Entertainment

The secret to Labubus’ success? China’s ‘blind box’ craze
Business

The secret to Labubus’ success? China’s ‘blind box’ craze

Labubu toys packaging are seen at a souvenir store in Krakow, Poland on August 21, 2025. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images Even Confucius is getting in on China’s “blind box” craze. At the main temple in Beijing to China’s greatest sage, the souvenir shops sell a range of “blind boxes,” gifts packaged in […]

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‘KPop Demon Hunters’ gives Netflix its first box-office win
World

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ gives Netflix its first box-office win

Netflix appears to have its first No. 1 box-office title in the streaming company’s 18-year history thanks to the sensation of “KPop Demon Hunters.” Rival studios on Sunday estimated “KPop Demon Hunters” led all films over the weekend with $16-18 million in ticket sales. Distribution executives from three studios shared their estimates for the Netflix […]

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Airline bookings haven’t moved with the times. That’s about to change
Travel

Airline bookings haven’t moved with the times. That’s about to change

In June, my children and I flew from Singapore to Texas to visit family. Several weeks later, we met up with my husband in New York City. Then I flew, solo, back to Asia, later followed by my husband. Eventually the kids returned with a set of grandparents in tow. All in, our summer trip […]

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The summer box office sizzled, but brace for a cooldown until November
Business

The summer box office sizzled, but brace for a cooldown until November

Movie stills from Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and “Fantastic Four” and Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Superman.” Courtesy: Disney | 20th Century Studios | Marvel Studios | Warner Bros. Discovery Superheroes, dinosaurs and a genetically altered alien dog helped propel the summer box office haul above 2024 levels, but that momentum is about to stall. Heading into […]

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Beekeeping, boxing and budgets: Meet the finance chief who’s about to lead WBD’s networks offshoot
Business

Beekeeping, boxing and budgets: Meet the finance chief who’s about to lead WBD’s networks offshoot

Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels walks to a session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 9, 2025 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images By day, Gunnar Wiedenfels is the chief financial officer of Warner Bros. Discovery and the CEO-elect of Discovery Global, one half of […]

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Google’s Pixel 10 launch wasn’t about the phones but the strategic AI play
Technology

Google’s Pixel 10 launch wasn’t about the phones but the strategic AI play

A person holds Google Pixel 10 Pro mobile phones during the ‘Made by Google’ event, organized to introduce the latest additions to Google’s Pixel portfolio of devices, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., August 20, 2025. Brendan McDermid | Reuters While Google made a big splash with its Pixel 10 series of smartphones, it was the […]

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Disney’s new ESPN flagship streaming app launches Thursday. Here’s what we know
Business

Disney’s new ESPN flagship streaming app launches Thursday. Here’s what we know

The Disney+ website on a laptop, July 18, 2022. Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images Disney is launching its new ESPN flagship streaming app Thursday, just in time for the football season, bringing customers the full ESPN suite in one place. The entertainment company has been working on the launch of the direct-to-consumer app […]

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Fewer people are drinking — and that’s changing how they travel
Travel

Fewer people are drinking — and that’s changing how they travel

Peter Shankman, an American, said he looked forward to free drinks when he flew business class for work. The entrepreneur would have a drink, then a few more, sleep, then land. All was well, he said. Until it wasn’t. “Eventually, I realized that I wasn’t fine,” he said. “I was tired, cranky … [it] wasn’t […]

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Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices in U.S. as tariffs start to hit
Technology

Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices in U.S. as tariffs start to hit

The PlayStation DualSense controller and PlayStation 5 console. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images PlayStation 5 game consoles will cost $50 more in the U.S. starting this week, Sony announced on Wednesday. The price for an entry-level PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will increase from $450 to $500, and a PlayStation 5 with a disc […]

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Google announces its AI-powered Pixel 10 smartphone series
World

Google announces its AI-powered Pixel 10 smartphone series

Google announced its new series of Pixel smartphones, including the Google Pixel 10 Pro, which has new AI and durability features. Google on Wednesday debuted its latest line of Pixel smartphones that prominently feature the Gemini assistant as artificial intelligence increasingly becomes the battleground where device companies compete. The Alphabet company announced the Pixel 10 […]

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