesday “as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Monday.
Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighborhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday.
Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie’s house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.
A drug dealer who booby-trapped his house after being inspired by the classic Christmas comedy Home Alone has been jailed for seven years.
Ian Claughton, 60, rigged his home with tripwires and homemade pipe bombs to protect his illicit drugs business from intruders.
As police searched nearby homes connected to Claughton and his ex-wife in May 2024, more than 100 homes were evacuated in Grimethorpe, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
They found a series of traps as well as a home-made flamethrower, large quantities of cannabis, amphetamines and cash.
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Today, Claughton was jailed for seven years at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Graham Reeds. His ex-wife, Lesley Claughton, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.
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Opening the trial to jurors last October, prosecutor Helen Chapman said: ‘If you are sitting there thinking that this sounds a little like the film Home Alone, then you would be correct.
‘In fact, that is precisely what Ian Claughton said he was aiming for when he told the police about these devices.’
He filmed himself using a flame thrower (Picture: PA)
Police found large amounts of amphetamines (Picture: PA)
When police entered one of the ‘heavily protected’ houses, they found a fishing wire running across the length of one of the rooms at knee height, attached to an electrical connector and a battery pack.
Claughton told police the explosives were crow-scarers, used by farmers, which he had inserted into plastic piping and, in one instance, into a bag of paint.
Other devices found in the property consisted of banger fireworks inside piping, sealed with foam, and with wires and a coiled spring.
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A stun gun was found behind a fridge-freezer, and a homemade flame-thrower was discovered in a workshop.
Other weapons found at the properties included two high-powered air guns and a crossbow, along with £27,000 sewn into a sofa.
Cannabis plants were found growing in two of the houses, including some in tents in hidden rooms.
Claughton kept weapons and money stashed in his house (Picture: PA)
Police found a note warning that ‘everything was booby trapped’ (Picture: PA)
Claughton was caught when detectives found a package of imitation firearms ordered from China, set to be delivered to his ex-wife.
The package was opened at Heathrow Airport, and five small silver-and-black folding five-shot revolvers were found.
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The court heard this was ordered by Claughton using Lesley’s eBay account.
Claughton pleaded guilty to bringing a realistic imitation firearm into the country, being concerned in the production of cannabis and two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs.
He was convicted of three counts of possessing prohibited firearms, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances after a trial at Doncaster Crown Court.
Lesley Claughton, 59, was found guilty of bringing a realistic imitation firearm into the country, possessing class B drugs with intent to supply, possession of criminal property and being concerned in the production of cannabis.
Mario Tennis Fever – Mario is only using a normal racket here (Nintendo)
Nintendo’s long-running sports series gets its best new entry since the 90s but there’s still some aspects that fans may take issue with.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be a year old in less than four months and it is very strange that we still haven’t had even a hint about a new Super Mario game, either 2D or 3D. Very strange is, of course, Nintendo’s stock in trade but with a new animated movie coming out in April they seem content merely to push remasters of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, with not a hint of what their modern day successor might look like.
That’s not to say that there are no Mario-themed games out in the next few months but it’s all things like the Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a standalone Yoshi title. The most significant of these spin-offs is this, the ninth entry in a sports series that stretches back to Mario’s Tennis on the Virtual Boy – which will become available on Nintendo Switch Online later this month.
Very few people ever played that though, so for most the series began, and peaked, with Mario Tennis on the N64. One of the most entertaining multiplayer games on the system, the main mode was a semi-realistic tennis sim with all the Mario Kart-inspired gimmicks cordoned off to the ancillary modes. However, that hasn’t been the case for any of the subsequent titles.
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Apart from the Virtual Boy game, every single one of the Mario Tennis titles (and sister series Mario Golf) have been developed by third party studio Camelot Software Planning. The quality has remained consistent but the problem with each new game is that instead of the power-ups and wacky abilities being an optional novelty they quickly overtook the whole game, removing any real sense of skill from it.
You can see why – a Mario Kart style take on popular sports seems a fun idea in theory, and either way you’ve got to come up with a new selling point for each sequel – but all it’s done is frustrate fans of the original and bamboozle those who just wanted to play an arcade style tennis game. 2018’s Mario Tennis Aces did pare things back a bit, and was the best of the modern games, but it was still not a must-have title.
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It’s arguable as to whether Mario Tennis Fever is, but it’s certainly the best entry since the N64 era and for a number of good reasons: it’s stacked full of content, with a ton of unlockables and multiple single-player modes, including a story campaign; it has a robust online mode; and, most importantly, it’s relatively easy to set-up a game that is just normal tennis, without any of the gimmicks.
In terms of the basic gameplay, the controls are identical to the original N64 game, allowing for a fair amount of shot choice, as well as lobs and charged smashes. Even stripped down, it’s not exactly a simulation, but although the amount of swerve you can put on a ball, and how far you can be from it and still hit it, are greatly exaggerated it’s a lot closer to real tennis than Mario Kart is to real motorsports.
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The central gimmick for the game is fever rackets which have a special ability you can power up and unleash over the course of a match. Activating one lets you automatically return a ball, no matter where you are on the court, and initiates a power-up, ranging from pools of mud, sheets of ice, and lightning bolts to spinning fire bars, a volcano, and a shadowy doubles partner.
There are lots to unlock and some, like the ink one that obscures your view, are more disruptive than others but all are easier to cope with than it first seems. Although you do have to bear in mind that your character has a HP bar and can be injured, including by being hit by an ordinary ball.
Spawning Pokeys is just one of the fever racket powers (Nintendo)
It’s a simple matter to turn off the fever rackets but if you want a plain vanilla match you also have to consider that some of the characters, particularly the unlockable ones, have their own passive traits, such as Kamek’s physics-defying curve balls. To avoid that requires a gentleman’s agreement before you start a match, which you’re not going to get online unless you know who you’re playing against.
Tiptoeing around the options like this can be annoying but at least the game recognises that not everyone is going to want to use fever rackets, with even ranked matches offering an option to leave them out. In fact, the game is admirably customisable, including the ability to turn off the Talking Flower commentator (we liked him) and an optional motion control method with the Joy-Cons, if you’re missing Wii Sports.
The story campaign is surprisingly long and leans into the role-playing elements that the series emphasised in its early years, making it far superior to the one in Mario Tennis Aces. There’s also separate single-player tournaments and one or two-player Trial Towers, which work like Mortal Kombat tower challenges but with specific stipulations about what rackets and limitations you and your opponent have.
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Mario Tennis Fever is certainly the most comprehensive entry in the series, in terms of the range of modes and options, and whether you like them or not the fever rackets are a good gimmick. However, that’s predicated on you knowing how they work and how you can combat them when they’re used against you, which means the game isn’t as pick up and play casual friendly as Mario Kart.
Once you get all the settings where you want them, though, it is a very enjoyable multiplayer game. Although it’s also a very expensive one, even if you get the cheaper digital download. Whether you feel it’s worth it depends on your circumstances and preferences, although if you’ve played any previous Mario Tennis titles you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. It’s definitely our second favourite of the series and over time may even take centre court.
Mario Tennis Fever review summary
In Short: The best Mario Tennis game since the N64 era and a hugely enjoyable multiplayer game with a ton of single-player content, although there’ll still be too many gimmicks for some people.
Pros: The core tennis action is fun and relatively accessible, while the fever rackets are amusing if you’re in the mood for them. Robust online play, plenty of game modes, and lots of unlockables and customisation options.
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Cons: Very expensive and the fever rackets are an acquired taste. Playing against characters with weird abilities can only be avoided with a verbal agreement.
Score: 8/10
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Formats: Nintendo Switch 2 Price: £58.99 (£66.99 physical) Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Camelot Software Planning Release Date: 12th February 2026 Age Rating: 7
Playing on ice isn’t quite as hard as it sounds (Nintendo)
Police say they are treating an incident in Belfast as deliberate ignition and arson with intent to endanger life.
Officers in the south of the city say they received a report at around 4.55am on Tuesday that a gas box had been set alight by two males in the Eliza Street Close area. The males are believed to have made off in the direction of Friendly Street.
Detective Sergeant Long said: “Officers attended the scene, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, who extinguished the fire. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. However, the fire is being treated as deliberate ignition and as arson with intent to endanger life.
“Our enquiries are ongoing, and we would appeal to anyone who saw what happened, or who might have any information, including CCTV, dash-cam or other footage, to contact police on the 101 number, quoting reference 136 of 10/02/26.”
Detective Long added: “Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.”
Shoppers pulled back the pace of their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday season and the year on a lackluster tone.
Retail sales were flat in December from November, when business was up 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department.
Economists were expecting a 0.4% increase. The report on Wednesday was delayed more than a month because of the 43-day government shutdown.
The retail sales figures, which are not adjusted for inflation, showed that many types of businesses saw declines.
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The report raised questions about shoppers’ ability to spend as they worry about a slowing job market and uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariffs and their impact on prices.
The report raised questions about shoppers’ ability to spend as they worry about a slowing job market and uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariffs (Getty Images)
Furniture and home furnishing stores posted a 0.9% drop, while electronics and appliance stores had a 0.4% dip. Clothing and accessories retailers registered a 0.7% decline.
The snapshot offers only a partial look at consumer spending and doesn’t include many services, including travel and hotel lodges. But the lone services category – restaurants – registered a dip of 0.1%
Andy Burnham says Sir Keir Starmer still has his support, after the leader of Scottish Labour urged the Prime Minister to resign. Pressure has mounted on Sir Keir over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last May, despite knowing the veteran politician’s links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, became the most high profile figure from the party to call on Sir Keir to step down yesterday (February 9) – insisting the situation had become a ‘distraction’ ahead of crucial elections in May. But cabinet members gave the PM their public support in the hours that followed.
Sir Keir also vowed to continue as PM during a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, in which he told MPs: “I’ve won every fight I’ve ever been in.” Greater Manchester’s mayor, who has long been considered as a candidate to replace Sir Keir as PM, saw a potential path to power blocked as he was prevented from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
But speaking at a Resolution Foundation event in London today (Tuesday), Mr Burnham declared his continued support for the PM. He told reporters: “Yes, he has my support. The Government has my support and they had my support when I put myself forward for the by-election.”
Mr Burnham also called for ‘stability’ as he suggested politicians should be working to ‘bring pace and focus to lowering the cost’ of living. He added: “To do that requires stability and I make my own call for that today across the Labour Party.
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“Of course stability comes from greater unity and that would be helped by a more inclusive way of running the party but recent events makes that now feel possible.”
Mr Burnham was asked whether he thought it was wrong for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to call for Sir Keir to resign, and whether he could rule himself out of any future leadership challenge.
Responding, the Greater Manchester Mayor said: “What I am calling for very clearly today is for the unity to create the stability, to give the Government the platform, to focus on all of the things that I’m talking about today.
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“I think we’ve got to get away from the kind of sense that everything is a challenge. I put myself forward but I was saying to, I spoke to the Prime Minister, spoke to the Government, we need to get that strong sense of a stronger team again than there has been in recent times and that, I think, is what needs to come from this.”
He continued: “We need to sort of dial down all of this constant briefing. It’s seemingly a bit endless some of the anonymous briefings going around. I think we just need to focus on what’s in front of us.
“There’s a by-election in front of us, I’ve been playing my role in that by-election… that’s the issue in politics right in front of us – the politics of collectivism versus the politics of division
“My view is you’ve got to focus on stopping that now…. and everything else is noise in the background.”
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Angeliki Stogia, Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, yesterday told the Manchester Evening News that Sir Keir’s future and the scandal surrounding Peter Mandelson ‘hasn’t come up on the doorstep’.
But the situation has dominated Westminster, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband telling BBC Breakfast that Sir Keir had faced a ‘moment of peril’. “But, as a collective body, the Cabinet, the Labour Party looked at the alternatives of going down this road of a chaotic leadership election, trying to depose a prime minister, and they said ‘no, that’s not for us’,” he added.
This 50p coin could be sitting in your pocket and one collector has urged people to not spend this special gem. So do you have this Olympic coin in your pocket?
Now one coin – dubbed the ‘rarest Olympic 50p’ – could be in your possession, and it’s highly sought after by collectors across the UK. According to coin expert @CoinCollectingWizard, if you’re searching for Olympic coins, this is a “key one”. The coin was issued in 2011, ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, with 29 different designs released to commemorate the landmark sporting event.
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In an Instagram post shared with his 37,200 followers, he stated: “Rarest Olympic 50p to look for.
“If you’re checking your change for Olympic coins, this is one of the key ones… The 2011 Football (Offside Rule) 50p is the rarest Olympic 50p released into circulation.”
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Approximately 1,125,500 of these coins entered circulation, with typical values ranging from £8 to £15 in used condition. However, if you discover one in excellent condition, you could fetch considerably more.
The expert added: “It’s easy to spot – it’s the coin with the footballer and the offside diagram explaining the rule.
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“A brilliant find in change and one every collector wants in their set. Keep checking those 50ps!”
The Royal Mint produced 29 different 50p coins in 2011 to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games held the following year. Each coin in the collection showcases a different sport, with designs chosen from submissions by members of the public.
Collectors have removed an estimated 75% of these coins from circulation, making them highly desirable.
The most elusive of the entire set is the Football 50p, created by British sports journalist Neil Wolfson.
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His design, which depicts a diagram illustrating the offside rule, was chosen by The Royal Mint from more than 30,000 public entries for the collection.
The obverse side displays the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.
Discussing the coin, the @CoinCollectingWizard told us: “Out of all the 2011 Olympic 50ps, the Football Offside Rule is the one to watch as it’s the rarest of the set.
“If you ever find one in your change, don’t spend it… keep it safe, because pieces like that are the treasures collectors are always hunting.”
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How to spot a rare coin:
Check for specific dates: Certain versions of a coin with particular dates may be more valuable.
Look for special designs: Scarce 50p coins such as the Kew Gardens 50p, Beatrix Potter designs or Olympic coins.
Errors: Watch for “double die” strikes, incorrect dates or missing letters.
Use apps: These can help identify a coin from a photograph and provide an estimated value.
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Speak to a professional: If you believe you’ve discovered a rare coin, contact reputable websites for verification – the Coin Hunter is a good example.