The President’s Cake review – toughly revealing story of kid on a baking mission for Saddam Hussein’s birthday

Nine-year-old Lamia is obliged by her school to make a birthday cake for the Iraqi president, and meets a series of vivid characters as she shops for sanctioned ingredients

Method dressing: nine actors who stayed wildly in character on the red carpet

Whether it’s Zendaya in tennis-inspired shoes, Cynthia Erivo dressed in green, Margot Robbie as Barbie or Jenna Ortega in shredded black leather, today’s movie stars rarely disappoint on the promo circuit

The big AI job swap: why white-collar workers are ditching their careers

As AI job losses rise in the professional sector, many are switching to more traditional trades. But how do they feel about accepting lower pay – and giving up a dream career?

Epstein engineered intimate relationship for Tesla’s Kimbal Musk, emails show

Elon Musk’s younger brother and the woman were involved for about six months between 2012 and 2013

Children in England ‘bombarded’ with online ads for harmful products

Teenagers routinely see content promoting weight-loss drugs, steroids and skin-whitening creams, research finds

UK signed deals with US firms that were clients of Mandelson lobbying company

Clients of Global Counsel, co-founded by Mandelson, included OpenAI and Palantir, which have both signed deals with government

Wallace, Gromit and a new use for lentils: blockbuster Aardman exhibition opens at Young V&A

Children are encouraged to get hands-on as the world’s leading stop-motion studio showcases its work in east London

From Melania to Kid Rock’s halftime show: why is Maga art so dreadful?

As the right stokes culture wars, their alternatives to ‘woke’ Hollywood prove to be shoddily made and uninspired

‘Boy kibble’: why are young men turning to dog food for meal inspiration?

The dried food, traditionally for pets, has become an unlikely influence for meal preppers. Some commenters have even claimed the trend could be an antidote to toxic masculinity

Cowboys, lassos, and nudity: AI startups turn to stunts for attention in a crowded market

Businesses are using theatrical stunts not for shock alone but to create viral content and drive sales conversations online

Is it possible to develop AI without the US?

Tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta to collectively invest $600bn on artificial intelligence this year

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was never a love story. It was a warning

Watch Michel Gondry’s 2004 time-twister as a hard sci-fi film and you might heed its advice

Concerns ‘AI slop’ used by University of Sydney-based institute to lobby for $20m gambling education funding

‘Evidence review’ sent by OurFutures Institute to David Pocock and other politicians references studies that do not exist or make opposing findings

Apple and Google pledge not to discriminate against third-party apps in UK deal

Critics brand deal with regulator as ‘lightweight’ with ‘no legal bite’ as tech giants avoid legally binding measures

The far right in power always co-opts culture – in France, it has already begun

Marine Le Pen’s party is concocting plans to replace a vital, vibrant arts scene with a retrograde movement that would glorify the country’s past, says Guardian Europe columnist Alexander Hurst