Last month, it was confirmed that the town’s former Binns store, on High Row, would be closing for good – just 16 months after it was previously earmarked to shut before being saved. 

It marks the end of an era for the retail chain, which has been in Darlington since August 1922 but will close its doors for the final time in April. 

This week, John Taylor, director of Parker Barras and agent of the owner, branded the news as “disappointing” but insisted it was House of Fraser’s loss. 

Now, award-winning retail consultant Graham Soult has given his verdict on the closure, saying it is not a reflection on the town and instead Frasers’ wider offering across the country.

Graham Soult said it was a ‘moment of sadness’ (Image: Graham Soult)

He also said that the “will-it-close-or-not hokey cokey” has allowed for future planning – with bosses of the High Row building already having approval to split the ground floor into six shops. 

“Having traded as Binns for over a century, and before that as draper Arthur Sanders since 1770, the closure of Darlington’s House of Fraser is of course a moment of sadness”, he said. 

“But we’ve been here before, and we’ve had seven more years of Binns than if it had closed, as originally intended by the previous owners of House of Fraser, in 2019.

House of Fraser is set to close its shop in Darlington (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

 “After the store’s stay of execution just over a year ago, it’s unfortunate that the investment I argued for then – or even a transformation into a modern Frasers store – has not been forthcoming. 

“However, the will-it-close-or-not hokey cokey has at least given the building’s owners time to plan for the future, with proposals to split the building into smaller units already approved.

 “Whether or not Frasers Group might intend to maintain a more modest presence in the building, this reconfiguration will provide a prime opportunity for the national retail and leisure brands that I know from my networks are queuing up to trade in the town, complementing the brilliant independent offer that I am always praising.”

House of Fraser is set to close its shop in Darlington (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Mr Soult said it was “disappointing” to see the town being portrayed negatively, saying Darlington “remains vibrant and attractive relative to similar-sized towns elsewhere, especially given all the prevailing challenges”. 

He continued: “House of Fraser closing is not really a reflection on Darlington at all – it’s a reflection on Frasers Group pretty much closing all the remaining House of Fraser stores, with numbers now down to single digits compared to almost 60 branches less than a decade ago.

 “So, let’s be proud of Binns’ heritage, but look forward to the future by doing more of everything that is already great about Darlington, and laying out the welcome mat to those firms, national or indie, who want to join its business community.”

House of Fraser is set to close its shop in Darlington (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

As reported, the flagship store announced it was shutting on January 30 when closing down signs were erected on the windows of the shop.

Darlington Borough Council said the announcement is “disappointing” for town centre shoppers. 

It marks the second time the national retailer has announced the closure of the store after previously publicising its intention to close in 2024.

At the time, Graham said it was sad news but once again reiterated that the future remained bright, even without the department store.

Soon after the building was purchased by a new owner and House of Fraser was saved. Another deal was then struck for the retailer to stay an extra year last March.

A council spokesperson said: “The news that House of Fraser is closing is disappointing.

“The store has been at the heart of our town centre for many years and will undoubtedly be a miss for Darlington shoppers. As we learn more about the details of the closure, any relevant and appropriate support we are able to provide will be offered.”

Mr Taylor added: “The town is fantastic and it has got lots of promise. 

“I think Darlington is doing a fantastic job as it is. People are saying this is a loss for the town but actually it is a loss for House of Fraser. 

“The building is in a fantastic location and I think with a bit of thought they could have quite easily stayed on and made something great. 

“For some reason, they don’t want to invest in the town and that is their loss. My thoughts go out to all of those staff who have been loyal to the company.

“It is disappointing to lose a tenant in such a key location.”

Frasers Group declined to comment.

The Hollywood legend and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated a huge sum towards the family.

James Van Der Beek’s family have been given a huge sum of money by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. Following a battle with colorectal cancer, the Dawson’s Creek star died aged 48 on Wednesday.

In the wake of his sad death, his family launched a GoFundMe page after their finances had been wiped out by his cancer treatment. He had been diagnosed with the condition in August 2023 but, until he went public in November 2024, had decided to battle it privately.

As reported by the Mirror, his widow Kimberly said that she and their six children were facing an “uncertain future” due to the extremely high costs he had to cover during his treatment. But now, Hollywood legend and Jaws filmmaker Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated a huge sum towards the family.

There was no note attached to the donation, but the 79-year-old forked out $25,000 towards helping the Van Der Beeks. At the time of publishing, a staggering $1,732,319 has been raised, with Steven and Kate being the top donors. American filmmaker Jon M. Chu has also donated $10,000.

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Talent agent Kevin Huvane has also parted ways with $5,000. Actress Zoe Saldana, meanwhile, has pledged to donate $2,500 every month. On Wednesday, James’ wife said: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.

“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

She added: “James Van Der Beek was a beloved husband, father, and friend who touched the lives of everyone around him. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, James passed away on February 11, 2026, leaving behind his devoted wife, Kimberly, and their six wonderful children. Throughout his illness, the family faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care.

“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds.

“They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time. The support of friends, family, and the wider community will make a world of difference as they navigate the road ahead.”

Prior to James’ death, he also sold his Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues memorabilia to fund his treatment. Fans were able to get their hands on the outfit he wore in the first episode of Dawson’s Creek, which was expected to sell for up to £3,000. They were also able to purchase the necklace Dawson gave to on-screen girlfriend Joey, for prom, which was estimated to go for around £40,000.

Speaking of selling off his memorabilia in order to raise funds for treatment, James said: “I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now.

“While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore’s auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years.”

For more information or support about bowel cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.

If you have been affected by this story, Cruse Bereavement Support offers free help to make sense of how you are feeling. Click here for their website or call 0808 808 1677.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security appeared certain Thursday as lawmakers in the House and Senate were set to leave Washington for a 10-day break and negotiations with the White House over Democrats’ demands for new restrictions had stalled.

Democrats and the White House have traded offers in recent days as the Democrats have said they want curbs on President Donald Trump’s broad campaign of immigration enforcement. They have demanded better identification for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement officers, a new code of conduct for those agencies and more use of judicial warrants, among other requests.

The White House sent its latest proposal late Wednesday, but Trump told reporters on Thursday that some of the Democratic demands would be “very, very hard to approve.”

Democrats said the White House offer, which was not made public, did not include sufficient curbs on ICE after two protesters were fatally shot last month. The offer was “not serious,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Thursday, after the Senate rejected a bill to fund the department.

Americans want accountability and “an end to the chaos,” Schumer said. “The White House and congressional Republicans must listen and deliver.”

Lawmakers in both chambers were on notice to return to Washington if the two sides struck a deal to end the expected shutdown. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters that Democrats would send the White House a counterproposal over the weekend.

Impact of a shutdown

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said after the vote that a shutdown appeared likely and “the people who are not going to be getting paychecks” will pay the price.

The impact of a DHS shutdown is likely to be minimal at first. It would not likely block any of the immigration enforcement operations, as Trump’s tax and spending cut bill passed last year gave ICE about $75 billion to expand detention capacity and bolster enforcement operations.

But the other agencies in the department — including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secret Service and the Coast Guard — could take a bigger hit over time.

Gregg Phillips, an associate administrator at FEMA, said at a hearing this week that its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.

Phillips said that while the agency continues to respond to threats like flooding and winter storms, long-term planning and coordination with state and local partners will be “irrevocably impacted.”

Trump defends officer masking

Trump, who has remained largely silent during the bipartisan talks, noted Thursday that a recent court ruling rejected a ban on masks for federal law enforcement officers.

“We have to protect our law enforcement,” Trump told reporters.

Democrats made the demands for new restrictions on ICE and other federal law enforcement after ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Renee Good was shot by ICE agents on Jan. 7.

Trump agreed to a Democratic request that the Homeland Security bill be separated from a larger spending measure that became law last week. That package extended Homeland Security funding at current levels only through Friday.

Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York have said they want immigration officers to remove their masks, to show identification and to better coordinate with local authorities. They have also demanded a stricter use-of-force policy for the federal officers, legal safeguards at detention centers and a prohibition on tracking protesters with body-worn cameras.

Democrats also say Congress should end indiscriminate arrests and require that before a person can be detained, authorities have verified that the person is not a U.S. citizen.

Thune suggested there were potential areas of compromise, including on masks. There could be contingencies “that these folks aren’t being doxed,” Thune said. “I think they could find a landing place.”

But Republicans have been largely opposed to most of the items on the Democrats’ list, including a prohibition on masks.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said Republicans who have pushed for stronger immigration enforcement would benefit politically from the Democratic demands.

“So if they want to have that debate, we’ll have that debate all they want,” said Schmitt.

Judicial warrants a sticking point

Thune, who has urged Democrats and the White House to work together, indicated that another sticking point is judicial warrants.

“The issue of warrants is going to be very hard for the White House or for Republicans,” Thune said of the White House’s most recent offer. “But I think there are a lot of other areas where there has been give, and progress.”

Schumer and Jeffries have said DHS officers should not be able to enter private property without a judicial warrant and that warrant procedures and standards should be improved. They have said they want an end to “roving patrols” of agents who are targeting people in the streets and in their homes.

Most immigration arrests are carried out under administrative warrants. Those are internal documents issued by immigration authorities that authorize the arrest of a specific person but do not permit officers to forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent. Traditionally, only warrants signed by judges carry that authority.

But an internal ICE memo obtained by The Associated Press last month authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections.

Far from agreement

Thune, R-S.D., said were “concessions” in the White House offer. He would not say what those concessions were, though, and he acknowledged the sides were “a long ways toward a solution.”

Schumer said it was not enough that the administration had announced an end to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to thousands of arrests and the fatal shootings of two protesters.

“We need legislation to rein in ICE and end the violence,” Schumer said, or the actions of the administration “could be reversed tomorrow on a whim.”

Simmering partisan tensions played out on the Senate floor immediately after the vote, as Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees Homeland Security funding, tried to pass a two-week extension of Homeland Security funding and Democrats objected.

Britt said Democrats were “posturing” and that federal employees would suffer for it. “I’m over it!” she yelled.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the Homeland spending subcommittee, responded that Democrats “want to fund the Department of Homeland Security, but only a department that is obeying the law.”

“This is an exceptional moment in this country’s history,” Murphy said.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Joey Cappelletti, Stephen Groves and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a U.S. Marine and his wife will keep an Afghan orphan they brought home in defiance of a U.S. government decision to reunite her with her Afghan family. The decision likely ends a bitter, yearslong legal battle over the girl’s fate.

In 2020, a judge in Fluvanna County, Virginia, granted Joshua and Stephanie Mast an adoption of the child, who was then 7,000 miles away in Afghanistan living with a family the Afghan government decided were her relatives.

Four justices on the Virginia Supreme Court on Thursday signed onto an opinion reversing two lower courts’ rulings that found the adoption was so flawed it was void from the moment it was issued.

The justices wrote that a Virginia law that cements adoption orders after six months bars the child’s Afghan relatives from challenging the court, no matter how flawed its orders and even if the adoption was obtained by fraud.

Three justices issued a scathing dissent, calling what happened in this court “wrong,” “cancerous” and “like a house built on a rotten foundation.”

An attorney for the Masts declined to comment, citing an order from the circuit court not to discuss the details of the case publicly. Lawyers representing the Afghan family said they were not yet prepared to comment.

The child was injured on the battlefield in Afghanistan in September 2019 when U.S. soldiers raided a rural compound. The child’s parents and siblings were killed. Soldiers brought her to a hospital at an American military base.

The raid was targeting terrorists who had come into Afghanistan from a neighboring country; some believed she was not Afghan and tried to make a case for bringing her to the U.S. But the State Department, under President Donald Trump’s first administration, insisted the U.S. was obligated under international law to work with the Afghan government and the International Committee of the Red Cross to unite the child with her closest surviving relatives.

The Afghan government determined she was Afghan and vetted a man who claimed to be her uncle. The U.S. government agreed and brought her to the family. The uncle chose to give her to his son and his new wife, who raised her for 18 months in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Mast and his wife convinced courts in rural Fluvanna County, Virginia, to grant them custody and then a series of adoption orders, continuing to claim she was the “stateless” daughter of foreign fighters.

Judge Richard Moore granted them a final adoption in December 2020. When the six-month statute of limitations ran out, the child was still in Afghanistan living with her relatives, who testified they had no idea a judge was giving the girl to another family. Mast contacted them through intermediaries and tried to get them to send the girl to the U.S. for medical treatment but they refused to let her go alone.

When the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over, the family agreed to leave and Mast worked his military contacts to get them on an evacuation flight. Mast then took the baby from them at a refugee resettlement center in Virginia, and they haven’t seen her since.

The AP agreed not to name the Afghan couple because they fear their families in Afghanistan might face retaliation from the Taliban. The circuit court issued a protective order shielding their identities.

The Afghans challenged the adoption, claiming the court had no authority over a foreign child and the adoption orders were based on Mast repeatedly misleading the judge.

The Virginia Supreme Court on Thursday wrote that the law prohibiting challenges to an adoption after six months is designed to create permanency, so a child is not bounced from one home to another. The only way to undercut it is to argue that a parent’s constitutional rights were violated.

The lower courts had found that the Afghan couple had a right to challenge the adoption because they were the girl’s “de facto” parents when they came to the United States.

Four of the Supreme Court judges — D. Arthur Kelsey, Stephen R. McCullough, Teresa M. Chafin, Wesley G. Russell Jr. — disagreed.

“We find no legal merit” in the argument that “that they were ‘de facto’ parents of the child and that no American court could constitutionally sever that relationship,” they wrote. They pointed to Fluvanna County Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore’s findings that the Afghan couple “are not and never were parents” of the child, because they had no order from an Afghan court and had not proven any biological relationship to her.

The Afghans had refused DNA testing, saying it could not reliably prove a familial connection between opposite-gender half-cousins. They insisted that it didn’t matter, because Afghanistan claimed the girl as its citizen and got to determine her next-of-kin.

The Supreme Court leaned heavily on a 38-page document written by Judge Moore, who granted the adoption, then presided over a dozen hearings after the Afghans challenged it. He wrote that he trusted the Masts more than the Afghans, and believed that the Masts’ motivations were noble while the Afghans were misrepresenting their relationship to the child.

The Supreme Court also dismissed the federal government’s long insistence that Trump’s first administration had made a foreign policy decision to unite her with her Afghan relatives, and a court in Virginia has no authority to undo it. The government submitted filings in court predicting dire outcomes if the baby was allowed to remain with the Marine: it could be viewed as “endorsing an act of international child abduction,” threaten international security pacts and be used as propaganda by Islamic extremists — potentially endangering U.S soldiers overseas.

But the Justice Department in Trump’s second administration abruptly changed course.

The Supreme Court noted in its opinion that the Justice Department had been granted permission to make arguments in the case, but withdrew its request to do so on the morning of oral arguments last year, saying it “has now had an opportunity to reevaluate its position in this case.”

The Supreme Court returned repeatedly to Moore’s finding that giving the girl to the family “was not a decision the United States initiated, but rather consented to or acquiesced in.”

The three judges who dissented were unsparing in their criticism of both the Masts and the circuit court that granted him the adoption.

“A dispassionate review of this case reveals a scenario suffused with arrogance and privilege. Worse, it appears to have worked,” begins the dissent, written by Justice Thomas P. Mann, and signed by Chief Justice Cleo E. Powell and LeRoy F. Millette, Jr.

A Virginia court never had the right to give the child to the Masts, the dissent said.

They castigated the Masts for “brazenly” misleading the courts during their quest to adopt the girl.

“We must recognize what an adoption really is: the severance and termination of the rights naturally flowing to an otherwise legitimate claimant to parental authority. Of course, the process must be impeccable. An evolved society could not sanction anything less than that. And here, it was less,” Mann wrote. “If this process was represented by a straight line, (the Masts) went above it, under it, around it, and then blasted right through it until there was no line at all — just fragments collapsing into a cavity.”

The BAFTA-winning fantasy will be adapted by the acclaimed Chernobyl and The Last of Us writer Craig Mazin into a HBO series

HBO has announced it will be bringing a much-loved fantasy video game franchise to television screens after the success of The Last of Us. The American broadcaster is developing an adaptation of the critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3, which takes place within the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy universe. At the 2024 BAFTA Game Awards, Baldur’s Gate 3 claimed game of the year alongside four additional accolades, solidifying its position within the gaming industry, reports the Mirror.

Since its release, the title has received widespread acclaim from gamers, with the HBO adaptation anticipated to expand its audience even further. On Metacritic, one enthusiast left a glowing assessment: “Absolutely beautiful game.” They continued in their review: “I have around 200 hours now spent on this game and i’m still discovering more on my 3rd and 4th play throughs.”

Meanwhile, another user shared similarly positive feedback: “The best new age RPG ever made. It perfectly encapsulates the scenery and feel of DND on the scale of a major video game release. The sheer amounts of decisions, both big and small, a player can make is both overwhelming and beautiful.”

A third player proclaimed: “Masterpiece, best CRPG in the history of gaming, even so as we didnt have a great CRPG since Dragon Age 2 o Mass Effect 2 [sic].” Another contributor remarked: “Despite the odd bugs and broken quests, an exceptional game. This player of video games for 5 decades waited so long for something so rich and realistic.”

The upcoming drama series will be helmed by The Last of Us‘ co-creator and Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin, who is set to write, showrun and executive produce the television adaptation. In a statement reported by Deadline, Mazin expressed his excitement: “After putting nearly 1000 hours into the incredible world of Baldur’s Gate 3 , it is a dream come true to be able to continue the story that Larian and Wizards of The Coast created.”

He added, “I am a devoted fan of DandD and the brilliant way that Swen Vincke and his gifted team adapted it. I can’t wait to help bring Baldur’s Gate and all of its incredible characters to life with as much respect and love as we can, and I’m deeply grateful to Gabe Marano and his team at Hasbro for entrusting me with this incredibly important property.”

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The Baldur’s Gate TV series is expected to pick up where the games left off, focusing on the aftermath of Baldur’s Gate 3, with both existing and new characters grappling with the events of the latest game.

This suggests that the series won’t be strictly tied to the video games, allowing it to carve out its own narrative direction.

This approach stands in stark contrast to The Last of Us, which directly adapted the video game’s storyline while also expanding upon the existing universe.

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Indeed, the second season of The Last of Us received a more subdued response compared to the universally acclaimed first season, led by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.

The Last of Us is set to conclude with its third and final season, during which Mazin recently honoured the late Catherine O’Hara, who portrayed therapist Gail in the post-apocalyptic drama.

In 2025, HBO confirmed that showrunner Neil Druckmann would be stepping back from the series to concentrate on his ongoing commitments to his video game company, Naughty Dog.

Police and two ambulances were called to the scene between Monks Cross and Clifton Moor at 4.30pm on Thursday (February 12).

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said two people were taken to York Hospital by ambulance.

“We received an emergency call just after 4.30pm on Thursday afternoon to report a collision on the York Outer Ring Road (A1237) near Earswick,” the ambulance service said in a statement.

“Two ambulances were dispatched to the scene and two patients were conveyed to York Hospital.”

An eyewitness reported a heavy presence from the emergency services with traffic building.

“There were five police cars and an ambulance,” she said shortly before 5pm. “It’s causing absolute chaos.”

The AA said traffic was building between the Hopgrove Roundabout on the A1237 Westbound and Haxby Road.

It comes as spectators of the first 2026 Super League flock to York’s LNER Community Stadium to watch the match between York Knights and Hull KR.

With kick-off starting at 8pm, some fans have been left in standstill traffic.

A teenage girl will become the next leader of North Korea, with Kim Jong Un set to confirm his daughter as successor, spy chiefs believe.

The announcement could come at party congress, the country’s largest political gathering, which is set to be held later this month after a five-year hiatus.

Ahead of the conference, Mr Kim seems to be taking steps to consolidate his daughter‘s position as successor, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS).

Believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, the girl has become increasingly prominent in North Korean propaganda and even seems to have an input on policy, the NIS said.

Intelligence officials briefed members of the South Korean parliament on the child’s evolving status in a closed-door session this week.

Lee Seong-kweun of the People Power Party said: “In the past, the NIS described Kim Ju Ae as being ‘in study as successor’.

“But today the expression used was that she ‘was in the stage of being internally appointed successor’.”

Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party said the girl was already being treated as the second-in-command, pointing to her public profile.

He said the NIS would closely monitor whether she attends this month’s congress, where the regime will set out its major policy goals for the coming years.

Kim Ju Ae first stepped on to the public stage when she attended a missile launch with her father in November 2022.

South Korean officials were initially sceptical about her status as successor, given North Korea’s conservative, patriarchal culture.

But recent appearances have forced a reassessment, with the girl accompanying her father to a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last year.

She was also photographed with her parents at Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the embalmed bodies of her grandfather and great-grandfather are displayed.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute, said the girl could be appointed first secretary of the ruling party at congress.

Read more:
Who is the North Korean girl who may take over as leader?
North Korea ‘executes schoolkids for watching Squid Game’
Ukrainian children ‘sent to abusive camp in North Korea’

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Il-yong Ju recounts his experiences

But Koh Yu-hwan, former president of South Korea’s Institute of National Unification, said her elevation could be signalled more subtly.

For example, he said it might be claimed that North Korea had survived thanks to “successful inheritance of the revolution”.

“If you see comments like that, it would be reasonable to think that Ju Ae has been cemented,” he said.

Sony has announced two brand new God Of War games at the Thursday State of Play but neither of them are what fans were expecting.

You’re probably not shocked to hear it but the State of Play on Thursday did not, in fact, involve a suite of new first party Sony announcements. In fact, technically it didn’t announce anything new made by an internal studio, even if Santa Monica Studio is overseeing two new God Of War titles.

The first of these is described as a remake of the original three God Of War games but no footage was shown and it’s only just entered development – so it won’t be out for years. It’s also unclear who’s making it, with the only real detail being that original voice actor TC Carson (who seemed over the moon that Sony still has his number) is returning to the role of Kratos.

There was no indication of when a new mainline God Of War game might be released or what Santa Monica Studio is working on, if it’s not the remake trilogy. But another new game was also announced, in the form of 2D Metroidvania title God Of War: Sons Of Sparta.

Sons Of Sparta had been leaked before the State of Play, including the fact that the developer is the virtually unknown Mega Cat Studios, whose greatest claim to fame is Five Nights At Freddy’s: Into The Pit.

That’s not terribly encouraging but the game looked fine, although the 2D pixel art means it looks very similar to other indie Metroidvanias.

The story is set back when Kratos was a young man, training in the agōgē with his brother Deimos. Santa Monica Studio will not only be overseeing the game but also writing it, so it should at least sound authentic in terms of dialogue.

Sons Of Sparta will also feature TC Carson as the voice of Kratos, who will wield a spear and shield and use magic artefacts called the Gifts of Olympus.

There’s not much more information than that, but the big surprise is that the game’s out now, for £24.99, on the PlayStation Store. There’s also a Digital Deluxe Edition for £32.99. It’s only on PlayStation 5 though, with no PC version – it’s also not on Nintendo Switch 2, despite the rumours.

Why Sony thought a shadow drop was a good idea is unclear, but it does mean it’ll be a while until any reviews start to appear.

It may also be a while before we find out what Santa Monica Studio’s main development project is. Obviously, there’ll be a new mainline God Of War entry at some point but rumours have pointed to them working on a new sci-fi IP first.

They’re a big enough studio that they could be working on multiple projects at once, but at the moment there’s really no clue as to what’s going on.

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Saber Interactive has unveiled a new big budget John Wick game and it’s not just for PS5 – even if it doesn’t have a release date yet.

Technically this new John Wick game wasn’t a surprise. The head of film studio Lionsgate said last month that a ‘major’ new John Wick game would be announced and he wasn’t lying, as anyone that watched last night’s State of Play will know.

The new game, which doesn’t yet have a name, is a multiformat title, and will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC at an unspecified point in the future – but seemingly not this year.

Most of the reveal trailer seems to be pre-rendered, but there’s what appears to be actual gameplay towards the end, and it looks very good.

The authenticity of the action is no doubt due to the involvement of series creator Chad Stahelski, with the game featuring an original story set before the Impossible Task. In other words, it’s a prequel that takes place before the events of the four films.

Whatever the game ends up being called, it will be developed by Saber Interactive, who have a number of very different studios – and it’s not clear which one is making this. But the publisher’s biggest hits include World War Z and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, so they’re used to working with other people’s IP.

According to the trailer blurb the game will feature, ‘a hard-hitting gun-fu combat system, jaw-dropping camerawork, intense driving experiences, cinematic storytelling, and a bold range of atmospherically immersive environments.’

As you can see, the game does feature the likeness of Keanu Reeves but whether he’ll be providing the voiceover is unclear. There’s a good chance he will though, as he’s no stranger to the world of video games, given his sterling work on Cyberpunk 2077.

This will not be the first John Wick game but unfortunately the excellent strategy action game John Wick Hex was delisted last year and is now all but impossible to acquire.

It’s a shame, because while it’s one of the ugliest games we’ve ever played – and does not feature Keanu’s likeness – it is one of the most original turn-based strategy titles of recent years.

Turn-base strategy is not the obvious way to go for a property like John Wick though and it’s only a surprise it’s taken this long for a big budget triple-A game to be announced.

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The collection includes Dame Vera’s personal diary from her 1944 tour of India, the contract for her BBC radio show Sincerely Yours, 160 wartime contracts for more than 200 engagements, letters from Dame Vera to her husband Harry Lewis, and items of clothing from her Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) tropical uniform.