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Hollywood’s actors and writers have both gone on strike for the first time since 1960 to protest against a number of decisions by major studios that include not just job cuts but also a potentially unsettling future in which they could be replaced by artificial intelligence. The leaders of SAG-AFTRA, the Hollywood union representing 160,000 television and movie actors, went on strike on Thursday, joining the industry’s screenwriters who have already been picketing for over 70 days. Among the many issues flagged by both the writers and actors in the protests has been how generative AI tools could replace their roles in the industry. Over the last decade, AI has found several uses in the movie and television industry, from de-aging actors, analysing patterns and behaviours of viewers on streaming platforms, bringing back the voices of late actors and even helping stitch together entire movie trailers. One of the proposals, as explained by SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, feels like it is straight out of dystopian science fiction series Black Mirror. During a press conference on Thursday, Mr Crabtree-Ireland alleged that a proposal from Hollywood studios was to use “groundbreaking AI” to scan background performers and only offer them a day’s pay while the companies get to own the scans and use them for any project they want. “This ‘groundbreaking’ AI proposal that they gave us yesterday, they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get one day’s pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity on any project they want, with no consent and no compensation,” the executive said. “If you think that’s a groundbreaking proposal, I suggest you think again,” Mr Crabtree-Ireland said. A statement from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), that represents the studios, claims the “groundbreaking AI” proposal “protects actors’ digital likenesses for SAG-AFTRA members”. “We are being victimized by a very greedy enterprise... The entire business model has been changed by streaming and AI If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in jeopardy,” the actors’ guild president Fran Drescher said on Thursday. Follow along here for real-time updates on the SAG-AFTRA strike Writers who have already been protesting since May have also sought assurances from studios that their jobs would not be threatened by AI. With the steady rise of online streaming services looking to rack up user subscriptions by churning out endless amounts of digital content, writers on strike have sought new pay structures, guaranteed periods of work as well as better discussions on the limits of AI use. Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) shared concerns that producers may seek to use AI to write scripts or at least use the technology to complete unfinished screenplays, and have also urged production houses to agree to safeguards around its usage. Screenwriters fear AI could be used to churn out a rough first draft with a few simple prompts and writers may then be hired after this initial step to punch such drafts up – albeit at a lower pay rate. Without further dialogue with studios, writers have raised concerns there could be a number of new ways that AI could be used to craft outlines for stories, fill in scenes and even come up with mock-up drafts. “There are ways it can be useful. But too many people are using it against us and using it to create mediocrity. They’re also in violation of copyright. They’re also plagiarizing,” Michael Winship, president of the WGA East, said in May. With these risks in mind, the WGA seeks more safeguards on how AI can be applied to the screenwriting process. Read More Hollywood actors and writers strike after ‘disgusting’ studios turn down deal. Here’s what it means for you Hollywood in historic shutdown as actors union joins writers strike: ‘The eyes of the world are upon us’ Cast of Oppenheimer walk out of UK premiere ahead of actors’ strike announcement What happens next as striking actors send Hollywood into meltdown? Issa Rae and Jamie Lee Curtis lead A-listers voicing support for actors strike Hollywood in historic shutdown as actors union joins writers strike

After being beaten down by a dominant dollar this year, the weakest links in the currency world are

The Hungarian bookseller was penalised under legislation restricting LGBT literature for under-18s.

Teofimo Lopez has made a U-turn on his early retirement, as the 25-year-old eyes a huge clash with Devin Haney. Lopez won the WBO super-lightweight title with a decision win over Josh Taylor in June, handing the Scot the first loss of his professional career. Lopez then claimed that he would be calling time on his boxing career, even informing the WBO that he was giving up his title. Now, however, the American has reversed that decision, telling the WBO that he will keep the gold. Lopez, who previously reigned as unified lightweight champion, is also targeting a bout with Haney, who is undisputed at lightweight. Lopez tweeted on Thursday (13 July): “Yo @Realdevinhaney , since you were so quick to jump in the mix for my WBO Championship belt! Let’s make the fight happen so the world can see who is about that action & no, you will not be on the A-side. I hold the King title of the division as well! So don’t run away!!” He continued: “Came out of retirement (I guess) because the next move was for Devin Haney to fight sorry-a** Arnold Barboza for my WBO championship title at 140lbs. F’ that. I’m tired of helping this kid be something that he is not. And that’s a real champion!” Twenty-four-year-old Haney, who retained his titles with a narrow decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko in May, replied: “Let’s do it. [You] never retired in the first place.. let’s see if you really want the smoke. “I’m gonna b 140 champ regardless. U asked for 20 million last time my pops talked [to] u.” Lopez then responded to his unbeaten compatriot, writing: “What? 20 M’s? I didn’t even stat out the location of our fight let alone put a price on the fight. What you talking about man?! “Start losing weight and we’ll figure out the rest so we can give the fight fans a DREAM that will TAKEOVER the sport of BOXING!” Lopez, who also holds a decision win over Lomachenko, suffered the sole defeat of his professional career in 2021, when he was outpointed by George Kambosos Jr. With that loss, Lopez dropped the unified lightweight titles that he won from Lomachenko in 2020. Kambosos Jr then lost the belts to Haney via decision in 2022, and the Australian failed to regain them in a rematch later that year – again losing on points. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Oleksandr Usyk recites poem and rap as Daniel Dubois vows to ‘unleash hell’ on champion Don’t be fooled by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte’s calm reunion – this is a fight built on spite Josh Taylor plunged into the unknown as Teofimo Lopez earns redemptive win Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Usyk recites poem and rap as Daniel Dubois vows to ‘unleash hell’ on champion

Oleksandr Usyk was the star of his press conference with Daniel Dubois on Thursday (13 July), reciting a poem and rap as he came face to face with his challenger in London. Uysk will defend the unified heavyweight titles against mandatory challenger Dubois on 26 August, when the pair clash in Wroclaw, Poland. Dubois, 25, is not the Briton that fans wanted to see take on Uysk, 36, but talks between the unbeaten Ukrainian and Tyson Fury fell through this spring. As a result, this match-up came about, as did Fury vs Francis Ngannou – which was announced on Tuesday (11 July). In any case, Dubois backed himself at Thursday’s press conference, saying: “One hundred per cent I’m ready, we’re ready to rumble. This is it, bring them titles back home, bring them belts. They’re coming with me, it’s my time. “Usyk’s been a great champion, [but] everything with a beginning has to end. I’ve got to outmanoeuvre him and everything. I’m younger, I’m stronger, I’ve got to unleash hell on this guy. “I’m different, you guys are gonna see it. The bookies can say whatever they want, it’s no pressure for me. I never listen to [the media] anyway. I’m gonna be on him, ready to take them belts away.” Meanwhile, Uysk recited a poem, which his promoter Alex Krassyuk said would take too long to translate, though Krassyuk did reveal that the passage was “about enemies who are going to be destroyed”. Yet Uysk (20-0, 13 knockouts) also paid respect to Dubois, saying: “I think really highly of my opponent. He’s a nice man, a nice guy, a nice athlete. He came to the position of mandatory, so he deserves it, but let’s stop talking; let’s see each other on 26 August.” When asked if he had a message for Dubois, Usyk simply said, “I am the message myself,” before launching into a rap after their face-off. The Ukrainian, an Olympic gold medalist, previously reigned as the only undisputed cruiserweight champion of the four-belt era. After moving up to heavyweight, he beat Anthony Joshua to win the unified titles, which he retained against “AJ” in their rematch last summer – again defeating the Briton on points. Meanwhile, Dubois last fought in December, stopping Kevin Lerena after recovering from three knockdowns, two of which were caused by a knee injury. Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) has since had surgery to resolve the issue. Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, said: “We were introduced to Daniel Dubois as a killer. All that speed, all that power, he’s gonna come to knock Oleksandr Usyk out, as I understand it. First of all, to knock someone out, you need to touch them. Sometimes, it’s not easy for the big cat to catch the mouse.” Meanwhile, Dubois’s promoter Frank Warren added: “I look at it in a different way to everybody else. This is a test for Usyk against Daniel, fighting a young, hungry, up-and-coming fighter. He’s capable, he can punch, he can jab, he’s faster than people think. I genuinely believe that my man will win. This is gonna be a great fight, while it lasts.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Daniel Dubois believes he can cause upset against Oleksandr Usyk in Poland Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever ‘Nonsense’: Anthony Joshua reacts to Fury vs Ngannou fight announcement Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Daniel Dubois believes he can cause upset against Oleksandr Usyk in Poland Anthony Joshua to face Dillian Whyte in rematch at The O2 on August 12

Mick Fleetwood has paid tribute to his fellow band member Christine McVie in honor of what would have been her 80th birthday.

Even in a time of extortionate inflation in the United Kingdom, it was eye-catching when a Spanish man in north London agreed to pay £105m for Rice and £36m for Timber; Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, admittedly, and if the midfielder’s price ranks among the highest ever forked out by a Premier League club, the Dutch defender has the potential to look a relative bargain for Arsenal. But each, like Kai Havertz, is a testament to Mikel Arteta’s expensive ambition; to his relentless drive and his permanent restlessness, too. Arsenal’s summer spending will soon top £200m. Their outlay over last season’s two transfer windows came to around £170m, while the summer of 2021 amounted to about £150m in fees alone. None of which even makes Arsenal the biggest spenders in the capital, and if Chelsea still have the air of an anomaly, there is also a cost to competing with the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Tottenham and now Newcastle. And as Arteta inherited a team in mid-table, he was starting from a low base; there was a greater need for rebuilding. Yet it is notable that Arteta’s reaction to a breakthrough season has been so dramatic. The exponential improvement of both the team – from 69 points in 2021-22 to 84, from 61 goals to 88 – and individuals, whether in Martin Odegaard’s transformation into a scorer, Ben White’s conversion into a right-back, William Saliba’s makeover from serial loanee to defensive mainstay or Bukayo Saka’s new status as one of the best players in the country, could have pointed to a model of continued evolution. Instead, there is more of a revolutionary feel to Arsenal’s summer. If 2021, with an investment in youth, seemed to set in place a plan for years, and 2022, with the purchases of the Manchester City pair of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, looked another phase, the stakes seem raised again in 2023: taking on City for Rice, taking the Champions League final scorer Havertz from Chelsea. But a departure that could free up a place for either has both a footballing and a symbolic significance. Granit Xhaka was the last Arsene Wenger signing to remain pivotal; redemptive a season as the Swiss had, Rice and Havertz look upgrades. If Timber’s arrival ushers Rob Holding towards the exit, another link with the Wenger era will be gone. Should Kieran Tierney go, as is possible, there will be less of Unai Emery’s legacy left: Saliba signed under the current Aston Villa manager, but never played for him, while Gabriel Martinelli’s maiden Premier League start came under the caretaker Freddie Ljungberg, a couple of weeks before Arteta’s appointment. This is Arteta’s Arsenal now. He will not celebrate his fourth anniversary until December but the speed of change is reflected not just in the composition of the squad but in terms of who is actually on the pitch. Of the 14 footballers to play the most Premier League minutes for Arsenal last season, one (Xhaka) was bought by Wenger, two (Saliba and Martinelli) joined under Emery and two (Saka and Eddie Nketiah) were youth-team products who barely featured before Arteta took charge. The other nine – seven of the 11 with the most minutes plus the January recruits Leandro Trossard and Jorginho – were Arteta buys. Tierney ranked 15th, the oft-injured Takehiro Tomiyasu 16th and Holding 17th. So even factoring in the probability that another Hale End Academy graduate, Emile Smith Rowe, will feature more in the forthcoming campaign, along with another January addition, Jakub Kiwior, the division of labour is likely to be shifted still further towards Arteta’s arrivals. Eight of the probable first 11 could be his buys, along with perhaps 13 of the 18 most-used players. That preferred 11 could contain a couple of notable omissions: the speed of change may mean some Arteta flagship buys are sidelined. Thomas Partey looks likely to drop out of the strongest side; in defence, Tomiyasu was demoted last season, despite an encouraging debut year, and Timber’s signing will pose questions if the same fate awaits White, terrific as he was, or if the newcomer proves a back-up. Meanwhile, a comparison is instructive. Three and a half years into his mentor Pep Guardiola’s reign at City, a host of players bought under previous managers – David Silva, Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany, Kevin de Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling – were still pivotal. Three and a half seasons into Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool, so were survivors of previous regimes such as Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Roberto Firmino, while others – Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez, Divock Origi, Adam Lallana – were still involved. But, three and a half years into Arteta’s time at Arsenal, it is very possible everyone who features regularly will either be his signings or those who only made minor contributions under his predecessors. It really will be his team. Read More Defender William Saliba commits to Arsenal with new long-term contract Granit Xhaka departs Arsenal on busy day at the Emirates It’s been a hell of a journey – Reiss Nelson wants to take Arsenal to next level

Deteriorating health in Britain is costing the state more than £15 billion ($19.6 billion) a year in higher

Everton have praised the “bravery” of Dele Alli after the midfielder revealed he was sexually abused as a child, with England captain Harry Kane and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker also supporting him. In an emotional interview, Alli told how he was “molested” as a six-year-old and was dealing drugs aged eight, while he also spoke about alcohol problems, sleeping pill addiction and addressing his mental health struggles by spending six weeks in a rehab clinic. The 27-year-old said he had contemplated hanging up his boots three years ago before leaving Tottenham for Everton in 2022. Alli made just 13 appearances before joining Besiktas on loan last season but is now back at Goodison Park. “The club has been supporting Dele in both his return to fitness and overcoming the personal challenges highlighted in his interview with The Overlap,” an Everton spokesperson said. “Everyone at Everton respects and applauds Dele’s bravery to speak about the difficulties he has faced, as well as seek the help required. “The physical and mental welfare of all our players is of paramount importance. The club takes very seriously its responsibility in protecting the confidentiality of players and staff. “Dele will not be conducting any further interviews in relation to his rehabilitation, and we ask that his privacy is respected while he continues his recuperation from injury and receives the full care and support needed for his physical and mental well-being.” Alli spoke out in an interview with Gary Neville on a special edition of The Overlap podcast in partnership with Sky Bet, which was released on Thursday morning. England skipper Kane, a former teammate of Alli’s at Spurs, retweeted a clip from the interview, posting: “Proud of @dele_official for speaking out and sharing his experience to try and help others.” Another former Spurs teammate, Son Heung-min, took to Instagram stories to deliver his support, posting pictures of the pair together along with the message: “Your brave words will help so many people. Proud of you mate” Lineker tweeted: “This is very powerful and brave. Good luck to you @dele_official.” The Professional Footballers’ Association also issued a statement on Twitter in response to Alli’s interview. “It’s incredibly brave of Dele to tell his story with such honesty in this important interview with @gnev2,” they wrote. “Hearing Dele speak with such openness will make a difference, and his desire to use his own experiences to act as an inspiration to others - inside and outside of football - is something he should be extremely proud of.” Neville himself commented on conducting the interview, claiming it was the “most emotional, difficult yet inspirational conversation I’ve ever had.” “I’m struggling to find the words to put with this post but please watch my most recent interview with Dele,” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s the most emotional, difficult yet inspirational conversation I’ve ever had in my life.” TV presenter Jake Humphrey praised the interview, saying: Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant chat with Dele Alli and @GNev2. These kinds of conversations putting empathy over opinion are so incredibly important. So many people are struggling but don’t feel able to speak. Dele will help them hugely.” Alli won 37 caps for England and the national team also tweeted their support: “Sending our love, @dele_official” Read More Dele Alli reveals childhood drug dealing, sexual abuse and sleeping pill addiction Dele Alli praises ‘best manager’ Pochettino for ‘caring about me as a person’ Dele Alli reveals childhood drug dealing, sexual abuse and sleeping pill addiction Sheffield United sign Anis Slimane from Danish club Brondby

Dele Alli praised Mauricio Pochettino for caring about him as a person, as he opened up to Gary Neville in an emotional interview. The former Tottenham Hotspur star discussed the profound challenges he endured throughout his childhood and the long-lasting effects of trauma on his football career as he spoke on a powerful episode of The Overlap. “Mauricio Pochettino was the best manager and I couldn’t have asked for a better manager at the time,” Alli, 27, said of his time at Spurs. “It wasn’t like a footballer and a manager relationship. It was deeper than that, I felt. He was just so understanding of the decisions I was making, and he was guiding. He cared about me as a person before the football, which is what I needed at that time.”

Dele Alli has revealed he was sexually abused at the age of six and was dealing drugs two years later – while a recent fight against a sleeping pill addiction led to a six-week stay at a rehab clinic. The Everton midfielder has seen his football career stall in recent seasons but has now spoken on the reasons behind a mental health battle that saw him contemplate hanging up his boots at the age of 24. In an emotional interview, the Everton midfielder and former England international fought back tears as he laid bare his difficult upbringing before he was adopted by the Hickford family. Alli also told Gary Neville in The Overlap podcast, in partnership with Sky Bet, that he only came out of rehab last month as he struggled with his mental health. The 37-cap England star, who spent last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, said: “When I came back from Turkey, I came in and I found out that I need an operation and I was in a bad place mentally. “I decided to go to like a modern-day rehab facility for mental health. They deal with like addiction, mental health, and trauma because it was something that I felt like it was time for. “I think with things like that, you can’t be told to go there. I think you have to know, and you have to make the decision yourself, otherwise it’s not going to work.” Alli – a key part of the England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals – also laid bare the sickening abuse he received as a child, saying he was “molested” at the age of six. “(Childhood) is something I haven’t really spoken about that much, to be honest,” he said. “I was sent to Africa (to stay with his father) to learn discipline, and then I was sent back“At seven, I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs. “An older person told me that they wouldn’t stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath I’d have the drugs, that was eight. Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man. “Twelve, I was adopted – and from then, it was like – I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they’d done for me. If God created people, it was them. “There were a number of times my adopted family and my brother – you know, it makes me sad – they would take me to rooms crying, asking me to just speak to them, tell them what I’m thinking, how I’m feeling, and I just couldn’t do it because I wanted to deal with it by myself.” After signing for Tottenham from MK Dons, Alli enjoyed a fine run of form that culminated in playing a key role in England’s progress to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. But he was still battling in silence off the pitch – leading to a “scary” addiction to sleeping pills and a reliance on alcohol. “I got addicted to sleeping tablets and it’s probably a problem that not only I have, I think it’s something that’s going around more than people realise in football,” he said. “I think, without me realising it – the things I was doing to numb the feelings I had...I didn’t realise I was doing it for that purpose, whether it be drinking or whatever. “I don’t want to talk about numbers but it was definitely way too much, and there were some scary moments I had. “To take a sleeping tablet and be ready for the next day is fine, but when you’re broken as I am, it can obviously have the reverse effect because it does work for the problems you want to deal with. “That is the problem – it works until it doesn’t. So yes, I definitely abused them too much. It is scary, now I’m out of it and I look back on it. “Probably the saddest moment for me, was when (Jose) Mourinho was (Tottenham) manager, I think I was 24. I remember there was one session, like one morning I woke up and I had to go to training – this is when he’d stopped playing me – and I was in a bad place. “I mean it sounds dramatic but I was literally staring in the mirror – and I was asking if I could retire now, at 24, doing the thing I love. For me, that was heart-breaking to even have had that thought at 24, to want to retire. That hurt me a lot, that was another thing that I had to carry.” Alli said that he had largely been able to mask his difficulties during his football career but to the detriment of his mental health. He added: “To be honest, I was caught in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm and, yeah, I think I was waking up every day and I was winning the fight, you know, going into training, smiling, showing that I was happy. “But inside, I was definitely losing the battle and it was time for me to change it because when I got injured and they told me I needed surgery, I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle begins and I didn’t want it to happen anymore. “So, I went there [rehab], I went there for six weeks and Everton were amazing about it, you know. They supported me 100 per cent and I’ll be grateful to them forever.” Dele Alli was speaking to Gary Neville on a special episode of The Overlap in partnership with Sky Bet. Read More The inspiration behind Australia’s shot at home World Cup glory Women’s World Cup history hangs over co-hosts New Zealand Jordan Henderson offered quadruple his Liverpool wages to join Gerrard’s Saudi side The inspiration behind Australia’s shot at home World Cup glory Women’s World Cup history hangs over co-hosts New Zealand Jordan Henderson offered quadruple his Liverpool wages to join Gerrard’s Saudi side

Britain’s public finances are more vulnerable to shocks than other major economies, the Treasury’s fiscal watchdog said, as