The next Call Of Duty game will be another Modern Warfare entry, as developer Infinity Ward issues a statement ahead of its official unveiling.

The yearly cycle of Call Of Duty games, combined with the prominence of leakers around the franchise, means the announcement of a new entry is rarely ever a surprise. 

It’s been known for some time that the next entry will be a follow-up to 2023’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with the story supposedly set in Korea. Beyond that, rumours suggest the 2027 game will be a brand new sub-franchise from Sledgehammer Games. 

Developer Infinity Ward has now confirmed this year’s title will be a Modern Warfare entry, making a statement on social media ahead of an expected reveal next month. 

Writing on the Infinity Ward X account, studio heads Mark Grigsby and Jack O’Hara said: ‘We are Infinity Ward. We build visceral, immersive combat experiences that hit different. 

‘As a new chapter begins for this studio, we’re focused on what defines us: passion, precision, obsession, and an unrelenting drive to make the best entertainment in the industry. Our next game is the result of that mindset.

‘Determined. Bold. Relentless. Built by a team pushing every detail, every system, every moment to its limit. On behalf of everyone at Infinity Ward, we’re proud of what we’ve been building and excited to finally start sharing it with you.’

In a separate post promoting a Q&A podcast with Grigsby and O’Hara, the caption reads: ‘Yes, we are making the definitive Modern Warfare.’

It’s an odd precursor statement, as it doesn’t come with any screenshots or footage from the next entry, but as we discussed earlier this week, that’s just the way things are done nowadays.

The full reveal will presumably take place at either Summer Game Fest on June 5 or the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7. Although it’s also possible there’ll be a separate Call Of Duty livestream.

Call Of Duty is on the backfoot after last year’s Black Ops 7 fell below launch sales expectations following the huge success of Battlefield 6. The game’s failure led to a rare apology from Activision but, considering the rigid annual nature of Call Of Duty titles, any major changes to the formula likely won’t materialise for a few years. 

As such, this puts this year’s Call Of Duty in an awkward position, especially if it largely iterates on past glories without any meaningful change. However, we’ll have to wait and see if Infinity Ward can deliver the ‘definitive’ entry in the series against the odds.

Aside from it being a Modern Warfare title, the only other confirmed detail is that it won’t be coming to PlayStation 4. 

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

MORE: Sega teases new Crazy Taxi game reveal for next month

MORE: Destiny 3 not in development claims report as Bungie faces more layoffs

MORE: 007 First Light best pre-order deals and how to play early access

People travelling towards London may face major disruption

There is major disruption on trains towards London, affecting some Cambridgeshire routes. Those travelling from Peterborough, Cambridge, and Royston towards London may be affected on the trains throughout Friday (May 22).

Due to damage to overhead electric wires between London and Stevenage, major disruption is expected until the end of the day. The National Rail website said: “Damage to the overhead electric wires in the New Barnet area means that some lines are blocked.

“As a result, trains between London and Stevenage may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised. Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

The train lines affected are:

• Grand Central between London Kings Cross and Bradford Interchange / Sunderland;
• Great Northern between Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City, and also between London Kings Cross and Letchworth Garden City / Royston / Cambridge / Peterborough / Ely / Kings Lynn;
• Hull Trains between London Kings Cross and Hull / Beverley;
• LNER between London Kings Cross and Lincoln / Hull / Leeds / Bradford Forster Square / Harrogate / York / Newcastle / Berwick-upon-Tweed / Edinburgh / Aberdeen / Inverness;
• Lumo between London Kings Cross and Newcastle / Edinburgh / Glasgow Queen Street;
• Thameslink between Brighton and Cambridge, between Horsham and Peterborough, and also between Sevenoaks and Welwyn Garden City.

For Great Northern and Thameslink customers travelling through Cambridgeshire, their train may be cancelled or delayed for at least 45 minutes. People are advised to check their journey before they travel.

Tuchel has announced his England squad for this summer’s World Cup. Several City stars have booked their spot on the plane but Foden, as expected, misses out.

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Defenders: Reece James, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Djed Spence

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Jude Bellingham

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane (C), Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is riding high as he heads into the final days of his Republican primary runoff against Sen. John Cornyn, now with the weight of the president’s backing behind him.

“I don’t know if y’all noticed this, but Donald Trump endorsed me,” Paxton told a small rally in a town outside Austin, inciting whoops and applause from the crowd.

Tuesday’s election has drawn national attention and gobs of money. It’s also become the latest contest in which Trump is encouraging voters to boot a politician who have displeased him — in this case, Cornyn — in favor of a challenger more aligned with the president. That effort has been largely successful for Trump. Earlier this week, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Kentucky primary against Ed Gallrein, whom Trump had handpicked and backed. He also has defeated incumbents in Louisiana and Indiana.

Paxton has been turning his focus to the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico. Paxton opened his event Thursday with attacks on Talarico, a sign of his confidence heading into Tuesday.

Paxton then gave a biography of his political life, and tried hammering home the reason he says he should be the Republican nominee: He’s unleashed a barrage of lawsuits defending conservative values for years. It’s the type of resume that endears Paxton to the Make America Great Again faithful, some of his supporters said.

“He’s a fighter, he’s a person of action, he’s proven that as attorney general,” said Jeffrey Sonnier, 72, who attended the rally and echoed what many supporters there voiced.

As for Cornyn, said Sonnier, “he’s inactive for five years and digs out to become a supposed active Republican MAGA person every six years.”

Who is closer to Trump?

Paxton’s campaign said Thursday that it’s pulling negative ads against Cornyn. Instead, starting after Trump’s Tuesday endorsement, the campaign and a super PAC that supports his candidacy began airing separate ads touting Trump’s favor.

Cornyn’s campaign and groups supporting him, however, were outspending the pro-Paxton groups three-to-one, and had reprised an ad they began airing last year noting Cornyn’s support for Trump’s agenda and featuring video clips of Trump praising Cornyn.

“He’s called me a friend, and that’s no surprise because I’ve supported him and his policies, you may have seen a commercial or two to that effect, 99.3% of the time,” said Cornyn in a video posted to X from a recent event.

Cornyn has also long worked to shift the race to focus not on fidelity to the president but on character.

The campaign has leaned heavily into messaging about Paxton’s past, which includes an alleged affair and an impeachment for corruption in which Paxton was acquitted.

If Paxton is the nominee, that will be litigated in a general election against Talarico, where voters will be less “willing to overlook all the corruption, the self-dealing and the scandals,” Cornyn argued at a recent campaign event. “Ken Paxton would hand it to (Democrats) on a silver platter.”

Paxton supporters at his Thursday rally shrugged off the accusations.

“He’s had his flaws, but so have we; we all make mistakes,” said Daniel Vega, 18, adding, “He’s repented, let’s move on.”

A contest where spending reached beyond $100 million

Through this week, Cornyn’s campaign and groups supporting it will have spent roughly $90 million in advertising, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, including more than $20 million since the March 3 primary election.

Paxton’s campaign and the single super PAC have combined to spend roughly $10.5 million on advertising, with roughly $6.1 million since the March 3 primary.

The ads have flooded voters.

“The commercials are leading me against Paxton, that he might be a little crooked,” said Gail Licea, 74, a retired registered nurse, who attended a Cornyn event before Trump’s endorsement. Then again, she said, “I’ve been led to believe that sometimes John Cornyn doesn’t back President Donald Trump, and that concerns me.”

The advertising has been so concentrated, it was unclear how much the late pivot by the groups would affect Tuesday’s outcome, said Wayne Hamilton, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party.

“There is so much noise out there right now,” said Hamilton, who is an adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott and is unaffiliated with either of the Senate candidates. “I don’t know how any one message is going to break through.”

Amid political upheaval and the subsequent resignation of the health secretary, the king’s speech unveiled the NHS modernisation bill – the most significant overhaul of the health service in more than a decade.

By legally abolishing NHS England and bringing operational management directly into Whitehall, ministers say they are cutting bureaucracy and returning power to the frontline.

But with public satisfaction with the NHS only just beginning to recover from a record low, and more than 7 million people still waiting for “elective” (scheduled) treatment, the central question is whether structural reform of this kind actually improves patient care and outcomes. Or, as health-policy experts at the King’s Fund have asked, will scrapping NHS England make it any easier to get a GP appointment or reduce waiting times?

History offers little reassurance. Major health system reorganisations are often costly and disruptive. The 2012 Lansley reforms – the most recent comparable reform – cost the taxpayer £1.5 billion, a figure widely considered an underestimate.

Spending on management consultants spiked to nearly £600 million a year as the system absorbed the shock, and the King’s Fund later concluded that the upheaval “contributed to widespread financial distress and failure to hit key targets for patient care”. There is little evidence that the redesign improved patient outcomes.

The NHS modernisation bill risks repeating this exact pattern. The government claims the 2026 bill will save £1 billion. Yet history and current economic analyses suggest otherwise. UK charity The Health Foundation recently warned that the supposed real-term funding increase for the NHS will be largely swallowed by the massive one-off redundancy costs – money the Treasury has so far declined to ring-fence.

Opportunity cost

The financial bill is only part of the cost. The true toll is the massive opportunity cost: the leadership time, clinical attention and organisational energy that is no longer available to fix everyday care.

In a recent survey, 95% of local health board leaders said they were concerned that the demanded cost reductions would damage their ability to deliver on national priorities.

An evaluation of a major transformation programme in the wake of the last reforms found that restructuring seriously disrupted progress in the overwhelming majority of trusts studied. Every hour a chief executive spends redrawing boundary lines is an hour not spent improving discharge planning, supporting GPs or driving down infection rates.

The distraction matters because the real drivers of ill health do not sit inside NHS organisation charts. They sit in housing, education, work and income. These are the social determinants of health that are widening inequalities and, for some groups, leading to a reversal in life expectancy improvements.

Adult social care, the system most directly responsible for keeping older and disabled people out of hospital, faces a funding gap of more than £1 billion just to stand still in the coming year, while around 2 million older people live with unmet care needs. These are the problems that need to be addressed if we want a functioning health service.

Research into the life-long consequences of childhood poverty points to the same uncomfortable truth: today’s hospital pressures are seeded years, sometimes decades, earlier, in the conditions in which we live, grow, work and age. Restructuring head offices cannot touch any of that.

The lesson from previous reorganisations is clear: rewiring NHS structures has proved “a policy lever of limited strength” compared with funding, staffing and clear priorities.

There are certainly good ideas in the bill. A properly implemented single patient record could spare patients from repeating their story at every appointment and help healthcare professionals make safer decisions. But even that is jeopardised when the same leaders being asked to deliver it are simultaneously dismantling the body that was meant to run it.

The bill also dismantles the most established independent channel for patient feedback. Healthwatch England – the statutory body created to gather and amplify patients’ experiences of care – would be abolished, with its functions absorbed into the Department of Health and Social Care and parcelled out to integrated care boards and local authorities.

The Patients Association said it is “deeply concerned” by this change, and that a patient voice sitting inside the government is not the same as one able to challenge it. At precisely the moment the NHS most needs to hear what patients are experiencing, the bill threatens to remove the independent channel built to listen.

Public satisfaction remains fragile, waiting lists remain long, and health inequalities continue to widen. The evidence suggests policymakers would achieve more by focusing on prevention, primary care and social reform, rather than another multi-billion-pound reorganisation that, if history is any guide, risks changing structures more than outcomes.

Guardiola signed an initial three-year contract with City in February 2016 to take over from Manuel Pellegrini for the start of the 2016-17 season.

Though he finished that campaign without a trophy for the first time in his career – and also went trophyless last season – his City side have dominated English football during his reign.

City are the only team to reach 100 points in a top-flight season – doing so in 2017-18, when they also set the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League campaign, with 106.

In 2022-23, City became only the second English team in history, after Manchester United in 1998-99, to complete the Treble – winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.

Guardiola’s City later became the first team to win the English league title four seasons in a row with their triumph in 2023-24.

Overall, he won six Premier Leagues, one Champions League, three FA Cups, five League Cups and a Fifa Club World Cup.

The former Spain international signed a two-year contract extension in November 2024, until the end of the 2026-27 season.

City said Guardiola has had “a transformative effect” during his tenure and, despite his exit as manager, would “continue his relationship with the City Football Group, by taking up a role as a global ambassador”.

As part of the renaming of the stand after Guardiola, City have also commissioned a statue which will be placed outside it.

“I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field,” said City owner Sheikh Mansour.

“For 10 years Pep has been the personification of that ambition.

“He has made an indelible imprint on the DNA of the club. One that is borne more from how he won than from the many trophies he lifted.”

Guardiola joined City after three seasons at Bayern Munich, where he won three consecutive Bundesliga titles and two German Cups.

He started his managerial career at Barcelona in 2008, shaping one of the best club sides ever – winning three straight La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Reys before taking a year’s sabbatical following the 2011-12 season.

Defensive midfielder Guardiola spent most of his playing career at Barcelona, winning six La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and the 1991-92 European Cup.

He captained Spain to gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and subsequently made 47 appearances for the senior national side. He retired from professional football in 2006.

The Voice UK presenter will be the face of the BBC dancing competition with Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe

New Strictly Come Dancing host Emma Willis’ ITV co-star Tom Allen has provided a major update on the Cooking with The Stars future just days after she landed the huge role.

The 50-year-old was announced on Tuesday (May 19) as one of Strictly’s three new presenters, drafted in to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Joining Emma is professional dancer Johannes Radebe, 39, and comedian Josh Widdicombe, 43.

Emma said of the news in a statement: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years – so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

“It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind – two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long.

“I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter. I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!”

Emma has lots of experience on live TV, often hosting ITV talk show This Morning and set to return to The Voice later in the year. On top of this, she hosts the Netflix reality dating series Love Is Blind with her husband Matt Willis.

Rising to fame on MTV in the early 2000s, Emma has worked on other hit series such as I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! NOW, Channel 4’s The Circle and Big Brother. Emma has already dealt with filling in big shoes, with her Channel 5 Big Brother era seeing her replace Brian Dowling.

Advertisement

Already spinning lots of plates at once, Emma can also be found on Cooking with the Stars with comedian Tom Allen. Launched in 2021, the series sees celebrities paired with a professional chef who becomes their mentor as they take part in a series of cooking battles.

The series has been won by the likes of McFly’s Harry Judd, ITV star Dr. Ranj Singh and Coronation Street actress Samia Longchambon. Last airing in 2025, the most recent winner of the series was Natalie Cassidy, who played Sonia Fowler on EastEnders.

On Friday (May 22), Tom appeared on ITV talk show This Morning to speak about his debut novel Common Decency. Speaking to Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, Tom was quizzed on not only how he felt about Emma’s big news, but if they’ll continue working together.

“We have been filming that [Cooking with the Stars] with Strictly Come Dancing’s Emma Willis. She didn’t tell me, you know. I was subtly asking her ‘do you like dancing’. I realised that everyone was asking her. She was obviously sworn to secrecy about it.

“If you have a secret, tell Emma Willis about it because she will not break. I was asking Emma and she was going ‘I don’t know’,” he told Dermot and Alison.

The temporary tax reduction will slash VAT from 20% to 5% on a huge range of attractions and activities across the UK during the school holidays.

The move comes as millions of households brace for another energy bill surge linked to the escalating Iran conflict.

Under the plans, cheaper prices are expected on tickets for theme parks, fairs, zoos, museums, cinemas, concerts, theatres and soft play centres.

Children’s meals in restaurants and cafes will also qualify for the lower VAT rate.

The changes will apply across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from June 25 until September 1.

The Government says it expects businesses to pass the savings directly on to customers – potentially cutting the cost of family days out at one of the most expensive times of year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said many families had started feeling simple treats and summer outings were becoming “out of reach”.

He said the package would give households “a bit of breathing room” during a difficult period.

Starmer added: “This summer, we are making it easier and more affordable for families to get out, spend time together, and make memories they will cherish for life.”

The VAT cut forms part of Reeves’ wider “Great British Summer Savings” plan, which also includes free bus travel for children aged five to 15 throughout August in England.

The Treasury estimates the summer support package will cost around £300 million.

But the announcement comes against a backdrop of mounting fears over rising household costs later this year.

Energy analysts at Cornwall Insight predict the household energy price cap could jump by £209 a year from July after global oil and gas prices soared following disruption in the Middle East.

Reeves admitted ministers were closely monitoring the situation but stopped short of announcing immediate help with energy bills.

She told MPs the Government “stands ready to act if market conditions worsen significantly later this year”.

The Chancellor also announced cheaper food imports, a rise in tax-free mileage rates and support for key British industries as part of the wider package.

VAT on soft play cut to 5% this Summer!https://t.co/JGbT9nlx9i

👏 Association of Indoor Play who lobbied for change & @TomHayesBmouth, Chair @APPGonPlay who secured this with the Chancellor

Play is a right, not a luxury. Children’s play should not be taxed. Make it permanent!

— Play England (@PlayEngland) May 21, 2026

British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions chief executive Paul Kelly called it “a very welcome and timely boost” for the attractions sector.

Meanwhile UKHospitality chairwoman Kate Nicholls said lower VAT was “the quickest and simplest way to lower prices and boost consumer confidence”.

Hangloose Adventure operates thrill attractions including England’s longest and fastest zipwires, Europe’s biggest swing and the UK’s only outdoor indoor skydive machine, with sites at the Eden Project and Bluewater Shopping Centre.

Their managing director Brian Phelps said: “For families, this isn’t just about saving money – it’s about making it easier to spend meaningful time together and create lasting memories.”

Recommended reading:

Phelps said outdoor attractions can have “a genuinely positive impact on both mental and physical health”, particularly for children during the summer holidays.

“For the attractions industry, this reduction in VAT will not only allow us to lower prices, but will ultimately hopefully drive trade and allow for more employment and investment back into the industry,” he added.

He described the announcement as “a huge win for everyone and something that, quite frankly, I can’t quite believe”.

Guardiola is leaving Manchester City but will not be saying goodbye to the City Football Group (CFG). As he steps down as manager at the Etihad, the Catalan has agreed to be a global ambassador for the network of teams across the globe controlled by City’s owners. Guardiola will be able to give technical advice to clubs such as Palermo, Lommel, and Troyes and will be “working on specific projects and collaborations” with the group. The legendary coach has previously spoken of wanting to experience international management and there are major tournaments coming up in England in 2028 and Spain in 2030 that could appeal, but his first job after leaving City will be to remain with CFG.

“We have been privileged to work alongside Pep Guardiola for ten years. We have witnessed his greatness and dedication, but also enjoyed his companionship, his friendship and humanity,” said CEO Ferran Soriano. “What a privilege it has been for so many of us at Manchester City.”

Read more here>>>

Karen Henthorn, who played Julie Bates on the BBC soap, first appeared in Walford nearly 30 years ago, returned to Albert Square last year as part of a storyline exploring dementia.

She made her original debut between September 1997 and April 1998.

Julie’s exit aired in the Thursday episode, with her character deciding to leave for a new life in India just weeks after the death of her husband, Nigel.

After reading a letter from Nigel, Julie discovered he had left her his pension, allowing her to fulfil her dream of travelling abroad.

Ms Henthorn marked her departure with a farewell video shared on EastEnders’ official social media accounts.

Karen Henthorn said: “It’s my last day and I’ve had the best time – the best 10 and a half months.

“Whatever you do in life, it’s always about people and kindness.

“Thanks for your love, your support and your commitment and dedication to the programme, which you love as much as I love.

“And I’m going to really miss you.

“So thanks everyone, take care of each other, loads and loads of love.”

The video included part of her final scene, followed by a behind-the-scenes moment where she was given flowers and applauded by crew and cast, including Steve McFadden.

Executive Producer Ben Wadey also paid tribute.

Mr Wadey said: “Your constant waterworks, your endless tears, but your performance has really been amazing.

“Thank you for everything, you’ve been amazing.”

EastEnders captioned the Facebook farewell: “Tonight we say goodbye to the outstanding Karen Henthorn and Julie Bates.

“You’ve been an absolute delight and we will miss you dearly!”

Fans also shared messages of support under the video.

One viewer wrote: “Great actress and amazing portrayal of such an awful disease.

“I hoped you might end up with Phil, it’s the most he’s smiled since you arrived.”

Another said: “I’m heartbroken, she was my favourite character.”

Who is your favourite EastEnders character? Let us know in the comments