Red Bull athlete Thomas van Tonder completed a world-first crossing beneath South Africa's 216-metre-high Bloukrans Bridge as part of Red Bull Bridge Bars.
Life-threatening violence broke out at a 12-year-old girls' softball game over the weekend, leaving one man unconscious with a fractured skull, a grandfather with a broken hip, and a Texas couple arrested and charged with assault.
New images appear to show a full-sized demonstrator of China’s CE-25A, an unorthodox 19-seat all-electric aircraft being developed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The photographs offer a fresh look at a program the company publicly outlined in 2023, although the aircraft’s current testing status remains unclear.
The images appear to have first been shared by Chinese automotive blogger Han Lu (韩路) on October 28 and show a red and black colored aircraft with a silver cheatline bearing COMAC and CE-25A markings. Its Chinese civilian registration is B-0EFH.
One of the first images showing the apparent COMAC CE-25A. via Chinese internet
At this point, it should be noted that we cannot establish with certainty that the imagery is legitimate, but our own examination using multiple AI image-analysis models has found no major indications that they were artificially generated.
Regardless, the program overall reflects COMAC’s interest in distributed electric propulsion, an approach that could help inform future aircraft development even if the CE-25A itself never enters commercial service.
The appearance of what seems to be a full-sized demonstrator certainly raises questions about how far the program has progressed. At this stage, there is no clear public confirmation that this particular aircraft has flown, and its precise role in the development effort remains uncertain.
A rear three-quarter view provides a good look at the distributed electric propulsion system used in the CE-25A. via Chinese internet
COMAC first presented the CE-25A concept at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November 2023. The company described it as a 19-seat, all-electric commuter aircraft intended for short- and medium-distance passenger transportation, as well as business aviation.
Published design specifications called for a cruising speed of approximately 400 kilometers per hour (248 miles per hour) and a range of around 400 to 500 kilometers (250 to 310 miles).
The 19-seat capacity and its general configuration are somewhat similar to the Beechcraft 1900 twin-turboprop regional airliner. With a 19-passenger payload, the Beechcraft 1900 has a range of around 700 kilometers (440 miles) and a cruising speed of approximately 520 kilometers per hour (320 miles per hour).
Stock photo of a Beechcraft 1900D taking off. Photo by Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images SOPA Images
The Chinese aircraft’s most distinctive feature is its distributed electric propulsion system. Instead of relying on a small number of conventional turboprop engines, the design uses 10 electrically driven ducted fans integrated into its wing structure.
Distributed propulsion can give designers greater flexibility in how thrust is generated and integrated with the airframe. Depending on the configuration, it can offer aerodynamic benefits and potentially improve performance in particular flight regimes. Electric motors can also simplify some aspects of propulsion-system design compared with conventional turbine engines.
Those advantages come with very considerable engineering challenges. Batteries remain far less energy-dense than aviation fuel, placing constraints on range, payload, and endurance. High-power electrical systems also require careful thermal management, while integrating multiple propulsion units introduces additional questions involving reliability, maintenance, and flight control.
There is also some confusion about how the demonstrator shown in the new images fits in with previously announced plans for the program. In 2023, COMAC referred to experimental aircraft verification flight work, which was to involve a scaled demonstrator. Meanwhile, the aircraft in the new photos is full-sized. Potentially, there is an unseen ‘missing link’ subscale demonstrator that has already flown.
A model of the CE-25A is displayed alongside a placard with its key features and specifications. via Chinese internet
China is not alone in exploring distributed electric propulsion for regional aircraft. Several Western projects are also underway.
The European UNIFIER-19 research effort has examined 19-seat, zero-emission regional aircraft concepts using alternative propulsion systems, including distributed electric ducted fans. Some variants explored hydrogen fuel cells rather than relying exclusively on batteries. Compared to the CE-25A, it is strictly a research effort rather than a proposed production aircraft.
In the United States, NASA’s X-57A Maxwell experimental aircraft investigated distributed electric propulsion using 14 electric motors and propellers integrated into a specially designed wing. The X-57 was much smaller than the CE-25A and used open propellers rather than ducted fans. The project was intended to demonstrate potential aerodynamic and efficiency benefits but did not progress to its planned piloted flight configuration.
The X-57 program was canceled in 2023 after safety issues with its propulsion system proved impossible to resolve within the available budget and schedule. It had been launched on the assumption that existing electric propulsion technology was sufficiently mature for safe flight, but this ultimately proved premature. The experience underscores the very significant engineering and safety challenges that remain in developing viable electric aircraft.
Meanwhile, France’s AURA AERO is developing ERA, a 16- to 19-seat regional aircraft planned around eight electric motors and two turbogenerators. The hybrid-electric design is intended to offer substantially greater range than the CE-25A’s published target, with the company advertising a range of approximately 1,500 kilometers (930 miles). ERA is a more direct comparison in terms of intended passenger capacity and commercial role, but it uses a different propulsion architecture and is not an all-electric aircraft.
Swedish company Heart Aerospace also pursued a 19-seat battery-powered commuter aircraft, the ES-19, with a proposed range of approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles). Its original design was more conventional, with a high wing and T-tail, and the company subsequently moved away from the ES-19 concept toward larger hybrid-electric aircraft.
The CE-25A has been presented as a civilian aircraft, and there is no public evidence that COMAC intends to develop it for military service. Nevertheless, the technologies being explored could have relevance to future military aviation.
This would be in line with China’s pursuit of other unconventional aircraft programs with more direct potential military applications.
A mature electric aircraft in this general class could potentially support short-range utility missions, liaison duties, or personnel transport where payload and endurance requirements are modest and suitable charging infrastructure is available. At this stage, there is no indication that the CE-25A has been designed for autonomous operations, austere-field use, or military payloads.
At the same time, its utility in military environments would depend heavily on battery performance, ground support, operating conditions, and the ability to maintain the aircraft away from established infrastructure.
Perhaps more likely is that research into distributed electric propulsion, including the CE-25A, could inform other Chinese aircraft designs. Advances in electric motors, power distribution, flight controls, thermal management, and the integration of multiple propulsion units could eventually benefit crewed and uncrewed aircraft or specialized platforms with different operational requirements.
The CE-25A sits within China’s broader effort to expand its domestic aerospace capabilities and explore new aircraft technologies. COMAC is best known internationally for its C919 narrowbody airliner and ARJ21 regional jet, but its research interests extend beyond conventional commercial aircraft.
An ARJ21 sits on the tarmac at Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport, Jiangsu Province of China. Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images VCG
China’s substantial battery-manufacturing industry provides a potential advantage in electric aviation, although adapting batteries developed for road vehicles to the demands of flight remains a significant engineering challenge.
In 2023, COMAC announced cooperation with battery manufacturer CATL and Shanghai Jiao Tong University on research related to battery-powered aircraft concepts. The precise relationship between that work and the CE-25A, including whether they share specific battery technologies or propulsion systems, is not immediately clear.
For now, the newly surfaced photographs provide a compelling look at a COMAC project that has been publicly acknowledged but remains opaque in several important respects.
Whether the CE-25A ultimately becomes a viable civilian aircraft or contributes to other aerospace developments, including in the military realm, its emergence offers more evidence of China’s continued push into unconventional aircraft design.
A longtime confidant of David Ellison and the former president and COO of Skydance Media, Sisgold most recently led the company's Paramount Sports Entertainment division.
Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane and Bayern Munich take on Magdeburg in the DFB-Pokal second round. Here are the live-streaming details for viewers in India.
One of the most iconic marathons in the world, New York City brings a close to World Marathon Major season, with defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri back to defend their titles in the five-borough race
Hamas propaganda-pushing Youtube and Netflix star Ms. Rachel, famous for making children's content, is calling a Florida youth soccer league racist after a black parent claimed that officials benched her three-year-old son because he was "too good at soccer."
Mr. Bolsonaro, who lost Sunday’s presidential election, fled Brazil for the United States via Argentina after the police canceled his passport in relation to an investigation.
WPL 2027 auction live updates: UP Warriorz sign Sophie Molineux for Rs 1.10 crore, while Delhi Capitals buy Kiran Navgire for Rs 75 lakh. Check top buys, teams and player prices.
The fast-food giant's surprise decision to end its 32-year run as a FIFA World Cup sponsor shows how major global brands are reassessing the cost, clutter, and commercial return of sports' biggest properties.
McDonald's ran its largest-ever World Cup marketing push during this summer's tournament, and McDonald's CFO Ian Borden said on an August earnings call that the effort "underperformed versus our expectations."
The company said last week that it had decided not to renew its current deal, which is due to end this year. It also indicated to FIFA that it isn't looking to invest in next year's Women's World Cup, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Sports sponsorship is seen as a way for brands to tap into huge, live global audiences and associate themselves with the feel-good factor of athletes' achievements. Management consultancy Kearney estimated the global market for sports sponsorship and in-venue advertising at $52 billion in 2025 and expects it to grow by 8% to 9% annually through 2030, reaching about $80 billion.
While many marketers continue to spend heavily on sports, they often find it hard to measure the commercial uplift from their sponsorship outlays. Research from Forrester, published in 2025, found that 76% of US business-to-consumer marketing executives who invested in sponsorships the prior year reported struggling to calculate the return on investment, or ROI, of their sports sponsorships.
"They are gaining a lot of traction around brand awareness, but can't necessarily calculate the hard and fast ROI numbers to prove to their CFOs that the money and long-term commitment for these kinds of sponsorships are necessary," Mike Proulx, a Forrester VP, told me.
For McDonald's, the figures evidently didn't justify a renewal. The deal was valued at $40 million annually, per the research firm GlobalData Sport.
For a globally recognized brand such as McDonald's, the scope for the World Cup to deliver another spike in brand awareness and associated sales may have reached its ceiling. Heineken appeared to make a similar recalculation last year when it said it would end its 30-year UEFA Champions League partnership in 2027. The brewer said it was shifting its sponsorship focus to platforms "where spend is proportionate to value creation," while retaining Formula 1 and adding Premier Padel.
McDonald's CMO Morgan Flatley said in a statement last week that sports remains important to its marketing strategy. At the company's September investor day, Flatley said she was focusing her campaigns "on McDonald's collection of iconic IP, not someone else's." The company continues to sponsor dozens of sports properties, including France's Ligue 1 top-flight soccer league and the All-American Games.
The 2026 World Cup reached nearly 6 billion people worldwide across different platforms, according to FIFA, which helps explain why brands continue to spend heavily to be associated with it. While FIFA has not disclosed a final sponsorship total for the 2026 World Cup, its latest budget forecasts $2.8 billion in marketing-rights revenue across all commercial partnerships in the 2023 to 2026 cycle. That would be about 59% more than it generated across the 2019 to 2022 Qatar cycle. For the 2026 tournament, FIFA also introduced a program that allowed host cities to sell local supporter packages, making the sponsorship market increasingly crowded compared to previous years.
Rory Natkiel, founder of sponsorship effectiveness consultancy Box Count, said the additional host-city partners risked shrinking McDonald's "share of property" — the portion of the event's commercial attention it could realistically command.
That dynamic could make smaller or newer sports properties more attractive to mature global brands. While they might not offer the global scale of long-standing events like the World Cup, they can provide greater flexibility to tailor marketing to specific audiences and channels than the tightly controlled multiyear packages from major rights holders allow. For a company like McDonald's, that could open up an opportunity to offer consumers an experience they remember rather than a sponsorship they simply expect.
"If they start going into new sports and trying to attract a different audience to the global football audience — padel for a slightly more premium audience, or whatever it might be — it does create a new compelling angle and a new avenue for creativity," said Rory Stewart-Richardson, a longtime sports sponsorship executive.
Stewart-Richardson said he wouldn't be surprised if other legacy brands start recalibrating their sponsorship deals, focusing more on local markets and digital activations, with an emphasis on "building from the consumer out rather than trying to buy into temporary cultural relevance."
Jay-Z will headline the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Brian Ach/Getty Images for Something in the Water
Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on Sunday, February 14.
It will be an amazing show, but there are some others we'd love to see perform in the future.
We'd love to see Ariana Grande or Miley Cyrus headline the halftime show in 2028 and beyond.
The Super Bowl halftime show is part of the most-watched TV event of the year — it's sometimes viewed more than the game itself.
That's why the choice of performer is important: It's the biggest stage in the country.
For the next Super Bowl, Jay-Z was chosen by, well, himself, to perform at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. This is amazing news for any fans of the "99 Problems" rapper who missed the "Jay-Z 30" tour, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," and the 25th anniversary of his landmark album, "The Blueprint."
"From 'Reasonable Doubt' to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey," the rapper said in a statement. "Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world's biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true."
Of course, it doesn't hurt that his wife, Beyoncé, might be compelled to join her husband onstage to perform one of their iconic duets.
While next year's show is sure to be iconic, we have some suggestions for performers for the next couple of years, from Stevie Wonder to Olivia Rodrigo.
Ariana Grande has many successful albums, and she always brings the vocals.
John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Grande has eight albums worth of hits, including "The Way," "Problem," "Thank U Next," "Into You," "Everyday," "Positions," "The Boy Is Mine," "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," "Hate That I Made You Love Me," plus the entire "Wicked" soundtrack ... the list goes on. Many of her hits include collaborations with other giant stars, like Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Childish Gambino, Future, Jessie J, Zedd, and Missy Elliot, which would make for a great halftime show.
The Super Bowl halftime show is just the next logical step in her quest for world domination, and we're here for it.
It's surprising that Taylor Swift, arguably the biggest musical artist in the world, has never headlined the halftime show.
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour.
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Everyone knows Taylor Swift can put on a show, whether you love her or hate her. Just think about the Eras Tour. Imagine that level of production at the Super Bowl.
Swift is also known for her cross-genre music — she could perform songs that appeal to everyone.
And now that she officially owns all her own music and has released a few bonus songs to add to her 12th album, "The Life of a Showgirl," Swift has more content than ever to pull from.
However, she has said that she won't do the Super Bowl while her husband, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is still playing football, so we might have to wait a couple of years.
We're all still obsessed with Queen, who have been touring with Adam Lambert as the lead singer for more than a decade.
INGLEWOOD, CA - JULY 03: Musician Brian May (L) of Queen and singer Adam Lambert perform at the Forum on July 3, 2014 in Inglewood, California.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The NFL loves a classic rock performance, as evidenced by past performers such as The Who, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and more. But Queen, arguably one of the most theatrical rock bands of all time, has never taken the stage.
Lambert toured with Queen for years and even performed with them at the 2019 Oscars, so he is clearly fan-approved as the band's lead singer. Just picture an entire stadium stomping along to "We Will Rock You" — it's a guaranteed good time.
Stevie Wonder shared the stage in 1999, but is long overdue for his own show.
Brad Barket/Getty Images
At Super Bowl XXXIII, Stevie Wonder performed with Gloria Estefan and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. But he only got to sing a few songs, and Wonder is an artist with enough No. 1 hits to fill a 20-track album.
The Super Bowl hasn't had a more "classic" headliner since The Who in 2010. Wonder would be a solid return to form.
Pink is famous for her aerial stunts during performances — just picture her hanging from a stadium ceiling.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Pink performs on stage at Wembley Stadium on June 29, 2019 in London, England.
Over 20 years after her debut album (and still cranking out hits like "Can We Pretend," "Walk Me Home," and "Never Gonna Not Dance Again"), Pink is more than capable of headlining the halftime show.
Britney Spears appeared alongside Justin Timberlake (in his NSYNC days) in 2001. She should have headlined the show before he did.
Britney Spears performs during Now! 99.7 Triple Ho Show 7.0 at SAP Center on December 3, 2016
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
In the words of Spears herself, she's "a put-on-a-show kind of girl." One of the most iconic live performances of all time involved Spears and a gigantic python. There's no limit to what she could do on a Super Bowl-sized budget.
Justin Bieber is firmly back at the top of the charts, so he has both new songs and plenty of hits to pull from.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 20: Recording artist Justin Bieber performs at the 2016 Purpose World Tour at Staples Center on March 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (P
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images
It's been a good few years for the Biebs. He released two albums ("Swag" and "Swag II") and was announced as one of the headliners of Coachella in 2026. It would've been cool for him to do the Super Bowl show as well, but we predict he'll be releasing hits for years to come.
Besides his jams like "What Do U Mean," "Sorry," "Where Are U Now," "Baby," "Boyfriend," "Daisies," and "Yukon," Bieber also has a solid stable of collaborators he could bring onstage with him — of course, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee for "Despacito," but also Chance the Rapper, Quavo, DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne for "I'm the One," and "No Brainer," Post Malone for "Forever," The Kid Laroi for "Stay," Daniel Caesar and Giveon for "Peaches," and even Billie Eilish on their version of "Bad Guy."
Miley Cyrus clearly knows how to put on a show.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 21: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Denise Truscello/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
The "Bangerz" tour will always be famous for one thing: Miley Cyrus entering through a gigantic version of her head and sliding down her tongue.
Cyrus has always known how to get people talking, starting with her pole-dancing at the VMAs during "Party in the USA" and her twerking on Robin Thicke.
After a subdued album, "Younger Now," the wilder side of her is back with a vengeance, with her eye-popping music video for "Mother's Daughter" and the heartbreak bop "Flowers," an ode to being single and loving it.
Her 2020 album "Plastic Hearts" was her first foray into real rock music, and — as we know — there's nothing the NFL loves more than rock 'n' roll. She could even bring out Talking Heads to perform "Psycho Killer," which she covered in 2024.
"Bass Persuades" might not be her strongest work, but as our own Callie Ahlgrim has pointed out, it doesn't matter: "Miley is in a league of her own."
Janet Jackson deserves to make a return.
Francois Nel/Getty Images
Janet Jackson will forever be known as the first-ever Super Bowl victim of a wardrobe malfunction. But she's so much more than that: an amazing dancer and a talented vocalist, for starters.
And she's paid for "Nipplegate" ever since, even though it wasn't her fault. According to Rolling Stone, CBS rescinded Jackson's invitation to the Grammys that year, while Timberlake attended ... and even won. (He has since apologized for "falling short" and benefiting "from a system that condones misogyny and racism.")
If we're dreaming big, perhaps Outkast could reunite on the Super Bowl stage.
Big Boi (L) and Andre 3000 of Outkast perform onstage during day 3 of the Firefly Music Festival on June 21, 2014 in Dover, Delaware.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly Music Festival
Outkast consists of two of the greatest rappers of all time, Big Boi and André 3000. Those two provided us with some of the best rap songs (or just songs, in general) of all time, including "Hey Ya!," "Ms. Jackson," "So Fresh, So Clean," "B.O.B.," "Roses," and more.
As the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show proved, classic rap and hip hop is becoming just as "classic" as classic rock and inspires the same amount of nostalgia. What would be more fun than seeing Outkast reunite for the first time in over a decade — they last performed together in 2016 — and on the biggest stage of the year?
Being the youngest headliner of the Super Bowl would just be another record for Billie Eilish to break.
Billie Eilish performs at the 2022 Coachella music festival.
Bruno Mars is currently the youngest musician ever to do it; he was 28 when he headlined in 2014. Eilish, who's now 24, still has some time to take the record. Perhaps when she releases her highly anticipated fourth album, it'll be time.
Olivia Rodrigo could be another solid Gen Z candidate.
Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Olivia Rodrigo "GUTS" World Tour at the Kia Forum on August 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images
Rodrigo's third album, "You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love," just solidified what we already know: Rodrigo is a generational talent and a true rock star.
"Drop Dead," "Stupid Song," "Expectations" (with or without Chappell Roan), "Good 4 U," "Vampire," "Drivers License," and "Get Him Back!" are all bangers that would fill up a stadium.
Harry Styles is a Brit we'd love to see — especially if the Packers are in.
Harry Styles performed on stage at Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2022.
Jo Hale/Redferns/Getty Images
Styles, somewhat inexplicably, is a Green Bay Packers fan and even has the "G" tattooed on his body. That's true dedication.
The former boyband star's "Together, Together" tour is currently burning down Madison Square Garden for a whopping 30 nights spread from August to November.
Besides his own quite expansive solo catalog and demonstrated ability to rock any stadium he's in, imagine the power of a One Direction reunion at the Super Bowl. Chills.
Login
