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MANCHESTER, England -- As scored to put 2-0 up over in the first half of their Women's Super League (WSL) clash, the contrast between the scenes in the two dugouts could hardly have been more stark. United boss Marc Skinner spun on his heels and punched the air; Liverpool's manager Matt Beard remained rooted to his seat, still shellshocked by Elisabeth Terland's opener which had only arrived a minute earlier. It showed how fine the margins are at the top level of the women's game, and just how quickly the fortunes of a manager and their team can change. United and Liverpool are arguably Engand's most formidable men's footballing institutions, with more than a century of success on both the domestic and European stage behind them. For their women's teams, though, earning a seat at the WSL's top table is proving considerably more difficult. United's win on Sunday temporarily moved them up the third -- though they were later usurped by following their victory over -- and into the Champions League places. But Skinner's side are six points off leaders , who also have a game in hand, and this season's charge for the title is seemingly already a two-horse race between the London club and . Liverpool, meanwhile, are down in seventh, having won just two of their nine WSL games so far this term. For both teams, the battle to consolidate a place among the division's long-established top three of Chelsea, City and Arsenal remains a work in progress. United's commanding victory over Liverpool at Leigh Sports Village -- secured thanks to goals from Terland, Galton, and -- was the perfect tonic after another difficult week for the club off the pitch. On Saturday, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who acquired a 27.7% stake in the club earlier this year, sparked controversy with his comments about the women's team. Speaking to , the INEOS chief said: "There's only so much that you can do and our focus has been on the men's team. If not, you get spread too thinly. We need to sort out the main issue, the men's team. The women's team is an opportunity. Women's football is growing really quickly in popularity and size. We need to participate in that. The girls wear a Manchester United badge on their shirt and they're representing the club." It is not the first time Ratcliffe's perceived apathy towards United Women has caused a stir. Back in May, the 72-year-old opted to attend United's Premier League clash with Arsenal instead of the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, where Skinner's side yielded the club's first major women's trophy with a win over . The following month, Ratcliffe drew further criticism after admitting in an interview with Bloomberg that plans for the future of the women's team were "TBC". While Ratcliffe's string of PR missteps are perhaps rooted in pragmatism, his behaviour has repeatedly undermined the "one-club mentality" United have tried to foster since their women's team was re-established in 2018. "I think you have to assess a lot," Skinner said after Sunday's game, when asked whether it is difficult to constantly have to field questions about matters off the pitch. "I think you have to take a lot as a human. "I think the role of a football manager has changed and it's evolving. You see that in the men's game. Of course we're human, we feel, we have our emotions. But we also have a role and a job and a responsibility to my players the fans and the club. I would be lying if I said it's easy, but also I have a job to do and I've got to do that to the best of my ability." The state of play at United has been further unsettled by the surprise departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth, which was confirmed by the club only hours before Skinner's side kicked off against Liverpool on Sunday. His exit has been viewed in some quarters as a further blow to the women's team, with the 53-year-old having only officially arrived in July after a £3 million settlement was reached with his former club . Ashworth has long been an advocate for the growth of the women's game and had forged a positive relationship with Skinner during his time at United. to supporters in the summer, Ashworth insisted that the women's team was a "key objective" of his job and had been a major part of his remit during his time with Newcastle, and the FA. "Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada have been fantastic and have both come in with real energy to speak to the group," Skinner said in a news conference earlier this season. "I cannot tell you how personable and authentic those conversations were. They genuinely love women's football and have a real burning ambition for it to be in the forefront of their direction. That will only improve." Whether Ashworth's successor is similarly passionate about empowering United Women remains to be seen. However, after the Liverpool game, Skinner was quick to emphasise the support he and his players continue to feel internally, reiterating his own determination to focus on performances on the field. "What I know about the club is that it has a love and an affinity with our women's team, I know that," he said. "I sense it every day when I go into the training ground. I know the love for our team is there. I don't know what that path looks like quite yet and I'm sure that is a part of the planning process from above to sell us that and I'm sure, over the next few weeks, we'll talk more about it. "But I want us as a team to focus on what we can control and that is the football part, and then away from that, I know we can be a massive part and are a massive part of this club and we've got to work out what that looks like." From a Liverpool perspective, Sunday's defeat was yet another bracing reminder of the gulf that still exists between them and the game's big hitters. Beard's side defied expectations last term to secure a fourth-placed finish, ending the season six-points clear of United, whom they toppled in both of their WSL meetings. Those victories seemed to symbolise an upwardly mobile Liverpool, capable of upsetting the league's top order. While injuries have been a major factor in the team's recent inconsistent form -- with a number of key players, including last season's top scorer, , currently sidelined -- they look some way off being able to compete for the game's top honours. "It's frustrating," Beard said after the game. "We know we've got one of the smallest squads in the division. I've said it before, we can only work with the resources we have budget-wise. I feel like we actually started the game quite well, but we had a moment of madness where two minutes killed the game for us." Beard's reference to the financial parameters he is working within at Liverpool again raises an important point about the disparity between the WSL's top three and the rest of the division. The club have come a long way since being relegated in 2019 -- incidentally the same year that Jurgen Klopp's side lifted the Premier League title -- and have gone to great lengths to improve the professionalism of the women's team, repurchasing Liverpool men's former training ground, Melwood, as a base for Beard's side and breaking the club's transfer record in consecutive summers to bring in Roman Haug and . But with the ruthlessness and knowhow of perennial winners Chelsea leaving little room for error in the WSL, it is clear it will take time for Liverpool to assemble a similarly well-stocked squad. "It's not always about the money," Beard said. "I don't know what all the other teams spend. I know what we spend and we've overachieved in the last two years. If you look at the investment from the other sides - - I'm not saying we've stood still, I don't think we needed many changes. We were consistent last season with team selection whereas this year I don't think I've been able to pick the same team twice." With seven first-team players missing this weekend's clash with United, it is perhaps little wonder Liverpool struggled against Skinner's side. But, with the WSL growing more competitive year-on-year, it is apparent both they and their hosts have a tough road ahead if they are to consistently compete at the highest level.Man United's women respond to Ratcliffe in best way with big Liverpool win
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ANKARA Kosovo police closed the offices of the Serbia-affiliated Public Housing Directorate and the Urban Construction and Road Directorate in northern Mitrovica, local media reported. Serbian flags outside the building were also removed. Veton Elshani, deputy director of Kosovo Police North Region, told the press that the operation was conducted at the municipality's request. The offices located in a building, owned by the North Mitrovica Municipality, were evacuated, and an investigation into document forgery was initiated at the prosecutor's request. In response, Serbia’s Kosovo Office accused Kosovo of continuing "violence" against Serb-affiliated institutions, urging Serbs in Kosovo to remain calm. The closed offices reportedly had 70 employees. Serb List, the largest Serb political party in Kosovo, barred from the upcoming Feb. 2025 elections, blamed Prime Minister Albin Kurti for the situation. This follows previous closures of banks and post offices serving Kosovo Serbs, heightening tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo’s 2008 independence remains the core issue. Efforts to normalize relations and achieve mutual recognition are ongoing under the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue launched in 2011. *Writing by Alperen Aktas from IstanbulA bankruptcy judge on Monday delayed a hearing in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars, keeping the auction sale up in the air for at least another few weeks. Jones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction that resulted in The Onion being named the winning bidder over a company affiliated with him. A trustee overseeing the auction denies the allegations and accuses Jones of launching a smear campaign because he didn't like the outcome. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion's bid on Monday, but put it off until either Dec. 9 or Dec. 17. That's also when the judge will hear arguments on the trustee's request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Lopez said it made sense to have one hearing on both requests. “I want a fair and transparent process and let’s just see where the process goes," Lopez said. Lopez could ultimately allow The Onion to move forward with its purchase, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements. Jones continues to broadcast his show from the Infowars studio, but he has set up a new location, websites and social media accounts as a precaution. The trustee shut down the Austin studio and Infowars' websites for about 24 hours last week after The Onion was announced as the winning bidder, but allowed them to resume the next day, drawing more complaints from Jones. Jones declared bankruptcy and liquidated his assets after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. He was ordered to pay damages for defamation and emotional distress in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas after he repeatedly said the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators was a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Jones’ creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Last year, Lopez ruled that $1.1 billion of the Sandy Hook judgments could not be discharged in the bankruptcy. On Monday, he denied a request from Sandy Hook families to make the full $1.5 billion not dischargeable, meaning the debt cannot be wiped clean. Also Monday, lawyers for the social media platform X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Jones' personal X account, with 3.3 million followers, was not part of the auction, but Lopez will be deciding if it should be included in the liquidation. Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Musk should buy Infowars. Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Jones was permanently banned from Twitter in 2018 for abusive behavior, but Musk restored Jones’ account on the platform he has since renamed X in December last year. Jones alleges The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of the Sandy Hook families, the humor site and the court-appointed trustee. First United American Companies submitted a $3.5 million sealed bid, while The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash. But The Onion's bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion's proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Jones also alleged Murray improperly canceled an expected round of live bidding and only selected from among the two sealed bids that were submitted. Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and Jones' X account. He filed a counter lawsuit last week against Murray, The Onion's parent company and the Sandy Hook families in the bankruptcy court. In a court filing on Sunday, Murray called the allegations a “desperate attempt” to delay the sale of Infowars to The Onion and accused Jones, his lawyers and attorneys for First United American Companies of a “vicious smear campaign lobbing patently false accusations.” He also alleged Jones collaborated with First United American Companies to try to buy Infowars. Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. And it gave broad authority to Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Jones, his company and their creditors. The assets of Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars' video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars' websites and social media accounts. Another auction of remaining assets is set for Dec. 10. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights, but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . Many of Jones’ personal assets, including real estate, guns and other belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy. Documents filed in court this year say Jones had about $9 million in personal assets, while Free Speech Systems had about $6 million in cash and more than $1 million worth of inventory. Dave Collins, The Associated PressBy Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News (TNS) Tescha Hawley learned that hospital bills from her son’s birth had been sent to debt collectors only when she checked her credit score while attending a home-buying class. The new mom’s plans to buy a house stalled. Hawley said she didn’t owe those thousands of dollars in debts. The federal government did. Hawley, a citizen of the Gros Ventre Tribe, lives on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. The Indian Health Service is a federal agency that provides free health care to Native Americans, but its services are limited by a chronic shortage of funding and staff. Hawley’s local Indian Health Service hospital wasn’t equipped to deliver babies. But she said staff there agreed that the agency would pay for her care at a privately owned hospital more than an hour away. That arrangement came through the Purchased/Referred Care program, which pays for services Native Americans can’t get through an agency-funded clinic or hospital. Federal law stresses that patients approved for the program aren’t responsible for any of the costs. But tribal leaders, health officials, and a new federal report say patients are routinely billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the Indian Health Service, financial middlemen, hospitals, and clinics. The financial consequences for patients can last years. Those sent to collections can face damaged credit scores, which can prevent them from securing loans or require them to pay higher interest rates. The December report , by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, found these long-standing problems contribute to people in Native American-majority communities being nearly twice as likely to have medical debt in collections compared with the national average. And their amount of medical debt is significantly higher. The report found the program is often late to pay bills. In some cases, hospitals or collection agencies hound tribal citizens for more money after bills are paid. Hawley’s son was born in 2003. She had to wait another year to buy a home, as she struggled to pay off the debt. It took seven years for it to drop from her credit report. “I don’t think a person ever recovers from debt,” Hawley said. Hawley, a cancer survivor, still must navigate the referral program. In 2024 alone, she received two notices from clinics about overdue bills. Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe in Montana, testified about the impact of wrongful billing during a U.S. House committee hearing in April. He shared stories of veterans rejected for home loans, elders whose Social Security benefits were reduced, and students denied college loans and federal aid. “Some of the most vulnerable people are being harassed daily by debt collectors,” White Clay said. No one is immune from the risk. A high-ranking Indian Health Service official learned during her job’s background check that her credit report contained referred-care debt, the federal report found. Native Americans face disproportionately high rates of poverty and disease , which researchers link to limited access to health care and the ongoing impact of racist federal policies . White Clay is among many who say problems with the referred-care program are an example of the U.S. government violating treaties that promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for their land. The chairman’s testimony came during a hearing on the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act, which would require the Indian Health Service to create a reimbursement process for patients who were wrongfully billed. Committee members approved the bill in November and sent it for consideration by the full House. A second federal bill, the Protecting Native Americans’ Credit Act , would prevent debt like Hawley’s from affecting patients’ credit scores. The bipartisan bill hadn’t had a hearing by mid-December. The exact number of people wrongfully billed isn’t clear, but the Indian Health Service has acknowledged it has work to do. The agency is developing a dashboard to help workers track referrals and to speed up bill processing, spokesperson Brendan White said. It’s also trying to hire more referred-care staff, to address vacancy rates of more than 30%. Officials say problems with the program also stem from outside health providers that don’t follow the rules. Melanie Egorin, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said at the hearing that the proposed legislation doesn’t include consequences for “bad actors” — health facilities that repeatedly bill patients when they shouldn’t. “The lack of enforcement is definitely a challenge,” she said. But tribal leaders warned that penalties could backfire. Related Articles Health | How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic Health | How to kick back, relax and embrace a less-than-perfect holiday Health | New childhood leukemia protocol is ‘tremendous win’ Health | For some FSA dollars, it’s use it or lose it at year’s end Health | Norovirus is rampant. Blame oysters, cruise ships and holiday travel White Clay told lawmakers that some clinics already refuse to see patients if the Indian Health Service hasn’t paid for their previous appointments. He’s worried the threat of penalties would lead to more refusals. If that happens, White Clay said, Crow tribal members who already travel hours to access specialty treatment would have to go even farther. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found clinics are already refusing to see any referred-care patients due to the program’s payment problems. The bureau and the Indian Health Service also recently published a letter urging health care providers and debt collectors not to hold patients accountable for program-approved care. White, the Indian Health Service spokesperson, said the agency recently updated the referred-care forms sent to outside hospitals and clinics to include billing instructions and to stress that patients aren’t liable for any out-of-pocket costs. And he said the staff can help patients get reimbursed if they have already paid for services that were supposed to be covered. Joe Bryant, an Indian Health Service official who oversees efforts to improve the referral program, said patients can ask credit bureaus to remove debt from their reports if the agency should have covered their bills. Leaders with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state helped shape the proposed legislation after their citizens were repeatedly harmed by wrongful billing. Tribal Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said problems began in 2017, when a regional Indian Health Service office took over the referred-care program from local staff. It “created a domino effect of negative outcomes,” Erickson wrote in a letter to Congress. He said some tribal members whose finances were damaged stopped using the Indian Health Service. Others avoided health care altogether. Responsibility for the Colville Reservation program transferred back to local staff in 2022. Staffers found the billing process hadn’t been completed for thousands of cases, worth an estimated $24 million in medical care, Erickson told lawmakers . Workers are making progress on the backlog and they have explained the rules to outside hospitals and clinics, Erickson said. But he said there are still cases of wrongful billing, such as a tribal member who was sent to collections after receiving a $17,000 bill for chemotherapy that the agency was supposed to pay for. Erickson said the tribe is in the process of taking over its health care facilities instead of having the Indian Health Service run them. He and others who work in Native American health said tribally managed units — which are still funded by the federal agency — tend to have fewer problems with their referred-care programs. For example, they have more oversight over staff and flexibility to create their own payment tracking systems. But some Native Americans oppose tribal management because they feel it releases the federal government from its obligations. Beyond wrongful billing, access to the referred-care program is limited because of underfunding from Congress. The $1 billion budget this year is $9 billion short of the need, according to a committee report by tribal health and government leaders. Donald Warne, a physician and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, called the proposed legislation a “band-aid.” He said the ultimate solution is for Congress to fully fund the Indian Health Service, which would reduce the need for the referred-care program. Back in Montana, Hawley said she braces for a fight each time she gets a bill that the referral program was supposed to cover. “I’ve learned not to trust the process,” Hawley said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Risk Management Market worth USD $51.95 Billion by 2032, Registering 15.4% CAGR: Allied Market ResearchApple iOS 18 Hearing Aids: Are AirPods Pro 2 Headsets Sufficient Alternatives?President-elect Donald Trump's repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app's impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear. "We got to keep this sucker around for a little while," Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Florida. Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook. The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump's unpredictable nature. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19. US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok's American users. Even with Trump's decisive election victory and incoming Republican-led Congress, acquiescing to the president-elect's desire and preventing the ban faces significant hurdles. The law enjoyed rare bipartisan support in a divided Washington, making its outright repeal through a vote in Congress politically unlikely even with Trump's influence over Republicans. The Supreme Court may offer the clearest path forward. TikTok has appealed to the nation's highest court, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights to free speech. The court, which is dominated by Trump-aligned conservatives, will hear the case on January 10, just nine days before the ban takes effect. This follows a lower appeals court's unanimous decision to uphold the law in December. Another possibility, according to Tobias, is that a Trump-led Department of Justice could determine ByteDance has addressed the law's national security concerns. However, such a move would likely be seen as caving to China by Congress and others. The final option is ByteDance selling to a non-Chinese buyer, though the company has consistently refused this possibility. With 170 million monthly active users, acquiring TikTok's US operations would require substantial resources. As president, Trump could extend the ban deadline by 90 days to facilitate a transaction. Few potential buyers have emerged, with major tech companies likely deterred by antitrust concerns. Former Trump Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, who runs a private equity fund backed by Japan's SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, has expressed interest. During a recent event with Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son pledged to invest $100 billion in the US economy, though specific investments weren't detailed. Other contenders include US real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who aims to make social media safer through his Project Liberty organization. Elon Musk, given his proximity to Trump and ownership of X, could also have a role to play, as he has expressed plans to transform the text-focused platform into something more like TikTok. A senior Republican lawmaker recently suggested Trump might orchestrate a "deal of the century" satisfying both US concerns and ByteDance's interests. The chairman of the US House committee on China, John Moolenaar, told Fox News Digital that once ByteDance accepts it must comply with US law, the situation could progress rapidly. Any agreement would need Beijing's approval, with US-China relations expected to remain tense during Trump's upcoming term. This isn't the first attempt to resolve TikTok's US status. In 2020, Trump also threatened a ban unless ByteDance sold its US operations. While Oracle and Walmart reached a preliminary agreement with ByteDance for ownership stakes, legal challenges and the transition to the Biden administration prevented the deal's completion.
Despite trying to be prepared and holiday shopping early, the question of what's open and what's closed during Christmas inevitably always comes up. From needing last-minute gifts to home-cooked meals gone awry, it's important to know where you can turn in times of a kitchen mishap or broken present. This year, the holidays fall midweek, and many businesses appear to be staying open on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, December 24) and closing on Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25) — though check with your local stores before heading out. Here's what's open and closed this Christmas holiday. Shopping Both Target and Walmart are open on Christmas Eve (until 8 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively) and closed on Christmas Day. Macy's and Kohl's are open on Christmas Eve until 7 p.m. and closed on Christmas Day. Nordstrom, meanwhile, will have "limited hours" on Christmas Eve and close on the 25th. Home improvement stores Home Depot and Lowe's are open on Christmas Eve (until 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively) and closed on Christmas Day. Grocery stores Like retail stores, many grocers are open (some with modified hours, some with regular hours) on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day, including Albertsons-owned stores, Kroger-owned stores, Aldi, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. All Publix stores close at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day, December 25, the company said. Wegmans stores will close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and close on Christmas Day. However, for those in a pinch, select Albertsons, Safeway, ACME, and Vons stores will be open on Christmas Day with adjusted hours, so check with your local location. Post Office and Shipping USPS local locations are open on December 24 and regular mail will be delivered, the agency says . On Christmas Day, post offices are closed and regular mail will not be delivered. However, Priority Express Mail will still be delivered on the 25th. UPS and FedEx stores and deliveries will not be operating on Christmas Day. Banks and stock markets Most banks will be closed on Christmas Day and close early on Christmas Eve, though ATMs should be functional. The midweek holidays affect stock markets as well—both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are closed on Christmas Day. Pharmacies Pharmacies are a little different—especially Walgreens , which will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with normal business hours. The company's 24-hour pharmacies will remain open, even on Christmas, but non-24-hour locations (pharmacy only) will close on Christmas Day. CVS will also be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but the company says some stores will have reduced hours, so check with your local shop. Rite Aid, meanwhile, will be open on the 24th and close on the 25th . Chain Restaurants Many McDonald's and IHOPs will be open, while Chick-fil-A and Chipotle are closed . Check your local locations before heading out.
Tweet Facebook Mail Indiana Jones and the Great Circle opens with what might just be the best piece of film nostalgia in any video game , ever. At first, everything felt familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Then — bam! I realised what was happening... I was reliving the iconic opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark . I wasn't just playing Indiana Jones — I was Indiana Jones. MachineGames nailed the brief here. This is the Indy game we've all been waiting for. READ MORE: Hands-on with the PS5 Pro: perfect power, but at a price Troy Baker (The Last of Us) plays Indiana Jones in The Great Circle. (Nine) Playing as Indy You play in first person, which took me a bit to get used to. But it's as if you're really stepping into Indy's shoes — or hat. Cutscenes, climbing, and swinging with the whip switch to third person, giving you those epic, cinematic Indy moments. READ MORE: Behind the Scenes of LEGO Horizon Adventures Troy Baker, who plays Joel in The Last of Us, is an exceptional Indiana Jones and I hope we see more of his Indy in the future. He nails Harrison Ford's voice and mannerisms; I was completely immersed. Combat Combat is a blast. Weapons break (though you can repair them), but there's always something lying around to smack down a Nazi. Rifles, machine guns, or you could just use Indiana's trusty whip — it's all at your disposal. I pushed a Nazi off high scaffolding into the dig site below, then restarted back to my last checkpoint just so I could do it all over again. (Nine) Fistfights take a bit of strategy, with blocks and dodges to manage, but they're satisfying once you get the hang of it. As I said in my preview , there's nothing more satisfying than punching a Nazi. And yes, there are dogs — both Nazi attack dogs and wild ones in the desert. You can't kill them, but you can scare them off, which I think a lot of dog lovers will appreciate. A World Full of Adventure Indiana visits some incredible locations in The Great Circle. The pyramids of Egypt, The Vatican, the Himalayas — just to name a few. READ MORE: Why the creator of the most famous flight simulator looks crazy - even to his staff Explore the mysteries of ancient Eygpt. (Nine) Gizeh (or Giza) is massive, with plenty to explore, and eventually, you'll unlock fast travel by finding signs near camps or villages. As you progress, you're still able to revisit areas you've already explored, especially to grab collectibles or check out spots you couldn't reach before. Some areas require special gear — like Indy's lighter or the rebreather — to fully explore. There are so many items to find, puzzles to solve, and abilities to unlock. if you like ticking boxes and collecting, you'll love The Great Circle . Each location is unique and absolutely stunning, filled with lore-like fictional letters from Adolf Hitler and pieces of history that add depth to the world. READ MORE: Future of Zelda 'Based' on Echoes of Wisdom The Great Circle is now available on Xbox Series X|S and PC. (Bethesda) Traversal You can jump, climb, swing, slide, swim, and shimmy as Indiana Jones, which is as fun as it sounds... when it works. Traversal can be a bit clunky. More than once, what should have been a smooth Indy moment ended in me plummeting to my doom. Also, Indiana basically has an extendo-whip. How this whip does the things it does is between Lucasfilm Games and Todd Howard... But physics aside, it's still a good time. Puzzling Puzzles The puzzles are varied and creative, from reflective light puzzles to pressure plates and cracking Nazi supply chests. Indy's camera is a great tool — you can snap a pic of a puzzle for hints, and honestly, it just feels very Indiana Jones . READ MORE: How to pick the right gaming controller for you The puzzles are varied and creative, from reflective light puzzles to pressure plates and cracking Nazi supply chests (Nine) Many puzzle's rely on Indiana's journal to piece things together, referring back to letters you may have picked up along the way. Iconic Soundtrack The music is as classic as ever. John Williams' Raiders March is the centrepiece, and it still gives me chills. I even found myself replaying the soundtrack while writing this review. Performance I reviewed the game on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 TI 8GB graphics card (with thanks to Allied Gaming ). Despite some CPU issues early on, I overcame them and had the gaming looking spectacular at high frame rate and high graphical settings. DLSS on balance setting. I also tested the game briefly on Xbox Series X which also ran exceptionally well. READ MORE: Diving into Xbox's highly anticipated next big game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels less like a video game and more like stepping into a classic Indiana Jones film (Bethesda) Should you buy Indiana Jones and the Great Circle? Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels less like a video game and more like stepping into a classic Indiana Jones film — adventurous, nostalgic, and unforgettable. Despite some clunky traversal and AI quirks, it still delivers everything you'd hope for. The Great Circle is now available in early access, it's officially launching on PC and Xbox Series X|S on December 9th. Will I play it again when it hits PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025? You can bet your life on it. The biggest video games releasing in 2024 View Gallery 9News.com.au was supplied with an early copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for the purpose of this article.
Elon Musk blasts Ben Stiller with shock slur after actor said 'woke' Hollywood is killing 'edgier' comedy
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