Romeo Is A Deadman is very Suda51 (Grasshopper Manufacture)
The creator of No More Heroes is about to release new game Romeo Is A Deadman and we’ve talked to him about modern development and setting his next game in the UK.
The games industry has a number of great characters and Goichi Suda – known to all as Suda51 – is emphatically one of them. The CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture is more than a mere games developer; he’s an auteur, no less, whose extensive and utterly distinctive games catalogue (whose highlights include killer7 and No More Heroes) has earned him comparisons with the likes of Quentin Tarantino.
I caught up with him on a rare visit to London, as part of a tour to drum up interest in his latest game, Romeo Is A Dead Man, due to be released on February 11 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. There’s no mistaking Romeo Is A Dead Man for anything other than a Suda51 game and it’s surely already a shoo-in for 2026’s most bonkers game.
It follows the bizarre exploits of Romeo Stargazer, a small-town American cop who is killed but resurrected, thanks to his boffin granddad, as a lightsaber and gun-wielding operative in the FBI’s Space-Time Department, zipping back and forth in space and time to take down a bunch of time criminals (including his ex-girlfriend in many different guises) who are creating world-destroying anomalies.
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The most immediately striking aspect of Romeo Is A Dead Man is that, in its first hour, it zaps through a welter of different art styles, from a diorama style intro, via comic book style cut scenes, and more conventional third person 3D to a spaceship hub that’s rendered in top-down retro 8-bit graphics (in which homages to both Pong and Pac-Man can be found). Miraculously, what should be a mish-mash of conflicting style coalesces into a highly distinctive whole, with a weird logic of its own.
‘Whenever you’re developing a game, things are going to change at some point,’ explains Suda. ‘There’s always something that gets taken out, put in or tweaked a little bit. And at first, we were going to do the whole game in full polygon, 3D graphics style. We got to some point in the development and realised: ‘OK: this is not only going to take a lot longer than we thought, but it is going to cost a lot more money too.’ Some people think that it must have been really expensive putting all these different visual styles in the game, but actually, it’s the opposite.
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‘One of the things we came up with was the realisation that we have a bunch of people at the studio who are really good at a specific art style, or at a specific aspect of the development. It could be someone who is really good at realistic illustration, somebody who is really good at comic book style stuff, somebody who is really good at video production, somebody who is really good at environments and backgrounds, stuff like that.
‘So what I wanted to do is have the light shone on each of these people who are really specialised in these certain styles. And it took a while to figure out how to get everything to fit together, to make a coherent game out of it. But I feel the end product came out pretty well for the jumble of stuff that it is, you know?’
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Suda51 alludes to a situation which arose at Grasshopper Manufacture, which has been operational since 1998 but in 2021 was bought by Chinese publisher NetEase, when it was on a massive acquisition spree. In early 2025, NetEase announced its desire to sell most of the international game developers it had acquired.
Although it still owns Grasshopper, Suda51 says: ‘When we started out, I was kind of hoping that this would be the sort of game that we would be able to take our time on and relax while we put it together. But it ended up being the opposite. It ended up pretty much from the earlier stages of development, both as a studio and also for me personally being: ‘OK, we’ve got to do something about this, or this has to be worked out somehow’.
‘Every time I make a game, I figure: ‘Oh wow, that was rougher than I thought it would be.’ But it was the first time in a long time that I’ve thought: ‘OK, making games is not as simple as a lot of people who don’t make them think it is’.’
Suda51 loves big guns (Grasshopper Manufacture)
Luckily, improvisation is Suda51’s superpower. He has always been regarded as a maverick in the world of games development, so I ask him whether he thinks that is fair enough, and whether he embraces the term: ‘I feel like maybe one of the reasons I get called something like that is obviously because of the games I make and the way I make games. But, specifically, I have learned how to improvise, and figure out how to make things work that normally wouldn’t work in a certain way.
‘When I started out at a company called Human, in my first job in the games industry, I began writing for games, then ended up as director, and I’ve been doing both of those things ever since. Especially back in the day, when game specs were a lot lower than they are now, and you couldn’t do nearly as much stuff in a video game as you can now; if there was something that you wanted to express visually or story-wise, you had to figure out: ‘Yeah, OK, this is what I want to show, but we simply don’t have the technology to actually show it, so how can I express this either a different way visually or in literary terms, or thematically?’
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‘I feel like one of the strengths that I’ve gained over the years is being able to figure out ways of creative problem-solving. Nowadays, when things are a lot more advanced than they were before, you’ve got a lot more technical freedom of expression, and there’s more stuff that you actually can show, and things that you actually can do with a game than you could 20, 30 years ago.
‘So there aren’t as many limitations as there were before, but conversely, since there is so much more stuff that you can do, I keep trying to find new ways to use these new means of expression, and new ways to come up with on-the-spot ideas.
‘A lot of the development we do, I kind of view as ad-lib development, as tossing ideas back and forth – it’s kind of like jazz-jamming: ‘This guy’s doing this, and if I do this, it’s going to match in some cool way.’ While the other guy is like: ‘Actually, no, I think I’m going to add this in.’ And when you get a really good bunch of improvisers together, then you have a really good jazz jam band, you know?
‘I feel like that’s probably a reason that I get thought of as something like a maverick – not necessarily because I’m trying to break rules on purpose. To answer your question of how I feel about being called a maverick, honestly I’m happy, because it feels kind of cool, like a pro wrestler nickname or something like that, so I dig it.’
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Romeo Is A Dead Man will be the 28th game that Suda51 has helmed at Grasshopper. During that non-stop burst of creativity, he has collaborated with some other legends of the games industry, but one creative partner stands out for him: Shinji Mikami, originator of Resident Evil and co-founder of Clover Studio, PlatinumGames, and Tango Gameworks.
Suda51 says: ‘We worked together both on killer7 and Shadows Of The Damned, as a kind of producer-director tag team. I’ve learned so much from him over the years, especially back in the day, when we started working together. When it comes to action games, he’s done so much and he’s taught me so much – I truly consider him to be a mentor of sorts. And he’s even given me permission to call him that.
‘He’s had the biggest impact, not only on myself, but on Grasshopper Manufacture as a studio, as far as the way we make games is concerned, and specifically regarding how to make action games work. It’s not necessarily that he sat there and gave me these lessons and told me verbally: ‘This is how you make an action game.’ It’s hard to explain, but it’s almost as though I learned it through feeling and sensing and working with him.’
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Suda51 has been around for a long while (Daniel C. Griliopoulos – Hot Grill)
With his career spanning over 30 years, Suda51 is ideally placed to pinpoint how the art of games development has altered, as the technology underpinning it has exploded in complexity: ‘It’s hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing – it’s both good and bad at the same time, for different reasons. But as the general scale of games got bigger and bigger, over the past 30 years, the amount of work that goes into a game, the amount of people that you need working on a game, and the number of types of specialists and professionals you need working on a game has also expanded.
‘For example, back in the day, there weren’t level designers. One of the planning guys would draw the map on a piece of paper, and the graphics guys would turn that into a level, and there you go. But now you have to have somebody planning this stuff out, and somebody actually designing the level itself, then people adding graphics to that, plus backgrounds and so on.
‘So while it’s a good thing in that it provides more work for more people, it also means that things take more time and cost more money. Also, there are less and less people these days who are able to do multiple types of development, multiple jobs. Again, it’s a good thing, because you get people who are really specialised, who get really good at doing a specific part of game development.
‘Personally, I was always worried about not being able to maintain my career and my lifestyle if I was only able to do one thing, so I started out in game design as a scenario writer and tried to work out how to do things like backgrounds, direction, and game design. Ever since I started working in the industry, I’ve been trying to spread out as much as possible, to at least be somewhat proficient, or have usable skills, in multiple areas of game development, just because, again, I never thought that one person would be able to make a career in game development only focusing on one thing.’
This is a game of many art styles (Grasshopper Manufacture)
So now that Romeo Is A Dead Man is ready for release, what’s next for Suda51? You might expect that after that game’s fraught development, he would be looking forward to holing out on a southern hemisphere beach. But that isn’t Suda51’s style: ‘No: I’m going right back into work, work, work mode, basically. I’m actually at the point where I’m planning on taking some time to sit down and put some thought into what kind of projects I should come up with next.’
Jokingly, he dangles what would be a delicious prospect indeed: ‘While we’re on this promotional tour, I’m just constantly trying to work out what the next thing is going to be. Maybe the setting is going to be in the UK. You feel like there should be lots of games set in London, but when you think about it, there aren’t that many. Recently I was watching that show MobLand, and it made me think, oh man, the UK would be a really cool place to set a game.’
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Suda51 was laughing while he said that, but his brand of hard bitten, off-the-wall, literary-infused action would work gloriously well in a British setting. Who knows what he may come up with next?
Come with him if you want to not die (Grasshopper Manufacture)
Asked by reporters about Trump’s unambiguous call “to nationalise the voting,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to spin his authoritarian urge as merely an endorsement of Republicans’ desire for a voter ID law.
“What the president was referring to is the SAVE Act,” she said Tuesday, referring to Republican legislation that would likely disenfranchise millions of voters. “Because it provides very common sense measures for voting in our country, such as voter ID.”
Leavitt added that Trump “believes there has obviously been a lot of fraud and irregularities that have taken place in American elections.”
Beyond Trump’s constant lies about the 2020 presidential election, there’s no evidence that’s the case.
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Leavitt’s spin is a stark departure from Trump’s actual comments Monday on Dan Bongino’s podcast, where, without any evidence, he claimed to have won states in 2020 he actually lost and urged Republicans “to take over the voting.”
“We have states that I won that show I didn’t win,” Trump told Bongino, who resigned as deputy FBI director in December.
“I won in a landslide. I won everything. I won a thing called counties,” Trump said.
“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over — we should take over the voting in at least, many, 15 places,’” he continued. “The Republicans ought to nationalise the voting. We have states that are so crooked, and they’re counting votes.”
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The president then pointed to last week’s FBI raid of the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia, and ominously predicted people are “going to see something” result from it.
Federal agents walked off with “24 pallets, which encompassed 656 boxes of 2020 election documents,” WSB-TV reports.
Trump lost Georgia in 2020 and has spent the last six years fuelling conspiracies to the contrary. After he lost, he infamously told Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during a private phone call to “find” 11,780 more votes so Trump could declare himself the winner.
People with cancer who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) could be almost 60% more likely to die from their disease, research suggests. Those with the highest intake were far more likely to die earlier than those who consumed the least, researchers in Italy found.
UPFs have been linked to poor health, including an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and early death. Examples of UPFs include ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, many ready meals and fizzy drinks.
UPFs often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives, which experts say leaves less room in people’s diets for more nutritious foods. They also tend to include additives and ingredients that are not used when people cook from scratch, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colours and flavours.
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The new study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Researchers followed 24,325 people from 2005 to 2022 who were 35 or older at the start of the study and living in the southern Italian region of Molise.
Within this group, 802 cancer survivors (476 women and 326 men) had filled in detailed questionnaires on their diet at the start of the study. Experts then calculated UPF food and drink intake by the weight consumed each day, and they also looked at the calories.
People were then divided into three groups based on the weight ratio of how much UPFs they had, with researchers also taking factors such as smoking, body mass index, exercise, medical history, cancer type, and overall diet quality into account. The study found that during an average follow-up of 14.6 years, there were 281 deaths among the 802 cancer survivors.
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Those in the highest third of UPF intake had a 48% higher rate of death from any cause and a 59% higher rate of death from cancer compared with those in the lowest third. A higher calorie ratio of UPFs showed similar results for cancer death, but not other causes.
Dr Marialaura Bonaccio, from the department of epidemiology and prevention, IRCCS Neuromed in Italy, said: “The substances involved in the industrial processing of foods can interfere with metabolic processes, disrupt gut microbiota, and promote inflammation.
“As a result, even when an ultra-processed food has a similar calorie content and nutritional composition on paper compared to a minimally processed or ‘natural’ food, it could still have a more harmful effect on the body.”
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Dr Bonaccio and colleagues also looked at the ways the body may be affected by processing in UPFs, including examining inflammatory, metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers in people in the study. She said: “These results suggest that increased inflammation and elevated resting heart rate may partially explain the link between higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased mortality, and help to clarify how food processing itself could contribute to worse outcomes among cancer survivors.”
The team also examined data for seven specific groups of UPFs such as sugar-sweetened beverages, artificial sweeteners, and spirits; processed meat and salty snacks and savoury foods. Some food groups were linked to higher mortality, while others showed no clear pattern.
Dr Bonaccio said therefore that working out the differences in UPFs can be challenging, but added: “The main message for the public is that overall consumption of ultra-processed foods matters far more than any individual item. Focusing on the diet as a whole and reducing ultra-processed foods overall and shifting consumption toward fresh, minimally processed, home-cooked foods is the most meaningful and beneficial approach for health.
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“A practical way to do this is by checking labels: Foods with more than five ingredients, or even only one food additive, are likely to be ultra-processed.”
From the police angle, it all reeks of self-congratulatory back-patting. We’re led, step by step, through how their case came together: babies at the neonatal unit started dying, but those deaths stopped when Letby was taken off the unit. People started getting suspicious. She was arrested three times, and each time, the police trawled through her house in search of evidence. Eventually, they found some, which, paired with apparently suspicious interviews, saw her charged with murder.
Drivers over the age of 70 will be affected by some major changes as the government seeks to make the roads safer
Older drivers could be facing a new slate of rules, tests and mandatory requirements if they want to continue being on the roads once the government’s Road Safety Strategy comes into play. The proposed strategy will have a wide-reaching impact from car manufacturers to town planners and drivers.
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One of the headline proposals in the strategy will introduce mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over the age of 70 as well as options for cognitive testing for older drivers. The strategy notes: “The government is consulting on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over age 70 and will develop options for cognitive testing for older drivers These measures aim to reduce deaths and injuries involving older drivers, without unnecessarily restricting their mobility and personal freedom.”
As the population ages there is more older drivers on the roads. The strategy recognises the independence driving provides for this age group but warned that issues like declining vision, cognitive function and increased frailty can pose a danger to all road users.
Since 2012, the number of licenses held by people over 70 has almost doubled from 3.9 million to 6.2 million according to DVLA statistics. The Older Drivers Forum noted: “No one wants unsafe drivers on the road, and regular vision checks can actually help people continue driving for longer by identifying issues early and enabling timely treatment.”
When facing these eye tests, a driving licence will only be withdrawn if a person’s eyesight no longer meets the legal standard for safe driving. People over the age of 60 are already entitled to free NHS-funded eye tests in England.
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Older motorists with certain medical conditions could also face cognitive assessments in the future in order to keep their licenses. This is also meant to emphasise the importance of telling the DVLA if you have a notifiable medical condition.
Cognitive tests like this are already available through platforms like Driving Mobility, which provides personalised advice, vehicle adaptation recommendations and clear reports for the DVLA, all in an effort to ensure drivers can be on the road safely for as long as possible.
There is no statutory age at which you’re required to stop driving, although over-70s must renew their licence every three years. When you choose to cease driving or are advised by your GP to do so, you’ll need to inform the DVLA and send them your licence.
Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, wrote in the foreword of the strategy: “Bereaved families don’t need sympathy, they deserve action. This strategy, the first in over a decade, shows a government that’s not just listening, but leading.
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“Our vision is clear: to ensure that people can travel safely on our roads however they choose. This strategy is not just a document; it is a call to action for government, local authorities, road safety groups, emergency services and the public. Together, we can build a safer future for all road users.”
Other proposed changes in the strategy include stricter drink-drive limits, a minimum three or six-month learning period for new drivers before taking their practical test and the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses that require people to drive or ride for them.
The meeting forms part of the committee’s inquiry on the State Pension age.
Nineteen people aged over 50, some not yet of State Pension age, met with committee members in a session organised by Age UK County Durham.
Participants spoke openly about the financial pressures they face after leaving work due to health issues or caring commitments, and their struggle to get by without a pension.
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Debbie Abrahams, chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “We heard today from people in their 50s and 60s, some of whom have been forced to retire ahead of State Pension age due to the issues they face, either due to caring responsibilities or health conditions.
“That people approaching State Pension age face particular issues, such as increased hardship, is something we came across in a previous inquiry, which is why we decided to look specifically at this problem.”
Attendees described being pushed into debt or relying on dwindling savings and insecure work to survive.
Many said they felt too proud to seek help, while others criticised the lack of clear, accessible information about their options.
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Robyn Holmes, CEO of Age UK County Durham, said: “This has been an excellent opportunity for people aged over 50 who live and work in County Durham to be heard on many issues that potentially have a huge impact on their well-being.
“We’ve heard some real concerns about income gaps, particularly from those who care for others, and those with long-term health issues.
“We’ve heard very clearly about the need for quality, local advice, for information and support on these issues.”
Gender differences also came to light: women often faced lower retirement incomes due to gaps in their National Insurance record from time taken out to care for family, while men who had spent years in manual work were likely to have fewer healthy years in retirement.
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Participants also raised issues with Jobcentre support and the loss of Carer’s Allowance when they claim the State Pension.
Suggested solutions included better access to free financial advice, simpler communications about retirement, and practical help for those with limited digital skills.
Tackling ageism in the workplace was also flagged as a priority.
One attendee, Steve, said: “I’ve been looking forward to actually have a say to MPs to maybe make a tiny little bit of difference to other people’s lives.
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“We talked mainly about our experiences. We all had things to say and it was absolutely brilliant.
“I think the event was great and I am chuffed to have had the experience and the chance to do this.”
Age UK County Durham runs a support programme for people aged 50 to 69, offering guidance on financial planning, health, and preparing for retirement.
The risk of poverty is high: nearly one in four people over 60 live below the poverty line, and when the State Pension age last rose to 66, poverty rates among 65-year-olds doubled.
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The committee will publish its findings from the inquiry later this year.
Ms Abrahams said: “We needed to hear of the impact that the challenges pre-pensioners encounter as they aim to get the comfortable retirement they deserve.”
Ms Holmes said: “That’s why Chapter 50: Future You, a piece of work initiated by Age UK County Durham, is so important in raising awareness of leaving employment, of impending retirement, and preparing financially, socially, and physically for a more sustainable and enjoyable later life.”
A 23-YEAR-old man plunged five floors to his death after checking on a pizza delivery order from his flat.
Joshua Robbins was at his central London flat on January 29 when he heard his flat buzzer ring.
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Assuming it was a pizza deliver, he leaned over a railing to check and fell to his death after the railing reportedly gave way.
In a joint statement, his devastated parents Fiona Garrett and Mr Robbins Snr said: “Josh fell from a height of five floors and died on impact.
“Josh’s father Will witnessed the immediate aftermath of his son’s fall, something no parent should ever have to see. He is deeply traumatised by what he witnessed.
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“This is not an allegation or speculation. The railing gave way. Our son did not climb it or behave recklessly. A safety barrier that was meant to prevent a fall gave way, with catastrophic consequences.”
The incident occurred at the Holland and Thurston Dwellings apartment block in Holborn London.
Joshua,originally from Claudy, Co Derry inNorthern Ireland, was living with his father at the apartment at the time.
After falling five floors while checking on a pizza deliver, police were called to the residency at 8:91pm following reports of a fall from height.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Joshua was pronounced dead.
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His next of kin had been informed of his death, who are being supported by specialist officers.
Joshua’s parents said that he loved watching the GAA growing up in Claudy.
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“He had a smile that lit up every room and was widely described as kind, funny, and full of charisma, with impeccable manners and an ease with people that made him instantly likeable,” they added.
The family said that they were grateful for the support they got from The Katie Trust, a charity that supports families following sudden, unexplained or traumatic deaths.
Expressing their sadness, the parents said: “Our family is absolutely devastated.
“We have lost our son. We should not be planning a cremation. We should not be waiting for pathology reports. We should not be writing statements like this or trying to navigate trauma and bureaucracy at the same time. Yet here we are.”
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The parents have been in contact with the Metropolitan Police and Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association for answers surrounding their son’s death.
Pippa Fleetwood-Read, chief executive at Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, said: “The death of Joshua Robbins is deeply saddening, and everyone at ISHA sends our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
“We are fully cooperating with the police and their investigation, but at this early stage it would be inappropriate to comment further until the full facts surrounding the incident have been established.”
The Met Police has been approached for comment.
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The 23-year-old fell to his death after checking on a pizza deliver from his apartment on the fifth floor
Screenshots from such videos were offered Tuesday as evidence in the murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man charged in Kirk’s killing. But the full videos were not shown in court, after defense attorneys objected out of concern that the footage would undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
Legal experts say the defense team’s worries are real: Media coverage in high-profile cases like Robinson’s can have a direct “biasing effect” on potential jurors, said Cornell Law School Professor Valerie Hans.
“There were videos about the killing, and pictures and analysis (and) the entire saga of how this particular defendant came to turn himself in,” said Hans, a leading expert on the jury system. “When jurors come to a trial with this kind of background information from the media, it shapes how they see the evidence that is presented in the courtroom.”
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Defense attorneys also want to oust TV and still cameras from the courtroom, arguing that “highly biased” news outlets risk tainting the case.
Prosecutors, attorneys for news organizations, and Kirk’s widow urged state District Judge Tony Graf to keep the proceedings open.
“In the absence of transparency, speculation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories are likely to proliferate, eroding public confidence in the judicial process,” Erika Kirk’s attorney wrote in a court filing.
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. He has not yet entered a plea.
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An estimated 3,000 people attended the outdoor rally to hear Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, who helped mobilize young people to vote for President Donald Trump.
To secure a death sentence in Utah, prosecutors must demonstrate aggravating circumstances, such as that the crime was especially heinous or atrocious. That’s where the graphic videos could come into play.
Watching those videos might make people think, “‘Yeah, this was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,’” Hans said.
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray testified Tuesday that he thought about seeking the death penalty before an arrest had been made. He could not recall exactly when he told the governor and federal officials about his plan. Asked why he announced so early his intent to seek the death penalty, Gray said the case was already drawing enormous public attention.
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“The more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary public speculation,” he said, adding that he didn’t want Erika Kirk to have to sit with the uncertainty.
Defense attorneys are seeking to disqualify local prosecutors because the adult daughter of Chad Grunander, a deputy county attorney helping prosecute the case, attended the rally where Kirk was shot. The defense alleges the relationship represents a conflict of interest.
Grunander’s daughter testified Tuesday that she did not video the shooting or the aftermath. She said she was looking at the crowd when she heard a loud pop and a man sitting nearby shouted, “He’s been shot.” She never turned to look back at Kirk and did not know he was the person shot until after she ran to safety, she said.
Judge Graf said he would issue his ruling on whether to disqualify prosecutors on Feb. 24.
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Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent David Hull testified Tuesday that DNA on a firearm found wrapped in a black towel in a wooded area just off campus matched Robinson’s. Robinson also reportedly texted his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
Robinson’s attorneys have ramped up claims of bias as the case has advanced, even accusing news outlets of using lip readers to deduce what the defendant is whispering to his attorneys during hearings.
“Rather than being a beacon for truth and openness, the News Media have simply become a financial investor in this case,” defense attorneys wrote in a request for the court to seal some of their accusations of media bias.
Further complicating efforts to ensure a fair trial is the rhetoric swirling around Kirk’s death because of his political prominence. Even before Robinson was charged, people jumped to conclusions about who the shooter could be and what kind of politics he espoused.
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“People are just projecting a lot of their own sense of what they think was going on, and that really creates concerns about whether they can be open to hearing the actual evidence that’s presented,” said University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown.
The school was officially launched as one of the first integrated primaries in Northern Ireland by football star and Killyleagh native David Healy in 2016.
19:30, 03 Feb 2026Updated 19:32, 03 Feb 2026
A Co Down school’s development plans are being delayed amid a Northern Ireland Water non-disclosure due to “national security”.
A local parent of a pupil claims he has also been blocked from NIW sewer connection plans as “essential” £9m Waste Water Treatment Work upgrades could delay the future of the school with a planning decision that ultimately rests with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the parent said: “I asked for data on the WWTW in Killyleagh, and NIW has officially refused, claiming it’s a ‘National Security’ risk.
“DfI -Rivers now has a building block on Killyleagh Integrated Primary, with £9million needed to fix non-compliant sewerage points, but no plans in place to fix them.”
The LDRS has seen the correspondence from the government bodies confirming the environmental breaches.
However, Killyleagh Integrated Primary principal, Jason Milligan says the EA has kept him in the dark over the storm sewer problems, saying:”Unfortunately I know nothing about this issue, as the EA have not been in contact with me in relation to the School Enhancement Programme for almost a year.
“I fail to see how a storm sewer would be an issue – is there not an existing one for the school?
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“The plan for the school was to refurbish the existing building and add on a multi-purpose hall, so I can’t see how this would have a major difference to the school’s existing sewage requirements.”
The school was officially launched as one of the first integrated primaries in Northern Ireland by football star and Killyleagh native David Healy in 2016.
Its enrollment numbers were capped in 2019 by the Department of Education from 175 to 126 children, due to “undersized classrooms and substandard accommodation”.
It is understood that the new enhancement would allow for more pupils of mixed religious backgrounds to enter the school.
A spokesperson said: “In May 2018 the Minister for Education announced the second call for the School Enhancement Programme.
“Killyleagh Integrated Primary School was announced as part of this SEP call and the project is being taken forward in planning.
“An Integrated Consultant Team are leading the project from technical feasibility through to completion. The Business Case for the proposed project was approved by the Department of Educationin April 2024.
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“The ICT has completed stage two of the design and awaits formal instruction to commence stage three.
“A Pre-Application Discussion meeting was held with Newry and Mourne District Council’s Planning Department, the outcome of which stated that there is ‘no public storm sewer available which can serve this proposal.
“As such the applicant should liaise with DFI Rivers Agency to see if discharge would be possible to any local watercourses’.
“With regard to a potential solution to this issue, once approval to proceed has been received from DE, the Education Authority will instruct the ICT to explore solutions to be submitted for approval as part of the design and planning process.”
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The concerned parent also put forward a Freedom of Information request on Killyleagh WWTC upgrades and stormwater assets due to their concerns over the school upgrade delays.
The NIW responded: “A public authority may refuse to disclose information to the extent that its disclosure would adversely affect international relations, defence, national security or public safety.
“It is the adverse effect on national security and on public safety to which NIW is referring in areas where there is uncontrolled access by the general public.
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The letter adds: “Any information that places the public, public infrastructure and/ or the environment at an increased risk of being targeted must be protected at all costs and carries significant weight in favour of non-disclosure.
“It is felt by NIW therefore that the public interest arguments in favour of disclosure are wholly outweighed by those in favour of safeguarding the withheld information from wider public dissemination.”
The enhancement plans for Killyleagh have been mooted since 2018 with pre-application discussion underway for some time between Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and the EA.
But, due to a said lack of storm sewer water connections and a publicly announced tightening of the NIW purse, it seems Killyleagh Integrated Primary will not be enhanced until at least the turn of the next decade.
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A DfI -Rivers letter reads: “Killyleagh WWTC currently has treatment capacity, however there are 13 discharging assets in the catchment, 10 of which are classified as unsatisfactory intermittent discharges.
“These assets discharge more frequently than designed causing out of sewer flooding and environmental pollution.
“NIW’s high level estimates indicate that around £9m would be required to bring all these assets in the catchment into compliance with environmental requirements.
“NIW further advises it has no plans at present to upgrade these assets, however it has commenced business planning for the next price control period. (2028/29-2032/2033).”
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Furthermore, DAERA has also confirmed that the no enfocement action has been taken against NIW for its existing ‘Innishmore overflow in Killyleagh following pollution incidents at an “unconsented asset”.
The DAERA letter reads:”Regarding pollution incidents from Innishmore combined sewer overflow in Killyleagh.
“NIEA recorded two pollution incidents at Innishmore Wastewater Pumping Station in 2024.
“One was recorded as low severity and the other as no pollution found. No enforcement action was taken against NIW in relation to these incidents.
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“Innishmore is currently an unconsented asset. NIW has applied to DAERA for the asset to be added to the Killyleagh collection system.”
The LDRS contacted NMDDC. A spokesperson said: “The council is unable to comment on the Pre Application Discussion, which is a non-statutory process.
“Once any planning application is made, updates are made available to view on the Northern Ireland Planning Portal.”
Pep Guardiola spoke about refereeing conspiracies and Rodri’s comments in the aftermath of Manchester City’s draw with Tottenham
Pep Guardiola defended Rodri as he played down the idea of a refereeing conspiracy against Manchester City. The Blues boss stands by his beliefs that his team have been on the end of a number of poor calls from the officials in recent weeks, but told his players they cannot use it as an excuse.
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City’s manager has raged at refereeing decisions a number of times in recent weeks, angry at controversial calls that he thinks have not helped them when dropping crucial Premier League points against Newcastle, Brighton and United and even in the win over Wolves. A lengthy delay with a divisive ruling in the Carabao Cup semi-final at Newcastle also upset Guardiola.
He was calmer about Dominic Solanke’s opening goal to start the Tottenham comeback in the 2-2 draw against City on Sunday, even if he expressed at the time that it was a foul. As Guardiola was pouring water onto that fire in the press conference, Rodri was elsewhere with the oil as the midfielder said he had to speak up because ‘referees have to be neutral’ even if ‘people do not want us to win’.
Guardiola shut down the notion of a refereeing conspiracy against his team as they prepare for the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle. However, he still thinks Marc Guehi was fouled for the Tottenham goal and is happy that everyone can make their own mind up with all of the images.
“Absolutely not. Of course there aren’t meetings between the referees about how they can punish Man City. I’ve never said that,” he said. “I’m saying that despite all the circumstances that happened…if the people are saying that the laws say the right decision was given, as Sky said. The guy was interesting by saying ‘it was a foul’ and now saying ‘after watching more and more, it’s not’. I don’t know, I’m not a referee and never will be.
“Marc has the ball under control and is kicked from behind and makes an own goal. Solanke didn’t score, Marc scored. He was kicked and a goal. If people believe this should be allowed then it is fine. I’m not in agreement but nothing changes.”
Rodri’s comments have been criticised for suggesting that referees were not being fair with City. Guardiola had sympathy for a player being frustrated immediately after a game where the team have dropped points in, but needs his side to focus on being better themselves rather than moaning about referees.
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“In that moment you can feel the situations, when you finish the game and go (to the interviews). How many years with Rodri here? Seven years? Always I’ve said we have to do better. He knows it. Second half score more goals, control ourselves in the second halves a little bit better. That is for sure. That is the message.
“But the images are there. You can agree or disagree. Nothing is going to change, right? For me it is a foul and for you it is not. It’s fine. That’s why football is what it is. I’m not suspicious.
“We have to focus on what we have to do. That’s why we won. I won with my team – 13 or 14 [trophies] – because the excuses were completely out. Last season showed that – no one went on about it. It was not really good. It was on ourselves.
“Here we don’t blame for one day – it’s on our shoulders. Here we have to do better, we have to find a way – like now. Do you think in the second half [the reason] we drop is for the referees? No. The players know it every single day. But it’s a fact that what happened this season.”
The actress is completely unrecognisable in this perfectly-rated thriller available to binge watch now
Kimberly Nhundu Under 35s Screen Time reporter
23:05, 03 Feb 2026Updated 23:10, 03 Feb 2026
An actress from Love Actually is barely recognisable in a “remarkable” thriller that has kept viewers on tenterhooks.
German actress Heike Makatsch, best known for her role as Mia, the seductive secretary who entices her boss Harry (Alan Rickman) in the 2003 Christmas film, has undergone a dramatic transformation.
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Despite the romantic comedy’s iconic status, its 65% Rotten Tomatoes rating is overshadowed by Heike’s impeccably-rated 2024 show, Where’s Wanda?
Available now on Apple TV+, the dark comedy follows distraught parents Dedo (Axel Stein) and Carlotta Klatt (Heike) in their quest to find their daughter Wanda, who vanished months earlier.
Disappointed with the police’s failure to locate her, the couple take the initiative and start snooping on their neighbours for clues, reports the Mirror.
Fans of Love Actually may need a moment to recognise Heike in the drama as she swaps her dark bob for long blonde locks.
The Apple TV drama quickly won over critics upon its release, earning an impressive 100% score from seven reviews. Casual viewers were also captivated, albeit awarding it a slightly less generous 68% rating.
One fan penned a glowing review, writing: “I was overwhelmingly pleased. It was genuinely funny, aesthetically gorgeous, stupendously well acted, and decidedly fresh, making a story that I don’t think has ever been told before. 11/10 well worth a watch.”
Another viewer concurred, exclaiming: “This show is such a delight! I have never seen such an extraordinary mixture of genres that throws you from one corner of laughter to the other corner of crying and then also exciting puzzle-piecing. A must watch for armchair detectives!”
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TV fans can get Apple TV free for a week to stream shows like Ted Lasso, Severance and Slow Horses.
A third person labelled it as “fantastic,” while another enthused: “I really enjoyed the unexpected curveballs, dark humour and loveable characters unlike other shows. At times I was giggling my head off while other times I was at the edge of my seat.”
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
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“The end makes me hope that there will be a season 2. Don’t leave us hanging please! !”.
Luckily, the German drama has been commissioned for a second series, which is expected to comprise another eight episodes.
