Writing for Belfast Live, Professor Stephen Farry explains the implications of Stormont having no agreed budget
Setting a budget is the most fundamental duty of any government. We are now over a month into the current financial year, and we continue to await Executive agreement on a budget.
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It remains unclear if and when Northern Ireland will see a budget, and further if that budget will be multi-year or single-year. The legal backstop measure of the Permanent Secretary in the Department of Finance authorising expenditure at 95 per cent of last year’s allocations has already been put in place.
The backdrop to this budget impasse is deep financial crisis. Public services in NI are not sustainable under their current guise and configuration, bearing considerable opportunity costs.
The pattern of recurring overspends over the past four financial years, which have been addressed by short-term interventions, such as better than expected Barnett Consequentials or the reserve claim from Treasury, are testament to this situation. Further overspends are already projected for the current financial year.
Indeed, there is a danger that not agreeing a budget becomes a politically easier outcome than the difficult decisions and compromises in reaching formal agreement on allocations over one or more years.
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Continued delay or even failure to agree entails negative consequences for Departments, alongside Arms-Length Bodies and the community and voluntary sectors, which deliver crucial services for government.
The outcome of the multi-year UK Spending Review has been in place since June 2025. This provides the Executive with the opportunity to put in place NI’s first multi-year budget since the 2011-2014 period. Prior opportunities for such a multi-year budget were hampered by the absence of working institutions.
There is, of course, a process for the Department of Finance to undertake with the NI Departments to shape local draft proposals. Further, the relatively late UK Budget last autumn, with the potential to alter allocations on the margins, created further uncertainty.
However, both Scotland and Wales did announce their budgets for 2026-2027 in January this year. In one respect, it is easier for NI to introduce and sustain a multi-year budget, notwithstanding the missed opportunities in the recent past. Whilst Scotland and Wales are engaged in elections with uncertainty as to the make-up of the incoming administrations, given our particular system of government, there is a considerable consistency of parties in power.
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For reference, in early 2011, the outgoing Executive agreed the 2011-2014 multi-year budget even though all of those relevant financial years would fall into the subsequent mandate.
Whilst a multi-year budget doesn’t in itself place more resources on the table, it would allow a more strategic approach to spending, enable renewed investment and reform, address market failures, and safeguard future outcomes.
However, merely agreement of a multi-year budget that is just a set of numbers does not in itself equate to a strategic outcome. That comes from a clear focus upon transformation and alignment of resources in line with a Programme for Government.
Further, it is worth noting that there is an ongoing misalignment between the timing of opportunities for multi-year budgets and the agreement of Programmes for Government.
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This could be improved if the Executive returned to an outcomes-based framework and put in place a rolling and evolving programme, which on paper could be much easier to maintain given the consistency of parties in power.
Yet the delay regarding agreement on any budget brings many immediate challenges. When Departments and Arms Length Bodies cannot adequately plan ahead, this brings uncertainty on workforce plans and service delivery, and even entails some staff being placed on protective notice in the community and voluntary sector.
Where savings and efficiencies do need to be made by Departments to remain within budget allocations, it is challenging enough to make and implement those measures over a 12- month horizon, never mind a reduced 11-month window or less.
Without agreement on a budget or agreement on a budget where it is commonly recognised that the budget would be broken by significant overspends by many departments, NI would limp to the next Assembly Election with greater chaos and distance from a strategic approach that is ultimately required for financial sustainability and better outcomes.
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The hope may be for a further Treasury response. Notwithstanding the moral hazard, this is unlikely in the current UK fiscal context. This begs the question as to what the UK Government would do in response to overspends and the scale of negative impact from this short-termism.
Stephen Farry is a Professor of Strategic Policy in Practice at Ulster University.
The Swedish flatpack furniture giant has urged its customers to cease using this everyday product immediatley
Rachel Vickers-Price UK and World News Reporter
03:02, 11 May 2026
Furniture giant IKEA has issued an urgent recall for a household product used everyday in homes around the world. The international furniture brand has recalled a popular Ikea-branded garlic press, amid fears small metal fragments could break off into people’s food and be swallowed accidentally. The recall affects certain batches of the IKEA 365+ VÄRDEFULL Garlic press in black after the company discovered a manufacturing defect during an internal investigation. According to IKEA, there is a risk that “small metal pieces” may detach from the kitchen tool during use and subsequently be ingested with food, posing a potential safety hazard to customers.
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The affected garlic presses were sold worldwide, both in store and online, and carry the article number 601.636.02. The kitchen implement also can be identified via date stamps found on the product. Date stamps include 2411 up to 2522 (see below for how to decode IKEA date stamps). The offending presses can also be identified by an IKEA logo marking on the upper handle. Customers who own one of the recalled products have been urged to stop using it immediately and contact IKEA for a full refund, the retailer advised in a statement, before adding that shoppers will not need to provide a receipt or proof of purchase in order to get their money back. A statement on the Swedish furniture house’s website also urged any customers who may have loaned or gifted the item to spread the world.
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In a statement, IKEA – best known for its penchant for Allen keys and ready-to-assemble furniture – apologised for the inconvenience caused by the recall. As well as the shedding garlic press, the Swedish furniture brand has issued a litany of other recalls in recent months. Other recalled items include:
Spatula (365+ HJÄLTE): Date stamp 2445 (YYWW) or later is recalled.
Power Bank (VARMFRONT): Date stamps 2313, 2316, 2318, or 2319 are recalled due to fire hazards.
ÅSKSTORM 40W USB charger dark grey: Article number 60461197 is recalled
Mirrors (LETTAN): Affected date stamps before and including 2105.
ROSTAD LÖK: Fried onion, 100g, Article number: 302.371.76 Best Before Date: 02-06-2026 – 22-11-2026
BLÅVINGAD fishing game, multicolour: All iterations of this children’s toy should be returned to IKEA following reports of small metal rivets coming loose from the painted wooden shapes, presenting a potential choking hazard.
Product date stamps:
IKEA date stamps run off a Year-Week format. For example: 2411 would mean 2024, week 11.
Garlic Press: Stamped on the black plastic handle.
Furniture/Other: Usually a 4-digit number on a sticker, often found underneath or on the back of the item.
If you are impacted by any of the aforementioned recalls, more information is available via the IKEA website.
A report says Britain is expected to lose 163,000 jobs this year amid the economic woes caused by the Iran war
Holly Williams, Press Association Business Editor
00:01, 11 May 2026
Jobs in south Wales will be among the worst affected as a result of the conflict in Iran, a report has warned.
Britain is expected to lose 163,000 jobs this year amid the economic woes caused by the Iran war with lower income regions set to be hit hardest, the report states.
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The Item Club’s latest regional outlook warns that two of the UK’s lowest income regions – south Wales and the Humber – will suffer the most painful jobs market woes in the next year or so because of sharp energy price rises.
They are heavily reliant on manufacturing and construction industries, which Item Club cautions will shed jobs in response to higher costs and supply disruption from the Middle East conflict.
The report is predicting jobs to drop by 5,700 in South Wales and by 2,800 in the Humber over 2026.
Tim Lyne, economic adviser to the Item Club, said: “Some of the lowest income regions will feel the biggest effects of the manufacturing and construction sectors reducing headcount in the face of rising energy prices and supply chain disruption.
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“While consumers in these areas typically have less rainy-day savings, which will reduce spending in the retail and hospitality sectors.”
Overall it forecasts UK employment will decline by 0.4% this year, equivalent to 163,000 job losses on a net basis.
This will be driven by a pull back in consumer spending, the soaring cost of fuel, energy, materials and ingredients, as well as disruption to shipping.
The Bank of England warned late last month the rate of UK unemployment could hit 5.6% this year, up from 5.2% currently, in its more gloomy scenario for the impact of the war.
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The Item Club said as households rein in discretionary spending in the face of a surge in the cost of living, the retail and hospitality sector will suffer the biggest slowdown across Britain’s major cities.
The independent forecasting group predicts that employment in London will drop by 25,000 this year as its retail and hospitality sector slows, with a 12,500 reduction in Birmingham, 9,800 drop in Leeds and 6,200 decline in Glasgow.
There may be some bright spots, however, with Cambridge set to see employment growth in 2026, while Belfast and Edinburgh are expected to see relatively limited job losses.
Mr Lyne said: “Across the UK, the jobs market is going to soften, but it’s looking especially fragile in South Wales and the Humber as they’re particularly exposed to manufacturing businesses that are seeing big increases in their costs of materials.
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“Resilience will come in places like Cambridge where the tech sector is based.” For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here
The report said that while publicly-funded sectors – such as education, public administration and human health and social work – are expected to hire more jobs over the year, this will not be enough to offset wider losses.
It also warns over a widening gap in living standards across the UK caused by the Iran war.
Low income areas will see households suffer the steepest hikes in the cost of living, as more of their spending goes on essentials, such as food, fuel and energy bills, which are set to see big price rises.
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Households in cities such as Newcastle, Belfast and Birmingham spend as much as 13% of their disposable income on energy and food, compared to less than 9% for an average household in London, according to the report.
This could see these cities left particularly exposed if the Iran war is not resolved soon, the Item Club said.
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A trip to the park is a family favourite activity so here are some of the best parks in Cambridgeshire to visit this summer
Taking a trip to the park is a popular way to keep children busy throughout the spring and summertime. It can also be incredibly cheap thanks to green spaces being free and available to everyone, leaving some extra money for a treat during the day.
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Cambridgeshire has a range of parks to explore with playgrounds and other activities for kids to get involved in. No matter where you are in the county, you will be able to find somewhere to enjoy some sunny weather while your children go off and play.
If you are new to the area or want to visit a different park from your usual choice, you might want to check out one of these popular choices . CambridgeshireLiveasked its readers to tell us which parks in Cambridgeshire are the best and here are the three that came out on top.
3. Great Shelford Recreation Ground
Location: Woollards Ln, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5LZ
The recreation ground in Great Shelford managed to get third place in our poll. The commuter village is hugely popular with families and is often regarded as one of the best places to live in Cambridgeshire thanks to its local facilities, including the park.
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The ‘Playscape’ can be found on the recreation ground and has been “designed to be inspiring and inclusive for all”. The playground features a range of things for children to explore such as swings, a sandpit, towers, and an accessible trampoline.
Found at the back of an industrial estate in Milton, this country park is a popular place to take dogs for a long weekend walk. However, Milton Country Park also has lots of other activities to get involved in like an outdoor play area, cycle paths, and even laser tag.
Thanks to the large lakes found in the park, the area is a good spot for water sports with lots of classes available to book from paddle boarding to canoeing. The Grounds Café is right next to one of the lakes and offers families a place to enjoy a hot drink and a piece of homemade cake.
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1. Nene Park
Location: Ferry Meadows in Nene Park, Peterborough PE2 5UU
For anyone who has been to Nene Park in Peterborough, it is probably unsurprising that it has topped our poll. It is easy to visit Nene Park multiple times and do completely different activities each time.
Ferry Meadows, which can be found at the heart of the park, has three playgrounds for children of all different ages, a visitor centre with a gift and farm shop, and café that over looks Overton Lake. The park also has a mobile climbing wall, boat trips, and lots of water activities you can book before your trip.
The proposal relates to 172–174 Crook Street, a three-storey property formerly known as the Church Hotel.
The ground floor is currently occupied by Baba Jee’s restaurant which is temporarily closed, with office space above.
Developers are seeking prior approval from Bolton Council to convert the first and second floors into eight self-contained flats, with four units on each floor.
The ground floor restaurant would remain unchanged.
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Proposed layouts of the flats (Image: Bolton Council)
Planning documents state the scheme would create four flats on each of the upper floors, with bin and cycle storage provided at the rear.
No external alterations to the building are proposed.
The site sits just outside Bolton town centre in a mixed-use area close to the main transport interchange.
Applicants say the location is sustainable and well connected, with seven parking spaces included in the plans.
In the supporting statement, the applicant argues the development meets national permitted development rules and would provide acceptable living conditions, including adequate natural light and protection from noise.
The building is not listed and is not within a conservation area or flood risk zone, according to the application.
Bolton Council will now assess the plans, with residents able to comment before a decision is made.
The PS6 is not going to be an impulse purchase (Metro)
The Monday letters page encourages Capcom to make more Resident Evil DLC, as a reader reports back on the Mortal Kombat 2 movie.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Zero planning PlayStation 6 can be delayed forever as far as I’m concerned. I’m a fairly keen gamer and I can tell you the last thing I’m going to spend money on at the moment is £500+ for a new console that doesn’t need to exist. I cannot believe I’m the only person in a similar situation and yet apparently they’re going ahead with it all anyway.
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who is definitely planning to get one and are you saving up for one already? I know it might get delayed now but the original plan seems to have been that it’ll be out next year, so surely people weren’t going to pay for that out of pocket? You’d have to be preparing for it.
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Well, I can say that I am definitely not doing that. Hell, I’m having to save up for GTA 6, because I want that day one and we still don’t know how much it’ll cost (although hopefully we’ll get pre-orders this month). Goliath
DLC forever I definitely would’ve preferred The Mercenaries but I’m having a lot of fun with Leon Must Die Forever mode right now, in Resident Evil Requiem. I can imagine that was the quickest one to make, so that’s why it’s coming out first, and the menu option definitely gives away that there’s going to be more of them.
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I like this idea of keeping single-player games going through a constant stream of DLC, especially relatively short ones like Requiem. If I were them, I’d add things to lead into Resident Evil 10 as well, like The Witcher 3 is apparently doing.
They sort of did this with Resident Evil 2, by adding the Nemesis noises outside the police station, in the build up to Resident Evil 3, but that was pretty subtle. I don’t know if anything can connect Requiem to Code: Veronica or Zero but that would be neat too, especially as those two games got sidelined pretty quick the first time round. How about adding Billy Cohen into Requiem? Orkey
Changing the schedules Great to see Pokémon Pokopia selling so well. A 4:1 attach rate for a game after just a few weeks is incredible and shows just how popular it is. The fact that Donkey Kong Bananza is only a little bit more, despite being nearly a year old now, also says a lot about how that game has only been an average hit.
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I think it’s a good game, but I’d be interested to know why it wasn’t a bigger success, or at least why Nintendo thinks it wasn’t. I think the most likely option is just that it came out too soon after launch and people have only got so much money.
I wonder if Metroid Prime 4 had come out in July and Donkey Kong in November or December, if that would’ve turned things around a bit. That way Metroid’s failure wouldn’t have mattered, Nintendo would’ve had a proper Christmas game, and Bananza would’ve had quite a bit of space between it and Mario Kart. It could’ve made quite a bit of difference, I think. Tacle
The old guard Full salute to Takashi Tezuka on his retirement from Nintendo, it’s clearly very well deserved. Nintendo may not be on a high at the moment, but I think one they’ve always done very well is train up a new generation for when the old legends are gone. I don’t think Miyamoto has made a game properly himself since the first Pikimin and Tezuka and a bunch of others are in the same position.
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Despite the iconic legacy of these people, they’ve been making efforts to make sure they’re not indispensable for decades now, which is very encouraging.
This strikes me as being the exact opposite of all these American companies laying off hundreds of developers at a time, wiping out all this ‘institutional knowledge’ and making anyone that’s left fearful and resentful. I bet Mario and Zelda will still be great in another 30 years, I wouldn’t bet that about any Western franchise. Holbert
May the Schwarz be with you As an aside to the Star Fox reveal on Switch 2, am I the only one whose ears pricked up at 10.34 to 10.47 (on the official UK Nintendo YouTube vid, immediately after the presenter’s finger click)? It sounded very much like the start of the OG Star Wars film at the end of the credit crawl, just before the ships come into frame.
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The visuals even have the panning down to the planet straight after, I was half expecting a Star Destroyer to come into view. TheTruthSoul (PSN ID)
GC: The whole of the Star Fox series is heavily influenced by Star Wars and whatever other sci-fi films happened to be contemporary at the time. Star Fox 64, for example, has a level very obviously inspired by Independence Day.
Men in black An interesting look at the way games publishers are talking about AI at the moment. The idea that they have to pretend they’re using it more than they are to investors, but less than they are to fans, almost makes me sympathetic towards faceless execs.
The examples the Sony guy gives all sound perfectly reasonable, but I’ve heard Epic Games saying that AI is only there to help developers and not replace them. Except they’ve laid off nearly 2,000 people in the last couple of years so that obviously doesn’t track.
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For me, the Project Helix reveal is going to be the testing point for AI in gaming. If Microsoft go all in on some sort of DLSS 5 focused slop factory, as they clearly wanted to originally, then that is going to open the door for this to problem to rumble on for years.
If it’s just a bunch of buzzwords and stuff like making hair easy to animate though, then we could be looking at another victory over the men in suits, to add up alongside lootboxes and NFTs. Generative AI in games isn’t any more inevitable than those other things and I feel like the tide is already turning in our favour.
It seems ridiculous that we’ve constantly go to hope that companies won’t shoot themselves in the foot like this, but this is a tale as old as gaming, unfortunately. And when they give up on AI it’ll be some new scam after that too. Ashton Marley
Flawless victory RE: Mortal Kombat 2 film. I just watched it and I absolutely loved it. I honestly haven’t enjoyed a film that much at the cinema in years. Everyone gets their time to shine, Shao Khan is an absolute beast, really great fight scenes, lots of nods to the games and a bit of nostalgia right at the end.
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Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended. It won’t win any Oscar but it’s just a fun film. Simon
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Pragmatic response Excellent review of Pragmata, which I did not expect to be a nine out of 10 game. When GC said no bugs were found, I did have a starting problem when, after buying Pragmata off the PS Store and downloading it, the game, after getting through the initial set-up, the game failed to load during the second bottom right loading icon and the PlayStation 5 error code appeared.
So, I checked Google for a fix and after a few system setting changes and cache/rebuilding databases, etc. it worked. Never seen that happening before, something about a handshake operation or something to initiate the starting process.
Either way, the game definitely is a clean and well-made experience, with the crisp graphical effects and the overall smoothness of animation in general. The music blends into the gameplay and background without being memorable overall in any way, but just what it’s supposed to do.
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Gameplay-wise is where it counts though and here it does the business spot on, with the two characters interacting with each other, reminding me of Midna and Link in Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The mechanics and controls of the on-screen action are near perfect, with a great emphasis on style, fluidity and innovation. I was going to ultimately give this game a play check with streamers or content creators, but hung back and just trusted less of an investigation and went for it.
The length of the game being of average was also within the time I could spare, without having to worry about exploration and just following a more linear path and story.
Overall, a very well-produced game, which hits most things a gamer wants for a modern day experience, bringing out a vibrant graphical world with near perfect gameplay mechanics. Definitely well recommend and, for me, one of the surprising moments of this year so far, as I just never thought Pragmata would go all the way to being a modern classic. GG to Capcom and the RE Engine in general. Alucard
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Inbox also-rans Although I admit a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake does seem likely we are all going to be so gutted if it’s not true. Nintendo aren’t exactly one to do the obvious thing, after all. Focus
Just your monthly reminder that Atlus still hasn’t announced Persona 6 and we have absolutely no idea, not even a rumour, of when they will. Paraninja
The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and the New York Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference finals, tying the NBA postseason record with 25 3-pointers in front of a raucous crowd rooting for the road team and rolling past the Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 on Sunday to sweep the second-round series.
Deuce McBride started in place of the injured OG Anunoby and hit seven 3-pointers, going 4 for 4 in the first quarter when the Knicks had another record with 11, and scored 25 points. Brunson had 22 points and Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 17 in the Knicks’ latest lopsided playoff victory.
The Knicks’ 19.4 point-per-game margin of victory is the largest through two rounds since the playoffs went to 16 teams in 1984.
“It’s just us being very locked in to the moment,” Towns said.
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The Knicks advanced to the East finals for the second straight season and will play the winner of the Cleveland-Detroit series. The Pistons lead 2-1.
“Our guys tried to take it to another level with their focus on the details and their energy and effort level,” Brown said. “That’s a lot of the reason why we’re playing pretty good basketball.”
Knicks fans made a habit of scooping up tickets by the thousands at the Sixers’ arena for playoffs games over the years, and in Game 4, they may have made the loudest statement yet. They raised brooms outside the arena and waved “Always Knicks” towels once inside, all while noisily neutering the few Sixers fans that didn’t make a few extra bucks on the secondary market and stuck around.
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The 76ers’ franchise failed to stop Knicks fans in their effort to buy tickets.
The 76ers were greater failures in trying to stop the Knicks on the floor.
Game 4 was a laugher from the tip, with the Knicks using the 3-point arc as a starting point for their personal pop-a-shot game.
With Knicks fans on their feet and exclaiming “Deuuuce,” McBride hit one, two, three, four — four! — 3-pointers in succession for a 20-6 lead and the Sixers were already on their heels. McBride became the first Knick (since play-by-play tracking began in 1997) to hit four 3s in the first quarter of a playoff game.
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New York’s 3-point records were just heating up.
Brunson added two in the period (six total) to help make the Knicks 11 of 13, which tied the NBA mark for most makes in a quarter.
The Knicks totaled 18 3s in the first half to score 54 points off the long ball, compared to 57 total for the 76ers. Overall, that was an 81-57 lead and helped power the Knicks toward their first best-of-seven series sweep since the 1999 East semis against Atlanta.
The Knicks scored 80-plus points in the first half twice in five road playoff games this season.
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The second half was a mere formality, and the Sixers are headed home after a gutsy 3-1 series comeback to beat Boston in the first round.
“The energy was a big gap between their energy and our energy, I thought,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said.
Joel Embiid ended another injury-riddled season with 24 points, Tyrese Maxey had 17 and the Sixers still have not advanced out of the second round since 2001.
“I came into this year not knowing where I was going to be (with health), how long I was going to play, if I was even going to play based on how the knee was the last few years,” Embiid said. “I came in just hoping for the best and I feel like we’re in a position where we figured out the knee. It hasn’t been an issue.”
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Towns had 10 assists. Hart hit four 3-pointers and celebrated by stripping off his jersey and tossing it to a woman in Sixers gear.
“My right hand remembered that the goal was to make 3s,” Hart said. “Happy to have her back.”
If the sweep and the Knicks’ fan takeover didn’t saddle the Sixers with enough bad news, there was one final cutting blow to the ego — Philadelphia’s two first-round 2018 draft picks are still playing: Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet, of course, for the Knicks.
The incident took place overnight at The Footballers Bar at Crook Town AFC on Friday (May 8), where intruders forced entry, stealing cash and alcohol and leaving behind extensive damage.
As well as gaining access to the building, those responsible caused “severe damage to the interior of the clubhouse and till.”
In a statement shared online on Saturday, the club said: “Last night, The Footballers Bar was broken into with cash and alcohol being stolen, as well as damage caused by entry and severe damage to the interior of the clubhouse and till.”
Crook Town AFC (Image: CROOK TOWN AFC)
CCTV images of the suspected intruders have been captured and passed to police, who are now investigating.
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The club has urged anyone with information, “however small”, to come forward to assist officers with their enquiries.
Crook Town AFC highlighted the vital role the clubhouse plays within the local area, describing it as a hub not just for football, but for life’s most important moments.
“Our clubhouse is well used on match days but also for our town’s birthdays, christenings and wakes, as well as local companies to aid our community’s learning,” the club said.
The venue also serves as a crucial support space during the winter months, offering warmth and companionship to elderly residents.
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Crook Town AFC has included CCTV images in its post below:
“We also use it as a warm space in the winter to help the local elderly,” the statement added.
“So to have someone undo all our brilliant work, all done by volunteers, is utterly heartbreaking.”
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The club says it works tirelessly to provide facilities the town can be proud of, making the incident all the more painful.
“We work hard to give you all a ground and its facilities, to be proud of,” the statement continued.
“For this to happen just breaks the soul and uses cash to remedy that could be used elsewhere when money is so tight for us all already.”
Despite the setback, Crook Town AFC has been buoyed by messages of support and is now focusing on helping police identify those responsible.
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“Anyone who may have information, however small, that you think can help us, please come forward,” the club said.
“Pudsey has stood alongside children for over 40 years, and now, for the first time ever, he’s finding his voice. Pudsey is finding his voice because too many children feel they can’t share what they’re going through, and too many adults aren’t sure how to start that conversation.
A Zelda remake is rumoured for this year and 3D Mario for 2027 (Nintendo)
The Switch 2 may now be being sold at a loss, as Nintendo insists that the upcoming price hike doesn’t completely compensate for the rising cost of manufacturing.
There are always several mysteries revolving around Nintendo at any given time but the most perplexing at the moment is why they haven’t had a first party Nintendo Direct, to lay out all the games coming out for the rest of the year.
Sony and Xbox have both had their equivalents and usually Nintendo has an event in January or February. But despite six separate Directs so far, all of them have been minor affairs and no major new games have been announced so far this year.
One could go mad speculating as to why, but the most important question is whether this is all according to plan, from Nintendo’s point of view, or if they view it as a mistake. We don’t know the answer to that, but they have now promised to do better in the future.
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We still don’t know how what the new UK price of the Switch 2 will be, when it comes into effect in September – because Nintendo has only announced it for Japan, the US, and Europe – but it’s likely to be roughly a £30 increase, to around £430.
Nintendo is following in the footsteps of Sony and Microsoft, who have both increased the cost of their consoles multiple times, with everyone being at the mercy of the current memory crisis, where RAM chips are being bought up in bulk to power AI data centres.
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The Switch 2 is already unusually expensive for a Nintendo console, and it seem clear the company is not happy at having its hand forced in this way. In fact, president Shuntaro Furukawa has issued an open apology to fans:
‘We sincerely apologise to our customers for the considerable inconvenience and trouble this will cause. While we wanted to prioritise a wide adoption, it was challenging to bear the rising costs over a long period. The [new] pricing does not fully account for all cost increases.’
That last sentence implies that Nintendo is still making less money on the console than they were, even with the price increase, and they may now even be selling it at a loss. The comment could also hint at more price increases to come, which is what happened with Sony and Microsoft as well.
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The Switch 2 is getting more expensive for everyone, including Nintendo (Nintendo)
Furukawa didn’t offer any detail on the Switch 2’s upcoming line-up, or a future Nintendo Direct, but he did say the following:
‘We will prepare a robust software lineup to enhance the Switch 2 ownership value. We will work diligently to overcome this barrier.’
Although you can never tell with Nintendo – especially considering the Star Fox annoucement last week came out of nowhere, with just 10 minutes warning – it’s now very likely they won’t have a major Direct until their usual not-E3 time slot of mid-June.
We’d normally say there’s no way of knowing what they’ll announce but unusually there have been quite a few Nintendo rumours lately, including Star Fox. The most believable at the moment is of a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, which many reliable sources claim will be out this year.
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Nintendo hates leaks, and often changes their plans as much as possible to prove them wrong (the Star Fox rumour originally claimed a slightly earlier reveal), but they have to announce something for this Christmas and Zelda: Ocarina Of Time would certainly be welcomed by many.
Furukawa may have been purposefully vague in his comments but he’s clearly hinting at multiple games, and currently the only major first party titles confirmed for this year are Star Fox, Splatoon Raiders, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. There’s also The Duskbloods, but that’s by FromSoftware and, slightly worryingly, hasn’t been seen since last year.
In terms of other rumours, leaker malo932, who is relatively unknown but the first to correctly predict the new Star Fox game, has corroborated existing rumours of not only Ocarina Of Time, but also a new Wii Sports related title.
He also claims there’s another, non-remake, Star Fox coming next year, alongside a 3D Mario game. Finally, he suggests a Super Metroid remake is relatively imminent and that a new Wario Land is in development, possibly for release in 2027.
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There’s no guarantee that all of that will be shown this summer, even if it is all true, but if Ocarina Of Time is being positioned as the big Christmas game you would expected to see that.
After all, the first thing any company, in gaming and beyond, turns to in a tight spot is nostalgia and on that account it doesn’t get much bigger for Nintendo than the N64’s first, groundbreaking The Legend Of Zelda entry.
Nintendo needs a bigger hitter than a single-player Splatoon (Nintendo)
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