Latest news with #Convergence
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Is ‘The Last of Us' on tonight? HBO season 3 premiere date, schedule, and streaming options
There is no new episode of The Last of Us on HBO tonight, as Season 2 concluded last week. While the show won't return with new episodes until at least 2026, a Season 2 marathon will air today. HBO has confirmed The Last of Us Season 3 is in development The Last of Us Season 2 concluded with Episode 7 on HBO; Season 3 is currently in development with a possible 2026 or 2027 premiere No new episode of The Last of Us on HBO tonight Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads HBO confirms The Last of Us season 3 in development Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How to stream The Last of Us on HBO and Max HBO will not air a new episode of The Last of Us tonight, June 1, as the Season 2 finale aired last week. Season 2 concluded with Episode 7, titled 'Convergence,' which ended the season's arc with a dramatic narrative shift to Abby's storyline Although there are no new episodes, HBO will air a The Last of Us Season 2 marathon today. The marathon begins at 12:36 p.m. ET and continues until 7:02 p.m. ET. Viewers can rewatch the entire second season, which featured seven read: The Last of Us Renewed for Season 3? Here's what to expect in upcoming season, and what we know about filming and cast The second season adapted the early events of The Last of Us Part II, including perspectives from Ellie, Joel, and Abby. With the narrative now transitioning to Abby's story, fans are looking ahead to what the next season will renewed The Last of Us for a third season on April 9, 2025. According to co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Season 3 will continue adapting The Last of Us Part II, focusing more extensively on Abby's experience and the Seraphite conflict.'There is another side to this story that we have yet to really delve into,' Mazin said in a virtual press conference. He added that Abby will be positioned as the central character in her narrative and Druckmann also addressed several unresolved questions from Season 2, such as the origins of the Seraphites, the fate of their prophet, and Isaac's motivations. These elements are expected to be central in the third there is no confirmed release date, production timelines suggest The Last of Us Season 3 could premiere as early as late 2026. However, given historical delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, early 2027 remains a more likely read: The Last of Us season 3 coming soon? Here's everything you need to know about Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey's show All episodes of The Last of Us Seasons 1 and 2 are available for streaming on Max. New subscribers can access the service for $9.99/month with ads, or $16.99/month for an ad-free expanded streaming options , the Disney+ Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and Max, is available at $16.99/month with ads or $29.99/month without ads. This bundle allows viewers to stream multiple services at a discounted monthly who missed earlier seasons can catch up on the series through Max or tune into today's HBO marathon. The series has received critical acclaim for its adaptation of the original video game and remains one of HBO's flagship dramas.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘The Last of Us' Season 2 finale review: A somewhat jumbled set-up for Season 3
The finale of the second season of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann's The Last of Us, 'Convergence', tries desperately to tie the disparate elements from earlier episodes to partial success. While there is the sound and fury of the elements indicated in the title, it does not come together cohesively to complete any arc. There are episodes including the second one, 'Through the Valley', featuring Joel's (Pedro Pascal) horrific death at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), in the midst of an attack by the ravaging hoards of the infected, that feel like a mini movie, and others were nothing much happens. The Last of Us Season 2 (English) Creators: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann Cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Kaitlyn Dever Episode: 7 Runtime: 50 minutes Storyline: Ellie finally catches up with Abby and acknowledges a terrible truth about herself 'Convergence' comes after the lovely, contemplative, achingly poignant 'The Price' where we see the bond between Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) flower, wither and promise to bloom again over Ellie's birthdays through the years. On her 15th birthday, Joel gives her a handmade guitar. For her 16th, he takes her to an abandoned museum where Ellie is fascinated with the thought of space travel. On her 17th birthday, Joel gruffly exclaims at all teenage stuff coming at once — drugs, tattoos and sex. On her 19th birthday, Ellie goes out on her first patrol. The way Joel deals with Eugene (Joe Pantoliano), who has been bitten, after swearing to Ellie he will take him back to town to say goodbye to his wife, Gail (Catherine O'Hara), finds Ellie figuring out the truth about the carnage at the hospital. When nine months later after the New Year's Eve party in Episode 1, Ellie confronts Joel about the fate of the Fireflies at the hospital, Joel confesses the truth, insisting he would do it again. It is Ellie's reply that she could never forgive him but would like to try that creates the poignancy as Joel's death put paid to that rapprochement. The introduction of Isaac Dixon (Jeffrey Wright), the former FEDRA officer who kills his squad and joins the WLF, and the Seraphite cult, is a sufficiently brutal lead-up to the big confrontation in the finale. That the payoff is not as satisfying is putting it mildly. That bullet fired at the end and the fade to black is as clumsy a cliffhanger as there could be and the switch to Abby's perspective, while echoing the game, seems ill-judged as far as pacing goes. Even though Mel's (Ariela Barer) death is cruel and underlines the causalities of conflict, it is good that Ellie does not kill Alice, the WLF dog, like in the game. There is only so much brutality one can take. The production value remains gorgeous and the aquarium and island shots in the pelting rain are spectacular as is Ellie's desperate boat ride. Ramsey does their best to capture the hurt and hatred as well as the goofiness of a young person on the threshold of adulthood as Ellie, while Pascal's Joel is the brother, father, friend anyone would want. Wright's Isaac, while terrifying, is frustratingly underwritten. Isabela Merced brings fire and fun to Dina, proving an effective foil to the impetuous Ellie. Season 2 of The Last of Us lurches from crisis to crisis, with long lulls of running and shooting doing nothing to move the story along. Maybe instead of splitting Part II of the eponymous game into many seasons, the makers could have opted for a longer second season with a mid-season break. The Last of Us is currently streaming on JioHotstar
Pink Villa
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Is The Last of Us Returning for Season 3? Here's What Fans Should Expect From Bella Ramsey Starrer
HBO's hit post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us concluded its dark second season on Sunday, May 25, with its hotly awaited Season 2 finale, Convergence. As viewers reeled from the emotionally intense episode, the focus shifted to the show's future. It looks like good news is on the horizon: The Last of Us has been officially renewed for Season 3. Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the award-winning series returned in April 2025 for season 2, carrying on the story based on the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II. Season 2 resumed five years on from the end of Season 1, exploring themes of loss, revenge, and moral complexity. Ellie set out on her quest to find Abby, the woman who brutally killed Joel. Throughout seven episodes, fans were inducted deeper into a universe in which the Cordyceps virus is still evolving. Now airborne spores carry it from person to person, and the threat of infection is bigger than ever before. New threats arise from rising tensions between competing factions, the Washington Liberation Front and the Seraphites. While shorter than Season 1, the tightened seven-episode structure was a deliberate creative decision on the part of showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The two affirmed that the second half of the video game on which Season 2 is based has so much content that it will run more than just one extra season. Discussing with Deadline, Mazin suggested that the storyline can take up to a fourth season, describing Season 3 as significantly larger in scope and aspiration. "We feel like it's almost assuredly going to be the case that, as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television, Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4," Mazin told the outlet. HBO made the Season 3 renewal public on April 9, before Season 2's release. Francesca Orsi, HBO's Head of Drama, applauded the creative team's masterful follow-up, looking forward to what is to come. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal's blockbuster series does not have a release date scheduled for its Season 3 yet. However, production schedules indicate that the next season might start filming in 2026, with an estimated premiere in early 2027. The Last of Us Season 2 episode premiered on May 25 on HBO and Max.
Business Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Issue 149: Funds take lion's share of global blended finance volumes; Singapore upgrades sustainability reporting training syllabus
This week in ESG: Blended finance at critical crossroads, says Convergence; accounting regulator publishes guide for sustainability reporting trainers Sustainable finance Funds spark hope for scaling blended finance Fund structures have steadily become one of the most promising vehicles for scaling up blended finance, with Asia a key market for capital raising, according to the latest data by blended finance development group Convergence. Blended finance refers to funding structures that use concessional capital to improve the risk or return of a deal so that commercial capital is willing to take part. It's an approach that's especially impactful in mobilising capital for hard-to-finance needs in developing and emerging geographies. Like Schrodinger's cat, which is simultaneously alive and dead, the blended finance industry currently exists both in a state of strength and weakness. The total volume of blended finance deals worldwide stood at US$18.3 billion in 2024, Convergence data shows. Although this is down 21 per cent from a record US$23.1 billion financed in 2023, year-on-year numbers can be volatile due to the timing of large deals known as 'whales'. The broad five-year trend remains positive. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up However, the multi-year momentum is threatened with dimmer prospects for official development assistance (ODA) funding around the world, including cuts in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the US. ODA is the largest source of concessional capital in blended deals – in 2024 ODA accounted for US$3 billion of financing in blended deals – and the US Agency for International Development is one of the largest providers of development capital. Because concessional capital is critical to mobilising commercial funding, every dollar decline in ODA could be magnified in private money that cannot be mobilised. In a note, Convergence chief executive Joan M Larrea said: 'What we've seen is that despite the market growing in size, and more people than ever talking about the promise of blended finance, it remains plagued by its most intractable issues. In light of the ODA drop, it's more important than ever for those of us invested in and investing in blended finance to ensure change happens.' One of the promising changes happening in blended finance is the growth of blended funds. In 2024, blended funds accounted for US$5.1 billion of financing. This was more than any other vehicle type: bonds or notes, companies, facilities, financial institutions and projects. Blended funds are typically anchored by concessional investors who can help to limit losses or enhance returns for other investors in the fund. The TPG Global South Initiative, which aims to raise US$2.5 billion, taps the United Arab Emirates' US$30 billion Alterra climate investment fund to enhance returns for other shareholders. The TPG Global South Initiative is giving a boost to the East Asia and Pacific region, where blended finance volumes almost quadrupled to US$4 billion in 2024 from US$1.1 billion the year before. The other major blended fund in 2024 – Brookfield's Catalytic Transition Fund, with a fundraising target of US$5 billion – also had Asia connections; Singapore's GIC and Temasek are among the fund's investment partners. Convergence describes blended funds as 'the most scalable and replicable blended finance vehicle'. One of the reasons that blended funds have been successful in raising private capital is that the funds are managed by reputable firms with strong track records. This helps to unlock interest from institutional investors, which have to ensure that their investments meet their risk and compliance requirements. Convergence finds that institutional investors account for half of private-sector commitments in blended funds. Median deal size for funds has also increased to US$135 million in 2024 from US$48 million in 2022. Almost two-thirds of the blended funds focus on either, or both, climate mitigation and adaptation. Since investors' monies are pooled and allocated through the fund managers, blended funds also allow smaller projects to access institutional money even if they don't meet the institutional investors' minimum ticket sizes. Finally, funds can also be avenues through which local capital can get involved. Convergence has identified local capital as an important source of financing that needs to be developed. Could we see more blended funds in the years ahead in Asia? The signs are promising. For instance, Vietnam's Mekong Capital is using blended finance on its US$200 million Mekong Earth Regeneration Fund to invest in growth-stage private equity targets in regeneration agriculture and sustainable land use in Vietnam. Green economy A national syllabus for sustainability reporting training Singapore's looming deadlines for compliance with international sustainability reporting accounting standards have fuelled a demand surge for relevant skills training. Before everyone starts heading out into the wild to get that training, the Singapore Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) is hoping to set some standards for the standards teachers. A new guide on sustainability reporting sets out essential knowledge areas on sustainability reporting that are aligned with the IFRS S1 and S2 standards, which apply to sustainability and climate reporting. Structured like a school syllabus, the guide is aimed at training providers to help them design specialised courses. To validate the guide, Acra ran it by more than 50 key stakeholders, including company preparers, assurance providers, professional bodies and training providers. The move comes as sustainability reporting-related skills are a growing need. SkillsFuture Singapore, the nation's lifelong learning agency, tracks historical jobs postings to assess priority skills based on how much demand they face and how transferable they are. On such a two-axis matrix, a recent SkillsFuture report observed that sustainability assurance, while still a low-demand skill, has steadily moved from moderate transferability to high transferability. That shift reflects Singapore's requirement for IFRS-aligned climate reporting from listed companies beginning this year and from 2027 onwards for large non-listed companies, SkillsFuture says. Beyond the data, SkillsFuture has also identified greenhouse gas accounting and carbon footprint management as skills that it expects to capture greater demand and transferability in the future. Other ESG reads
Business Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Blended finance deals in East Asia and the Pacific hit US$4 billion in 2024
[SINGAPORE] Blended finance deals in East Asia and the Pacific surged to US$4 billion in 2024 from US$1.1 billion the year before, an increase of almost four times, according to a Wednesday (May 21) report by blended-finance organisation, Convergence. Most of the sum was channelled to South-east Asia, particularly Indonesia and Vietnam, said Ritesh Thakkar, senior adviser and head of Asia-Pacific at Convergence, who was speaking with The Business Times in a separate interview the same day. This increase was primarily driven by the impact investing arm of private equity firm TPG, which had raised US$1.25 billion for its Global South Initiative. On average, blended finance deals – featuring a mix of grants and concessional loans designed to lower the cost of capital and attract more commercial capital – have been averaging around US$3 billion annually in South-east Asia. And volumes have been trending upwards, said Thakkar. Deals in the region also have the highest median size at US$100 million, compared to US$46 million in sub-Saharan Africa, and US$91.5 million in Europe and Central Asia, stated the report. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up In total, blended finance volumes fell to US$18.3 billion in 2024, with 123 deals approaching their close, compared to US$23.1 billion the year before. In the five-year period between 2020 and 2024, annual blended finance volumes rose by an average of US$1.7 billion every year, from US$11.5 billion to US$18.3 billion last year. This shows the market's resilience as a countercyclical tool for mobilising capital, even during periods of macroeconomic uncertainty, the report said. Climate-related projects continue to dominate the blended finance landscape, accounting for 49 per cent of deals in 2024. There was a rise in median ticket size of deals in 2024; three transactions exceeded US$1 billion. But while deal sizes have been going up, the reported noted that scaling blended finance entails more than larger deal sizes. 'A lack of structural standardisation continues to slow the rollout and replication of blended structures; in many cases, concessional capital mobilises only sponsor equity or development finance institutions (DFI) and multi-lateral development banks (MDB) commercial funding, rather than attracting new third-party private investors,' read the report. Among private investors, financial institutions are playing a bigger role in blended finance transactions in 2024. The share of commitments from commercial banks and other financial players grew to 55 per cent in 2024, up from 45 per cent. More than half (56 per cent) of the commitments from this investor class were driven by DFI and MDB efforts to support their on-lending activities; 15 per cent were the bank's direct investments in projects, and 14 per cent went to companies. The majority of top private investors are financial institutions, with SMBC leading with 13 committed deals between 2022 and 2024. MUFG was second with eight. Financial institutions accounted for a third of all deals – higher than project transactions (17 per cent) and funds (9 per cent), which have traditionally been the main capital providers. Deals financial institutions are involved in support their own commercial portfolios. This enables them to increase lending to key underserved sectors and diversify their lending operations. While local investors tended to account for only a small component of blended finance deals, the report noted that local capital investments are proportionally higher in East Asia and the Pacific. Transactions in the region with regional investors typically include two or more local investors, signalling that local participation can instill confidence and attract other local investors, said the report. It added that commercial investment from local public investors have been relatively high in South Asia (at 20 per cent) and East Asia (19 per cent). This activity is highly influenced by government blended finance initiatives such as the Self Reliant India Fund in South Asia, and Indonesia's SMI, a state-owned enterprise focusing on infrastructure development. Local investment in the region has also been enabled by the strong presence of public commercial actors, such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Singapore's state investor, Temasek.
