In space, no one can hear you have a good time with these video games (Sega/EA/Nightdive Studios/Metro)
GameCentral prepares for the launch of Directive 8020 by listing some of the best sci-fi horror video games ever made, from big publishers and indie devs.
Having taken a crack at ghosts, witches, vampires, and serial killers, horror anthology series The Dark Pictures is making its long-awaited return, after 2022’s The Devil In Me, with a full-on sci-fi flavoured entry called Directive 8020, which is out later this month on May 12.
We have high hopes for this one, as The Dark Pictures’ games have gradually improved with each entry, although it also has us thinking about what other sci-fi horror games we’d recommend, should Directive 8020 leave you hankering for more.
So we’ve put together a list of what we consider the best sci-fi horror games of the modern era, all of which are easily available right now, across consoles and PC.
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Alien: Isolation
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Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Alien: Isolation is one of the most effective movie adaptations of all time, perfectly replicating the aesthetic and atmosphere of the original Alien film.
It could’ve done with a stronger narrative, and it drags itself out for far too long, but it is suitably and effectively scary. With very few ways of defending yourself, you truly feel helpless as the titular alien stalks you through an abandoned space station.
Since there is room for improvement, the promise of a sequel means we’re very excited to see what developer Creative Assembly is cooking up next. A purposefully vague teaser was shared recently, but hopefully it’s just setting the stage for a proper reveal trailer later this year.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Android
The original System Shock (which was remade in 2023) holds up well despite being over 30 years old, with an impressive degree of non-linearity as you navigate a space station to thwart SHODAN’s plans, whose constant and chilling presence throughout the game makes her one of gaming’s best villains.
Thankfully, everything great about System Shock is still present in its sequel (which saw a remaster just last year) alongside newly incorporated role-playing elements that incentivise multiple playthroughs.
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A System Shock 3 is apparently still in the works (or at least there’s no official word on its cancellation), but if it ever does see the light of day it has a lofty legacy to live up to.
Available on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
Dead Space
The original Dead Space maintained a cult following even after the series strayed from its horror roots and was eventually abandoned by EA.
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Sadly, Dead Space has now died a second death, with EA reportedly putting the series ‘on ice,’ which is a shame as developer Motive Studio proved it was perfect for taking over stewardship of the franchise with the 2023 remake.
While it didn’t fix all of the original game’s issues, it strode the fine line between being a faithful remake and a modernised update, with very natural feeling new elements. It’s not necessarily the scariest horror game ever, but it’s still a very tense and atmospheric adventure.
Spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol tried to fill the void Dead Space left behind (it was even directed by Dead Space’s creator Glen Schofield), but it’s difficult to recommend and you’re much better off sticking with the remake.
It’s more action-focused than most survival horrors, with plenty of weapons and means of dealing with enemies, and was noted at the time for its state-of-the-art enemy AI.
The whole series could do with a modern re-release on consoles as the two sequels maintain the enjoyable shooting and foreboding atmosphere. The third one even had John Carpenter, director of The Thing and Halloween, help out with the script and cut scenes, as he’s a self-professed fan of the games.
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You can get the series on current Xbox consoles through backwards compatibility, but the first F.E.A.R. still requires a physical copy, while the second and third games can be purchased digitally.
We also want to give a quick shout-out to Monolith’s two Condemned: Criminal Origins games, which seem paranormal at first but are gradually revealed to have more sci-fi elements than expected. A planned movie tie-in would’ve even involved aliens.
Available on: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
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Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl is certainly one of the more unique entries on this list as it’s a hybrid of first person shooter, survival horror, and role-playing game; one that sees you exploring a more fantastical depiction of the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant.
The ‘survival’ part is especially emphasised, as you need to contend with both hunger and exhaustion as well as the horrific mutants that stalk the Zone and the bizarre anomalies that can kill you if you get too close.
It’s consistently compelling thanks to its non-linear progression and engaging open world, and while its primary focus is not horror it certainly does make you fear for your life when you’re low on resources.
Now is a good time to check it out since its first DLC expansion is scheduled to launch later this year, which will add two new areas and new story content.
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Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
SOMA
Like many, we didn’t fully appreciate SOMA when it launched in 2015, but the 2017 revamp helped propel it to new highs, ironically by adding an optional Safe Mode that makes it so you can’t die.
The clumsiness of dealing with enemies is one of SOMA’s weakest aspects, so removing that helps you better appreciate the writing and puzzle-solving, although the atmosphere remains chilling throughout, proving games can be scary even when the dangers are purely mechanical.
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SOMA’s still guilty of indulging in some horror game cliches, like audio logs filling you in on the backstory, but it’s a fantastic sci-fi sister title to developer Frictional Games’ more supernatural flavoured Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Signalis
Another indie gem, and so far the only release by two-person German studio rose-engine, Signalis is a deliberate throw back to the early days of survival horror.
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There is a satisfying clunkiness to it all, with Resident Evil style fixed camera angles, deeply interactive puzzles, and resource management, though its anime-inspired visuals and stylish presentation help keep it feeling modern.
Its biggest downside is that it’s too easy, with enemies rarely posing that much threat and generous amounts of healing items. Thankfully, Signalis’ setting of an underground lab on an alien world makes up for that with its atmosphere.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
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Routine
Routine only launched last December, following a 13-year development cycle, but it absolutely deserves its spot on this list alongside older games, with small indie team Lunar Software delivering something on par with Alien: Isolation (which it clearly takes some inspiration from).
Stuck on a moon base with a malfunctioning security system, your job is to fix it while avoiding the patrolling Terminator-like robots. This is a welcomingly unkind game, leaving you to figure out how to progress without any helpful icons or yellow paint to guide you, which makes the whole experience incredibly immersive.
Combined with the impressive graphics and excellent sound design, Routine is perfect for those who truly want to feel helpless in their horror games and are frustrated by intrusive hand-holding.
Available on: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
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Doom 3
In a way, the Doom games have always been survival horrors… except you’re the big scary monster mowing through hordes of demons from Hell. Doom 3, though, is a more traditional stab at horror gaming.
You’re still armed to teeth, as you fend off Hellspawn and mutated zombies, but some levels are cloaked in darkness, forcing you to choose between lighting your way with a flashlight or aiming your weapon – which doesn’t make much sense but is very atmospheric.
The updated re-release made it so you can have a flashlight and gun out at the same time though and it also comes with the fun The Lost Mission DLC, although that’s more of a straight shooter, like the original Doom.
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Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
Before SHODAN, there was AM, the AI mastermind responsible for wiping out most of humanity, leaving only five survivors – for the express purpose of torturing them for eternity. Such is the basis for the short story I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison.
Cyberdreams, a developer well versed with psychological horror thanks to its Dark Seed games, later adapted I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, with Ellison’s assistance, into one of the most acclaimed and disturbing point ‘n’ click adventure games ever made.
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Given how it tackles adult themes such as mental illness and the Holocaust, forcing you to partake in extreme ethical dilemmas, it’s no wonder it flopped when it launched in the 90s. It’s thankfully not faded into obscurity and persists through a very affordable remaster.
Fittingly enough, the remaster was handled by Nightdive Studios, which is also responsible for the aforementioned System Shock remake and System Shock 2 remaster.
Available on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Android
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Resident Evil 2
While the sci-fi genre tends to be associated with outer space, aliens, and futuristic settings, it technically also includes Resident Evil, where the monsters are not otherworldly but manmade scientific creations that highlight humanity’s hubris and science gone awry.
Most Resident Evil games end up with you exploring an underground lab, including Resident Evil 2, which kickstarted the modern run of remakes and emphasised that the zombies and biological weapons are entirely man-made.
Its success led to other remakes, such as Dead Space and the purely supernatural Silent Hill 2. We’d be remiss not to also shout out Capcom’s other survival horror classic Dino Crisis, which traded mutant zombies for time-displaced dinosaurs and is in desperate need of a remake itself.
Furthermore, Square Enix’s Parasite Eve, which was an early attempt by Square Enix to tap into the success of Resident Evil, is also technically sci-fi, with its biological monstrosities, complete with disturbing Thing-like transformations. Sadly, it’s not been re-released though and remains locked to the PlayStation 1.
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Available on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
Bloodborne
On a surface level, there’s nothing obviously sci-fi about Bloodborne, especially given its Gothic Victorian-inspired setting. However, it is heavily inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, with its Great Ones clearly based on the eldritch Great Old Ones.
Although their origins are open to interpretation, especially in Bloodborne, Lovecraft’s Cthulhu is an alien, not a demon or supernatural entity. Bloodborne is even classified as a game about alien invasions on Wikipedia, even if that’s not how most people think of it.
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So-called cosmic horror is difficult to make work outside of prose but arguably the first Alien movie, and by association Alien: Isolation, is part of the genre, with its unknowable horrors and descents into madness.
The excellent Look Outside is a more traditional portrayal of the concept, while the recent Saros, and its predecessor Returnal, are filled with Lovecraftian themes – even if they’re not strictly horror games.
As for Bloodborne, it’s genuinely baffling that Sony and FromSoftware haven’t done anything with it, since its release over a decade ago – not even a PlayStation 5 patch, let alone a remaster. Although an animated movie adaptation was announced last month.
Ian Huntley was allegedly attacked with a metal bar at a maximum security jail
Tom Wilkinson, Press Association
11:57, 03 Jun 2026Updated 12:06, 03 Jun 2026
A trial date has been set for an inmate charged with the prison murder of Soham killer Ian Huntley. Anthony Russell, 44, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court by videolink from HMP Frankland, near Durham, on Wednesday for a brief hearing during which he did not enter a plea.
Russell is charged with a single offence of murdering the 52-year-old, who was allegedly attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at the maximum security jail on February 26. Huntley was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where he died on March 7.
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Russell, wearing a brown T-shirt, appeared before Mr Justice Hilliard. The judge set a trial date for November 23, with a further pre-trial hearing on July 3.
Huntley was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The ex-school caretaker killed the best friends after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002. He dumped their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away.
They were not found for 13 days despite a search involving hundreds of police officers. At the time, Huntley lived with Maxine Carr who was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica’s primary school.
He denied murdering the girls but was convicted after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003. He was jailed for life with a recommended minimum term of 40 years.
For Greg Sanderson, a former teacher and education policy adviser, restoring trust begins in the classroom. UK schools are required to promote “British values”, one of which is democracy. But telling kids “how cool democracy is” probably won’t work, he says. What if they experience it first-hand?
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School councils are a common way to enable what educators call “pupil voice” – but often these are more tickbox than transformative, since the most confident kids tend to represent the class while others have little say. In fact, only two in five pupils surveyed in 2011 thought their school council listened to them. “You have a mini-Westminster in your school, forgetting the fact that Westminster sometimes doesn’t work that well,” Sanderson says.
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Convinced that things could work differently, he founded Smart School Councils (SSC), a charity, in 2014. Schools log onto a platform to find thousands of discussion questions relating to issues at school or in the news, adapted to every age group. Simple-to-use software allows pupils to run weekly meetings around these questions, capture responses and share their findings, with minimal teacher involvement. Crucially, class meetings can fit into 15 minutes, and they allow even the youngest kids to participate: even five-year-olds sometimes lead discussions.
Pupils can also propose ideas and form “action teams” to improve school life. At Halling Primary School in Kent, southeast England, children’s suggestions included “buddy benches” to help lonely kids find a playmate, the creation of “houses” (divisions for competitions), new clubs, and repainting the playground. These ideas were logged and presented to educators by the school’s “communications team”, which consists of a group of year five and year six pupils whose roles and responsibilities were also developed by SSC. “We try to make every pupil’s voice heard,” explains Jess, a nine-year-old who even has a job title: suggestion box leader and staff liaison officer.
All this is a far cry from the “real old-school” council at Halling Primary, before it switched to SSC’s model three years ago, says assistant headteacher Ellie Nott. “The meetings took place, but no real positive change happened.” The new model has long-term benefits, in her view. “Children… realise that for positive change to happen, they need to do something about it,” she says. Knowing your voice matters could directly counter political apathy: “If you can look back and say, ‘I had an idea when I was six, and somebody listened, and then it happened’, that will stand children in good stead, hopefully, to vote when they’re older, and maybe even go to a peaceful protest if that’s what they want to do.”
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Students at Halling Primary School in Kent putting democracy into practice. Image: Anna Patton
SSC has grown fast in the last few years, with some 750 schools now signed up – mostly in England, plus some in the rest of the UK, and a handful of international ones. Thirteen per cent are special educational needs schools, and one fifth are located in England’s most deprived areas.
According to the organisation, almost 90% of pupils at participating schools feel listened to (compared with 36% beforehand), and more than 90% of teachers say the process improves pupils’ listening and speaking skills. That makes for better discussions. Rachel Gray, a teacher at Kells Lane Primary in Gateshead, northeast England, sees her pupils actively listening: “They’re actually responding based on what someone else has said and considering that, rather than just waiting to speak,” she says. Nott cites improved confidence and peer relationships. What’s more, children who feel they’re listened to are much more likely to speak up when they have concerns. “It keeps them safe,” she says.
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Money remains a challenge. Sanderson wants to reach thousands of schools, but his venture sits at a “weird cross-section” – it is effectively a tech startup, but structured as a charity – making it harder to find investors. Schools need to pay an annual subscription to use the platform of between £199 and £549 depending on the size of group (although some can get subsidies from philanthropic funders). Many have little or no budget to implement new ideas; Halling Primary gets £500 a year from its parent-teacher association but that’s not the case everywhere.
What I’ve learned is that speaking out is good. It makes your life better
But SSC has some influential backers. Musician Brian Eno, whose foundation is among the charity’s funders, describes it as “such a powerful demonstration of what is possible when people– even children as young as four – are given a meaningful opportunity to make their voices heard”. Jon Alexander, the author and co-host of the How To Save Democracy podcast, recently joined the charity’s board, describing its work as “phenomenal”. And Alastair Campbell, the former Labour adviser and co-host of the podcast The Rest is Politics, raved about the potential of SSC meetings after attending one himself in 2024.
Oracy, the ability to express oneself well in speech, is increasingly a focus in the UK curriculum. That’s a validation for Sanderson, who started SSC following his own experience as a working-class, state-school-educated kid at university who felt daunted by the confidence of his privately educated peers. “I honestly felt like there was something wrong with me,” he says. He soon realised that the problem was wider: people like him just didn’t get much practice in speaking up.
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Halling Primary gets £500 a year from its parent-teacher association but that’s not the case everywhere. Image: Anna Patton
Although SSC doesn’t have hard evidence that its work leads to greater political engagement, many see a direct link. The UK’s Electoral Commission has recommended teaching oracy and debating as one way to get more young people ready and willing to vote. That’s even more urgent with the voting age set to be lowered to 16 across the UK (this is already the case in Scotland). But, whatever the threshold, teenagers don’t suddenly become politically engaged, Sanderson says. The process needs to start early, and discussing what needs to change and how to do that can make political processes “a little bit more real”. Kells Lane Primary pupils have discussed how to stop boys dominating the ball court, for instance. Halling pupils are currently debating if Friday’s extracurricular activities should be modified.
Voicing one’s opinions doesn’t come naturally to everyone. “Not everyone likes to be the one to go up [and speak] in front of everyone. I get that, because it is kind of scary,” says 10-year-old Nia from Halling Primary’s communications team. She encourages others to try expressing themselves anyway: “Sometimes we have to push them to their limits.”
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As her teammate Abi, 10, puts it, “What I’ve learned is that speaking out is good… there’s no looking back. It makes your life better.
Main illustration by Elin Svensson
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Residents have been calling for action to be taken against the ‘overconcentration of HMOs’
Campaigners have praised the newly formed council’s promise to improve regulation of HMOs in a cross-party agreement. Cambridge City Council voted in a new Labour leader on Monday night after an earlier meeting ended in deadlock.
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The minority administration agreed to bring forward new controls to improve regulation of smaller HMOs and develop the case for an Article 4 Direction. This would require HMOs housing three to six people to seek full planning permission where currently this is only required for seven or more occupants.
Cllr Tim Bick, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “This is a complex subject and the council may not have all the powers we would like it to have, but we want to deploy what we can to make whatever difference we can.”
Donna Ferguson, chair of Guest Road Area Residents’ Association in Petersfield, said she was “overjoyed” but also called for the council to consider a numerical threshold. She said almost a third of properties in their area are registered HMOs, meaning they house at least five people – but smaller HMOs do not need to be registered.
There are 58 parking spaces for the around 100 properties in the area, including the 32 HMOs which are entitled to three residential parking permits each.
Donna said the terraced homes, intended for families, now have “far more” adults than intended leading to fly-tipping as “there isn’t enough space for the bins”. She said the council’s local plan states that “overconcentration of HMOs” can “have a harmful impact on the community”.
She noted at least 51 local councils have already passed an Article 4 Direction, and “many of them uni towns – York, Manchester, Oxford”.
She said: “I just couldn’t understand why Cambridge, a uni town, doesn’t have these measures in place – I even saw that Peterborough had recently applied for an Article 4 Direction.”
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At least 27 local authorities have also limited HMOs to a threshold of 10 per cent of properties within a certain radius – usually 50 to 100 metres – and Donna is calling for Cambridge to do the same.
She started a petition which has more than 100 signatures at the time of writing and you can visit here. Even with the council considering options, she said it’s “even more important now” to sign the petition to show there is support for the measure.
She said: “It’s not saying we want to stop HMOs – we really welcome students who have always been a part of our community, or tenants perhaps struggling with unaffordable rents. I know tenants who have come to us in the residents’ association to ask, ‘can you do anything? Our landlord won’t do anything’ – it’s the landlords, not the tenants.”
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Donna said she hopes the stricter regulations will deter “speculative applications” from “potential venture capitalist developers”.
She said: “I’m very pleased and want to say thank you to the councillors who are supporting this – I think it’s fantastic and hope they can work together to do something.”
Leading Labels has announced it is closing its remaining 15 stores across the UK.
Major fashion retailer Leading Labels has announced it is closing all of its stores across the UK after falling into liquidation.
The chain was founded in 1993 and sells major fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Wrangler, Joules, and Ben Sherman at a discount.
After 33 years, it has confirmed that its remaining 15 shops will close as it launches closing-down sales across all branches.
The Leading Labels website has also gone offline, with additional reports suggesting that the company’s customer service phone line and email are no longer working.
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According to the Retail Gazette, Jeremy Bleazard of XL Business Solutions Limited was appointed as liquidator at the end of May and the chain had overdue accounts listed on Companies House as far back as 2024.
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The retail chain sells major fashion brands like Calvin Klein at a discount.
Which Leading Labels shops are closing?
All of the retail chain’s remaining 15 stores are set to close across the UK, although official closure dates have yet to be confirmed.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed this week that both the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have submitted investigative presentations relating to claims made by a single alleged victim.
According to Venusse D. Dunn, chief of communications for the DA’s office, the case remains under review.
The alleged victim is publicist Jonathan Hay, who filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in July 2025 accusing the music mogul of sexual battery, according to the Daily Mail.
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Combs has denied all allegations against him.
In a statement previously provided to CNN, attorney Jonathan Davis, representing Combs, said: ‘As Mr. Combs’s legal team has repeatedly stated for over a year now, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a media circus.’
Jonathan Hay filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in July 2025 (Picture: Instagram/@jonathanhaycelebrity)
He continued: ‘Let me make it absolutely clear, Mr. Combs categorically denies as false and defamatory all claims that he sexually abused anyone. He looks forward to vindicating himself in court, where such matters are decided – and not in the media – based on admissible, material evidence, not rank speculation and unsubstantiated allegations.’
Hay, meanwhile, described himself as a ‘survivor’ in a statement to the Daily Mail following confirmation of the criminal review.
‘Having my painful experiences heard and validated by the LAPD and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is an undeniable turning point,’ he said.
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‘This progress marks a significant victory in my fight for total accountability. I am certain that justice will be achieved and that full responsibility will be enforced.’
Combs is currently serving a prison sentence (Picture: Reuters)
He has denied all allegations against him (Picture: Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
According to Hay’s lawsuit, the alleged incidents took place in Los Angeles in 2020 and 2021 while he was working on a remix tribute project connected to late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. alongside the rapper’s son, CJ Wallace.
The lawsuit alleges that during one studio session in September 2020, Combs criticised the music being produced and encouraged Hay to take ketamine.
Hay further claims he later accompanied Combs and members of his entourage to a Los Angeles warehouse where clothing belonging to The Notorious B.I.G. was being stored before donation to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Hay alleges in the civil filing that he was then left alone with Combs, who allegedly masturbated onto one of the late rapper’s shirts and ordered him to ‘finish him off’. The lawsuit further alleges Combs threw the shirt at him afterward.
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Hay claims a tshirt that previously belonged to Notorious B.I.G. featured in the assault (Picture: Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)
A second alleged incident outlined in the lawsuit claims Combs forcibly made Hay perform oral sex in March 2021.
Wallace has denied allegations that he or others conspired to facilitate any assault.
According to court filings cited by the Daily Mail, Wallace later filed a defamation lawsuit against Hay, accusing him of engaging in a ‘smear campaign’ after disputes over unreleased music connected to The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate.
In a statement to CNN, Wallace’s attorney Jeremiah Reynolds said: ‘Jonathan Hay’s allegations against CJ Wallace will be shown to be a complete fantasy, totally devoid of reality. We look forward to Hay eventually being held liable in court for defamation.’
The developments come as Combs continues serving a federal prison sentence after being convicted on two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution.
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He was found not guilty of more serious charges including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
He is currently expected to remain in custody until 2028.
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Manchester United star Harry Maguire looks set for a role at the World Cup even after being omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad
Harry Maguire is reportedly set to appear on the The Rest is Football podcast over the World Cup after being left out of the England squad. The Manchester United star was controversially omitted from the list of 26 players named by Thomas Tuchel travelling to the United States, but he will still have a role at the tournament.
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Following an impressive season at Old Trafford, Maguire looked to be a shoo-in for one of the defender spots. However, Tuchel opted to take Dan Burn, Jarrel Quansah and Djed Spence instead with Luke Shaw also left out.
An exchange between Tuchel and Maguire followed the major omission with the latter revealing he was shocked by the decision while the England boss admitted he was caught off guard by Maguire’s public response. Though he won’t be playing at the tournament, Maguire will still be making a World Cup-related appearance in the US.
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According to The Athletic, the 33-year-old is expected to be one of many guests to appear on The Rest is Football. It was confirmed earlier this year that the weekly football podcast’s production company Goalhanger had signed a £14million deal with Netflix to stream daily versions of the show.
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A total of 40 episodes have been planned with Lineker to be joined by regular co-host Alan Shearer in a studio overlooking New York’s Times Square. Regular third presenter Micah Richards will be present in-person for some episodes but will mostly be back in BBC’s virtual studio in Salford.
The World Cup kicks off in just over one week when co-host nation Mexico take on South Africa. England’s final friendly before their tournament starts takes place 24 hours earlier as the Three Lions face Costa Rica in Orlando.
The 26-year-old being left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad allowed for negotiations to be resolved quickly with the Italian club also open to selling as he had just one year remaining on his contract.
Further midfield additions are expected by Michael Carrick’s side following the departure of Casemiro with Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Adam Wharton and Aurelien Tchouameni as others of interest.
The UK’s services industry declined last month for the first time in more than a year, as hospitality and travel businesses were among those to feel the impact of the Iran war, according to new figures.
The S&P Global UK services PMI survey showed a reading of 49.3 in May, down from 52.7 in April.
Any reading above 50.0 means the sector is growing while any reading below signals it is contracting.
May’s score marked the first time business activity has decreased since April 2025.
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This was mostly driven by a reduction in the amount of new work for businesses, for the third month in a row, although this was only marginal amid signs of ongoing resilience.
Firms surveyed suggested that worries about the conflict in the Middle East had led to some customers pushing back big spending decisions or cutting back on non-essential purchases.
Export sales also fell back in May, which was linked both to uncertain global economic conditions and increasing competition in major markets.
Services businesses are the dominant industry in the UK, spanning those from hospitality, leisure and travel, through to property, financial services and education.
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The US-Israeli war in Iran has had significant ramifications around the world due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest waterways, since the end of February.
This has cut off the transit of key commodities such as oil and fertiliser from the Middle East and sent global prices soaring.
Businesses in the UK have felt the knock-on impact of rising prices squeezing budgets and weakening consumer sentiment, the latest PMI survey showed.
(PA Graphics) (PA Graphics)
Tim Moore, economics director for S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: “Many service sector companies noted that the Middle East conflict had an adverse impact on sales pipelines and general business prospects.
“Those in the hospitality and transportation sectors typically commented on squeezed discretionary spending and pressure from sharply rising input costs, while professional services firms reported a setback from rising risk aversion among clients.”
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Firms were cutting jobs last month at the fastest rate since February, partly in response to higher labour and business costs, according to the survey.
Respondents said it was costing more to run their business, largely because of higher energy, fuel and transport costs.
But Mr Moore added that businesses making investments into technology services was a “bright spot for parts of the service economy” last month.
Matt Swannell, chief economic adviser to the Item Club, said: “We think the economy will continue to lose momentum and flirt with recession in the second half of the year.
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“Rising energy bills and a deteriorating jobs market will squeeze households’ spending power further.
“Meanwhile, tighter financial conditions, elevated costs, and prolonged uncertainty will lead businesses to postpone or cancel some investment plans.”
Clems Food to Go, based in Westwood Road, is set to close its doors this Friday, June 5, after being open for 13 years.
A popular Newmains store is announcing it is shutting up shop.
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Clems Food to Go, based in Westwood Road, is set to close its doors this Friday, June 5, after being open for 13 years.
Customers are being asked to pop along this Friday to say their fond farewells.
A post on the Cambusnethan Community Facebook page states: “If you haven’t already heard, Clems in Newmains will be closing its doors on Friday.
“We would love to give them the send-off they truly deserve and are asking the people of Newmains and the surrounding community to come along and show their support.
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“Clems has been part of the community for many years, serving generations of local people. It would mean so much to the staff if members of the community could stop by on Friday, share their memories, and help celebrate everything the shop has meant to Newmains over the years.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported the shop and its staff throughout the years. Let’s give them a farewell they’ll never forget.”
Customers took to social media to thanks the Clems team for all their hard work down the years.
One person said: “So sad, Tony and his wife will be missed best shop around and the friendliest staff I’ve had the pleasure to be served by.”
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Another said: “I’ve been going here since I was a wee lassie. Good luck for whatever happens after this.”
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Emergency services were called to the service station on Tuesday (June 2) evening
Emergency services were called to a gas leak in a Cambridgeshire city. The Glinton service station in Peterborough was closed just after 5pm on Tuesday (June 2).
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Cambridgeshire Police and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue both attended the scene, as surrounding roads were closed off. A police spokesperson said: “We were called to Glinton Service Station at 5.12pm yesterday to reports of a gas leak, alongside our emergency service colleagues. The leak was contained and the road closures have now been lifted.”
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue have been approached for more information.
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