Spoof fires back at supposed inauthenticity of Oscar-tipped screen musical with a song-and-dance tale of boulangeries at war

The war of words between Mexico and France over trans gangster musical Emilia Pérez has heated up even more after the release of a spoof film called Johanne Sacreblu poking fun at French stereotypes.

Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard and which is up for the best picture Oscar along with a best actress nomination for its star Karla Sofia Gascón, is the story of a cartel boss who hires a lawyer (played by Zoe Saldana) to enable a gender transition, and has attracted much criticism in Mexico , where it is supposedly set.

Oxford professor advises against putting private data on platform in case it could be shared with Chinese state

Experts have urged caution over rapidly embracing the Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek, citing concerns about it spreading misinformation and how the Chinese state might exploit users’ data.

The new low-cost AI wiped $1tn off the leading US tech stock index this week and it rapidly became the most downloaded free app in the UK and the US. Donald Trump called it a “wake-up call” for tech firms.

The cookbook author transforms a tin of chickpeas into a protein-packed mix, smeared on to pita for an easy handheld feast

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Chickpeas are a fantastically versatile ingredient. Their transmutable texture has been delivering protein-packed, plant-based nutrient density for thousands of years. And if there’s one dish that offers a delicious dabble with chickpeas but can feel far too fiddly to faff around with after a whole day of activity, it’s falafel. Here, I’ve adapted my favourite fried green falafel recipe – a gift from my friend Emi from Egypt – simplified and squashed for maximum taste, minimum fuss midweek munching.

While fried falafel requires dried chickpeas be soaked overnight, this one has a can-do attitude. Usually, if you forget to soak chickpeas, it’s not as simple as swapping in a tin – trust me. There’s too much moisture-to-starch in canned chickpeas to have any luck binding them for frying. I once watched a whole batch worth of falafel batter disintegrate in the base of my frying oil because I thought I’d get clever with a can. Save bulking it out with besan flour – you can-not.

Sugar is important not just for sweetness, but also for texture, colour and bake-ability. So is there a reliable substitute?

I love baking, particularly biscuits , but I want to reduce my sugar intake. What’s the best way to do this?
“People always ask: ‘Can I just cut the amount of sugar in half or by a quarter?’” says Guardian baking columnist Benjamina Ebuehi , “but it will change everything !” And that, of course, is because sugar isn’t just about sweetness; its other attributes include keeping cakes moist and soft, adding flavour and caramelisation, as well as longevity. “Sugar also adds structure when combined with, say, eggs for the likes of meringue,” Ebuehi says.

Sugar is integral to biscuits and cookies, too. “The sugar content for those is high because it is part of the binding, the crispness, how the biscuit spreads, and the flavour,” says Rosie Sykes, author of Every Last Bite , and the brains behind the Friday Biscuit on Instagram .

Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com

From Gen Z yearning for a ‘strong leader’ to children being swept up in riots, the portents aren’t great

Who are the lovely dictators? You might find yourself wondering if generation Z has access to a historical cache of great guys who just didn’t want to waste their people’s ever-enriched time with stuff like democracy. The results of a study commissioned by Channel 4 this week found that 52% of gen Z, who are aged between 13 and 27, thought “the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”.

That feels … not great. And, of course, the reflexive tendency for many older generations is to resort immediately to ridicule of gen Z. You know the sort of thing. Oh, I guess they got bored halfway through the video summary of whichever dictator’s life, and just scrolled to the next thing. Or: this is why they have to put those captions on clips saying, “What happens at the end will blow your mind!!!!!” Short shrift would no doubt also be given to the finding that 33% of gen Z think the UK would be better off “if the army was in charge”. Ooh, the army’s going to need a lot more soldiers, then. Wait till these kids find out the age of the conscripts. You like the army? That’s great – you’re going to be the army!

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

US president insists leaders of both countries would agree to move that could be ‘temporary or long-term’

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump has repeated his suggestion that large numbers of Palestinians should leave Gaza for Egypt or Jordan, despite widespread opposition to the proposal from Palestinian leadership, the UN and US allies in the region.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday night, the US president was asked about his comments over the weekend about “cleaning out” the Gaza Strip either “temporarily or long-term”. Trump reiterated he would “like to get [Palestinians from Gaza] living in an area where they can live without disruption and revolution and violence so much.”

• RA chair insists sacked Coote ‘has so much to offer’
• Former referee remains highly regarded in Europe

David Coote “deserves” to have a continued role in English football, the chair of the Referees’ Association has said.

Coote’s contract as an elite referee with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) was terminated last month after a video emerged showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Klopp. A separate video also showed Coote taking cocaine .

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Heal-D supports type 2 diabetes self-management among black African and Caribbean adults

When Sandra Tomlinson’s husband, Kelvin, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she set about figuring out how to cook healthier Caribbean meals without compromising on taste.

Although she was offered education sessions on how to alter recipes to help him, she was concerned that serving them may lead to marital strife.