Author: Liam Porter

When venture capitalist Keith Rabois got into e-commerce, he couldn’t stop buying brands. Now, everything must go.OpenStore, co-founded by Rabois in 2021, is shutting down nearly all of the 40-plus Shopify stores it acquired, and it’s in the process of liquidating any remaining inventory by offering steep discounts to move merchandise.Earlier this week, the company announced it plans to focus solely on growing Jack Archer, the menswear brand it bought for $837,000 in 2022. The website address open.store now redirects to jackarcher.com.The dramatic downsizing to a single brand comes as OpenStore in recent weeks raised a $15 million funding round…

Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes9pm, Sky CrimeBetween April 1984 and August 1985, Richard Ramirez murdered at least 15 people in California. He died in 2013 while awaiting execution on San Quentin’s death row. In this two-parter, interviews with Ramirez’s wife (Doreen Lioy), friends, female admirers and family members, along with those with his victims’ family members, are aired for the first time. It also examines 80s fan culture, and why he was celebrated by some like a rock star. Hollie RichardsonViennese Waltzes at the Proms6.20pm, BBC Two“One, two, three. One, two, three.” It’s a celebration of waltzes in this…

I first heard of Giorgio Locatelli’s move to the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square in London via a promotional shot in which the great man stands, arms crossed, in front of The Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio. In the photograph, chef Locatelli, with his flowing, silver locks and impish expression, has himself the look of a Renaissance-era mover and shaker. Great art meets great art, it seems to say. Come for the The Entombment by Michelangelo in Room 2 on Level 2 and stay for the orecchiette with nettle pesto on the first-floor mezzanine next to…

Two Japanese boxers have died days after suffering brain injuries in separate fights on the same card, boxing associations and media reports said.Shigetoshi Kotari died on Friday and Hiromasa Urakawa on Saturday after being injured in their fights at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on 2 August, Japanese media said.Both 28-year-old boxers underwent operations for subdural haematoma, or bleeding inside the skull, the reports said.“We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time,” the World Boxing Organisation said in a statement on Saturday about Urakawa, who had lost to Yoji Saito…

European leaders have welcomed plans by United States President Donald Trump to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on ending the war in Ukraine, but called for continued support for Kyiv and pressure on Moscow to achieve a just and lasting peace.The statement by France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission late on Saturday came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that Kyiv will not surrender land to Russia to buy peace.Trump, who has promised to end the three-year war, plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties were close to…

Foreign criminals will face immediate deportation after receiving a custodial sentence, under new plans announced by the justice secretary.Under the proposals, those who are given fixed-term sentences could be deported straight away and would be barred from re-entering the UK.The decision over whether they go on to serve their sentences abroad would be up to the country they are sent to, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) told the BBC. In theory, this means that some criminals may be able to walk free upon arrival in their destination country.Foreign offenders make up around 12% percent of the prison population, with prison…

The rocky crevices of the Valdés peninsula and the pristine waters of the San Matías Gulf, on the Atlantic coast of Argentinian Patagonia, are a remote sanctuary for marine life, where protected southern right whales breed, orcas hunt and thousands of penguins and sea lions flourish.“It’s a treasure chest of wildlife – a breathtaking, untouched place,” says María Leoní Gaffet, a local wildlife expert and co-director of Península Valdés Orca Research. “It’s unique in the world.”But, she says, this rich ecosystem and Unesco world heritage site could soon be lost. A consortium of oil majors led by the state-run energy…

DJI’s obstacle avoidance system could be just as useful on land as it is in the air. DJI, known for its dominance in the drone market, has entered the smart home world with a range of robot vacuums called ROMO. Beyond its drones, gimbals and action cameras, the Chinese company previously branched out into other product categories, including portable power stations and e-bikes.For those wondering why DJI settled on robot vacuums as its next venture, it makes sense considering the company’s “omnidirectional obstacle sensing” found in its drones. The same system that helps DJI drones avoid crashes when capturing cinematic…

Ian YoungsCulture reporterUniversal Pictures/Prime VideoThe whole film shows either Ice Cube’s computer screen or his face as seen on the monitor’s cameraFilm critics have delivered a verdict: the new version of War of the Worlds – which stars Ice Cube as a man who must save humanity from an alien invasion without leaving his desk – is bad.But how bad? Is it just “the worst possible adaptation of HG Wells’s work”? Is it “one of the worst movies of the decade so far”? Or might it actually be “one of the worst movies ever made”?When the reviews started coming in this…

Good news! She’s…baaaack! Yes, gentle reader, Wicked is returning and the first trailer has landed. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda for act two of everyone’s favorite musical, hitting a theater near you this fall.After the blockbuster release of Part One in November 2024—which ruled the box office and earned 10 Oscar nominations, along with a soundtrack that topped many a Spotify Wrapped—fans have been patiently waiting for the news of the second film. Will Elphie and Glinda reunite? What of Fiyero? Who will play Dorothy?Herein, everything you need to know about Wicked:…