Oasis to Reunite for 2025 World Tour as Gallaghers End Fraternal Feud

Fan Emily McShane, takes a photograph of a new street artwork depicting Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher, created by Manchester-based street artist Pic.One.Art. on the side of the Sifters Record store in Burnage, a suburb of Manchester, northern England on August 27, 2024. (AFP)
Fan Emily McShane, takes a photograph of a new street artwork depicting Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher, created by Manchester-based street artist Pic.One.Art. on the side of the Sifters Record store in Burnage, a suburb of Manchester, northern England on August 27, 2024. (AFP)
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Oasis to Reunite for 2025 World Tour as Gallaghers End Fraternal Feud

Fan Emily McShane, takes a photograph of a new street artwork depicting Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher, created by Manchester-based street artist Pic.One.Art. on the side of the Sifters Record store in Burnage, a suburb of Manchester, northern England on August 27, 2024. (AFP)
Fan Emily McShane, takes a photograph of a new street artwork depicting Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher, created by Manchester-based street artist Pic.One.Art. on the side of the Sifters Record store in Burnage, a suburb of Manchester, northern England on August 27, 2024. (AFP)

Oasis plan to reunite after 15 years, with news on Tuesday that brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are lining up a series of gigs in 2025 crashing the British band's website and sending hotel prices soaring.

The group, whose debut album "Definitely Maybe" was released 30 years ago, split in 2009 when lead guitarist and main songwriter Noel said he could no longer work with frontman Liam after a number of public spats between the siblings.

"This is it, this is happening," the band said on X, announcing tickets would go on sale on Saturday. The first of 14 shows will be in Cardiff, Wales next July, followed by nights in Manchester – where the band was formed in 1991 – London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

"The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised," the band said in a statement on their website, which said the performances would be part of a planned world tour.

Both brothers have enjoyed individual musical success and acclaim since Oasis split up, but always against the backdrop of calls from fans for the band to reunite.

Tuesday's announcement follows a weekend of speculation about a reunion, which music streaming platform Spotify said had prompted a 160% spike in streaming globally over a two-hour period on Monday compared with the previous week.

"It's very safe to assume that those streams are going to continue increasing across the week now that we have official confirmation, and leading up to tickets going on sale on Saturday," said Sara Sesardic, Spotify's editorial lead for the UK and Ireland.

The news also prompted prices for hotel rooms for the nights of Oasis' planned shows to spike, with few cheaper rooms available in Manchester on the nights of the gigs.

A similar jump took place ahead of Taylor Swift's recent tour this summer, including when she came to Britain.

A tour in 2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of Oasis' second album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?", which included the singles "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Wonderwall".

The release of "Roll with It" from the album in August 1995 put Oasis head-to-head with rival Blur's "Country House" in a chart battle that was seized upon by the media. Blur won the coveted number one spot.

"(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" went on to sell more than 22 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album of the 1990s in Britain and the band's breakthrough in the United States.

The Gallaghers were often at loggerheads when touring in the 1990s and their hostility continued after Oasis split.

"He thinks he's the man and I think I'm the man, do you know what I mean?" Liam said in 2017.



Taylor Swift Bags Best-selling Artist of 2025 Award

FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
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Taylor Swift Bags Best-selling Artist of 2025 Award

FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo

US pop star Taylor Swift was crowned the biggest-selling global artist of 2025, industry body IFPI announced Wednesday, the fourth consecutive year and sixth time she has claimed its annual prize.

The 36-year-old's success was turbo-charged by the October release of her latest album, "The Life of a Showgirl", which set several streaming records, as well as the release of a docuseries about her record-breaking The Eras tour.

"2025 was another landmark year (for Swift), driven by exceptional worldwide engagement across streaming, physical and digital formats with the release of her 12th album ... and the documentary of her tour," IFPI said.

The body, which represents the recorded music industry worldwide, noted Swift had now won its top annual artist prize as many times as all other artists combined over the past 10 years, AFP.

IFPI hands out the Global Artist of the Year Award after calculating an artist's or group's worldwide sales across streaming, downloads and physical music formats during the calendar year and covers their entire body of work.

Swift beat out Korean group Stray Kids, which came in second -- its highest-ever ranking and the third consecutive year in the global top five.

Fresh from his Super Bowl halftime show, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny placed fifth in the rankings, his sixth consecutive year in the chart.

American rapper Tyler, The Creator marked his first appearance on the chart, in 12th place, with IFPI noting he had "continued to generate strong vinyl sales across his catalogue".

Meanwhile Japanese rock band Mrs. Green Apple entered the rankings for the first time one place below him, following what IFPI called "the success of their anniversary album '10'".


Berlin Film Festival Rejects Accusation of Censorship on Gaza

Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
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Berlin Film Festival Rejects Accusation of Censorship on Gaza

Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)

The director of the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday rejected accusations from more than 80 film industry figures that the festival had helped censor artists who oppose Israel's actions in Gaza.

In an open letter published on Tuesday, Oscar-winning actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton were among dozens who criticized the Berlinale's "silence" on the issue and said they were "dismayed" at its "involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza".

In an interview with Screen Daily, the Berlinale's director, Tricia Tuttle, said the festival backs "free speech within the bounds of German law".

She said she recognized that the letter came from "the depth of anger and frustration about the suffering of people in Gaza".

However, she rejected accusations of censorship, saying that the letter contained "misinformation" and "inaccurate claims about the Berlinale" made without evidence or anonymously.

The row over Gaza has dogged this year's edition of the festival since jury president Wim Wenders answered a question on the conflict by saying: "We cannot really enter the field of politics."

The comments prompted award-winning novelist Arundhati Roy, who had been due to present a restored version of a film she wrote, to withdraw from the festival.

Tuttle said the festival represents "lots of people who have different views, including lots of people who live in Germany who want a more complex understanding of Israel's positionality than maybe the rest of the world has right now".

German politicians have been largely supportive of Israel as Germany seeks to atone for the legacy of the Holocaust.

However, German public opinion has been more critical of Israeli actions in Gaza.

Commenting on the row to the Welt TV channel, German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer defended Wenders and Tuttle from criticism, saying they were running the festival "in a very balanced way, very sensitively".

"Artists should not be told what to do when it comes to politics. The Berlinale is not an NGO with a camera and directors," Weimer said.

Gaza has frequently been a topic of controversy at the Berlinale in recent years.

In 2024, the festival's documentary award went to "No Other Land", which follows the dispossession of Palestinian communities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

German government officials criticized "one-sided" remarks about Gaza by the directors of that film and others at that year's awards ceremony.


Over 80 Berlin Film Festival Alumni Sign Open Letter Urging Organizers to Take Stance on Gaza 

12 February 2026, Berlin: President of the Berlinale jury Wim Wenders waves to the audience on the opening night of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, before the premiere of the opening film "No Good Men" at the Berlinale Palast. (dpa)
12 February 2026, Berlin: President of the Berlinale jury Wim Wenders waves to the audience on the opening night of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, before the premiere of the opening film "No Good Men" at the Berlinale Palast. (dpa)
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Over 80 Berlin Film Festival Alumni Sign Open Letter Urging Organizers to Take Stance on Gaza 

12 February 2026, Berlin: President of the Berlinale jury Wim Wenders waves to the audience on the opening night of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, before the premiere of the opening film "No Good Men" at the Berlinale Palast. (dpa)
12 February 2026, Berlin: President of the Berlinale jury Wim Wenders waves to the audience on the opening night of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, before the premiere of the opening film "No Good Men" at the Berlinale Palast. (dpa)

More than 80 actors, directors and other ‌artists who have taken part in the Berlin Film Festival, including Tilda Swinton and Javier Bardem, signed an open letter to the organizers published on Tuesday calling for them to take a clear stance on Israel's war in Gaza.

"We call on the Berlinale to fulfil its moral duty and clearly state its opposition to Israel's genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Palestinians," said the open letter, which was published in full in entertainment industry magazine Variety.

Multiple human rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say Israel's assault on Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defense after Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel.

"We are appalled by Berlinale's institutional silence," ‌said the letter, which ‌was also signed by actors Adam McKay, Alia Shawkat and ‌Brian ⁠Cox, and director ⁠Mike Leigh.

It said organizers had not met demands to issue a statement affirming Palestinians' right to life and committing to uphold artists' right to speak out on the issue.

"This is the least it can - and should - do," the letter said.

The festival did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

THE MOST POLITICAL FESTIVAL

The Berlin Film Festival is considered the most political of its peers, Venice and Cannes, and ⁠prides itself on showing cinema from under-represented communities and young ‌talent. However, it has been repeatedly criticized by pro-Palestinian activists ‌for not taking a stand on Gaza, in contrast to the war in Ukraine ‌and the situation in Iran.

Calls have also previously been made for the ‌entertainment industry to take a stance on Gaza.

Last year, over 5,000 actors, entertainers, and producers, including some Hollywood stars, signed a pledge to not work with Israeli film institutions that they saw as being complicit in the abuse of Palestinians by Israel.

Paramount studio later condemned that ‌pledge and said it did not agree with such efforts.

ROY PULLS OUT

Tuesday's letter also condemned statements by this year's ⁠jury president, German director ⁠Wim Wenders, that filmmakers should stay out of politics, writing: "You cannot separate one from the other."

Wenders' comments prompted Indian novelist Arundhati Roy, winner of the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel "The God of Small Things", to pull out of the festival earlier this week.

Roy, who had been due to present "In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones", a 1989 film which she wrote, in the Berlinale's Classics section, characterized Wenders' comments as "unconscionable."

In response, festival director Tricia Tuttle issued a note on Saturday defending artists' decision not to comment on political issues.

"People have called for free speech at the Berlinale. Free speech is happening at the Berlinale," she said.

"But increasingly, filmmakers are expected to answer any question put to them," she wrote, and are criticized if they do not answer, or answer "and we do not like what they say."