78 m. ago He wrote the world’s most successful video games – now what? Rockstar co

He rewrote the rule book with Rockstar then left it all behind. Now Dan Houser is back with a storytelling-focused studio to take on AI-obsessed tech bros and Mexican beauty queensThere are only a handful of video game makers who have had as profound an effect on the industry as Dan Houser. The co-founder of Rockstar Games, and its lead writer, worked on all the GTA titles since the groundbreaking third instalment, as well as both Red Dead Redemption adventures. But then, in 2019, he took an extended break from the company which ended with his official departure. Now he’s back with a new studio and a range of projects, and 12 years after we last interviewed him, he’s ready to talk about what comes next.“Finishing those big projects and thinking about doing another one is really intense,” he says about his decision to go. “I’d been in full production mode every single day from the very start of each project to the very end, for 20 years. I stayed so long because I loved the games. It...

Politics

1 hour ago Australia has a reputation for strict gun laws. How did the Bondi Beach shooting happen?

A massacre nearly 30 years ago led Australia to get tough on guns, now the Bondi shooting has reignited that debate

Society

1 hour ago Ben Stokes calls on England to show some ‘dog’ in Adelaide and keep Ashes hopes alive

Captain cites summer Lord’s win over India as good exampleEngland must win in Adelaide to have chance of regaining the AshesBen Stokes has called on his England players to summon up the rage witnessed against India in the summer and show some “dog” as they look to keep their slim Ashes hopes alive in Adelaide.After going 2-0 down in Brisbane, Stokes spoke of Australia being “no country for weak men” and stressed the same went for the England dressing room under his captaincy. Looking ahead to the third Test that gets under way on Wednesday, that comment was seemingly no slip of the tongue. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago It’s the media’s job to hold power to account. This year, too many got into bed with it instead | Arwa Mahdawi

The lines between advertising, public relations and journalism have become dangerously blurredFunded by readers, the Guardian’s fierce independence is guaranteed. Please help us reach our year-end fundraising goalEnough time has passed now, I think, that I can safely tell you about one of the stupidest things I have ever done. Almost a decade ago I decided to quit my well-paid job in advertising in order to pursue a precarious career in freelance journalism. The merits of that decision are up for debate but the real stupidity is in how I quit my job: I wrote a rather cringeworthy column for the Guardian about my “meaningless job in advertising” and publicly proclaimed that I’d decided to quit. My boss saw the piece and, well, he obviously wasn’t happy. (Sorry, Sean!)I bring this embarrassing anecdote up because I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting recently on the reasons why I left advertising. Maybe this sounds twee, but I was sick of selling people things they didn’t need. I wanted...

Politics

2 h. ago 'I'm a Brit and left Bondi Beach moments before attack – all we could hear were sirens'

It was a busy summer's evening and the sun was shining. The streets were packed.

Events

2 h. ago ‘Lunch could last all day – and night’: inside Coco Chanel’s sun

The French fashion designer’s lavish Mediterranean villa was frequented by everyone from Dalí to Garbo to Stravinsky to Churchill. It has now been lovingly restored – with a thrillingly bolstered libraryIt is the place where Salvador Dalí painted The Enigma of Hitler, a haunting landscape featuring a giant telephone receiver that seems to be crying a tear over a cutout picture of the Fuhrer. Conceived in 1939, the work seems to anticipate war. It is also the place where Winston Churchill penned parts of his multi-volume A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, and painted its dappled-light view. Somerset Maugham would visit, too, as well as novelist Colette, composer Igor Stravinsky and playwright Jean Cocteau, partaking in lunches that lasted all day and night, with debates and discussions around artistic ideas.This place is La Pausa: the Mediterranean villa in the hills of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, once owned by husband-and-wife writing duo Charles Norris Williamson and Alice Murie...

Politics

2 h. ago Lucky gran scoops £400K with first ever lottery ticket after medium predicted ‘Christmas surprise’

Deborah Clymer visited a spiritualist in summer who predicted that she could expect a "big surprise" over Christmas

Economics

3 h. ago Heartbreaking reason cricket stars in Australia could break strict rule after Bondi Beach shooting

Sydney Sixers were in action not long after the mass shooting on Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.

Events

3 h. ago Jimmy Lai’s conviction condemned as ‘travesty of justice’ that deepens fears over Hong Kong press freedom

Britain, New Zealand and Taiwan condemn ‘politically motivated prosecution’ of media tycoon

Politics

3 h. ago Families of two police officers critically wounded in Bondi terror attack break their silence

A 10-year-old girl injured in Sunday night's attack has since died in hospital. Follow live updates here.

Events

3 h. ago How the Guardian ranked the 100 best male footballers in the world 2025

Didi Hamann, Romário and Dunga were part of our 219-strong voting panel to decide who should make our list this yearIf someone, back in 1994, had said that at one point in my life I would work on a project selecting the world’s best footballers together with Romário, I would not have believed them.That summer I was living in Rosersberg, seeing Sweden make their way to a World Cup semi-final, watching the late games at the local Blå Laguna pizza restaurant. Tommy Svensson’s team finally came unstuck against a Brazil side not only containing the wonderful Romário, but also Bebeto, Dunga, Jorginho and Raí. Brazil went on to win the World Cup, beating Italy on penalties in the final. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Revealed: Lionesses glamour girl hero Chloe Kelly's hair loss hell

The 27-year-old, who captured the nation's attention at last summer's European Championships, has been open about her struggles, particularly during the end of her Manchester City career.

Politics

4 h. ago I ate at Jeremy Clarkson's pub at Christmas — 1 word sums it up

After visiting a few times over the summer, I wanted to see how different it was at Christmas.

Politics

4 h. ago Pussy Riot labelled ‘extremist organisation’ in latest Kremlin crackdown

Decision follows a court judgment that saw five members of the group sentenced in absentia to up to 13 years in jail

Politics

4 h. ago Jeff Brazier admits he is 'spending time reflecting on life' following split from wife Kate as he returns home from ITV filming in the Caribbean after THAT Ruth Langsford outburst

Last month the TV personality, 46, confirmed that his seven-year marriage to the PR guru, 35, had broken down over the summer.

Culture

4 h. ago I ate at Jeremy Clarkson's pub at Christmas — 1 thing topped off the whole evening

I've been a few times over summer months but wanted to see how different it was at Christmas.

Politics

4 h. ago I ate at Jeremy Clarkson's pub at Christmas and can sum it up in 1 word

I've been a few times over summer months but wanted to see how different it was at Christmas.

Politics

4 h. ago BT and Three investigated over mobile outages that left customers unable to make calls – including to emergency services

TWO major mobile networks are being investigated over outages causing nationwide disruption. Ofcom, the communications watchdog, has today launched a probe into BT and Three following outages in the summer that left customers unable to make calls, including to the emergency services. BT was hit by a software issue on July 24 and 25 this...

Economics

4 h. ago Jeff Brazier admits he is 'spending time reflecting on life' following split from wife Kate as he returns home from ITV filming in the Caribbean after THAT Ruth Langford outburst

Last month the TV personality, 46, confirmed that his seven-year marriage to the PR guru, 35, had broken down over the summer.

Culture

4 h. ago Weather tracker: Bushfires ravage Western Australia as temperatures soar

Extreme heat follows blazes in New South Wales, while winds plunge Brazil’s largest city into darknessExtreme heat and bushfires have ravaged the parched landscape of Western Australia. With temperatures expected to continue soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe heatwave warning across much of the south-west.The conditions follow bushfires in New South Wales this month, which resulted in the destruction of homes and loss of life. Severe heatwave warnings have also been issued for later this week in parts of South Australia and New South Wales, as a ridge of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing sunshine to much of the region. Continue reading...

Events