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Games Inbox: Is the Nintendo Switch 2 becoming a failure?

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Games Inbox: Is the Nintendo Switch 2 becoming a failure?
The Switch 2 has had a bad year so far (Nintendo)

The Wednesday letters page is concerned what the decline of Fortnite means for gaming, as one reader has some ideas for Pokémon Pokopia DLC.

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

Expensive times
So that Nintendo Switch 2 news was a bit of a surprise, huh? I thought something was up when it turned out US sales were down over Christmas, which was clearly not a good sign. As for what’s going wrong, it’s obvious the price is the number one problem, especially when Nintendo is known for cheaper hardware and games. I think the games line-up is a big issue too though and it seems madness to me that we have virtually no idea what’s coming out on the console this year, and it’s already nearly April.

Nintendo knew these sales figures long before we did so surely they could see the damage that this secrecy is doing. How do they expect anyone to want to buy their new console if there’s literally nothing to look forward to on it?

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That and no real Christmas game are definite mistakes, but I think the biggest issue is just that nobody’s in the mood for buying expensive consoles – or expensive anything – right now. And that definitely is going to affect Project Helix and PlayStation 6. If I was Sony I’d just keep the PlayStation 5 going for another five years and try and make it cheaper each time. I bet they don’t though.
Focus

Blaming Nintendo
Woof to the idea of the Switch 2 being the fastest-selling console ever. I guess it was at launch but cutting production plans by 30%? That’s a lot! There’s obviously a lot going on here, but I think many people have said that the Switch 2 has seemed off since it was first announced. All the reveals have been bad, a lot of the games have been weird choices for a first year, and no hint of a new Mario or Zelda is just silly.

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Fans can exist on just a tiny amount of hype for years, just ask any Rockstar Games fan, so all Nintendo had to do was have a few seconds of footage, or a name, or a bit of artwork or something. Instead, they’ve given us nothing but Metroid Prime 4 and Mario Tennis 34, or whatever it is.

I have the console and it’s great but I’m not happy with the marketing or the games. It was an expensive machine and I want to see my purchase be justified, which his not happening at the moment. Nintendo might not be able to control wars and RAM prices, but they have absolute control of what they say about the console and its games.
Kascogine

Price conscious
This Nintendo news should be a wake-up call to the whole games industry. Microsoft and Sony would be crazy to release expensive next gen consoles at the moment, because Trump and AI and all the other problems are still going to be here next year and probably the year after too.

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You can’t react to a cost of living crisis by increasing prices instead of lowering them. I mean, you can but then you’re going to regret it, as Nintendo is proving right now. Games and consoles are too expensive and the company that recognises that problem is going to clean up. In the meantime, indie devs are the solution that already exists.
Zeiss

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

Day of reckoning
Epic Games is laying off 1,000 people? After doing almost the same thing two years ago? If it wasn’t obvious by now the games industry is in deep trouble right now. Everything is too expensive to make and buy and the market is not growing at all.

If Fortnite falls then companies are going to be in an absolute shambles working out what to do about it. For a start it’s going to make the games industry look like a failing state and investors aren’t going to touch it with a barge pole.

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Fortnite failing means there are no guarantees at all, especially as this happened the same day that the Switch 2’s bubble burst. We are in for rough times ahead, gamers, and as usual no company seems to be doing anything about it.
Royston

GTA who?
I’ll be honest, I genuinely forgot GTA 6 is coming out this year. It’s been so long, with so many delays, that it doesn’t feel like a game that’s actually coming out. Especially as the graphics look so much better than anything else, and by such a long way.

I honestly can’t imagine a future where it’s out and it’s just another video game, like the way we think of GTA 5 at the moment. If it’s as successful as we all know it’ll be it’s going to dominate everything else for months, maybe years.

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We might as well number the years of the games industry as before GTA 6 and after GTA 6, like BC and AD. It’s going to be crazy when it all kicks off.
Fybo

Things can only get worse
Something with the Switch 2’s success hasn’t been passing the vibe check for a while. Firstly, it’s blockbuster success in Japan seems to be built on a much cheaper Japanese language model. The price discrepancy is so large I think Western buyers have a right to know for how much they are basically subsidising that machine. When buying the console Nintendo may as well just ask you to post £50 to some random dude in Tokyo.

Then in the UK at least the Black Friday price cut from last November seems to have been stealthily introduced as the new price point (i.e. £385 for the base and £409 for the Mario Kart bundle) for retailers. That combined with the fact the Mario Kart bundle still hasn’t sold out (it was a time limited launch window product) did make me wonder how popular Nintendo’s machine was really proving beyond diehard fans?

Continued poor third party game and accessory sales being another factor in that conversation. I mean the attachment rate for the webcam is less than 4%! GameChat should be put out of its misery, like Kinect on the Xbox One was.

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Saying all that… If you are thinking of getting the console (it will see new iterations of Zelda and Mario eventually after all) now is the time to buy. The Iran War and RAM crisis mean prices are only going to rise in the year ahead, and if Nintendo have warehouses of stock the chance of a revision of the console that would still need to be manufactured reduces. So it is worth jumping now.
Marc

Gotta add ‘em all
Just to add to the Pokémon Pokopia love but you can’t help but notice there’s a lot of environments that just aren’t in the game. There’s no snowy area at all, not really a proper desert or water area, and not much in terms of ghosts or metal. There’s some of these pokémon types in there but not as much as some others (so many fighting types!) so I think it’s pretty clear what they could do in terms of expansions.

I’d be there day one though as this is one game where it won’t seem forced and people are actually wanting more of what it’s selling. It’s been one of the best surprises I’ve played in a long time.
Gordo

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Marathon not a sprint
I was not surprised to see someone writing in to comment at how Marathon’s structure has put them off playing the game. I was surprised we haven’t seen more people commenting one way or another on what is surely to go down in history as one of the most Marmite games of this generation.

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Cards on the table, I adore it and have been amazed at how it’s pulled my old group of online friends back to regularly playing together multiple times each week. I’ve even enjoyed quite a bit of solo running and playing as a rook, even if my aging reflexes mean I’m unlikely to complete Cryo Storage until three days before reset, if ever.

What is strange is how Bungie have taken everything they learned from Destiny and focused on a single game mode seemingly designed solely for the 10% of their player-base who were ever able to complete raids.

Destiny’s genius was that at its core, it catered to so many players and play styles. That large player-base would all find something they enjoyed in the game and for those who were hooked, offered difficult activities such as Master Nightfalls, raids, and dungeons.

Marathon feels like they nailed that endgame content yet did not build out the game to appeal to a more casual audience, potentially confining Marathon to a small but hardcore player-base.

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I do highly recommend you at least give it a try if you’ve ever enjoyed a Bungie title. The gunplay is great, the level design and objectives feel tight, and as long as you treat all your weapons as disposable, or start your night with a free kit, losing all your kit doesn’t feel too bad.
DarKerR (gamertag)

Inbox also-rans
Personally, I can’t foresee any problem with a man driving a giant truck while also playing a racing game at the same time. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
Tension

The thing that makes me laugh is that it’s called Crimson Desert but there isn’t actually a crimson desert in the game, because they didn’t think of that at the time. What a mess.
Kuros

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

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The small print
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.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

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Trump says Iran gave the US a ‘very big present’

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Trump says Iran gave the US a 'very big present'

Donald Trump has insisted Iran wants a deal “so badly” – saying on Tuesday that Iran gave the US a “very big present worth a tremendous amount of money”.

The US president hinted at a “very significant prize” gifted to the US by Iranian negotiators, adding it was related to oil and gas, and the Strait of Hormuz. However, he gave no specific details on what the present was.

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Bolton to see 47mph winds and wintry showers today

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Bolton to see 47mph winds and wintry showers today

Highs of around 7C or 8C are expected, but with temperatures largely between 4C and 6C, strong winds will make it feel near freezing.

Showers are set to continue from morning into the afternoon, with more than 95 per cent chance of rain at times.

Some heavier bursts could turn wintry, bringing hail and, over higher ground in the North West, snow.

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Wind speeds in Bolton are expected to reach around 20mph to 21mph, with gusts reaching up to 47mph.

The strongest winds will be seen during the morning, easing as the day progresses.

As evening arrives, conditions are forecasted to calm, with showers becoming less frequent and winds decreasing.

Under clearer skies, temperatures will fall rapidly overnight.

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A cold night with frost and the risk of icy patches is expected by early Thursday.

Overnight temperatures could fall to about 0C, with perceived temperatures lowering to around -1C.

The Met Office regional forecast indicates that Wednesday will have bright spells, but will be noticeably colder than recent days due to brisk north-westerly winds, enhancing the wintry atmosphere.

Bolton’s visibility is mostly forecast to be good, and both air pollution and pollen levels are low.

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Asda announces pay rise for all 110,000 supermarket staff

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Asda announces pay rise for all 110,000 supermarket staff

The supermarket said their “hard-working” hourly-paid staff will all receive a 4 per cent rise.

It will be implemented in two stages, with the first as early as next week [April 1] and the second on July 5.

Staff working outside the M25 will jump from earning £12.60 per hour to £13.10 by summer and those working inside the M25 move from £13.82 to £14.35 per hour.

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The Office for National Statistics recorded the consumer price index inflation figure at 3.2% for February, meaning Asda’s increase is 0.8% higher.

Asda said the “pleasing” news represents an £80 million investment.

The news means hourly pay has increased by around 40% since Asda’s acquisition by TDR Capital and the Issa brothers in 2021.

James Goodman, Chief People Officer, Asda, said: “Our store‑based colleagues are at the core of our business and the role they play serving customers is central to our ‘formula for growth’ turnaround plan.

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“I’m pleased we have been able to give them an above‑inflation pay award and invest in this way.

“I’d also like to thank them for their continued hard work and commitment to making Asda better every day.”

Shoppers at Tesco, Asda & more missing out on £442 vouchers

Thousands of families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland may be missing out on free food vouchers worth up to £442 .

More than 200,000 families have previously been warned they could be missing out on the Healthy Start scheme.

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The NHS scheme offers support to families with young children and pregnant women who are on a low income and receiving qualifying benefits.

It can be used to buy healthy food such as milk, infant formula, and fruit and vegetables.

You can view full eligibility criteria, and apply online, here .

Those eligible could receive top-ups of £4.25 or £8.50 per week based on their child’s age.

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You can apply by email or phone if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant, or have at least one child under 4 years old, and get Income Support, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit run-on) and you do not get Child Tax Credit, or Pension Credit (which includes the child addition).

You can also apply by email or phone if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant and either under 18 years old and not getting any benefits, getting Child Tax Credit and not getting Working Tax Credit and your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less, or getting income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

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Loose Women stars lift the lid on backstage feuds, romance and secret crushes

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Daily Mirror

The Loose ladies stopped by to chat to the Mirror at the RTS Awards about dating, sisterhood and the panellist they think should give Celebs Go Dating a go next

The Loose Women were out in force – and looking extremely glamorous – at Tuesday night’s RTS Programme Awards, where the ITV daytime show was nominated for Best Daytime. Alas, the ladies may not have won (the gong went to BBC Breakfast for ‘Our Girls: The Southport Families) but when we caught up with them, its stars were clearly having a ball.

Catching up with Coleen Nolan, Kelle Bryan and Brenda Edwards on the red carpet, all dripping in glamour in beautiful evening wear, they told us why they keep coming back to the chat show – in some cases, like OG Coleen, after many years.

Brenda, who joined the panel on a permanent basis in 2019, told us, “My favourite thing about Loose is just being able to be myself and to be able to help in whatever way I can who we call our fifth ‘Loose Woman’, which is the viewers at home. That’s what I really love – being able to have that platform and use it for something worthwhile.”

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Coleen agreed, adding, “Also it’s the fact that, contrary to what people say sometimes, it is like coming to work with your sisters and your family.

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“And for me, coming from such a big family, I feel like I’ve gained another big sisterhood. Like Brenda said, just being yourself, having fun, and sharing life experiences with them and feeling safe to do that is why I love it.”

There are often rumours of ‘feuds’ and fallouts behind-the-scenes, but the Ladies shake their heads in disagreement.

Asked if it annoys them when they see women pitted against each other, former Eternal singer Kéllé says, “We’ve been chosen because we come from different places and have different opinions.:

She adds, “It’d be a really boring show I think if we all just agreed on everything, wouldn’t it?! The fact that we all have different opinions is what truly makes the show.”

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Coleen – who split from former boyfriend of three years, Michael Jones last April, has also been busy filming for the next series of Celebs Go Dating, which hits our screens this summer, hoping that she might find The One, with the help of the show’s dating gurus.

Though she admits coyly that she can’t tell us much, she will concede that filming is ‘intense’. “It’s like 14/15 hour days filming, so it’s really intense. But I have never – apart from Loose – enjoyed or laughed so much in twelve weeks. I loved every single second of it!”

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“But I also learned so much about myself. Some of my favourite moments are when you go in and sit with the agents because it’s a therapy session. I learnt a lot about myself, and I think it’s changed me in a lot of ways.”

Asked who of their fellow Loose Women who’s single that they would choose to go on the reality show next, Kéllé – who came runner up on the second series of Celebrity Love Island in 2006, laughs, saying, “I’ve been in the villa, I’m alright.”

Brenda adds, “I can’t wait to watch Coleen on the show, I think it’s going to be amazing. Ruth? She;s single. And she deserves it. She’d be great.”

As we’re on the topic of romance, who are the ladies’ celebrity crushes? Giggling, Coleen says, “Ooh I’ve got loads, where do I start?!”, while Brenda reveals her dream A-lister is Idris Elba, who she’s also met. “He’s an absolute gent, he’s a lovely, lovely man – and he’s very tall.”

Coleen tells us she also met the star, confessing, “Yeah, he’s gorgeous, actually. It’s always been George Clooney for me, just because he’s funny and apparently he’s charming and a little bit small but that’s alright! I’m good with small.”

For Kéllé, it’s Sir David Beckham that gets her weak at the knees, telling us, “I’ve always liked a bit of Beckham. I mean, Bend it like Beckham and all that, that’s the one”, as Coleen chips in, “Sorry Victoria!” before Kéllé adds, “Nah, she knows that’s definitely hers. He’s hers all day, every day.”

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Hosted at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel by comedian and presenter Tom Allen, the glitzy RTS Awards celebrate the best of UK television across all genres. Among the attendees yesterday evening were Erin Doherty, Steve Coogan, Stephen Graham, Lucy Punch, Davina McCall and Alison Steadman.

For more on all the nominees and winners on the night, see https://rts.org.uk/awards

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

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Manchester United reach agreement with Casemiro over contract clause amid transfer speculation

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Manchester Evening News

Casemiro announced his departure from Man Utd in January but there has been a push from supporters for him to stay recently.

Casemiro will be able to start every remaining game for Manchester United this season after a clause in his contract that would have led to an extension was ripped up.

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It is understood that the 34-year-old had a clause in his deal that would have led to a one-year extension if he started 35 Premier League fixtures in his final season at the club, a tally that he remains on course to reach.

But the Manchester Evening News understands that the club and Casemiro reached an agreement in January to waive the clause during talks to formally announce that he would be leaving Old Trafford at the end of the season.

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The Brazilian midfielder was told by United officials earlier in the season that his contract wouldn’t be renewed, but in early 2026, he decided to make the news public, a request to which United agreed.

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That came soon after news around the clause that would see his £350,000-a-week extended for a fifth season had come out, but the two parties agreed that it wouldn’t be activated, even if the target was hit.

At the time, that looked unlikely. Casemiro would have needed to start all of the final 21 Premier League games of the season to hit the target of 35 after missing the December trip to Aston Villa through suspension.

But the former Real Madrid midfielder has emerged as an integral part of the side, especially since Michael Carrick was appointed in January, and he is now up to 14 successive starts in the Premier League.

Had the clause remained in place, it would have meant United would have had to drop him from the starting line-up for a game, potentially bringing him on early in a fixture just to avoid the total of 35 starts being hit. Both parties agreed that it was unnecessary, leaving Carrick free to pick him in the starting line-up for all remaining Premier League games.

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Casemiro’s recent form has led to calls for United’s decision not to renew his contract to be reversed, but that stance at Old Trafford isn’t going to change and plans are already afoot to sign a replacement.

Indeed, it is thought that Casemiro is actually close to agreeing terms over a move to a new club when his contract expires at the end of June.

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Hong Kong booksellers arrested for ‘seditious publications’ as Jimmy Lai’s biography seized | Politics News

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Jimmy Lai with a copy of his newspaper Apple Daily in 2010. File pic: Reuters

The owner of one of Hong Kong’s last independent bookshops has been arrested and books including Jimmy Lai’s biography seized, local media have reported.

National security police arrested Book Punch’s owner Pong Yat-ming and three female staff on Tuesday, Ming Pao News, the South China Morning Post and TVB reported.

They were arrested for “knowingly selling seditious publications”, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.

Police searched the shop in Sham Shui Po and seized books, including a biography of jailed British media tycoon Jimmy Lai by Mark Clifford, a friend of Mr Lai’s and a former non-executive director of Next Digital, the media company owned by Mr Lai.

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The 78-year-old billionaire was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for sedition, conspiring with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious material under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

A police spokesperson told local media the force “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

Image:
Following protests in 2019 over proposals to allow extraditions to mainland China, Beijing imposed the national security law. File pic: Reuters


Mr Clifford, who wrote The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became A Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident and China’s Most Feared Critic, said it was a “cruel irony” that selling a biography of a man “who is in jail for his activities as a journalist, for promoting free expression” would lead to sedition charges.

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“It shows how far Hong Kong has fallen from its tradition of free expression and free speech that providing a book could be considered a national security offence,” he added.

The author and president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong foundation said threats against bookstores are “not an aberration but part of a continuing crackdown” and are a breach of China’s promise to continue to maintain Hong Kongers’ freedom after the UK handed Hong Kong back to Beijing in 1997.

Read more:
Andrew Tate should be extradited to UK from Hong Kong to face charges, say MPs
Retired police office denies he’s a Chinese spy and says he’s ‘quite a boring guy’

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Apple Daily, Mr Lai’s now defunct newspaper, was one of a few local papers to initially cover the 2015 disappearance of five booksellers at another bookstore, Causeway Bay Books, known for selling political books banned in mainland China.

It is widely believed they were detained in mainland China, with Guangdong authorities then confirming they had been taken into custody over an “old traffic case”.

Their disappearance shocked Hong Kongers, and then British foreign secretary Philip Hammond said it was a “serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong”.

One of the booksellers, Lam Wing-kee, returned to Hong Kong and said he had been held in detention for eight months and been forced into a confession, which made worldwide headlines. Mainland authorities denied the accusations.

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A police spokesperson, when asked about the reported ​arrests, did not comment directly but told Reuters in a statement that police “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

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Wales legend John Toshack battling dementia as heartbreaking health update revealed

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Wales Online

The heart-breaking diagnosis was revealed by his son, Cameron, in an interview

Wales football legend John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia.

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His son, Cameron, revealed the heart-breaking news in an interview with the Daily Mail. Cameron, who is currently working as assistant manager at Buriram United in Thailand, admitted his dad has “good days and bad days”.

However, he added he can still recall entire line-ups from matches he was involved in decades ago.

“It’s a terrible disease,” Cameron told the Daily Mail.

“It’s the short-term memory where we’re seeing it – I speak to him most days and if we chat in the afternoon, he might not remember that we also spoke in the morning.

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“But if I ask him about the Liverpool days, or Sociedad or Madrid, the detail is amazing.

“The other day he was telling me about a Real Madrid game against Arrigo Saachi’s AC Milan and exactly how he tweaked his midfield to deal with Marco van Basten.

“The game could have been yesterday, his memory was so clear.

“I’ll talk to him about what we’re doing in Thailand and he still gives great advice.

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“As a manager, he could always see two or three moves ahead, and it was always in the genes for me, really.”

Toshack was a genuine footballing superstar in his playing days – having joined Liverpool in 1970 in a £100,000 deal from Cardiff City.

At Anfield, he would win nine trophies – including three First Division titles and a European Cup.

He then moved on to Swansea City as player-manager, leading the club to three promotions in four seasons.

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The feat of taking them from the Fourth Division to the First Division led former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly to call Toshack the “manager of the century”.

After leaving SA1, one of British football’s most varied managerial careers would follow.

During his managerial career, he took charge of some of Europe’s biggest clubs – including Sporting Lisbon, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna, Besiktas and Saint-Etienne.

In Madrid, he lifted the La Liga title in 1990.

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He also had two stints as Wales manager. Once briefly on a part-time basis in 1994 and then again between 2004 and 2010 – helping bring through the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen during that second stint.

The 77-year-old had suffered health difficulties in recent years after being rushed into intensive care in 2022 as he battled pneumonia from complications brought on by Covid.

Last year, he was honoured in a rare public appearance, being given the Diamond and Gold badge – the highest honour the La Liga club can bestow – by his former club Real Sociedad.

The touching moment unfolded before a match against another of his former clubs, Real Madrid.

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The Welshman received a standing ovation, with then Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso – who played under Toshack at Sociedad – paying tribute to Toshack.

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BBC star Finnian Garbutt moved to hospice for ‘last stage of life’ following cancer

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Cambridgeshire Live

The actor has been battling cancer since the age of 25 and has sadly revealed he is now in palliative care

Actor Finnian Garbutt, known as the star of a BBC crime drama, has tragically revealed he’s been relocated to a hospice for the last stage of his life.

The young actor was first diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago at the age of 25. Now, in a sad update, Finnian, who stars in the BBC‘s Hope Street, announced the cancer has “progressed rapidly” throughout his body and has been moved to a hospice, reports Daily Star.

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The 28-year-old shared the update in a post on Instagram. In a snap from his hospital bed, Finnian wrote on Tuesday (March 24): “A day in bed supplied by @nihospice. Thank you that have supported me and my family. (sic) I will no longer be sharing my GoFundMe page, but it is still active in bio.”

Signing off, he added: “Love you all folks.”

The dad-of-one was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 25 after finding a lump behind his ear. He initially assumed it was an ingrown hair, before his barber told him the lump had grown “quite substantially”.

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He later learned the skin cancer was Stage 3 and had spread to his neck. Finnian later had 27 lymph nodes removed from his face and neck in a 12-hour surgery, but sadly, the cancer has metastasised throughout his body.

The BBC star announced he was entering the last stages of his life in a devastating update last month. He wrote on Instagram: “Hey all. Over the last month or so I’ve been having quite a bit of pain in my back and hip.

“My cancer team admitted me the other day for observations and to do a few scans. Unfortunately the scans have shown that the cancer has progressed rapidly in my body and I am now entering the last stages of life.

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“I’m putting this out there as it is really difficult to tell people individually and I hope now that it’s in the open I can enjoy the time with my amazing family and friends.

“Since being diagnosed four years ago I have achieved so many of my life goals – 30 episodes on a TV show, being the lead in a movie that should be out soon, buying my own house marrying my best friend and becoming a father to the most incredible baby girl who never fails to make me smile”

“Thank you to all that have reached out over the years and supported me and my family. If anyone wants to meet up for a pint, coffee or general bit of craic please reach out and we can try to make it work. Love as always, Finnian”

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Finnian also told Belfast Live of the shock of his cancer treatment. He said: “It was almost as if they accidentally had diagnosed me with cancer and were treating me by mistake. I was told I could die; my plastic surgeons had warned me about how ill I could be following surgery.”

“It kept being communicated to me that I was really sick, that I was one step away from being a terminal patient. I was just waiting to hear that I had tumours elsewhere throughout my body. I had already come to terms with the fact that I was going to die young. My defence mechanism was to expect the worst. I thought it was only going to be a matter of time.”

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Scarborough resident ‘lost faith in democracy’ over council plan

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Special meeting to scrutinise council’s new Scarborough office plan

​Residents and councillors in Scarborough have said they are “appalled” by North Yorkshire Council’s decision to push ahead with the purchase of Resolution House at the A64 as a new office and to move staff out of the town centre.

​Speaking at a public meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff (Independent) said information provided about the proposal had been “dangerously poor”, while Cllr Tom Seston (Reform) highlighted how elected councillors had been informed of the plan via social media and a press release.

​Addressing the United Scarborough Residents’ Action Group at the YMCA Theatre on Tuesday, March 24, Cllr Donohue-Moncrieff added: “I am so disgusted at that report, I’ve written to the external auditor. I find the behaviour of [senior] officers completely and utterly unacceptable.”

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​Last week, NYC bosses pushed through an ‘asset rationalisation’ plan that includes the purchase of Resolution House as part of a scheme that was presented as a way to avoid up to £19m of costs to upgrade “appalling working conditions” at the ageing coastal town hall site, and could see Malton’s Ryedale House office sold to make way for housing.

​​​Anglo American, which previously had staff based at Resolution House, began marketing the site for disposal earlier this year, with a guide price of £4.5 million, but officers said the agreed price would be “substantially lower”.

​Speaking at the public meeting on Tuesday evening, locals said it was “shameful” that they had not been consulted, while a “dutiful” Scarborough resident said: “This has shaken my faith in democracy.”

​She said: “In good faith, we voted for these people, and it’s completely eroded my trust in the way that things are managed in this authority.”

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​​The in-principle approval of the plan is subject to finalisation of a contract between Anglo American and NYC.

​However, a special overview and scrutiny committee meeting of North Yorkshire Council will be held on Thursday as councillors make a “last ditch” attempt to block the proposal.

​Cllr Rich Maw (Independent) told the meeting: “It’s our job to impress upon the members of the scrutiny committee on Thursday that the executive have not been given all the facts and figures for this.

​“We’ve seen this time and again in Scarborough, where councillors, through officers’ decisions, ended up buying things or knocking things down that haven’t worked.

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​“We can talk about Alpamare, we can talk about the Futurist, we can talk about hotels. All these things exist because these sorts of decisions weren’t scrutinised properly through pre-scrutiny, and unfortunately, it’s going to have to be at this last-ditch attempt.”

The deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council, Cllr Gareth Dadd (Conservative) has said that the business case for the proposal stacks up and that details will be revealed once a deal for the purchase of the office is completed.

​Cllr Dadd said at last week’s executive committee meeting that a decision had to be made quickly to secure a favourable deal.

​​He said: “We can’t allow our staff to work in the conditions that we’ve witnessed over the past six months.

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​​“The business case is robust and stacks up. I wish I could disclose everything in the business case, but that will become public when the deal is finalised.

​​“The purchase price is substantially lower than the £4.5 million price that’s been mentioned, and we have a duty to protect the taxpayer, and the £15 million to £19 million of repairs needed is not in the public interest.”

At the public residents’ meeting in Scarborough, locals and councillors also questioned the accuracy of the estimated cost of repairs needed at the town hall. ​

Members of the public have been invited to attend the call-in meeting of the Corporate and Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee at County Hall in Northallerton on Thursday, March 26, at 10am.

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The family-run Cambridge bakery named among best in Britain where people queue up for treats

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A culinary guide has revealed the 50 best bakeries across Great Britain including one in Cambridge

Cambridge can lay claim to one of the best bakeries in Great Britain according to the Good Food Guide, in partnership with Square. The prestigious culinary guide revealed the 50 best bakeries across Britain on Tuesday (March 24).

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Kanto Café and Bakery in Cambridge has been listed among the best bakeries. Run by husband and wife duo, Seungmin Kang and Theresa Pascual, the bakery is inspired by their Filipino and Korean roots to create a welcoming space for customers.

The Good Food Guide said the list “celebrates the nation’s boundary-pushing artisans who are experimenting with regionally grown, locally milled heritage grains and who are introducing an increasingly broad range of global flavours to the Saturday morning pastry run”.

As well as making the 2026 list, the bakery also featured in the 2025 list. It can be found on the outskirts of the city, on Cherry Hinton Road.

What makes this spot extra special is that it is Cambridge’s only Filipino cafe. From savoury to sweet, the bakery has plenty of freshly baked goods for customers to try.

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What began as baking for their own family soon became a popular bakery where queues often form. The bakery’s website says that it is “more than a bakery, Kanto is our way of opening a corner of home to the community”.

On Google Reviews, where the eatery has a 4.8 star rating from more than 250 reviews, customers have shared their experiences.

One person said: “The best Filipino treats!! They also have great matcha and coffee, as well as seasonal drinks. I’ve tried most of the bakery items and they’ve all been incredible, but definitely try the ube cheesecake!”

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Another pleased customer commented: “Truly superb – no wonder there is often a queue outside the door.”

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