The Monday letters page remembers the glory days of the Commodore 64, as a reader recommends indie game Beyond Words.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Old is new again All the recent talk about the ZX Spectrum and other retro formats warms my heart, not least because they’re UK formats and not the NES, which I have ever seen in my life and definitely did not know anyone that had one when I was a kid in the early 90s.
I’m not sure why there’s been this sudden outburst of discussion but I imagine it has a lot to do with how messed up the games industry is at the moment and the five or more year wait we have between big games now. Compare that to the old days when you’d get a sequel every year, that was made by just one or two people.
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The games felt raw and exciting, not the manufactured rubbish you get nowadays. Indie gaming is a lot closer to what gaming was in the old days but my problem with them is that so much of it is pandering to nostalgia and they’re always held back, either on purpose or by budget, whereas back in the day the game games were always pushing the envelope in terms of technology.
Now, I’m not so much of a hypocrite to say I’m not going to buy GTA 6 or any other big name games I like but more and more I find myself more interested in retro gaming and less in the modern stuff. Especially as there’s so much I didn’t play at the time, so there’s always something new to discover. Jacob
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The best bit I haven’t seen the film yet (I know I’m going to enjoy it from what I’ve read) but all the talk got me in the mood for Star Fox so I thought I’d play a bit of Star Fox Zero and this game is terrible! When it’s just the Lylat Wars on-the-rails shooter it’s fine and it still looks great. But it keeps forcing you to use the GamePad for aiming and turn into that awful chicken thing.
It’s a great tribute to the N64 game at times but it’s just held back by these baffling gameplay decisions. If they do release a new game then hopefully they don’t try any gimmicks and just keep it as an on-the-rails shooter. Simon
GC: It’s not terrible, but we don’t think anyone would argue the on-rails sections aren’t the best part. The problem for Nintendo is whether anyone still wants to play a game that is only that.
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Licensed property Talking about the C64 in the Inbox, I have just been watching the Commodore 64: Classic Game Insights Vol 1 Blu-ray and there is an interesting fact about Ron Gilbert (who made Maniac Mansion and The Secret Of Monkey Island games) when he started working at Lucasfilm he and his co-developers could not make any Star Wars games because George Lucas had sold the rights out to third party companies like Atari and others!
So, it’s a bit like somebody going to work for Nintendo and Nintendo telling their developers they couldn’t make Mario and Zelda games because they had sold the rights out to other companies! So what Ron Gilbert and his co-developers did was make up new games like Maniac Mansion and Secret Of Monkey Island, etc., in response to that.
The company that made this documentary is doing a full documentary for the C64 computer and it’s games and are looking for 2,000 followers on Kickstarter before they can launch the Kickstarter for the documentary. They currently have about 1,300 followers, one of which is me!
The people making the documentary also made The PlayStation Revolution documentary and the recent Rubber-Keyed Wonder documentary about the Spectrum, which were both very good in my opinion. Andrew J.
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GC: That sort of thing happens all that time. It’s why Sony still has the licence to make Spider-Man movies.
40 years, man and boy I’m loving all this chat about the ZX Spectrum.
I never had one myself, but I did have friends when I was a young kid, that either had a ZX or a Commodore 64, so I would enjoy gaming via osmosis through them.
It’s weird because when I look back, I didn’t realise how much of a gamer I was, it was just a new and exciting entertainment form which I was happy to get involved in.
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For me personally, it stated with those LCD gaming devices you could pick up at your local paper shop behind the glass cabinet for £2.99.
My friend used to borrow me his Game & Watch Mario and Donkey Kong and I didn’t care what my mom did for tea, as far as I was concerned I was living the life, it really fascinated me.
There was normally a high score of 9999 back then and I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure that’s where the term ‘clocked’ came from, when the game you were playing had no other numbers to give so just reset to 0, hence the term clocked.
I remember the Tomytronic games and the Tomy Racing Turbo, that was a particular favourite of mine.
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Anyway what I’m getting at, is it took me years to realise I was a gamer.
I work with a gentleman who takes the mickey out of his son in law and his PlayStation 5 yet he spends most of his time playing online snooker against other people!
I think we all have it in us to enjoy gaming in the same sense you really have to be a movie buff to enjoy a movie or watch a lot of television to enjoy a programme.
It’s a great hobby and I feel very fortunate to have watched it grow up from its infancy. freeway 77
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GC: We believe that ‘clocked’ started with pinball games, but that is the gist of it.
Beyond Balatro I wanted to write in to alert possibly yourselves, but mainly your readers, to a new game released on PC and Switch 2 (not sure about other formats).
It’s called Beyond Words and it is similar to Balatro but it plays along the lines of Scrabble rather than poker.
It for me, it isn’t necessarily as polished as Balatro but having put a few solid hours into it already… it is going to be right up there for replayabilty. It’s only just over £10 at the minute, so for all those that loved Balatro give this one a try. Complex
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GC: It seems to be on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S as well, to judge by the trailer.
What are ya selling? I’ve finally gotten around to playing the Resident Evil 4 remake on PlayStation 5. I have to admit the game looks better but more importantly the controls are much improved. Sticky situations with the hostile locals are less sticky now that Leon can move while aiming.
One change for the worse I’ve noticed, however, is the merchant. Have the developers recast him? Leon sounds the same to me, but the merchant definitely isn’t as good. Why change the merchant? Wasn’t he a very popular character when the original version of the game came out?
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If I recall correctly the original Resident Evil 4 merchant had a sort of a pirate voice. The new merchant just sounds like a bland cockney. What a bad decision if the developers recast this character. Why not simply reuse the voicework from the original game?
Anyway, I’m enjoying the remake apart from that, but I do fear what else has changed for the worse. Are the regeneradores/regenerators still scary? Is Ashley less annoying? Michael Veal (Twitter/X)
GC: Everyone was recast; Metal Gear Solid Delta is the only big budget remake we can think of that has ever reused the same voice files from 20 years back. But the merchant was always meant to be cockney.
The unfunniest day of the year Read some stuff online that the Nemesis system patent had been revoked, you seen anything credible about that? Magnumstache
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GC: We’re afraid that was an April’s Fool ‘joke’. Although if any company wanted to do something similar a patent wouldn’t stop them. Lots of video game ideas are patented – Sega owns the patent to changing camera angles by pressing a button, for example – but they’re always too general to stop anything but a straight clone.
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Stardew nightmare Great to hear that Graveyard Keeper 2 will be an eventuality, as I thought the first one was a great attempt at a variation on the Stardew Valley experience. It was definitely an interesting theme on the management genre, taking care of the corpses in a correct manner to get cemetery ratings.
It was following the crafting, technology, and economy as what is required in these games, but with the added disposing and preparation of the corpses dropped off by the donkey delivery service. Conducting autopsies for crafting was a great idea, along with the skull ratings you get for doing a good job with the body.
Then putting them in the cemetery making them look as good as possible, with decorative items. It was a great way to do your grave keeping whilst farming parts for the technology and crafting side of the gameplay and then choosing the paths you want to use these items and resources in the technology tree.
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Now what’s interesting for the sequel is how it is to expand the creative part of the game and it’s not just fixing up a graveyard and church but an entire community in a zombie infested town with a zombie apocalypse on the horizon.
The town management is definitely a step up, with whole new areas of research to explore and take control of. Can’t wait for another indie classic. Alucard
Inbox also-rans I totally understand where the reader at the weekend is coming with when it comes to the GameCube. It was the first console I bought as a wage owner and despite its problems I have very fond memories of it and its games. Wendel
With so many Resident Evil remake on the way I wish they’d remake the remake of Resident Evil 3, as that was awful was barely anything like the original. Resident Evil 1 is going to be remade twice, so why not that? Carlet
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This Morning presenter Dermot O’Leary has taken another gastronomic tour of Ireland for his Taste Of Ireland series – and has happened upon what he thinks is one of the greatest towns in the world
With his Taste Of Ireland show now streaming on ITVX, This Morning host Dermot O’Leary has been reminiscing about the family holidays along Ireland’s wild west coast that he enjoyed as a child.
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But he also made some fascinating new discoveries as he drove between the various locations of the show. When it comes to finding the best of a country, Dermot says, the trick is not to rush.
“We have this brilliant producer called Conall, who was our fixer over there,” Dermot told broadcaster Holly Rubenstein on her Travel Diaries podcast. “Conall is amazing, he’s brilliant. It’s always great to have a local fixer.
“But the problem with a local fixer is, they are used to seeing what they’re seeing. So he’d happily drive 70 miles an hour through the most beautiful part of the island. So I kept saying to him, would you just slow down?”
One of the spots that Dermot found, once he had persuaded Conall to take his foot off the gas, was an especially picturesque town in County Antrim.
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Dermot told Holly: “I think my favourite town was a little town called Ballycastle, which is this gorgeous little beach town, almost straight out of New England.
“You know, it’s a real, not clapboard. It was very Irish, but full of lovely independent bakeries and shops.”
He added that Ballycastle, which lies at roughly the midpoint of the Causeway Coastal Route and sits an hour north of Belfast, would be the kind of town that would be great to grow up in.
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Dermot is by no means the first to praise the virtues of the town. Ballycastle has been featured by The Sunday Times on their “Best Places To Live” list, and has been previously crowned the overall regional winner for Northern Ireland.
One of the town’s notable features is a sculpture, sited close to the beach, depicting the legendary Children of Lir.
And Lir is also the name of one of Demot’s all-time favourite restaurant, about half an hour up the road in Coleraine.
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He continues: “They’re sort of nose to tail seafood, which is pretty much my idea of heaven… the dips for the mayo and aioli at the start were like pollock skin or cod skin or something. It’s just like crispy, deep crispy, really salty, really good.”
It’s the quest for great restaurants and local specialities that drives Dermot’s Taste of Ireland, which started its second series on Saturday May 2.
The show’s first episode saw Dermot set off on gastronomic tour of the island of Ireland, beginning at Blackhead Lighthouse in Co Antrim, taking in the sweeping views before taking a tour along the Causeway Coastal Route.
In the Glens of Antrim, he joins a sixth-generation farmer preserving traditional methods on his heritage farm, then continues on to Glenarm Castle, where chef Paula McIntyre fires up the smoker for some world-famous Glenarm beef, paired with a vibrant runner bean salad.
Humber Coastguard says seals like to relax on the beaches in good weather where they are seen by people also enjoying the seaside who think the marine mammals are in trouble and ring 999.
That connects them to the coastguard, the marine emergency service for humans.
“We’ve had a high number of calls recently about seals that turned out to be perfectly fine,” said Michael Niblett from HM Coastguard
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“Seals often come ashore to rest, and approaching them can actually cause them stress or even lead to aggressive behaviour.”
“Please think carefully before calling 999 for the Coastguard about a seal that appears healthy. It can take valuable time away from genuine emergencies.”
Coastguards are not the correct people to ring even if the seal is injured.
“If you do see an injured seal, please contact BDMLR (British Divers Marine Life Rescue),” said Mr Niblett.
Wu Yize is sparkling on the biggest stage in snooker (Picture: Getty Images)
Playing Wu Yize is like ‘trying to lasso a stag,’ reckons former Masters champion Alan McManus, as the young star leads Shaun Murphy in the World Snooker Championship final.
The 22-year-old had never won a match at the Crucible before this year but is now just eight frames from becoming world champion as he leads Murphy 10-7 after two sessions.
The attack-minded, free-flowing youngster has been showing off his incredible long-potting ability against the Magician.
He has also displayed great nerve and poise, combining the lot in the final frame of Sunday as he sunk an outrageous long red and cleared up to win a crucial frame from behind.
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The race to 18 is far from over, but former Crucible semi-finalists McManus says Murphy has a ‘big job on his hands’ against the gun-slinger who is proving extremely difficult to contain.
‘The strength of an opponent is making Shaun feel uncomfortable, ‘McManus said on TNT Sports.
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‘Shaun played beautifully to win the final four frames against John [Higgins] last night, but he is playing against someone who…it is like trying to lasso a stag and it just keeps running and you can’t get a hand on it. That’s what it feels like.
Wu is proving very popular with the crowd in Sheffield (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Wu Yize is playing his way, his game, his type of snooker, and Shaun is having no effect on him. Shaun has got a big job on his hands tomorrow.’
The Scot, who was more known for his granite matchplay than his free-wheeling attacking intent, added: ‘It must be a brilliant feeling to feel that free.
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‘Free and easy, fast and loose, and not worry about anything. The other guy knows it as well, and that is difficult to play against.
‘The pressure will bite more tomorrow, but he is in a terrific position.’
Shaun Murphy needs a strong finish to keep up with Wu (Picture: Getty Images)
Stephen Hendry is loving what he has seen from Wu, with the youngster playing a brand of snooker which the Scot revels in.
‘What a player. He’s just brilliant. He plays the game properly and goes for the shots,’ said the seven-time world champion.
‘He’s obviously at a stage of his career when he’s not had many scars and he’s not thinking about the consequences of missing. He’s just having fun.
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‘The important thing is when he’s playing shots, he’s fully committing to them. There are no thoughts of bailing out at any stage.’
He added: ‘He’s having fun out there and that’s the worst kind of opponent you can have, someone who looks as though they’re enjoying themself.’
Murphy will not be surprised by what he is seeing from the Chinese sensation, having been on the wrong end of a 6-2 result against Wu at the Masters in January.
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‘He’s sensational, isn’t he?’ Murphy said ahead of the match. ‘He battered me at the Masters. He is a wonderful, wonderful player, an absolute star.’
On how he was going to approach the game, the Englishman said: ‘I’ve got no idea really. I think in the words of the late, great John Virgo, I think I have to pot as many balls as I can.’
The players return at 1pm on Monday for the third of their four sessions at the Crucible.
It is impossible to say how many social media accounts operate from Mityana. But collectively, they have flooded Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube with videos of pitiful-looking animals – mostly dogs and cats, but even rabbits – with commentary pleading for donations to shelter, feed and treat them.
But, as of Monday, May 4, Royal Mail has said there are “no deliveries or collections” today. Due to the Early May Bank Holiday, there will be no postal service.
Royal Mail said: “There will be no deliveries or collections of mail on Monday, 4 May.” Over the weekend, its service ran as usual on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday Parcel deliveries took place yesterday.
It added: “We deliver and collect your mail on most days of the year, including Saturdays. However, we don’t usually deliver or collect on public or local holidays.”
The delay to mail is in place across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland today. Normal service will resume from Tuesday, May 5.
Royal Mail has faced criticism over late deliveries and its owner faced questions from MPs. Daniel Kretinsky previously told MPs: “Of course I am deeply sorry for any letters that arrive late.”
Speaking to the Commons Business select committee, Mr Kretinsky added: “It is not perfect, but it is not catastrophic.”
The changes will mean it will axe Saturday Second Class deliveries and move to alternate weekdays – three days one week, and two days the next.
Royal Mail said the changes and planned investment will see it improve First Class Next Day delivery to around 85% within nine months of the reforms being brought in, before reaching the 90% target set by regulator Ofcom within a year.
The firm also vowed to deliver 93% of Second Class letters within three days over the course of nine months, and to hit the 95% target by May next year.
Royal Mail was fined £21 million by Ofcom in October for missing targets after it delivered 77% of First Class post and 92.5% of Second Class post on time in 2024-25.
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From April 1, Ofcom lowered the delivery targets for First Class post to be delivered the next day from 93% to 90% and Second Class to be delivered within three days from 98.5% to 95%.
Alistair Cochrane, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: “We recognise our service hasn’t always been the standard our customers rightly expect and we’re determined to do better.
“The plan we’ve set out today shows how we’ll make a step change in performance across the UK, backed by £500 million of investment over the next five years.”
Kardashian also posted a number of photos of her in the outfit she wore in 2025, a custom, all-black two-piece set by Chrome Hearts, which featured a croc-embossed leather corset top with a matching skirt and train, paired with a black leather “witch hunter” hat, which covered most of her face.
Trump claimed to ‘hold all the cards’ – not knowing that means defeat (Picture: AP)
Donald Trump shared a photo of himself holding all of the wild cards in UNO, claiming ‘he holds all the cards’ – not knowing that means you lose the game.
Posting the image on Truth Social, it appeared to be a nod to the failing talks with Iran, in which Trump has said he’s in control.
The fallout from the UNO photo was swift, with many pointing out that having all the cards in the game means you actually lose.
‘He doesn’t even understand the game or how to play, but he still always poses with props and proclaims himself a winner,’ one user said.
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Another joked: ‘He has every hand except a Strait.’
The ongoing discussions about Iran are focused on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane over which Iran has control, and Trump wants to control.
The image has gone viral for all the wrong reasons (Picture: Truth Social)
The image is the latest AI-generated slop Trump has shared on his Truth Social platform.
Ahead of his planned renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pools, Trump shared an AI photo of himself and his cabinet lounging in the waters.
Floating in a golden inflatable chair, the President is giving a thumbs up to the camera as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio smile.
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Also in the mocked-up photo is Interior Secretary Doug Burgham and an unidentified woman wearing a gingham bikini.
The image appears to be a reference to Trump’s ongoing renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pools.
‘This work was supposed to be done by the Biden Administration, but Sleepy Joe doesn’t know what ‘CLEAN’ or proper maintenance is — The President and Secretary do,’ Trump said.
Ahead of America’s 250th anniversary this summer, Trump is planning an ‘Arc de Trump’, a fighting match on the White House lawn and more.
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The United States of America is marking 250 years since it declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.
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And this year’s celebrations will be very different from the bicentennial in 1976, which saw freedom trains, cultural programmes and a massive fireworks display outside the White House.
Manchester United’s 3-2 win against Liverpool put them six points clear of the soon-to-be former Premier League champions, sparking a debate over who’ll next win the title
Jamie Carragher has dismissed Manchester United’s chances of winning the Premier League title in the next two seasons, telling Gary Neville not to be ‘kidded’ by their form under Michael Carrick.
Reflecting on the two teams’ contrasting fortunes, Neville suggested that United aren’t far away from winning their first title since 2013 – despite not having a permanent manager in place. “There’s a couple of real unknowns; the managers and which club is going to recruit the best this summer,” the ex-United captain began on his Sky Sports podcast.
“Both are going to sign three or four. But how much money do the clubs have to spend money on recruitment? I do think the league could be up for grabs over the next couple of years and I think Manchester United could be in a position to exploit that.
“At some point, Pep [Guardiola] has to leave [Manchester City]. And I don’t think the other big clubs aren’t quite right. There is a league title up to grabs over the next one to two years.”
Carragher, on the other hand, believes that United are in a ‘false economy’, having played far less fixtures than Liverpool this season – something that’ll change next term after they qualified for the Champions League. “I still think Liverpool are better-placed and the reason I say that is we’ve seen Man United’s best team out there today,” the Anfield legend said.
“Liverpool are three of four short there. They also have the players who have won before in terms of the biggest trophies. I don’t think either of them will be there in terms of the title next season. I still think it will be Arsenal or Manchester City.
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Who’s closer to winning the Premier League – Manchester United or Liverpool? Have your say in the comments section.
“There’s a false economy with Manchester United when they haven’t played any European football and they went out in the first round of both cup competitions. Now that can fool you.
“Man United will finish third this season but I don’t think for a minute believe they’re the third-best team in the Premier League. I still think Liverpool are in a better position in terms of the squad when the injured players get back and having those players that have won trophies before.”
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Their row resumed when they entered the Sky studio at Old Trafford – although it ended with a gentlemanly handshake. Neville continued: “(Liverpool) have to build a new team that won’t have won the titles that they’ve won before. Liverpool’s recruitment is gonna have to be good – and it has been good in the past – and the manager’s gonna have to settle down next season.”
Raising his arms as Carragher attempted to respond, Neville added: “Do you know something? We’ve beat them twice this season, we’ve finished above them in the league and he’s still sat there saying, ‘Liverpool are better’! What more can United do?”
An exacerbated Carragher then replied: “Don’t get kidded about United finishing third, you’ve had no European (football), no cup competitions. You’ve done really well this season in terms of where you’ve ended up, but don’t get kidded by it!
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“How can you say you think Manchester United in the next year or two could win the league title? You haven’t even got a manager yet, you’ve got players there who’ve never played three games in a week. The things that’ve got to come over the next year or two… Your best player (Bruno Fernandes) will be 33!”
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How many American troops are in Europe and where are they?
The United States had approximately 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, data from the US Defence Manpower Data Centre (DMDC) shows. These do not include rotational forces sent on deployment and exercise missions.
The U.S. military is spread over 31 permanent bases and a further 19 military sites to which the Department of Defence has access as of March 2024, a Congress report shows.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 08:30
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In photos: Keir Starmer, Macron and top leaders arrive for key EU summit in Armenia
The European Political Community summit in Yerevan opened on Monday with leaders from across Europe to discuss security, defence, and political cooperation at a time of heightened tensions driven by the war in Ukraine.
The forum – created after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – offers a platform for EU and non-EU countries to coordinate responses on key issues such as military support for Kyiv, energy security, and regional stability.
Attendees included Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s premier Donald Tusk, Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store, Nato chief Mark Rutte, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and vice president Kaja Kallas, and European Council president Antonio Costa.
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During the summit, the UK will announce that it is entering talks to join the European Union’s €90bn (£78bn) loan scheme for Ukraine.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, the first leader of a non-European country to attend the EPC, also participated.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives for the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday (AP)
France’s President Emmanuel Macron arrives to attend the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan (AFP/Getty)
Participants include Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk and European Council President Antonio Cost (AFP/Getty)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand attend the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan (AFP/Getty)
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 08:15
Russia says it rejects US citizenship imposed on Russian diplomats’ children
Russia will not recognise US citizenship granted to children of its diplomats born in the United States, insisting they remain under Russian jurisdiction, the foreign ministry said.
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Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that Moscow will demand case-by-case confirmation from Washington that such children are exempt from US jurisdiction and retain full diplomatic immunity under international conventions.
“The Russian side does not recognize the imposition of US citizenship on Russian citizens born into the families of our diplomatic, administrative-technical, and consular personnel in the United States,” she wrote in an article for Vedomosti, a Russian-language business daily newspaper.
It comes as a new bill in America aims to ensure that being born on US soil no longer guarantees an American passport unless your parents are already elite permanent residents.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 08:00
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Joining EU’s loan for Ukraine will boost UK jobs and ties with bloc, Starmer says
Keir Starmer has said joining the European Union’s €90bn (£78bn) loan scheme for Ukraine would be “very good” for UK–EU ties and for job creation in Britain, as he prepares to formally announce the UK’s bid at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.
Speaking on arrival, Starmer said participation would boost Ukraine’s military capability in the fifth year of the war, while also supporting jobs in the UK and strengthening relations with the EU ahead of further negotiations.
He is set to co-chair a Ukraine-focused meeting with France, urging closer coordination to ensure Kyiv receives the military equipment it needs to continue resisting Russia.
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Downing Street also confirmed that the UK will unveil fresh sanctions on Russian companies later this week to disrupt military supply chains.
Speaking to the media as he arrived at the European Political Community (EPC) summit, he said: “In relation to the EU loan that we are discussing participating in, that is very good for Ukraine, because it will give Ukraine capability that is desperately needs in year five of this conflict.
(AP)
“It’s very good for the UK, because of the capability that leads to jobs in the United Kingdom.
“And it’s very good for UK-EU relations, which is very important as we go on to the various discussions.”
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 07:24
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Picture show damage to Moscow building
Images emerging from Moscow show visible damage after a drone strike, offering a rare glimpse into the impact of the war inside the Russian capital.
Photos and social media footage capture debris hanging from the upper floors of a residential building on Mosfilmovskaya Street, with sections of the façade torn open and rubble scattered across the ground below.
Emergency personnel can be seen working at the site, cordoning off the area and assessing the damage.
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The strike, reportedly carried out by Ukraine, appears to have hit a high-rise apartment block in one of Moscow’s more upscale districts, not far from diplomatic residences.
(AP)
Debris dangles from a damaged apartment building on Mosfilmovskaya street after a Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow (AP)
A building which was struck by a drone, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, in this screegrab obtained from a social media video released on May 4, 2026. (Reuters)
Emergency personnel work near the debris of a building which was struck by a drone, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict (Reuters)
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:30
Sir Keir Starmer meets Zelensky as he pledges more support to Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky said he met British prime minister Keir Starmer and thanked King Charles for his “strong words” on the defence of Ukraine during his state visit to the US.
Meeting Mr Starmer in Armenia, he said: “Best regards and thanks to His Majesty for strong words in the United States supporting our people.”
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Zelensky said he appreciates all the steps the United Kingdom has taken to support our people and weaken the aggressor, including efforts to counter Russia’s shadow fleet.
Britain will begin talks to join the EU’s Ukraine loan scheme, the UK government said.
Starmer is expected to announce the move at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, signalling closer UK–EU coordination on military support for Kyiv. The EU-approved loan will cover about two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs over the next two years, largely for defence.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:30
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IAEA says a drone targeted Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s external radiation control laboratory
The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday that a drone had targeted its external radiation control laboratory.
There were no reported injuries and it was not yet known if the strike damaged the lab, which is located outside the nuclear power plant’s perimeter, according to the IAEA.
An IAEA team at the site has requested access to the lab, Director General Rafael Grossi said, reiterating that any attacks near nuclear sites can pose nuclear safety risks.
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Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:22
Moscow building attack could be one deepest Ukrainian strike inside Russia
The Ukrainian attack on a luxury apartment building could be one of the deepest strikes into central Moscow.
The drone strike inside a residential complex in the Russian capital happened about 7km from Red Square. The targeted tower is located in an upscale district near embassies and diplomatic residences.
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Videos on social media appear to show a low-flying drone heading towards Moscow shortly before 1am, with residents reporting loud explosions soon after.
Images suggest damage to the upper floors of the Mosfilm Tower, a luxury high-rise west of the city centre, with drone debris scattered on the street as emergency crews responded.
Ukraine has yet to confirm the drone strike.
A building which was struck by a drone, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, in this screegrab obtained from a social media video released on May 4, 2026. (Reuters)
Debris dangles from a damaged apartment building on Mosfilmovskaya street after a Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow (AP)
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:08
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Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s Primorsk port, oil tankers and military ships
Ukraine launched a volley of missiles and drone strikes across Russia, striking the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk and three ships allegedly being used to transport Russian crude.
The strike caused a fire at Primorsk, a major oil-exporting outlet, the Russian regional governor confirmed.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the northwest region which hosts the port, said more than 60 drones were downed overnight. He said the fire at Primorsk was quickly extinguished and there had been no oil spill following the attack.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes had caused significant damage to the oil terminal port.
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They also hit an oil tanker, a small Russian Karakurt-class missile ship and a patrol boat in the Baltic Sea, he said on Telegram.
“Each such result further limits Russia’s war potential,” he wrote.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said global oil prices may rise further if Ukraine continues to hit Russia’s oil infrastructure, Russian TV reported.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:00
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Drone hits building in Moscow, mayor says
A drone has struck a building in Moscow, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday, adding there were no casualties.
The drone hit the Mosfilm Tower, a luxury residential building located west of the city’s centre.
Photos appeared to show damage to the upper floor of the high-rise apartment building as the emergency crews arrived on the scene.
John Turton said he watched his son Dan struggle with alcohol and drug abuse since he was a teenager and his family were forgotten by society.
But he added his son was now turning his life around thanks to the York In Recovery organisation.
The father and York In Recovery director’s comments came at an event marking City of York Council’s commitment to become an Inclusive Recovery City.
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The commitment involves working to tackle stigma and supporting people who are struggling with addiction at work, in education and in their communities.
Representatives from more than 150 businesses, organisations and local authorities came together to hear from people who had experienced addiction and organisations trying to help them.
Council health spokesperson Cllr Lucy Steels-Walshaw and public health lead Peter Roderick signed a charter which commits the authority to align its policies towards those aims.
The event, at the LNER Community Stadium on Wednesday, April 29, also saw the exhibiting of the Stitch Away The Stigma tapestry featuring messages from people who have experienced addiction.
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York In Recovery Director Mr Turton said his 45-year-old son fell into addiction from the age of 13.
He added he had been recovering for three years.
Mr Turton said: “He was addicted to alcohol, drugs, anything he could get his hands on, it was very difficult to live with.
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“We were lost as a family, no one wanted to help us and we were stigmatised.
“Now our life is filled with hope and joy now, it’s a long way from where we were in the past.
“Addiction is an illness and society should start to recognise that, people suffer from the stigma society puts them through.
“Families should be helped as well because they’re totally ignored, no one’s there to educate us and help us understand what addiction’s all about.
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“We’ve got to support people after the detox and after rehab, because when people come out of treatment that’s only the beginning.
“My son’s very stable now, York In Recovery helped him find other things to do and he’s working with refugees on a cookery programme and helping other addicts on their journey because he understands what it’s like.”
City of York Council Health Executive Member Cllr Lucy Steels-Walshaw (left) and Public Health Director Peter Roderick (right) signing the Inclusive Recovery City charter (Image: City of York Council)
Mark Green, also a director of York in Recovery and manager of York Community Hub, said the perception that addicts were bad people had to change.
Mr Green, who also previously struggled with addiction, said: “There’s always trauma and pain, this is the start of the work that needs to happen.
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“There’s this phrase- death from dismay, a few weeks ago we attended a friend’s funeral and my other friend and I tried every trick in my book to but my book wasn’t big enough.
“The recovery and treatment system is all needed and essential but it’s never enough, it pains me to think our friend passed away and won’t even be recognised or acknowledged by the data.
“Stigma and that sense of shame used to hurt me too, we’ve got to double down and fight it for other people so their journeys are easier.”
Peter Roderick, the council’s public health director, said the voice of those struggling with and recovering from addiction needed to be heard.
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The public health director said: “It’s not been an easy journey to get to where we are now, we need to make sure the stigma people face is challenged and pushed back on.
“The whole city needs to come on this journey and visibility is so important, if we don’t make recovery visible the stigma will continue.”
Cllr Steels-Walshaw said honesty was needed about the work that needed to be done.
The executive member said: “For more than 20 years I worked in drug and alcohol services and I sat with people who were trying to rebuild their lives.
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“Stigma is alive in our city, I’ve lost count of the amount of people I’ve known and cared deeply for who had so much potential but were met with shame rather than support.
“The opposite of addiction is being involved in your community, people facing addiction challenges aren’t strangers, they’re our friends, families and colleagues.”
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