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Venice Film Festival Chief Alberto Barbera On Oscar Chances, Why Gaza Doc ‘NAZA’ Is Playing So Late & Why He’s Confident U.S. Studios Will Return
Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera has spoken about the key issues dominating this year’s event, including the growing use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, the politically sensitive scheduling of Gaza-related films, and the festival’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. In a wide-ranging interview, Barbera acknowledged that AI is set to transform cinema much…
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Richard Hughes confirmed as Al-Hilal sporting director after Liverpool departure
Richard Hughes has been appointed sporting director of Al-Hilal, the Saudi Pro League club confirmed on Sunday, marking his exit from Liverpool. The move underlines Saudi football’s continued pursuit of established English football expertise, with Hughes becoming the latest high-profile figure from the Premier League to relocate to Riyadh, following a string of players who…
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Raskin calls Piker’s rhetoric ‘irrelevant distraction’ after the streamer said he’d vote for Hamas over Israel
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin brushed aside questions about streamer Hasan Piker’s comments on Hamas and Israel, calling scrutiny of the influencer an “irrelevant distraction” during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. The exchange came as host Kristen Welker pressed him on divisions within the Democratic Party over Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s association with…
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Iran warns of ‘faster, heavier, more painful response’ to US attacks
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has threatened a “faster, heavier, and more painful response” against the US, warning that Washington must recognise “before it is too late” that the “rules of the game have changed”. The comments mark a sharp escalation nearly a week into renewed fighting between the two countries, following a 60-day…
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Iranian footballers who defected to Australia say they haven’t spoken to their team since out of a fear of reprisals – and reveal the man whose become like a ‘second father’ to them
Two Iranian women’s footballers who defected to Australia after refusing to sing their national anthem in protest against Tehran’s government have revealed they have cut off contact with their former teammates and family in Iran, fearing reprisals from authorities. Atefeh Ramezanisadeh and Fatemeh Pasandideh, known as Ati and Pasand, were part of a squad that…
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Susan Sarandon Says She Is Still Losing Hollywood Roles Due To Palestine-Israel Stance
Susan Sarandon has said she continues to lose film roles over her support for Palestine, telling a press conference at the Venice Film Festival that agencies still advise against hiring her even though wider American attitudes towards the Israel-Palestine issue have shifted. The Oscar-winning actress said that while she feels welcomed by the public, “very…
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‘It leaves holes inside of you’: graphic novel aims to remember the history and horror of genocide
The artist and anthropologist Dana Mashoian Walrath has published The Book of Genocides, an experimental graphic history examining 10 episodes of mass killing and ethnic cleansing over the past five centuries, from the extermination of Indigenous peoples in the Americas to the persecution of the Rohingya. The book, which blends anthropology, memoir and interactive visual…
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US ambassador accuses Ed Miliband of having ‘lost it’ over Gaza and engaging in ‘Jew hate’
A diplomatic row has erupted after US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accused Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who is Jewish, of “Jew hate” and said the UK Government had “lost it” over Gaza. The clash followed a video Miliband posted on Instagram describing conditions in Gaza as “horrific” and claiming medicines were being blocked from…
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Egypt drug death sentence, Bradford jewellery raid foiled, Bruno Fernandes’ tribute to young United fan
Overseas, presenter Sara Khalifa is sentenced to hang in Cairo over drug trafficking, while a Bradford jewellery-shop raid is beaten off with a hammer and bat; also: Bruno Fernandes’ message to injured young fan, Andrew Scott’s Oscar buzz, and pricier Steam Decks.
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REVEALED: Rare agreement between FF and FG Cabinet ministers ahead of next month’s Budget will be welcome news for cash-strapped households as winter closes in… but environmental lobby won’t be pleased
The Irish Cabinet has reportedly agreed that planned carbon tax increases due after next month’s Budget are now “politically impossible”, with ministers confirming there will be no government-initiated rises to home heating fuel, petrol or diesel while oil prices remain volatile amid the escalating conflict with Iran. This marks a rare point of agreement between…