Author: News Desk

 Why the N64 is my favourite console and can never be topped A reader muses about the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 and why no console can live up to the impact made by the N64. With Nintendo and Xbox both announced they’ve got next gen consoles on the way it’s probably not long until PlayStation does the same – Sony’s probably just waiting until the PS5 Pro is out. Personally, I think it’s far too early for a new Xbox, but I understand why they’re doing it, and I can’t say I’m not curious to see what their…

First look at HS2 train interiors Carriages for controversial high-speed line focus on passenger comfort, innovations and headroom, mock-ups reveal. For now, it remains unclear quite how far any passenger will travel on future HS2 services – whether reaching Euston or on high-speed tracks all the way to Crewe. But however short the journey, an exclusive peek at HS2’s embryonic carriages reveals travellers will be enthroned in “the best seats of any UK trains” – even, arguably, in the toilets. Conscious of discontent with the “ironing board” seats in some of the newest trains introduced to Britain’s railways, HS2 are…

Giant illuminated sphere finds a new home after Londoners reject it | World News London’s planned ‘Las Vegas sphere’ has found a new home in Abu Dhabi after those living in the capital resoundingly rejected it. The £1.8 billion venue in Las Vegas, with an LED screen wrapping halfway around the whole audience, has already been hugely successful. There had been plans for a similar illuminated dome in London, but they never came to fruition. The 300ft-high ‘Crystal Ball’, developed by MSG Sphere London, was going to be built in Stratford, east London, after it was approved by planning officials in 2022.…

Anti-fossil fuel comic that went viral in France arrives in UK World Without End topped bestseller lists but was criticised for embracing nuclear power. In 2019, France’s best known climate expert sat down to work with its most feted graphic novelist. The result? Perhaps the most terrifying comic ever drawn. Part history, part analysis, part vision for the future, World Without End weaves the story of humanity’s rapacious appetite for fossil fuel energy, how it has made possible the society people take for granted, and its disastrous effects on the climate. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/19/world-without-end-fossil-fuel-arrives-uk-comic-france-nuclear

Quarter of UK summit investment came before Labour win, analysis suggests Ministers heralded ‘record-breaking’ £63bn total at London event but £16.5bn appears to have preceded July election. About a quarter of the investment announced by the government at its summit this week appears to have been secured or initiated before Labour came to power. Ministers touted £63bn of investment at the summit on Monday, where they hosted hundreds of company bosses in a showcase of the UK’s pro-growth policies. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/19/uk-international-investment-summit-labour-government

Paul Pogba has said he is “not a cheater” but accepts responsibility for failing a doping test that led to a four-year football ban. The ban was recently reduced to 18 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted the ingestion of the substance “was not intentional.” The 31-year-old Juventus midfielder was suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) in February after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone – a hormone that increases endurance – in his system. “This is not me, I’m not a cheater,” Pogba told Sky Sports. “I’m someone that loves my sport, I…

Murder investigation launched after death of man in North Ayrshire A murder investigation has been launched after a man died in what police believe was a “targeted attack” outside his home in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. John Taylor, 44, was found with serious injuries outside his home in Pollock Crescent on Friday at about 1.55 pm, Police Scotland said. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/19/investigation-launched-after-death-of-man-in-north-ayrshire

Seal spotted sunbathing in central london | UK News A seal has been spotted sunbathing near Canary Wharf, to the delight of passerbys. The black and white speckled animal was seen frolicking in the small waves of the Thames on a busy Saturday in central London. Both grey seals and harbour seals are known to be spotted in the Thames, but it’s a welcome surprise when they decide to sunbathe. Last month, the Zoological Society of London said 600 harbour seals and 3,000 grey seals live in the Thames Estuary, with some opting to swim up further near central London. ZSL’s…

Deal struck to deport migrants arriving in the Chagos Islands to a British island territory Sir Keir Starmer has agreed a deal to deport migrants arriving in the Chagos Islands in small boats to a British island territory. Refugees arriving in the archipelago will be removed to St Helena, another UK territory more than 5,000 miles away in the Atlantic Ocean. The deal was reached in the wake of a political agreement for the UK to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, following negotiations that began in 2022. That decision, announced earlier this month, is designed to secure the future of…

‘Dozens’ of swans found dead in London canal with Defra investigation launched More than 25 swans have been found dead in a London canal. Charity Swan Support said it began at the end of September when volunteers discovered several of the dead birds along the Grand Union Canal in Bankside, Southall. Since then, the charity says it has now found 25 swans, 15 geese, three ducks, two coots and a moorhen along the stretch of canal that also runs through Uxbridge. Mystery over the dead birds has deepened with tests on the first set of dead swans coming back negative…