World

Hollywood's top honors are drawing a hard line on artificial intelligence: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says AI-generated actors will not qualify for an Oscar as it rolls out tougher rules on the technology's use. Among the changes, the Academy made clear that only flesh-and-blood performers — not AI-created doubles or avatars — can contend for the industry's biggest awards. It also said scripts must be written by a human being, not produced by a chatbot. "In the Acting category, only roles credited in the…

Newly released security footage appears to capture the opening moments of the attack at last Saturday’s White House Correspondents' Association dinner, showing suspect Cole Tomas Allen launching the assault inside the Washington Hilton hotel. The video, released by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, reportedly shows Mr Allen sprinting through a security checkpoint before shooting an agent at point-blank range. Reuters said it verified the location using several visual markers in the footage, including the floor pattern, windows,…

Shock and fury swept through a remote Australian town after the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old Indigenous girl triggered violent clashes between protesters and emergency services workers, police said today. Australia's Prime Minister, the Northern Territory's police commissioner and a spokesperson for the victim's family all urged calm after an angry crowd of about 400 Indigenous people gathered last night outside the hospital where the suspect had been taken after locals allegedly beat him…

Five years after Myanmar’s military seized power and placed Aung San Suu Kyi in detention, the United States is pressing the junta to free the ousted civilian leader without delay, even as authorities say she will be transferred to house arrest. A senior source in her disbanded National League for Democracy (NLD) told AFP that she was expected to remain under arrest at a residence in the capital, Naypyidaw. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief, overthrew Ms Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021 and ordered her detention on a raft…

A man accused of carrying out a knife attack that left two Jewish men wounded in Golders Green has been remanded in custody after appearing in court on attempted murder charges linked to Wednesday’s stabbings in north-west London. Essa Suleiman, 45, is alleged to have tried to kill the two victims, aged 34 and 76. Prosecutors say he was armed with a black-handled knife during the assaults in Highfield Avenue, Golders Green. He is also charged with the attempted murder of a third man in a separate incident earlier that day at…

A promised rollback of US tariffs on Scotch whisky has raised hopes — and fresh uncertainty — for Irish distillers, as the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) called for a broader return to duty-free spirits trade across the Atlantic. In a statement, the IWA, which represents whiskey producers across the island of Ireland, said it welcomed "any move towards restoration of tariff-free transatlantic spirits trade" after US President Donald Trump announced he would remove tariffs on Scotch Whisky imports. The group said it shares…

Scottish whisky is set for a major boost after US President Donald Trump said he will scrap tariffs on the industry, crediting the move in part to this week's White House visit by Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla. Trump pointed to the long-standing ties between Scotch makers and the American bourbon sector, as well as the effect of the royal visit, in announcing the change. Many Scotch distillers rely on casks sourced from the United States. The president said that although "people have wanted to do this for a long…

Brazil’s Congress dealt President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a stinging political blow by overturning his veto of legislation that sharply cuts the prison term of his longtime rival Jair Bolsonaro, marking Lula’s second significant setback in two days. Bolsonaro, the former president, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after trying to remain in power following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election. Lula, a leftist leader seeking to block the measure, had opposed an effort by the…

Hungary’s incoming leader, Peter Magyar, says EU money frozen during Viktor Orban’s long standoff with Brussels could begin reaching Budapest soon, after high-level talks on his first trip to the Belgian capital since his election victory. The conservative politician flew to the centre of the European Union before formally taking office next month, signalling an early break with the rancour that defined Mr Orban’s 16 years in power. After what he described as a “highly constructive” meeting with European Commission president…

Iran has threatened “long and painful strikes” on American positions if Washington resumes attacks and presses its claim over the Strait of Hormuz, injecting fresh uncertainty into US efforts to assemble a coalition to reopen the crucial waterway. Now two months into the US-Israeli war with Iran, the narrow sea passage remains shut, cutting off 20% of global oil and gas supplies. The disruption has driven energy prices sharply higher and intensified fears that the world economy could slide toward a downturn. Attempts to…