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The Guardian - World News

2026-07-29 10:00:35 (2 weeks ago)

After 40 years, Aliens is still shaping the way video games are made

James Cameron’s high-octane film sequel is a blueprint for modern action space slashers

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It is difficult to believe that James Cameron’s Aliens was released into cinemas 40 years ago. The seminal space shooter took the original Alien – a tense slasher film with a tiny cast and one monster – and transformed it into an intergalactic war movie crammed with wry one-liners, massive guns and an actual boss battle finale. As a 14-year-old, I stood in line at the Tatton Gatley cinema, unsure if I’d be allowed in – I came out three hours later a changed person, my head filled with esoteric military slang and a deep fear of beeping motion detectors. For days afterwards, I slept with my duvet covering my mouth so that no facehuggers could get me. (I was a highly impressionable teenager.)

It’s little wonder that the film has had such a profound effect on video game design. Take the colonial marines, for example. Although the concept of the space soldier had been around in sci-fi novels since the 1930s, most notably in the works of EE “Doc” Smith and Robert Heinlein (the Starship Troopers), Hicks, Hudson, Vasquez and co, were the perfect 80s rendition, combining the witty banter of contemporary buddy cop flicks with awesome weaponry and hi-tech gadgets. Their influence is easy to spot in Doom, where the nameless marine fights ceaseless waves of hellish monsters using a mix of futuristic rifles and good old shotguns. It’s there too in the Halo series, the Spartan soldiers sporting the same armour and mega weapons, cruising about in very similar highly militarised starships and fighting recognisable hive-mind space beasts. Gears of War, Killzone and Marathon all borrow from the same set of costumes and deadly accessories.

Fox News - Video

2026-07-29 10:00:17 (2 weeks ago)

16-year-old lifeguard saves child from dangerous rip tide in Santa Cruz

Founder of Drown Zero Wyatt Werneth joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the dramatic video showing a 16-year-old lifeguard battling powerful 8-10 foot surf waves and rip currents to rescue a 10-year-old boy in Santa Cruz, Calif.

France 24 - World News

2026-07-29 10:00:08 (2 weeks ago)

Public executions in Iran spark anti-regime protests

The Islamic Republic publicly executed two Iranian protesters in Isfahan at dawn on July 28. Several hundred people gathered near a stage set up in the city’s Alikhani Square, but instead of cheering the execution, they chanted slogans against the police, prompting anti-riot units to disperse the crowd.

The Guardian - World News

2026-07-29 09:59:13 (2 weeks ago)

Justin Langer has not heard from ECB about England job but could be tempted

• ‘Everyone looks at all opportunities,’ says Australian

• He is sceptical new Test coach can work with McCullum

Justin Langer says he has had no contact from the England and Wales Cricket Board about coaching the men’s Test team, and expressed scepticism over whether the proposed structure of having the new red-ball coach operate alongside their predecessor, Brendon McCullum, who remains in charge of the white-ball sides, can work.

The 55-year-old, who played 105 Tests for Australia and coached them between 2018 and 2022, was an early frontrunner for the England job after McCullum was sacked this month. But preliminary interviews have now been held with the candidates favoured by Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket.

Al Jazeera - Top Stories

2026-07-29 09:58:28 (2 weeks ago)

Fragile peace in Syria’s Set Zaynab as sectarian challenges persist

Locals in southern Damascus town await safer times as fears rooted in a decade of war still loom over daily life.

The Guardian - World News

2026-07-29 09:57:46 (2 weeks ago)

Rescue teams face ‘race against time’ in search for trapped survivors as death toll in Japan rises to at least 13 – live updates

Emergency workers are continuing their search for survivors in southern Japan after yesterday’s powerful earthquake

• ‘Race against time’: Japan earthquake death toll rises as rescue teams search for missing

An aerial view of a collapsed section of a bridge in the city of Yatsushiro after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture:

Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun newspaper has been speaking to people at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where a chimney collapsed on to the site.

“I never imagined something like this would happen,” said a 33-year-old man who worked at the factory. “I never thought that the chimney could collapse. I’m worried about the people inside.”

He was off duty and at home when the earthquake struck, and was unharmed. The names of those rescued and those trapped have not yet been released. “Someone I know might be affected,” he said.

Times of Israel - World News

2026-07-29 09:57:33 (2 weeks ago)

Veteran of secret IDF unit arrested, charged upon suspicion of spying for Iran

Statement from security authorities says suspect charged with 'contact with a foreign agent and attempted delivery of information for benefit of the enemy'; no details given

The post Veteran of secret IDF unit arrested, charged upon suspicion of spying for Iran appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Times of Israel - World News

2026-07-29 09:56:11 (2 weeks ago)

Hezbollah drone hits IDF bulldozer, violating Lebanon truce, IDF says, days ahead of talks

Israel pondering response to attack on unmanned vehicle in buffer zone; IDF decries 'blatant violation' of truce; ahead of Rome talks, Israel said to reject further withdrawals

The post Hezbollah drone hits IDF bulldozer, violating Lebanon truce, IDF says, days ahead of talks appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Fox News - Video

2026-07-29 09:55:15 (2 weeks ago)

Senate committee to consider 'appropriate action' after Fauci invokes Fifth

Chairman Rand Paul said the Senate Homeland Security Committee will need to consider "appropriate action" after Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment during a Wednesday hearing. Fauci's attorney was then removed from the room.

Fox News - Politics

2026-07-29 09:52:12 (2 weeks ago)

Trump says US will 'beat the f------ s--- out of them' after Iran launches surprise missile strike

President Donald Trump told Fox News "we're going to beat the f---ing s--- out of them" after Iran's fired ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Jordan in a surprise attack.

Times of India

2026-07-29 09:52:02 (2 weeks ago)

Meet the 13-year-old who designed affordable ‘allergy spoons'

Abigail Stein developed an ingenious spoon designed to identify food allergens, providing a safety net for students with severe allergies during school meals. This innovative Allergy Spoon changes color upon detecting specific allergens, enhancing awareness and safety. Abigail was celebrated as a leading finalist in a prestigious young scientist challenge, with aspirations that her practical solution will address a significant concern for many families.

BBC News - Technology

2026-07-29 09:49:55 (2 weeks ago)

Is AI facing a big financial reckoning?

Sharp falls in the value of chip makers have stoked investor concerns that the euphoria around AI related companies is fading.