LONDON: "Bang Bang", a collaboration between pop artists Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, took the top spot in Britain's singles chart, selling nearly 100,000 copies in its first week, the Official Charts Company said on Sunday.

The single, which will feature on Jessie J's new album, knocked Sigma's "Changing" into second place, while Taylor Swift's "Shake it off" rose two places to number three. "Blame" by Calvin Harris slipped to fourth, while former chart topper "Prayer in C" by Lilly Wood completed the top five.

British indie group Alt-J scored their first ever number one album with the newly-released "This is all yours", the follow up to their 2012 debut "An Awesome Wave". Veteran U.S. singer-songwriter Barbra Streisand's "Partners" held on to second spot in the album chart, while Sam Smith also remained unmoved in third place with "In the Lonely Hour"

"Wanted on Voyage" by George Ezra rose to fourth, while Leonard Cohen's "Popular Problems" debuted in the charts in fifth position.

Opinion

A long week

A long week

There’s some wariness about the excitement surrounding this moment of international glory.

Editorial

Unlearnt lessons
Updated 28 Apr, 2026

Unlearnt lessons

THE US is undoubtedly the world’s top military and economic power at this time. Yet as the Iran quagmire has ...
Solar vision?
28 Apr, 2026

Solar vision?

THE recent imposition of certain regulatory requirements for small-scale solar systems, followed by the reversal of...
Breaking malaria’s grip
28 Apr, 2026

Breaking malaria’s grip

FOR the first time in decades, defeating malaria in our lifetime is possible, according to WHO. Yet in Pakistan,...
Pathways to peace
Updated 27 Apr, 2026

Pathways to peace

NEGOTIATIONS to hammer out the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement took nearly two years before a breakthrough was achieved....
Food-insecure nation
27 Apr, 2026

Food-insecure nation

A NEW UN-backed report has listed Pakistan among 10 countries where acute food insecurity is most concentrated. This...
Migration toll
27 Apr, 2026

Migration toll

THE world should not be deceived by a global migration count lower than the highest annual statistics on record —...