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  • Multi-Account Support, Broadcast Credit Trials, and Group Status Tools Are All Coming to WhatsApp on iOS

    Multi-Account Support, Broadcast Credit Trials, and Group Status Tools Are All Coming to WhatsApp on iOS

    WhatsApp is testing a wave of new features on iOS, and one of the most anticipated is finally on its way. After months of development and hints in earlier builds, iPhone users will soon be able to switch between multiple WhatsApp accounts without logging out or using a second device or app.

    As per WBI, the feature, spotted in TestFlight version 25.19.10.74, is still in development, but the direction is clear. A new section in WhatsApp’s settings will let users add a second account using a phone number or QR code. From there, switching between profiles will take just a tap. Each account stays separate, chat history, notifications, settings, all distinct, so personal and work conversations won’t overlap.

    A small banner appears when the switch is made, confirming the active account. Profile photos and account names will be listed in one place, making it easier to know which inbox you’re working with. For users juggling dual SIMs or eSIM plans, this setup should eliminate the need for multiple apps or workaround setups.

    There’s more. WhatsApp is also building a notification system to support these changes. When a new message arrives on a secondary account, the alert includes the sender’s name along with the account it belongs to. Tapping the notification takes you straight to the right message, without having to backtrack or check which profile is active.

    While multi-account switching may grab the headlines, WhatsApp is rolling out other features aimed at specific user needs, especially on the business side, starting from Android device.

    One update introduces limits on the number of broadcast messages that can be sent per month. The restriction varies by account type or region and is designed to encourage more scalable tools like channels or status updates, rather than bulk messages. Businesses that rely on broadcasts won’t be cut off entirely, though. WhatsApp plans to offer a limited trial period where eligible accounts can access monthly message credits for free.

    During the trial, which runs for six months, participating businesses will get a fixed number of broadcasts each month. There’s no payment required during this window, and businesses can use the credits to test the feature without risk. Once the trial ends, they’ll have the option to subscribe for more, or shift toward alternative tools.

    This credit system won’t be offered to everyone. WhatsApp may roll it out regionally or limit access based on account history or eligibility criteria. And since it’s still in the works, the company can pull or change the program without notice, even for businesses already enrolled.

    Another iOS beta (version 25.19.10.76) reveals a feature that’s a little more social i.e., Status updates inside group chats. Instead of tagging a group or manually selecting members for a status, users will be able to post directly to a group’s feed. The update will live for 24 hours, just like regular statuses, and only group members will be able to see it.

    Photos, videos, music clips, and text posts are all supported. Once posted, a group status can be viewed from the Updates tab, the group icon in your chat list, or inside the group itself. Because these updates won’t send tag-based notifications, users can share casually without worrying about alerting everyone in the group each time.

    This addition builds on WhatsApp’s effort to make group interaction more fluid. It keeps updates relevant to the right audience and avoids the friction of manually selecting who sees what. And just like standard messages, group statuses are end-to-end encrypted for privacy.

    These updates, multi-account access, broadcast message credits, and group-specific status sharing, signal a more mature phase for WhatsApp. The app is slowly moving beyond one-size-fits-all communication, offering users more flexibility without sacrificing control. Rollout dates aren’t confirmed, but with features showing up across multiple betas, wider availability may not be far off.

    Read next: Spam-Blocking Is Coming to Messages in iOS 26


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  • Fires in Greece’s Crete and near Athens extinguished; two dead in Turkiye | News

    Fires in Greece’s Crete and near Athens extinguished; two dead in Turkiye | News

    No casualties in Greece as fires in southern Crete and the port of Rafina are put out; two die after blaze in western Turkiye.

    A wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 people has been extinguished, officials say.

    Some 230 firefighters and six helicopters worked at the scene near the resort town of Ierapetra, where residents had to leave their homes and visitors their accommodation on Wednesday evening.

    Reporting from the nearby village of Agia Fotia, Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos said there was “no active fire front” by Friday morning. Still, he added, helicopters were operating in the area to ensure there were no flare-ups.

    The fire left forest trees and some olive trees burned but caused no casualties. Two local MPs told Al Jazeera efforts were under way for the return of the people who were evacuated after the blaze broke out.

    Elsewhere in mainland Greece, a fire fanned by strong winds that erupted near the port town of Rafina, about 30km (18 miles) east of the capital, Athens, was brought under control on Thursday evening, authorities said.

    However, firefighting crews remained on alert as winds remained strong.

    The fire, which led to the evacuation of 300 people, destroyed a few houses and vehicles, local mayor Dimitris Markou told public broadcaster ERT.

    It also disrupted ferries to and from tourist islands in the western Aegean Sea.

    Greece has so far been spared the heatwave roasting parts of Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal and France. But starting this weekend, temperatures will rise and reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas of the country.

    Firefighters spray water to douse a burning house in Pikermi [Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP]

    Two dead in Turkiye

    Meanwhile, in neighbouring Turkiye, a local forestry worker was killed while trying to contain a fire near the western town of Odemis, while an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation, authorities said.

    These were the first deaths in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee.

    Separately, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular vacation destination about 190km (120 miles) west of Odemis.

    That fire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighbourhoods and led to road closures. Television footage showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.

    Over the past week, Turkiye has battled hundreds of wildfires fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity.

    The blazes have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.

    Hot dry weather is not unusual for Greece and Turkiye at this time of year. Devastating summer wildfires are common in both countries, with experts warning that climate change is intensifying conditions.

    Greece fire
    Firefighters gather on a field near an area where a plane drops water over a wildfire that broke out in Pikermi, some 30km east of Athens [Aris Messinis /AFP]

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  • Fears of an AI workforce takeover may be overblown — but it’s still scrambling firms’ hiring plans

    Fears of an AI workforce takeover may be overblown — but it’s still scrambling firms’ hiring plans

    A growing chorus of executives has put white collar workforces on notice: Their jobs are at risk of being wiped out by artificial intelligence.

    Yet above that din is a more complicated picture of how AI is currently affecting hiring.

    Direct evidence of an acceleration in human obsolescence remains scant so far. In a report this week, the job and hiring consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas said cuts spurred by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency remained the leading cause of job losses — especially for government, nonprofit and other sectors supported by federal funds — followed by general economic and market conditions.

    Out of 286,679 planned layoffs so far this year, only 20,000 were linked to automation, the firm said — with just 75 explicitly tied to AI implementation.

    “Far less is happening than people imagine,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president at the consultancy, referring to the impact of AI on the broader workforce in the U.S. “There are roles that can be significantly changed by AI right now, but I’m not talking to too many HR leaders who say AI is replacing jobs.”

    That belies recent comments made by some of America’s most prominent executives about the impact that artificial intelligence is expected to have. Last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warned that AI would “reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains” over time. However, he did not lay out what that time frame might look like. He also said more people would likely be needed to do “other types of jobs,” ones that AI may help generate.

    And while The Wall Street Journal reported comments from Ford CEO Jim Farley this week that AI would replace “literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.,” a clip of Farley’s presentation offered more context. The automotive executive was speaking about beefing up America’s blue-collar workforce, and appeared to be repeating the warning about a white-collar wipeout issued by the CEO of the AI company Anthropic — a contention that is still being debated. (A representative for Ford did not respond to a request for comment.)

    Experts say the current era of AI is impacting the job market in more roundabout ways. Many firms are currently under tremendous pressure to cut costs given the generally uncertain economic environment spurred by the heavy cost of Trump’s tariff policy and worries about rising inflation. As a result, some companies are diverting spending that would otherwise be going to hiring more employees and shifting it toward AI software.

    “There’s basically a blank check to go out and buy these AI tools,” said Josh Bersin, CEO of The Josh Bersin Company workforce consultancy. “Then they go out and say, as far as head count: No more hiring. Just, ‘stop.’ So that immediately freezes the job market.”

    Among the most high-profile examples is Shopify, whose CEO told employees they must now prove why they “cannot get what they want done using AI” before asking for more employees and resources.

    “What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?” Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke wrote in a memo sent to employees in March. “This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects.”

    The chief executive of language learning app Duolingo, Luis von Ahn, issued a similar edict in May, writing that the firm would gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle and that a budget for new employees would only be given “if a team cannot automate more of their work.”

    Enough firms hedging in this way, alongside a wider economic slowdown, may indeed be suppressing overall hiring, especially in business and professional services.

    But those trends do not amount to large-scale replacement of existing workers by AI agents.

    Then there are the firms creating the AI tools themselves — the ones other businesses are ostensibly looking to purchase and deploy to automate their workforces. These AI developers, including Dell, Google parent Alphabet, Facebook parent Meta, Microsoft and Salesforce, have been shedding workers not tied to AI product development and shifting resources toward those who are. If AI is causing job losses, it’s not because it’s doing someone else’s job. It’s because budgets — and demands on the bottom line — are changing.

    The state of hiring at Microsoft is illustrative. Over the past several weeks, the tech giant — whose stock has surged 17% year to date thanks in part to the popularity of its Copilot AI tool — has announced job cuts affecting some 15,000 roles, or about 7% of its workforce.

    In this case, some human replacement does appear to be occurring: CEO Satya Nadella said recently that as much as 30% of the company’s code is now written by AI — something Bloomberg News confirmed in a report showing software engineering roles made up more than 40% of the roughly 2,000 positions cut in one of the recent layoff rounds.

    Yet other analysts indicated the cuts were also likely designed to offset the costs associated with Microsoft’s massive buildout of data centers designed to handle AI computer processing.

    “We believe that every year Microsoft invests at the current levels, it would need to reduce headcount by at least 10,000” in order to make up for its increased capital expenditures, said Gil Luria, a tech research analyst at D.A. Davidson financial group, in an interview with Reuters.

    In a note to clients, analysts with the consultancy Capital Economics said not all mentions of AI by businesses discussing their financial picture should be taken at face value.

    “For some firms, AI is a way to spin job losses driven by poor financial performance in a more positive light,” they wrote.

    AI is also impacting the hiring and recruiting process itself. A galaxy of startups now offers tools that can perform the job of entire HR departments, from scanning resumes to interviewing candidates. At IBM, “a couple hundred” HR workers have been recently replaced by AI agents, CEO Arvind Krishna told The Wall Street Journal in May.

    Yet with those efficiencies, the company was able to hire more programmers and salespeople, he said.

    “While we have done a huge amount of work inside IBM on leveraging AI and automation on certain enterprise workflows, our total employment has actually gone up, because what it does is it gives you more investment to put into other areas,” Krishna said.

    For anyone struggling to find new work, AI is not without blame. But experts say economic factors continue to vastly outweigh the threat from automation.

    “Our research has shown that AI will fundamentally change a whole lot of jobs, some by a lot,” said Svenja Gudell, chief economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. In the case of software developers especially, she said, roles are being completely transformed. “But does it still mean AI took that job? I don’t think so,” she said. “There’s not evidence that it’s fully replacing whole workers, or that the current slowdown can be attributed to it.”

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  • Kremlin says it pays close attention to Trump statements after he voices disappointment with Putin call – Reuters

    1. Kremlin says it pays close attention to Trump statements after he voices disappointment with Putin call  Reuters
    2. Russia ‘will not back down’ on Ukraine war goals, Putin tells Trump  Al Jazeera
    3. Trump, disappointed by call with Putin, to speak with Zelenskiy on Friday  Reuters
    4. Trump, Putin unmoved on Ukraine in phone call  Dawn
    5. Putin and Trump discuss Iran, Ukraine in ‘frank’ phone call, Kremlin official says  The Times of Israel

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  • How Superman started out as a radical rebel

    How Superman started out as a radical rebel

    All the same, few comic characters were as militant as Superman. In one early issue, he demolishes a row of slum homes in order to force the authorities to build better housing (a risky strategy, that one). In another, he takes on the city’s gambling industry because it is bankrupting addicts. And in another, he declares war on everyone he sees as being responsible for traffic-related deaths. He terrifies reckless drivers, he abducts the mayor who hasn’t enforced traffic laws, he smashes up the stock of a second-hand car dealer, and he wrecks a factory where faulty cars are assembled. “It’s because you use inferior metals and parts so as to make higher profits at the cost of human lives,” he informs the owner. Were Superman’s direct-action protest campaigns strictly legal? No, but they were riotous, boldly political fun – and almost 90 years on, they stand as a fascinating street-level account of US urban life in the 1930s.

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  • CT colonography outperforms stool DNA screening for colorectal cancer  Labmate Online

    CT colonography outperforms stool DNA screening for colorectal cancer  Labmate Online

    Computed tomography (CT) colonography has been shown to be both cheaper and clinically more effective than multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) testing for population-level colorectal cancer screening, according to peer-reviewed research published in the journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

    Colorectal cancer is the world’s second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Routine examination of the colon and rectum enables early removal of precancerous polyps, thereby reducing the need for late-stage therapies and their associated higher costs and greater risk to patients. In response to rising incidence among younger adults, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, and several professional bodies, have now recommended that screening programmes commence at 45 years of age.

    “Conventional optical colonoscopy remains the dominant screening test in the United States, yet it is the most expensive and invasive option,” said lead author Dr Perry J. Pickhardt, John R. Cameron Professor of Radiology and Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.

    Dr. Perry emphasised that recent Medicare coverage expansions have improved access to less invasive modalities, including mt-sDNA testing – which analyses stool for cancer-specific biomarkers – and CT colonography, which employs imaging technology to render non-invasive visualisation of the colon polyps and tumours.

    Using a Markov model, the investigators simulated colorectal disease progression in 10,000 individuals aged 45 at baseline, assuming perfect adherence to recommended screening and follow-up until 75 years. Without screening, 7.5 per cent of the cohort developed colorectal cancer.

    Both strategies substantially lowered disease incidence versus no screening, but CT colonography achieved a 70–75 per cent reduction, compared with 59 per cent for mt-sDNA. Cost-effectiveness was measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Mt-sDNA yielded an incremental cost of nearly US$9,000 per QALY gained, well below the accepted US$100,000 threshold; CT colonography, by contrast, was cost-saving relative to no screening.

    Because advanced polyps ≥10 mm pose the greatest malignant risk, the authors evaluated a hybrid CT-based pathway: three-year CT colonography surveillance for small polyps (6–9 mm) and colonoscopic referral only for lesions ≥10 mm. This approach offered the best balance of cost and clinical benefit. Referring all polyps ≥6 mm for colonoscopy was not cost-effective, owing to higher procedural expenses and minimal QALY gains.

    “Among safe, minimally invasive options, CT colonography prevents and detects colorectal cancer more effectively – and at lower overall cost – than stool DNA testing,” Dr Pickhardt said.

    “Furthermore, CT colonography can simultaneously screen for extracolonic conditions such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.”

    The findings bolster the case for wider adoption of CT colonography within national screening programmes, particularly where resource allocation and patient comfort are paramount.


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  • White House to host UFC fight, US President Donald Trump says

    White House to host UFC fight, US President Donald Trump says

    The White House will host a UFC bout next year as part of events to mark 250 years of American independence, US President Donald Trump has announced.

    The event will be a “championship fight” with an audience of 20,000-25,000, Trump told a crowd in Iowa on Thursday.

    The president, who is a friend of UFC president Dana White, said: “We are going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events.”

    Trump has attended several UFC events, including UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, last month, where he was pictured watching a fight with White.

    Addressing the crowd during an appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Trump said: “Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.”

    Following Trump’s announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans on X, writing: “It’s going to be EPIC!”

    Trump’s links to UFC date back more than 20 years. In 2001, he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when White was struggling to find a venue.

    White has backed the president’s political career from the beginning, endorsing his presidential bid in 2016, calling Trump a “fighter”.

    Following a failed assassination attempt on Trump last year, White described Trump as a “tough guy” and “the legitimate, ultimate, American badass of all time”.

    Trump suggested the UFC event would be one of many to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence on 4 July next year.

    He said: “Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honour of America250.”

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  • Benjamin Arthur and Julian Eyestone promoted to Brentford’s first-team squad | Brentford FC

    Benjamin Arthur and Julian Eyestone promoted to Brentford’s first-team squad | Brentford FC

    Defender Benjamin Arthur and goalkeeper Julian Eyestone have been promoted to Brentford’s first team.

    They will be part of Keith Andrews’ squad from the beginning of the 2025/26 season and have both signed new long-term deals until the summer of 2031. The club has the option to extend Arthur’s contract by a further year and Eyestone’s stay by two years.

    Arthur joined Brentford B from Peterborough United in August 2023 and has been a regular across the past two campaigns.

    The 19-year-old centre-back made 19 appearances in the U21 Professional Development League last term. The young Bees beat Bournemouth 3-2 in a scintillating final at Vitality Stadium.

    Arthur made a further eight outings in cup competitions, while also being included in first-team matchday squads on five occasions.

    He scored a towering header in the Premier League Cup final loss to Queens Park Rangers and contributed two assists across a campaign which saw him named Under-21s Player of the Year.

    “Winning Player of the Year is a great accolade for Benjamin individually and being promoted to the first team is fully deserved for his hard work and performances throughout the season,” said Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane.

    “He has been a big presence in defence this year. Playing very consistently and confidently throughout the year, he and his team-mates got the success they deserved by winning the PDL national title.

    “He will now look forward to joining the first team and hopefully continuing to show his very high potential as a young defender.”

    Eyestone, a USA Under-20 international, signed for Brentford B from Duke University in June 2024 and quickly established himself in the starting line-up.

    A graduate of FC Dallas Academy, Eyestone started in 16 PDL games and six cup fixtures, while he was also named amongst the substitutes for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Newcastle United and Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

    The 19-year-old shot-stopper kept seven clean sheets during 2024/25 and played a pivotal role as the young Bees enjoyed a successful campaign across all competitions.

    “Julian is a very high potential young goalkeeper who improved as the season went on. He settled in so well after his move from America,” said MacFarlane.

    “His infectious energy, character and willingness to improve his game saw him play a big part in our successes this season.

    “Julian should be very proud of his season, making many big saves throughout, and he now has even more exciting times ahead with his well-deserved promotion to the first team.”

    Watch interviews with the young duo below

    Arthur: A great feeling

    Benjamin Arthur reacted to the news that he has been promoted to Brentford’s first team and provided some insight on what he is like as a centre-back.

    “It’s a great feeling,” said the young defender.

    “A lot of faith has been put in me and I think I’ve come off the back of a good season, so I’m very happy.

    “I’m quite solid and strong, but I’m also composed on the ball and like to play with the ball at my feet.”

    Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, he added: “I want to make my debut. I’m just going to work hard and see what comes my way.”

    Eyestone on first-team promotion and Kelleher

    Goalkeeper Julian Eyestone reflected on his first year at Brentford, which saw him regularly train with the first-team goalkeepers, and looked ahead to the 2025/26 season when he will be a permanent member of Keith Andrews’ squad.

    “It was a big goal of mine coming into my first year in the B team to get that promotion so to get it is a big accomplishment and I’m very happy,” said the USA Under-20 international.

    “Being able to be that close with the first team as a B-team player was a big step for me and it made me feel a lot more comfortable. Now going into this year, I feel like I’ve been around these guys and I’m not a stranger.

    “It’d be a dream to make my debut so I want to push for that, but also just getting better every day and working hard is my goal.”

    On training with Caoimhín Kelleher, who joined the club from Liverpool on a permanent deal in June, Eyestone continued: “I’m really excited. I think it’ll be great to have a new face in the goalkeeper set-up. It’s always fun getting to know new guys and it’ll be fun getting to compete with him.”

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  • ‘Minecraft,’ ‘Sinners’ Boost Box Office 16% From Last Year

    ‘Minecraft,’ ‘Sinners’ Boost Box Office 16% From Last Year

    Topline

    “A Minecraft Movie” has led this year’s domestic box office to a total of $4.1 billion in U.S. ticket sales for the first six months of 2025, a marked improvement from last year—though the biggest global film success was the Chinese blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” which earned a staggering $1.9 billion on its own.

    Key Facts

    There’s just over $4.1 billion in total gross at North American theaters between January 1 and June 29, according to data shared with Forbes by Comscore.

    The box office total for 2025 so far is 15.5% higher than the $3.5 billion grossed at this point last year, according to Comscore data, thanks largely to a strong spring moviegoing season (April and May 2025 grossed 90% more than April and May 2024).

    The ever-growing “Hunger Games” franchise propelled Suzanne Collins’ “Sunrise on the Reaping,” released in March, to the top of this year’s best-selling fiction books lists, according to data shared with Forbes by Circana BookScan.

    This year’s best-selling nonfiction book so far, according to Circana, is John Green’s “Everything Is Tuberculosis,” the second nonfiction work by Green, known for novels like “The Fault in Our Stars.”

    Of all the songs released in 2025 to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year so far, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” appears to be the biggest, boasting more than 126 million Spotify streams.

    Top Fiction Book Sales Of 2025

    (From Jan. 1 – June 26, according to Circana BookScan)

    1. “Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel)” by Suzanne Collins: 1,667,012 books sold
    2. “Onyx Storm (Deluxe Limited Edition)” by Rebecca Yarros: 1,614,239 books sold
    3. “The Crash” by Frieda McFadden: 410,225 books sold
    4. “Great Big Beautiful Life” by Emily Henry: 335,020 books sold
    5. “Fearless” by Lauren Roberts: 320,759 books sold

    Top Nonfiction Book Sales

    (From From Jan. 1 – June 26, according to Circana BookScan)

    1. “Everything Is Tuberculosis: the History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection” by John Green: 162,621 units sold
    2. “The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More” by Jefferson Fisher: 137,003 units sold
    3. “Abundance” by Ezra Klein: 135,558 units sold
    4. “The House of My Mother: a Daughter’s Quest For Freedom” by Shari Franke: 101,432 units sold
    5. “Careless People: a Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism” by Sarah Wynn-Williams: 97,632 units sold

    Top 10 Movies Of 2025 (domestic)

    According To Box Office Mojo

    1. “A Minecraft Movie”: $423,941,548
    2. “Lilo & Stitch”: $400,019,803
    3. “Sinners”: $278,036,257
    4. “Captain America: Brave New World”: $200,500,001
    5. “How To Train Your Dragon”: $200,250,960
    6. “Thunderbolts*”: $189,796,527
    7. “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning”: $186,001,201
    8. “Final Destination: Bloodlines”: $136,739,975
    9. “Mufasa: The Lion King”: $126,423,748
    10. “Dog Man”: $97,970,355

    Top 10 Movies Of 2025 (worldwide)

    According To Box Office Mojo

    1. “Ne Zha 2”: $1,899,639,136
    2. “A Minecraft Movie”: $954,441,548
    3. “Lilo & Stitch”: $945,919,803
    4. “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning”: $562,001,201
    5. “How To Train Your Dragon”: $456,084,960
    6. “Captain America: Brave New World”: $415,101,577
    7. “Thunderbolts*”: $381,670,701
    8. “Sinners”: $364,536,257
    9. “Final Destination: Bloodlines”: $283,239,975
    10. “Snow White”: $205,679,463

    Biggest Billboard No. 1 Songs Released In 2025

    According to Spotify streams

    1. “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter: 126,823,256 streams
    2. “4×4” by Travis Scott: 121,802,187
    3. “What I Want” by Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae: 97,143,569 streams

    How Does This Year’s Box Office Compare To Previous Years?

    Paul Dergarabedian, a box office analyst for Comscore, told Forbes that 2025 could be the best year for movies since the industry was rocked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Hollywood labor strikes of 2023. Though this year’s box office is performing better than 2024, it is still behind the 2019 box office by about 26%, according to Comscore data. Dergarabedian said the first quarter of 2025 was slightly underwhelming because of the lack of blockbusters released in December that could have carried over into this year. He said the box office has had built up momentum since April, when “A Minecraft Movie” overwhelmingly beat box office expectations and “Sinners” became a word-of-mouth hit, which he noted is an original movie not connected to an existing franchise, unlike most other box office hits this year. Dergarabedian said the second half of the year is stacked with potential blockbusters, including “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Superman” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

    Tangent

    “Sunrise on the Reaping,” a prequel novel to the “Hunger Games” book series written by Collins, has had a film adaptation in development since before the book was released. Film studio Lionsgate has already been working to build hype for the film, slated to release in 2026, by revealing the cast one at a time in social media posts since April. Australian actor Joseph Zada stars as a younger version of Haymitch Abernathy, the protagonist of “Sunrise on the Reaping” who participates in the 50th Hunger Games. Other cast members include Elle Fanning as a younger Effie Trinket, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow and Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman.

    How Did “ne Zha 2” Become A Smash Hit Overseas?

    The Chinese film “Ne Zha 2” became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time this year—with little help from the United States. The animated film is a sequel to “Ne Zha,” a box office hit released in 2019, and its main character is based on the Chinese mythological character Nezha. “Ne Zha 2” became an immediate smash hit in China upon release in January, and about a month later, took the crown from “Inside Out 2” as the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Only about $20 million of “Ne Zha 2”’s total gross is from U.S. theaters, according to Box Office Mojo, which lists “Ne Zha 2” as the eighth highest-grossing film of all time. Much of its gross comes from Chinese theaters, and multiple outlets reported more than 300 million tickets have been sold in China, a staggering total equaling about one-fifth of China’s population. The film was helped with its release coinciding with the Lunar New Year period, when people had time off from work, and China’s effort to build more movie theaters, Deadline reported, adding that support for the film became a source of national pride. Government subsidies helped fund about $80 million in movie tickets, Deadline reported, adding some companies gave employees the day off to go see the movie. The film’s basis on a traditional Chinese story and its appeal to all generations helped the film connect with audiences, Chinese film critic Raymond Zhou told the New York Times. The success of “Ne Zha 2” comes as Chinese interest in Hollywood films wanes, with only “Godzilla x Kong” ranking in the top 10 at the Chinese box office last year, CNBC reported.

    Further Reading

    ‘Sinners’ Will Barely Drop From Opening Gross In Its Second Weekend As Movie Continues To Defy Projections (Forbes)

    Who’s Who in ’The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ Cast (The Hollywood Reporter)

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  • Oasis is back but band reunions are often short-lived

    Oasis is back but band reunions are often short-lived

    NEW YORK — “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is good advice for the Britpop band Oasis, who launch their surprising reunion tour today in Cardiff, Wales.

    Led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, the reunion marks the end of the siblings’ long-held feud, one that led to Oasis disbanding in 2009. For many fans, this news is almost too good to be true. They’re anxiously awaiting whether the Gallaghers will indeed make it through the entire run of international dates and even perhaps extend the reunion.

    Whether they’re in it for the long haul or will call it quits at some point sooner (hopefully not before they reach the Rose Bowl Sept. 6 and 7), here’s a look at a few other very famous — but very brief — band reunions.

    The Beach Boys

    DISBANDED: Technically, they never broke up. Read on.

    HOW LONG THE REUNION LASTED: A few months in 2012.

    WHAT HAPPENED: There is no linear history when it comes to the Beach Boys, but here’s the abridged: Band members came and went, and the band’s visionary, the late Brian Wilson, retired from touring in 1964 following a breakdown caused by stress and exhaustion. His place was soon filled by Bruce Johnston, who remained with the group for decades. Wilson also infamously feuded with his cousin and bandmate Mike Love over songwriting credits for years.

    The question here is: Can a band that never broke up reunite? In this case, yes: The band — with both Wilson and Love — got together for a new album, “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” and world tour in 2012, celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary. It wasn’t the whole original lineup, however: Drummer Dennis Wilson died in 1983, and guitarist Carl Wilson died in 1998.

    CHANCES OF GETTING BACK TOGETHER: The force behind the band, Brian Wilson, died last month at age 82, but Love continues to tour under the Beach Boys name.

    Led Zeppelin

    DISBANDED: 1980

    HOW LONG THE REUNION LASTED: Good question. The band played a few one-off events in the mid-1980s throughout the ’00s, never embarking on a reunion tour. So, a few days? A few hours?

    WHAT HAPPENED: Led Zeppelin disbanded immediately following the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, reuniting only for a select few events in the decades that followed. Most notably, their first show back was a complicated set at Live Aid in 1985 in Philadelphia. Lead singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones’ last performance together was in 2007 at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert held in London’s O2 Arena. There, Bonham’s son Jason Bonham played the drums. Page and Plant had a separate band together that released a couple of albums in the ‘90s.

    CHANCES OF GETTING BACK TOGETHER: Highly unlikely. The band has successfully evaded reunion requests in the past, including one from President Bill Clinton. In 2013, Clinton asked the British rock greats to get back together for the 2012 Superstorm Sandy benefit concert in New York City. He asked; they said no.

    Nirvana

    DISBANDED: 1994

    HOW LONG THE REUNION LASTED: A series of one-off performances in the 2010s and 2020s.

    WHAT HAPPENED: Nirvana disbanded following the death of frontman and principal songwriter Kurt Cobain. Its members pursued other projects — most notably, drummer Dave Grohl founded the Foo Fighters. But two decades after Cobain’s death, in 2014, Nirvana was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, so bassist Krist Novoselic, touring guitarist Pat Smear (of the Germs) and Grohl got together for a short set — joined by Lorde, St. Vincent, Joan Jett and Kim Gordon on vocals for a reunion dubbed “Hervana.”

    CHANCES OF GETTING BACK TOGETHER: Maybe there could be a few more gigs here and there? Novoselic and Grohl reunited for a few one-off performances in the years that followed, most recently coming together for the Fire Aid benefit concert in Los Angeles and the 50th anniversary celebrations for “Saturday Night Live,” both this year. At the latter, Post Malone took over vocal duties.

    Oasis

    DISBANDED: 2009

    HOW LONG THE REUNION IS SUPPOSED TO LAST: If the band makes it through their full run of reunion shows, July through November. So, five months.

    WHAT HAPPENED: Good question. The band — and in particular, the Gallagher brothers — have not released a public statement giving specific reasons for the reunion. But the initial tour announcement did seem to allude to past tensions. “The guns have fallen silent,” Oasis said. “The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”

    In 2019, Liam Gallagher told the Associated Press he was ready to reconcile.

    “The most important thing is about me and him being brothers,” he said of Noel. “He thinks I’m desperate to get the band back together for money. But I didn’t join the band to make money. I joined the band to have fun and to see the world.”

    Fans had long theorized a reunion might be on the horizon, too: In the wake of the 2017 bombing that killed 22 at an Ariana Grande concert in Oasis’ hometown of Manchester, Liam Gallagher performed at a benefit concert. He criticized his brother’s absence, but a spokesperson said Noel Gallagher couldn’t attend because of a long-standing family trip. Benefit organizers said Noel Gallagher approved the use of Oasis’ music and donated royalties from “Don’t Look Back in Anger” to the British Red Cross’ One Love Manchester fund.

    CHANCES OF GETTING BACK TOGETHER: It’s happening. A better question is: What are the chances of a new album? That’s impossible to know.

    Outkast

    DISBANDED: They never officially disbanded, so call it a hiatus. They never released another album after 2006’s “Idlewild,” and 2007 is frequently cited as the year they officially took a break.

    HOW LONG THE REUNION LASTED: A few months in 2014? They announced reunion dates in January 2014, played their first in April, and ended that October.

    WHAT HAPPENED: At the top of 2014, Outkast — the innovative Atlanta-based hip-hop duo consisting of Big Boi and André 3000 — announced they would tour festivals around the world to mark 20 years of their band, following a near-decade-long hiatus. The dates began at Coachella, where the duo headlined both Friday night shows. Then they made their way to their home state of Georgia for the CounterPoint Music & Arts Festival, which the AP described as “an energetic show that kept the crowd jamming in the late hours.”

    Once the reunion shows were done, so was Outkast. Big Boi continued to release solo records, and André 3000 would follow suit … almost 10 years later, when he released his debut solo full-length album, the flute-forward “New Blue Sun,” in 2023.

    “New Blue Sun” has “no bars,” he joked to AP shortly after it was released. It’s a divergence from rap because “there was nothing I was liking enough to rap about, or I didn’t feel it sounded fresh.”

    CHANCES OF GETTING BACK TOGETHER: When asked about new Outkast music, André 3000 told AP, “I never say never. … But I can say that the older I get, I feel like that time has happened.”

    The Velvet Underground

    DISBANDED: 1973, more or less.

    HOW LONG THE REUNION LASTED: A few months in 1993.

    WHAT HAPPENED: Here’s another opaque one for you, as band reunions so often tend to be: John Cale was ousted in 1968, Lou Reed left in 1970 and the Velvet Underground slowly dissolved from there, releasing their final album, “Squeeze,” in 1973. In 1990, Cale and Reed joined forces to release an album in homage to Andy Warhol, “Songs for Drella,” opening the door for a future reunion. There were a few one-off performances, and then the band toured Europe in 1993, including a performance at Glastonbury.

    CHANCES OF GETTING BACK TOGETHER: It is pretty much impossible. Reed died in 2013. Guitarist Sterling Morrison died in 1995. And Nico died in 1988.

    Sherman writes for the Associated Press.

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