- Hezbollah under pressure after war with Israel
- OPEC+ postpones meeting on oil output to December 5
- Zelensky slams Russia's 'despicable' use of cluster munitions in energy strikes
- One dead, thousands displaced as floods hit southern Thailand
- Lebanon army deploys under Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire
- Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi emerges as Pakistan protest figure
- COP16 biodiversity talks to restart in February: UN
- Iran to hold nuclear talks with three European powers
- French govt ready for budget concessions to avoid financial 'storm'
- Hong Kong airport third runway takes off
- In Bosnia, the path to renewables runs through its coal mines
- China probes top military official for corruption
- Syria war monitor says more than 130 dead in army-jihadist clashes
- China says top military official Miao Hua under investigation
- Taiwan president's plan to stop over in Hawaii, Guam angers Beijing
- Russian attacks leave one million Ukrainians without power
- Markets mixed after subdued pre-holiday shift on Wall St
- What would an ICC arrest warrant for Myanmar's junta chief mean?
- China says top military official Miao Hua suspended, under investigation
- Taiwan's Lai to stop over in Hawaii, Guam during Pacific trip
- Namibia extends voting after logistical issues
- LIV Golf's Herbert in charge at Australian Open, Smith two back
- Despair in Sweden as gangs recruit kids as contract killers
- Russia launches massive aerial attack on Ukraine's energy sector
- Peru scientists unveil crocodile fossil up to 12 million years old
- At plastic treaty talks, no united front for industry
- Williamson falls for 93 as England fight back in first Test
- South Korea officials say three dead in heavy snowfall
- High-flying Fiorentina face test of Scudetto credentials with Inter visit
- Verstappen switches focus to re-boot defence of F1 teams' title
- UK filmmaker Richard Curtis makes first foray into animation
- Countrywide air alert in Ukraine due to missile threat
- China's military corruption crackdown explained
- Primark boss defends practices as budget fashion brand eyes expansion
- Williamson eyes ton as New Zealand take control against England
- Norway faces WWF in court over deep sea mining
- Trump, Sheinbaum discuss migration in Mexico amid tariff threat
- Asian markets mixed after subdued pre-holiday shift on Wall St
- Orban's soft power shines as Hungary hosts Israeli match
- 'Retaliate': Trump tariff talk spurs global jitters, preparations
- 'Anti-woke' Americans hail death of DEI as another domino topples
- Trump hails migration talks with Mexico president
- Truckers strike accusing Wagner of driver death in Central African Republic
- London police say 90 victims identified in new Al-Fayed probe
- Air pollution from fires linked to 1.5 million deaths a year
- Latham falls for 47 as New Zealand 104-2 in first England Test
- US tells Ukraine to lower conscription age to 18
- Judge denies Sean Combs bail: court order
- Suarez extends Inter Miami stay with new deal
- Perfect Liverpool on top of Champions League, Dortmund also among winners
'The Flash' dashes to box office win but stumbles short of estimates
Warner Bros.' "The Flash" sprinted to the top of North American box offices in its opening weekend, in a Friday-to-Sunday run dominated by spin-offs and sequels.
But the live-action take on the DC Comics superhero only brought in $55.1 million, according to figures released Sunday by Exhibitor Relations -- earnings that analysts said were "far below estimates" for its debut.
Ezra Miller stars as the speedy protagonist, joined by other DC characters including Supergirl and Batman. It dethroned the latest "Transformers" installment, from Paramount, which was last weekend's top earner.
Notching the number two spot this weekend was "Elemental," an animated immigrant fable from Pixar, which earned $29.5 million in what was also its opening weekend.
Pixar's first totally original new film to hit theaters since the start of the pandemic is set in the fantastical Element City -- where residents made out of fire, water, earth and air must learn to live in close proximity, despite their highly combustible differences.
Out of the top five highest-earning films this weekend, the rest were rounded out by movies with characters already familiar to generations of audiences.
Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" picked up $27.8 million, bringing its cumulative domestic total to more than $280 million so far, with an additional $209 million internationally.
The film, a sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and the latest spin on the Marvel Comics superhero, picks up the story of half-Black, half-Latino Miles Morales, using an eye-popping blend of decades-old 2D comic book drawing techniques with the latest computer-generated visual effects.
Dropping to fourth place was "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which earned $20 million, part of a $103.6 million haul so far.
Disney's "The Little Mermaid," a live-action remake of its 1989 animated tale of an underwater princess who gives up her voice in pursuit of true love, brought in $11.6 million. It has now earned some $253.5 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"The Blackening" ($6 million)
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" ($5 million)
"The Boogeyman" ($3.8 million)
"Fast X" ($1.6 million)
"Asteroid City" (limited release, $790,000)
D.Schneider--BTB