While the media and intl community focus on other conflicts, Etienne Cote-Paluck discusses the ongoing violence in Haiti
While the media and international community are focused on other conflicts, Etienne Cote-Paluck, editor-in-chief of Haiti Magazine, shines a light on the ongoing violence in Haiti.
A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of the rape and murder of a Bristol woman in a case that remained unsolved for nearly six decades.
Louisa Dunne, 75, was found strangled on her living room floor by a neighbour on Britannia Road in Easton, Bristol, on 28 June 1967.
Convicted rapist Ryland Headley, of Clarence Road in Ipswich, has now been found guilty of Mrs Dunne’s murder following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Senior investigating officer Det Insp Dave Marchant said Headley, who was in his 30s when he killed Mrs Dunne, was “predatory” and said his other crimes were “eerily similar”.
Headley is set to be sentenced on Tuesday.
He was only linked to the mother-of-two’s murder in 2023, when a review of the case uncovered new DNA evidence.
Det Insp Marchant said it was now believed to be the oldest cold case to be solved in the UK.
“This is a marrying of old school and new school policing techniques,” he added.
Mrs Dunne had been twice widowed and lived alone, but was well-known in the local area.
Headley was accused of forcing entry into her home before sexually attacking her and then strangling her.
Emma Hickey and her partner Stephen Brougham took their two kids to Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain when the 42-year-old mum fell badly ill, prompting a trip to hospital
Hannah Robinson and Milo Boyd Digital Travel Reporter
14:50, 30 Jun 2025Updated 17:01, 30 Jun 2025
Emma Hickey was on family with her kids when disaster struck
A mum is fighting for her life after plummeting down hotel stairs and hitting her head.
Emma Hickey and her partner Stephen Brougham took their two kids to Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain, on June 13 for a sun-soaked 12-day getaway. Just 10 days into the trip, the mum-of-two woke up with a ‘really bad case’ of mosquito bites, so went to hospital and was prescribed injections
Despite feeling unwell for the next few days, the 42-year-old carer ‘soldiered through the holiday‘ for the sake of her kids. But as they walked down the hotel staircase on their way to a pharmacy on June 23, Emma complained of feeling dizzy before suddenly collapsing and falling head-first onto a concrete step.
Stephen, 44, says it was ‘horrific’ to watch his partner convulsing on the concrete steps after passing out. She was immediately rushed to hospital. A hospital CT scan revealed the mum-of-two had a brain bleed and neck fractures, so she was put in an induced coma.
Emma was badly bitten by the mosquitos (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
A friend of the family has set up a GoFundMe page to support plasterer Stephen and his two kids, while they are stranded in Tenerife waiting for Emma to recover. The dad-of-two says it could be ‘a very long time’ until his partner is well enough to fly home and he is unsure if the travel insurance will cover the soaring medical costs.
Stephen, from Dublin, Ireland, said: “We came away for a lovely family holiday and it’s been a living nightmare. She woke up with a really bad case of mosquito bites so we went to the local doctor and the doctors didn’t know what it was so they sent her to hospital
“The doctor there said they’d never seen a case of this mosquito bite in Spain before. She got a prescription and sent her away. For the next few days she wasn’t feeling well but was soldiering through the holiday for the sake of the kids trying to do what she could but she wasn’t herself.
Stephen said that his wife went for a nap on the 23rd, leaving him to take the kids out to lunch.
“She was up having a good sleep and she looked and seemed a lot better. She said she wouldn’t go to the hospital but would walk out to a pharmacy and see what they thought,” he continued.
“We walked out the back entrance of the hotel as there’s a shop and a pharmacy there. Street level is probably about four or five storeys up. She was feeling a bit dizzy and she collapsed and fell from the second last step of the upper staircase down below onto the other set of stairs head-first without raising her arm to protect herself.
Emma is now recovering in hospital(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
“She passed out on the steps and started convulsing, she was in a terrible state. It’s been horrific because I actually witnessed the fall and how bad the fall was. That’s a mental scar that I’ll never forget. Words can’t describe how bad it is.”
Stephen called an ambulance, which rushed his partner to hospital. A CT scan showed she had suffered a brain bleed and needed an operation. Doctors discovered some fractures in her neck. She was then put in an induced coma and will remain in intensive care until she wakes up.
Stephen said: “They did an operation and there were blood clots on the brain that had been putting some pressure on the brain. They’re not saying what impact the pressure on the brain of the blood clot will have after she comes round. “There could be secondary issues there so in the meantime she’s just been on the machine. She hasn’t felt well all week so we can only presume that the mosquito bites, the medication, the heat and the fact she tried to soldier through the holiday just for the sake of the kids [caused it].
Emma suffered a brain bleed after the fall(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
Emma has mosquito bites all over her body(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
“They were draining the life out of her and they’re all over her body, dozens and dozens. They looked uncomfortable and you could see that they were sore. They turned into bruises. I can only connect the two.”
Stephen, who is self-employed, and is searching for alternative accommodation for him and children Sophie Hickey, 13, and Bobby Hickey, 7, while they wait for Emma to recover. He is hoping the travel insurance will help the rising medical costs after reviewing her medical records.
“We know that hospital is $1,400 (£1,022) a day so we’re going to have a significant medical bill. The hotel we’re staying in at the moment is an expensive hotel. Then just feeding the kids and keeping them occupied. I’m not working now because I’m over here,” he said.
He’s now encouraging others to ensure they get travel insurance and to be aware of the dangers of insects abroad.
Stonehenge in the UK is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, but there’s also a modern version
Eerie Stonehenge replica built in US by entrepreneur in memory of WWI soldiers(Image: Getty)
Stonehenge, one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks, attracts roughly 1.4 million visitors annually. The stones have evolved significantly over the millennia they’ve been standing, with the initial construction thought to date back to around 3000 BC.
Interestingly, three pits within the site are even older, dating between 8500 and 7000 BC. Throughout its existence, additional stones have been incorporated, and some removed, but it has always maintained its commanding position on the Salisbury Plains.
It’s a particularly favoured spot for Winter and Summer solstice celebrations.
Given Stonehenge’s profound impact on many people’s imaginations, it’s not surprising that replicas exist elsewhere, varying in their accuracy – a 1987 replica in Nebraska was built using vintage American cars rather than stones.
Sam Hill visited Stonehenge during his European travels(Image: Getty)
However, there is a complete replica in America, commissioned in the early 20th century by affluent entrepreneur Sam Hill, reports the Express.
In 1907, Sam acquired a settlement near the Columbia River in Washington State, which he named Maryhill after his wife Mary and his daughter, also called Mary. This is where he would later build his Stonehenge replica.
A passionate traveller, the businessman is thought to have made at least 50 trips to Europe and even several to Japan. Naturally, he visited Stonehenge during his travels.
He rubbed shoulders with the elite, including Queen Marie of Romania who honoured him with the Order of the Crown, and King Albert I of Belgium, who appointed him Commander of the Crown and Honorary Belgian Consul for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
The Maryhill Stonehenge was built as memorial to the servicemen of Klickitat county(Image: Getty)
Sam held the belief that Stonehenge was initially erected for human sacrifices, a theory that many historians now disagree with.
As a Quaker and pacifist, Sam equated the conflicts of the First World War to human sacrifice, constructing a Stonehenge replica in Washington as a tribute to Klickitat County’s fallen servicemen.
He embarked on creating this memorial, consulting top experts in archaeology, astronomy, and engineering, intending it to serve as a stark reminder of the “folly of war.”
The stones of the real Stonehenge hail from across the British Isles, some sourced locally near Salisbury Plains, while others were brought from Wales, Scotland, or possibly even further afield.
Sam Hill had his ashes interred until his Stonehenge memorial(Image: Getty)
British legends even claim that some of the stones originated from Africa, carried to Britain on the backs of giants.
In the US, Hill was keen to use local Washington State stones for his replica, but when these proved inadequate, he resorted to using reinforced concrete.
Instead of modelling it on the current appearance of Stonehenge, Hill chose to design his memorial based on how Stonehenge might have looked in its complete form, with a full circle of outer stones.
Sam Hill passed away in 1933 and was cremated, with his ashes interred in a crypt beneath his Stonehenge monument.
Summer has well and truly arrived, and schools will be breaking up soon for the long holidays. It’s a moment of high anticipation for the kids and possibly high anxiety for the parents about how to keep the kids entertained. We’d like to hear about your best family days out in the great outdoors, whether it be organised fun, such as a surfing course, an activity camp, or more spontaneous and free fun such as rockpooling on the coast or following a Forestry England nature trail.
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Glastonbury Festival will take a break next year – but when it’s back in June 2027, these are the big name music acts who could be taking the headline spots
12:41, 30 Jun 2025Updated 12:42, 30 Jun 2025
The next Glastonbury Festival is set to take place in 2027 – as 2026 is a break year (Image: Redferns)
Glastonbury 2025 has only just finished – but already bookies are placing bets on who will headline the next festival, which will take place in two years time.
Next year the festival will have a break to let the ground at Worthy Farm recover from the thousands of revellers who descend on it every year. This break happens every five years. This means the next Glastonbury Festival will take place at the end of June 2027. And bookies William Hill have already released the names of the music acts they think will headline it.
Geordie singer Sam Fender is 2/1 favourite to headline the Pyramid Stage. This is followed by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift – who are joint second place with odds of 3/1. While Beyonce, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Eminem are all on 4/1.
Though many fans will be hoping that rock band Oasis – who are about to kick off their reunion tour this week now warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have patched things up – will perform. They are also 4/1 to headline Glasto in 2027.
Geordie singer Sam Fender is the bookies’ favourite to headline Glastonbury in 2027 (Image: WireImage)
Lee Phelps, spokesperson for William Hill, said: “The mammoth Glastonbury clear up might just be getting underway after this year’s festival, but there’s already speculation about who could be the next headliners.
“We make Geordie singer Sam Fender a narrow 2/1 favourite to step onto the Pyramid Stage as a headliner in 2027, ahead of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran (both 3/1) and a whole host of stars, including Eminem, Beyonce, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, priced at 4/1.
“This week’s hugely anticipated Oasis return could well set them up for major festivals in the coming years and we also make the Gallagher brothers 4/1 to headline Glastonbury in 2027.”
This year’s Pyramid Stage headliners included The 1975 on the Friday, Neil Young on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on Sunday. While the ‘Sunday legends’ slot was taken by Sir Rod Stewart, who brought pals Lulu and Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood on stage.
Nineties indie rockers Pulp were revealed as the mysterious ‘Patchwork’ band and performed on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night. Other acts who did surprise sets included Lorde, Haim and Fatboy Slim and his DJ son Woody.
His voice faltered as he told the crowd: “Glastonbury, I’m really sorry. I’m a bit annoyed with myself.” The crowd soon took over the vocals of his hit Someone You Loved.
Announcing he was taking a break from music to focus on his health, Lewis – who suffers from Tourette’s and anxiety – told fans: “I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks. So you probably won’t see much of me for the rest of the year, maybe even. But when I do come back and when I do see you, I hope you’re still up for watching us.”
Lewis cried during his comeback performance as he began to sing his new song Survive, which he released yesterday. He said his one goal was to get back on stage at Glastonbury as he paid tribute to fans.
The Los Angeles Times and Reality Check Insights, a California-based data analytics firm, teamed up to survey the public on underlying values that shape public opinion.
The poll, which was conducted in English and Spanish, uses a method that differs from traditional phone-based surveys. Here’s how it works:
Like other surveys, Reality Check Insights uses sampling to recruit survey respondents. The traditional method used by polling organizations is to randomly call individuals and ask those who respond to take a survey. That has gotten increasingly difficult as fewer and fewer people answer calls from unexpected numbers.
To deal with that problem, Reality Check Insights randomly selects addresses from a list of every address in the country. The chosen participants receive a mail invitation and a small financial incentive to take the survey. If the firm can identify people’s emails or phone numbers, they also send an invitation by email and text message. Respondents are given the option to complete the survey from their smartphone, tablet or computer, or by calling a toll-free number.
Certain types of individuals are more likely to respond to an invitation online than an invitation sent via the mail, Reality Check’s analytics show. Because of that, the firm also targets survey participants online. This dual-sampling approach allows Reality Check to reach both groups: those who are more likely to respond to a mail invitation and those who are more likely to respond to an invitation they encounter on the web.
To further ensure the sample is representative, Reality Check over-samples online respondents, recruiting more than needed. The firm selects a representative group of these participants to be included in its final results.
This methodology allows Reality Check to measure the public’s attitudes on complex subjects in a short time frame.
Reality Check Insights’ chief data scientist is Peter K. Enns, a professor of government at Cornell University. The firm’s chief executive, Ben Leff, co-founded Reality Check Insights while graduating from Stanford Business School in 2020.
Additional methodological details
The Los Angeles Times/Reality Check Insights American Dream survey polled 1,408 people from Dec. 17 to Jan. 4. All results are weighted so that the sample population matches standard benchmarks for age, race and ethnicity, gender, education, income, metropolitan status, region, and partisanship. The results have an estimated margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order, difference in response rates and other factors can also introduce error to poll results.
Kartal has enjoyed a remarkable rise through the rankings in the past 18 months.
At Wimbledon last year, she arrived as a wildcard ranked 281 in the world and went on to reach the third round.
On her return this year, ranked 230 places above that, she cut a calm and mature figure.
Ostapenko, 28, had beaten Kartal comfortably in the opening round at Eastbourne last week but the Briton maintained her composure as she fell 5-2 behind in the opening set.
A wayward Ostapenko forehand into the net was the catalyst for Kartal to go on and win the next five games, saving set points at 5-4 before motoring ahead to take the set.
Ostapenko was left stunned when Kartal sent a ripping forehand round the net post but the former Wimbledon semi-finalist managed to cut out the errors and take the second set comfortably to level things up.
That said, Ostapenko grew increasingly frustrated throughout the match – muttering under her breath and berating herself while shouting up at her coaches.
Fans in the crowd were also on the receiving end of glaring looks as she complained that they were being too noisy, asking the umpire to tell them to be quiet before shouting at them and raising her arms in exasperation.
But throughout that Kartal remained steadfast and raced through the third set, securing a double break before serving out for an impressive victory.
June 30 (UPI) — A tariff-busting trade deal between Britain and the United States came into force Monday, slashing U.S. tariffs on imports of British cars, including Jaguar, Range Rover, Aston Martin and Mini by 17.5% to 10% and eliminating a 10% tariff on aerospace sales such as jet engines and aircraft parts.
The Department of Business and Trade said in a news release that the “landmark” deal would protect significant numbers of British jobs and save two key industries hundreds of millions of dollars a year lost from higher prices to U.S. customers and stressed that Britain was the only country to have secured this deal with the United States.
It said the auto industry employed hundreds of thousands of people, while removing the 10% tariff on imports of aero engines and aircraft parts would make companies in the sector, including Rolls Royce, a major global manufacturer of jet engines, more competitive and enable them to keep driving technological advances.
The deal on cars is subject to a 100,000-unit annual quota, roughly equivalent to all vehicles sold to the United States in 2024, which were worth $12.4 billion with an average price of $121,000, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
In return, Britain will axe tariffs of 20% and 19% on imports of U.S. beef and ethanol and hike the tariff-free quota to 13,000 tons and 370 million gallons a year, respectively.
Hailing the so-called Economic Prosperity agreement, which was finalized with U.S. President Donald Trump two weeks ago on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the deal would benefit critical British industries.
“Our historic trade deal with the United States delivers for British businesses and protects U.K. jobs. From today, our world-class automotive and aerospace industries will see tariffs slashed, safeguarding key industries that are vital to our economy,” he said.
“We will always act in the national interest — backing British businesses and workers, delivering on our Plan for Change.”
Britain was the first country to negotiate a deal after Trump announced what he said were reciprocal tariffs on the United States’ trading partners on April 2, as high as 49%. Britain escaped with a baseline 10% goods tariff, the lowest of any major trade partner.
U.K. steel and aluminum exports to the United States were slapped with a 25% tariff, in line with all other countries, when Trump unveiled the new import duties in March — which he said were aimed at reviving domestic production — but received a interim exemption from a doubling to 50% imposed Trump on June 4.
The Business and Trade Department insisted negotiations to permanently remove the entire tariff were on track despite the waiver expiration date fast approaching in just over a week on July 9, saying Starmer and Trumo “again confirmed, we will continue go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed.”
Sheffield-based Marecgaglia told the BBC that even the initial 25% was making selling to the United States a “lot tougher,” and that the potential hike to 50% would be a “massive headache.”
The company’s stainless steel products are made in the United States, but the materials such as rods and bars are shipped from the U.K.
“The lead times to get it to the plant are longer than the nine days left for the negotiations. That means I would be shipping something — and a ship will probably have around $4.1 to $5.5 million of product on it — and I don’t know will I be paying $2.1 million duty on it or zero? said managing director Liam Bates.
“So it gives us an extremely hard decision to make as to how we can continue production in the US,” he added.
The N’Djamena peace accord, signed on April 19, 2025, between the government of the Central African Republic, the rebels from the Return, Rehabilitation, and Reclamation (3R) and the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), continues to face challenges due to repeated violations by parties involved.
The agreement aims to help reintegrate rebels into civilian life and to disband their movements, as outlined in the 2019 peace accord. However, the recent resurgence of violence in Nzakoundou caught the authorities off guard, highlighting their lack of preparedness for the disarmament process.
On Saturday, June 28, heavily armed 3R rebels emerged in large numbers from the bush in Nzakoundou, Yeme council. Their overwhelming presence overshadowed the Central African Republic National Army (FACA) soldiers. Outnumbered, FACA soldiers had no choice but to retreat from Nzakoundou, fleeing to the bushes 15 kilometres away along the Paoua highway, leaving the village under the control of the 3R rebels. This retreat has instilled panic among the villagers, who are concerned that tensions may escalate if the rebels’ basic needs are unmet.
Meanwhile, in the Ouaka region, UPC rebels have initiated the disarmament process in Bokolobo, Maloum, Mbomou, and Nzacko. Motivated by promises of reintegration into the national army, UPC combatants voluntarily laid down their arms. However, their primary challenge is the lack of food and other essential supplies.
The situation is different in Yaloke, situated 225 kilometres from Bangui, the republic’s capital, where disarmed former Anti-Balaka militia led by General Jeudi have been complaining of the absence of food rations and access to water, a recurrent problem in the several sites earmarked for disarmament. At Moyo, the situation is particularly disquieting because the rebels who are still armed have been terrorising the population and taking whatever they need by force.
The Central African Republic is facing significant challenges with its disarmament and reintegration programme, which has been ongoing since 2017. According to President Touadera, this programme has successfully disarmed 5,000 combatants and dissolved nine armed groups. However, Moyo’s lack of cantonment zones and the necessary resources to support disarmed combatants hinders progress.
This issue is further compounded by the ineffectiveness of the FACA soldiers, who cannot secure areas like Nzakoundou. The residents there are living in constant fear of violence, especially since 2023, when the 3R rebels set fire to multiple homes and killed civilians, prompting the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to send troops to the village and its surrounding areas.
The departure of FACA soldiers has created a significant dilemma: If the rebels choose to lay down their arms, the state is expected to take responsibility for them. However, without access to food or opportunities for reintegration, these former combatants may resort to acts of banditry to survive, including nighttime robberies targeting local populations. This troubling trend is already evident in areas like Dawala, Thicka, and Sataigne and has the potential to escalate into a new source of violence. Such developments could undermine the progress achieved through the N’Djamena peace accord.
Kelli Hollis, who played Ali Spencer on ITV show Emmerdale, has given up on acting for a new life in Asia and has detailed exactly how much the stars can earn
Kelli Hollis has explained how much many soap stars can expect to earn in a year(Image: Getty Images)
Former Emmerdale regular Kelli Hollis has revealed how much you can expect to earn being a soap star.
The one-time actress, 49, is now living a very different life in Thailand where she runs her own ‘weed bar’ having vowed to never return to the UK after finding happiness in Asia. But she has been answering questions from fans – and nothing was off limits.
Kelli, who played Ali Spencer on the ITV show until 2018, was grilled by a followier on social media, and didn’t shy away when the questions turned to her salary. She broke down the contracts and how much you can expect to make being on Emmerdale and other soaps.
“On Emmerdale I explained that you get an episode fee and you’re guaranteed so many episodes a year,” she said. “So if we’re saying roughly £500 and up [per episode], and you were contracted to do 90 [episodes, that’s 45k, it’s obviously a good wage.
Former Emmerdale star Kelli played Ali Spencer on the ITV soap(Image: TV Grab)
“But it’s not like the ‘rich, rich’ you’d think famous actors would be earning. Now, that’s that sort of middle of the road [salary]. I’m not going to lie when I was at Emmerdale to my knowledge, one of the highest paid actors was on a thousand pound episodes.”
The former soap star went on to say that you “never know for sure” what your co-stars earn because “everybody was paid differently”. But it’s not all good news, and she divulged: “So, yeah, it would only be 45, but then you get a buyout, which is pretty much the same as your wage, so I’ll top that up to 90.
“Then, you’ve got the agent’s commission, which is usually 12 and a half percent,” she said. “And because you’re self-employed, you have to put 40 [per cent] away for tax.” Kelli still keeps in touch with her former colleagues and cherishes her time on the show.
The former soap star admitted that while she misses her the UK, she has no plans to move home and can’t see herself back in the rat race. “I am never coming home, never going home. Obviously, I miss England and there are aspects of my life there like I have two grown-up children at home and a grandson.
“But you only live once and I have learned that a lot over the last few years, losing friends to things and my friend losing a child and it just makes you access a lot of things in your life.
“You just have to do what you have to do because you are not promised tomorrow are you? My mentality now is I am nearly 50 f*** it will just do it. There is no point having that ‘oh god I can’t do this and I can’t do that’ attitude. I have been so fortunate in my life that opportunities have come my way,” she told the Daily Star.
“I remember being at a friend’s house in Beeston and I am not going to name them because I don’t know where they are now or what they are doing so I won’t grass them up,” she said.
“It was 20 odd years ago, oh god, it would be more than 20 odd years ago, but I just remember being about 15 and being at a friend’s house and I already had started smoking with mates in the park and all that. I remember it being hash that you burn and I just remember a lot of blistered fingers and a lot of holes in my clothes.”
Kelli shared her story: “I was just smoking a little bit here and there but as a youngster, I would never have been a big heavy smoker. I actually don’t like the feeling of being stoned and I know some people do.”
Britain’s High Court has ruled that the government’s decision to allow the export of Lockheed Martin F-35 jet parts to Israel is lawful despite accepting that they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law.
In a 72-page ruling on Monday, Judges Stephen Males and Karen Steyn said the case was about a “much more focused issue” than just the jet parts.
“That issue is whether it is open to the court to rule that the UK must withdraw from a specific multilateral defence collaboration … because of the prospect that some UK-manufactured components will or may ultimately be supplied to Israel, and may be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Gaza,” the ruling said.
“Under our constitution, that acutely sensitive and political issue is a matter for the executive, which is democratically accountable to Parliament and ultimately to the electorate, not for the courts,” it added.
Currently, the United Kingdom contributes components for F-35s to an international defence programme that produces the bombers.
But Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq, based in the occupied West Bank, took legal action in January against the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) over its decision to exempt the parts when it suspended some export licences in September last year.
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli air raid on a school in Gaza City [File: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
During a hearing in May, Al-Haq said the government’s decision to send the jet parts was unlawful as it “gives rise to a significant risk of facilitating crime”.
The same month, Defence Secretary John Healey said suspending it would affect the “whole F-35 programme” and have a “profound impact on international peace and security”.
After Monday’s ruling, Shawan Jabarin, the chief of Al-Haq, said, “Despite the outcome of today, this case has centred the voice of the Palestinian people and has rallied significant public support, and it is just the start.”
“By exposing serious government failings in facilitating international crimes against Palestinians through its arms exports, civil society and human rights organisations have achieved a crucial breakthrough, and we will continue to persevere in the UK and beyond until governments are held accountable, Israel’s impunity is challenged and justice for the Palestinian people is realised,” he added.
‘Knock on effect’
Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic said the building of an F-35 fighter jet is part of a “global programme” where many nations build different parts, and they are all manufactured in different countries.
“Britain makes about 15 percent of each F-35 jet, however, it doesn’t make those parts specifically for Israel,” Veselinovic explained.
“So, what the UK was arguing is that if they stop those parts from being exported that could have a knock on effect on the entire international programme, it would impact the supply chain, it would impact on their NATO allies, even on the ability, they said, for Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s invasion,” she said.
However, Al-Haq has argued that by building the parts for the global pool, the UK was in breach of international law, including the Geneva Convention, due to the use of the weapons in Gaza.
“But the High Court sided with the government rejecting that and did accept the UK’s argument that this was a strategic objective despite acknowledging that it could mean that the UK is also in breach of international law,” Veselinovic added.
Export licences
In September last year, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the government was suspending about 30 of 350 export licences of items used during Israel’s war in Gaza after a review of its compliance with international humanitarian law.
However, according to global advocacy organisation Oxfam International, which joined Al-Haq’s case against the DBT, the partial ban did not include British-made F-35 parts, including refuelling probes, laser targeting systems, tyres and ejector seats.
Moreover, a report by pro-Palestine activist groups found in May that despite the suspension, military items have continued to be exported to Israel.
Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 56,500 people and wounded 133,419 others.
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that he had directed the U.S. Treasury to “substantially increase” sanctions on Iran amid tensions over attacks on major Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
The president did not go into further detail, and it is unclear what the sanctions would include.
The decision was the latest escalation after Iran warned the U.S. that it would retaliate “immediately” if Tehran were to be targeted over a weekend attack on Saudi oil installations. The White House earlier indicated Iran was behind air strikes that took out 5% of global supplies, causing oil prices to surge.
President Trump emphasized Monday he wanted to avoid a new Middle East war even as he stressed that the U.S. military was ready for action. He said he was in “no rush” to decide on a response.
I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran!
Iran denied responsibility for the attacks and, in response to White House allegations, said officials including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo were engaged in “maximum deceit.”
Iran also ruled out a potential meeting between Trump and Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week in New York. The U.N. meeting had been considered an opportunity for direct talks between the leaders that, amid a summer of heightened tensions, could resolve the crisis. The U.S. exited the Iran nuclear deal last year and urged other world powers to do the same.
White House national security officials briefed Trump on what Secretary of Defense Mark Esper called an “unprecedented attack” on production at Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s flagship oil company, which U.S. officials believed involved explosives-laden drones and possibly cruise missiles. The strike affected some 5.7 million barrels per day and halved the kingdom’s oil production, according to Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
“Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply,” Pompeo tweeted. “We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran’s attacks.”
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday came shortly before the president named Robert C. O’Brien, the special envoy for hostage affairs at the State Department, his next national security advisor following the abrupt ousting of John Bolton last week. O’Brien will be the fourth person to serve in the position under Trump at a time when foreign policy challenges are mounting for the president, including the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities.
L.A. Times staff writers Chris Megerian and Nabih Bulos contributed to this report.
The vaccine is expected to be out of stock for a number of weeks, Foreign Office website Travel Health Pro today reported
13:07, 30 Jun 2025Updated 13:21, 30 Jun 2025
Yellow fever is a potentially lethal disease spread by mosquitos in some countries – and UK vaccines supplies have just run out(Image: Getty Images)
Holidaymakers have been alerted to a disruption in the supply of a crucial vaccine, which is expected to be ‘unavailable’ for the next 2-3 weeks. Sanofi has informed NaTHNaC that there will be a shortage of the yellow fever vaccine Stamaril in the UK.
This means individuals travelling to certain regions globally will not be able to receive vaccination against this potentially deadly disease. The NHS warns: “Yellow fever is a serious infection spread by mosquitoes. It’s found in certain areas of Africa and South and Central America. You should have a yellow fever vaccination if you’re travelling to an area where there’s a risk of getting it.
Yellow Fever is a potentially fatal disease transmitted by mosqjuitos and turns wee dark, causes serious stomach pain, yellows the skin and eyes and bleeding from the eyes, nose, mouth or stomach – serious cases can be fatal.The Foreign Office site said: “.
Countries in Africa with Risk of Yellow fever Transmission:
Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Benin, Ethiopia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Nigeria, Burundi, Gambia, the Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Guinea, South Sudan, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan, Congo, Republic of Kenya, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mal
Countries in Central and South America with Risk of Yellow Fever Transmission:
Argentina, French Guiana, Suriname, Bolivia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad only), Brazil, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru
The Foreign Office site said: “Where a Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre (YFVC) is unable to provide Yellow Fever vaccine during this vaccine shortage, the YFVC is expected to proactively research alternative supplies in their locality and direct travellers accordingly (this should be done for travellers who ring for advice and for travellers who attend for face to face consultation if vaccination is required promptly).
“YFVCs will help travellers seeking YF vaccine at this time of vaccine shortage by:
Ensuring an individual risk assessment is undertaken, and that YF vaccination is appropriate
James exercised his player option for $52.6 million to play for the Lakers during the 2025-26 season, his agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul told The Times on Sunday morning.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, had been tied with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in the NBA at 22. This will be James’ eighth season with the Lakers.
James, 40, is 50 games from breaking Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record for the most games played in the regular season.
James averaged 24.4 points per game last season, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.
Fellow Laker Dorian Finney-Smith reportedly declined his $15.3-million player option and will pursue free agency, a person with knowledge of his decision told The Times. Finney-Smith, who is coming off a strong season with the Lakers, is expected to be pursued by multiple teams. He could still return to the Lakers.
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CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: Clippers executives were serious when they said they had not soured on James Harden’s future with the franchise after an underwhelming postseason performance.
Harden declined his player option for $36 million with the Clippers on Sunday and intends to sign a two-year deal with the team for $81.5 million, league sources with knowledge of the deal not authorized to discuss it publicly said. The second year is a player option and is partially guaranteed.
The deal gave Harden a raise and the Clippers some salary flexibility going forward.
“He’s our No. 1 priority,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, told the media after the first round of the draft Wednesday night. “We’re super hopeful that James is here and he’s here for a long time. He has a player-option, so he can opt-in … or he can opt-out and hopefully we can do a deal that makes sense for both sides. But James, as you guys know, was phenomenal and we hope to continue to see his play.”
In the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals — a victory that clinched the weekend series and gave the club a 5-1 record on this past week’s road trip — Wrobleski continued to quietly impress as a depth pitching option for the Dodgers, pitching six scoreless innings that were short on flash but long on substance; serving as the latest productive outing in his suddenly auspicious sophomore season.
“Justin’s confidence is at an all-time high,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And he’s a confident young man already.”
From Benjamin Royer: Young Angels fans who lined the infield for autographs as the team jogged onto the field Sunday, may not know the thrilling, heart-racing suspense of the postseason — nor the captivating, religious-like fervor the Rally Monkey could bring.
Neither did the Angels who took their places in the field, combining for zero postseason appearances — a group that hadn’t even made their major-league debuts when Mike Trout last led the Angels to the playoffs.
2014 represents the longest postseason drought in MLB. Meanwhile, the 2002 World Series title may read more as a story told by parents to the kids who ran back up into the shaded seats away from the blistering sun after receiving signed baseballs from a group featuring some present-day Angels — Nolan Schanuel, Christian Moore and Logan O’Hoppe.
On Sunday, however, a winning record remaining just past arm’s length in the Angels’ 11-inning, 7-4 defeat to the Nationals (35-49). Closer Kenley Jansen blew his first save of the season in the ninth while up one run. The Nationals’ rally was started by a leadoff double that could have been deemed an error by Schanuel on a bouncing ground ball that got past him at first.
From Anthony De Leon: When Candace Parker was on the court, the Sparks were dominant. On the afternoon her jersey was retired, they had a chance to channel that energy — but the Sparks were anything but overpowering.
In a matchup between the two franchises Parker led to WNBA titles — the Sparks and Chicago Sky — her hometown team played spoiler, earning a 92-85 victory at Crypto.com Arena.
Angel Reese, the self-proclaimed queen of “Mebounds,” proved too much for L.A. to handle — for the second time in five days.
Reese finished with 16 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Her impact extended beyond the boards, with Reese adding 24 points and seven assists.
Emmanuel Sabbi scored on Vancouver’s only shot on goal, Yohei Takaoka made four saves and the Whitecaps spoiled Olivier Giroud’s farewell match with a 1-0 victory over LAFC on Sunday night.
Giroud started and played 60 minutes in his final appearance for LAFC. The famed French forward is expected to sign with Lille after one disappointing year in Los Angeles during which he was largely an unproductive substitute, scoring just five goals in 38 matches.
Giroud had a chance to go out with a bang when Denis Bouanga fed him an exceptional cross while he was unmarked deep in Vancouver’s penalty area in the 50th minute, but Giroud volleyed it over the bar.
Damion Downs scored in the sixth round of a shootout after three saves by Matt Freese, sending the U.S. to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-3 penalty-kicks win over Costa Rica after a a 2-2 tie on Sunday night.
The U.S. advanced to a Wednesday matchup in St. Louis against Guatemala, which upset Canada on penalty kicks in the opener of the quarterfinal doubleheader.
Mexico plays Honduras in the other semifinal on Wednesday in Santa Clara. The championship is in Houston on July 6.
1909 — Jack Johnson fights Tony Ross to a no decision in 6 rounds at Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to retain his heavyweight boxing title.
1916 — Amateur Chick Evans Jr. wins the U.S. Open with a record 286 total.
1929 — Bobby Jones beats Al Espinosa by 23 strokes in a 36-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open.
1962 — Murle Lindstrom wins the U.S. Women’s Open by two strokes over Jo Anne Prentice and Ruth Jessen.
1965 — The NFL grants Atlanta a franchise. Rankin Smith Sr., an Executive Vice President of Life Insurance Company of Georgia, pays $8.5 million for the franchise. It’s the highest price paid in league history at the time.
1975 — Muhammad Ali retains world heavyweight boxing crown by beating Englishman Joe Bugner by unanimous points decision in a re-match in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
1991 — Wimbledon breaks 114 years of tradition by playing on the middle Sunday of the tournament, a move forced by a huge backlog of matches caused by rain earlier in the week.
1991 — Meg Mallon sinks a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to break a tie with Pat Bradley and Ayako Okamoto and win the LPGA Championship.
1993 — NBA Draft: Michigan center Chris Webber first pick by Orlando Magic (traded to Golden State).
1994 — Diego Maradona is kicked out of the World Cup by FIFA for failing a drug test after Argentina’s June 25 victory over Nigeria in Foxboro, Mass.
1994 — Tonya Harding is stripped of her national title and banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association because of her role in an attack on Nancy Kerrigan.
1996 — UEFA European Championship Final, Wembley Stadium, London, England: Oliver Bierhoff scores his second goal in extra time as Germany beat Czech Republic, 2-1.
1999 — NBA Draft: Duke power forward Elton Brand first pick by Chicago Bulls.
2002 — Ronaldo scores both goals to lead Brazil to a 2-0 victory over Germany for the team’s record fifth World Cup title.
2012 — Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan becomes the first player in a Grand Slam tournament to win every point of a set on her way to beating French Open runner-up Sara Errani 6-0, 6-4 in the third round of Wimbledon.
2013 — Inbee Park wins the U.S. Women’s Open for her third straight major this year. Babe Zaharias is the last player to win three straight majors on the calendar, but that was in 1950 when that’s all there were.
2013 — NHL Draft: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) center Nathan MacKinnon #1 pick by Colorado Avalanche.
2015 — The United States defeat Germany 2-0 in semifinals at Women’s World Cup. Carli Lloyd converts a penalty kick for Team USA and a 1-0 lead. Substitute Kelley O’Hara scores in the 84th minute off a Lloyd cross to seal the U.S. team’s 2-0 victory.
2018 — FIFA World Cup: Kylian Mbappé (19) becomes only 2nd teenager (Pelé 1st 1958) to score twice in a World Cup match as France eliminate Argentina 4-3 in Kazan.
2020 — FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scores his 700th career goal in a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1908 — Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox pitched the third no-hitter of his career at age 41, an 8-0 win over the New York Highlanders.
1948 — Cleveland’s Bob Lemon pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers for the first American League no-hitter at night.
1962 — Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers struck out 13 New York Mets en route to the first of four career no-hitters, a 5-0 victory at Dodger Stadium.
1970 — Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati was dedicated, but Henry Aaron spoiled the show for the crowd of 51,050 with a first-inning homer off Jim McGlothlin to send Atlanta past the Reds 8-2.
1978 — Willie McCovey became the 12th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs. His shot off Atlanta’s Jamie Easterly wasn’t enough, with the Braves beating the visiting San Francisco Giants 10-5 in the second game of a doubleheader.
1986 — 1985 Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson makes his pro baseball debut with the Memphis Chicks of the AA Southern League and goes 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.
1995 — Eddie Murray of the Cleveland Indians became the second switch-hitter and the 20th player in baseball history to reach 3,000 hits when he singled against the Minnesota Twins. Murray joined Pete Rose, the career hits leader with 4,256, as the only switch-hitters to get 3,000.
1997 — Bobby Witt of Texas hit the first home run by an American League pitcher in a regular-season game in almost 25 years, connecting off Ismael Valdes in the Rangers’ 3-2 interleague victory over the Dodgers.
1998 — Sammy Sosa hit his 20th home run in June, extending his major league record for most homers in a month with an eighth-inning shot for the Cubs against Arizona.
2005 — Chad Cordero earned his 15th save in June in the Washington Nationals’ 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He tied a major league record set by Lee Smith in 1993 and matched by John Wetteland in 1996.
2006 — Adam Dunn hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer Bob Wickman to lead Cincinnati to a 9-8 victory over Cleveland.
2008 — Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate, hitting his second grand slam in four games and adding a solo shot to lead the Chicago White Sox past Cleveland, 9-7.
2009 — Nick Markakis hit a two-run double off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon to complete the biggest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history for an 11-10 win. Baltimore trailed 10-1 before scoring five runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth.
2016 — Coastal Carolina capitalized on two errors on the same play for four unearned runs in the sixth inning, and the Chanticleers won their first national championship in any sport with a 4-3 victory over Arizona in Game 3 of the College World Series finals. The Chanticleers became the first school since Minnesota in 1956 to win the title in its first CWS appearance.
2020 — Minor League Baseball officially announces the cancellation of its season as Major League Baseball will keep a “taxi squad” of eligible players that can be added to the roster if needed.
2021 — Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner ties the major league record by hitting for the cycle for the third time in a 15-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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At a minimalist matcha bar in Los Angeles, United States, powdered Japanese tea is prepared with precision, despite a global shortage driven by the bright green drink’s social media stardom.
Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, which opened on Hollywood Boulevard this year, all but four were out of stock, according to the shop’s founder, Zach Mangan.
“One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don’t have” what they want, he said.
With its deep grassy aroma, intense colour and pick-me-up effects, the popularity of matcha “has grown just exponentially over the last decade, but much more so in the last two to three years”, the 40-year-old explained.
It is now “a cultural touchpoint in the Western world” – found everywhere from ice-cream flavour boards to Starbucks.
This has caused matcha’s market to nearly double over a year, Mangan said.
“No matter what we try, there’s just not more to buy.”
A woman enjoys a cup of matcha with her book at Kettl Tea in the Los Feliz neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California [Frederic J. Brown/AFP]
In the Japanese city of Sayama, northwest of Tokyo, Masahiro Okutomi – the 15th generation to run his family’s tea production business – is overwhelmed by demand.
“I had to put on our website that we are not accepting any more matcha orders,” he said.
Producing the powder is an intensive process: the leaves, called “tencha”, are shaded for several weeks before harvest, to concentrate the taste and nutrients.
They are then carefully deveined by hand, dried and finely ground in a machine.
“It takes years of training” to make matcha properly, Okutomi said. “It’s a long-term endeavour requiring equipment, labour and investment.”
“I’m glad the world is taking an interest in our matcha … but in the short term, it’s almost a threat – we just can’t keep up,” he said.
The matcha boom has been propelled by online influencers like Andie Ella, who has more than 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and started her own brand of matcha products.
At the pastel-pink pop-up shop she opened in Tokyo’s hip Harajuku district, dozens of fans were excitedly waiting to take a photo with the 23-year-old Frenchwoman or buy her cans of strawberry or white chocolate-flavoured matcha.
“Matcha is visually very appealing,” said Ella.
To date, her matcha brand, produced in Japan’s rural Mie region, has sold 133,000 cans. Launched in November 2023, it now has eight employees.
“Demand has not stopped growing,” she said.
Andie Ella, the founder of Milia Matcha, talking to employees before the shop opening in Tokyo [Philip Fong/AFP]
Last year, matcha accounted for more than half of the 8,798 tonnes of green tea exported from Japan, according to Japan’s Agriculture Ministry data – twice as much as 10 years ago.
Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo, in the touristy former fish market area of Tsukiji, is trying to control its stock levels given the escalating demand.
“We don’t strictly impose purchase limits, but we sometimes refuse to sell large quantities to customers suspected of reselling,” said store manager Shigehito Nishikida.
“In the past two or three years, the craze has intensified. Customers now want to make matcha themselves, like they see on social media,” he added.
The global matcha market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, but it could be hit by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Japanese products – currently 10 percent, with a rise to 24 percent in the cards.
Shortages and tariffs mean “we do have to raise prices. We don’t take it lightly”, said Mangan at Kettl Tea, though it has not dampened demand so far.
“Customers are saying, ‘I want matcha before it runs out’.”
Japan’s government is encouraging tea producers to farm on a larger scale to reduce costs.
But that risks sacrificing quality, and “in small rural areas, it’s almost impossible”, grower Okutomi said.
The number of tea plantations in Japan has fallen to a quarter of what it was 20 years ago, as farmers age and find it difficult to secure successors, he added.
“Training a new generation takes time… It can’t be improvised.”
Firefighters are battling wildfires for the second day in Turkiye’s western province of Izmir, according to local authorities and media reports.
The blaze in Kuyucak and Doganbey areas of Izmir was fanned overnight by winds reaching 40-50kmph (25-30mph), and four villages and two neighbourhoods had been evacuated, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Monday.
Helicopters, fire-extinguishing aircraft and other vehicles, and more than 1,000 people were trying to extinguish the fires, he told reporters in Izmir.
Turkiye’s coastal regions have been ravaged by wildfires in recent years as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists relate to climate change.
Hollywood’s relationship with artificial intelligence is fraught, as studios balance the need to cut costs with growing concerns from actors, directors and crew members. But in China, efforts to use AI in entertainment are taking a more no-holds-barred approach.
The China Film Foundation, a nonprofit fund under the Chinese government, plans to use AI to revitalize 100 kung fu classics including “Police Story,” “Once Upon a Time in China” and “Fist of Fury,” featuring Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee, respectively. The foundation said it will partner with businesses including Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co., which will license 100 Hong Kong films to AI companies to reintroduce those movies to younger audiences globally.
Chow Yun-fat stars in director John Woo’s “A Better Tomorrow” in 1986.
(Cinema City)
The foundation said there are opportunities to use AI to tell those stories through animation, for example. There are plans to release an animated version of director John Woo’s 1986 film “A Better Tomorrow” that uses AI to “reinterpret” Woo’s “signature visual language,” according to an English transcript of the announcement.
“By empowering cultural storytelling with technology, we can breathe new life into the classics and tell China’s stories farther and louder,” said Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, at the Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this month.
The project raised eyebrows among U.S. artists, many of whom are deeply wary of the use of AI in creative pursuits.
The Directors Guild of America said AI is a creative tool that should only be used to enhance the creative storytelling process and “it should never be used retroactively to distort or destroy a filmmaker’s artistic work.”
“The DGA strongly opposes the use of AI or any other technology to mutilate a film or to alter a director’s vision,” the DGA said in a statement. “The Guild has a longstanding history of opposing such alterations on issues like colorization or sanitization of films to eliminate so-called ‘objectionable content’, or other changes that fundamentally alter a film’s original style, meaning, and substance.”
The project highlights widely divergent views on AI’s potential to reshape entertainment as the two countries compete for dominance in the highly competitive AI space. In the U.S., much of the traditional entertainment industry has taken a tepid view of generative AI, due to concerns over protecting intellectual property and labor relations.
While some Hollywood studios such as Lionsgate and Blumhouse have collaborated with AI companies, others have been reluctant to announce partnerships at the risk of offending talent that have voiced concerns over how AI could be used to alter their digital likeness without adequate compensation.
But other countries like China have fewer guardrails, which has led to more experimentation of the technology by entertainment companies.
Many people in China embrace AI, with 83% feeling confident that AI systems are designed to act in the best interest of society, much higher than the U.S. where it’s 37%, according to a survey from the United Nations Development Program.
The foundation’s announcement came as a surprise to Bruce Lee Enterprises, which oversees legal usage of Lee’s likeness in creative works.
Bruce Lee’s family was “previously unaware of this development and is currently gathering information,” a spokesperson said.
Woo, in a written statement, said he hadn’t heard from the foundation about the AI remake, noting that the rights to “A Better Tomorrow” have changed hands several times.
“I wasn’t really involved in the project because I’m not very familiar with AI technology,” Woo said in a statement to The Times. “However, I’m very curious about the outcome and the effect it might have on my original film.”
David Chi, who represents the China Film Foundation’s Special Fund for Film and Urban Development, said in an interview that Chan is aware of the project and he has plans to talk with Chan’s team. A representative of Chan’s did not respond to a request for comment.
“We do need to talk … very specifically how we‘re using animated or AI existing technology, and how that would combine with his image rights and business rights,” Chi said. Chi did not have an immediate response to the DGA, Bruce Lee Enterprises and Woo’s statements.
AI is already used in China for script development, content moderation and recommendations and translation. In postproduction, AI has reduced the time to complete visual effects work from days to hours, said He Tao, an official with the National Radio and Television Administration’s research center, during remarks at the festival.
“Across government agencies, content platforms, and production institutions, the enthusiasm to adopt and integrate AI has never been stronger,” He said.
During the project’s announcement, supporters touted the opportunity AI will bring to China to further its cultural message globally and generate new work for creatives. At the same time, they touted AI’s disruption of the filmmaking process, saying the “A Better Tomorrow” remake was completed with just 30 people, significantly fewer than a typical animated project.
China is a “more brutal society in that sense,” said Eric Harwit, professor of Asian studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “If somebody loses their job because artificial intelligence is taking over, well, that’s just the cost of China’s moving forward. They don’t have that kind of regret about people losing jobs and there are less opportunities for organized protest against the Chinese government.”
A scene from the movie “Once Upon A Time In China.”
(Golden Harvest)
Hollywood guilds such as SAG-AFTRA have been outspoken about the harm AI could have on jobs and have fought for protections against AI in contracts in TV shows, films and video games. The unions have also pushed state and federal legislators to create laws that would give people more protections against deep fakes, or videos manipulated to show a person endorsing an idea or product that they don’t actually support. There is no equivalent of that in China.
“You don’t have those freestanding labor organizations, so they don’t have that kind of clout to protest against the Chinese using artificial intelligence in a way that might reduce their job opportunities or lead to layoffs in the sector,” Harwit added.
U.S. studios are also going to court to challenge the ways AI companies train their models on copyrighted materials. Earlier this month, Walt Disney Co. and Universal Pictures sued AI startup Midjourney, alleging it uses technology to generate images that copy the studios’ famous characters, including Yoda and Shrek.
In China, officials involved in the project to remaster kung fu films said they were eager to work with AI companies. They said that AI will be used to add “stunning realism” to the movies. They are planning to build “immersive viewing experiences” such as walking into a bamboo forest duel and “feeling the philosophy of movement and stillness.” In areas such as animation, new environments could be created with AI, Chi said.
“We are offering full access to our IP, platform, and adaptation rights to partners worldwide — with the goal of delivering richer, more diverse, and high-quality AI enhanced film works to global audiences,” said Tian Ming, chairman of Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co. in his remarks earlier this month. Tian said there is no revenue-sharing cap and it is allocating about $14 million to co-invest in selected projects and share in the returns.
The kung fu revitalization efforts will extend into other areas, including the creation of a martial arts video game.
Industry observers said China is wise to go back to its well of popular martial arts classics out of Hong Kong, which have inspired U.S. action movies for decades.
There’s also not as much risk involved for China, said Simon Pulman, a partner at law firm Pryor Cashman.
“They’ve got very little to lose by doing this,” Pulman said. “If it can potentially enhance the value of those movies, there’s very little downside for them.”
China’s film industry has grown significantly compared to decades ago, boosted by the proliferation of movie theaters, including Imax screens, in the country.
In the past, China’s box office relied heavily on U.S. productions like movies from the “Fast & Furious” and Marvel franchises, but now local movies dominate the market. The Chinese animated movie “Ne Zha 2” grossed $2.2 billion at the box office globally.
But those Chinese productions generally don’t draw large U.S. audiences when they’re released in the States. The classic martial arts movies, however, have a global following and enduring legacy.
“People love martial arts movies, because action travels,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “It doesn’t matter what language it’s in, if you have a great action sequence and great fighting sequences.”
Video shows the aftermath of a deadly Israeli strike on Evin Prison in Tehran, that killed at least 71 people, including visiting women and children. The prison, known for holding political prisoners, was hit just a day before a ceasefire ended 12 days of fighting initiated by Israeli strikes.
