James McAvoy: ‘I’ve been “that Scottish person”, reduced to a noise that comes out of my mouth’

He went from a Glasgow council estate to Hollywood fame. Now, in his directorial debut, the X-Men star is challenging stereotypes about his homeland via the remarkable tale of a real-life hip-hop hoax

California to impose new AI regulations in defiance of Trump call

Gavin Newsom signs order to prioritize public safety and rights as president seeks to prevent ‘cumbersome’ rules

TV star’s AI porn allegations spark national debate in Germany

Collien Fernandes accuses ex-husband Christian Ulmen of sharing sexually explicit deepfake images of her online

Why is Labour so unpopular? Just look at the dithering over kids’ screen time

Keir Starmer is running out of patience with the social media platforms, after Meta and Google’s landmark legal defeat in Los Angeles. But this ‘strongest intervention yet’ comes years too late, writes Zoe Williams

Corey Feldman speaks out about Rob Reiner Oscars tribute snub: ‘Like a family reunion I wasn’t invited to’

Stand By Me co-stars Wil Wheaton and Jerry O’Connell joined Billy Crystal and a dozen other stars on stage at the Academy Awards to pay tribute to the film’s director

Expat influencers sold Dubai to the world and were paid to look the other way. Now the dream is crumbling

The Maseratis are borrowed, the helicopters rented by the hour. But deep down Dubai is a lonely place, built by oppressed people

‘Succulent Chinese meal’ speech added to Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive

Jack Karlson’s rallying cry of ‘democracy manifest’ added to national collection of sound recordings that hold historical, cultural and aesthetic significance

Apple subsidiary fined by UK government over Moscow sanctions breach

Apple Distribution International, based in Ireland, made payments worth £690,000 to a Russian streaming service

McCartney: The Hunt for the Lost Bass review – amiable tale of how Macca’s Höfner was finally found

Dogged detective work tracked down the instrument that had vanished more than 50 years ago, but the true story behind its theft injects a note of sadness

Mary Beth Hurt, star of Interiors and The World According to Garp, dies aged 79

The actor, who was nominated for three Tony awards, made her film debut in Woody Allen’s Interiors and worked into the 2010s including in films made by her second husband, Paul Schrader

Rob Schneider calls on US to restore military draft

The actor and comedian, posting on X, said that ‘unlike in today’s universities’ the military would teach young people ‘how truly great their country is’

I took off my headphones – and noticed a stranger in peril

Slumped on the pavement, she wasn’t breathing – and I wouldn’t have realised if I’d been listening to music as usual. Time to stop blotting out the world …

​​Being Ola review – a sweet and gentle film about disability, friendship and abandonment

Documentary follows a resident of a Norwegian village for people with learning disabilities, spotlighting his connection with a Danish care worker

College Republicans director made racist and sexist remarks on live streams

Review of Kai Schwemmer’s broadcasts undermines claim ‘process of growth’ had led him to abandon bigoted views

‘Nostalgic glint of adventure’: why The Beach is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to their comfort films is a journey back to 2000 when Danny Boyle transported us to paradise