Author: Olivia Carter

What is Death Stranding 2 trying to say? It’s a question you will ask yourself on many occasions during the second instalment of Hideo Kojima’s hypnotising, mystifying, and provocatively slow-paced cargo management simulator series. First, because during the many long and uneventful treks across its supernatural vision of Mexico and Australia, you have all the headspace in the world to ponder its small details and decipher the perplexing things you just witnessed. And second, because the question so often reveals something profound.That it can stand up to such extended contemplation is a marker of the fine craftsmanship that went into…

Disney is filling a key executive post in its unscripted division. Jilly Pearce has joined the company as senior vp unscripted programming for ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals. She comes to Disney from the All3Media-owned Objective Media Group America, where she served as president. In her new role, Pearce will be responsible for development of unscripted shows across ABC and Hulu and will also oversee the two outlets’ roster of current programming, which ranges from Dancing With the Stars to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She reports to Rob Mills, executive vp unscripted and alternative entertainment for Walt Disney…

Another India lower-order collapse gave England a fighting chance of a thrilling victory in the first Test at Headingley, with the hosts 21-0 in their second innings at the close of play on day four, chasing 371 to win.Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul struck centuries for the visitors, with the former becoming the second wicketkeeper to hit twin tons in a Test match. But just as he did in the first innings, Josh Tongue came to the fore when seeing off the Indian tail, with three wickets in four balls helping ensure the tourists lost their final six second-innings wickets…

If a giant asteroid smashes into the moon in 2032 it could send lunar debris hurtling towards Earth, researchers have said, posing a risk to satellites but also creating a rare and spectacularly vivid meteor shower visible in the skies.Asteroid 2024 YR4 triggered a planetary defence response earlier this year after telescope observations revealed the “city killer” had a 3% chance of colliding with Earth.Later observations found the likelihood of the asteroid, estimated at about 53-67 metres (174-220ft) wide, hitting the Earth was negligibly low at 0.0017% – although the moon would still be under threat.The odds of the space…

A strong sense of place can deeply influence a story, and in some cases, the setting can even feel like a character itself. This week’s literary geography quiz highlights fictional works with the names of real international cities in their titles. To play, just make your selection in the multiple-choice list and the correct answer will be revealed. Links to the books will be listed at the end of the quiz if you’d like to do further reading.

After one of the most brutal wars of this century, a new Syria is rising from the disastrous legacy of the toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad. His photos have been torn from the walls, as people exercise freedoms denied during his family’s decades-long reign. Now, a different flag flies across Syria, the emblem of the rebels in charge. For Syrians, the future is uncertain — a tangle of elation and pain, of hope and fear. By Ben Hubbard Visuals by David Guttenfelder The team reported for more than a month from a dozen cities, towns and villages across Syria. June 23,…

The colour palette for the front cover was the same, and whizzy light beams were again used to denote go-getting national ambition. But the big difference between Greg Clark’s 2017 industrial strategy and Jonathan Reynolds’s “modern” version on Monday was supposed to be the latter’s emphasis on reducing the sky-high cost of electricity for UK industry. Does it deliver?Well, it acknowledges the problem, which is a start. But then it’s impossible to avoid the UK’s woeful position on electricity prices. The statistics are aired alongside every de-industrialisation story from the Port Talbot steelworks to the Grangemouth oil refinery. The lobby…

Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxis rolled out for the first time on roads in Austin, Texas on Sunday.In videos shared by Tesla on X, a small group of invited analysts, influencers and shareholders were shown participating in paid rides. The small number of vehicles deployed had a human safety operator in the passenger seat, according to reports.Analysts said the “low-key” robotaxi launch highlights Tesla’s big bid to compete with existing self-driving taxi operators in the US and China, as the sector grows.Musk congratulated Tesla’s artificial intelligence and chip design teams on the launch in a post on X, writing that it was…

Emmy voting has entered its final stretch, with just 12 hours remaining before ballots officially close at 10:00 p.m. PT on Monday, June 23. At this stage in the game, the television landscape can start to feel like an echo chamber, with a handful of prestige titles gobbling up the bulk of the buzz, campaign dollars and media oxygen. There’s nothing wrong with rewarding excellence where it’s obvious. Still, the Emmys also serve another purpose: to spotlight the full spectrum of TV excellence, including the shows that aren’t plastered on every billboard in Los Angeles. From innovative streaming originals to…

Etro took a quieter route this season, presenting its men’s collection without fanfare in a showroom display. Shown on mannequins and designed by the in-house team, the collection stayed within familiar territory, riffing on the brand’s paisley prints without pushing for reinvention.The motifs were drawn from an archival pochette, and reimagined across fluid silk shirts, lightweight knitted blousons, and the brand’s signature pajama sets, complete with matching kimono robes, for a touch of worldly nonchalance.Ornamental prints were woven into a more grounded menswear lexicon, a deliberate move that balanced Etro’s signature decorative penchant with pragmatism. Soft-tailored suits, relaxed silhouettes, and…