Cuba said US President Donald Trump's fresh sanctions on the island amounted to "collective punishment,” as an enormous May 1 procession outside the American embassy in Havana vowed to "defend the homeland." u.afp.com/Sah6

Actors created with artificial intelligence will not be eligible for an Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said as it launched a crackdown on the use of AI. Also, screenplays must be penned by a person, rather than a chatbot. u.afp.com/SahB

US defense chief Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year. The announcement came after President Trump threatened to remove troops from the NATO ally amid a row with its chancellor over the Iran war. u.afp.com/Saha

#BREAKING: US to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany: Pentagon

France and Germany sent firefighting units to the Netherlands on to help battle woodland blazes. Many of the fires were raging in land used for military training, including an artillery range, in the south. u.afp.com/Sah7

Throwing more than $5 billion at a divisive new tour and walking away after five seasons does not look like good business, but LIV Golf wasn't all bad news for Saudi Arabia. u.afp.com/Sahn

French bakeries sold crusty baguettes and flaky croissants with government backing, defying labour unions arguing that May 1 should remain a sacred day of compulsory rest. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered several baguettes in front of the cameras. u.afp.com/SahW

Latin pop queen Shakira will bring the heat to Rio de Janeiro on Saturday for her biggest concert to date -- an outdoor party on Copacabana beach. The free gig by the 49-year-old Colombian superstar is expected to draw a crowd of two million people. u.afp.com/Sahd

Turkish police fired tear gas and arrested hundreds of people holding May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, as thousands rallied nationwide. May Day sees a major police deployment in Turkey every year in the nation's largest city. u.afp.com/Sahp

Pope Leo XIV named a former undocumented migrant as bishop of West Virginia, weeks after the pontiff's high-profile verbal confrontation with President Donald Trump. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 56, was born El Salvador and migrated to the US in 1990. u.afp.com/SahQ

Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete disembark at a small port on the island. They were escorted by the Greek coastguard. Most of the activists are nationals of European countries.

#BREAKING: Trump says 'not satisfied' with new Iran proposal

⚽ Michael Carrick believes Manchester United against Liverpool is always a "standout" fixture even though neither club are challenging for the Premier League title this season. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sah4

Trump says will raise US tariffs on EU cars, trucks to 25%

🇺🇸 The Pentagon on Friday announced agreements with seven leading artificial intelligence companies to deploy their technology on classified military networks, a move that pointedly excludes Anthropic amid its ongoing dispute with the Defense Department. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sah3

US calls for Suu Kyi's immediate release as she is moved to house arrest

🇺🇸 A key US Federal Reserve official warned Friday that a series of interest rate hikes could be needed if price shocks from the Middle East war are larger than expected, fuelling inflation. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sahw

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Edinburgh ushers in summer with Celtic fire festival An estimated 5,000 spectators gather to celebrate the Beltane fire festival. The Celtic festival commemorates the rebirth of 'Green Man' -- representing life -- courtesy of the 'May Queen', who represents fertility.

🇮🇷 🇺🇸 Iran delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the US via mediator Pakistan, state media reported Friday, with negotiations between the two sides frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire. ➡️ u.afp.com/SahZ

🛢️ The war in the Middle East has forced the Gulf monarchies to rethink their oil and trade routes, but rerouting them will be no simple task, experts say. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sant

🇸🇪 Experimental cafe run by AI opens in Stockholm Although it looks like any other coffee shop, this cafe in Stockholm has artificial intelligence (AI) running the place: hiring employees, creating the menu, taking care of daily supplies -- and making several unnecessary purchases along the way.

🇲🇱 Mali's army and its Russian mercenary allies have surrendered a strategic northern military stronghold to armed rebels, as Tuareg separatists and jihadists waged a unified front to bring down the country's junta. ➡️ u.afp.com/SanC

🇹🇷 Turkish police have fired tear gas and arrested hundreds of people holding May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, as thousands rallied nationwide. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sanz

🇮🇷 🇺🇸 Iran has delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the US via mediator Pakistan, state media reported Friday, with negotiations between the two sides frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire. ➡️ u.afp.com/San9

🌸 Afghan families are flocking to the valleys of Shirin Tagab district, near the border with Turkmenistan, to be among thousands of flowers that appeared after abundant rain. 📝/📸 Atif Aryan ➡️ u.afp.com/SanR

🇮🇳 India climbers face obstacles in race to the top India has seen a surge in popularity in climbing but those who want to compete internationally have had to crowd-fund and there is little government recognition or help.

🇨🇳 Three-time Chinese Olympic champion swimmer Sun Yang filed a police report after being subjected to "large-scale" cyberbullying, his team said Friday. ➡️ u.afp.com/SanE

Chart showing the percent changes in major energy commodities and stock markets since February 26, 2026.

🇺🇸 US Justice Dept releases footage of Trump shooting suspect The US Department of Justice has released video footage of the man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on April 25, as he charged through a hotel security checkpoint and shot a Secret Service officer.

🇯🇵 Japan cleaner goes viral with spa-like service for plushies A worn-out Pikachu plushie, tired teddy bear or stained stuffed animal can all get a new lease of life at a Japanese laundry service, making beloved toys squeaky clean again.

🇩🇪 German airline Lufthansa says it is searching for an Oscar statuette belonging to Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin after reports US airport security banned him from taking it on a flight from New York. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sann

🌍 The closure of the Strait of Hormuz as well as tensions in the Red Sea are reshaping trade routes, with Africa becoming a hub of global container ship traffic, according to logistics and maritime sources. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sae7

🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump said he wasn't keen on wearing a bulletproof vest despite multiple alleged assassination attempts -- as he is worried it may make him look fat. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sane

⚽ Curacao, tiny island with big dreams of World Cup glory "Small island, big dreams" reads a poster for the football team of the Caribbean island of Curacao -- the smallest country ever, by population, to qualify for football's World Cup.

🇯🇵 Japan Airlines trials robots in ground handling operations Japan Airlines (JAL) says it will start using humanoid robots in ground handling operations at Tokyo's Haneda Airport from May in a two-year trial with its tech partner GMO AI and Robotics.

🇪🇺 The European Union's mammoth trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur has provisionally entered into force, despite a pending court ruling on its legality. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sanc

⚽ Arne Slot said Mohamed Salah "deserves a big send-off", confirming he expected the departing superstar to return from injury before the season is over. ➡️ u.afp.com/San5

🇧🇩 🐅 Bangladesh's tigers stalk uncertain future in Sundarbans The slow growth in the number of tigers in Bangladesh's Sundarbans, despite years of conservation work, is stoking fears that the world's largest mangrove forest may one day lose its apex predator.

🇹🇷 Turkish police have fired tear gas and arrested dozens of people holding May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, AFP journalists said. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sanw

🇦🇺 Australia's 'most beautiful' street fed up with viral fame Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country's "most beautiful" have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town -- and locals have had enough of it.

🇬🇧 🇧🇲 King Charles III has arrived in Bermuda after wrapping up a marathon US state visit aimed at healing ties between Washington and London strained by the war in Iran. ➡️ u.afp.com/SanU

⚖️ Elon Musk spars with lawyers for a third day at his California trial against OpenAI, struggling to explain why his own for-profit AI empire differs from the one he is trying to take down. ➡️ u.afp.com/San3

🇺🇸 A US Supreme Court ruling curbing protections for minority voters has reignited the political battle over electoral maps, with Republicans and Democrats racing to redraw districts in ways that could shape control of Congress for years to come. ➡️ u.afp.com/SanJ

🇹🇯 🇰🇬 Soviet architecture vanishes as Central Asia drifts from Moscow Over the past decade, Central Asia has shown little interest in preserving its Soviet heritage. Architectural landmarks and art, including mosaics, frescoes and sculptures, have been rapidly demolished.

⚽ FIFA says it will review its ticketing strategy for the 2030 World Cup following anger over skyrocketing prices for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sano

🇮🇷 🇺🇸 Tehran's air defences were activated overnight to counter small aircraft and drones, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war. ➡️ u.afp.com/San4

🇮🇷 🇺🇸 Tehran's air defences were activated overnight to counter small aircraft and drones, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war. ➡️ u.afp.com/San4

🇲🇲 Myanmar's junta chief-turned-president has ordered deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be moved to house arrest, five years after sweeping her into detention in a 2021 coup. ➡️ u.afp.com/SanZ

🇦🇺 An angry crowd clashed with Australian police outside a hospital treating the suspected killer of a five-year-old Indigenous girl in the outback town of Alice Springs. ➡️ u.afp.com/Saev

🇯🇵 Japan's Junto Nakatani said he won't be intimidated when he faces fellow unbeaten countryman Naoya "Monster" Inoue on Saturday in front of 55,000 fans at a sold-out Tokyo Dome. ➡️ u.afp.com/SaeF