logo
What to stream: Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners,' a Kesha album, 'SharkFest' and John Cena with Idris Elba

What to stream: Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners,' a Kesha album, 'SharkFest' and John Cena with Idris Elba

Japan Today2 days ago
Kesha enjoying her freedom on her first new album since she left her old label and Ryan Coogler's guts-spilling vampire film 'Sinners,' are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists: Charlize Theron in 'The Old Guard 2' on Netflix, National Geographic's 25-hour 'SharkFest' and John Cena playing a U.S. president opposite Idris Elba as the UK's prime minister in the comedy 'Heads of State.'
– Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners,' arguably the movie of the year up to this point, begins streaming Friday on Max. With $363.8 million in worldwide ticket sales, Coogler's supernatural thriller is one of the most successful original films of the last two decades. It stars Michael B. Jordan as a pair of twins who return to their hometown to open a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi. Vampires, and other dark forces, intrude on their plans. In her review, AP's Jocelyn Noveck wrote: 'How Coogler pulls everything off at once — and makes it cohere, mostly — is a sight to see.'
– The wait has been long for 'The Old Guard 2' (Netflix, Wednesday), a sequel to Gina Prince-Bythewood's 2020 streaming hit starring Charlize Theron as a member of a team of centuries-old mercenaries. In 'The Old Guard 2,' shot all the way back in 2022, Victoria Mahoney takes over as director, while Theron returns as Andy, a warrior who has now lost her immortality.
– In 'Heads of State' (Prime Video, Wednesday), John Cena plays the president of the United States and Idris Elba plays the prime minister of the United Kingdom. What could go wrong? In Ilya Naishuller's comedy, the two are hunted by the same adversary. Elba's politician, a former commando, is better prepared than Cena's president, a former action movie star.
– A Zambian family funeral unearths a dark past and an anguished reckoning in Rungano Nyoni's beguiling 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' (Max, Friday). Nyoni's follow-up to the equally compelling 'I Am Not a Witch,' AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote in her review, 'cements the exciting arrival of a true filmmaker.'
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
— Kesha is a free agent. On Independence Day, she'll self-release '.' (pronounced 'Period'), her first new full-length album since her departure from RCA and the Dr. Luke-founded Kemosabe Records in 2023. That year, the pop star and the producer settled nearly a decade of suits and countersuits over her accusation that he drugged and raped her and his claim that she made it up and defamed him. Across the 11-track release, Kesha is clearly enjoying some newfound freedoms: '.' is a stuffed with throwback, ebullient pop, like the sultry 'JOYRIDE.,' the country-and-western-themed 'YIPPEE-KI-YAY.,' and the bighearted power ballad 'DELUSIONAL.'
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
— After a successful season 2, the cast of 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' gather for their first reunion episode on Hulu. #MomTok has a lot to hash out including infidelity rumors and accusations of clout-chasing. Nick Viall, a podcaster and former star of ABC's 'The Bachelor," hosts the special streaming Tuesday.
— Netflix has a documentary previewing its upcoming Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano fight at Madison Square Garden. "Countdown: Taylor Vs. Serrano," debuts Thursday and is narrated by Uma Thurman. It will show Taylor and Serrano as they train and prepare for their third match.
— A number of fin-tastic programs about sharks stream in July. Netflix offers a new reality competition show called 'All the Sharks' debuting on Friday. Four teams of shark experts compete to locate and photograph the most number of sharks. The winners get $50,000 for their favorite marine charity.
— National Geographic has compiled more than 25 hours of television for its annual SharkFest which begins streaming Sunday, July 6, on Disney+ and Hulu. In the docuseries, 'Investigation Shark Attack,' scientists attempt to pinpoint what causes a shark to attack. 'Super Shark Highway' follows researchers as they track sharks along migration routes in the waters off Australia. The goal is to find ways for sharks and humans to coexist in the busy ocean.
— Alicia Rancilio
— Giant robots! Maybe you like the kind that can stomp across a city, crushing office buildings under their huge metal feet. Or you prefer the ones who can fly above the chaos, unleashing missiles at each other. Perhaps you'd rather have your mech just hang back and perform maintenance on the ones taking the most damage. Whatever your choice, Mecha Break, from China's Amazing Seasun Games, hopes to have you covered. It's a multiplayer slugfest with 3 vs. 3, 6 vs. 6 and human vs. AI scenarios. You can start building your dream bot Wednesday on Xbox X/S and PC.
— Lou Kesten
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hamas Is Open to a Ceasefire. But Netanyahu Says There's No Room for Hamas in Postwar Gaza
Hamas Is Open to a Ceasefire. But Netanyahu Says There's No Room for Hamas in Postwar Gaza

Yomiuri Shimbun

time2 hours ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Hamas Is Open to a Ceasefire. But Netanyahu Says There's No Room for Hamas in Postwar Gaza

CAIRO (AP) — Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that 'there will be no Hamas' in postwar Gaza. Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' He said Hamas was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.' A Hamas delegation was expected to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Disagreement on how the war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to 'bridge gaps' to return to the negotiating table. Hamas has said it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. 'I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. 'I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about,' said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. 'I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return.' On Monday, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top U.S. officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize' the 60-day ceasefire, 'during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,' he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump had repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The fighting has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. Hospital director killed The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. 'Gaza lost a great man and doctor,' Nabhan said. 'He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed.' In central Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital said an Israeli strike near the entrance of a school housing displaced Palestinians killed eight people, including three children, and wounded 30 others. The hospital also said Israel struck a group of Palestinians who gathered near the entrance of the hospital's administration building in Nuseirat refugee camp. In other developments, Israel said an airstrike last week killed two Hamas members who allegedly took part in a June 24 attack in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armored vehicle.

The Dalai Lama Says He Plans to Reincarnate, Ensuring the Institution Will Continue
The Dalai Lama Says He Plans to Reincarnate, Ensuring the Institution Will Continue

Yomiuri Shimbun

time2 hours ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

The Dalai Lama Says He Plans to Reincarnate, Ensuring the Institution Will Continue

DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday said the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death, ending years of speculation that started when he indicated that he might be the last person to hold the role. Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism said that the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognized as per past Buddhist traditions, while signalling that China should stay away from the process of identifying his successor. The Dalai Lama's succession plan is politically consequential for most Tibetans who oppose China's tight control of Tibet and have struggled to keep their identity alive, in their homeland or in exile. It is also profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion. The decision, however, is expected to irk China, which has repeatedly said that it alone has the authority to approve the next religious leader. It insists the reincarnated figure must be found in China's Tibetan areas, giving Communist authorities power over who is chosen. Many observers believe there eventually will be rival Dalai Lamas — one appointed by Beijing, and one by senior monks loyal to the current Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in 1940. He fled Tibet when Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 and has been living in the town of Dharamshala in India since then, helping establish a democratic government-in-exile while also traveling the world to advocate autonomy for the Tibetan people. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama can choose the body into which he is reincarnated, as has happened on 14 occasions since the creation of the institution in 1587. He has reiterated in the past that his successor would be born outside China. The Dalai Lama laid out his succession plan in a recorded statement that was televised at a religious gathering of Buddhist monks in Dharamshala. He said the process of finding and recognizing his reincarnation lies solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust — a non-profit he founded in 2015 that oversees matters related to the spiritual leader and the institute of the Dalai Lama. 'No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,' he said, adding that the search for a future Dalai Lama should be carried out in 'accordance with past tradition.' Asked Wednesday about the Dalai Lama's announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a daily news briefing said 'the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must adhere to the principles of domestic search in China' and 'approval by the central government.' Mao said the process must 'follow religious rituals and historical settings, and be handled in accordance with national laws and regulations.' Separately, Amnesty International's China Director, Sarah Brooks, in a statement Wednesday said the efforts by Chinese authorities to control the selection of the next Dalai Lama was a 'direct assault' on the right to freedom of religion. 'Tibetan Buddhists, like all faith communities, must be able to choose their spiritual leaders without coercion or interference by the authorities,' Brooks said. The Dalai Lama has often urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile he once headed before relinquishing his political role in 2011 also supports this stance. Penpa Tsering, the president of the government-in-exile, said Tibetans from around the world made 'an earnest request with single-minded devotion' that the position of the Dalai Lama should continue 'for the benefit of all sentient beings in general and Buddhist in particular.' 'In response to this overwhelming supplication, His Holiness has shown infinite compassion and finally agreed to accept our appeal on this special occasion of his 90th birthday,' he said at a press conference. Tsering, however, warned China not to meddle in the process of the Dalai Lama's succession, saying it is a 'unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition.' 'We not only strongly condemn the People's Republic of China's usage of reincarnation subject for their political gain, and will never accept it,' he said. The search for a Dalai Lama's reincarnation begins only upon the incumbent's death. In the past, the successor has been identified by senior monastic disciples, based on spiritual signs and visions, and it can take several years after the next Dalai Lama is identified as a baby and groomed to take the reins.

Tesla Sales Plunge Again as Anti-Musk Boycott Shows Staying Power and Rivals Pounce on the Weakness
Tesla Sales Plunge Again as Anti-Musk Boycott Shows Staying Power and Rivals Pounce on the Weakness

Yomiuri Shimbun

time2 hours ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Tesla Sales Plunge Again as Anti-Musk Boycott Shows Staying Power and Rivals Pounce on the Weakness

NEW YORK (AP) — Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply in the last three months as boycotts over Elon Musk's political views continue to keep buyers away. The 13% plunge in global sales over a year earlier suggests the damage to Tesla's brand from Musk's embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right European politicians is much deeper, widespread and lasting than some investors had expected. The figures reported by Tesla on Wednesday also signal that its quarterly earnings report due later this month could disappoint as rival electric-vehicle makers pounce on its weakness and steal market share. v Sales fell to 384,122 in April through June, down from 443,956 in the same three months last year. During the latest period, Musk formally left the Trump administration as a cost-cutting czar, and hopes rose that sales would recover. The Tesla CEO himself recently said the company was in the midst of a 'major rebound' in sales, a statement contradicted by the latest figures. Still, some parts of the report were encouraging. Sales of the Models 3 and Y totaled 373,728, above the estimate of 356,000 from Wall Street analysts. Tesla shares rose 5% on the news. 'The numbers weren't as bad as thought with all the analyst forecast cuts we saw over the past week,' said Morningstar's Seth Goldstein, though he added the report overall showed the company faces big challenges. 'The current product lineup is at market saturation and Tesla will need the new affordable vehicle to grow deliveries.' Musk has promised a cheaper EV model would be coming this year that would boost sales. It's not clear yet if Musk's latest feud with Trump will help lure back buyers who have been angry at the billionaire's political positions. After Musk once again took to social media to criticize Trump's budget bill, the president threatened Tuesday to use the power of his office to hurt his companies, including Tesla, pushing its stock down more than 5%. A June AP-NORC poll showed about half of U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion of Tesla, including 30% of Republicans. The new figures come as Tesla is focusing less on new models and more on robots, self-driving technology and robotaxis ferrying passengers around without anyone behind the wheel. Tesla is in the midst of a test run of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, that seems to have gone smoothly for the most part. But it also has drawn the scrutiny of federal car safety regulators because of a few mishaps, including one case in which a Tesla cab was shown on a video heading down an opposing lane. The competition from rival EV makers is especially fierce in Europe where China's BYD has taken a bite out of its market share. Tesla sales fell 28% in May in 30 European countries even as the overall market for electric vehicles expanded sharply, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. Musk has acknowledged that his work as head of the Department of Government Efficiency and his embrace of European far-right candidates have hurt the company. But he said earlier this year that much of the sales plunge is due to customers holding off while they waited for an ugrade to Tesla's best selling Model Y. That new version has been out for months now. Tesla reports second quarter financial results on July 23. In the first quarter, net income fell 71%.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store