The rain and cold spells are bound to have their effects on wooden garden furniture that isn’t covered over in the coldest months of the year, but there’s a cheap way you can restore it to its former glory.

In fact, a 35p household staple can “breathe new life” into wooden garden furniture that has seen better days, according to an expert.

Bradley Spencer at garden furniture specialists Royal Finesse, said white vinegar can come in handy for this garden chore.

Can you use white vinegar to clean garden furniture?

He explained: “Spring is just around the corner and many of us will look to spend more time enjoying our gardens. 

“However, harsh winter weather may have left some garden furniture looking less than perfect and in need of a deep clean. 

“White vinegar is a natural and effective weapon against the dirt and grime that can accumulate on wooden outdoor items, and it can breathe new life into your garden furniture.

“It is also a natural disinfectant to kill germs and bacteria so it can make a real difference without harming the wood.” 

Bradley said white vinegar is a mild acid that is popular with homeowners for a range of household cleaning tasks.

It can cost as little as 35p for a 568ml bottle in supermarkets, including Aldi.

To use it on wooden garden furniture, it’s important to dilute it with equal parts water and test it on a small area to ensure it’s suitable for the wood. 

Mr Spencer added: “When it comes to cleaning outdoor garden furniture, a deep clean with warm, soapy water can make a world of difference.

When did you last clean your garden furniture? (Image: Getty)

“A mixture of white vinegar and water can help with more stubborn stains if needed. 

“However, be careful not to use abrasive chemicals or pressure washers on wood or older items, as there may be a risk of damage.

“Vinegar is also best avoided for unsealed wood or if it’s waxed or oiled, in which case there are cleaning products specifically designed for these types of wood.” 

Chris Taylor at Chris Taylor Gardening said white vinegar “should always be diluted with water and used as a gentle wash rather than a heavy soak.”

He added: “On sealed or painted timber, it’s generally safe for occasional use, but on bare or weathered wood it can slightly raise the grain or dull the surface if overused.

“It’s best applied with a soft brush or cloth, followed by a thorough rinse and proper drying.

“For valuable hardwood pieces, a dedicated wood cleaner is often a safer long-term option.”

When is the best time to clean garden furniture?

Chris advised: “In the UK, the ideal time to clean wooden garden furniture is in early spring, just before it comes back into regular use.

“This allows you to remove winter grime, algae and any mould buildup before warmer temperatures encourage further growth.

“A secondary clean in early autumn can also be worthwhile before storing furniture or covering it for winter.

“Choosing a dry, mild day is important – cleaning timber in damp or cold conditions can slow drying time and encourage moisture retention, which in turn increases the risk of staining or fungal issues.”

Expert shares how to use soapy water to clean wooden garden furniture

If you haven’t got white vinegar at home, you can use a few key essentials that you’ll probably have already.

Catherine Green, sustainable cleaning expert at smol, said you can clean your garden furniture with the following supplies:

• A clean bucket of warm water
• Mild soap or plant-based detergent
• Soft-bristled brush
• Sponge or microfibre cloth
• Hose with a spray nozzle (optional)

She warned that you should always check “for any manufacturer instructions or care labels on the furniture” before you get started.

Catherine added: “This is especially important if your sofa or chairs are made of a material like rattan, wood, metal or treated fabric.

“Some surfaces will also have coatings that need gentler care.”

The next steps include removing and washing cushions and fabric covers, brushing off any dirt and debris and mixing your solution.

Catherine said: “In a bucket of warm water, add a few drops of mild soap. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners as they can fade or damage outdoor furniture finishes, especially wood or coated metal!

“Soak a sponge or cloth in the soapy mix and wipe down all hard surfaces like arms, legs, backs and slats – I’d recommend rinsing your cloth regularly to avoid spreading dirt around.

“Then use a brush for textured or woven areas, and for the final rinse, use a bucket of clean water or a hose on a gentle spray setting.”

Don’t forget to dry off your furniture when you’re done, as Catherine says: “Use a towel to remove as much moisture as you can, especially in any gaps or joins where water could pool.

“Let everything air dry fully in the sun before you sit down or store the furniture, damp cushions and corners can quickly become mouldy if left, so this is really important!”

Experts at Vonhaus suggest sanding down stubborn stains: “For any stubborn dirt marks remaining, try sanding down your furniture with 80-grit/120-grit sandpaper.

“This will also prep your table, bench, or chair for oil treatments.

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“To be on the safe side, we recommend wearing goggles to protect your eyes from any wood chips or dust.”

After this, you could add an oil treatment to future-proof your furniture, if suitable: “As well as offering year-round protection, teak oil maintains the wood’s rich golden sheen.

“Liberally apply the oil with a cloth following the grain, working into the wood.

“Once dry (in approx. 4-6 hours), apply a second coat.

“Repeat this process twice a year and clean your teak garden furniture with the soapy water mixture in between applications!”

How do you clean your garden furniture? Let us know your favourite techniques in the comments.

The woman feared she would die as Christian Philip Mercer, 39,  twice got her in a choke hold and applied pressure so that she could not breathe, Recorder Taryn Turner said.

As he did so, he told the woman: “You are going to sleep now.”

Then he punched and smacked her. She saw a knife had been moved from the kitchen into her living room and was near some duct tape and a chair that had been moved from the dining area.

“You told her you were going to tie her up,” the judge told Mercer. “How terrifying and frightening that must have been for her.”

The woman was continuing to suffer psychologically from the whole experience, the court heard.

The woman had been for a night out with friends and returned home between 3am and 4am on May 4.

“She let herself into the house and there you were, lurking in the pitch blackness, only making yourself known to her when she closed the door and flicked on the lights,” the judge told Mercer.

He throttled her until she couldn’t breathe, briefly released her and then reapplied the choke hold, the court heard.

“He was applying so much pressure I thought I was gone,” the woman had told a jury, York Crown Court heard.

The judge told Mercer that after leaving the woman’s home he had sent the victim messages that “amply demonstrated your jealous and obsessive nature” and how he had felt humiliated by her telling others their four-year relationship was over.

In a personal statement, the woman told the court Mercer had “changed completely” and “left her in a very dark place”.

Following the attack, he had tried to make her out to be a liar and to destroy her character in an attempt to protect his own image, she said.

The court heard she suffered bruising to her neck and arm and tenderness to her abdomen.

A probation officer warned the judge that there was a risk Mercer would be violent towards any future partner.

Mercer, of Harrogate, who set up an app to help people with HIV, denied intentional strangulation and actual bodily harm, but was convicted by a jury in October.

He was jailed for three years and two months and given a restraining order banning him from contacting the woman or going near her home for 15 years, among other conditions.

The couple had broken up a week before the attack. He had moved out of the home where they lived together and was staying at his office, York Crown Court heard.

Mercer’s barrister Eleanor Mitten said he gave his time to charity generously and was advancing in his career.

He had had anxiety and panic attacks since being remanded in custody following his arrest and was being assessed to see if he had attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. He had also had traumas in his childhood.

She handed in character references that the judge said showed a different side to Mercer.

According to official guidance from GOV.UK: “This is a new digital border system that will change requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area.”

The ESTIAS are expected to come into operation from autumn 2026.

What is changing under the new travel rules?

The new Entry/Exit System applies to UK passport holders travelling for short stays to countries in the Schengen area from October 2025, including popular holiday destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece.

The Schengen area also includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.

The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not part of Schengen, so EES will not apply when travelling there.

Under EES, travellers will be required to register biometric details — including fingerprints and a facial photograph — at the border. There is no fee and no action required before travel.

The UK government states: “EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.”

It also warns: “EES may take each passenger a few extra minutes to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border once the system starts.”

Your digital EES record will be valid for three years. On future trips within that period, you will usually only need to provide either a fingerprint or photo on entry and exit.

What happens at airports, ports and Eurostar?

If flying to a Schengen country, biometric checks will take place on arrival.

However, passengers travelling via Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or St Pancras International will complete checks before leaving the UK using self-service kiosks or registration areas.

Cruise passengers whose sailing both starts and ends outside the Schengen area, such as at a UK port, will generally be exempt unless they disembark and continue onward travel within Schengen.

The 90 day rule still applies.

Frequent travellers must continue to follow the 90 days in any 180 day limit within the Schengen zone. EES is designed to automate border control and monitor overstays more closely.

The EU says the system aims to strengthen border security and reduce illegal migration by replacing passport stamps with digital records.

New for 2026: ETIAS, or European Travel Information and Authorisation System

From later this year, UK passport holders will need to apply online for travel authorisation before visiting Schengen countries. Travellers will need to submit personal details, trip information and pay a 20 Euro fee. An approved ETIAS will be mandatory for boarding flights, ferries or trains.

Jane Bolton, Managing Director of tailor-made package ski holiday operator Erna Low, said many travellers are still unaware of what ETIAS means. “With big changes coming to how we travel to Europe, a lot of people are understandably confused about what ETIAS actually is.

“In simple terms, ETIAS is a new online travel authorisation that UK travellers will need before visiting most European countries in the Schengen area. It’s not a visa, but it will be mandatory once it comes into force.”

She advises applying as soon as bookings are confirmed once the system goes live.

“ETIAS becomes part of your travel checklist, just like travel insurance or airport transfers. Don’t leave it until the week before you travel.”

She also warned travellers to use official channels only to avoid scam websites charging inflated fees.

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What this means for your next holiday

Travellers should allow extra time at airports, ferry ports and rail terminals, particularly during busy seasons such as summer holidays and ski breaks.

Securing ETIAS approval will become as essential as packing your passport.

With two major systems rolling out within months of each other, preparation – and understanding the new rules – could make the difference between a smooth departure and being turned away at the gate.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s failed attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers has been described as “stunning” by a former prosecutor in the D.C. office, according to a new report.

A grand jury recently rejected federal prosecutors’ attempt to secure an indictment against a group of Democratic lawmakers who made a video urging members of the military and intelligence communities to refuse illegal orders, according to several media outlets, including The New York Times and Politico.

The video, which was posted in November, enraged President Donald Trump and his allies. On Truth Social, Trump accused the lawmakers of “seditious behavior” and called for their arrests. At one point, he even wrote: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., which Pirro leads, reportedly pursued the indictment. Now, a former prosecutor who once worked in the Washington office tells Politico Magazine it’s “stunning” for a grand jury to reject an indictment completely.

“The rules are skewed so heavily in favor of the prosecutor that it’s almost comical. But the public is essentially saying, ‘We do not trust you. We are skeptical of you,’” they said.

The former prosecutor described the current Washington office as a “hollowed-out core of increasingly inexperienced and overworked D.C. [assistant U.S. attorneys] spending their time reviewing the [Jeffrey] Epstein files and wondering what their ‘red line’ for resignation is.”

“I think good cases aren’t being brought because people are either afraid or lack bandwidth. D.C. had one of the most prestigious U.S. Attorney’s offices in the country, and to see it become a shadow of itself in a year is sad,” the former prosecutor told Politico Magazine.

Pirro told Politico Magazine her responsibility is to “follow the law.”

“Our system of justice allows grand juries and trial juries to review evidence and make their own decisions, that’s their function, that’s the way the system works,” she said. “All victims matter to us. We are about the law, and we are singularly focused; the passions of others, political and otherwise are irrelevant.”

The Independent has contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., for comment.

After the failed indictment attempt was revealed, Democratic lawmakers who appeared in the video spoke out against the Trump administration.

Senator Mark Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain who participated in the video, said the “most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.” Senator Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who was also in the video, said she hopes the grand jury’s rejection “ends this politicized investigation for good.”

This isn’t the first time Pirro’s office has failed to secure a high-profile indictment.

Last year, her office tried and failed to bring a felony charge against a man accused of throwing a sandwich at a federal agent. The case received nationwide attention, and the man was quickly dubbed “Sandwich Guy.”

The charge was downgraded, and a jury later found him not guilty of misdemeanor assault.

MANY York residents are not aware that there is a Roman bathhouse under the Roman Bath public house in St Sampson’s Square – and that it is open to the public as a museum.

That York was the location of a Roman fortress and a city has been known for over two centuries, and discoveries are still being made.

The fortress lies under the city centre and is huge, covering 20 hectares (50 acres).

It was so large because it was the base for a legion of heavy infantry over 5,000 strong. The fortress was built by the Ninth Legion Hispana, probably in the year AD71.

‘Hispana’ was the Roman name for Spain and indicates that the legion was raised there.

Around the time that the Emperor Hadrian visited Britain and ordered the building of Hadrian’s Wall in AD122, the Ninth Legion was replaced by the Sixth Legion Victrix; ‘Victrix’ means victorious and is a battle honour.

Roman Bath pub York

The fortress, with its high stone walls, remained a stronghold in Anglo-Saxon and Viking times.

The medieval city walls alongside Gillygate and Lord Mayors Walk are the latest version of the defences and directly overlie the fortress walls.

If anyone dug deep enough in the city centre – to lay a sewer, for example – they would encounter the remains of the fortress. The question is, which part of the fortress would they find?

In 1929, the decision was made to demolish the old Mail Coach Inn in St Sampson’s Square and replace it with a modern pub.

St Sampson’s Square,York, in the 1930s, showing The Mail Coach Inn before its alteration and refurbishment. On the left is the Black Bull Hotel.

A photograph of that year shows that part of the stables was already being taken down. By the middle of 1930, the stable block had been removed but the ‘public house’ part of the establishment was still standing.

The part-demolished pub was photographed in August of that year when the adjacent property, the Walpamur wallpaper and paint store (now a Pizza Express) burnt to the ground in a spectacular fire. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and the pub suffered only water damage, from a successful attempt to prevent the fire spreading.

Walpamur fire in St Sampson’s Square on August 25 1930. Photo – Explroe York archive

But the Mail Coach Inn had already hit the headlines by the time of the fire. The new pub was to have a cellar, and in May of 1930 the excavations for the cellar had revealed a massive wall 4 metres (13 feet) below the ground.

Further newspaper reports speak of another, curved wall; and finally, two rooms with raised floors standing on brick pillars were found.

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These rooms clearly had underfloor heating and they could only be on thing – the bath house for the soldiers. Further discoveries were made in 1931, following the demolition of the remainder of the Mail Coach Inn.

The notable local historian, the Reverend Angelo Raine, was able to make a record of the discoveries and these were published in Volume 1 of the YAYAS Proceedings in 1933.

The legionary bath house would have been one of the first buildings in the fortress built of stone, as it had an important role in the hygiene and fitness of the soldiers.

The suite of heated rooms (and an unheated room) would have enabled the soldiers to sweat, bathe and relax. The baths were part of a leisure complex the size of a football field that would have included a vast exercise hall and an outdoor exercise area with swimming pool.

St Sampson’s Square in about 1890. Finkle Street is in in the middle of the picture. There are three public houses in view in this small area. From left to right: the Hand and Heart (landlord Benjamin Robson) which was absorbed into the Black Bull in

Although the discovery of the Roman baths was a complete surprise to the owners of the pub, John Smiths, the brewery commendably decided to leave the baths undisturbed in the cellar.

In 1971, the 1900th anniversary of York being founded by the Roman, the name of the pub was changed to the Roman Bath – so the Roman bath is not so hard to find!

The Roman Bath Museum is open 11am to 4pm Tuesdays to Sundays; there is an admission charge (find out more at:www.facebook.com/YorkRomanBathMuseum)

Can you help?

Other than the building found at the Roman Bath pub, the only other evidence for the Roman baths is in Church Street at the corner with Swinegate, where another building with underfloor heating was found in the 1970s.

The impressive Church Street sewer, found in the same excavations, would have taken waste water away from the baths. This is precious little to go on if we want to better understand the layout and history of the baths.

The Church Street sewer was discovered by contractors in 1972 while digging at the corner of Church Street and Swinegate and was investigated by York Archaeological Trust. [This sewer would have taken waste water away from the legionary baths.] Roman

If anyone in the Swinegate/Grape Lane area thinks there is a Roman wall or some other ancient structure in their cellar, let us know; it could be part of the legionary baths!

We would also like to hear from anyone who has information on, or photographs of, the discovery of the Roman bathhouse under the pub in 1930. Contact info@yayas.org.uk

Kurt Hunter-Mann is a local archaeologist and honorary secretary of the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS).

YAYAS developed from its foundation in 1842. It publishes the York Historian and YAYAS Times, with articles and news items about York and its surrounds.

Its archives include photographic illustrations that can be used for research or reproduction with copyright acknowledgement.

Visit the website www.yayas.org.uk for more information about the organisation, its publications and how you can support it.

With vulnerable victims reportedly being conned out of hundreds of pounds, insurance experts at MoneySuperMarket say knowing the warning signs could protect both your property and your wallet.

What is a locksmith scam?

Kara Gammell, Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket, says rogue operators often take advantage of homeowners at their most stressed.

“If you’ve ever been locked out of your home, you’ll know how quickly panic can set in — and unfortunately, that’s exactly the moment rogue locksmiths are ready to exploit. These operators often draw people in with low quotes over the phone before dramatically increasing the price once they arrive, using a classic bait and switch tactic that can leave households paying far more than expected.”

She also warned that the problem can go beyond inflated fees.

“What’s more troubling is that some rogue locksmiths carry out unnecessary or poor-quality work, leaving properties more vulnerable and forcing people to spend even more money putting things right.”

Some scammers imitate genuine local businesses by copying names, logos and websites, making it harder for customers to verify who they are hiring.

“When you’re stressed and standing outside your home, it’s easy to make a snap decision — but taking a moment to check reviews carefully, confirm business details and get a clear price upfront can help you avoid paying over the odds for work that isn’t up to scratch.”

Does home insurance cover a locksmith?

Many homeowners assume their insurance will step in if something goes wrong. However, Kara says that is not usually the case.

“Home insurance typically excludes damage caused by tradespeople or emergency call-out services, which means that if a locksmith damages your property, it’s unlikely you’ll be covered for repairs or replacements.”

She adds: “Even policies that include accidental damage often exclude poor workmanship, leaving homeowners footing the bill when things go wrong.”

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Three warning signs of a rogue locksmith

1. Suspiciously low prices

If the quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“According to Checkatrade, average locksmith prices are around £65 an hour, with emergency callout fees estimated to cost between £50 to £150. If a locksmith is advertising or offering a lower price than that, it’s most likely a scam.”

Low initial quotes can quickly escalate once the locksmith arrives.

2. Vague answers about costs or identity

“When you call a locksmith, the person on the phone should be able to tell you exactly who is coming out and how much the job will cost. You should always get a clear, upfront quote — not a vague estimate that leaves room for unexpected add-ons later.”

Kara warns that some rogue traders operate through call centres to appear local when they are not.

Consumers can check whether a locksmith is approved via the Master Locksmiths Association database.

3. False police claims

One of the biggest red flags is any claim of being “Police approved”.

“Some rogue locksmiths claim they’re Police approved or Police recommended — but this is simply not true. The Police never endorse or work with individual locksmith companies, so if you see this claim on a website, advert or van, it should be treated as an immediate red flag.”

She advises homeowners to walk away if such claims are made and instead seek a verified, reputable local locksmith.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded another sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Sunday.

Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure then-President Nicolás Maduro before Maduro was apprehended in January during an American military operation.

Several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast in the wake of the raid, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight. The Defense Department said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Veronica III, conducting “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”

Video posted by the Pentagon shows U.S. troops boarding the tanker.

The Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged vessel under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Panama Maritime Authority said Sunday in a brief statement that the ship was no longer registered there and had been canceled in December 2024.

The Veronica III left Venezuela on Jan. 3, the same day as Maduro’s capture, with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, TankerTrackers.com posted Sunday on X.

“Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil,” the organization said.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told The Associated Press in January that his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine.

The Trump administration has been seizing tankers as part of its broader efforts to take control of the Venezuela’s oil. The Pentagon did not say in the post whether the Veronica III was formally seized and placed under U.S. control, and later told the AP in an email that it had no additional information to provide beyond that post.

Last week, the U.S. military boarded a different tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Aquila II. The ship was being held while its ultimate fate was decided by the United States, according to a defense official who spoke last week on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.

—-

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Alma Solís in Panama City contributed to this report.

Clint Bentley’s lyrical Denis Johnson adaptation “Train Dreams ” won the top film award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles, while “Adolescence” dominated the television categories. Both were released on Netflix.

Bentley also won best director for the film starring Joel Edgerton, whom he thanked profusely for “being the heartbeat of our film.”

“We’re so grateful to Netflix,” Bentley said. “It’s very, very hard these days to film in the United States, but it’s worth it and we’re proud to be able to pull it off.”

Edgerton missed out on the top acting prize, however, which went to Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” The organization switched to gender-neutral acting categories in 2022.

Byrne was one of the few actors nominated for both a Spirit Award and an Oscar, for her performance as a mother on the edge.

“I share this with Mary Bronstein, my writer-director who fought for eight years to get this movie made,” Byrne said.

She added that this was a film that could have only been made independently. Her character, she said, is “fierce and ferocious and a middle-aged woman.”

“Adolescence” won new scripted series, best actor for Stephen Graham, best supporting actor for Erin Doherty, and the breakthrough prize for Owen Cooper.

The show, which serves as a fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, was held at the Hollywood Palladium for the first time since 1994, as its longtime beachside perch in Santa Monica undergoes renovations. Comedian and “Saturday Night Live” veteran Ego Nwodim hosted the celebration of independent film and television, which was livestreamed on YouTube.

“In the spirit of independent filmmaking, we don’t have a permit,” Nwodim said in her opening. “If I shout ‘cameras down,’ you know what to do.”

“The Secret Agent” won the international feature prize. The film is also nominated for best picture and best international film at the Oscars.

“I really believe that programming films in the cinemas is more and more a political act,” said director Kleber Mendonça Filho.

He dedicated the award to the late actor Udo Kier, who was part of the ensemble of “The Secret Agent.”

“The Perfect Neighbor,” about a deadly shooting incident in Florida constructed primarily from police bodycam footage, won best documentary. Filmmaker and producer Geeta Gandbhir thanked Netflix for “giving us a global platform.” It’s also up for the best documentary Oscar.

Eva Victor won the screenplay prize for “Sorry, Baby.” Naomi Ackie also won the supporting award for Victor’s film, over fellow nominees like Zoey Deutch (“Nouvelle Vague”), Kirsten Dunst (“Roofman”), Nina Hoss (“Hedda”) and Archie Madekwe (“Lurker”).

The awards sometimes overlap significantly with major Oscar contenders and winners, as it did with “Anora,” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” and sometimes not. Organizers limit eligibility to productions with budgets less than $30 million, meaning more expensive films like “One Battle After Another” are not in the running.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 in a car owned by Michael Jordan when Chase Elliott crashed as he and Reddick were battling for the win in NASCAR’s season opener.

Reddick, in a Toyota for 23XI Racing, led only one lap Sunday: the one to the checkered flag for the team owned by the NBA Hall of Famer and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

“Just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness,” said Reddick, the 25th different driver to lead a lap for a new Daytona 500 record. “I’ve already lost my voice from screaming. Never thought I’d be Daytona 500 champion.”

Neither did Jordan, who met Reddick in victory lane for a bear hug before they jointly hoisted the Harley J. Earl trophy. Jordan, who turns 63 on Tuesday, will get a Daytona 500 ring for his birthday and made it known in victory lane he wears a size 13.

“It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know,” Jordan said.

Reddick, a 30-year-old from Corning, California, won for the ninth time in the Cup Series and first time since late in the 2024 season. Winless last year, Reddick was primarily focused on his infant son, who was found to have a tumor in his chest that affected his heart. Reddick opened last year with a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500.

He snapped the 38-race losing streak by finishing one place higher Sunday and winning to start a celebration that included multiple stars of NASCAR. Reddick is teammates with Bubba Wallace, who went to victory lane in tears after leading a race-high 40 laps before finishing 10th.

Jordan wrapped his arms around Wallace from behind and spoke closely into Wallace’s ear in a brief speech of encouragement.

“I don’t want my emotions to take away from the monumental day they just accomplished. Happy birthday, MJ. That’s a massive birthday present,” Wallace said. “I thought this was our week, the best 500 I’ve ever had, and come up short, sucks.

“Led a lot of laps, lap leader, I believe. It was a good day for us, but damn. Try again next year.”

Hamlin also was in victory lane after finishing 31st and falling short in his bid to become the third four-time Daytona 500 winner.

Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, was involved in the final caution when he and teammate Christopher Bell collided with nine laps remaining. It set up the final push to the finish over the final four laps.

Elliott had control on the final lap after leader Carson Hocevar was spun off the track and it appeared the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott would finally win his first Daytona 500.

Instead, Reddick made a huge surge with an assist from teammate Riley Herbst. He hit Elliott and sailed past to give Jordan a victory in NASCAR’s biggest event of the year.

Jordan was the face of the December federal antitrust lawsuit that NASCAR settled on the ninth day of trial. The settlement changed the revenue-sharing model in the United States’ top motorsports series.

Jordan watched the win from a suite overlooking the superspeedway built by the France family — NASCAR founders and private owners — he just beat in federal court. NASCAR chairman Jim France, who was personally a defendant in the suit, went to victory lane to congratulate the winners.

“I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying,” Jordan said of the victory. “You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic.”

The victory marked a Daytona sweep for three team owners heavily involved in the trial. Bob Jenkins, who joined 23XI in suing NASCAR, opened the weekend with a victory when Chandler Smith won the Truck Series opener on Friday night for Front Row Motorsports.

Richard Childress, who testified on behalf of 23XI and Front Row and was the subject of disparaging text messages by since-departed NASCAR chairman Steve Phelps, was the winning team owner Saturday when Austin Hill won.

Then came “The Great American Race,” and Jordan and Hamlin, the two front-facing litigants, got their first Daytona 500 victory together.

Former race winners Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano finished second and third as Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford each placed a driver on the podium. Elliott wound up fourth and sat dejected and in disbelief on the outside wall of the track after climbing from his car.

“We ended up kind of getting gifted the lead … and then at that point in time, you’re just on defense. Man, that’s a really, really tough place to be, truthfully,” Elliott said. “Obviously looking back, you can run it through your mind 1,000 times, do you do something different?”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Now that the day one patch has fixed most of the technical problems, GameCentral offers a final verdict on the Justin Roiland-less sequel to High On Life.

Humour isn’t an easy thing to get right, especially in in video games, where players have such a large influence on when and how they experience the action and the dialogue that punctuates it. Comic timing is hard when you might not be listening to or even looking at whoever’s trying to be funny. The first High On Life went full Rick and Morty, appealing directly to the show’s considerable following, and thanks to the involvement of its creator, Justin Roiland, the anarchic first person shooter was an instant hit.

Roiland also voiced the game’s first weapon. Because your protagonist was entirely mute, and each gun had its own distinct and exaggerated personality, they did all the talking for you, conversations changing radically depending on which gun you equipped. Since Roiland’s no longer involved with Squanch Games, his idiosyncratic vocal style and particular brand of brutal humour are also absent.

That gives High On Life 2 a different feel. For a start, it’s not as funny, with more of its bits landing with a wry smile rather than actual laughter, and long tracts of the game now relying on the boorish personalities of your weapons. While they certainly have their moments, they sometimes seem to rely on swearing as a substitute for jokes. It does manage to improve on the first game in some ways though, one being its more pointed satire.

In High On Life, aliens discovered they could smoke humans like pot and your character’s job was to gun down the galactic drug cartel responsible. In the sequel, humans are being farmed and turned into legally manufactured pills by an evil pharmaceutical conglomerate whose ruthless pursuit of profit, regardless of the human misery it causes, may not be too distant from actual big pharma.

Traversal has been streamlined with the addition of a skateboard. Now the sprint button hops you onto your board, letting you move faster and grind rails, something every environment in the game has plenty of. You also gain access to your knife’s grapple hook right at the start of the game, rather than towards the end. Along with your double jump and air dash, it makes getting around the game’s vertiginous, brightly coloured levels less painful than it could have been.

The final upgrade is to the gunplay. There was a lot wrong with High On Life’s shooting, from the apparent puniness of many of its weapons, to the annoyingly stodgy feel of aiming, and although the sequel improves on every aspect, it’s still some way short of being actively good. Despite being a first person shooter, its firefights are something to be endured rather than enjoyed, even if boss fights are occasionally more inventive.

You can tell Squanch knew things weren’t working properly because the game defaults to easy mode rather than normal. A quick experiment reveals why: in normal, fights are a mess. Enemies are inveterate bullet sponges and you regularly find yourself being killed by opponents you can’t even see. On easy, its untidy and defuse battles are at least manageable. The downside is that you’re practically invincible, making it feel as though little skill’s involved, the auto aim continually patronising you.

Puzzles, such as they are, are spelt out for you in the early part of the game, with both onscreen instructions and characters simply telling you what to do, often repeating themselves after a few seconds if you don’t act quickly enough. High On Life 2 emphatically isn’t a puzzle game, but it’s odd to include those elements, and then paper over them with overbearing announcements – the time it must have taken to add all that would have been better spent polishing the rest of its mechanics.

It also suffers from a clutch of technical issues. Until the day one patch arrived, an early boss fight was unplayable on PlayStation 5, crashing the console on every attempt. Even after the patch we soon found ourselves soft-locked after a Lugblob, one of High On Life 2’s grotesque key items, failed to spawn. Reloading the checkpoint and restarting the game didn’t help, although we did finally manage to glitch our way past it in what was clearly not the intended solution to the puzzle. Fortunately, that was the last significant problem in our playthrough.

Underneath its unrefined exterior, there’s a riot of offbeat and anarchic ideas, from its playable retro style arcade games to full length B-movies you can sit and watch; a boss that infiltrates your HUD and menus, forcing you to pause the game to fight him; and, of course, the absurdist weaponry. It’s even got an Agatha Christie style murder mystery. It’s just a shame they’re all so uninspiring to play.

High On Life 2 is frustratingly close to being a good game, but its rough edges predominate to the extent that they drown out much of the inventiveness. Shooting up groups of enemies just isn’t much fun, but neither are the minigames, and now that the dialogue isn’t as funny, there just isn’t enough joy to be had. With more polish those crazy ideas could really shine, but as it stands this feels more miss than hit.

Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Price: £49.99
Publisher: Squanch Games
Developer: Squanch Games
Release Date: 13th February 2026 (20/4 on Switch 2)
Age Rating: 18

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