She joined the show as a panellist in 2005 and has been “on and off” ever since

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Denise Welch has confirmed to fans she is leaving Loose Women after 25 years to pursue another venture.

The 68-year-old has been a staple on ITV panel talk show, but said in a statement earlier today she would be stepping down after decades.

On Instagram, she told her followers the reason for her departure is because she wants to focus on her acting career, describing it as her “first love and the thing she’s best at”.

“I’m leaving Loose Women after the best part of 25 years, off and on,” she said. “I did leave for about seven years and went back in 2018.

“This show has been part of mine, and my family’s life, for nearly a quarter of a century. I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories and it’s just that acting has always been my first love and, I think, the thing I’m best at.

“At the moment, I’m having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way and I’m grabbing them by the you-know-whats and running with it for this new chapter of my life.

“And so I just wanted to say that in person to thank all of the people who have shared my stories with me. I’ve shared my life with you – the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m very marmite but I cherish all the comments, good or bad, that I’ve had over the years.

She added: “I just hope you wish me well for this new exciting chapter in my life. I’ll miss everybody but I will remain friends with the whole gang because, despite what you might read, we are a happy band of campers. Lots of love, thanks for sticking with me.”

Fans have since flocked to her comments to show support, including her husband, Lincoln Townley, The Mirror reports.

He penned: “Grab those you know what’s darling you’re an incredibly strong talented sensational woman, the best is yet to come!”

Denise joined the show in 2005 alongside Kaye Adams and Coleen Nolan before taking a step back from the series in 2013. She then returned in 2018.

She has since shared the show with Ruth Langsford, Christine Lampard, Andrea McLean, Oti Mabuse, Gloria Hunniford and many others.

In an interview, the former Greater Manchester mayor was asked to name his favourite Greggs offering but stumbled while trying to remember the name of the sausage, bean and cheese melt.

Instead, he called it “that sausage, bean and cheese thing”, a name which quickly went viral on social media.

Now, the bakery has gone one step further, officially renaming the product in honour of Mr Burnham .

Warren McCarrick, shop manager at the Manchester Heron House branch, located near the Prime Minister’s new No 10 North base, said: “Our shop has been buzzing with Mancs getting their hands on Burnham’s favourite bake.

“Sales have gone through the roof this morning.

“Cheers, Andy.”

Signs at the store have already been swapped out to read: “The sausage, cheese and bean thing as eaten by our Prime Minister.”

🚨 NEW: Greggs has renamed its Sausage, Bean & Cheese Melt after Andy Burnham called it a “thing”

“Sales have gone through the roof, cheers Andy” pic.twitter.com/PxH0ccEzRV

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 12, 2026

Mr Burnham’s offhand endorsement has been a hit for the bakery, with sales reportedly doubling overnight.

The Prime Minister has since acknowledged that several of his strongest policy proposals were inspired by everyday exchanges, whether while standing in line at Greggs or sharing a conversation over a drink at the local pub.

Staff at the Manchester store quickly got behind the new identity, refreshing the branch’s branding in the early hours of Thursday.

Greggs, founded in Newcastle in 1939, has yet to say whether the rebrand will be introduced across the country or remain a temporary local change.

In the meantime, the Manchester outlet is happily dishing out the “sausage, bean and cheese thing” to customers who are both entertained and eager for a bite.

Whether Burnham’s pastry-inspired policymaking proves equally enduring is something only time will tell.

Sixty firefighters tackled a huge blaze as thick plumes of smoke rose into the skyline in Stourbridge, England, this afternoon

Two people were injured and multiple houses alight as a huge fire tore through homes in England. Around 60 firefighters were called to Racecourse Lane in Stourbridge at around 1.30pm this afternoon (August 13).

Flames could be seen ripping through the properties as thick black plumes of smoke billowed into the air. Around six homes were said to be on fire close to a local golf course.

Ounty John Lane and Stourbridge Road were also affected by the fire, the Mirror reports. West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said it was facing “extreme levels of demand” due to the inferno.

In a post on social media, the fire service said: “We are currently facing extreme levels of demand as a service, and need your immediate help. Wherever you are in the West Midlands, please do whatever you can to stay safe and minimise the risk of outdoor fires.”

“If you are directly affected by an ongoing fire, please DO NOT risk tackling it yourself. Get to a safe place and call 999. We will do our very best to get help to you as soon as we can.

“If you must drive, take extra care if you are driving, avoid areas of dense smoke, and please don’t head to areas where fires are taking place to watch.”

It said flames in Racecourse Lane had spread “across roads in places” with some nearby properties said to be experiencing power outages at the time. The fire service added: “Please keep doors and windows closed as a precaution and avoid the area.”

The fire was said to involve 40 acres, including woodland. Meanwhile, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to another “large fire” in Salford Priors, Stratford-on-Avon.

Families in the area were urged to keep their windows and doors closed. Police, fire crews and ambulances are at the scene of the wildfire which has been declared a major incident.

People have been evacuated from their homes with Stourbridge Town Hall being opened as a rest centre and there is also transport in place for those unable to make their own way there. While St Michael’s Church in Norton has also made itself available to provide accommodation where needed.

Councillor Andrew Southall from Dudley Council said: “Residents and care homes are being evacuated and the council have invoked their major incident plan.

“There are evacuations taking place and Stourbridge Town hall is the respite site. Another site will be set up if need be. The advice is to stay clear of the fire area.

“Our teams are on site supporting safe evacuations, transport arranged. Residents from care homes safely evacuated to other care homes. Stourbridge Town Hall open, our teams there and supporting and housing getting ready in case those who have lost their homes or homes are damaged need temporary accommodation.

“In the short term that will be hotels and support from other associations as needed but housing have that in hand. We are liaising with emergency services and providing all support necessary.”

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Three men were put to death by lethal injection across the U.S. on Thursday, marking the first time since 2010 that three executions occurred on a single day. Tennessee and Oklahoma administered lethal injections within 30 minutes of each other, with Alabama following hours later.

The Tennessee prisoner was executed for killing a motel maid in 1985, and the Oklahoma inmate for the 2003 murder of his girlfriend. In Alabama, a man was put to death Thursday evening for killing a 5-year-old girl he had paid her mother to abuse.

Although three executions in one day stemmed from a scheduling coincidence, it reflects a broader rise in U.S. capital punishment. Eleven states executed 47 people in 2025, the highest total since 2009. Following Thursday’s executions, 22 inmates have been put to death this year, with nearly a dozen more scheduled.

The last time three executions were carried out on the same day was on Jan. 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio and Texas put inmates to death. Three executions were scheduled on the same day in 2018, but only one went forward after a Texas man was granted a reprieve and prison officials in Alabama had problems with the IV line.

Florida executed two men on the same day in July and has put 31 prisoners to death since the start of 2025.

Oklahoma prisoner said he regretted 2003 killing of girlfriend

Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, died by lethal injection at the state’s penitentiary in rural McAlester, the third person put to death this year in Oklahoma.

Cuesta-Rodriguez turned his head to look at his two relatives who attended and mouthed “I love you” but said he had no last words. His breathing was labored for several minutes before he was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. CDT.

Convicted of fatally shooting his girlfriend at their Oklahoma City home in 2003, Cuesta-Rodriguez had said he regretted killing Olimpia Fisher and told a board he didn’t want clemency. His attorneys said he had a difficult childhood in Cuba and suffered from brain damage and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fisher, 43, planned to leave Cuesta-Rodriguez when he shot her in one eye and then he waited about eight minutes as she screamed for help before firing the fatal shot into her other eye.

Fisher’s daughters, Cinthya Allen and Katya Wallis, said in a statement that they hoped the execution brings awareness to preventing domestic violence and they honor their mother by “raising our families to reflect the love and faith in God that she taught us.”

Tennessee man challenged execution after previous one was halted

Anthony Darrell Hines received an injection in Tennessee for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jenkins. He was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m. CDT.

Hines stabbed Jenkins to death while the 54-year-old was working as a motel maid in Kingston Springs.

Hines said “not right now, thank you” when asked if he had final words, then said, “Tell my son hello” before he died. Hines’ son witnessed the execution. He reconnected with his father four days earlier after not seeing him since he was 3 years old.

About four minutes after the curtain to the death chamber opened, Hines asked his spiritual adviser: “How long do I have?” Not long afterward, witnesses heard groans and heavy breathing as the spiritual adviser put her hands on his shoulders and prayed over him.

Afterward, Jenkins’ son detailed how his mother had only a plastic spray bottle to defend herself against the knife attack.

“I hope he felt severe pain because what he did to my mother is nothing compared to what he may have just gone through,” Dennis Jenkins said.

Hines’ execution comes just three months after the attempted lethal injection of another man was stopped after medical staff couldn’t establish a backup IV line for more than an hour.

Hines, 66, appealed unsuccessfully to the governor and the courts, saying that the doctor who oversaw the May execution was unqualified and likely to botch his execution as well.

Alabama man asked to be executed after pleading guilty to girl’s murder

Alabama executed Jeremy Williams for the 2021 rape and murder of the young Georgia girl. He was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. CDT following the injection.

“I want to thank God for forgiving me for my sins so I can meet him in peace,” Williams said in his final words. He rocked his head back and forth and smiled and appeared to sing or speak before slowing become still on the gurney.

A member of Williams’ family, who was seated near the media, cried quietly throughout the execution.

Williams, who pleaded guilty to killing Kamarie Holland, had declined to appeal and requested that his death sentence be carried out. In letters to the Alabama attorney general’s office, Williams sought an immediate execution date so his victim’s family “may have some type of closure and satisfaction which they deserve.”

Williams, 42, raped and strangled Holland after offering her mother $2,500 for the child to perform a sex act, prosecutors said, adding he filmed his attack.

“To see on video what he did to this baby, what a grown man could do to a child, it’s shocking, it’s horrible, it’s disgusting,” Russell County District Attorney Richard Chancey said. “It’s just a level of evil.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, in a statement after the execution, described the crime as “evil.”

“The unspeakable nature of this crime is exactly why we have the death penalty statute in the state of Alabama,” she said.

The girl’s mother is serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to sex trafficking.

Williams also was a suspect in the 2005 death of his infant daughter in Alaska but charges were not filed until 2022.

Corey Holland, Kamarie’s father, said she was an exuberant child who loved princesses and made people laugh.

“She loved playing dress-up, all her little Halloween costumes and her princess stuff I got her. She liked anything girly,” Corey Holland said.

It was Alabama’s first execution of the year. A nitrogen gas execution was put on hold in June after a federal judge ruled the method unconstitutional.

National figures show that in England the number of pupils getting top grades has risen again with 28.5 per cent getting A* or A compared with last year when 28.3 per cent of UK A-level entries were awarded those grades.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, 7.9 per cent of grades awarded were A* (an increase of 0.2 per cent from last year and 1.4 per cent since pre-pandemic rates), 25.7 per cent were A or A*, and 78.1 per cent of grades were C or above – falling slightly below the national average.

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Maxine Squire, Assistant Director, Education and Skills, City of York Council, said: “We are still awaiting full results data from schools and colleges across the city, but can confirm that students from York schools have once again continued to perform ahead of the national average.”

At York schools, the mood was a celebratory one with most centres outperforming their own results from previous years.

Francesca De Lashley, Head of Sixth Form at Archbishop Holgate’s in Badger Hill, said that she was “bursting with excitement” for this year’s graduates and that they were an asset to the school.

Ripon students celebrate a fantastic year (Image: Ripon Grammar School)

Thirty-nine per cent of all exam entries by the school were graded A* to A, 76 per cent of all entries graded A* to B, and 100 per cent of entries graded A* to E.

Headteacher Lucie Pond added: “To our Year 13s, many of whom have been part of the Archbishop Holgate’s community for seven years, congratulations on these excellent results. They are a true testament to your perseverance and the application you have shown throughout your studies.”

At Joseph Rowntree School in New Earswick, head teacher Mike Hewitt praised the cohort for their contributions both academically and within the school community.

Results Day at Joseph Rowntree (Image: Provided)

He said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with this group of students throughout their time in our Sixth Form. As well as achieving great results, they have contributed to our wider school community and have been positive role models to our younger students.”

Huntington School also congratulated their students with head teacher Matt Smith saying: “We could not be prouder of this year group and we wish them every success and happiness for the future.”

Schools across the county also saw more students than ever moving abroad with Ripon student Lottie Whyte set to move to Paris and All Saints student Isaac Morris – who represented Great Britain in rowing – off to Princeton – among several others.

Ripon students celebrate a fantastic year (Image: Provided)

Also in York, nearly 40 per cent of students at The Mount achieved top A-level grades in this year’s results.

Seventy per cent of students earned grades A* to B, with 100 per cent of students achieving A* to B in nine subjects, including languages, English, geography, and art and design.

Anna Wilby, head of The Mount School, said: “We are all incredibly proud of each pupil’s commitment, resilience, and determination, approaching their studies and exams with a positive mindset to get these excellent, well-deserved results.”

A-level students at St Peters (Image: Provided)

St Peter’s School has also celebrated record A-level success this year. A record number of pupils achieved outstanding grades, with 20 per cent of all marks at A*, 51 per cent at A* and A, and more than 80 per cent at A* to B.

Further afield, more than two-thirds of A-level results were graded A*-B at Pocklington School.

The East Yorkshire school is celebrating A-level and BTEC results, with 67 per cent of A-level grades at A*-B and 66.7 per cent of students achieving at least one A or A*.

Selby College twins Molly Broadhead, left, and Nancie Broadhead who have secured places at their dream universities following their A-Level results (Image: Supplied)

Selby College class of 2026 achieved an overall pass rate of 98 per cent across all programmes, with more than a third of students (35.3 per cent) scoring top grades of A*, A or B.

Among them, twins Nancie Broadhead and Molly Broadhead are celebrating after securing places at their dream universities following their A-level results at Selby College.

Cllr Bob Webb, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Congratulations to all the young people receiving their A-level, T-level and vocational qualification results today. Your results are proof that young people have the drive to achieve great things and will do this city proud.

“These results reflect years of hard work, determination and commitment, and I would also like to thank parents, carers, teachers, support staff and families who have helped students reach this important milestone.”

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) says there is no clear link between the amount of housing support available and rent increases, challenging concerns that increasing benefits could simply push rents higher.

The analysis comes as the Government considers the future of Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which determines how much housing support some private renters can receive.

Successive governments have frozen LHA rates as part of efforts to control welfare spending.

But the freeze has left many households struggling to find properties within the level of support available.

Homelessness charity Crisis has estimated that fewer than 2% of private rented properties are affordable for people receiving housing benefit.

Rents rose faster during the housing benefit freeze

The NRLA’s analysis compares rent increases during periods when LHA rates were linked to local rents with the years when they were largely frozen.

LHA was introduced in 2008 with the aim of helping claimants cover the cost of the cheapest 50% of rents in their local area.

That was reduced in 2011, with the allowance instead intended to cover the cheapest 30% of rents.

Between 2008/09 and 2015/16, when LHA rates increased in line with rents each year, average weekly rents rose by around 2.5% a year.

By comparison, average weekly rents increased by around 3.4% a year between 2016/17 and 2024/25, when LHA rates were frozen for all but two years.

Across England, average weekly rents rose from £153 to £184 between 2008/09 and 2015/16.

That was an increase of £31, or around 20.3%, over the eight-year period.

Between 2016/17 and 2024/25, average weekly rents increased from £192 to £250, a rise of £58 or 30.2%.

The figures do not establish that freezing or increasing housing benefit causes rents to rise or fall, but the NRLA argues they show there is no evidence of an automatic surge in rents when LHA rates are increased.

Your Top 12 Cost of Living Concerns

Earlier this week I asked which cost-of-living areas you most want @andyburnham and @JohnHealey_MP to focus on. Many thousands replied across various of my social platforms. As well as looking at individual suggestions – we’ve now tallied the…

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— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) July 24, 2026

What is Local Housing Allowance?

Local Housing Allowance is used to calculate housing support for eligible private renters.

When it was introduced in 2008, it was designed to help cover rents up to the 50th percentile of local rents.

The system was changed in 2011 to cover the 30th percentile instead.

LHA rates were brought back into line with the bottom 30% of local rents in 2024/25.

However, the previous Government then decided to freeze housing support from April 2025, breaking the link between the amount available and current rent levels once again.

Around 24% of private renters receive housing support to help with their rent, according to the English Housing Survey.

£1.5bn cost of restoring housing benefit link

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has estimated that restoring and maintaining LHA rates at a level covering the cheapest 30% of rents would cost around £1.5 billion a year.

That is just over half the £2.8 billion spent by councils on temporary accommodation in 2024/25.

Supporters of increasing LHA rates argue that better aligning housing benefit with actual rents could reduce the pressure on councils caused by homelessness and temporary accommodation.

The Resolution Foundation has also estimated that restoring LHA to cover at least the cheapest 30% of rents could lift 75,000 children and 125,000 adults out of poverty.

Increasing support to cover the cheapest 50% of rents could lift an estimated 130,000 children and 215,000 adults out of poverty.

Government faces decision on housing benefit

The debate comes as ministers consider whether housing benefit rates should remain frozen from April next year.

Andy Burnham, during his Labour leadership campaign, previously criticised the current system.

He said: “We are forced to chase rents in the private-rented sector through the benefits system.”

He argued that freezing Local Housing Allowance could leave families facing homelessness while putting additional pressure on councils to provide temporary accommodation.

The issue also presents a difficult balance for policymakers, with the Government facing pressure to control welfare spending while councils continue to deal with the cost of homelessness and temporary housing.

Stark stats from @genrentuk today, which illustrate Burnham’s biggest cost-of-living problem:

At £1442, the average monthly rent in England is thirteen times higher now than it was in 1988, when it was £111.

A 500g pack of cheddar cheese would cost £19.50 compared to £4.31 if…

— Vicky Spratt (@Victoria_Spratt) July 23, 2026

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Landlords’ group calls for benefits to be unfrozen

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said the organisation’s analysis challenged the idea that increasing housing benefit would automatically drive up rents.

“Our analysis clearly shows that unfreezing housing benefit rates does not lead to an explosion in private sector rents,” he said.

He added that rents are influenced by a range of factors, including tax and mortgage rates, tenant demand and the costs of complying with regulations.

Mr Beadle said freezing LHA rates could instead prevent some people from accessing private rented accommodation.

“Freezing housing benefit rates merely locks many of those financially squeezed out of rental housing altogether and undermines all efforts to tackle the scourge of homelessness,” he said.

Recommended reading

He called on ministers to increase housing support to reflect current rental costs.

“It is time for the Government to act and unfreeze housing benefits to reflect housing costs as they actually are, not as they were in the past,” he said.

The IFS has separately warned against repeatedly freezing LHA rates, saying a tight fiscal position should not prevent the Government from considering other approaches.

The think tank said: “A tight fiscal situation is no excuse for a system that creates uncertainty for renters and unfairness between local areas.”

The Friday letters page is relieved to hear that Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is a good game, as a reader thinks Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has been a flop.

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

Unofficial mascot
Interesting to see Sony realise that is hasn’t got much in the way of major characters that ordinary people can get into. I agree that they should’ve been aware of this problem much earlier than this and I never understood why they passed on the chance to own both Lara Croft and Crash Bandicoot.

For me, those two are the unofficial mascots of the PlayStation 1, which was probably the last time that sort of thing was important. But for me that means they’re still the mascots, since nothing else has replaced them.

If you were going strictly by PlayStation 5 games I guess you’d say it was probably Kratos and Aloy, but I don’t feel they’re particularly interesting or iconic. Maybe Kratos but he’s not exactly something you’d see six-year-olds wearing on their T-shirt, is he?

Neither is Ratchet & Clank or Astro Bot, if we’re being honest, so for me if I think PlayStation I still think Lara Croft. I hope the remake next year is a hit.
Kaliban

GC: We don’t think there was any easy way for them to ever get hold of Crash Bandicoot. It came in a job lot with Blizzard and then went straight to Microsoft when they bought Activision.

Time jump
Happy to see Hogwarts Legacy 2 confirmed and hopefully we’ll actually see it soon, maybe at The Game Awards in December. Personally, I would like to see the game set in the modern day, but I guess that wouldn’t make much sense when Harry is around and doing all the important stuff.

Maybe the answer would be to set it just a few years before Harry gets there. So it can be basically modern day and then once the game is over, he turns up for his first year. I think that would be pretty neat but thinking about it they may want to save that for a third or later game.

Although, I don’t think they’ll want to get into all of the World War stuff from Fantastic Beasts, so I’m not sure where you go from the 1890s, other than to skip ahead to the 1950s at a bare minimum. Maybe the 1990s to make it a round hundred years?
Scuz

Inventing problems
Everyone is saying they’re happy with the price of GTA 6; I’m one of them that has bought the higher price. I mean, nearly 14 years in the making. The one thing that will make me flip is a price on the online play. I know there is no news on the online bit and I might be jumping in with both feet but if they think I’m paying £90 for the game and then charging me for the online bit they can whistle.

If they do that and everyone pays for it every single developer will be doing it, starting with Call Of Duty, with them saying why charge once when we can charge twice – and for something they got for free b4efore. I know there isn’t any news on it but I’ve got a feeling they’re going to be charging for the online bit, as the saying goes: more money, more money, more money.
David

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

Time extension
It’s funny how the Lego games are probably the best example of how long it takes to make a game nowadays. From at least one a year to one every four years. And that change has come in the space of just a decade. What used to be throwaway games, where you didn’t even care they were so buggy, have turned into big event triple-A games.

A decade ago you could pick one up for next to nothing after a year or so, but I don’t think I’ve seen the new Lego Batman get any major price cut yet. So I’m not surprised to find out they’re being more picky if we’re not going to get a new one until 2030.

I mean, if you play your first game at five you only get one more as a kid and then with the third you’re a teenager already! It’s crazy and obviously it’s not just Lego, it’s everything now. I don’t know what to even suggest to solve the problem.
Wotan

Money can’t buy you love
There’s something kind of disturbing about a big company like Sony ponying up several million dollars and just telling its workers to make something beloved. It got me interested in how Hello Kitty started and, as you’d expect, Wikipedia says it was all completely unexpected and started off extremely small scale. I don’t think £47 million in R&D counts as small scale.

If they want to spend some time making new family friendly games then I think that would be a very good idea but that doesn’t seem to be how they’re doing it at all. Microsoft never attracted that audience, but Sony used to in the PS1 and 2 era. Why they gave up I don’t know but even if the games are good I’d definitely agree that Ratchet & Clank and Astro Bot aren’t very good characters.

They look designed by committee and just aren’t interesting or distinctive enough. I always thought the same about Sack Boy.
Fisto

Understanding Nintendo
Very interesting Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave preview that was a lot more positive than I expected, especially as I know GC didn’t like Three Houses that much. All the other previews I’ve seen are positive too, so it seems this is going to be a winner, which I feel Nintendo needs at the moment given the mixed response to Splatoon Riders and the two N64 remakes.

I don’t think anyone can argue that Nintendo’s choices of games hasn’t been odd and I find it fascinating trying to imagine why. I think the majority problem is how long games take to make and that Nintendo isn’t used to making games for a console that’s almost as powerful as an Xbox Series S.

They’ve done well I think, overall, but I bet there were a lot of delays and changes in the schedules behind the scenes and that a lot of these games, like Fire Emblem, are just what was ready to go. I can’t imagine it or Splatoon Raiders were that expensive or time-consuming to make, as they both look like Switch 1 games and I bet reuse a lot of assets.

However, that doesn’t explain the absence of Animal Crossing, which everyone knows reuses assets and nobody minds, or why anyone at Nintendo would greenlight Kirby Air Riders. Maybe they were trying to get on Masahiro Sakurai’s good side or maybe… I just don’t know.

Who knows what goes on in Nintendo’s boardrooms, but I think the point here is that as weird as some decisions are they often don’t go the way you think. Some people actually like Kirby Air Riders and Fortune’s Weave seems to be a lot better than anyone imagined.
Karl

GC: Fortune’s Weave’s graphics may not be anything special but there’s a lot of content; it must’ve taken a lot longer to make than Splatoon Raiders.

Sales Marvel
So it looks like Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is going to be a bomb, or at least underperform, ensuring that the Marvel curse continues. Basically, every Marvel game that isn’t heavily Spider-Man focused flops, which isn’t far off for how it is in the movies too.

That makes me wonder how well exactly Wolverine is going to do. I doubt it’ll be a flop but it’s 18-rated, it’s linear, and while Wolverine’s character is popular his abilities aren’t particularly interesting when you turn them into a video game. Sony may end up wishing they’d make a Spider-Gwen game instead.
Jono

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1 out of 4
Hogwarts Legacy 2 has got to be the most obvious thing ever, especially as they already hinted at it, but I do hope Warner Bros. can get its act together in general. I mean, let’s look at how things are going with their ‘four pillars’…

Harry Potter is fine. They tried to make games other than Hogwarts Legacy, and they didn’t sell, but the sequel is a guaranteed hit, so that’s a big green tick.

Next is Mortal Kombat, where the last game was a flop and they didn’t mention it in their latest financials, so that’s a big red mark.

Then there’s DC Comics, which they’ve done nothing with in a decade or more. The only thing in all that time has been a Lego Batman game, with no attempt whatsoever to tie into the either the last cinematic universe or the new one. So that’s a big fat no too.

Finally, there’s Game Of Thrones, which is so important to them they’ve never made a console game about it. There’s some kind of PC strategy game coming out but I don’t think they’ve really shown it or explained what it is.

So that’s three major failures in a row. Not only have they not made any successful games with these three ‘pillars’ they’ve barely made anything at all. People asking why CEOs aren’t replaced by AI and it’s easy to say why.

I mean, they’ve got the talented developers. How hard is it to say: ‘Make some games for us.’
Winston

GC: We think you’re forgetting Suicide Squad but… that’s probably for the best.

Inbox also-rans
I would be totally fine with a Lego Superman: Legends of the Man of Tomorrow game. I’m not sure they’d actually risk that if it’s not going to be out until 2030 though. We’ll probably be on our third DC cinematic universe by that point.
Stein

I totally missed that Warhorse are making a Lord of the Rings game. That’s… made my day. Can’t wait to see it, but seems like that might be a long wait.
GungHo99

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Water will be abstracted from a Cambridgeshire river to help firefighters tackle the on-going wildfire

Firefighters are expected to remain at the scene of a nature reserve fire for “days to come”. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue were called to a fire at the Holme Fen Nature Reserve on Saturday (August 8) at around 10.24am. Firefighters have continued to tackle the fire since, with crews remaining at the scene to fight the fire.

A navigational closure notice has been issued by the Environment Agency to users of the River Nene between Dog in a Doublet Lock and Orton Lock near Peterborough. This is because Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue needs to abstract water from the river to tackle the on-going wildfire at the nature reserve.

In an update, a fire spokesperson said: “Firefighters have been at the scene overnight continuing to tackle the fire. Crews will remain on the scene throughout the day, and for days to come.”

This is the second fire within two weeks that firefighters have dealt with at Holme Fen. The cause of the first fire was deliberate. The cause of the second fire hasn’t yet been determined.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Due to extremely low water levels, we have issued a navigational closure notice to users of the River Nene between Dog in a Doublet Lock and Orton Lock near Peterborough.

“This action follows the very dry weather and the need for Cambridgeshire Fire Service to abstract water from the Nene, because of the on-going wildfire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve. Our officers continue to work with the Fire Service, Natural England and partners to bring this incident to a close.”

Payments due on Monday, August 31, will instead be made on Friday, August 28, ensuring recipients receive their money before the long weekend.

The change will apply to a range of major benefits, including Universal Credit, State Pension, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Cabinet (Image: Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph)

The Government said the move is designed to provide financial certainty for families, pensioners, and carers, particularly as many households prepare for the start of the new school year

Ministers said bringing payments forward would help people manage their finances with confidence and avoid disruption caused by the bank holiday.

Social Security and Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms said: “We’re pleased to confirm that benefit payments due on the August bank holiday will be paid earlier.

“This will help ensure families and older people receive their money without disruption over the bank holiday period.

“This Government is determined to ensure people up and down the country have the support and breathing room they need, which is why we’ve acted to take money off energy bills, increase the National Minimum Wage and lift half a million children out of poverty, as well as supporting people into good, secure jobs.”

The announcement comes as the Government continues to highlight measures aimed at tackling the cost of living.

Among these policies are plans to provide free school meals to all children in households claiming Universal Credit, expanded childcare provision, and the rollout of free breakfast clubs.

The Government says the free school meals programme, backed by more than £1 billion in funding, will help lift around 100,000 children out of poverty.

Other measures include increases to the National Living Wage, support with household energy costs, and a £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund designed to help families facing financial hardship.

Ministers have also pledged further support to help disabled people and those with health conditions move into employment through programmes such as Connect to Work and the Government’s Pathways to Work scheme.

The Department for Work and Pensions has advised benefit claimants that while payments will arrive earlier than usual, the amount received will remain unchanged.