It didn’t feel like Arsenal had just qualified for only their second Champions League semi-final in 17 years. The final whistle came with overwhelming but cautious relief rather than ecstasy; the feeling that Arsenal had got away with one by the skin of their teeth, but next time they won’t be so fortunate.
Had Joao Simoes 94th-minute effort crept a few inches to the left, this last-eight tie was heading to extra time. That would’ve been catastrophic for Arsenal’s physical state ahead of their biggest game of the season on Sunday. In their current mental state, Arsenal progression would not have been a safe bet.
Mikel Arteta made a rallying cry in which he asked Arsenal’s supporters to come to the Emirates not with their dinner, but with “pure fire” and “zero fear” for the visit of Sporting. Fans struggled to comply. There was less a fire in their bellies, more a collective knot.
Mikel Arteta called Arsenal fans to bring “pure fire” to the Emirates (Reuters)
It was a stark comparison to this exact occasion 12 months ago. When Real Madrid came to town, there was an atmosphere unadulterated belief and optimism that this team could create magic. Maybe it helped that their Premier League title race had already been run at the time; Liverpool were 11 points clear, so their focus was streamlined.
But on this night, there was more than a tinge of anxiety in the air, a hangover from still being very much in the thick of a title race, and one that has a yellow flag being waved. Some were no longer allowing themselves to dream of the best, instead conditioned by three years of hurt to fearing the worst. “Please, enjoy where we are as a club,” Arteta said after the match, having asked for perspective of Arsenal’s position in major competitions before this game. It’s easier said than done.
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This did not help a team of players who currently appear tortured by their own psyche. Arsenal were error-prone, especially at the back, with David Raya and William Saliba each gifting Sporting possession when unsuccessfully trying to play out from the back. It was Tottenham-esque at times.
Both blunders went unpunished; against the attacking quality of any other team in the last eight, probably barring Liverpool, things would’ve surely been different. But the concern is these aren’t isolated incidents in one match – Arsenal’s build-up from deep was hugely problematic against Bournemouth, too. A team previously heralded as one with the most resolute defence arguably in world football now looks shaky.
Such was the case for the best chance – the only real chance – of a pedestrian first-half. The culmination of a sweeping Sporting move that cut Arsenal open far too easily, Geny Catano was left completely untracked at the back post and volleyed Maximiliano Araujo’s dinked cross off the left post. On the brink of half-time, this tie should have been level.
Geny Catano came agonisingly close to equalising for Arsenal (Getty)
That is not to say Sporting were playing a perfect game. They were similarly susceptible to an error (or eight) at the back; just Arsenal rarely looked like capitalising. Those meant to drive the hosts towards goal, like Noni Madueke, were frightened to take on a man as Arsenal overthought their opportunities until dispossession. Screams of “go forwards!”, often with an expletive, were ever-present.
When the Madueke finally did go through the gears, it fashioned Arsenal’s best chance of the game so far – darting across the box before firing into the side netting on 57 minutes. The Englishman turned a corner five minutes before he was forced off injured. “It was something in his knee so we had to take him off,” Arteta said.
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The moment that encapsulated the difference in mindset between now and that famous night against Real Madrid a year ago, fittingly, came with a free-kick. Declan Rice, then the hero from the dead ball, was stood with the ball set 25 yards out – but played it short. Sporting quickly snuffed out the routine and countered. If not for the lung-besting recovery of left-winger Gabriel Martinelli down the right, the visitors were in. In diametric opposition to the Real encounter, even Arsenal’s game-changers looked scared to go for the spectacular.
But in response to any frustration about the performance, Rice’s response was emphatic. “Who cares what people think?” he told TNT Sports.
Declan Rice’s free-kick routine showed the difference between Arsenal’s then and now (Reuters)
In a second half that saw Sporting gas, the visitors bookmarked the 45 with two close calls; first from Araujo three minutes after the restart, set up by Morten Hjulmand – an Arsenal fan and possible transfer target who has the club crest tattooed on his left bicep – and then Simoes with practically the last kick of the game.
Otherwise there was improvement to speak of from the hosts, who pressed a tiring team well and came close to killing the tie when Leandro Trossard hit the post with seven minutes to play. He was found at the back post by Max Dowman, who replaced Madueke and did provide the spark that had some arguing for him to start this match. A bright finish could instil a bit of confidence, even if a late scare will leave them wiping their brow.
Between the 67th minute and the game’s final moment, Arsenal didn’t allow Sporting a shot nor a touch in their box. One of their specialties this season has been holding onto slender leads. Arteta trusts them to do this but still wouldn’t mind making things more comfortable. “I do [trust my players with one-goal leads,” he says, “but I prefer to score the goal.”
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Sporting held Arsenal to a goalless draw on the night but could not fight back (AP)
This time, Arteta’s men managed to survive. In keeping with their first-leg display in Lisbon, they emerged from the night having done what was required and nothing more.
But heading to the Etihad, it is imperative they clear the mental fog that comes with the possibility of repeated failure. Against this Manchester City team in a ruthless vein of form, the question of whether they can emerge unscathed while still racked by such anxiety seems to answer itself.
Gary Wilson survived an ‘absolutely nuts’ final qualifier for the Crucible (Picture: Getty Images)
Gary Wilson is back at the Crucible but his performance in his final qualifier left him with ‘complete embarrassment’ in an ‘absolutely nuts’ contest.
The Tyneside Terror beat Xu Si 10-9, but it looked likely to be far more comfortable than that when he burst into a 7-2 lead, making two tons and five half-centuries on the way.
At that point, having thrashed Allan Taylor 10-1 in the previous round, things were looking very peachy for Wilson, but he says he never felt comfortable during either match.
Xu surged back into a 9-8 lead with the Englishman faltering, before scrapping to force a decider and then making a break of 126 to win it.
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Wilson was thrilled to win, but could not see many positives with how he played, even in his initial demolition of Taylor.
‘Absolutely nuts,’ Wilson told WST of his win over Xu. ‘People weren’t believing us the other day when I played Allan [Taylor] and it was 10-1 and I said I’m struggling. I was genuinely struggling.
Are you mad about snooker?
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‘From ball one today I had no cueing whatsoever. Again I got a good lead, I was getting chances again, maybe he was a bit nervous. I potted a few good balls, but I was making breaks just steering in and trying.
Wilson has booked a sixth trip to the Crucible (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The table was playing lovely so it was allowing us to get away with things. Tonight was even worse I just couldn’t cue a ball even more, I thought it was a complete embarrassment.
‘At the end there, it’s the biggest tournament we have, if you can’t try everything here, when are you ever going to try? That last break at the end there was just sheer try. I was stabbing at them, steering them and yipping them and all sorts.’
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Making a century in a deciding frame to reach the Crucible is an achievement in itself, but Wilson will not be content until he feels comfortable at the table.
‘It’s all that counts but it doesn’t count for much going forward and that’s always the problem with me,’ he said of the impressive break.
Xu Si battled back to a deciding frame but could not book a Crucible debut (Picture: Getty Images)
‘If I play anything like that at the Crucible I’ll be happy to pick up me points, pick up me walk-ons for the two sessions, pick up me money and anything after that is a bonus.
‘I seriously need to try to find a way to cue the ball properly to have any chance to do what I feel I can do deep down, which is play much better than that, go deep in tournaments and win tournaments again.
‘It’s so frustrating but at the same time I’m over the moon to try my hardest there and somehow scrape through. I’ve always known I’ve got bottle and that’s all that was.’
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The 40-year-old will be in the World Snooker Championship draw for a sixth time on Thursday morning, learning his fate at around 8.45am.
Wilson has been to a Crucible semi-final before, reaching the last four in 2019, but has won just one match at the iconic theatre since then.
The three-time ranking event winner has had a mixed season, with his three standout results all coming in China, with a Wuhan Open final run, a semi-final at the Xi’an Grand Prix and World Open quarter-final.
He will be looking to add to his three ranking titles with the biggest one of all over the next three weeks.
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World Snooker Championship field
Top 16
Zhao Xintong Judd Trump Neil Robertson Mark Williams John Higgins Kyren Wilson Mark Selby Shaun Murphy Berry Hawkins Xiao Guodong Wu Yize Chris Wakelin Ronnie O’Sullivan Mark Allen Si Jiahui Ding Junhui
Zhao Xintong is favourite to defend his title this year (Picture: Getty Images)
Qualifiers
Hossein Vafaei Zhou Yuelong Matthew Stevens Antoni Kowalski Dave Gilbert Stan Moody Pang Junxu Liam Pullen Jak Jones Ali Carter He Guoqiang Fan Zhengyi Zhang Anda Gary Wilson Lei Peifan Liam Highfield
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Judgement Day Results
Day One Results
Hossein Vafaei 10-4 Gao Yang Zhou Yuelong 10-4 Michael Holt Matthew Stevens 10-7 Stuart Bingham Antoni Kowalski 10-8 Jamie Jones David Gilbert 10-6 Aaron Hill Stan Moody 10-9 Jiang Jung Pang Junxu 10-8 Jackson Page Liam Pullen 10-8 Noppon Saengkham
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Day Two Results
Luca Brecel 5-10 Jak Jones Anthony McGill 7-10 Ali Carter He Guoqiang 10-5 Jack Lisowski Ben Mertens 4-10 Fan Zhengyi Zak Surety 3-10 Zhang Anda Xu Si 9-10 Gary Wilson Ryan Day 5-10 Lei Peifan Liam Highfield 10-2 Oliver Lines
The sausages are so juicy and the new potatoes are crispy.
Mia O’Hare Senior Spare Time Journalist
01:27, 16 Apr 2026
Getting dinner on the table during the week needs to be straightforward, quick and taste good. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of serving up the same meals on repeat.
However, there’s one reliable favourite that I turn to. It is a fuss-free sausage traybake that tastes far more impressive than the effort it requires.
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This sausage, red onion, pesto and new potato traybake couldn’t be simpler, as everything gets put into a single dish. The oven takes care of rest, freeing you up to make the most of your evenings rather than being tied to the kitchen.
The sausages come out succulent, while the new potatoes are crispy after being squashed before roasting. It’s a crowd-pleaser for the whole family and a way to get plenty of vegetables into one meal.
Since I first discovered this traybake a couple of years back, it’s become a regular on my dinner rotation, and it could well become yours too once you’ve tried it.
Sausage and new potato pesto traybake
Ingredients for four people
Bag of new potatoes
Four garlic cloves, peeled
Eight sausages
One red onion, largely chopped
A glug of olive oil
Three tbsp pesto
200g frozen peas
Salt and ground pepper for seasoning
Method
Begin by heating your oven to 220°C/200°C Fan.
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Put the new potatoes into a saucepan of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and put them into a large roasting dish. Gently press down on each potato using the base of a drinking glass.
Scatter the red onion, garlic and sausages across the tray, making sure there’s room for everything. I sometimes give my sausages a five-minute head start in the air fryer before adding them to the tray, though this step isn’t essential.
Drizzle oil over the ingredients as well as salt and pepper. Put the tray in the oven for roughly 35 minutes, until the sausages are thoroughly cooked and the potatoes turn golden and crisp.
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Take the tray out of the oven and add the frozen peas along with the pesto. Mix everything together well.
Put it back in the oven for another five minutes, until the peas are cooked through. Serve and enjoy.
Gary Sheel was due to be sentenced for assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he attacked a woman in Hartlepool.
The 38-year-old appeared at Teesside Crown Court via a video link from Holme House Prison in Stockton but audio problems resulted in the case being adjourned.
Sheel, of Malvern Crescent, Darlington, was remanded in custody until Friday, April 17 when he will be brought to the court to be sentenced.
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Judge Richard Clews said: “You need to be able to follow these proceedings and understand everything that is being said.
“It is very difficult for you to do that from where you are.
“So, what I am going to do is adjourn this case until Friday and direct that you are brought to court.
“You will be able to sit in the courtroom where you will able to lipread everyone properly and then we will finalise the case.”
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The U.S. Navy’s sea blockade against Iran appears to be working.
Iran-linked or sanctioned vessels that have left the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz have stopped or turned around, shipping data firms say. They appear to have jammed or faked their locations in some instances, complicating an uncertain and risky shipping situation.
The blockade that started Monday “has been fully implemented,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command. “U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea.”
The action could put serious pressure on the Iranian economy, while Tehran’s earlier cutoff of the waterway crucial to oil and gas supplies has sent energy prices higher during the war with the U.S. and Israel.
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Here are key things to know about the blockade and the situation at the Strait of Hormuz:
How the US Navy is enforcing the blockade
The blockade is being enforced “impartially against all vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran,” U.S. Central Command said. Vessels avoiding Iranian ports are not affected.
The military set up the blockade in the Gulf of Oman beyond the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, said the strategy is to observe vessels subject to the blockade leave Iranian facilities and clear the strait before intercepting them and forcing them to turn around.
The official said that the military relies on more than just automated tracking beacons that all merchant ships are required to carry, called AIS, to determine merchant ships were coming from a port in Iran but wouldn’t go into more detail citing the need for operational security.
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Ships are turning around as traffic adjusts
U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that no vessels have made it past its forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade.
It noted that 10 vessels have complied with directions to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or Iran’s coastal area. Navy warships are telling merchant ships that they are ready to board them and use force to compel compliance.
On Tuesday, the first full day of the blockade, only eight vessels, most of them linked to Iran or sanctioned, transited the strait, said Ana Subasic, trade risk analyst at data and analytical firm Kpler. The environment is still considered “extremely high risk” despite the ceasefire, she said.
“Most of the vessels have appeared to halt or have reduced movement after clearing the strait,” she said, “which tells us that the effect of the blockade is starting to show up because most of these vessels that have crossed have some kind of history with carrying Iranian-origin sanctioned cargo.”
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The Rich Starry, a Chinese-owned tanker previously sanctioned by the U.S. for smuggling Iranian petroleum products, left the strait and then turned back this week, according to publicly available ship tracking data.
Radio transponder data for the vessel, which is sailing under the flag of the landlocked East African nation of Malawi, shows it entered the Persian Gulf on April 4 empty of cargo. It turned off its transponder for more than a week, a tactic smugglers often use called “running dark” to avoid showing its location.
The Rich Starry’s signal popped back up off the United Arab Emirates on Monday laden with oil, though it is possible the ship wasn’t transmitting its accurate location. Smugglers sometimes “spoof” their locations by transmitting inaccurate coordinates.
The ship went through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night before abruptly reversing course in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, heading back through the strait and toward Iran’s coast Wednesday.
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Other Iran-linked tankers transited the strait this week only to stop. For example, the oil-products tanker Elpis left Iranian waters Monday, passed through the strait before cutting its engines in the Gulf of Oman, tracking data shows. The ship turned off its radio transponder Tuesday and its current location couldn’t be independently verified.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward said that vessel behavior was “indicating a fragmented and uneven response to the blockade” as sanctioned and false-flagged vessels continued to be active, some transiting the strait, others delaying or reversing course.
Trying to break Iran’s chokehold
Iran has blocked the strait by threatening to attack shipping, cutting off 20% of the world’s typically daily oil consumption, sending oil prices sharply higher and leading to warnings about higher inflation and recessions in leading economies.
Vessels were hit with aerial and undersea drones as well as unknown projectiles, killing 11 crew members. While those attacks have dwindled, the risk of navigating the area means that ship traffic has dropped by more than 90%.
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Some of that blocked oil is making it out from Gulf producing nations through pipelines to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman. But those pipelines can’t make up for the effective closure of the strait.
Iran has started vetting and collecting money from the few vessels daring to pass. Vessels must submit detailed information on cargo and crew to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and pay a $1 fee per barrel of oil or fuel products before being allowed to pass, according to Kpler.
The US blockade has a rule book
The terms of the U.S. blockade have contributed to some uncertainty. According to a notice to mariners, the blockade is being enforced in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, not at the Strait of Hormuz. So simply passing the strait doesn’t mean a vessel beat the blockade.
“Humanitarian shipments including food and medical supplies essential for the survival of the civilian populations” can pass with inspections.
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That last provision aligns with international law on naval warfare, which bars blockades solely intended to starve civilians, according to a legal guide from the U.S. Naval War College cited by maritime historian Sal Mercogliano, who runs a YouTube channel on shipping.
“Neutral” ships can pass — though they may be inspected — but it’s not clear what “neutral” means. The Lloyd’s List Intelligence maritime data firm said the U.S. action “has plunged shipowners into fresh uncertainty around enforcement.”
So ships from Iranian ports can be detected passing the strait — and still face the risk of being stopped farther out. Container ships heading for Iranian ports could be allowed in or out if they’re carrying food — or not, if they’re carrying other goods.
Iran says it would halt Gulf trade if blockade doesn’t end
Unless Iran can export oil, available storage will fill up and it will have to shut down wells that are difficult to restart. Additionally, Iran imports gasoline since it lacks the refinery capacity to turn its own oil into fuel.
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The commander of Iran’s joint military command warned Wednesday that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea if the U.S. does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports.
“Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” Ali Abdollahi said. He added that the U.S. blockade is “a prelude to violating the ceasefire.”
Mark McKone KC, delivering his closing speech in defence of 25-year-old Ward, said his client accepts that he was in the area at the time and had been captured on CCTV, but was not responsible for delivering the fatal blows.
Judge Francis Laird KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, is expected to complete summing up the evidence in the morning before asking the jury to retire to consider its verdict.
Police working at the scene of the alleged murder at Westerton Green, Stockton (Image: Freelancer)
Earlier in the trial, forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton told jurors Macaulay suffered five significant knife injuries, including two that went down to the bone, and suffered extensive blood loss as a result.
He died three days later after he suffered multiple organ failure and a brain injury resulting in cardiac arrest.
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Ward, of Tithe Barn Road, Stockton, and 25-year-old Tweddle, of Kimblesworth Walk, Stockton, both deny murder.
There may be two PlayStation 6s (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Thursday letters page wonders what would’ve happened to Xbox if Starfield had been a smash hit, as readers are baffled by the new God Of War rumours.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
1 for the price of 2 This stuff about the portable PlayStation 6 is very puzzling to me. I don’t see how a portable could possibly be more powerful than a PlayStation 5 but I also don’t understand why, if it can run the same games as the home console, they do not make it a hybrid like the Switch.
I guess maybe that would make it a little more expensive but I’m not sure? The original Switch was pretty cheap. Why have two consoles when you can have one that everyone gets and is both portable and home.
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Unless they want the home one to be much more powerful but then what’s the point of saying the portable runs PlayStation 6 games? If they’re going to have such a big difference in performance it’s all beginning to seem more and more like just owning a PC. Olliephant
Love and Thunder That God Of War rumour sounds nuts. I trust the director, but I worry that the world of Kratos is not really fleshed out enough to allow all these different mythologies to combine. If you think about it, the Greek and Norse games have almost nothing in common, in terms of story or gameplay.
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In the Greek one it was all happening in what was supposed to be the real world, but I still don’t really understand where the Norse ones were meant to be. Where were all the ordinary humans? Why where there ordinary people in the Greek games but none in the Norse ones?
It says it was Midgard but I thought that meant Earth, but it felt more like some sort of fantasy realm for the gods. The worst thing is, as I write this and try to figure it out, all I can think of is that terrible Thor film with all the gods in it. I really hope Sony has seen that and does the exact opposite. Trepsils
Free franchise With this new God Of War rumour it made me realise how few attempts there have been to make a proper King Arthur game. I bought the Blu-ray of Excalibur recently and I love that film. I have a feeling FromSoftware do too, as it has a very Dark Souls/Elden Ring style vibe.
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So did The Green Knight, if anyone’s seen that. Sorry to be bringing up obscure films but I would love to see a game that used the Arthurian legends but seriously, without being grimdark. I know there are games, because I looked them up, but I’ve never heard of any of them before. I’m surprised there’s never been a big budget game because it’s a free IP that everyone’s heard of it. Limbert
To the stars I would be very surprised if we ever hear about Starfield again after the PlayStation 5 port. Maybe you’ll get one on Switch 2 as well, maybe even an extra bit of DLC, but it’s under the carpet with it after that.
I wonder how much its failure affected Xbox as a whole. Microsoft was clearly banking on it being a system seller, boosting Game Pass, and proving that buying all these companies was worth it. It didn’t do any of that though, it was just kind of a bit disappointing and not even bad enough to get upset about – the definition of meh.
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The problem for Microsoft is that they didn’t have another contender after that. Fable is probably the next one but obviously that came too late for them having to avoid going multiformat. Think about it. If Starfield had been Skyrim quality the Xbox Series X/S might have been a hit after all. Koblet
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Broken knowledge So Blizzard planned a new Switch 2 version of Overwatch that runs at 60fps? But when they launched it, it was still 30fps? I really don’t see how this happens so often. I’ve often wondered, do companies not know their game is bugged or do they just think people won’t care?
I think about Cyberpunk 2077 on console and wonder, what was the plan? That nobody would notice? That the game was so good people would forgive it being completely broken? Or they’d just happily wait for the patches, because you needed it out for Christmas.
The fact that this sort of thing still goes on, and on every format, is really not good enough. Xane
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Next gen worries So everything is pointing towards Sony releasing a home and portable console at the same time for the PlayStation 6? The only real question seems to be the release date, which maybe they don’t even know yet. I don’t think people realise just what a huge risk that is. I know PlayStation 5 is flying high at the moment, with no real competition, but people being broken is going to be a lot more competition than Xbox ever offered up.
Two high-end consoles is going to be in the region of £1,500 to get everything at launch and that seems crazy for anyone but the 1%. Sony must have a plan but I am very interested to hear about it, because I really don’t see how all this works out.
Although I do worry that the answer is AI. If a portable can only just PlayStation 5 games, but using low power mode, that kind of implies the PlayStation 6 isn’t any more powerful. But what if Sony are trying to make up for that with AI, like with DLSS 5?
I’m willing to bet that’s exactly Microsoft plan for Project Helix and while I don’t care if they waste their time with that I’d hate to see Sony ruin the PlayStation 6 with slop. Oscar
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Second best Bit late to the party but I just finished Resident Evil Requiem and loved it. Yes, the final boss battle is bad, like everyone said, but everything else is great though.
However, I would not say it was my favourite Resident Evil by any means. I think Resident Evil 4 (both of them) are better, but I would say that the Resident Evil 2 remake is the absolute best of the bunch. For me that is the perfect Resident Evil game in terms of length, scares, gimmicks, and general atmosphere.
And that’s despite the fact that the police station setting makes absolutely no sense, in terms of the weird puzzles and furniture. But that’s just part of the Resident Evil charm. Rothamn
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The joy of sadness I honestly can’t say that any video game has made me cry, and definitely not a Japanese role-playing game. I’m not sure anything I’ve played has even been trying to make me cry. That said I have played a lot of miserable games, that somehow I’ve still enjoyed.
The Last Of Us, Silent Hill, Red Dead Redemption 2, The Walking Dead (season 1 at least), and This War Of Mine are great at making you feel down but that’s what they’re going for and they’re very impressive.
I don’t know that games are really very good at making you feel so attached to a character that you cry though. Just like they’re no good at romance. It’s hard to get that involved in a character if they’re constantly killing people and fighting monsters or whatever.
I think of that bit in Uncharted 4 where Nate is being all romantic (kind of) playing Crash Bandicoot, but he’s killed like a hundred people. Does Elena know that? How does she feel about it? She’s killed a bunch of people too, I think. I don’t really remember because it’s a video game and that kind of real-world worry doesn’t really come into it.
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Maybe some people get into their games a little deeper than I do but something like the end of Metal Gear Solid 3, which I thought was really cool, I didn’t get upset about it or anything. Apart from anything the logic of what was going on didn’t seem to make any sense. It just looked good and created a vibe, which I feel is what most video game storytelling is all about. Josston
Inbox also-rans RE: Clambake. It’s not going to take six years for GTA 6 to make its money back. ANON
GC: Isn’t that what he said?
Can you imagine what a nightmare it would be living in a world where pokémon were real? All these giant, weird monsters roaming about and ghosts are not only real but people catch them and fight with them! Shute
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EXCLUSIVE: Professor James Mitchell, an expert on the rise of the SNP, said an independent Scotland would “inherit all the challenges we now have and many more”.
John Swinney is pushing a “fundamentalist” approach to achieving Scottish independence which shows no regard for the “social and economic consequences”, a leading expert on devolution has warned.
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Professor James Mitchell said the SNP leader’s claim that a second referendum could be held as soon as 2028 showed he had no intention of “tackling weaknesses” in the case for ending the Union.
The University of Edinburgh academic has written about the rise of Scottish nationalism as an electoral force for 40 years and recently completed a new book on the subject.
It comes as Swinney today launches the SNP’s manifesto for the election on May 7 which could secure a third decade of the Nationalists in power at Holyrood.
The SNP leader has repeatedly argued he will have a mandate to call an IndyRef2 if his party wins 65 or more MSPs next month – a position last week shot down by Wes Streeting, the UK Health Secretary.
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Asked if the Nationalists were ready for another referendum campaign, Mitchell told the Record: “The SNP has not addressed weaknesses exposed in 2014 and additional problems that have arisen.
“There can be only one reason to believe they genuinely want another referendum during the next Parliament – the leadership believes in independence regardless of social and economic consequences. That fundamentalist view is fair enough, but John Swinney and the SNP should be open and honest about this.
“But it is likely that John Swinney has come to believe that Scotland must be better off by being independent. After years in politics he has likely internalised this belief to the extent he is not capable of reflection and hence the refusal to address weaknesses.”
Mitchell added: “It has been suggested that if another referendum was held the SNP would run a campaign similar to Nigel Farage’s Brexit campaign – with wild promises and appeals to emotions. In essence, the SNP has for the moment abandoned appeals to the head and now seeks to appeal only to the heart.”
Streeting, a senior figure in the UK Labour Government, last week said Westminster would not grant Holyrood the power to hold an IndyRef2, even if the SNP won a majority.
Asked what he thinks Swinney would do if his IndyRef2 call is ignored, Mitchell said: “There’s really little he can do as his predecessors discovered. Nicola Sturgeon marched her troops to the top of the hill only to march them down again on many occasions.
“Demanding a referendum is all but certain – but it’s difficult to see why Keir Starmer will agree, especially given the major challenges the Prime Minister is already having to deal with.
“The best advice for the SNP now – and has been since 2014 – is to do two things. As a party, the SNP needed to acknowledge that, while it had succeeded against expectations to increase support for independence in 2014, there were lessons to learn.
“It needed serious reflection on the weaknesses exposed that prevented it getting support over the line.
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“This required, and still requires, an honest and open discussion within the SNP, and beyond with the wider independence movement.
“It still has not come close to an agreed convincing response to many weaknesses – real or exaggerated by opponents – on currency, pensions, the economy, fiscal matters, and a gamut of transitional matters. This is not to say that credible answers exist on some of these areas – but it is clear that the SNP leadership cannot rely on spin, smoke and mirrors.”
Mitchell added: “An independent Scotland can never be, as the SNP propaganda would have us believe, a ”fresh start’.
“An independent Scotland will inherit all the challenges we now have and many more. Reducing these now, by skilfully using existing extensive devolved powers, instead of playing blame games and playing politics, would make sense if the SNP really wants another referendum any time soon.”
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Speaking before the manifesto launch, Swinney said his party would offer voters a plan “bursting with ambition for Scotland’s future”.
He added: “Because the SNP is on Scotland’s side – and on May 7, I am asking people to deliver an SNP majority government that will improve the NHS, support people with the cost of living and deliver the fresh start of independence.”
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“Accidents devastate lives in an instant. They are often sudden, violent, and shocking, leaving families and communities to cope with consequences that can last a lifetime.”
Nearly 800 deaths and 10,000 hospital admissions from accidents have been recorded in a single year in Northern Ireland, new statistics show.
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And accidental deaths are rising in Northern Ireland, a new report from safety charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) warns today.
Accidents killed nearly 800 people in Northern Ireland in 2023/24 while around 10,000 were admitted to hospital.
Northern Ireland’s accidental death rate of 39 per 100,000 people is higher than the UK average of 34 per 100,000, meaning people here are 23% more likely to die in accident than people in England
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Falls and accidental poisonings (including alcohol and drugs) are the biggest killers, with other causes including road traffic collisions, choking, and exposure to smoke.
The safety charity is calling on the UK Government to implement a National Accidents Prevention Strategy to tackle the “public health emergency”.
Alongside the disparity between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, there were also varying rates of accidental deaths across socio-economic backgrounds. Those in the most deprived 50% of the population were almost three times more likely to be admitted to hospital than those in the less deprived 50%.
The RoSPA also estimates that immediate treatment costs to the NHS run to £6 billion annually, and accidents account for a minimum of 5.2 million bed days – reducing capacity and driving up waiting lists across the health service.
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CEO of RoSPA Becky Hickman says accidents “devastate lives in an instant”, adding: “They are often sudden, violent, and shocking, leaving families and communities to cope with consequences that can last a lifetime. What makes this devastation even harder to bear is the knowledge that so many of these incidents are entirely preventable.”
Dr Sally-Anne Wilson, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), said A&E departments “see first-hand the rising impact of accidental injuries, particularly among older people”.
She added: “The patients I worry about most are those who fall from standing height, often in their own homes, and arrive in the ED with serious injuries such as hip or rib fractures. These seemingly simple accidents can have devastating consequences.
“We know that older people are disproportionately affected by crowding in Emergency Departments, and that delays transferring them to inpatient wards are linked with longer hospital stays and increased mortality.
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“Prevention must be a priority. Anything we can do to reduce the number and severity of avoidable injuries will make a meaningful difference to patient outcomes and help relieve pressure on a stretched emergency care system. RCEM strongly supports RoSPA’s focus on this vital area of public health.”
While the cost of renewables plays a part, the principal driver for this is, ironically, gas itself. The UK energy mix at any one moment usually includes plenty of renewables, but some gas is still frequently still needed. The way the market works, generators bid to supply power in half-hour blocks, with the cheapest bid accepted first. But all successful bidders end up being paid the price of the most expensive source needed to meet demand.
Living in Bath between 2006 and 2011, outside of the antique rivalry of two frankly middling buns, food only played a supporting role to the tourism economy. Chain restaurants took the Wetherspoons approach, attempting to obscure their hegemony by cloaking it within the character of the city’s period architecture, as if it might elevate what’s inside by osmosis. However, a decade later, one name would crop up repeatedly, becoming an attraction in its own right. This is Landrace.
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