The solar farm will operate for 45 years, which will allow the soil fertility to improve

A solar farm has been approved on farmland next to a small Cambridgeshire village. Huntingdonshire District Council’s development management committee met to decide on the application for land off Vicarage Lane in Diddington, just west of the A1.

Buckden Parish Council and Southoe and Midloe Parish Council had objected to the plans as they said “there should be no more solar farms on greenfield sites until all residential and commercial roof spaces and brownfield sites have been fully utilised”.

Edmund Thornhill spoke in favour of the application and said the solar panels, expected to generate 35MW of electricity, are proposed on the “poorest performing” fields.

He said: “There needs to be careful consideration around best use of land even if that use is for a finite period – the farm already provides food, housing and space for nature. We want to support energy production as well over the poorest land.

“This scheme would provide diversified income to help fund moving to more regenerative agriculture on the rest of the farm.”

Around 45 hectares of land will be covered and the solar farm is expected to operate for 45 years, which Mr Thornhill said would allow the soil fertility to improve. The company behind the plans, Cell Energy Limited, said it has an agreement with Anglian Water to provide the company with energy.

An underground cable will be built to their facility at Grafham Water which the planning application said was a “very significant energy user”.

Cllr Jon Neish, of Holywell-cum-Needingworth, said he couldn’t see a reason to object to the plans aside from the parish council’s objection.

The Conservative councillor said: “Unfortunately they haven’t come to explain a bit more in detail their views so at the moment I would struggle anywhere to say why we shouldn’t agree with it.”

Cllr Lara Davenport-Ray, of St Neots East, said renewable energy projects are “really important” as natural gas is still used to generate much of the electricity in the area.

The Green councillor said: “If we don’t stop creating carbon emissions then our planet will continue to warm and it will make the growing of any crops impossible. I am disappointed to see no battery storage included but because of the overall direction that we need to go in I will suggest that we approve this application.”

The plans were approved with 12 voting in favour and one against.

Denmark and its Scandinavian neighbours often appear at the top of many of the world’s “best of” lists, from happiest and least corrupt to best place to raise a family.

The Danish way of parenting has inspired a slew of manuals that have become bestsellers. To parents elsewhere, the picture presented is a near utopia of supportive government policies and effortless rearing of happy babies.

But how different is parenting in Denmark really from other countries, like the UK?

I am a professor of psychological science at Aarhus University in Denmark. My research focuses on mental health and parenting in the early years. Here’s what the evidence shows.

Health Gap / Sundhedskløften is a collaborative series from The Conversation UK and Denmark’s Videnskab.dk exploring what the two countries can learn from each other when it comes to health and wellbeing.

From cycling and alcohol to inequality, healthcare and everyday habits, the series looks beyond hospitals and medical treatment to explore how culture, politics and society shape the way people live – and how healthy they are.

More leave for dads

Denmark and the UK differ on leave for new parents in two striking ways: how much compensation is provided and how leave can be shared between parents.

Denmark provides more generous leave compensation than the UK and assigns equal amounts of leave to each parent that cannot be transferred.

In 2022, Denmark implemented a reform offering 11 weeks of leave to fathers, and the equivalent to mothers, that is “use it or lose it”, and fathers are now estimated to take most of their nontransferable leave.

For fathers in the UK, the statutory leave entitlement is much shorter, at just two weeks. It is also less well paid, at around 19% of average earnings, compared with about 50% in Denmark.

Employers in both countries can offer enhanced paternity leave that provides more time off or higher pay than the legal minimum. But nonetheless, UK fathers take much less leave than fathers in Denmark, with a recent survey finding that most took around two weeks.

But mums still do nights

Danish nontransferable paternity leave is intended to make the sharing of infant care more equal between parents and help mothers stay in paid work.

Along with subsidies of at least 75% of early childcare expenses, these policies help explain why Denmark has markedly higher rates of mothers in employment than in the UK.

Childcare does seem to be shared more than is the norm in the UK and financial support helps to smooth mothers’ transition back to work.

Despite these strong policies to support father’s involvement in early care, in most families in Denmark, as in the UK, it is still mothers who are the primary caregivers. Even during paternity leave, our research shows that mothers are the ones who report getting up more often at night.

This matters for mothers’ health and their postpartum experiences. Disrupted sleep in the months after birth is associated with low mood and, in some cases, symptoms of depression.

Danish fathers and mothers, too, endorse traditional ideas about men’s and women’s parenting ability, with most parents believing that mothers are better than fathers at early childcare.

So while policy clearly helps fathers take an active role, it does not fully equalise the caregiving load of fathers and mothers, or mean that men and women are perceived as equally competent carers.

Naps outside

Beyond policy, there are cultural beliefs about what is good for babies that differ between Denmark and the UK, too.

One highly visible example is the practice of leaving babies to nap outside, despite temperatures that frequently dip below zero.

Uncommon in the UK, babies in Denmark and the Nordic countries often sleep outside during daytime hours, well bundled up in prams. Parents believe that the fresh air is good for a baby’s developing immune system, improves sleep quality and buys mothers some time for themselves.

Though, it is perhaps easier for Danish parents to engage in such a practice against a backdrop of relatively high social trust. In Denmark, 74% of respondents in a nationally representative survey agree that most people can be trusted, whereas only 43% of adults in the UK say the same.

Calmer babies?

Given the generosity of Danish parental policies and the trust in others that allows outdoor napping, it is little wonder that headlines about contented Danish babies appear in the media with some regularity. Indeed, one analysis positioned British babies as crying “the most” and Danish babies “the least”.

Various explanations have been suggested: that Danish parents are less stressed because of generous parental leave; that outdoor napping promotes calmer babies; or simply that Danish parents view crying as a normal way for babies to communicate rather than something to fear.

However, a close look at the evidence suggests reason for caution. The estimates of Danish infants’ crying came from only a handful of studies conducted more than two decades ago, involving relatively small numbers of infants.

What distinguishes parenting in Denmark from the UK is not a single factor, but a combination of family policies, parenting practices and cultural ideas about what is good for children. Policies encourage fathers to be involved early on and make it easier for many mothers to remain in paid work.

They do not, however, mean that care is shared equally between parents. And based on the evidence to date, there is no guarantee that the Danish way results in babies that cry any less!

This series was commissioned as part of a partnership between Videnskab.dk and The Conversation, where articles are published in English and Danish.

Earl Spencer has apologised to Piers Morgan over ‘incorrect’ statements in his new book.

Morgan has threatened to sue Earl Spencer over ‘fabricated inaccuracies’ and ‘examples of brazen falsity’ in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which has been serialised by the Mail.

Spencer claims Morgan ‘snarled with annoyance’ when told he was not invited to Diana’s funeral.

The allegation is part of an anecdote told by Spencer about his decision to uninvite all national newspaper editors from the funeral. Morgan was editor of the Mirror at the time.

Spencer also wrote that he ‘assumed Morgan must be feeling particular guilt because, four years earlier, he and his Sunday Mirror counterpart’ published photos of Diana ‘taken with hidden cameras’.

But the pictures, which showed Diana in a leotard working out at the gym, were published in the Sunday Mirror in 1993 while Morgan was still working at The Sun. He joined the Mirror as editor in 1995.

Speaking on his YouTube show Piers Morgan Uncensored, Morgan read an extract from the book, which said: ‘The only one who sounded surly, as opposed to merely confused or embarrassed, was Piers Morgan of the Mirror, who snarled with annoyance before he hung up.’

He then told viewers the book ‘contains fabricated inaccuracies which will strike to the heart of his credibility’.

Charles Spencer’s book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister has been serialised by the Mail

‘Well, this is all pretty extraordinary stuff, isn’t it? And very damning, particularly about me,’ he said.

‘I come across in the most despicable manner imaginable. There’s just one problem. It’s all bullshit and very, very easy bullshit for me to prove it.’

He addressed the earl directly and said ‘you’ll be hearing, and your publishers, from my lawyers’.

‘Because I would like the complete lie that you’ve published about me, and those photographs, to be removed from your book,’ Mr Morgan said. 

‘And I would like a donation to be made to the King’s Trust for the damage that you’ve caused with your lie, after all.’

Spencer apologised for the error on Tuesday but stood by his account that Mr Morgan was ‘surly and annoyed’ when he called the journalist to tell him he was not welcome at Diana’s funeral.

A statement said: ‘Earl Spencer’s account of his conversation with Piers Morgan is accurate.

‘Mr Morgan was surly and annoyed when Earl Spencer called personally to tell him that he was not welcome at his sister’s funeral.

‘The book then records Earl Spencer’s assumption that Mr Morgan’s response was because he was editor of the Daily Mirror when the Mirror Group had published highly intrusive photographs of Princess Diana at the gym.

‘The photographs were published by the Sunday Mirror on November 7 1993. Mr Morgan has pointed out that he did not join the Daily Mirror until October 1995.

‘As an historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer. He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error.’

Earl Spencer’s book, pictured being sold for half price in a London bookshop, was releasedon Tuesday 

Morgan later repeated his threat of legal action, writing on social media: ‘Earl Spencer has apologised to me for his defamatory lies published in his new book, Swan Song.

‘But I am pursuing legal action against him and his publisher Penguin to have the lies removed, and damages paid to the King’s Trust.’

Morgan had also accused the earl of ‘using the Harry and Meghan playbook’ of ‘putting their truth before the truth’, continuing: ‘I expect there will be many more examples of brazen falsity after what I’ve uncovered.’

He referred to other claims in the book, including that the King told Spencer ‘we’ll forget [Diana] soon enough’ and sounded ‘giddily elated’ in the wake of the crash which killed her.

He said: ‘Many allies of His Majesty have called into question these facts, ever since the most salacious accusations were serialised by the Daily Mail.

‘Many royal commentators and experts have lined up to say that they simply don’t ring true. The King himself issued a furious rebuke that is almost without precedent.’

The earl has stood by his account of the King’s alleged comments.

Scientists have known for more than 60 years that animals can sense the Earth’s magnetic field, and there is a wealth of behavioural evidence supporting their use of this cue as a navigation mechanism. But despite this evidence, there’s no consensus as to how animals actually sense the magnetic field.

Magnetic cues appear to be used by animals in all sorts of circumstances, not simply for long-distance navigation. Magnetoreception is used for orientation in invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles. Mammals use it in behaviour such as nest building and hunting, as well as homing.

Yet there is no obvious sensory organ for this process, as there is with other sensory systems (think nose for smelling, eyes for seeing). This has led to some scientists calling it a “sense without a receptor”. However, this is not entirely accurate.

In fact, there may be as many as six kinds of magnetic mechanism across all animal species, after a recent study added a new potential option in homing pigeons. But we can’t be sure that any are actually the sensory receptor, as direct evidence is missing in every case.

It’s a situation that reminds me of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’s description of currencies. “Monetary units: none. In fact, there are three freely convertible currencies in the Galaxy, but none of them count.”

Here are the six magnetic mechanisms that scientists have identified in animals to date:

1) A light-dependent mechanism in birds, insects and amphibians, thought to be based on a light dependent photoreceptor;

2) A receptor based thought to be based on iron particles in cells in the beak of birds;

3) A receptor also thought to be based on iron particles, but this time in the eye of mammals;

4) A receptor proposed to be based on the induction of ions (atoms with an electrical charge) in the semicircular canals of the ear, again in birds;

5) Another proposed to be based on the electroreceptors of some fish, again through the induction of ions;

6) And finally, hot off the press and possibly most surprising of all: the suggestion of a receptor in the liver of pigeons.

Disoriented homing pigeons

In the recent study, published in Science, a team of Germany-based researchers treated homing pigeons with a chemical, clodronate, that removes macrophages (a type of white blood cell) from the liver, but not other areas of the body. They then released these birds 19km from their loft when the sun was hidden by clouds, and tracked their path home.

The birds that had been treated with the clodronate were disoriented and did not return until the sun came out. In contrast, pigeons that didn’t get the chemical, and pigeons with the clodronate treatment that had been released under sunny conditions, were unaffected.

How does this show that magnetoreception was affected? A previous study had shown that pigeons are disoriented under overcast weather if they have magnets attached to their heads, but not under sunny conditions. So, it has long been argued that homing pigeons use the sun as a compass if it is available – but if not, revert to a magnetic compass.

The researchers in the new paper infer that removing macrophages from the liver stops the pigeons from detecting the magnetic field.

How can this work?

Macrophages are not sensory cells; they are part of the immune system. However, one of their roles is to remove degraded red blood cells from the liver – and what do red blood cells contain? Iron.

The paper suggests that as macrophages hoover up more iron, they begin developing magnetism – and thus start to be influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field. The researchers argue that they collect in an area of the liver that is rich in nerve cells, so this might be the way they communicate the magnetic field direction to the brain.

While this might seem far-fetched to some scientists, the idea is not so different to some of the other proposed mechanisms. But nor does it overwrite or reject them.

One of the other mechanisms is thought to be based on a blue light-sensitive molecule called cryptochrome, which is involved in animals’ biological clocks. Cryptochrome probably did not evolve to be a magnetoreceptor, but magnetic fields seem to influence chemical reactions requiring light. And so, by chance, cryptochrome may have become a magnetic sensor.

The German study is not the only one to suggest iron particles in cells may act as a magnetoreceptor. The beak’s trigeminal nerve, responsible for sensation and motor functions in the face, has been shown to be necessary for birds, including pigeons, to detect the magnetic field in some circumstances.

Nature’s many solutions

So it’s possible that nature has found not just one solution to magnetoreception, but many.

Calculations from quantum mechanics tell us that the light-dependent mechanism might not work in daylight, because the strong light puts the photoreceptor into a state that does not respond to the subtle effects of the magnetic field.

For a pigeon, which is navigating in daylight, another mechanism would be necessary – like the liver macrophages. For a night-migrating bird (remember night is not complete darkness), a light-dependent mechanism may actually be the best solution. So, perhaps magnetoreception depends on the species ecology or evolutionary history.

There’s still too much uncertainty to say for sure whether any of the mechanisms scientists have suggested definitely sense the magnetic field. However, we now have six strong contenders.

Or as the Hitchhiker’s Guide might put it: “Mechanisms of magnetoreception: none. In fact, there are six, but we don’t yet know if any of them count.”

Alex, who posts reviews as The Best Bites With Alex, visited the family-run shop in Darlington.

During the clip, Alex samples several items from the family-run business, including a scotch egg, corned beef slice and a pork pie, but it was the sausage roll that appeared to make the biggest impression.

Taking a bite, he said: “Man, that is good, holy smokes.”

He later described the pork pie as “really good”, while claiming the scotch egg was “egg-celent”. 

The video quickly caught the attention of local residents, who flooded the comments section with recommendations and praise for some of Taylor’s most popular products.

The video quickly caught local residents’ attention, prompting a flood of praise for Taylor’s most popular products.

After watching Alex try the pork pie, viewers agreed he had chosen one of the shop’s best products.

One said: “No other pork pie will ever measure up now you’ve had Taylor’s.”

Another added: “Try the pork pie with some Branston’s Pickle.”

Alex’s praise for the sausage roll struck a chord with regular customers, too.

One viewer wrote: “I have a spreadsheet of sausage rolls and Taylor’s is number 1 by a long way.”

Taylors in Skinnergate, Darlington. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Others used the video as an opportunity to celebrate independent butchers and local food producers, with one person describing them as “elite”.

The comments showcased local customers’ affection for Taylor’s as they backed Alex’s review and shared their favourite products.

For many viewers, Alex’s video offered a fresh perspective on a Darlington favourite, while introducing thousands of people from outside the area to a butcher that locals were more than happy to recommend.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first UN speech to declare ‘Britain is back’ and launch a blistering attack on alleged Kremlin interference

Andy Burnham used his inaugural address to the UN to champion Britain’s role in global affairs for the years ahead – assuring world leaders they can ‘count on us’.

In an extensive address, the new Prime Minister delivered a scathing critique of Russia, unveiled a fresh international security agreement with the US mere hours after encountering Donald Trump, reiterated demands for a two-state resolution in the Middle East, and introduced two significant domestic initiatives.

The gathering in New York was regarded as Burnham’s first substantial examination as an international diplomat since assuming the role of Prime Minister in July. Throughout the past few hours, he has held meetings with various world leaders for the first time, including Donald Trump, and employed his 21-minute address to outline his vision for British diplomatic authority.

These are the six things we discovered from Andy Burnham’s inaugural address to the UN.

Burnham slams Russia: “Insidious campaign”

Following Burnham’s arrival on stage and brief mention of Brexit, it rapidly became apparent who the antagonist of his address would be: Russia.

He then delivered a scathing critique of Kremlin meddling with British life, while Putin’s delegation observed.

The PM said: “Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fear.

“They’ve used bots and fake websites. Falsified newspaper articles. Forged the branding of 28 British organisations – including universities and the BBC. They’ve amplified far-right narratives.

“And we have evidence that they tried to interfere with the 2019 General Election.”

He stated Putin’s administration allocates ‘£1.3 billion’ towards ‘manipulating information’.

“We also know that they have tried to stoke tensions and unrest in the wake of horrific events,” Burnham went on. “The idea that anyone would try to use such things to their advantage is just repulsive – but it is what they do.”

Russia has previously faced accusations of utilising unlawfully obtained documents regarding UK-US trade discussions to attempt to sway the 2019 ballot.

Disturbingly, the Russian representatives displayed minimal reaction when Burnham presented these allegations to them.

New ‘National Centre for Information Defence’ to be established

Following his criticism of Russia, Burnham revealed one of two fresh domestic initiatives highlighted in the address. He is establishing a new National Centre for Information Defence that will combat online falsehoods and deepfakes undermining British interests.

The new division is initially being coordinated from the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with the fresh centre collaborating alongside intelligence services, governmental departments, police forces and social media platforms.

Having raised the ‘insidious campaign’ conducted by the Kremlin, Burnham suggested the new division will prove essential as ‘AI will multiply the threat’ already presented by malicious actors online.

Burnham set to unveil ’10 year plan for Britain’

The new government is poised to reveal a fresh decade-long strategy for the nation later this year, Burnham disclosed for the first time at the UN.

The plan will centre on getting more people into employment – particularly younger people – and alleviating the cost-of-living crisis for the majority, Burnham said, though no specific measures were outlined at the time.

Nevertheless, Burnham appears to be positioning this new strategy as a direct response to instability. He stated that ‘security starts in every home’, and maintains that increasing employment levels makes people less vulnerable to being misled by misinformation online.

He said: “Part of the challenge is to lift our people up and create the opportunities they need. When inequalities grow too wide, our societies are at greater risk.

“So we will work to make life more affordable for people. That will be at the heart of a new 10 year plan for Britain that we will bring forward later in the year.”

UK signs AI deal with US as Burnham pitches Britain as ‘honest broker’

Just hours after his inaugural meeting with Donald Trump, Burnham announced a fresh national security agreement with the US as part of a portion of his speech which touched on concerns surrounding AI.

He told delegates: “I am announcing today that we are developing a new AI defence partnership with the United States to protect our critical national infrastructure.”

Further details of the agreement are yet to be disclosed. Burnham continued by stating that, as ‘AI will also be a source of disruption to the way we live and work’, he wants the UK to act as an ‘honest broker’ to draw up ‘a single set of global principles and standards’ for the development of frontier AI.

Two-state solution must stay in play for Gaza

As his address neared its conclusion, Burnham shifted focus to the Middle East, reiterating his support for a two-state solution in Gaza.

He described Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel as ‘utterly horrific’, before commenting on Israel’s subsequent response: “Far too many people have died, including so many children. Far too little aid is getting in, and it has gone on for far too long.”

That was why the UK ‘banned trading goods with illegal settlements, recognised the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory is unlawful, and sanctioned those taking part in the construction of illegal settlements’ earlier this month, he explained. Looking ahead, Burnham emphasised the two-state solution must ‘stay alive’.

He continued: “We want to see the suffering and death finally come to an end. We want to see Israeli and Palestinian people living side by side in peace and security. And we will do all we can to keep the hope of that possibility alive.”

‘Britain is back… count on us’

Burnham’s initial message declared to the world ‘Britain is back’ – and after 20 minutes of speaking, he made clear this means international leaders can ‘count on us’ moving forward. He finished his address by stating: “You can count on us to stand up for those long standing British values of fairness and justice.

“Count on us to fight racism, discrimination and the abuse of power wherever we see it. Count on us to bring people together.

“Count on us to meet fear and division with unity and hope.”

The mathematician has spotted a recurring pattern of behaviour she plans to use to her advantage on the BBC competition series

Celebrity Traitors star Professor Hannah Fry has been doing her homework ahead of stepping foot in the castle.

The mathematician and broadcaster is one of 21 famous faces taking part in the second season of the star-studded programme, competing for a prize pot of up to £100,000 for their chosen charity.

Just like the much-loved civilian version of the competition, the celebrities will play the game as either Traitors or Faithfuls, a role decided by host Claudia Winkleman at the show’s start. The Traitors must remain undetected and oust as many Faithfuls as possible over the course of the series, while the Faithfuls must try and expose them or risk losing their share of the prize pot.

Last year’s celebrity season was won by comedian Alan Carr who played as a Traitor and remained completely undetected by his fellow stars. Among the line-up this year is Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock, comedian Joe Lycett and award-winning singer James Blunt.

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Incoming player Hannah has been crunching the numbers ahead of the game commencing and she admitted to finding some “statistically significant patterns” she can try and use to her advantage.

“Have I gone back through the data of all the previous games and tried to find statistically significant patterns? Yes! Are any of these going to help me? Honestly, who knows?!” she told the BBC.

Elaborating on what she had discovered, she revealed: “There is a pattern in the way that Traitors behave. For example, Traitors often do a burn vote in the first few episodes when they’re settling in. By that I mean they just vote for somebody that nobody else has voted for.

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“Cat [Burns] last year was a really good example of this, but across the board, the only problem with picking up on those signals is that the Faithfuls are such an absolute mess. They are so all over the place that it’s really hard to pick out what the signal is. That’s just one example of a little bit of maths that I’ve got in my back pocket.”

She continued: “I am using the same bit of math that Alan Turing used to crack the Enigma machine. Whether it’s going to work or not, honestly, your guess is as good as mine! I’ve got spreadsheets coming out of my eyeballs. I close my eyes and it’s like there are numbers tattooed on the inside of my eyelids at the moment for how much I’ve been looking at them.”

Whether Hannah’s research could clinch her the win remains to be seen. The new series commences on October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

A new series of The Celebrity Traitors begins on October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

The Wednesday letters page is appalled at the latest round of layoffs at Xbox, as one reader gives his verdict on Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.

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

Not a fan
We knew it was coming but not only has Xbox laid off hundreds of people but now Rare is under Activision’s control. How long until the UK’s oldest developer is reduced to making skins for Call Of Duty? It’s awful, especially as Ninja Theory looks like it’s getting shut down too, and probably Arkane as well. Just horrible.

None of it’s a surprise, to anyone that’s been paying attention, and the fact that they have over 1,000 layoffs still to go makes me assume that The Coalition and inXile, and whoever else wasn’t mentioned this time, are going to be completely shut down.

Sony has been getting a lot of grief lately, and for good reason, but I’ve got to ask, is anyone an Xbox fan anymore? Even just based on their games they’ve seemed irrelevant for years now but add in how they’re treating their developers, it just seems impossible to support them. I wouldn’t even dream of getting a next gen Xbox now, unless it 3D printed gold bars or something.
Hammeriron

The big plan
Well, that was one rumour I knew was going to be 100% record and there we have it a few hours later: Xbox has laid off even more people. And all the developers shut down or moved around, it’s very hard for me to imagine any of this working out for the best, even from Microsoft’s point of view.

Nobody’s going to buy that new Gears Of War game and I doubt the new Fable will go down much better. The Elder Scrolls 6 is a guaranteed hit, but do they really have the brass to make that an exclusive? If they do it’ll be a flop, if they don’t it won’t help Xbox because everyone will just buy it on PlayStation 5.

I really don’t know what their plan must be and I think the easiest thing is to assume they haven’t got one. The execs are just waiting for a golden handshake when it all goes wrong, while hoping maybe a game will become a surprise megahit along the way. If they have got a plan more concrete than that I’d love to hear it, but I won’t hold my breath.
Gifford

East vs. West
I don’t like to bring up Nintendo again when Xbox or Sony are doing something terrible but the difference between the way these American companies carry on (and PlayStation is American in every way that matters) is so completely different to Japan it makes them look even worse.

You don’t even have to mention Nintendo. Just consider what an amazing year Capcom has had. Great games, including original IP and a retro reboot, that have all been critical and sales hits, but with no layoffs and no negative press at all that I’m aware of. In fact, many Japanese devs have been giving their staff pay rises, so they don’t leave, which is the exact opposite of Xbox.

Capcom even had a hit movie. Things couldn’t have gone better for them, and they didn’t have to act like monsters to get there. Will Microsoft learn a lesson from that? Of course not!
Focus

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

Good Fortune
I’ve really been enjoying Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave the last few days, which I had no interest in before I read your review and saw other positive praise for it. I had played one of the Game Boy Advance games before, which I thought was alright but never finished, so I wasn’t really sure if it was going to be for me. bBut the sheer variety of what you can do and the number of characters is really impressive.

Like you said, it would be better if it was funnier because the story’s pretty silly and yet there aren’t many intentional jokes. But you get into a vibe with it and it’s a lot of fun. Queen Theodore is my favourite so far – she’s so sassy – but I don’t really like her entourage so it’s still fun to move between the different storylines.

I enjoy the combat too, but it really doesn’t seem to have changed much since the Game Boy Advance days. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to experiment with something a bit more open-ended like the Mario + Rabbids games, as I think that would be an obvious way forward in the future.
Korbie

The revolution will not be televised
Destiny 2 suddenly not being dead is a bit of a turnaround, isn’t it? I thought they’d admitted it was all over and we were just waiting for Sony to drop the hammer on Bungie. I’m glad that hasn’t happened but would it really be too much to ask for them to make some kind of annoucement and make people optimistic about their future?

I know Sony don’t like talking in public anymore, but this would be the perfect time to publicly put themselves behind Bungie and say good things are coming. Instead, I almost missed the news and only half believed it at first because it seemed so unlikely.
Tomol

Not bad
I’ve just finished Marvel’s Wolverine and I have mixed opinions really. It’s definitely not a bad game though, so I’m surprised to see so much hate against it. Maybe this is going to happen with every Sony game from now on but if it doesn’t I think that’s a bit unfair on Wolverine, which I feel is trying to do things a bit differently.

The story and characters are a lot more fleshed out than normal for a straight action game and I appreciate that. It’s probably a couple of hours too long for the story they were telling but I thought it ended well and it at least had a proper beginning, middle, and end. Although the bit where Jean Grey literally looks into the camera and says something about this only being the beginning was super cringey.

But overall, I liked it. I think they were keeping the combat simple not just for casual gamers but also the idea that Wolverine is so good at fighting that it’s not really an effort for him, especially against ordinary grunts.

I think comparing it to a scrolling beat ‘em-up is accurate because it has that same kind of rhythm but it’s not mindless, because you can get mobbed quite easy and not have any way to get out of it. Not the greatest game ever but I don’t regret buying it. A solid 7/10 from me.
Badgerman

Small print
Why is it I’m feeling extra cynical about this new PlayStation cashback scheme? There’s no way it’s going to be straightforward and fair and the only question is what specifically will be wrong about it. At a guess I’d say it’ll probably only be used for such a small number of games it’ll end up annoying people much more than if they just hadn’t done it.

We’ll see, once they announce it properly, but Sony has a lot of goodwill to win back and it’ll take some convincing for me before I think they’re trying properly.
Paradangle

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Echoes of Grezzo
Would be interesting if whoever made the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake did what Grezzo eventually did, when they got to make an original Zelda game after Link’s Awakening. Then Nintendo could cycle between new instalments for big Breath Of The Wild style Zelda, isometric Zelda, and Ocarina template Zelda. Plus, further remakes whenever appropriate.

There’s a risk that too much will harm the series but a new entry in one of three very different templates every two or three years would be a good way to keep Zelda fresh while also supporting Nintendo’s consoles, maintaining interest in the series and allowing the necessary development time between each new game.

I’ve still to play Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom and the reason for that highlights another risk, that consistently less well received entries end up dragging the series down a bit – but I hope Grezzo gets to continue up-skilling so they become one of (eventually) three or four Zelda pillars. Although letting third parties – including indie devs – try their hand at a new entry in one of the templates would also be nice. I’d be interested in a 2D game that does for Zelda what Hollow Knight does for Metroidvanias, making it a huge, sprawling 50+ hour experience.
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Inbox also-rans
So I read Microsoft is planning more layoffs this week. Will it never end? We need these people’s skills and ideas, but I fear we are heading for AI slop games being the future. Why pay people when you can get a computer to do it? Sad times.
TWO MACKS

When will Finan Fantasy 17 be out? Not for another five years the rate people are going. Give me some breathing room and an income and we can design a sequel in three years. Please respect there are hard working people at the centre of the games.
Elia Etxegoien

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MORE: Games Inbox: When will Final Fantasy 17 be out?

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MORE: Games Inbox: Will Zelda: Ocarina Of Time review better than GTA 6?

Channel migrants aboard a mega-dinghy have arrived in Dover after an unprecedented 38-hour voyage to the UK.

It started from Port-en-Bessin, north of Bayeux in Normandy, just before 10am on Monday, and the occupants – estimated to number around 60 – arrived in the Kent port after midnight following reports they had been bound for Gosport, Hampshire.

It is thought to be the longest duration of any voyage undertaken by small-boat migrants – and it was branded a ‘fiasco’ by the Conservatives.

Following reports yesterday the dinghy was to dock in Gosport, hundreds of protesters turned out in the town – and in nearby Portsmouth – but the effort dissipated after the boat was rerouted to Dover.

Hampshire Police described some of those who remained in Gosport thereafter as ‘hostile’ towards officers and said it arrested six people for offences including careless driving, assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass.

Around a dozen protesters were seen in Dover as the migrants arrived and officers closed nearby roads in anticipation.

The dinghy incident raised serious questions over the effectiveness of Labour‘s £662million deal with the French to prevent crossings.

Before the French sailors handed over to the RNLI in the Channel

Meanwhile protesters – some wearing masks – gathered in Gosport and Portsmouth, Hampshire, as reports suggested the dinghy may dock nearby

Gosport’s MP Caroline Dineage said the boat had been rerouted to Dover but some protesters remained in the town

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Photos last night showed the migrants making their way into a Border Security Command compound in Dover

Those pictured had their hoods up and were mostly wearing hats and orange life jackets

The dinghy seemingly came to shore around midnight 

French authorities, who shadowed the dinghy across the Channel, said they decided not to intervene due to safety concerns.

As tides took the boat back towards the French coast on Monday evening, it was so close to shore another ten to 15 migrants were able to board, it is claimed.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: ‘This latest fiasco shows that the French are not even trying to stop the illegal immigrants’ boats in French waters – instead they are escorting them here.

‘Our border security has descended into chaos with migrants crossing at will over ever larger distances and in ever larger boats.

‘The Government’s claim to smash the gangs is laughable and their deal with the French is clearly not working.

‘The Conservatives have a plan to end all accommodation and benefits for illegal immigrants, and instead deport them on arrival. Then, these farcical crossings would soon stop.’

Four French lifeboats plus the search-and-rescue tugboat Abeille Liberté, along with a French Navy helicopter, were scrambled to the 40ft dinghy’s location on Monday. A spokesman for local rescue services said: ‘The boat was in a very bad way, and very low in the water, with just a single small outboard motor to power it.

‘The sea was calm, and weather conditions were good, but the decision was taken to escort the boat, without intervening.’

The Abeille Liberté continued to follow the migrant boat yesterday morning and afternoon.

At about 4.30pm, the migrants were transferred from their dinghy to two RNLI lifeboats. Half an hour later, they switched to Border Force’s HMC Vigilant.

Hampshire Police said it made six arrests in Gosport after some protesters who remained on the streets became ‘hostile’ towards officers

Protesters fronted up to police officers in Gosport as the dinghy’s progress was livestreamed online

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The boat was escorted by sturdier vessels throughout its passage to Britain

Border Security Command boat HMC Vigilant returned to Dover in the early hours of this morning

The cutter then headed towards Gosport but last night the town’s Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage said she was ‘pleased’ Border Force had confirmed the migrants were instead being taken ‘to Dover by water as we asked’.

She added: ‘This must now set a clear precedent. If further boats are intercepted in our part of the Channel, they should be taken straight to Dover.’

Hampshire Police said it was investigating a reported slashing of a boat in the Channel after a video appearing to show the attack was posted on social media.

Migrants are normally processed at Manston, near Ramsgate. This incident comes just over two weeks after a mega-dinghy with 120 migrants aboard was brought into Eastney Marina, three miles from Portsmouth’s main harbour, sparking protests.

The Daily Mail reported yesterday how a migrant boat reached Folkestone in Kent without being intercepted by UK Border Force.

Defence minister Luke Pollard said a Home Office investigation was under way.

Up to Sunday, 17,480 migrants have arrived via the Channel this year.

The crash was reported on Atherton Road at the junction with Corner Lane in Hindley Green on the afternoon of Tuesday September 22.

A motorbike and a car were believed to have been involved in the crash, with the road closed for much of the day as police went about their work.

The crash was tragically reported as fatal (Image: Phil Taylor)

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said that the crash had been fatal and that the motorcyclist was believed to have been killed.

Images from the scene show a badly damaged car and motorbike strewn across the site on Atherton Road.

Officers were on the scene (Image: Phil Taylor)

Wigan Council advised members of the public that the road was likely to remain closed throughout Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday as investigations were carried out.

Drivers were advised to avoid the area as the emergency services went about their work.

Anyone with any information can call police on 101 or 999 in the event of an emergency.