The National Weather Service (NWS) expects temperatures to be about 20 degrees warmer than normal for mid-March. This raises the risk of heat illness, with forecasters urging people to avoid outdoor activities during the daytime.
“If you must be outdoors, drink a lot of water,” said Richard Thompson, a meteorologist with the NWS Los Angeles office. “There’s definitely the potential for records being set.”
Thursday is anticipated as the hottest day, with the San Fernando Valley possibly hitting 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius). Typical mid-March temperatures are usually around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius).
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Los Angeles city and county officials planned to open cooling centers for residents without air conditioning (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Workers at outdoor construction sites will have plenty of drinking water and electrolyte packets available to stay hydrated. They’re instructed to take frequent breaks, said Junior Pineda, a representative with a local unit of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers.
“And there’s always shade structures, if guys start feeling a little light-headed and need to take a few minutes,” he said.
Los Angeles city and county officials planned to open cooling centers for residents without air conditioning.
Zack Marquez, who uses a wheelchair, was taking care of errands Wednesday before it got too hot in LA’s Koreatown neighborhood.
“Gotta stay hydrated and stay in the shade,” he said.
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A sea breeze on Friday should cool down the coast somewhat, but inland areas will still swelter, forecasters said.
Celebrities are streaming into Los Angeles ahead of Sunday’s Oscars, with a bevy of events this week taking advantage of the concentration of stars. But the worst of the weather should be over in time for the ceremony.
The rest of the state will also see hotter-than-normal weather starting next week. Temperatures could top 90 (32 Celsius) on Monday around San Francisco and in the Sacramento area.
A 45-year-old man has been charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon with intent as mourners prepare to gather to celebrate Ellie Flanagan’s life
01:03, 12 Mar 2026Updated 01:03, 12 Mar 2026
A man has been charged with the murder of a 23-year-old in Co Fermanagh.
Ellie Flanagan was found dead at an address in the Corban Avenue area of Enniskillen on Saturday evening, March 7.
PSNI have charged a 45-year-old man with murder and possession of an offensive weapon with intent.
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Ellie’s body was found by officers who were carrying out enquiries relating to a crash which took place on the Carn Road near Tempo at around 9.15pm on Saturday.
It has been previously reported that the man is understood to be known to her. The force were granted an additional 24 hours to question the man on March 10.
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The funeral of Ellie is to be held on Friday, March 13 with the family requesting mourners wear bright colours in her memory.
The 23-year-old is described in the funeral notice as the ‘beloved daughter of Karen. Cherished Granddaughter of Attracta and Roger (Da). Special Grandniece of Marian Haggins and Joe Clarke. Loving niece of Kevin (Martina), Jenny (Owen) and Paddy (Melissa), and adored cousin of Niamh, Aodhan, Shay, Pauric, Sarah, Aoife, James, Conan and Callum.
It added: “Ellie is deeply regretted and will be sadly missed by her heartbroken family, extended family circle, friends and neighbours.”
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson said: “Our thoughts are firmly with Ellie’s family and loved ones at this very distressing time.
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“I would reiterate our appeal to anyone who may have information that could assist us, to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1564 07/03/26. Any detail, no matter how small, could prove crucial to our investigation.“The local community will continue to see a police presence in the Corban Avenue area over the coming days, as our investigation develops.”
He is due to appear before Strabane Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 12th March via video link.
“But I do think the idea of a basic level of charter – I don’t know, there might be an example out there – but an overall charter that has a time length like this, I think there should be a standard provision that just goes forever, basically, until Parliament, or whatever the mechanism is, decides through recent debate – actively, actively, not passively – to say, okay, we don’t want the BBC anymore.”
National Insurance credits can have a direct impact on how much state pension you can get
People not claiming the National Insurance credits they are entitled to may end up with lower state pension payments as a result. Despite popular belief, these credits are not exclusively given to people on certain benefits.
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National Insurance credits can plug holes in your National Insurance record, which is used to calculate how much state pension your are entitled to. These credits are usually provided to people on certain benefits like Carer’s Allowance and Child Benefit to stop people from losing out on state pension entitlement due to caring for loved ones.
However, there are four circumstances where people do not need to be receiving any benefits in order to get National Insurance credits. However, some will not be provided automatically and people will need to claim their entitlement or risk missing out.
Training courses
People who are over the age of 18 and have been sent on a Government-approved training course by Jobcentre Plus should automatically get Class 1 National Insurance credits. However, this is only provided if the course lasts no longer than one year.
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If you are over 18 and on a Government-approved training course that does not last more than one year but you were not sent by the Jobcentre, you may still be eligible for credits but you will need to apply. To do this, you will need to write to HMRC explaining when the credits are for and why you are eligible.
People who are not self-employed and have been called for jury service may be able to get National Insurance credits to cover the time they have attended court. You will need to write to HMRC to apply for these Class 1 credits.
Partners of people in armed forces
You need to be married to, or a civil partner of, a member of the armed forces and went with your partner on an overseas posting in order to potentially claim National Insurance credits.
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If you left for the posting after April 6, 2010 and are returning to the UK you can apply for Class 1 credits. If you were on an overseas posting after 6 April 1975, reached state pension age on or after 6 April 2016, and are not getting Class 1 credits then you can apply for Class 3 credits instead.
Wrongly imprisoned
If your conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal, or the Court of Criminal Appeal in Scotland, you can apply for Class 1 credits. You’ll need to write to HMRC, include your National Insurance number and explain why you are eligible. Details on how and where to apply for these credits can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Class 1 National Insurance credits count towards other benefits like Jobseeker’s Allowance and your state pension. Class 3 National Insurance credits only count towards your state pension entitlement.
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You can check your National Insurance record and state pension forecast online to see if there are any gaps that you could top up with credits and to check that any credits you have applied for are put in correctly.
Cops locked down the road and urged drivers to avoid the area. Footage from the scene shows a lorry in flames, with thick plumes of black smoke billowing overhead, reports Edinburgh Live.
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It is unclear if anyone was injured as a result of the incident.
Bystander, Mark Innes, said: “It carried forward with the momentum, driving along the motorway and it probably almost instantly burst into flames.
“It was terrifying. It was honestly like something out of a film. It’s good that everyone is okay.
“I got my van into a safe position, and by that point that was a few bystanders and other drivers helping. By the time I ran over the driver was out, he was obviously very shaken and panicked.
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“The lorry was exploding. There were tyres blowing thirty feet into the air and crashing down, going into the nearby bushes and setting them on fire.”
Police Scotland said: “The A1 is closed northbound between the Thistly Cross roundabout and the Haddington turn off following a two-vehicle crash reported to police around 3.50pm on Wednesday, 11 March. Road users are advised to avoid the area.”
Traffic Scotland posted to X at the time: “NEW 4.05pm. A1, Haddington.
“The A1 is CLOSED northbound at Haddington to a road traffic incident. Please use alternative routes and expect delays.”
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A van has been driven into a barricade near the White House, officials have said.
The driver has been arrested in Washington DC and no injuries have been reported, a police spokesman said.
Officers were called at about 6.37am local time “to the vicinity of the White House… after a van drove through the barricade at Connecticut Avenue and H Street, Northwest”, he added.
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The Secret Service said the man crashed into the temporary security barrier just before 6.30am (10.30am in the UK).
He was immediately arrested by officers from the Secret Service’s uniformed division, the agency said, adding that he was being interviewed and that criminal charges were pending.
A police bomb squad was called to the scene, checked the vehicle and determined it to be safe.
The Cork-born actor fronted the award-winning series, which filmed key scenes in Bolton, for almost a decade as ruthless gangster Tommy Shelby, the leader of violent crime gang the Peaky Blinders.
The series ended in 2022 but will return later this year with its spin-off film The Immortal Man, which will see Shelby driven back from his self-imposed exile amid the chaos of the Second World War.
Speaking during a press conference, the 49-year-old actor said: “I feel really, really proud of the work. It’s nuts that it’s been so long. The end of 2012 is when we shot the original series.
“So many people have watched it, and it’s become so beloved, so I just feel immensely proud of it.”
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Murphy added: “I think the luxury of having played (Tommy Shelby) for so long is that all the research is kind of done, you know?
“You’ve got like 13 years there. You’ve lived it alongside him, and also you’ve kind of aged alongside him. It’s kind of unique.
“I’ll never experience that again, and it’s really unusual and gratifying to have that opportunity to play a character like that.”
The upcoming film will also explore the relationship between Tommy Shelby and the illegitimate son he abandoned, Erasmus “Duke” Shelby, played by Irish actor Barry Keoghan.
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Murphy said: “In order for us to conclude (the series) with a film, it needed to justify itself.
“Ultimately, that comes down to the script.
“The main sort of thematic drive of the show has always been family, if we continued with that and made it a father and son story and introduced Duke in that manner then we knew we were on the right track – and off we went.”
Speaking about his character in the upcoming film, Murphy said: “When we meet him, (he) is kind of withdrawn from the world, and he’s dealing with his own personal stuff.
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“But I think what setting the film against the backdrop of the war means that his values are being tested all the time.
Peaky Blinders filming in Bolton March 2021. Picture Danny Crompton (Image: Danny Crompton)
“What do you actually believe in? What do you actually stand for, aside from illegal bookmaking and racketeering and making money and buying houses and abandoning children and abandoning wives, what do you actually stand for? And then he figures it out.
Scenes from the BBC series, which ran for six series from 2013 to 2022 were shot in the town, most notably the Le Mans Crescent arches.
Fans from across the country – along with the media – descended on Bolton to watch the filming taking place.
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“And I think he begins – towards the end of the film – to really realise what he actually stands for.”
Cillian Murphy attending the 79th British Academy Film Awards, at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. The Irish actor has said his role in Peaky Blinders is one he will “never experience again”, as he reflected on 13 years as the face of the popular crime drama. Issue date: Thursday March 12, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire (Image: James Manning/PA Wire)
The TV drama following Birmingham-based crime family the Shelbys was first launched on the BBC in 2013.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man will be available on Netflix from March 20.
Scenes from the BBC series, which ran for six series from 2013 to 2022 were shot in the town, most notably the Le Mans Crescent arches.
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Fans from across the country – along with the media – descended on Bolton to watch the filming taking place.
There are performances that are destined for a special place even in a history as rich as Real Madrid’s. Fede Valverde has achieved much in his time at the Bernabeu and may yet end this season lifting the Champions League trophy but this was his night, a seminal, spectacular performance.
Often Real’s deluxe odd-job man, Valverde took on the role of the superstar, glittering on a terrible night for Pep Guardiola.
No Kylian Mbappe, no Jude Bellingham, no Rodrygo? No problem. Valverde more than compensated for the absence of Real’s injured attackers. He took on the mantle of the sidelined Rodrygo, often the tormentor of Manchester City.
He had three goals all season. Indeed, he had three in 75 Champions League appearances. Then came three before half-time.
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Stand-in skipper, stand-in scorer, he was outstanding. The first hat-trick of his career was completed with the best of a terrific trio and came in a virtuoso display. “He represents Real Madrid perfectly and will be a leader for a very long time,” said his manager, Alvaro Arbeloa.
An unhappy, and emergency, right-back earlier in the season, Valverde showed the merits of unleashing him in the final third. “He can play well in every single place,” said Arbeloa. Valverde is one of the great footballing all-rounders of his generation. Here he was, a roving right winger, materialising in the middle, timing his runs superbly, forever the elusive man on the move.
Haaland was totally anonymous, with only one touch in the opposition box (Getty Images)
He left City dumbstruck. “It feels really bad. Now it feels really dark,” said the captain Bernardo Silva. Guardiola added: “A bad result; we cannot deny it.”
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There is still a second leg at the Etihad to come but City were eviscerated, and may have been eliminated, by a team featuring plenty of understudies. They had conceded a hat-trick at the Bernabeu last year. But that was to Mbappe, to the man who may be destined for the World Cup scoring records. Not to Valverde. Yet his blend of dynamism and opportunism was stunning.
Donnarumma made an error for the first goal (Action Images/Reuters)
Guardiola is aware of the regal power of Real Madrid but he can also testify to their resourcefulness. They usually find a way in this competition, often at his expense. They did so this time with a weakened team.
Perhaps that lured Guardiola into a false sense of security. His own selection looked overly bold, with three wingers behind Erling Haaland. Real had no real striker, Valverde operating further forward than usual. That proved a devastating formula.
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City were cut open too easily. Real sat off them, then counterattacked superbly. For the opener, Nico O’Reilly, a scorer in City’s December win at the Bernabeu, misjudged the flight of Thibaut Courtois’s long ball, allowing Valverde to dart in behind him, slip the ball past a sliding Gianluigi Donnarumma and angle a shot into the empty net. Guardiola used to have the goalkeeper who got the assists, in Ederson, but Courtois gave him a taste of his medicine.
Courtois was barely troubled all night bar an excellent reflex save from O’Reilly (Getty)
Then Valverde went through his repertoire. His second came courtesy of a surge through the inside-left channel to meet Vinicius Junior’s pass, followed a fine finish with his left foot. The third was the best of the lot, Arda Guler chipping the ball into the box, Valverde volleying it past Marc Guehi with his first touch and beating Donnarumma with his second.
Such solace as City could take came courtesy of their goalkeeper. “Three-nil is better than four-nil,” said Guardiola.
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It should have been four. Released by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Vinicius escaped behind City’s defence and was felled by Donnarumma. Yet his spot kick was tame and parried by the Italian. Real may have wished the irresistible Valverde took it instead.
Valverde starred with a first career hat-trick (PA)
Donnarumma also saved from Arda Guler in the second half while Vinicius curled a shot wide. City, in a bind between needing a goal and needing not to concede another, occasionally threatened to reduce the deficit.
Antonio Rudiger celebrated a goal-saving interception to stop Erling Haaland tapping in Antoine Semenyo’s cross. Courtois made a magnificent save from an O’Reilly shot that was in part a tackle on Thiago Pitarch, the teenager otherwise excelling in the biggest game of his life.
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Yet the fact that the 18-year-old was starting showed how Real’s resources were stretched. For once, they may have been underdogs. “People expected us to get battered tonight,” said Alexander-Arnold.
Valverde saved his best for last with a sublime 22-minute hat-trick (Getty)
And if that was an exaggeration, the rookie of a manager, in Alvaro Arbeloa, was scarcely expected to outmanoeuvre Guardiola. He did, aided by some of the supposedly lesser lights. “I think we have been a team in capital letters,” said Arbeloa.
Guardiola, whose starting 11 looked too attacking, sounded defensive. “Our game was not as bad as the result,” he said. “My feeling about ourselves is we’ve done quite a good job but because the score is 3-0 that is a little bit useless.”
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His side have beaten Real 4-0 before in a second leg, but not when they needed to. Now that is the requirement. “We’ll try,” pledged Guardiola.
“We will suffer a lot in Manchester,” said Arbeloa. But probably not as much as Valverde made City suffer in Madrid.
David McDonald has been missing since Wednesday afternoon and water searches are underway.
22:32, 11 Mar 2026Updated 22:34, 11 Mar 2026
Water searches have been launched and are underway to find a missing Scots man. David McDonald disappeared earlier this afternoon.
The 51-year-old was last seen around 2.30pm on Wednesday, March 11 in Cardross. He has been described as 5ft 10″ tall, bald with facial hair.
Police Scotland has urged worried members of the public not to take part in search parties looking for David. HM Coastguard are carrying out searches for him at this time.
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Cardross, where David was last spotted, is near Loch Lomond and on the Firth of Clyde. It is not known which body of water HM Coastguard are searching for David in at this time.
Inspector Ross Mooney has made a public appeal for information. He said: “Along with his family and friends, we are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of David.
“We would kindly ask members of the public not to take part in search activities for David at this time. Coordinated searches are being carried out with our partners at HM Coastguard.
“Anyone who knows where David is, should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2021 of 11 March, 2026.”
A spokesperson for the force added: “Officers in Argyll and Bute are appealing for information to help trace 51-year-old David McDonald. David was last seen around 2.30pm on Wednesday, 11 March, 2026 in Cardross. He is five foot ten inches tall, bald, with facial hair.”
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John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando – at least the music’s good (Focus Entertainment)
If you’re a fan of old school 80s horror and sci-fi movies, you’ll know exactly who John Carpenter is and so you’ll probably also appreciate this Xbox 360 era action throwback.
John Carpenter is one of the most acclaimed directors in the history of genre cinema, having been responsible for the likes of Halloween, Escape from New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and They Live. He hasn’t made a new movie in over a decade, but he does still make new music, having previously composed the soundtracks for many of his films. All that is common knowledge, but what you may not know is that he’s also a big fan of video games.
It’s not something he talks about a lot, which may be just as well given he lists Sonic Unleashed, Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Fallout 76, and Dead Space as amongst his favourites. That may not be a very encouraging list but none of those have anything in common with this new game, by Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive.
Despite Carpenter’s love for gaming, he’s had very little direct involvement with the industry. He consulted on and narrated 2011 horror-themed first person shooter F.E.A.R. 3, but beyond that all he’s done before is the soundtrack for the grossly underappreciated Sentinel Returns, from 1998. Thankfully, he also worked on the soundtrack for Toxic Commando, although we’re dubious as to how much involvement he had with the rest of it.
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Beyond the music, the only other thing Carpenter is specifically described as doing for Toxic Commando is the story – although he didn’t write the script (we’re glad to know, because it’s awful). This certainly isn’t the sort of game you’d expect him to make, based on either his filmography or his list of favourite games, but if Carpenter is still pawning noobs online at the age of 78 then more power to him, but we’re not convinced any of this was actually his idea.
There’s a superficial similarity to F.E.A.R., but in most respects this is a fairly standard Left 4 Dead style co-op title. Rather than the tense, slow-paced horror game you might have imagined, Toxic Commando is a surprisingly old-fashioned co-op shooter that if it weren’t for the graphics could easily be mistaken for a late era Xbox 360 game. And that includes the almost monochrome colour scheme and obnoxiously unpleasant soldier types that talk and act like surly teenagers.
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The plot involves drilling into the Earth’s core and unleashing a Sludge God that infects a corner of the US with its goop and turns everyone that touches it into a zombie. Your group of four mercenaries become the only ones that can put a stop to it and… that’s about all that matters for the plot, other than they get weedy superpowers along the way.
There’s a decent variety in terms of mission objectives, although a lot of the game boils down to destroying sludge roots and then getting ready for a timed siege. The latter is a lot of fun (as long as you win) as the hordes of zombies are very large – almost on par with Days Gone – and you’ve usually got a range of defences, from electric fences to machinegun turrets, that you can repair with a collected item; although these are frustrating rare and going out of your way to collect them can take a long time.
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Everything in Toxic Commando is competent but nothing about it is original or surprising. The gunplay is solid and although you might have expected some more sci-fi style weaponry all the guns are a lot of fun to empty into a sea of the undead. You also have a variety of vehicles you can commandeer, some of which are military and have a turret (that you have to keep topped up with fuel and ammo) and others of which are civilian and can be triggered to explode on a short timer.
The vehicles are a highlight (Focus Entertainment)
All the levels are small open world environments, filled with optional items to try and find and collect, including multiple types of in-game currency, which are used to upgrade your weapons and characters between missions. There are four class types, although any character can be any one of them. Unfortunately, the skill trees are very unexciting, despite the fact that technically you can use magic.
That’s not quite as interesting as it sounds, as the two most fantastical classes just use a forcefield or shoot area of effect projectiles, while the other two are a medic and the ability to use a drone. Any resentment at picking the boring one is soon lost though, when you realise all the abilities only last for a scant few seconds and take an eternity to cooldown again.
Toxic Commando is… okay. It gives every impression of being patched together from – or perhaps it started as a sequel to – Saber’s earlier World War Z game, although it is better than that. It’s still not a paragon of originality but there are some relatively unusual elements and the whole Left 4 Dead clone concept is so old-fashioned now that it’s become a bit of rarity.
It does feel like a game out of time, but the presentation is a lot better than you might expect given the mid-budget price, which helps to mollify all the obvious concerns about its short length, terrible script, and general lack of new ideas. It’s even relatively playable on your own. We wouldn’t advise buying it if that’s the only way you’re going to play it, but while the AI compatriots are useless at handling objectives they are perfectly capable when it comes to fighting zombies.
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Our biggest complaint is that the music is the only way you can tell that John Carpenter had anything to do with it, which seems a terrible waste given his movie talents and that he does have an interest in games. On the scale of his movies this isn’t down there with Ghosts Of Mars but it doesn’t even reach the level of In the Mouth of Madness, let alone one of the really good ones.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando review summary
In Short: A competent Left 4 Dead clone that seems to have gained little from the association with John Carpenter, but it is a sensibly priced diversion for those that want a new co-op shooter to play with friends.
Pros: The graphics and music are great and the gunplay is pretty good, even if the weapons are unimaginative. Relatively varied mission design and the sieges and vehicles are fun.
Cons: All the ideas have been seen many times before in other, better games. The magic powers and class abilities are very underdeveloped. No indication that John Carpenter did anything other than the music and the story.
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Score: 7/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PC Price: £34.99 Publisher: Focus Entertainment Developer: Saber Interactive Release Date: 12th March 2026 Age Rating: 18
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We really wish he’d made a survival horror instead (Focus Entertainment)
