The Wednesday letters page is appalled by Sony’s attempts to justify not owning digital games, as one reader voices doubts about DLSS 5.

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

Ace attorneys
I still can’t quite believe what was said by Sony in that story about their legal defence of digital games. I had to read it twice to understand what they were even trying to say and then I realised they were trying to bamboozle the judge with made-up nonsense – the sort of thing you could’ve told your gran 30 years ago, before computers were really a known thing at home.

There’s only one copy so how could any one person own it? Sony, what are you talking about? Rather than mock them though I think it’s depressing just how far they are willing to go, to not do the right thing.

Even though their argument is just a word salad I’m sure they’ll win anyway. I don’t know why we bother having trials. Just see who has the most expensive lawyers and skip to the end where they win.

Anyway, to skip to the end myself I’ll just say this, I’m not buying a PlayStation 6 and I don’t care what it does. Sony is losing the trust and respect of gamers all over the world and I am definitely one of them. I don’t want to buy a gaming PC but that’s what I’m being pushed towards because of their arrogant attitude.
Carter

Group purchase
Hi to all at GC and the readers who make this community fantastic. I am in a pickle of a jam at the moment of only being realistically able to afford one new game in the next few months. Out of the games I would buy – Star Wars Zero Company, Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, and Star Wars: Galactic Racer – I have plumped for Galactic Racer, as it has been on my radar for longer than the others.

As both of these games are semi-niche, I was wondering if someone who is on the fence about getting one, would take a punt on them as they have both reviewed well and I would like to see these sorts of games supported over GTA 6 or EA Sports FC 27 by the masses. I know it’s a long shot but someone taking a chance would be great (physical too).

Many thanks and keep up the good work!!
Will

Definitely probably
With regards to Rob Lilley’s letter about which format to choose when buying Grand Theft Auto 6. I’ll be genuinely interested to see how the game runs on the Xbox Series S. When it was first announced that the game was coming out for the machine, I seriously thought about buying Microsoft’s cheaper console, because at home I’ve got way too much physical media piled up as it is.

Briefly scanning the internet, I get the impression that Xbox Series S owners are more than happy with their machines. Microsoft had a good idea there, releasing a more affordable console for gamers that weren’t overly bothered about ultra high definition graphics and frame rates.

Looking at the huge liquorice allsort that I have stuck under my telly, I regret not buying a sleek and unobtrusive Xbox Series S instead, when they were attractively priced. But will Microsoft’s budget console run GTA 6? That’s the question.

My guess is, probably.
Michael Veal

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Beast of a game
I am really enjoying my time with Beast Of Reincarnation. Nice vertical and horizontal exploration of sorts, to find hidden items and fun battles to boot.

Thank goodness for those updates along the way. That writing was way too small even on my 65″ TV! Plus, other handy updates. But was it me or didn’t they have the English voice overs when first released? Could swear they didn’t.
ShaunOMacY2J (gamertag)

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Unlimited power
Love XCOM. I love legacy Star Wars (and Andor), so Zero Company looked brilliant on paper. But in reality, it is even better!

If you are looking for deep strategy, good storytelling, and solid turn-based gameplay I can 200% recommend Zero Company and would highly recommend it to anyone on the fence.

However, my issue is that it’s left me wanting more!

More characters. More missions. More enemies. More gear. More of everything!

I am going to cash in c. 30 years of Metro/ Digi readership points (going all the way back to Digi characters and ‘reveal’ quizzes!) to implore EA to give Bit Reactor the wonga to make more content and greenlight a sequel ASAP!

Would love to know how others have been getting on with this game too.
Tom

GC: We would love a DLC pack of aliens, at the very least, but the future of Bit Reactor seems very much up in the air at the moment.

A change is as good as a rest
Also loving Star Wars Zero Company – felt I needed to support it but not regretting it at all. I would say that, to me, it does feel like an iteration of XCOM but between the change in theme and the small amendments to the way it plays, it’s just about different enough. That said, it’s not a problem. XCOM is great.

Thinking about it, the theme change may actually be a huge positive for some old school XCOM players (I know at least one). It’s not that its Star Wars, but crucially it’s not XCOM, meaning that hopefully those players aren’t constantly looking at what the game isn’t (the squad sizes are too small, etc.) but can enjoy it on its own terms.
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)

Pure kino
Just caught up on the whole Grand Theft Auto on YouTube and one thing it has reaffirmed to me is that the cinematic verve in a Rockstar production is unmatched in the industry, and that the release of a new GTA is always an event. Something that feels increasingly like a rarity these days.

Other than the frankly unreal graphics (eat your heart out Epic Games), which in my eyes virtually look next gen, I was quite pleased to learn that the game is following in Red Dead Redemption 2’s footsteps with the more rigid adherence to realism and higher stakes in the story.

I’m pretty confident the gunplay, driving, and general controls will feel more fluid and responsive than anything they’ve done to date, and I was amazed by the sheer density of detail and things to see and do in the game’s world – the scuba diving and base jumping activities looked incredible.

But I also hope the game doesn’t take itself too seriously and lose sight of its more gamified, zanier side, like the UFO signs, drug-induced hallucinogenic alien fights, and Ballad Of Gay Tony-like craziness, etc. to counterbalance the magnified mundanities of a life simulator elsewhere.

I also have to once again acknowledge how impeccable Rockstar’s editing and choice of music in their promotional videos and montages are.

I’ve always felt that the GTAs are more than the sum of their parts, and whilst I still have some small reservations about the substance and evolution of the main mission design, how sharp and resonant the satire and writing will be, and the relationship mechanics, I think as a whole the experience is most likely going to be impressive.

Now for an anecdote:

I took my dear grandmother out to brunch the other day, afterwards she wanted to go into a flower shop to purchase some lilies, but I desperately had to use the loo, so momentarily left her side.

When I had returned she was nowhere to be seen, but fortunately I was quickly able to breathe a sigh of relief after I located her in the grocery store next door looking for some borlotti beans.

For a moment there, I thought some nefarious soul had committed gran theft auto.
GG

Halloween port
Nice to see the well-received The Séance Of Blake Manor has been given a console release date of October 27th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

It’ll be a very reasonable £16.75 on the eShop, the other stores don’t have prices yet.
Simundo

GC: It’s a great game; we highly recommend it.

Consistently inconsistent
RE: Nick the Greek and when did Sonic games get good again. As a long time Sonic fan I think it’s best to acknowledge that the games have always been a mixed bag. Back when the original trilogy was coming out you had the Game Gear games, which can be considered serviceable at best, but few people are talking about them today.

Then in the late 90s and 2000s, for every Sonic Adventure there’s a Secret Rings. Sonic Unleashed manages to be a great game with Sonic and a poor one with the Werehog, all in one go. Many would say Sonic was consistently good on portables, given the Advance and Rush games, but that ignores the very samey Rivals games on PSP In the 2010s.

We did end up with less games than the 2000s, but sadly that didn’t spark an increase in quality. Games like Lost World and Forces are best described as fine, they function but they’re not going to be all that much fun. Even the racing games embody this mixed bag problem; the Riders series becoming less engaging with each entry and the kart racers being great except for Team Sonic Racing, which had a great idea but poor execution, in my opinion.

And now in the 2020s we’ve got Frontiers and Shadow Generations, which are both fantastic, but then there’s Superstars, which feels like a bad attempt at developing the ideas from Sonic Mania. And of course all of this is ignoring the two underbaked disasters that were 2006 and Boom, which somehow didn’t kill the franchise.

I guess there’s just something about the blue blur that’s allowed him to endure through all the hardship for 35 years, so here’s to 35 more.
Sunny

Inbox also-rans
Why is it I don’t believe a word Nvidia is saying about DLSS 5? It’s very obvious they only started with NBA 2K27 because it’s got real people in it, that the AI can copy more easily. It’s still going to be a nightmare machine when it tries the same trick with characters there’s less reference for.
Focus

I see Double Fine are talking about making a Brütal Legend but, err… aren’t most of the people from the first game dead now? Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne, Tim Curry… the only one still going, that I can remember, is Rob Halford. And Jack Black, obviously.
K

GC: Lita Ford is still around too.

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MORE: Games Inbox: Are retro video games becoming more popular?

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New Quay in Ceredigion has been dubbed Britain’s prettiest coastal town, but it has also been named the most isolated town in England and Wales, with the nearest supermarket a 20-mile journey away

A small Welsh seaside town of New Quay in Ceredigion has earned a glowing reputation as one of Britain’s prettiest.

Regularly praised for its unspoilt coastline and charming harbour, New Quay is a place full of surprises. It has dolphins, harbour porpoises, a hillside of colourful, chocolate-box style homes, and a connection to Wales’ most famous poet.

It is all of these qualities that make it a fantastic place to visit, and why Hazel Rickett, a travel expert at small-group tour operator Rabbie’s, has selected New Quay as one of seven destinations that are perfect for a late summer long weekend.

“Tucked away on the Ceredigion coast, New Quay is one of Wales’ best-kept seaside secrets. Colourful cottages, a picturesque harbour and sweeping views across Cardigan Bay make it an ideal destination for a peaceful coastal escape,” Hazel said.

“Visitors can stroll along the waterfront, enjoy fresh seafood and, if they’re lucky, spot the resident bottlenose dolphins. Its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful coastline make it the perfect destination for a laid-back short break.”

New Quay sits on Cardigan Bay, which holds one of Europe’s largest resident populations of bottlenose dolphins. They’re regularly spotted right from the harbour wall or headland in summer, no boat required. If you want a closer look, boat trip operators like SeaMor Dolphin Watching run out of the harbour.

Grey seals, harbour porpoises, seabirds, and rare chough are all found along the coast, and the free Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre on the seafront covers all of it.

The town’s most famous son is Dylan Thomas, who lived in New Quay with his wife Caitlin for about six months in 1944/45. It was one of the most productive periods of his career, and the town is widely accepted as the model for the fictional village of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood. There’s a Dylan Thomas Trail you can follow, a plaque at The Black Bull pub marking where he got the idea for an early piece that became Under Milk Wood, and the site of Majoda, the “wood and asbestos pagoda” bungalow where he wrote.

It’s easy to see why the place proved such an inspiration to Thomas, given its clear beauty. Brightly painted houses tumble down a steep hill to the working harbour and Harbour Beach, which won a Seaside Award in 2026 for cleanliness. It marks the halfway point of the Wales Coast Path, so it’s a natural stopping point for walkers.

Intriguingly, New Quay has also been named as one of the most isolated in the UK. While New Quay’s 1,045 residents are well served by tourist-facing independent shops and cafes, the town has no major supermarket. Despite a Costcutter and a Morrisons nearby, the nearest large superstore — a Tesco or Aldi in Cardigan — requires a 20-mile round trip. The nearest railway station, in Aberystwyth, is a 40-minute drive away.

New Quay was once a thriving fishing village built on the herring trade, though the industry has long since declined. Today, the handful of remaining fishermen make their living from lobster and prawn catches.

The 18th York World Naked Bike Ride will take place in York next Saturday (September 12) – starting at Millennium Bridge at 4pm and returning to the same spot.

The global protest highlights the dangers faced by cyclists on roads dominated by motor vehicles and aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of fossil-fuel-dependent transport.

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The global protest highlights the dangers faced by cyclists on roads dominated by motor vehicles and aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of fossil-fuel-dependent transport.

Organisers describe the ride as a celebration of cycling as a “healthy, fun and affordable alternative,” with some participants choosing to ride naked to symbolise vulnerability and promote body positivity.

World Naked Bike Ride sets off from Millennium Bridge , York Picture Frank Dwyer.

This year’s theme is ‘Bare as you Dare’ with organisers encouraging both clothed and unclothed cyclists to take part – encouraging them to be ‘comfortable in this space of acceptance’. 

Sadie Tann, a participant and first-time organiser, said: “We have all witnessed the devastating impacts of climate change this summer.

2015 The York Naked Bike Ride sets off from Millennium Bridge on Sunday Picture Frank Dwyer.

“Carbon dioxide levels are rising at an unprecedented rate with current figures at 427ppm. This is the highest it has been in human history and the primary driver is fossil fuel emissions

“One way of tackling this first-hand is to switch our cars for carbon-free bikes, and the more of us that do so, the greater the call to local councils for better infrastructure will be.”

World Naked Bike Ride sets off from Millennium Bridge , York Picture Frank Dwyer.

The 7-mile route is expected to take around two hours and will pass through the University of York, with views of the city’s historic walls and the River Ouse.

Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 group shared their frustrations over the postponed case.

US officials have expressed confidence that the trial of a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 will “successfully” go ahead in the new year after a recent postponement caused concern among campaigners.

The federal prosecution of Abu Agila Masud over the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history is now due to get under way on January 11 in Washington DC after the judge ordered a delay last week, citing the disclosure of new evidence that defence lawyers wanted to examine.

The last-minute hold-up, just as jury selection was set to begin, sparked consternation within the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 group, given the elderly age of many bereaved relatives.

A spokesman for the US Department of Justice said: “It is not unusual for trials to be continued, and the government is confident that this case will go forward at the new trial date successfully.”

However, a hearing due to be held into the status of the postponed case on Tuesday was itself delayed until September 15.

Court documents said this was due to “the complex nature of the case, the amount of time required to adequately prepare for pretrial proceedings and for trial… the voluminous discovery, including newly discovered evidence, as well as evidence located in other countries… and the need for the defence to determine how best to defend this case”.

As such it was concluded the “ends of justice… outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial”.

The nature of the newly discovered evidence has not been revealed. Masud’s legal team say the disclosure was made at short notice and that their “constitutional and ethical obligations require the defence to investigate this development”.

The defendant, now in his mid-70s, is charged with two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors claim he once confessed to his role, although this has been challenged by his lawyers. Masud, who was extradited from Libya to the US in 2022, has denied the charges.

All 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000ft above Lockerbie and 38 minutes into its flight from London to New York.

Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only person convicted in connection with the bombing, after being found guilty of 270 counts of murder by a panel of three Scottish judges sitting at a special court in the Hague in 2001.

He was sent to serve his prison sentence in Scotland but was controversially granted compassionate release in 2009 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, returning home to Libya where he died in 2012.

His fellow Libyan co-accused Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, who was cleared at the time of involvement in the atrocity, was recently reported to have died.

Scottish prosecutors have always maintained that Megrahi acted with others in carrying out the attack.

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The pair remain in hospital

Two men were hospitalised with “serious” injuries after a crash between two motorbikes in Peterborough. A blue Yamaha MT-03 motorcycle was being ridden in Stanham Way, near Cardea, at about 5.20pm on Monday, August 31.

The rider was then involved in a head-on crash with a black BMW S1000 motorbike. The rider of the Yahama motorbike, a 19-year-old man from Peterborough, suffered serious, life-threatening injuries.

The rider of the BMW motorbike, a 32-year-old man from London, suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. Both men were taken to Peterborough City Hospital, where they remain on Tuesday morning (September 1).

An investigation has been launched and anyone with any information, including dash cam footage, is urged to report it online or by calling 101. They should quote Op Michigan or incident 321 of August 31.

It comes as free bus travel over the summer holiday for children comes to an end.

The move to offer the free travel is designed to ensure children placed in temporary accommodation can stay at their school, maintaining their routine and minimising disruption to their education.

The Mayor Bev Craig announced when she was elected that the free bus travel offer for children in temporary accommodation would be in place for the new school year.

She has now confirmed that the policy will come into effect from today (1 September).

Families living in temporary accommodation who are eligible – which includes those living more than two miles from their school or where their route is considered unsafe to walk – will be assessed for eligibility by their local council who will then issue the pass.

Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “I believe everyone deserves a safe home they can afford. Across our region, too many people face the risk of homelessness.

“As Mayor, I’m committed to reducing the number of families stuck in temporary housing, including by building 50,000 council and genuinely affordable homes.

“We know that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation. That’s why I’ve also promised to reduce the prevalence of out-of-borough placements to keep families in their communities.

“But we need to help families facing homelessness now, when they need it most. That’s why I backed the campaign to give children living in temporary accommodation free travel to and from school on Bee Network buses and I’m pleased that, as Mayor, we are making it a reality – to make life that little bit easier in difficult times.”

The Greater Manchester Strategy – the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation.

Measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to access, improve and retain a decent, affordable home.

As part of that free Bee Network bus travel to and from school will be provided to children placed in temporary housing by a local authority in Greater Manchester from today (1 September).

Sam Pratt, Policy and Communications Lead at Shared Health Foundation, a charity which supports homeless families in Greater Manchester, said: “We are really pleased to finally see bus passes will be provided for homeless children living in temporary accommodation. Even more significant is that their parent or carer will be offered support while accompanying them to school too.

“For children already facing the uncertainty and disruption that comes with living in temporary accommodation, ensuring they have the cost covered to travel to school will ease the burden of being homeless.”

The free school pass will be available to primary and secondary school aged children living in temporary accommodation that is located more than two miles from their school or if they live within two miles, but the route is not considered safe to walk.

Parents or carers of eligible children under 12 will also be provided with a linked pass, allowing them to take their children to school and collect them at the end of the day.

The programme, codenamed C430L, reportedly involves the ‘transfer of a highly strategically sensitive military technology from Russia that the Iranians have wanted to acquire for decades’

Russia has been covertly helping Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missiles, according to reports.

According to an investigation by the Financial Times, the assistance by Russia started in 2023 and has continued into the US war on Iran.

The US and Iran have been at war since February 28 when joint US-Israeli forces carried out strikes on several key Iranian sites. Iran retaliated by striking sites across the Middle East and closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

The programme, codenamed C430L, has used some of Russia’s most experienced missile specialists to help the Middle Eastern nation develop a new class of weapon. It is being carried out via Russian correspondence, travel records and analysis of military patents.

Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles and senior analyst with Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based weapons-tracing organisation, said: “This is the transfer of a highly strategically sensitive military technology from Russia that the Iranians have wanted to acquire for decades.

“A programme like this would require political clearance from the very top in Russia.”

Weapons such as these would pose a threat to US warships in the region and could add a new element to the months-long conflict.

The main purpose of the programme is to assist Iran to develop a ramjet propulsion system, an engine that allows a cruise missile to sustain flight at several times the speed of sound.

Supersonic cruise missiles shorten the time available for air and missile defences to detect and engage them and would help Iran in the Gulf where the US operates advanced defensive systems.

“For the Iranians, this would give them a qualitatively new strategic weapon system that could threaten US Navy vessels,” said Jim Lamson, a former Iran-focused military analyst with the CIA now at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

Iran has built and flight-tested the ramjet propulsion system. There is no evidence that a Russian-assisted supersonic cruise missile have been deployed yet.

By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 00:38 BST, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 03:14 BST, 2 September 2026

Jared Leto made more than $7 million as he sold a Los Angeles mansion he owned for $12 million earlier this year.

The 54-year-old actor in May finalized the real estate deal on the property, which had once been a base for the U.S. Air Force, TMZ reported on Tuesday.

The 14,649 sq. foot home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms, as it’s situated on a lot of land spanning 1.4 acres.

The Academy Award-winning star had initially purchased the Laurel Canyon property in 2015 for $5 million, the outlet reported.

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Among the unique amenities of the home include a trio of 35-millimeter screening rooms, film vaults with temperature-control and a sound stage.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Leto for further comment on the story. 

Jared Leto, 54, made more than $7 million as he sold a Los Angeles mansion he owned for $12 million this past May. Pictured October in LA 

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The property had been the location for training films for the Army, and newsreels for the Air Force that featured late Hollywood icons such as Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck, according to the outlet.

Other notable features of the unique property include concrete blast walls that are four feet thick, a shelter and a tower intended for air-traffic, according to a 2017 WSJ Magazine profile.

The Suicide Squad actor spoke about the unusual history associated with the property in the piece, saying, ‘There are so many crazy rumors about this place: Everything from “Part of the moon landing was filmed here” to “They used to keep prisoners downstairs.”

‘They had laboratories. They were doing all kinds of God-knows-what.’

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Leto noted he had converted the soundstage on the premises to a studio for his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, according to the report.

Leto was in the headlines earlier this summer following the July release of a BBC documentary titled Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Darkest Secret.

The documentary included allegations from four women who accused the entertainer of sexual misconduct, stating the incidents had occurred when they were aged 16-19.

The claims, which Leto denied, were situated between the years 2002 and 2016, a timeframe in which Leto had primarily been in his 30s and 40s.

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The 14,649 sq. foot home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms, as it’s situated on a lot of land spanning 1.4 acres

The Academy Award-winning star had initially purchased the Laurel Canyon property in 2015 for $5 million

The actor in May finalized the real estate deal on the property, which had once been a base for the U.S. Air Force

One woman said in the BBC doc that Leto had assaulted her when she had been 17-years-old while in the bathroom of a motel.

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Another woman said that Leto had threatened her with sex assault when she was 19, in a hotel room.

A woman in the doc said she had been 17 during a sexual encounter with Leto in California, where the age of consent is 18.

Another accused claimed Leto had made sexually graphic statements to her while on the phone when she was 16.

Leto, through a statement, denied all of the allegations, saying, ‘I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life.’

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He added, ‘These claims are absolutely and categorically false.’

By SOPHIE CHURCH – POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 22:45 BST, 1 September 2026 | Updated: 03:08 BST, 2 September 2026

Andy Burnham was dealt an underhand blow on Tuesday as his predecessor Keir Starmer resigned as an MP.

In a move that left Westminster reeling, Sir Keir tendered his resignation as Labour‘s MP for Holborn and St Pancras on the day Parliament resumed after the summer break.

And in a further headache for Mr Burnham, Sir Keir’s shock resignation saw Green leader Zack Polanski poised to challenge Labour in the resulting by-election.

The ousted former PM had previously said he would remain on Labour’s backbenches until the next election, but in a final parliamentary U-turn said on Tuesday that now was ‘the right time’ to resign.

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Sir Keir issued a statement saying he would now focus on ‘international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world’.

This came as the new Prime Minister returned to Westminster on Tuesday to face the scrutiny of MPs after a summer spent courting voters.

Andy Burnham was dealt an underhand blow on Tuesday as his predecessor Keir Starmer resigned as an MP

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Sir Keir tendered his resignation as Labour ‘s MP for Holborn and St Pancras on the day Parliament resumed after the summer break

The Greens on Tuesday suggested Mr Polanski would now run for the London constituency after months of speculation about his designs on becoming an MP

But Sir Keir’s resignation wrested attention away from Mr Burnham as he tried to win over MPs after the parliamentary break.

And he now faces a tough contest to hold Holborn and St Pancras against an emboldened Green Party – which made record gains in May’s local elections in London thanks to Labour’s vote crumbling.

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The Greens on Tuesday suggested Mr Polanski would now run for the London constituency after months of speculation about his designs on becoming an MP.

When asked about the Green leader’s intentions, a Green Party spokesperson said: ‘Zack has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP. London has been his home for over 20 years.’

This followed Mr Polanski saying in April he would ‘almost certainly’ run in a future by-election in the capital – and even eyeing up Sir Keir’s seat.

In an interview with la Repubblica, he said: ‘If there’s a by-election in London, I’ll almost certainly be running depending on where it is.

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He added this could include Holborn and St Pancras ‘if Keir Starmer is going anywhere’.

Mr Polanski in June suggested he would be willing to co-operate or form a coalition with a Labour government led by Mr Burnham.

Commenting on the chances of a Green win in North London, director of polling firm More in Common Luke Tryl said: ‘For Labour, this will be a real test of whether Burnham can actually unite the left in a real election and save their urban strongholds.

‘For the Greens, it’s a test of whether or not Polanski can recover from recent stumbles and recapture his momentum of early spring.’

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Politics professor at the University of Manchester Robert Ford wrote on X: ‘The seat has exceptionally high shares of non-white voters (66 per cent), graduates (51 per cent) and young ppl (47 per cent aged 16-39) – all groups that have swung Lab to Green in recent years.

‘This could be a humdinger of a by-election.’

This comes as Andrew Feinstein, an independent who came closest to beating Sir Keir in Holborn and St Pancras in the last general election, suggested on Tuesday he would do a deal with the Greens to deny Labour victory.

He wrote on X: ‘We must ensure that all progressive forces in Holborn & St. Pancras unite in order to deliver an MP who represents us & will work for us.

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‘An MP who is the antithesis of everything that Starmer stands for.’

Both Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe on Tuesday confirmed they would stand candidates for the upcoming by-election for Reform and Restore Britain respectively.

The disturbing full details of Below Deck star Nathan Gallagher’s sustained and brutal attack on his co-star and girlfriend expose just how close he came to killing her.

The Daily Mail yesterday revealed the 28-year-old Irish reality TV personality has fled the country to avoid facing justice before the Australian courts.

When his assault was finally revealed only last week – after being kept secret for nine months since his arrest – Gallagher insisted he’d been unfairly shamed.

In a self-pitying statement to Rolling Stone magazine, he told the world no-one should judge him because they hadn’t ‘heard the full story surrounding what happened’.

Well, here it is.

Police facts reveal the real grim truth about how he tried to strangle and suffocate her, aggressively asphyxiating her while he straddled and blocked her from breaking free.

And he did it to the mother of his son – as the child lay on the bed alongside her.

Gallagher, 27, and Gael Cameron, 29, were in her apartment in Melrose Park, 12km north-west of Sydney CBD, on Boxing Day night last year.

The facts say that Gael Cameron (pictured)  ‘tried to pull away and [Gallagher] persisted continuing to cover her mouth so that the victim was unable to breathe’

Gael Cameron (centre) arrived at Sydney’s Burwood Local Court on Tuesday to give evidence against her former partner and Below Deck co-star Nathan Gallagher

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The couple had drunk about a bottle of wine and were in a relationship described by NSW Police as being ‘on-again, off-again’.

The Australian met Gallagher, a lad from an Irish fishing village who loved boats, in mid-2024 when they were hired as deckhands on season nine of the reality TV show, Below Deck Mediterranean.

They would feature in the following two seasons which charted ‘their reconciliation, transition into parenthood and Nathan’s yachting career’ versus his relationship with his partner and child, the Bravo show notes say.

As midnight rolled over that Boxing Day, the couple ‘engaged in a verbal argument’, police alleged.

Ms Cameron went into the bedroom and asked Gallagher to sleep in the other room, but he ignored her, ‘entered the bedroom, the argument renewed and he became violent,’ according to police.

Court documents reveal how the sustained assault unfolded between 3am and 7am, mostly in the bedroom of Ms Cameron’s unit. 

Referring to Ms Cameron as the ‘victim’, the police facts state what happened next is that Gallagher ‘used one hand to cover the mouth and nose of the victim’.

‘The victim tried to pull away and [Gallagher] persisted, continuing to cover her mouth so that the victim was unable to breathe at certain points,’ the court documents state.

Police facts describe how Nathan Gallagher strangled and tried to asphyxiate Gael Cameron (pictured together) in her Sydney apartment as their six-month-old son lay next to her

Gael Cameron (pictured at court on Tuesday with two supporters) was held down and choked by her former partner and Below Deck co-star Nathan Gallagher

During the sustained assault, Gael Cameron (pictured) tried to scream and tell Gallagher that she could not breathe but he became ‘increasingly aggressive’

Ms Cameron then tried to scream and tell Gallagher that she could not breathe but he became ‘increasingly aggressive’. 

‘During the struggle, the victim has fallen to the floor of the bedroom between the bed and the wardrobe trying to break free from [Gallagher]… while trying to hold on to the edge of the bed where their six-month-old son was lying,’ the facts add.

‘[Gallagher] continued to restrict the victim’s breathing by holding both hands over the victim’s mouth. 

‘Ms Cameron began screaming and she believes Gallagher did not want her to be heard by the neighbours. 

‘While preventing the victim from breathing and making noise, [he] held the victim down on the bedroom floor, wrapping his legs around the victim to better control her.’

During the struggle, she used her left elbow to strike Gallagher in the mouth in an attempt to get him off her, ‘however this only angered him further’.

‘[He] placed both of his hands around the victim’s neck applying enough pressure which made her unable to breathe,’ the court documents add. 

‘The victim used her legs to try and kick him off her and scream for help. Gallagher used an open right palm and struck her on the left side of the jaw. 

Nathan Gallagher was a no show at court, but police facts reveal that he ‘placed both of his hands around the victim’s neck applying enough pressure which made her unable to breathe’

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Ms Cameron and Gallagher had an on-again, off-again relationship which finally ended after he brutally assaulted, choked and restricted her breathing during an attack in her home

‘This caused pain and swelling.’ 

Ms Cameron tried to break free and grabbed her son to run out of the room, but Gallagher blocked her trying to leave. 

She then ran to the bathroom where Gallagher cornered her and ‘used both hands to grip the neck of the victim and whilst applying force lifted her up. 

‘(Ms Cameron) was unable to breathe during this time,’ police told the court.

‘After some time, he has held the victim from behind, holding her wrists and wrapping his arms and legs around the victim, holding her down on the bed.’

When Ms Cameron woke up the following morning, Gallagher continued the argument, and blamed her for causing it. She then picked up her son and fled the apartment to go to her brother’s home. 

Police were called and found her ‘highly distressed and emotional’. They saw ‘bruising along her legs, arm, left side of her face, swelling to the face and a laceration inside of her lip consistent with a blow to the face’. 

Gallagher was arrested and police told the court he admitted holding Ms Cameron down, wrapping his arms around her, and that during a struggle, she fell to the floor.

Gael Cameron, 30, suffered bruising and lacerations in the assault by her now ex-partner and former Below Deck co-star Nathan Gallagher

Nathan Gallagher, 27, and Gael Cameron, 29, were in her apartment in Melrose Park (pictured), 12km north-west of Sydney CBD, on Boxing Day night last year

He ‘categorically denied choking the victim or covering her mouth in any way, or punching her’. 

‘He admitted holding her down and wrapping her up, but claimed it was to calm her down,’ the court documents stated.

Ms Cameron turned up to give evidence at court on Tuesday, looking sombre and supported by two companions, believed to be family members, but there was no sign of Gallagher.

His no-show for the scheduled hearing came despite telling Rolling Stone he had ‘contemporaneous video footage from the night in question’.

He also claimed he had ‘messages and other records, which I believe provide important context and show events that have not been publicly reported,’ he told the magazine.

He also said there were ‘other matters surrounding the relationship that I have never discussed publicly, including circumstances surrounding the breakdown of our relationship’.

Gallagher claimed it involved ‘financial matters relating to the purchase of an apartment in Sydney’.

‘I don’t believe it is fair for one version of events to be presented publicly as though it is the complete story,’ he added.

Nathan Gallagher has previous form for not showing up at court on violence charges. There are now two police warrants for his arrest, in NSW and in Ireland

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By failing to appear as legally required, the judge convicted him in his absence without ‘his side of the story’ being aired, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The now-convicted woman-basher has now lost his opportunity to present whatever  mitigating factors he might have claimed existed for his violent outburst.

It was also revealed there is another warrant for his arrest in Ireland, issued in April last year.

Just like in Sydney, he had failed to appear in court there to face a charge of assaulting a man and causing him harm.