Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a very important sequel (Activision)
The Monday letters page is getting very excited about GTA 6 pre-orders, as a reader suggests IO Interactive could make a Mission: Impossible video game.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
The cost of failure A lot of us would probably be glad if Call Of Duty went the way of the dodo, and consider it something worthy of a great laugh if it happened just after Microsoft bought Activision. A few years ago I would’ve definitely thought that, but now that I’m a bit older and wiser all I can think of is the poor wage slaves who will be sacrificed because their bosses made dumb decisions.
Call Of Duty has been without a direction for years, and just coasting by on its name, and the fact that it’s now in trouble shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone sensible. Although as we see, those sort of people are rarely in charge of games companies.
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So now we’re hearing that nobody’s interested in Modern Warfare 4 and it could end up being just as big a flop as last year’s game. But before you start celebrating that the witch is finally dead, remember just how popular Call Of Duty is and how far it’s got to fall before it’s not economically viable. It’s going to be around for a decade even when it’s a dead man walking.
It’s going to be a long painful death and hundreds, if not thousands, of people are going to lose their job. It’s not too big to fail but it is too big to not go quietly. Taylor Moon
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Games bill I don’t get why people don’t know why people pre-order games. Not only do you get the odd bit of extras included but it’s about budgeting. What with bills like energy and food prices going up on nearly a daily basis it’s about guaranteeing you can afford it and knowing you won’t spend that money on anything else on the store.
I’ve got £130 in my PSN wallet and on the 25th I’ll be pre-ordering not because they might run out of a digital game but so I can say, yes I’ve paid for it and that money is gone. People say gaming is getting more expensive, well so is living a normal life with bills going up all the time that’s why we pre-order. David
Same old story With all this talk of studios being shutdown I did a quick google and it was interesting to see Sony is in the lead with it closing 14 studios since 2012. Microsoft has closed down 12 since 2007 (looks like they may take pole position soon). Nintendo, a grand total of zero since entering the industry.
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We hear a lot of late, on Nintendo not buying a lot of studios, but I’d rather they didn’t if they are only going to buy them to close them down the line, like the other two.
On the other hand maybe independent studios shouldn’t be swayed too much by the big bucks on offer from Sony and Microsoft, if they actually cared about the studios.
Those that don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it or something… Anon
Promoting the Commodore The Kickstarter for the Commodore 64: The Birth of a Cultural Icon documentary has just launched which is about the Commodore 64 computer and it’s games. The documentary is being made by the people who made The PlayStation Revolution documentary and The Rubber Keyed Wonder documentary, among other classic computers documentaries and their games.
I didn’t own a Commodore 64 but I would of played some of the games from the C64 on my Amstrad CPC 464. I know there is at least one Commodore fan among GameCentral readers, besides me (Commodore Fan). I’ve backed the Kickstarter for a physical copy but you can back it for a digital copy for less money. Andrew J. Just completed: Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream (PC) – I highly recommend it if you like the Plague Tale games. Although there is no rats in it, it has you using stealth and distraction to get past stronger enemies, much as you do in the Plague Tale games.
Second choice If Amazon takes the Bond licence away from IO Interactive they will be absolutely crazy, if you ask me. But money’s involved so we can’t count on there being a sensible outcome.
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If the worst happens I wonder if IO could get the Mission: Impossible licence instead? It’s not as big but Tom Cruise would probably be quite interested in helping, because he can’t really do the stunts anymore and the series has ended.
Mission: Impossible doesn’t have anything like the history and traditions as Bond though, so I really hope Amazon do the sensible thing, because 007 First Light is my game of the year. Diem
Dream edition Grand Theft Auto 6’s pre-order date being unveiled as June 25th is the highlight of last week, when it comes to the gaming news circulating. For many and myself, it’s the early coming of Christmas. Because even if it certainly kills me, I am snagging that collector’s edition no matter what. I’ve never done so for any other game, but has there ever been a title such as highly anticipated, as Grand Theft Auto 6? Certainly not in living memory.
Instead of celebrating in joyful merriment, the fans and trolls are partaking in nitpicking. Judging a mere glimpse as lacking in reflections, or prowess on a technical scale. It is petty to say the very least, but for my personal opinion on the topic at hand, it would have sufficed more positively if the glimpse was of daylight.
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A city brimming with neon and colour is suited to a daytime preview. Choosing that shot and proceeding with it as the final cut, is a very milquetoast presentation. That, however, heightens the expectations of a third trailer very much. At least it should officially open the floodgates for every storefront, digital market, and site to crash simultaneously, just as Silksong did.
I am deeply hoping the collector’s edition is also revealed and I am able to secure it. It’s my first ever buy and considering the eventual steep price tag, it will have to be justified. My main worry is that the game will not be included in the package. It’s been seen time and time that certain editions fail to bear fruit, in that regard. It would also affect the goodwill that has been generated thus far. If the game is included with the edition, my wallet is ready to endure the pain. If not, my heart shall endure. Shahzaib Sadiq
GC: A collector’s edition has neither been announced nor leaked, it’s just assumed.
Good security So, on Thursday we’re going to get the price of GTA 6 and probably find out about the other editions. Seems wild to finally be sorting out this kind of detail after literally years of waiting and endless delays.
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After that it’s going to be full speed ahead on the hype, the marketing, and the silly fan theories. Has a single one of them been true since the game was announced? I kind of like the fact that no one really knows what to expect other than the obvious. Whatever Rockstar is doing to keep their secrets I approve. Flint
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The shape of things to come A lot of people have pointed out that Nintendo has two N64 remakes coming out this year (Star Fox and Zelda: Ocarina Of Time) and I’ve been trying to figure out if this is a coincidence or a sign of things to come. A remake of Star Fox is the quickest way to get something out there and see if people are interested in a new game. And an Ocarina Of Time remake is, I think, the Nintendo game almost nobody would object to seeing a remake of.
But assuming they’re both hits what happens after that? Will they make more remakes? Zelda: Majora’s Mask and F-Zero GX look like pretty good options to me but there are lots of games that could be suitable.
Will Nintendo start to use remakes the way they used Wii U ports for the Switch 1? They’re not as quick or easy to make but the big name ones are virtually guaranteed to be a hit. Thing is, I don’t know how I feel about that. A part of me does want to see these come back and be modernised but I don’t like the idea of Nintendo devs spending time remaking old games when they could make new ones.
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They all sound like a good idea until you realise a massive team has got to spend four or five years making them, tying them up for a long time. Vate
Inbox also-rans Saros is such a frustrating game. I want to love it because of the action but I just hate the story and the atmosphere. Returnal is definitely better, in my opinion. Sanders
Saw a rumour that Gears Of War: E-Day has a budget of $400 million. Even if that’s not true the fact that we can’t instantly rule out because it’s too much blows my mind. And they made that an Xbox console exclusive?! Rinda
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In her twenty six years on the cobbles, she’s had a run of terrible relationships, including three – if we’re counting the sham one – marriages. Her longest running love story, though, is with her current husband, bad boy with a big heart, Gary Windass (Mikey North).
Gary supported Maria and her son, Liam Connor (Charlie Wrenshall), as he suffered a brutal bullying ordeal, which almost pushed him to harming himself, as the family struggled to secure the necessary support to but an end to Liam’s torment.
While he’s got quite the chequered past – and he did kill a guy that time – Gary has proven time and time again to be a solid presence in Maria’s life, an unwavering pillar of support, loyal and trustworthy…
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…although now, Maria’s convinced that she couldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, and she believes he’s conducting an illicit affair with Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien).
‘She’s known for a few weeks that something is definitely not right between her and Gary,’ Samia Longchambon mused.
Gary and Sarah have been acting strangely… (Picture: ITV)
…and Maria has clocked it! (Picture: ITV)
‘She’s been clocking these little sneaky conversations he’s been having with Sarah, and she’s put two and two together. She’s just convinced that they must be sleeping together.’
With the Kit Green’s (Jacob Roberts)dinner party from Hell just around the corner and with Sarah and Gary on the guest list alongside Todd and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby), Maria decides to go for the full public execution and, under the guise of making a toast, lays her accusations on the table.
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Maria makes a devastating announcement (Picture: ITV)
Is Gary cheating with Sarah?
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How does Maria feel once she’s pulled the pin out of the grenade? ‘She’s relieved to finally just get it off her chest because it’s been building up for so long.
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‘She’s also incredibly angry at them both because she thinks they’ve been pulling the wool over her and Kit’s eyes.
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‘But towards the end of the dinner party, you see that she’s just really hurt. Beneath it all, she’s actually a heartbroken woman who thinks she’s lost her man.’
From there, chaos ensues and the dinner party ends with broken glass everywhere and blood splattered across the dinner table.
‘She’s kind of lit the fuse… so she’s not shocked,’ Samia admitted.
Is this the end of Maria and Gary? (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)
‘This is exactly what she wanted. The moment Kit invited her to the dinner party, she thought ‘Right, brilliant. This is where I’m going to do it. This is where I’m going to confront both of them and let it all out.’
Is this the end of Garia? Mary? …we’ll stick with Gary and Maria!
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‘I mean, it could be,’ Samia said, admitting that ‘It’s a lot to get through.’
‘If they can get through this, I feel like they can weather any storm. They’ve been through a lot of trials in their relationship already, but this is definitely the most challenging thing they’ve ever had to navigate.’
Samia enjoyed filming the big episode (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)
Behind the scenes, Samia enthused about the filming of the episode: ‘Oh, it was brilliant!
‘It was so good because Dom Stephenson, our director, let us have an organised read-through first. Then we blocked it out on set in our own clothes, not our character costumes. It almost felt like we were doing a play, like a little spinoff drama for that period of time.
‘It was a real luxury because we don’t usually get that much time to spend on scenes together before we actually film them.’
Extreme heat and dry, windy conditions fueled several wildfires in the West on Sunday, including an uncontained blaze in Utah that forced the evacuation of a small town southwest of Salt Lake City.
The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles (87 square kilometers), authorities said. The fire about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southwest of Salt Lake City forced the evacuation of Eureka, population 1,000, and people at a nearby ranch.
No homes had been lost, and UTAH Fire Info, a multiagency operation, said in a post on X that firefighters conducted a successful backburn operation to protect the town.
Kelly Wickens, a fire prevention specialist with the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, warned that the fire was continuing to grow amid drought conditions. Wickens said the fire was human-caused and remains under investigation.
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Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox visited the town Sunday.
“We knew that there was going to be extreme fire danger, and sure enough we had multiple fires,” Cox said.
The Iron Fire was one of six fires burning in Utah at varying levels of containment.
A wildfire prompted evacuations over the weekend near Sedona, Arizona, burning about 300 acres (120 hectares) of steep and rugged terrain near Oak Creek Canyon. As of Sunday afternoon, about 300 fire personnel were fighting the blaze, which remained uncontained. Residents evacuated earlier were still not being allowed to return home.
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Much of the Western U.S. from the Rockies to the Pacific coast saw above-average temperatures this weekend with even hotter weather anticipated for early this week. Officials warned that the prolonged dry, hot weather and relatively low humidity increased the risk of fire danger.
Much of Utah is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Arizona and Colorado are experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In Colorado, the southwest corner of the state was under a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service until Monday, due to gusty winds and low relative humidity.
Extreme heat claimed the lives of three hikers in two separate incidents last week in the Grand Canyon. Temperatures were expected to climb in the Southwest on Sunday, with a forecast of up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 C) in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Meanwhile, the Florida Forest Service said fire crews from across the state had nearly contained several brush fires in western Miami-Dade County in Florida,
A spokesperson for Bolton Police, via social media, said: “Callum Wilson, of Duchy Road, Salford, has been charged with arson following an incident at Eastgrove Avenue, Bolton, on June 10.
“He will appear at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning (22/6/26).
“Emergency services attended the scene, and thankfully, no one was injured.”
Speaking at the time of the incident, Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples added: “Thankfully, no one was injured; however, the consequences of this could have been very different.”
The fourth installment in the Tom Holland-led superhero film series, out in theaters July 31, sees the British actor return opposite Zendaya as lovers Peter Parker/Spider-Man and MJ.
To celebrate the highly anticipated sequel, which arrives five years after the latest Spider-Man film in 2021, the movie theater chain designed a unique popcorn container featuring a Spider-Man arm topped with a white cone-like bowl and a straw in the middle, allowing fans to snack and drink from the same source.
While the white popcorn bowl is meant to look like a collection of webs, some have pointed out a suggestive visual resemblance.
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“Chum bucket remove the ‘h,’” one person quipped on Instagram while another laughed, “And someone approved that… Amazing.”
“The industry has been intentionally making these popcorn buckets look dirty for publicity ever since theDune 2 bucket,” a third argued, referring to the divisive design that featured a Sandworm mouth as a lid.
“I don’t want a spiderman jizz tornado thank you,” a fourth commented, with a fifth suggesting: “We need to chill on the popcorn buckets i think.”
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“No one actually thought about the cup I see,” someone else joked.
“Think I’ll stick with the one shaped like a building with Spidey crawling on it,” another responded.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Daymarks Holland’s fourth entry as the web-shooting superhuman. He first stepped into the role in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, before leading Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), followed by Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
The new movie follows Parker as he transitions to protecting New York City as Spider-Man full-time. However, the unrelenting demands trigger a dangerous physical transformation that threatens his existence. Zendaya reprises her role of MJ, Parker’s witty, fiercely independent and intelligent classmate-turned-lover. Also joining the cast are Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Marvin Jones III.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ sees the return of Tom Holland as the web-shooting superhero (Disney/Sony)
Holland and Zendaya, who first met while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming and began dating in 2021, secretly tied the knot earlier this year. The former recently confirmed the marriage rumors, sparked in March by Zendaya’s longtime stylist, Law Roach.
“No, because they were all there,” Holland slyly told Esquire when asked whether he had to clarify to any other family members that AI-generated photos of their wedding were fake besides his grandma.
“Owen Cooper would be awesome,” he said of the 16-year-old star of Netflix’s hit miniseries Adolescence. “Obviously he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out in theaters July 31.
Kyiv knows of four relay stations assisting Russian military activity, the Ukrainian president said, as he demanded the Belarusian government take action.
Belarus has been one of Moscow’s closest allies throughout the war, and its president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
“Belarus still has time to dismantle this equipment. We also know about every factory in Belarus that works for Russia and supports the war,” Mr Zelensky said.
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“If he doesn’t do it, we’ll do it,” Mr Zelensky said on Friday, without elaborating.
It comes after Ukraine launched another attack on a Russian oil refinery in Siberia, more than 2,500km (1,550 miles) east of the Ukrainian border.
The Tyumen refinery, one of the country’s most modern and complex, has a nominal capacity of around 8 million metric tons per year.
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russian forces were preparing an impending massive attack and warned residents to take special care as Russian strikes in different regions killed at least six people.
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One killed, three injured as Russia hits Odesa region with Iskander missile, governor says
One person was killed and three were injured after Russia hit Ukraine’s southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said on Telegram. He said vehicles and fuel storage tanks caught fire after the strike hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa district.
File: In this photo, provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, 8 June 2026, rescue workers extinguish a fire of an energy facility after a Russian strike in Odesa, Ukraine (AP)
The details could not be independently verified.
Namita Singh22 June 2026 04:04
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Post office and apartments damaged as 8 injured in attack on Sumy – ICYMI
Russia launched a fresh attack on Sumy on Sunday, with several buildings damaged.
Eight people were injured in the overnight attacks, according to Serhii Kryvosheienko, head of Sumy City Military Administration.
A post office, petrol station, apartment blocks and houses were damaged in the attack, he said.
Alex Croft22 June 2026 03:00
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Ukraine’s strengthening position in war has not relieved humanitarian crisis – IRC
Ukraine’s stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia’s advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC’s president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the U.S., that has halved the IRC’s budget in the country to a current estimate of $20 million in 2027 from $40 million last year.
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“It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that’s being faced by millions of Ukrainians,” Mr Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
Alex Croft22 June 2026 01:30
Watch: Zelensky warns Ukrainians of ‘massive attack’ from Russia as strikes kill at least six people
Zelensky warns Ukrainians of ‘massive attack’ from Russia as strikes kill at least six people
Alex Croft22 June 2026 00:00
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Ukraine drone attacks kill five in Crimea and Krasnodar region
At least four people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said.
Separately, local authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze.
The ferry service across the Kerch Strait, separating Crimea from the Krasnodar region, has been temporarily suspended, the authorities said.
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Alex Croft21 June 2026 23:00
Bulletin | Zelensky tells Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia – or face force
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Belarus to dismantle relay stations he claims are crucial for Russian drone attacks on Ukraine.
Here’s all you need to know in five bullet points:
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Alex Croft21 June 2026 22:02
Former Ukrainian PM latest to return Polish state honour
Former Ukrainian prime minister Volodymyr Hroisman is the latest Ukrainian politician to return the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Mr Hroisman received the honour in 2011 while serving as mayor of Vinnytsia, for developing regional cooperation with Polish cities during this time.
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“I am returning the order as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine and President Zelensky. Not out of resentment towards the Polish people, but with deep respect for them and gratitude for all the years of support, for the millions of Poles who opened their hearts and homes to our people after 24 February,” he said on Facebook.
It comes as part of an ongoing dispute over Poland and Ukraine’s shared history, after Polish president Karol Nawrocki stripped Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle after he named a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army – which Warsaw says carried out a genocide of Poles in the 1940s.
Alex Croft21 June 2026 21:00
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Russia frees 24 Filipinos after Marcos talks with Putin
Russia has freed 24 Filipinos who were detained for months without charges in a Siberian city, after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised concern for them in a meeting with president Vladimir Putin, Philippine officials said on Saturday.
The 24 arrived in Manila aboard two flights early Sunday, and the first batch was welcomed by Philippine foreign secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos in his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan, the department of foreign affairs in Manila said.
Migrant Workers secretary Hans Cacdac welcomed the final batch of freed workers before dawn. His agency provided unspecified aid to the workers, who were detained in a Russian region known for its extreme winter temperatures.
Alex Croft21 June 2026 20:01
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Trump claims Moscow losing more troops than Kyiv as he admits Putin on ‘the offensive’ – ICYMI
Trump claims Moscow losing more troops than Kyiv as he admits Putin on ‘the offensive’
Alex Croft21 June 2026 19:02
Recap: Ukraine accepts proposal from Brazil’s Lula to work for peace, Kyiv adviser says
President Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted an offer from Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to help work for a peace deal in Russia’s war in Ukraine, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday.
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Zelensky and Lula met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains on Wednesday, where the Ukrainian leader urged allies to increase pressure on Russia to end the more than four-year-old war.
The two presidents discussed what could reactivate diplomacy and Lula proposed several ideas, including contacts with permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters.
“They agreed that, in particular, based on such ideas and contacts, they would try to achieve something and later they would discuss it based on the results,” Lytvyn said.
Separate amber heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency, now covering the majority of England inlcuding Greater Manchester from Monday morning until Friday night.
While these health alerts urge Britons to stay well hydrated and remain out of direct sunlight, those confined to stuffy classrooms have precious little control over their surroundings.
Consequently, schools across the UK are making extensive preparations for the blistering week ahead, with teachers working hard to prevent heat exhaustion and fainting among pupils in the soaring temperatures – both of which have been reported in recent years during particularly gruelling conditions.
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Why does hot weather pose such a challenge in schools?
Teachers, unions, schools and parents have all voiced serious concerns over rising classroom temperatures during the UK’s increasingly sweltering summers in recent years. Soaring temperatures can make concentration difficult at the best of times.
Pupils with special educational needs or other conditions may find it particularly challenging during an intense heatwave — and they are far from alone.
Teachers are equally affected, battling through the same sweltering conditions while attempting to educate children who are struggling to stay focused, one Deputy Head of a London secondary school told the i newspaper.
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“During the hottest days, teachers can barely teach, let alone students learn,” the senior teacher named ‘Daniel’ told the publication. “My staff say it’s really hard to function properly.”
Will schools be forced to close during the June heatwave?
While no formal school closures have been declared during June’s heatwave, increasing pressure is mounting on the Government to establish regulations permitting schools to close when temperatures reach dangerously high levels.
Both the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have supported demands for a maximum temperature threshold in classrooms.
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed it is “carefully considering” these proposals.
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Existing DfE guidance states that schools should stay open during hot weather periods, maintaining that regular attendance provides pupils with the optimal opportunity to learn and reach their full potential.
Following the previous heatwave earlier this year, teaching unions reiterated demands for a statutory maximum classroom temperature. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stopped short of ruling out the possibility when pressed in June.
She did, however, recognise the difficulties created by elevated temperatures in the classroom, stating that periods of extreme heat can create challenging conditions for teachers and school staff and may also impact children’s capacity to learn.
What measures can schools take to keep students (and staff) cool?
Several schools have already implemented precautionary measures, with pupils advised to ensure they bring refillable water bottles to lessons for regular hydration throughout the day. Educational establishments across the UK are also urging students to bring hats for outdoor wear and to apply sunscreen before departing for school in the morning.
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One school in Wiltshire has relaxed its uniform policy to combat the heat. From Monday, pupils may wear their standard uniform without jumpers and ties, or opt for their PE kit as an alternative.
Whitchurch High School informed WalesOnline it is implementing “sensible arrangements in place to help students remain safe and comfortable”.
Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk are about to team up in Florida, after the Panthers pulled off another summertime blockbuster.
The Panthers and Ottawa finalized a deal Sunday night, with Florida sending four draft picks to the Senators for Brady Tkachuk — the brother of Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk.
The picks were the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, Tampa Bay’s first-round pick this year (acquired earlier Sunday in a trade Florida made sending Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle), the Panthers’ second-round pick in 2027 and their top 10-protected first-round pick in 2029. And that means Florida adds an elite player to its forward corps without losing any of its top seven scorers from this past season.
“Brady is a dynamic competitor and one of the most physical and relentless forwards in the league,” Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito said. “A proven leader and exactly the type of player we want in our locker room, he strives to make everyone around him better both on and off the ice. We’re thrilled to welcome Brady to South Florida to join our group as we continue our pursuit of championship hockey.”
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Brady Tkachuk has spent the entirety of his eight-year NHL career in Ottawa, and now he joins his brother, Olympic teammate and podcast co-host in Florida — the place where Matthew Tkachuk has spent the last four seasons, winning two Stanley Cups and getting to the final three times.
The Athletic was first to report the pending trade.
Brady Tkachuk has two seasons left on the seven-year, $57.56 million contract he signed in October 2021 when he also became Ottawa’s captain. As recently as late April, he bristled at conversation about his name being in trade rumors following a first-round playoff exit.
“This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said Sunday. “We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”
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It’s a move that makes sense for so many reasons and has seemed almost inevitable.
Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk reveled in the chance to play alongside one another for USA Hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 (winning silver) and the Milan Cortina Olympics this year (winning gold, the first for the American men’s program on the Olympic stage since the miracle in Lake Placid 46 years ago).
Their parents — their dad is NHL legend Keith Tkachuk — have a home in Florida and are regular attendees at Panthers games, and the USA Hockey ties means Brady Tkachuk already has relationships with many in the Florida organization. Zito had a role within USA Hockey during this past Olympic cycle and Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards had a role with the 4 Nations and Milan Cortina teams as well.
Brady Tkachuk was Ottawa’s captain for the last five seasons, and he was — by far in some cases — their leader in countless categories over his eight years with the Senators. No player had more goals (213), points (463), power-play goals (62), shots (2,202), hits (1,921), winning goals (28), multigoal games (30) and penalty minutes (821) in his tenure with the club, which acquired him with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft.
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And now, four years after landing Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers have tapped into the Tkachuk family well of talent again.
It also adds another big name to the list of players that Florida has locked up for several seasons going forward, including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell and others. They’re all Stanley Cup winners, and now Brady Tkachuk would figure to have a real chance to get his name etched onto hockey’s chalice in the coming years as well.
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
“Fires and barbecues are strictly prohibited due to the very real risk they pose to people, wildlife, and the wider landscape. We want everyone to enjoy the Heath, so please behave responsibly, and respect the space and those who care for it. Every visitor is also a ‘Heath Guardian’.”
Once there was a thriving colliery here. On the flat land just beyond the pile of bricks there was headgear, railways, coke ovens, brickworks, spoil heaps and a gasometer, plus there were lines of terraces providing accommodation for the 1,500 men and boys who worked on the site.
The Leasingthorne Colliery Reservoir Tower, by Northern Perspectives (Image: Northern Perspectives)
Now all that survives of Leasingthorne colliery, which was between Coundon and Kirk Merrington which can be seen at the top of the picture, is this pile of bricks – the remains of the reservoir tower.
As Memories 741 told last summer, Leasingthorne was brought into life in 1836 by the Chilton branch of the Clarence Railway. Its heyday was the 1930s and its closure in October 1967 was followed by rapid clearance of the colliery and demolition of the low, single storey terraces.
Now all that remains of this classic Durham mining community is a single terrace and a former pub – the Eden Arms Hotel – that has become a private home now the thirsty miners have been moved on.
The Eden Arms Hotel at Leasingthorne is now a private house
Dave Wilkin, the Durham-based cameraman behind Northern Perspectives
And the reservoir tower, which was once on the edge of the pit yard. Its monumental status is captured in this wonderful photograph by Northern Perspectives, our regular contributor who uses the latest drone technology to shed new light on our beautiful and historic landscape. To see more of his amazing work, including his aerial videos, search “Northern Perspectives” on Facebook.
FORMER Labour candidate and Labour agent at the recent Heworth by-election David Ellis’s letter criticising the Liberal Democrats’ response to the Boundary Commission’s proposals is based on a misunderstanding of the point being made.
Nobody has claimed that changing ward boundaries would automatically change school catchment areas. As a former headteacher, Mr Ellis will know that catchment areas are reviewed through a separate process.
However, councillors were briefed by Labour’s own council officers that there is an attempt, where possible, to align ward boundaries and school catchment areas. The reason is obvious: both are intended to reflect the communities people belong to and the services they use.
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Indeed, Labour’s own submission to the Boundary Commission refers to school catchment areas no fewer than 18 times. It is therefore rather strange to suggest that catchment areas are somehow irrelevant to discussions about ward boundaries.
That means ward boundaries can have implications for future decisions. If communities currently associated with Rural West York are moved into wards centred on Acomb, it becomes more likely that future reviews of catchment areas and other community-based services will view those neighbourhoods as part of Acomb rather than Rural West.
This was precisely why local residents raised concerns.
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The Boundary Commission specifically asks consultees to consider community ties and local identity. Highlighting the potential consequences of splitting established communities is therefore entirely legitimate and forms an important part of the consultation process.
Residents deserve a debate based on the facts and on what best reflects local communities, rather than accusations of “false information” directed at those who hold a different view.
Cllr Anne Hook,
Liberal Democrat councillor for Rural West York ward,
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Upper Poppleton,
York
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