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Labour is being urged to slash the 6,500-strong army of government spin doctors instead of cutting public services.

Nintendo's new Switch 2 console sold a record 3 million units after its launch Thursday. But then today Microsoft announced their own upcoming handheld gaming device that's Xbox-branded (and Windows-powered). Working with ASUS' ROG division, they build a device that weighs more than the Nintendo Switch 2, and "is marginally heavier than the Steam Deck," reports Engadget. But "at least those grips look more ergonomic than those on the Nintendo Switch 2 (which is already cramping my hands) or even the Steam Deck." There are two variants of the handheld: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. Microsoft didn't reveal pricing, but the handhelds are coming this holiday... Critically, Microsoft and ROG aren't locking the devices to only playing Xbox games (though you can do that natively, via the cloud or by accessing an Xbox console remotely). You'll be able to play games from Battle.net and "other leading PC storefronts" too. Obviously, there's Game Pass integration here, as well as support for the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, which enables you to play games with synced progress across a swathe of devices after buying them once... There's a dedicated physical Xbox button that can bring up a Game Bar overlay, which seemingly makes it easy to switch between apps and games, tweak settings, start chatting with friends and more... You'll be able to mod games on either system as well. The Xbox Ally is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, and has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The Xbox Ally X is the more powerful model. It has a AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. They each have a microSD card reader, so you won't need to worry about shelling out for proprietary storage options to have extra space for your games... Both systems boast "HD haptics..." Both systems should be capable of outputting video to a TV or monitor, as they have two USB-C ports with support for DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery 3.0. "Microsoft has needed to respond to SteamOS ever since the Steam Deck launched three years ago," argues The Verge, "and it has steadily been tweaking its Xbox app and the Xbox Game Bar on Windows to make both more handheld-friendly..." But there was always a bigger overhaul of Windows required, and we're starting to see parts of that today. "The reality is that we've made tremendous progress on this over the last couple of years, and this is really the device that galvanized those teams and got everybody marching and working towards a moment that we're just really excited to put into the hands of players," says Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of gaming Devices and ecosystem at Xbox, in a briefing with The Verge... I'll need to try this new interface fully to really get a feel for the Windows changes here, but Microsoft is promising that this isn't just lipstick on top of Windows. "This isn't surface-level changes, we've made significant improvements," says Potvin. "Some of our early testing with the components we've turned off in Windows, we get about 2GB of memory going back to the games while running in the full-screen experience."

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Former FIFA and Premier League referee Uriah Rennie has sadly passed away at the age of 65. Rennie refereed over 300 top flight matches between 1997 and 2008.

Maura Higgins put on a sexy display in a mint green outfit as she enjoyed an ice cream on her Greek getaway on Sunday. The star, 34, showed off her incredible physique with ice cream.

Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo shared huge career news on Sunday evening - after announcing that they were going to become parents this week. 

With convictions for theft as a young man, Alois Hitler left Austria and his bullying father for Ireland where he met and married an Irish teenager by the name of Bridget Dowling

America is just four weeks into the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and I predict that these proceedings may come to a sudden, screeching halt.

Kate Middleton is known for her quiet confidence, strong work ethic and dedication to her family and public duties - but in her early days there was one habit which landed her hot water.

Peter Kyle acknowledged the fast-emerging technology 'does lie' as he insisted the Government would 'never sell downstream' the rights of artists in the UK.

Rachel Reeves was last night urged to keep her promise not to hike taxes again amid fears more raids are on the way.

Perhaps it's no surprise that Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton - a couple who tightly guard their privacy - seem to have finally let slip they are married.

The property (pictured), named Tregwyn, has stunning views of the Port Quin cove and an eye-watering price tag to match.

PLUS: Doxxers jailed; Botnets bounce back; CISA questioned over app-vetting program closure; And more

Infosec in Brief  If a cyberattack hit critical infrastructure in the US, it would likely crumble, former deputy national security adviser and NSA cybersecurity director Anne Neuberger said last week.…

"NASA engineers have spent the past decade developing a rugged, partially autonomous lander designed to explore Europa, one of Jupiter's most intriguing moons," reports Gizmodo. But though NASA "got cold feet over the project," the engineers behind the project are now suggesting the probe could instead explore Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn: Europa has long been a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial biology because scientists suspect it harbors a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, potentially teeming with microbial life. But the robot — packed with radiation shielding, cutting-edge software, and ice-drilling appendages — won't be going anywhere anytime soon. In a recent paper in Science Robotics, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) outlined the design and testing of what was once the Europa Lander prototype, a four-legged robotic explorer built to survive the brutal surface conditions of the Jovian moon. The robot was designed to walk — as opposed to roll — analyze terrain, collect samples, and drill into Europa's icy crust — all with minimal guidance from Earth, due to the major communication lag between our planet and the moon 568 million miles (914 million kilometers) away. Designed to operate autonomously for hours at a time, the bot came equipped with stereoscopic cameras, a robotic arm, LED lights, and a suite of specialized materials tough enough to endure harsh radiation and bone-chilling cold.... According to the team, the challenges of getting to Europa — its radiation exposure, immense distance, and short observation windows — proved too daunting for NASA's higher-ups. And that's before you take into consideration the devastating budget cuts planned by the Trump administration, which would see the agency's funding fall from $7.3 billion to $3.9 billion. The lander, once the centerpiece of a bold astrobiology initiative, is now essentially mothballed. But the engineers aren't giving up. They're now lobbying for the robot to get a second shot — on Enceladus, Saturn's ice-covered moon, which also boasts a subsurface ocean and has proven more favorable for robotic exploration. Enceladus is still frigid, but `has lower radiation and better access windows than Europa.

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Todros Grynhaus was imprisoned for more than 13 years in 2015, found guilty of seven offences against two young girls between 1996 and 2004.

Ballerina: From the World of John Wick is the latest action adventure to be soundly defeated by Disney's Lilo and Stitch.

ITV have reportedly already filmed a brand new prime time entertainment show to replace Saturday Night Takeaway and Dancing On Ice as the shows take a break from the schedules.

A pet zebra has finally been captured after he escaped - sparking a week-long manhunt across Tennessee.

Images have emerged of troops on the ground in the downtown area of the city ahead of an expected demonstration near City Hall later today.

Gareth Orrill, 43, has spoken out after he received a fine for pulling into a bus lane when he thought he was going to faint.