Americas

Team Fortress 2 spinoff Mann Versus Zombies looks so good it could almost be official

• Mann Versus Zombies has a new gameplay trailer.
• The TF2 mod is planned for early 2027.
• Up to eight players can face endless zombie waves.

A new gameplay trailer shows Mann Versus Zombies, a community-made Team Fortress 2 mod that turns familiar maps into arenas for an endless zombie-survival challenge. The project is on track for release in early 2027, offering fans a new co-operative way to play the long-running shooter. The mod…

The simple reason hardware accelerated GPU scheduling isn’t the best fit for cheap GPUs

• HAGS can consume scarce VRAM on 6GB and 8GB graphics cards.
• Disabling it freed nearly 950MB on one 8GB card.
• Test per game, since performance and memory needs vary.

Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS) can use close to a gigabyte of graphics memory, which may leave 6GB and 8GB graphics cards short when running demanding games. Turning it off could reduce stuttering or prevent games from running out of memory, though performance effects vary and some features will…

Pelicot trial play heads to London as Godzilla Minus Zero wins Hollywood acclaim

A documentary play about Gisèle Pelicot’s trial will be staged at County Hall, with a full livestream. Godzilla Minus Zero drew sustained applause at its premiere, while Ray Gunn explores corporate control of art and AI pressures.

Progressives and moderate Dems are already jockeying to claim credit for Tuesday

• Progressive and moderate Democrats prepared rival claims about possible midterm gains.
• A smaller win left Democratic voters divided over the party’s direction.
• A large win increased support for running progressive candidates, including among moderates.

Ahead of the 3 November US midterm elections, progressive and moderate Democrats were already preparing competing explanations for any party gains. Progressives argued that victories by candidates such as Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed would show that a bold economic message can win in competitive states. Moderates pointed…

Luke Bryan Sent Him Packing on ‘American Idol’—Years Later, He Delivered the News Every Country Singer Dreams Of

• Bryan eliminated King from “American Idol” in 2020.
• King kept gigging and later toured with Bryan.
• Bryan announced King’s invitation to debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

Luke Bryan sent Zach John King home from “American Idol” during Hollywood Week in 2020, but encouraged him to keep gigging. Years later, the two are touring together, and Bryan announced that the Grand Ole Opry had invited King to make his debut there. King said on “The…

India’s New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Replacement Officially Arrives This Week

• *Ramayana: Rise of a Legend* opens in North America on 6 November.
• The reported budget exceeds $200 million.
• The English-language release is 28 minutes shorter than the original.

*Ramayana: Rise of a Legend* is due in North American cinemas on 6 November, arriving as a potential Indian epic for audiences seeking a new fantasy spectacle. Its release comes shortly before the third season of *The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power*, though the article’s…

Born 86 Years Ago Today in New Mexico, the Green Beret Who Scored a No. 1 Hit With a Patriotic Anthem That Outsold the Beatles

• Barry Sadler’s anthem spent five weeks at number one.
• “The Ballad of the Green Berets” sold over nine million copies.
• Sadler later left music for acting and pulp-fiction writing.

Barry Sadler, born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on 1 November 1940, became famous after writing and recording “The Ballad of the Green Berets”. The song offered a positive portrayal of US Special Forces during the Vietnam War, reached number one in the US and became one of the…

FSB Arrests Minor Over Moscow Park Attack Threat After U.S. Tip-Off

• FSB says a minor was detained over an alleged Moscow park attack threat.
• The United States provided information to Russian security services.
• Tsaritsyno park was temporarily closed as authorities responded.

Russia’s Federal Security Service says it detained a minor over alleged preparations for an attack at a Moscow park, after receiving information from the United States. The case prompted the temporary closure of the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve and highlights cooperation between the two countries’ security services. The FSB…