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Games Inbox: Has Sony lost the trust of PS5 gamers?

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Games Inbox: Has Sony lost the trust of PS5 gamers?
Are you losing faith? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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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New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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Paedophile lawyer finally facing being struck off after being allowed to keep working

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Alan Eccles, from Giffnock, near Glasgow, had his practising certificate renewed last year despite child abuse chats coming to light.

A paedophile lawyer who engaged in child abuse chat online could finally be struck off after being allowed to keep working more than a year after admitting his vile crimes.

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We told how a “disgusted” legal insider had called for an urgent probe after Alan Eccles, from Giffnock, near Glasgow, had his practising certificate renewed last year after being spared jail for “despicable” offences.

Eccles, a former lawyer for the Scottish Youth Parliament, was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after admitting to engaging in online conversations about the sexual abuse of children as well as sharing indecent photos of kids and an intimate picture of a woman in 2023.

But Law Society of Scotland procedures means a sentence of less than a year in prison does not trigger a suspension and Eccles’ licence to operate was renewed in November, sparking outrage.

Now the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal (SSDT), which has the power to barr a lawyer from practising, has brought misconduct proceedings against Eccles, with a hearing scheduled for later this month.

But it’s understood Eccles will continue to be allowed to work until the process is complete – which could take several more months.

A Law Society of Scotland spokesman said: “Where we have reason to believe that one of our members has not met the high professional standards expected of them we will take action.

“By law, we have powers to suspend a solicitor from practice in limited circumstances, which include where a solicitor has been convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more. Other disciplinary measures are available where that threshold is not met but a solicitor is still able to practice pending the conclusion and outcome of the disciplinary process.

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“Due to our successful lobbying… we will have enhanced powers to suspend solicitors in the future.”

In June last year, Eccles was tagged for eight months as he was handed his community-based sentence at Paisley Sheriff Court, which included a three-year supervision order. He was also added to the sex offenders register for three years.

His lawyer John Scullion KC told the court the offences took place when his mental health was poor, saying: “He accepts full responsibility.”

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Sheriff Bruce Erroch told first offender Eccles his behaviour was “despicable”.

Eccles’s profile was removed from the Law Society’s pages following his conviction but later reinstated.

The society’s new practice year began in November, with details of Eccles’s Hillington-based business remaining on the register after his certificate was renewed.

His webpage still features references from legal professionals, describing him as a “consummate professional” as well as “caring” and “empathetic”.

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The decision to allow Eccles, 45, to work again was branded “shameful” at the time but Eccles told the Record there was “nothing unusual” that he still had a practising certificate.

Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for victims and community safety Sharon Dowey said the public would be “appalled” to learn that the “predatory offender” had not only escaped jail but, “as a result of his lenient sentence, is able to continue practising law”.

Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said it was “worrying” that Alan Eccles was still freely practising, saying it was vital appropriate safeguards are in place.

The SSDT decides whether a solicitor is guilty of professional misconduct and on any sanction. It can censure, fine or restrict solicitors’ practice and, in the serious cases, trike a solicitor off the roll.

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The procedural hearing of Eccles’ case will be heard privately later this month.

The SSDT said a hearing had been set to hear legal submissions on the case, which require to be heard in private “in the interests of justice”.

It said depending on what the tribunal decides, future hearings of this case may be made public.

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Linfield boss David Healy sees ‘more positives than negatives’ in Shield defeat to big rivals Glentoran

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It wasn’t the usual blood and thunder Belfast derby because the Blues boss made 10 changes to the team that defeated Limavady United at the weekend

Declan Devine’s Glentoran booked their place in round two of the ToalsBet Senior Shield following a 3-1 victory over a youthful Linfield side at the BetMcLean Oval.

It was striker Jordan Jenkins, who was the tormentor in chief, bagging a delicious double within the first six minutes! Substitute Carl Weatherup put the icing on the cake late on with a third.

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But it wasn’t the usual blood and thunder Belfast derby because Blues boss David Healy made 10 changes to the team that defeated Limavady United at the weekend, using mostly Under-20 personnel.

They did, however, produce a gutsy showing that heralded a fine strike by Charlie Chapman in the second half.

“We selected a team based on trusting what we have in and around the U20s and in and around the squad. Part of their learning and part of their journey is to come to places like this when you are up against it,” said Healy.

“Glentoran picked a pretty strong team. We got off to the worst start but credit to the players, after 10 or 15 minutes we realised we could cope, we could play.

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“We got ourselves back into the game. More positives than negatives. Our most important game is going to be Saturday (Carrick Rangers).”

Most of the talk around the old stadium centred on Glentoran’s new signing Conor McMenamin, who was yesterday snapped up from Coleraine, with Joe Thomson going in the opposite direction.

The former St Mirren man, however, wasn’t involved. No doubt, there are good days up ahead to come form the Northern Ireland international.

Instead, it was Jenkins who had the home fans eating out of his hand.

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He required only two minutes to open his goal account for the season.

James Douglas was given time and space on the edge of the box to lay the ball off the the striker and his vicious low drive arrowed into the bottom corner, giving goalkeeper Aidan Glavin no chance.

The home fans were on their feet again four minutes later.

This time, Ryan Cooney drilled in a trademark free kick from the right that was cleverly headed back into the box by Daniel Larmour and Jenkins scored with the flick of his head.

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The youthful Linfield side were caught cold.

In fact, the could have been three goals down after only nine minutes only for a miraculous double save from Glavin.

First, he kept out a Jenkins header and when the ball broke to John Daniels, his header was also kept out.

Linfield showed little up front in terms of attacking possibilities. Their only foray forward came on 20 minutes when Dylan Wells showed great feet on the left before looping over a cross that ended in the roof of the netting.

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But it was the Glens who almost extended their advantage just after the half-hour. Cooney was again the provider only for Josh Kelly’s wicked low drive to force Glavin into a fantastic low save.

The Blues were almost back in it four three minutes after the interval.

Wells was right out of luck with a 25-yard free kick that had goalkeeper Billy Crellin beaten all ends up only for the ball to strike the outside of the post.

But the visitors were back in it on 56 minutes.

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Chapman showed strength and hunger in the box and, when he tried his luck with a low drive, it deflected off the boot of Ethan Brown before nestling in the bottom corner.

Sean Brown then tried his luck with an audacious 30-yard effort, that flashed over.

But it was the Glens who almost increased their lead on 63 minutes. Daniel found Cooney, whose curling effort had Glavin at full stretch, the big shot stopper managing to flick over the top.

They did get a third 14 minutes from time. Cooney’s long throw fell to Weatherup and he cleverly flicked the ball past Glavin.

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Hong Kong: Jailed activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty to foreign collusion under National Security Law

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Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to collusion with foreign entities, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison under Beijing’s sweeping National Security Law (NSL).

The 29-year-old, who has become the poster child for political activism in Hong Kong, is already serving a sentence of four years and eight months after being convicted of subversion – another NSL violation – in late 2024.

The court said Wong would be sentenced at a later date. His earlier jail term is due to end early next year.

Wong was at the forefront of the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

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The latest charge accuses Wong of conspiring with other campaigners, including exiled activist Nathan Law, to ask foreign countries and entities outside China to impose sanctions or blockades against Beijing.

These include activities that took place between July and late November 2020, the court heard. That was the year China introduced the controversial NSL, which critics say has created a climate of fear and quashed dissent in Hong Kong.

Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy.

On Tuesday, the court heard that Wong and Law had participated in “international lobbying on numerous occasions”, including via visits to the US, Germany and Italy.

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The duo are among several leaders who founded the pro-democracy party Demosistō in April 2016, and ran for the Hong Kong Legislative Council elections that year.

Among other things, prosecutors on Tuesday also accused Wong, along with Law, of promoting the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act: a US federal law that came into force in November 2019, during Donald Trump’s first administration. The Act compels the US government to impose sanctions against mainland China and Hong Kong officials if they are deemed responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.

Even after Demosistō disbanded, Wong had maintained that he would not abandon his political stance and would continue to seek support from the international community, the prosecutors said.

Wong, dressed in a dark blue shirt and dark-rimmed glasses, did not dispute these allegations.

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About 40 of Wong’s supporters, including fellow activists and some of his close friends, gathered in court on Tuesday. Some shouted: “Hang in there, Joshua!”

Wong was seen smiling and nodding in response from the dock.

Tsang Kin-shing, a former member of the now-dissolved League of Social Democrats, said he hopes the court will impose a lenient sentence, noting that Wong has by now spent more than 2,000 days in prison.

Fellow activist Louis Lee said Wong and his supporters were disheartened that he was handed another NSL charge while already serving time in prison.

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Wong has continued seeking out new interests while in prison, including learning how to play the guitar and working out.

“I hope everyone can learn from him,” Lee says.

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Inside Manchester United’s transfer window – left-back chaos, Rashford impact and midfield model

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For most of last season, Manchester United were basking in the glow of a successful 2025 summer transfer window. In fact, last year’s recruitment was so good that club bosses decided to stick to the template.

Three forwards and a goalkeeper in 2025 became three midfielders and a goalkeeper in 2026. It doesn’t take a data boffin with an Oxbridge degree to establish that 2027 will be the year the defence gets revamped at Old Trafford.

The question this summer is whether they have done enough. Last year, they had finished 15th in the Premier League and needed to stabilise. In the end, last season went beyond expectations.

Now, they are off the back of a third-place finish in the Premier League and club bosses are talking fancifully of a tilt at the Premier League and Champions League. But have they given Michael Carrick the tools to achieve those ambitions?

Last season ended with chief executive Omar Berrada stressing the need to be “really disciplined” in the transfer market. In fact, he predicted what was coming over the following few months.

“I think the template for what we did last summer will be replicated in many ways,” Berrada said in an in-house interview. He probably didn’t mean it quite so literally, but that is how this summer has panned out.

After Casemiro’s departure, it was always the plan to revamp the midfield this summer, and it was always likely that three new faces would arrive. Part of that was contingent on Manuel Ugarte leaving, but his World Cup injury, which will rule him out for the majority of the season, saw his wages covered by FIFA, allowing United to press on with their midfield search.

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The surprise is that more hasn’t been done. United intended to strengthen their left-hand side, and this has happened with the return of Marcus Rashford, but the failure to sign a left-back could yet prove costly.

Rashford dominated the early part of the summer. Barcelona’s decision to spend £69million on Anthony Gordon blindsided the 28-year-old and his camp. The Catalan club considered another loan move and even weighed up lowballing United with an offer half the size of the £26million option.

By June, United had become exasperated with Barcelona’s approach and resolved not to sanction another loan and not to consider an offer of less than £26million. Fairly swiftly, options for Rashford withered, and both parties became open to reintegration.

There was a meeting between United officials and Rashford’s camp during the World Cup and Michael Carrick made contact with his former teammate and someone who he had coached while on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom staff. Even before he returned to pre-season training, sources close to the discussions this summer felt United had decided that keeping Rashford was now their best course of action.

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Rashford’s return means Patrick Dorgu could be freed up to play at left-back, although internally he is viewed as a winger, and people close to Dorgu believe he will eventually end up as a right-winger rather than a left-back. That leaves right-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui as the only senior cover for Luke Shaw, as well as 19-year-old Harry Amass, who hasn’t made a matchday squad this season.

United had their eyes on a succession plan for left-back this summer. Shaw has a year to run on his contract and the hope was to sign a young player such as Lewis Hall or Myles Lewis-Skelly to come in and eventually assume that first-team position this summer.

But United’s methodical and diligent approach to spending meant they focused on the midfield first, and when attention turned to Hall, it was clear Newcastle wouldn’t sell. They had been stung by an exodus of big-name players and had to prove a point over Hall, even if the 21-year-old wanted the move to Old Trafford. United’s failure to get players out also meant their budget was smaller than had been expected.

There was brief hope Arsenal could consider selling Lewis-Skelly after they wrapped up a deal for Bruno Guimaraes, but the youngster wanted to stay at his boyhood club and has been integral again in the early weeks of the season.

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That left United looking at short-term options, but they were determined that any player they brought in would add to the squad. Ineos were keen to end the era of loan signings such as Odion Ighalo, Wout Weghorst and Sergio Reguilon, who came in as last-ditch measures and offered little.

There was an enquiry for Alejandro Balde at Barcelona, but the Catalan club wanted to sell, perhaps aware that the tables had turned since their own attempts to play tough over Rashford. There was even a call to Manchester City on Tuesday to check on the availability of Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has been an unused substitute in all three of the Blues’ games so far this season.

United had been offered Ait-Nouri by his agent a couple of days ago and with left-back options thin on the ground, they placed a call to the Etihad on Tuesday afternoon, only for City to say they wanted a loan with an obligation to buy. United had no interest in a permanent move for the 25-year-old.

Left-back will be revisited, along with centre-back, next summer, but this window was all about the midfield. The first deal United agreed was a £38.3million package with Atalanta for Ederson, only for that transfer to collapse.

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Initial medical tests during the World Cup raised some concern over a knee injury and after further examinations following Brazil’s exit from that tournament, they decided to pull the plug, after first considering whether to try and renegotiate the terms of the deal with Atalanta, something the Serie A side resisted.

That sent United back to the drawing board, but they were happy to work in the shadows. Their ‘pursuit’ of Elliot Anderson continued into June, but it was clear well before then that the England international would cost more than £100million, and United were never going to seriously rival Manchester City at that price.

While rivals have become happy to throw the cash around, United have gone in a different direction, so when Tottenham agreed to pay West Ham’s £85million asking price for Mateus Fernandes, they again baulked at the deal, feeling it didn’t offer value for a player twice relegated from the Premier League already.

United have pursued a data-led process to recruitment over the last couple of years, and two of their three midfield signings scored highly. The first was Andrey Santos, with the move developing quickly. United’s offer of £48million plus £2million in add-ons met Chelsea’s demands, with some sources suggesting the Stamford Bridge club were surprised to conclude a deal so swiftly for someone who couldn’t crack their first-team.

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United were pleased with the deal, however, and Santos impressed in pre-season. At 22, he is seen as having plenty of potential and will get more of a chance to show it in Manchester than he did in West London.

The process of signing Carlos Baleba went on a lot longer, but the 22-year-old had his heart set on a move to Old Trafford last summer and the club’s faith in his ability didn’t waver, despite a difficult season at Brighton last term.

United are sold on what the metrics say about Baleba, to the point that they took the unusual step of reeling off his data during the announcement of his £70million arrival from Brighton. Although that deal took until late August to secure, United always knew the player preferred to move to Old Trafford and when they did make contact with the Seagulls, negotiations ran much more smoothly than a year ago, when Brighton demanded £100million and refused to budge.

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A burning desire to play for United is something they have placed a lot of stock in over the last 18 months, so when Youri Tielemans jumped at the chance to move from Aston Villa after his £35million release clause was activated, it only strengthened the belief in that signing. It was another deal that happened swiftly and came under the radar.

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For Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko last summer, read Santos, Tielemans and Baleba this summer, but one key problem has been moving players on.

United brought in £38million when Rasmus Hojlund saw his loan to Napoli made permanent, but aside from that they have raised just £10million through the sales of Radek Vitek and Toby Collyer to Championship clubs Middlesbrough and West Brom.

There had been initial expectations that United could raise close to £100million, with Rashford’s potential move to Barcelona, interest in Ugarte, an expected move for Joshua Zirkzee, and Andre Onana also on the market.

Onana returned to Trabzonspor on loan, Ugarte picked up that knee injury, and Zirkzee saw three potential loan moves collapse in the final 48 hours of the window, including a switch to Everton, which United decided not to sanction at around 10pm yesterday.

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That failure to raise as much money as expected made life more difficult for United this summer. Time will tell whether they have managed to do enough.

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UK weather maps show 27C scorcher in September as Met Office delivers heatwave verdict

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Daily Mirror

Several areas in the UK will climb to 27C this September as the Met Office delivers a September heatwave verdict following the nation’s hottest summer on record

The UK is set for further scorching temperatures this week following the nation’s hottest summer on record.

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Despite a cooler end to August, temperatures will shoot up on Thursday, as areas in the south are forecast 27C according to Netweather Maps.

The Met Office has said that September may see further “very warm spells”, especially in the south, but these are expected to be short lived.

An official heatwave is declared by the Met Office when temperatures reach the “heatwave threshold” for three consecutive days.

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The threshold sits at 28C in the south-east, where conditions tend to be warmer, dropping to 25C the further from the south-east you travel.

Therefore, temperatures tomorrow will climb to near heatwave highs, however they are not expected to last. In London and surrounding areas, the weather maps predict that at 3pm, highs of 27C are on the cards.

As Essex and Kent will sit at 26C and 27C, areas further west in the Midlands will sit at around 25C.

Further north headed towards Yorkshire temperatures in the afternoon are likely to be around 21C, with cooler temperatures forecast in Scotland.

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By 6pm, it will feel even hotter as more areas will reach 27C.

The weather maps forecast that Berkshire, London and Essex will be the warmest areas.

Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk are also predicted to reach 25C.

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Along the south coast areas including Bournemouth and Brighton will also climb to 25C. Further north in Greater Manchester, the temperature may only reach 18C.

Therefore, although temperatures may not quite climb to the heatwave threshold as outlined by the Met Office the weather is likely to be warm in most areas.

The Met Office forecast for August 31 to September 9 states: “Likely remaining unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain across all areas at times.

“Rainfall amounts will probably be above average for the time year with the wettest conditions in the northwest.

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“Potential for some strong winds at times. Some drier and more settled interludes could develop, perhaps becoming longer in duration across southern areas later in this period.

“Temperatures are likely to be near average, although some short-lived warm or very warm spells are possible, especially in the south.”

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CCTV shows robbery gang target car garage in ‘stolen to order’ operation

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The gang were seen working in two groups to rob the premises in the early hours of Monday, August 31.

Crime gang steal alloys from garage in late night robbery

A robbery gang targeted a car garage in West Lothian in a ‘stolen to order’ operation.

The masked and gloved thieves were captured on CCTV stealing alloys and driving equipment worth thousands from Hardie Recovery Services in Polbeth in the early hours of Monday, August 31.

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Footage showed the gang working in two groups with youngsters in tracksuits arriving around midnight to scout the premises.

A second group of masked men – wearing head torches and gloves – arrived two hours later and made off with unique gold alloys, BMW goods and tools worth more than £7,000.

Garage boss William Hardie believes the organised crime gang were operating with a list of items stolen to order.

The 34-year-old said: “I’ve been told a crew from Liverpool are coming up and targeting garages for theft-to-order jobs.

“I’m on holiday for a family wedding in Cyprus. I think they knew and waited to target my garage while I was away.

“The first mob that turned up around midnight were all wearing Montirex tracksuits.

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“The second group that arrived at 2am appear to be the professionals, wearing head torches and gloves.

“They were there for 40 minutes and came back close to 4am and filled up their car.

“They were obviously here for alloys and knew exactly what they were looking for.

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“All in they left with three sets of alloys and ten mid-range Churchill tyres.

“I’m a professional drift car driver and one set of stolen alloys is a unique set that nobody else has. I imagine they will just be turned into scrap because they will be too hot to handle.”

The CCTV shows a black Ford Focus arriving at the premises with the full beam on.

It parks up at the rear of the yard, before hooded figures emerge wearing tracksuits and Nike trainers.

One man immediately walks up to a vehicle and crouches down to inspect the alloy wheels.

He is joined by another man who scouts out the car.

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Later on, a second gang of men appear. CCTV shows one man breaking into the garage premises with a set of bolt cutters. They are seen piling up stolen goods near an awaiting Ford Focus.

William added: “They’ve stolen £7,000 worth of equipment from my garage. I’m a hard working guy.

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“To have gangs sniffing around your business and robbing you in the middle of the night is disgusting.”

Police Scotland have been contacted for comment.

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Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty in second national security case

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Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty in second national security case

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under a Beijing-imposed law that has effectively stifled the city’s once-thriving pro-democracy movement.

It was the second time Wong, a former student leader in the pro-democracy movement, has been prosecuted under the national security law introduced in Hong Kong in 2020, following massive anti-government protests that rocked the city the year before. Wong faces up to life in prison and is expected to be sentenced later.

Wong was already serving a prison term of four years and eight months after entering a guilty plea in a separate national security case linked to an unofficial primary. Pleading guilty could typically result in a reduced sentence.

Before the arrest for the collusion-related offence in June 2025, Wong, one of the most recognizable faces of the pro-democracy movement, had been expected to be freed in January next year.

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Hong Kong activist and supporters hold signs during a press event to support pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, 2 Sept 2026
Hong Kong activist and supporters hold signs during a press event to support pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, 2 Sept 2026 (AP)

Critics say Wong’s case showed the authorities’ determination to silence prominent dissidents, causing a chilling effect on civic activism. But to Beijing, Wong is an anti-China figure who supports Hong Kong independence, a red line for authorities.

Wong, 29, was accused of conspiring with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, or institutions, organisations, or individuals outside China to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile actions against Hong Kong or China between 1 July and 23 Nov 2020.

The offence is punishable by a prison term of three to 10 years, or up to life imprisonment if the offense is deemed to be “of a grave nature.”

In 2012, Wong rose to prominence in Hong Kong as a high school student leading protests against the introduction of national education in schools. Later, his fame spread internationally as a student leader of the 2014 Occupy Movement.

Wong co-founded a political party, “Demosisto”, in 2016 with fellow young activists, including Law, who became the city’s youngest lawmaker that same year.

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During the 2019 leaderless protests, Wong helped seek overseas support for the democracy movement, including from the U.S. But Beijing criticised his actions, saying he “begged for interference” by foreign countries.

Demosisto disbanded when Beijing imposed the security law in 2020, which authorities said was necessary for the city’s stability.

Many other leading activists were also jailed under the same law, including former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Some activists fled to other democratic countries, including the U.S. and the U.K.

Hong Kong authorities separately offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to the arrests of Law, who moved to Britain, and other overseas-based activists.

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Breaking badly: Rachael Gunn’s Olympic challenge and Netflix debut

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Breaking badly: Rachael Gunn's Olympic challenge and Netflix debut

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — It’s no secret how the breaking news on Raygun unfolded at the Paris Olympics: the memes and the mockery came thick and fast.

The Australian breaker at the center of it all, Rachael Gunn, has told how she had an inkling of how it might go when she saw a therapist ahead of the 2024 Games.

The trailer for “Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly,” a Netflix documentary launched this month, begins with Gunn recounting how she went to the therapist in a panic right before the Olympics and was asked what’s the worst that could happen?

“The whole world could laugh at me,” she recalled answering, before adding that the therapist responded: “Do you think that’s reasonable?”

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Cue clips and sounds of hysterical laughing in the wake of her now infamous and much-trolled performance when breaking made its Olympic debut in France.

In the documentary, the Sydney-based Gunn recalled her feelings in the aftermath of her competition.

“I was cringe. I brought shame and embarrassment on the country. That was rough,” she said. “I felt like my life was just crumbling before me in a way that I could never have anticipated, and I was just trying to get through the day. I felt like I was falling into a dark pit.”

He dance moves, including the kangaroo and the sprinkler, didn’t get a single vote from the Olympic judges but still went viral.

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Gunn said at first some of the memes were humorous but “then the tone started to change. And it just kept getting more crazy.”

There was even a planned musical named after her in December 2024, until legal intervention meant the production went ahead under a different title.

At the time, Gunn said the fallout from her Olympic gig left her “devastated” and forced her to retire from competition. Still, she said she appreciated the attention from famous comedians like late-night host Jimmy Fallon.

In the streaming documentary, Gunn addressed rumors about how she qualified for the Olympics as well as how the fallout left her feeling. She’s no longer a university lecturer and, among other things, Gunn’s website describes her as a “speaker, educator, and performer who brings energy, insight, and positivity to every stage.”

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As she said in the documentary: “I can’t just be a meme.”

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Sir Keir Starmer could be appointed to a job in Scarborough

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Sir Keir Starmer could be appointed to a job in Scarborough

​The former prime minister has said he will quit as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras and could be appointed to a role in Scarborough.

​Members of Parliament who wish to resign from the House of Commons are appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead in Scarborough, or of the Chiltern Hundreds.

​​The appointment, made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is a procedural device that allows members of parliament to resign from the House of Commons.

​​The “legal fiction” is used to circumvent a rule forbidding MPs from resigning.

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​A Treasury spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that an announcement on which role Sir Keir is appointed to is likely to be made on the evening of Tuesday, September 1.

​In July, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was made the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Scarborough, following his decision to resign as an MP and fight to reclaim his seat.

​​​“The Steward and Bailiffs of the Chiltern Hundreds and of the Manor of Northstead were positions traditionally paid for by the Crown.

​​“In modern times, they are unpaid, formal titles that are applied for when an MP needs to disqualify themselves from the Commons,” the UK Parliament website states.

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Keir Starmer MP. House Of Commons

​Announcing his resignation in an interview with the Camden New Journal, Sir Keir, who has been an MP since 2015, said: “I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world. I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls.”

​He added: “I think once you’ve been prime minister, it’s important to answer the question: what are you going to do next? Having decided I’m going to concentrate on international affairs, I think it’s right to step down.”

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Nepal floods came as climate change brings more disasters to the Himalayas

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Nepal floods came as climate change brings more disasters to the Himalayas

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — When a wall of water, rocks and mud tore through her remote village in Nepal last week, Pema Tamang and her neighbors fled uphill to a Buddhist shrine that had been rebuilt the previous year after a 2015 earthquake.

The steep mountain folds of the Himalayas, already prone to earthquakes, have seen more frequent flash floods as high mountain glaciers melt, redrawing rivers at sometimes terrifying speed. Residents have had little time to rebuild from one disaster to the next, raising concerns over whether their communities can endure as climate change accelerates.

“We were able to rebuild the stupa only last year after it was destroyed during the earthquake,” Tamang told The Associated Press, referring to the shrine. “Sheltering in it was how we saved our lives from the floods,” she said in a makeshift shelter at a monastery in Kathmandu.

The Aug. 26 floods in Nepal and neighboring China have killed more than 1,000 people and left thousands missing, including hundreds feared trapped in tunnels at hydropower projects. The floods were triggered after a collapse of bedrock and glacier ice sent debris and water surging through multiple Himalayan rivers.

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Scientists say it is too early to directly link Wednesday’s catastrophe to global warming. But as Earth’s temperature rises at a faster rate because of the burning of oil, gas and coal, the chances of such disasters increase, especially in the Himalayan mountains, which are warming considerably faster than many other parts of the world.

“Climate change has been playing a large role in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, causing these kinds of complex disasters which have really impacted downstream communities and investments,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk resilience expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development based in Kathmandu.

Global warming’s effects are heightened in the Himalayas

Sanyal said the region is increasingly confronting hazards that trigger one another.

Warmer temperatures cause high mountain ice to melt, leading to more frequent rockslides, avalanches and floods. An avalanche can dam a river before unleashing a flash flood. Heavy rain after an initial disaster can compound the destruction.

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Flash floods last year in the same region in Nepal claimed nine lives and caused millions of dollars in damage. Across the wider Himalayan region, the 2013 Kedarnath floods, the 2021 Chamoli disaster, the 2023 South Lhonak glacial lake outburst flood, and other recent landslides and floods, have killed thousands of people and caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.

People in Nepal were still recovering from last year’s floods, Sanyal said, “and before they could fully adapt, the next one came.”

The Hindu Kush Himalaya stretches across parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China, and contains the largest concentration of ice outside the polar regions. River systems originating in the mountains support nearly 2 billion people.

Glacier ice loss has accelerated sharply since 2000, according to Sanyal’s intergovernmental climate research group. Another risk is thawing permafrost — ground that has remained frozen for long periods — that can weaken mountain slopes.

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Satellite imagery of the glacial collapse last week indicates that a huge mass of bedrock and glacial ice plunged into a valley below, sending a wall of water and mud several stories high through communities many kilometers (miles) downstream.

Adaptation has limits in the mountains

Climate experts say that in some places the danger may become so great that rebuilding is no longer viable, forcing residents to move. Climate change could also have implications for efforts to develop the region through the construction of roads, bridges and hydropower plants.

“The adaptation threshold has been crossed in some areas,” said Manjeet Dhakal, a Nepali climate policy expert and United Nations climate negotiator.

When an earthquake destroys a house, belongings can sometimes be recovered, he said. A catastrophic flood can wipe out not only the house, but the land beneath it, along with roads, water systems, schools and electricity. He said future resettlement would have to incorporate climate risk from the beginning.

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The consequences can be mitigated by stricter land-use rules, better assessments before infrastructure is approved, stronger cross-border monitoring and early warning systems.

Still, Sanyal said that of the 670,000 people who received text alerts about the Aug. 26 floods, some were visitors or migrant workers who could not understand Nepali while others downplayed the risk. Other systems designed to measure rivers were overwhelmed or washed away.

Chanda Lal Chitrakar, a 62-year-old resident of Nuwakot in Nepal, told the AP that he paid little attention to warning messages. As the waters rose, he ran uphill to save himself.

Nepal suffers from the much larger emissions of wealthier countries

Sanyal said such warnings need to provide more information on what actions to take. He also suggested prioritizing development in less-dangerous areas, assessing infrastructure for multiple hazards and incorporating the knowledge of Indigenous communities into disaster planning.

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Dhakal, the climate negotiator, noted that Nepal has emitted less than 0.1% of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, even as it grapples with some of its most severe effects.

“We should blame those who are responsible for increasing the global temperature, those who have benefited from the fossil fuel economy for such a long time,” he said. “We can at least use this devastating example as an inspiration to urgently reduce carbon emissions.”

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Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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