One of the last first party games for the original Switch has a free demo you can download now, as a reader examines the pros and cons of next month’s new game.

When gaming publications started detailing their experiences previewing Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream last week, I assumed it would be a wait to get the same opportunity, if we got one at all. So when this demo shadow-dropped almost immediately afterwards, it caught me off guard in the best way. This has been my most anticipated game of the year, so any opportunity to preview it is a massive privilege.

Essentially a short prologue to the full game, it does a solid job of introducing the core mechanics while letting you actually play around with them without feeling heavy-handed. When you’ve finished the demo, you’ll have a strong understanding of how to manage your residents and interact with them.

The main restriction is the three Mii cap. While that sounds really limited, it’s just enough to complete the basic tutorial and unlock the first two buildings. In the full game you need five residents to unlock the flagship Island Designer, so the demo basically puts you in the perfect position come launch day, as your demo progress transfers to the full game.

Being able to shorten the time it takes to unlock the new feature makes this worth the download alone. I’d recommend making the remaining two Mii in the console’s Mii Maker and then importing them into the full game on release day.

The biggest highlight is simply watching the Mii of my friends interact with each other. The charm of Tomodachi Life is built around wacky interactions and relationships, and seeing this effectively translated to the Switch reminds me of exactly what I loved about the 3DS original, as within minutes I was grinning at the descriptions of what my Mii were talking about.

The clothing shop also has a surprisingly large amount of clothes to buy for your Mii, and there’s a genuinely cute bonus costume as a reward for completing the demo. LGBT customisability (which was lacking in the 3DS game) is also really strong and is done in a way that’s both detailed for those who want LGBT Mii and simple to ignore for anyone who doesn’t.

The only major objective flaw with the demo game is that you’re only able to use the touchscreen when making the Mii. Also, the frame rate/pacing felt slightly off in my eyes, although your mileage may vary with that.

The biggest flaw is how the demo ends. It takes roughly an hour to complete, which totally makes sense for the type of game this is. However, after giving your Mii an outfit the island essentially freezes. The Mii stay inside their homes and all dialogue becomes focused on what you’ll be able to do in the full game.

While demos are advertisements for games, I can’t remember a recent one quite as blatant about it as this, and the way the Mii talk feels at odds with the tone of the game. It’s frustrating because the bulk of the demo gives you the limited freedom to orchestrate dynamic interactions between three Mii and watch them explore the island. And yet just as it starts to soar, its wings get cut off and it becomes a semi-interactive billboard.

Overall, I’m thrilled that this exists and it does exactly what it needs to do in order to sell you on the full game. However, the unnecessarily restrictive post-demo kills all momentum and makes me think that it should’ve been released on the 9th of April, when you can pre-download the full game.

By reader Connor Lamb

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The astronaut who prompted NASA’s first medical evacuation earlier this year said Friday that doctors still don’t know why he suddenly fell sick at the International Space Station.

Four-time space flier Mike Fincke said he was eating dinner on Jan. 7 after prepping for a spacewalk the next day when it happened. He couldn’t talk and remembers no pain, but his anxious crewmates jumped into action after seeing him in distress and requested help from flight surgeons on the ground.

“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press from Houston’s Johnson Space Center.

Fincke, 59, a retired Air Force colonel, said the episode lasted roughly 20 minutes and he felt fine afterward. He said he still does. He never experienced anything like that before or since.

Doctors have ruled out a heart attack and Fincke said he wasn’t choking, but everything else is still on the table and could be related to his 549 days of weightlessness. He was 5 ½ months into his latest space station stay when the problem struck like “a very, very fast lightning bolt.”

“My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress,” he said, with all six gathering around him. “It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.”

Fincke said he can’t provide any more details about his medical episode. The space agency wants to make sure that other astronauts do not feel that their medical privacy will be compromised if something happens to them, he said.

The space station’s ultrasound machine came in handy when the event occurred, he said, and he’s gone through numerous tests since returning to Earth. NASA is poring through other astronauts’ medical records to see if any related instances might have happened in space, he said.

Fincke identified himself late last month as the one who was sick to end the swirling public speculation.

He still feels bad that his illness caused the spacewalk to be canceled — it would have been his 10th spacewalk but first for crewmate Zena Cardman — and resulted in an early return for her and their two other crewmates. SpaceX brought them back on Jan. 15, more than a month early, and they went straight to the hospital.

“I’ve been very lucky to be super healthy. So this was very surprising for everyone,” he said.

Fincke stopped apologizing to everybody after NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman ordered him to stop.

“This wasn’t you. This was space, right?” his colleagues assured him. “You didn’t let anybody down.”

Ever the optimist, he’s holding out hope that he can return to space one day.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Tiger Woods has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence after his car was involved in a crash in Florida, police have said.

A Land Rover, which the golf legend was driving, tried to overtake a truck “at high speeds” before it swerved and rolled on to its side after clipping a truck towing a trailer, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said.

He added Woods showed “signs of impairment” after the incident, which happened shortly after 2pm local time on Friday and not far from where the golfer lives on Jupiter Island.

Woods, 50, took a breathalyser test after his arrest, which came back negative, but the golfer then refused to give a urine sample, police said.

Sheriff Budensiek told reporters during a news conference: “When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he has been charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”

None of the parties involved in the crash reported injuries.

Pointing to how the smash unfolded on a small, two-lane road, Sheriff Budensiek said it was lucky no one was injured.

“Had there been someone moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries. This could’ve been a lot worse,” Sheriff Budensiek said.

“He [Woods] was lethargic on scene but that we believe was because of what he was intoxicated on.”

The vehicle Woods hit was a truck towing a pressure cleaner trailer.

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The truck driver tried to “edge off” the side of the road to get out of the way but there was not enough room, the sheriff explained during an update on Friday.

It is not known if Woods was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, as he “crawled out of the passenger door” prior to police arriving at the scene.

This was at least the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries.

Woods said later his injuries were so bad that doctors considered amputation.

He also was arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 when South Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car that was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver’s side.

He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after it emerged he had had five prescription drugs in his system at the time.

In 2009 he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and tree outside his Florida home – an accident which inadvertently led to a spectacular unravelling of his private life.

Woods’ then wife, Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to smash a window of his Cadillac Escalade to get him out.

“This situation is my fault and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” Woods said on his official website at the time.

“I’m human and I’m not perfect.”

The incident revealed a bitter marital dispute with Nordegren, as a host of women came forward to admit to having had extramarital affairs with Woods.

Woods and Nordegren divorced in August 2010.

The latest crash comes after Woods returned to competitive action for the first time in over a year on the final night of play in the indoor TGL competition on Tuesday.

He had said afterwards that he hoped he would be fit enough to play at the Masters next month.

Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers ​of all time. His major titles include five Masters, three US Opens, three British Opens and four PGA Championships.

The villages are within walking distance of one another

People living in two neighbouring Cambridgeshire villages say they “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else” and that living there feels like “being on holiday”. Melbourn and Meldreth are both in the south of Cambridgeshire and are roughly a four minute drive from each other, or around 20-minutes on foot.

Melbourn is the larger of the two, and is home to more than 4,600 people, whilst Meldreth has around 2,000 residents. In Melbourn, there are a variety of amenities including shops, two pubs, barbershops, and even a stunning wedding venue. Meldreth has a train station which is ideal for commuters, a shop, and a village pub called The British Queen.

As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we visited both villages and spoke to people about what it is like to live here.

Vicky Deville, 73, has lived in Melbourn for 40 years. She said that the village is “a nice place” and she “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”. She added: “We have got all the amenities we need. There is lots and lots of groups going on for all ages.”

Vicky feels “very lucky” to live here, especially because she enjoys visiting the Melbourn Hub, which has a café with an integrated library, and hosts lots of local events. She added: “There is lots of things that go on in there. There’s all sorts of advice you can get in there and help from people.”

Hannah Trinder, a manager at one of Melbourn’s local pubs, The Dolphin, grew up in a nearby town, but later moved to Melbourn. She said: “It is nice because despite this being a village, you still have that town feel. Plus, what is really nice about living here is that the locals are all really friendly and fun.”

She said that she has made friends with a lot of locals, and that “there is such a community in this village – everyone just wants to help each other”.

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Melbourn Greenway, one of 12 Greater Cambridge greenways being constructed in South Cambridgeshire, aims to provide better and safer walking and cycling routes into the city of Cambridge.

Hannah said that this is something she would definitely use because she enjoys a long walk, especially because of “the very nice countryside” that surrounds the village. Hannah sees the neighbouring village, Meldreth, as a similar style village with “nice little houses and cottages”.

A couple, Nicole and Edward, who moved from London to Meldreth, chose the “perfect village” so that they were still able to commute into London. Edward, 49, said: “It has got a pub, corner shop, post office, and butchers.” Nicole, who is 37, said that after living in London, coming to Meldreth feels like “being on holiday”.

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The couple love that it is a “lived in village, so it has a sense of community” and the locals “are very friendly”. The couple say Melbourn is useful for its amenities such as the dentist but they consider each village to “have two different personalities”.

David Eldred, 84, said that he has lived in Melbourn for “the longest period of living anywhere” in his life. He added: “I’ve moved 28 times in my life because I was in the army, and now I live by myself so it is a place I should always stay.”

David lives down a remote lane, surrounded by the countryside and he enjoys walking through the fields. He said the Melbourn Greenway “would be ideal” and help to connect the surrounding areas. David moved to Melbourn because of its close proximity to Cambridge, so the village was an “ideal” solution for him.

A lady, who only gave her name as Mirka, has lived in Melbourn for around 10 years. She said that she enjoys the park to walk her dog. She said “a lot of people [from Meldreth] come here” and “my children went to Meldreth Primary School”.

The UK’s second-largest fuel retailer also dismissed claims that forecourts are “profiteering” from recent price increases.

Petrol and diesel costs have climbed sharply since the end of February, after the war between Iran and US-Israeli forces disrupted oil production and supply from the region.

Average unleaded prices have jumped by more than 14p a litre over that period, reaching 147.19p, according to RAC figures published earlier this week.

Allan Leighton, executive chairman of Asda, said the retailer has seen bumper demand from drivers amid price volatility.

The boss stressed that the issue has only affected “the odd pump” at a small number of its petrol forecourts.

He said: “Our fuel volumes are up quite significantly and clearly demand has been outstripping supply.

“Supply is tight and we are all trying hard on that.

“The issue is a temporary one, and some could see issues when we are waiting for delivery, and we can expect to see that continue.

“The spikiness at the moment makes this tricky for us, as spikes can lead to temporary shortages. These are temporary and are addressed very quickly.”

The boss also rejected claims that fuel retailers have boosted their profits through recent price increases.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government would step in if retailers try “to rip off customers” through price gouging.

In response, Mr Leighton said “no, we are not” when asked if the business was profiteering.

He said: “Our (profit) margin will be down as a result. It is very clear this is not the case.

“People ask where the money is going and the Government are getting a lot of money of the back of this.”

Why is the Iran war driving up fuel prices?

The war is disrupting both oil supply and its routes, and markets are adding a “risk premium” on top.

Analysis from the RAC and others suggests UK motorists have already paid hundreds of millions extra at the pumps since the Iran conflict intensified, with average petrol and diesel prices climbing sharply in March.

Have you noticed that fuel is more expensive? Let us know in the comments

“And we know that lots of people actually can be in work, and we want to give them the support to make work feasible. The evidence is now very clear. We’re publishing new evidence on this, that those who’ve had this additional help are significantly more likely to be in work, be in a job, and stay in work for an extended period. And we want to give people the chance of fulfilling their ambitions.”

On Saturday, March 7, an unoccupied Nissan car was shot at while it was parked outside a house in Starkey Crescent, at around 9.25pm.

The house and driveway were cordoned off under guard and a heavy police presence remained in the area.

Two days later, police were seen searching the area of a path running parallel to Fifth Avenue from Melrosegate to Tang Hall Lane with sniffer dogs.

Police were combing the area of an active travel path behind Fifth Avenue on consecutive days from March 9 (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Police said no one was harmed in the shooting and it was an isolated incident with no threat to the wider community.

On March 11, three people were arrested in connection with the shooting – a 34‑year‑old man on suspicion of possession of a firearm and criminal damage, a 32‑year‑old man on suspicion of possession of a firearm, and a 29‑year‑old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The following day, the outstanding suspect, a 23-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a certificate and criminal damage.

North Yorkshire Police released an update this afternoon (March 27) saying all four people arrested remain on bail and that its enquiries are ongoing.

Police were combing the area of an active travel path behind Fifth Avenue on consecutive days from March 9 (Image: Kevin Glenton)

A force spokesperson said: “We are continuing to appeal for people in the Tang Hall area of York to come forward, particularly those on Starkey Crescent, Rockingham Avenue, Fifth Avenue, and Melrosegate.

“Do you recall any suspicious people or activity between 8.45pm and 9.45pm on Saturday, March 7?

“Please also get in touch with any relevant information, CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage.

“This includes residents we have already spoken to during our extensive house-to-house enquiries, but who may now have new information or remembered something not previously mentioned to officers.”

Anyone wishing to come forward with information should quote reference number 12260041722.

Hundreds gathered at St Paul’s Church, in Holgate Road, shortly after 10.15am on Friday (March 27) for to remember Paul Bradley,

Moving tributes to Mr Bradley, who lost his battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), aged just 35, were led by Rev Matthew Woodcock.

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They included a beautiful poem from Paul’s family, a Bible passage read out by his step-daughters that had been read at Paul and his wife Emma’s wedding, and another reading from his family about the life he led and the legacy he leaves behind.

Mourners listened to Paul’s favourite music and heard stories from his full and vibrant life – captured in photos on screen.

Paul and Emma pushed forward their wedding in 2023, marrying at St Paul’s with a service led by Rev Woodcock (Image: Supplied)

Speaking during the service, Rev Woodcock said: “I know that this is not going to be easy for any of us.

“To lose such a treasured, life-giving person at such a young age is devastating, and it’s confusing and it’s traumatic.

“I know that the weight of grief has been so hard to bear for many of you.

“And my hope and my prayer is that this time together will be a healing time, a time to celebrate and give thanks for the man that Paul was, the joy that he brought and the generosity of spirit and the legacy he leaves behind.”

Emma and Paul with their family (Image: Submitted)

Paul had received his devastating diagnosis of MND in 2023.

He died on Thursday (March 5), leaving behind Emma, their son and his two step-daughters.

Over the years, Paul and Emma – who were married at St Paul’s by Rev Woodcock in December 2023 – raised thousands of pounds for the MND Association.

Their generosity touched many and was noted by Sir Kevin Sinfield, the former Leeds Rhinos teammate of Rob Burrow CBE who himself has raised over £11 million for the cause – who wrote to Emma after Paul’s death.

Jack (left) set up a fundraiser to help Emma and their family after they were left in a “difficult” financial situation (Image: Supplied)

As The Press reported, a fundraiser was set up for Emma and the family by Paul’s friend, Jack Pullen, after they were left in a difficult financial situation following his death.

It comes after Jack said Emma had to give up her job to become Paul’s primary carer following her husband’s diagnosis.

Things were made harder owing to Paul being unable to get life insurance due to his complex medical history.

‘Paul’s death is tragedy enough’

The funeral heard how Paul had received a kidney and a liver transplant at the age of seven, before a further two kidney transplants.

At the time, Jack said: “On top of grief, Emma and the family are left with a mortgage, bills, no transport and no income, adding: “Not everyone is lucky enough to have extra money to put aside just in case.

“It’s not a case of being responsible. It can be financially impossible.

“Like most people, Paul wanted nothing more than his family to feel safe, secure and loved,” Jack said.

Speaking to mourners, Rev Woodcock said: “Paul’s death is tragedy enough.

“We all need to make sure that the family have time to grieve without worrying about money because of an injustice.”

A minute silence was held for Paul at 11am.

Rev Woodcock said that the number eleven had been an important one to the 35-year-old, who had been born on November 11.

Songs played included some of Paul’s favourites: Sullivan by Beluga Lagoon, Elegy by Leif Vollebekk and Santiago by Einaudi – a song that was played on his wedding day.

You can contribute to the GoFundMe set up to provide his family with financial support by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/the-bradley-family-jmpmj?.