Total War: Medieval 3 – we’re very much up for this but Star Wars would blow our minds (Sega)
Creative Assembly have announced more Warhammer DLC and two major new games, but the second one is a bit of a mystery.
If you want to feel old, then how about the fact that the TotalWar franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The long-running strategy series has primarily dealt with realistic historical settings, but 10 years ago (yes, it’s really been that long) it branched out with the Warhammer fantasy games.
That’s all gone very well, and we’d say that the Warhammer games are probably the best in the series, so we’re very happy to learn about the upcoming new Lords Of The End Times DLC. But that was not the only announcement during a recent anniversary livestream.
Confirmed for the first time was Total War: Medieval 3, a sequel to arguably the most popular historical setting in the franchise. But the second reveal was just an annoucement of an annoucement and won’t be properly revealed until The Game Awards next week.
In the run-up to the showcase there’s been a lot of rumours about a Total War: Star Wars game. There’s been nothing in the way of proof but, interestingly, rumourmonger Kurakasis recently suggested that a ‘big Star Wars game annoucement is coming very soon’, that is not related to Zero Company or Quantic Dreams’ Eclipse.
He made no reference to Total War or the anniversary livestream, but the timing is certainly interesting. It’s been a long time since there’s been a Star Wars strategy game but while Zero Company is inspired by XCOM the Total War formula is broad enough that it can accommodate all manner of different settings and IP.
The Star Wars rumours may not turn out to be true but Medieval 3 is definitely real, although Creative Assembly offered very little detailed information about it and admitted they announced it unusually early, compared to previous games, so they could get input from fans as they designed it.
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It’s currently described as being in ‘pre-production’, which implies it’ll be at least three to four years before it’s finished. Although if the fan community is going to be heavily involved that strongly suggests it’ll be available in early access first.
As for the Warhammer DLC, it did look very good, offering an apocalyptic coda to the trilogy, and ensuring that even if you own only one of the three games you can still get new content from a separate free update.
One of the main focuses will be Nagash, King of the Dead, along with three other ‘iconic lords’. There’s no date for Medieval 3 but Lords Of The End Times will be out sometime in summer 2026.
What was also of great interest is that Creative Assembly has been working on a new game engine, called Warcore, which is not only prettier and more powerful but is designed to work on (unspecified) PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
The developers didn’t say which would be the first entry to appear on consoles but if they are working on a Star Wars game, or another similarly large IP, then that would be the obvious place to start.
The UK-based Creative Assembly are busy bees at the moment, as they’re also working on Alien Isolation 2, although essentially nothing has been said or shown about that yet.
Since then, Garraway has focused on rebuilding life with her children.
But during a recent conversation on Jamie Laing’s podcast Great Company, the Good Morning Britain presenter, 58, revealed she’s beginning to think about what the next chapter might look like.
When Laing asked whether she could imagine dating again, Garraway replied: ‘Well I wouldn’t like to think that I’d never had romantic love in my life again. I think that would be rather a sad way to go through life wouldn’t it? But no, I’m not there yet. I don’t know if anybody would want me Jamie.’
She then lightened the moment with a playful challenge, telling the Made in Chelsea star: ‘Talk to your mates, find out if any of their dads are single, that’s your task Jamie.’
Kate Garraway said she doesn’t feel quite ready to date after the death of her husband in 2024 (Picture: Great Company)
Laing asked if she would ever consider a dating app (Picture: Great Company)
Laing went on to ask if she would ever consider using a dating app. Garraway laughed off the idea, saying: ‘No, course not. I don’t think I’ve ever really dated because everyone keeps asking me about dating and I don’t think I’ve ever dated in that way that you guys do.’
She admitted that the prospect of arranged meet-ups feels unnatural to her, saying: ‘I think it’s an uncomfortable thing to do to go and meet someone you’ve never met. I just end up interviewing them and struggling to get a word in edgeways.’
Reflecting on how dating culture has changed, Garraway added: ‘I’m of the old school where you lived life, did things you loved and then met people along the way. But maybe that doesn’t happen anymore.’
Garraway and Derek Draper were married for more than 20 years (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/REX)
Garraway announced her husband’s death in January 2024, posting a photo on Instagram and writing: ‘I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
‘Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed.’
Draper died following complications from Covid (Picture: ITV)
The Good Morning Britain presenter went on to write: ‘I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible.
‘Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support. Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.’
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
There was some really good stuff in there from the 49-year-old, who made breaks of 71, 123, 62, 94, 65 and 56.
However, he made some surprising errors and admitted Zhou deserved to beat him.
‘Obviously he played better,’ the Rocket told the BBC. ‘I didn’t really give him much of a fight. A lot of bad mistakes really, basic ones. He deserved his victory.
‘Defeat’s defeat innit? You’ve got to just accept it as part and parcel of being a professional sportsman.’
Speaking in a post-match press conference, O’Sullivan said he was not feeling entirely comfortable with the tip he was using at the Barbican.
O’Sullivan has not won a ranking title since January 2024 (Picture: Getty Images)
A recent switch to harder tips has proved a bit hit-and-miss and he now intends to return to one with ‘a little bit more give.’
‘I’m enjoying playing. Since the start of the season I’ve enjoyed playing,’ he said.
‘That was a bit of a ropy performance. I have to admit that, I’m not going to shy away from that.
‘I’ve started using harder tips. The one I played in Saudi, the first one, was great and China felt good. I’m not making excuses, I never make excuses, that’s just not me. But I think all the players are trying different tups. I’ve gone to a harder one. Maybe my touch and feel is not as good, I don’t know.
Zhou Yuelong moves into the last 16 in York (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Maybe I need to go back to something that has a little bit more give.’
O’Sullivan is not despondent about his game, though, saying: ‘I feel like I’m hitting the ball alright. That’s the most important thing.’
Outside of a run to the Saudi Arabia Masters final, it has been a quiet season so far for the Rocket and it is not clear when we will see him back on the table.
Earlier this campaign he suggested he would not play at the Masters in January and he was non-committal about his attendance at Alexandra Palace after defeat at the Barbican.
He told the BBC on whether he will play in London: ‘I’ll have a nice Christmas, enjoy that and see how I feel come January.’
Asked the same question in a press conference, he said: ‘Hopefully. I’d like to. We’ll see.’
Zhou moves on to the last 16 where he will take on Mark Selby for a place in the quarter-finals after the Jester from Leicester downed Lei Peifan 6-2 on Tuesday afternoon.
On a first win over O’Sullivan, Zhou said: ‘I think for my career it’s one big win!
‘Before I lost many times to Ronnie, every time I played Ronnie I was so nervous. When I was a child I was watching Ronnie all the time on the TV.
‘I have so much respect for Ronnie, he’s a great snooker player and also he’s won the UK Championship eight times. He’s King in the Barbican! I’m so proud of myself.’
Rob Cousen retired in disgrace to avoid a disciplinary hearing which concluded he was guilty of gross misconduct (Picture: GMP)
A top police officer sent pictures of his penis and face to a female PC and begged to meet up with her outside of work after he got hold of her personal number.
Rob Cousen, who rose to become the commander of Greater Manchester Police’s Tameside division, took early retirement just hours before a disciplinary hearing concluded that he was to be sacked.
The brave victim came forward and reported Chief Superintendent Cousen after he sent her unsolicited photographs to her between February and May 2022.
The panel found evidence that top cop earning £100,000-a-year did this on more than two occasions but Cousen denied it took place for two years.
The panel found that Chf Supt Cousen would have been dismissed had he not retired from the force just ten hours before. (Picture: Getty Images)
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Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said Cousen’s actions w’ere totally out of order’.
He said: ‘Frankly, this behaviour is far from the standard expected of any GMP officer, but particularly one who holds a rank where strong and professional leadership is the most fundamental requirement. Leadership without the best in quality, standards and behaviour is not leadership fit for the GMP of today.
‘I want to pay tribute to the female officer for having the courage to come forward and report this.’
Former Chief Constable Debbie Tedds found the behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and ordered Cousen’s name to be added to the College of Policing Barred List at a disciplinary hearing on Monday.
The panel found that Cousen would have been dismissed had he not retired from the force just ten hours before.
Police watchdog director Amanda Rowe, from the IOPC, said: ‘As a senior officer, former Cousen knew perfectly well the standards of professional behaviour expected of him, whether on or off duty.
‘His actions were an abuse of his position, which must have been deeply unpleasant for the officer he targeted, and also seriously risks damaging the public’s confidence in policing.’
She added: ‘The seriousness of Ch Supt Cousen’s actions were exacerbated by his senior rank and level of responsibility. His behaviour was entirely unacceptable and he has been rightly barred from working in policing again.
‘It is deeply frustrating that he chose to continue to deny the allegations for two years following our investigation, considerably delaying this outcome, only to admit what he had done at the last moment.’
Max Verstappen is now just 12 points behind Lando Norris with one race left to go (Picture: Getty)
Max Verstappen has offered his reaction to McLaren’s dramatic Qatar Grand Prix blunder ahead of next week’s F1 title decider in Abu Dhabi.
Lando Norris painfully missed out on becoming world champion in Qatar on Sunday after a shocking decision from McLaren early into the race.
With all other drivers heading for a pit stop when a safety car was called on lap seven, McLaren kept their two stars out on the track, in a call which ended up costing the team.
Verstappen, third at the start of the race, ended up winning the Qatar GP with Oscar Piastri, who was on pole, finishing as runner-up and Norris falling down from second to fourth, behind Williams’ Carlos Sainz.
British star Norris could’ve clinched his first career title with a race to spare on Sunday if he ended up 26 points, or more, ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri and 25 points in front of Red Bull’s Verstappen.
But a fascinating race in Qatar means Verstappen has now cut Norris’ lead in the F1 title race to just 12 points with just the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix left.
Speaking after the race, Verstappen was quizzed about the two McLarens not pitting early-on and said: ‘I was like, that’s an interesting move! I knew we had a gap but you still need to keep the tyres alive. The tyre wear is high around here and luckily it all worked out.’
The race to become Formula 1 world champion
Max Verstappen started the race in third but ended up on top (Picture: Getty)
With just one Grand Prix left to go, Norris has a 12-point lead over Verstappen as he looks to become Formula 1 world champion.
1. Norris – 408 points
2. Verstappen – 396 points
3. Piastri – 392 points
A F1 world champion will not be crowned until the Abu Dhabi GP has concluded on December 7, with Norris looking to become the first Brit to land the title since Lewis Hamilton and end Verstappen’s run of four in a row from 2021 to 2024.
‘I didn’t expect to win today, that’s for sure,’ Verstappen added. ‘Looking at pure pace, we were not on the same level as McLaren, but we made the right call, as most of the grid did, in boxing under the Safety Car.
‘That almost gives you a free pit stop and that made the race for me.
Max Verstappen ‘didn’t expect’ to win the Qatar Grand Prix (Picture: Getty)
‘I knew after that pit stop it was going to be two long stints on the tyre in terms of tyre wear, but we managed that very well and they didn’t really catch up too much. It was all under control.
‘For sure, that call at the pit stop made me win the race today. It was another one [example of other people’s failures]. I don’t think it was about [McLaren] playing too fair today, it was about missing the whole pit stop opportunity.
‘On pure pace they are faster, but as it showed today again anything is possible.’
Verstappen: An incredible race for Red Bull
Max Verstappen is looking to win his fifth F1 title in a row (Picture: Getty)
After cutting Norris’ lead to just 12 points heading into the final F1 race of the season, Verstappen continued: ‘It’s all possible now! We will see. I don’t worry about it too much.
‘This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under that Safety Car. That was smart. I’m super happy to win here. We stay in the fight until the end. Incredible!
‘It was a very strong race on a weekend that was a bit tough but we won the race and that was important.’
Norris makes ‘tough’ admission after Qatar GP
Lando Norris will now look to land his first-ever title in Abu Dhabi (Picture: Getty)
‘It’s tough,’ Norris said after his fourth-placed finish in Qatar. ‘We just have to have faith in the team in making the right decision.
‘It’s always a gamble. I feel like we’re the ones who took the gamble in a way [by not pitting early-on]. Now it’s the wrong decision and we shouldn’t have done it.
‘Oscar lost the win and I lost P2. We didn’t do a good job today, but we’ve done plenty of good jobs in other races and we won the constructors’ seven or six races ago because of that.
‘Not our finest day, but that’s life.’
Stella admits McLaren got it wrong in Qatar
Andrea Stella says McLaren will ‘learn’ from their mistakes in Qatar (Picture: Getty)
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, said: ‘It’s a disappointing result overall. We had the potential to win the race with Oscar, he deserved that. He was fastest in qualifying and the sprint.
‘Certainly the podium was available for Lando but we lost the victory with Oscar and we lost the podium with Lando. Definitely not the outcome we wanted. Something we will review with the decision we made when there was the Safety Car on lap seven.
‘As usual we will learn from racing and will get stronger for the next event, which will become more important.’
Quzzed on if the decision not to pit was an error or a conscious decision, Stella added: ‘It was a decision not to pit. In fairness, we didn’t expect everyone else to pit.
‘Once everyone pitted, it makes that the right thing to do. When you have the lead car, you don’t know what the others are going to do. There could have been a loss for Lando if we pitted both cars with the double stack, but, effectively, the main reason was not expecting everyone else to pit.
‘It was a decision. As a matter of fact it wasn’t the correct decision.’
How Verstappen cut Norris’ lead to just 12 points
Max Verstappen moved ahead of Lando Norris on the first lap (Picture: Getty)
Australian star Piastri was on pole for the race in Qatar – ahead of Norris and Verstappen in second and third respectively – but the Dutchman moved ahead of the Brit into Turn One on the very first lap.
Verstappen headed for a pit stop when a safety car was called on lap seven with most of the other drivers but the two McLarens stayed out as Norris reclaimed second.
Norris could be heard on the team radio questioning why he did not pit with engineer Will Joseph claiming McLaren’s rivals had ‘lost all flexibility for the remainder of the race’.
Piastri headed for a pit stop on lap 25, temporarily handing the lead to teammate Norris, with the Briton then pitting on the following lap.
That saw Verstappen move into first as Piastri and Norris fell down to fourth and fifth respectively.
On lap 30, Piastri drove down the inside of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli into Turn One to move up to third.
Two laps later, Norris was handed a second warning for breaching track limits – knowing that two more would result in a five-second penalty – as Antonelli fended off the struggling Brit from overtaking.
Verstappen, along with Antonelli and Williams’ Sainz, headed for a pit stop on lap 33 as the Dutchman fell to third behind race leader Piastri and second-placed Norris.
But Norris badly needed to pick up the pace with Verstappen, Piastri, Antonelli and Sainz all faster than than him.
After the McLarens pitted, it seemed like a Verstappen victory was inevitable with Piastri having a firm grip on second and Norris in a battle for third with Antonelli and Sainz.
With 10 laps to go, Verstappen was 14 seconds ahead of second-placed Piastri with Norris still down in fifth, behind Antonelli and Sainz.
On lap 52, fourth-placed Antonelli and fifth-placed Norris were closing in on Sainz.
Norris eventually passed Antonelli on the final lap to climb up to fourth – but he couldn’t land a podium finish as Sainz secured third behind race winner Verstappen and second-placed Piastri.
Trudi Burgess and her ex-partner, Robert Easom (Picture: Family handouts)
A mum was left paralysed after her abusive partner severed her spinal cord when she said she was leaving him.
Trudi Burgess, 57, was pushed so hard by her ex Robert Easom, 56, that she thought she was going to die when she heard a crack in her neck.
Doctors operated on Trudi for 11 hours, but her injuries were so severe that she now requires a wheelchair and adaptations in her home to regain her independence.
Jurors took only 27 minutes to convict Easom of deliberately and intentionally causing her grievous bodily harm this week following a trial.
Trudi Burgess was in critical care (Picture: Family Handout)
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Police described Easom as a ‘violent and controlling bully’. He will be sentenced in February next year.
Trudi said she tried to leave Easom ‘at least 30 times’ before February 17, but felt she was trapped in a ‘cycle of abuse’.
She described her former partner as ‘very frightening’ and exhibiting different personas.
‘He was very, very, very frightening when he was in a rage, but I would always know he’d soon come out of it and then he’d be back to normal. I likened it to The Incredible Hulk.’
Recalling the incident in February that left her paralysed, Trudi said: ‘I was screaming, “Don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me”.
Trudi Burgess may never be able to walk again after suffering severe injuries from Robert Easom (Picture: Bruce Adams/Daily Mail)
‘I was saying, “I’m coming back tonight. I promise, I love you. There are no problems. It’s all good.
‘I was just trying to calm it [but] I couldn’t calm him down. Then he came and he grabbed me from the bedhead to the foot of the bed, screaming, “Shut up. Shut the f*** up.’
She said she ‘couldn’t feel my body’ after hearing a crack in her neck and believed she was going to die.
Trudi began a relationship with Easom, her sister Sophie’s gardener, in November 2016, shortly after losing her husband, Craig, who died from a brain tumour aged 57.
She and Craig met when they were 17 and regularly gigged in a band together before Trudi, an accomplished singer, secured a record deal at 23.
Jurors took only 27 minutes to convict Robert Easom of grievous bodily harm
(Picture: Lancashire Police)
Trudi Burgess (right) pictured with her late husband Craig (left) and their two children, Jack and Gina, on holiday in the south of France (Picture: Bruce Adams/Daily Mail)
Trudi said that she was ‘immediately attracted’ to Easom but just seven months into their relationship, the ‘poison’ of abuse began.
In February 2018, during a trip to York, Easom attacked Trudi after waking him up after he fell asleep, before dragging her into the bathroom.
He threatened her and, quoting a line from Rambo, told her: ‘Don’t push or I’ll give you a war’.
A year later, Easom shouted at the mum-of-two and violently grabbed her before dragging her upstairs by the head and banging it on each step.
In 2021, Trudi thought she might die when Easom put a sheet over her head and attempted to strangle her during another trip in York.
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Easom’s violence culminated in February when Trudi told him she was leaving him.
Trudi documented the incidents and wrote about her abuse in the notes section of her phone to make sense of what was happening.
Her injuries were so severe she may never be able to walk again.
Her children, Gina, now 28, and Jackson, 27, have set up a GoFundMe to raise money to transform her home into an accessible living space, a specialist wheelchair and ongoing care.
So far, the family have raised £127,817 of their £200,000 target – an amount they hope will help Trudi regain her independence.
Fears are mounting over the prospect of a Guinness-free Christmas now brewery workers will strike for eight days in December (Picture: Bryn Colton/Getty Images)
Guinness fans might have just one thing on their Christmas lists as workers at the pub favourite’s Belfast site have voted to strike.
At least 90 workers will join the picket lines from December 5 until the early hours of December 13.
They are demanding that Diageo, which owns Guinness, closes the ‘pay gap’ with employees at its Runcorn site in Cheshire.
Trade union Unite said the UK is now facing a Guinness Zero drought this Christmas.
Unite said the UK is now facing a Guinness Zero drought this Christmas (Picture: Bryn Colton/Getty Images)
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Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Diageo is one of the largest and most profitable drinks companies in the world.
‘It can fully afford to make workers a decent offer but has chosen to put profits before people.’
Regional officer Michael Keenan added that the strike action will ‘severely disrupt production lines’ in the run-up to Christmas.
‘Management needs to stop disrespecting our members and return to the negotiating table with an offer that meets workers’ pay expectations,’ he added.
The trade union said that Diageo’s Belfast site is the ‘largest production site for Diageo’s highly successful Guinness Zero product’.
‘This year Diageo reported net profits of more than $2.5billion [£1.8billion] globally and a key driver of that success is Guinness Zero – the UK’s best-selling alcohol-free beer.’
Diageo said there will be ‘no disruption to the supply of Guinness’ (Picture Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Diageo confirmed to Metro that there will be no disruption to the supply of Guinness products over Christmas.
The Belfast site on Marshalls Road is a packaging site, meaning staff can and bottle beer rather than brew it, according to company records.
Diageo added: ‘We have contingency plans in place to manage any potential impact at our can packaging site in Belfast.
‘While we are disappointed by the outcome of the ballot for industrial action at our can packaging site in Belfast, we strongly believe that continued engagement is the best way of securing a resolution that recognises employees for their valued contribution, while ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the site.’
Boozers were warned by pub groups about the prospect of limited stock last Christmas.
Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin said at the time: ‘The gods of fashion have smiled upon Guinness, previously consumed by blokes my age but now widely adopted by younger generations.’
Marius Bajenaru, left, and Sorin-Costinel Ivan, right, were sentenced on Tuesday (Picture: NCA)
Two foreign nationals have been jailed for attempting to smuggle almost 50 people out of the UK in lorries.
Marius Bajenaru, 44, and Sorin-Costinel Ivan, 46, both from Romania, were arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on September 18.
Bajenaru had 17 migrants concealed in the rear of his Romanian registered panel van and almost £4,000 in cash in a black plastic bag in the cab.
Ivan had 32 people, mostly Bangladeshi nationals, in the trailer of his HGV.
Three bundles of cash totalling £9,950 were found in the cab of his lorry.
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The pair were trying to cross the Channel to France. Undocumented people are smuggled out of the UK because they can’t use official channels to travel or return home.
The pair attempted to smuggle nearly 50 people across the Channel (Picture: NCA)
Bajenaru made a full confession in interviews with NCA investigators.
He admitted he collected the migrants from a layby on the A20 near Ashford, in Kent, and stood to be paid around £200 for each person he smuggled.
Ivan also admitted having visited a layby on the A20 near Ashford but initially denied any knowledge of the migrants in his trailer.
He later changed his plea and admitted a charge of facilitating illegal immigration.
Both men were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, November 25.
Ivan was jailed for three years and four months, while Bajenaru got two years and eight months in prison.
John Turner, senior investigating officer at the National Crime Agency, said: ‘People smuggling gangs will pitch this as a low-risk way of making extra money to drivers, but as this case shows it is anything but.
‘Those caught face potentially life-changing prison sentences.
‘The criminal networks involved in this type of offending show no regard for the safety of those they transport, treating people as commodities.
‘Working with partners we are doing all we can to disrupt and dismantle their operations.’
It comes just a few weeks after the NCA warned that organised crime groups are actively recruiting professional drivers to smuggle people both ways across the Channel in their vehicles.