US House votes to curb Trump's war powers

Summary

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Global News Podcast – US House Votes to Curb Trump’s War Powers

Host: Oliver Conway, BBC World Service
Date: June 4, 2026

Overview

This episode covers a range of global political and social events, focusing chiefly on the US House of Representatives' vote to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. The show analyzes the implications of this move, evaluates emerging ceasefire agreements in the Middle East, and discusses related geopolitical shifts. Further coverage includes the impact of US sanctions on Cuba, legislative support for Ukraine, ongoing Ebola concerns in the DRC, and cultural highlights from the Tribeca Film Festival.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US House Votes to Limit Trump’s War Powers in Iran

[01:08–05:03]

• The House passed a resolution requiring President Trump to withdraw American troops from the Iran conflict or seek congressional approval for further involvement.
  • The vote tally was 215–208, with four Republicans joining Democrats—a sign of dissent in Trump’s party.
  • The resolution is largely “symbolic” as it is not legally binding and would be subject to a likely presidential veto.
  • The President retains broad war-making powers; Trump claims that a peace deal with Iran is imminent, despite on-the-ground clashes.

Notable quote:

“The measure will now go before the Senate, but even if it passes, it's largely symbolic and the president has the power of veto.”
— BBC News Narrator [02:47]

Expert Analysis:

• Tom Simons (Washington Correspondent):
  • Explains the War Powers Resolution (1973) and its limited applicability in this case, as the White House contends the war ended with an April ceasefire, despite ongoing hostilities.
  • Highlights the political, rather than legal, impact:

    “It doesn't actually go before the president, so it's not legally binding... But it is politically quite symbolic.”
    [04:12]

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2. Prospects for US-Iran Peace and Parallel Middle East Ceasefires

[05:03–07:23]

• Trump expresses optimism about a possible peace deal with Iran, though previous attempts have collapsed and skepticism remains.
  • Negotiations involve Iranian nuclear ambitions; the US seeks to block Iran from both developing and acquiring nuclear weapons.
  • A notable shift: Trump now sees the removal of nuclear materials as “overrated,” reducing its emphasis in negotiations.

Notable quote:

“In a fairly rambling press conference today, Donald Trump said the negotiations were actually going very well. We could see a deal over the weekend. We'll see.”
— Tom Simons [05:13]

• Israel and Lebanon, after US-brokered talks, agree to a conditional ceasefire, hoping to reduce Hezbollah attacks—a key Iranian concern.

Notable quote:

“It's much easier to say let's have a ceasefire than to actually have a ceasefire.”
— Tom Simons [06:37]

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3. US Policy on Ukraine and Heightening Russia-Ukraine Tensions

[07:23–09:24]

• The House moves forward on aid for Ukraine after hearing from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• Rubio underscores the rising risk of escalation and America’s complicated role as a non-neutral mediator.

Notable quote:

“Unfortunately, those talks have stalled... The Russians are losing 5,000, not injured, dying... The death rate is higher than the casualty rate on the Russian side.”
— Marco Rubio [07:47]

• Tom Bateman reports a policy stalemate, as the US focus has shifted partly due to simultaneous crises (e.g., Iran).

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4. Cuba Sanctions: Visa/MasterCard Ban and Domestic Impact

[09:24–13:11]

• Visa and MasterCard payments in Cuba will be suspended due to US sanctions.
  • The impact—though not universal—is severe for those reliant on foreign-issued cards, compounding shortages and daily hardships.
  • Alternative payment options (national cards, Russian MIR system) provide limited relief.

Notable quotes:

“It's just going to be another turn of the screw, if you like, in what is already pretty ratcheted up in US Sanctions.”
— Pascal Fletcher [10:22]

• Despite rumors of Cuban “technocrats ready to negotiate,” real progress on US-Cuba relations remains nonexistent; domestic discontent continues, punctuated by nightly protests.

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5. Cultural Reckonings: Films Pulled for On-set Exploitation

[13:11–16:29]

• Director Wim Wenders withdraws “The Wrong Move” after actress Nastassja Kinski protests her naked scene filmed at age 13.
  • The move is part of broader industry reflection on exploitative practices involving minors.
  • Similar cases referenced: Brooke Shields (Pretty Baby, Blue Lagoon), Romeo and Juliet actors' lawsuit.

Notable quote:

“Only now do you react to the outcry.”
— Nastasja Kinski’s statement [15:00] (via Elizabeth Grenier)

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6. Security Preparations for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico

[21:36–25:35]

• Mexico assures fans of safety amid ongoing cartel violence and protests, with Monterrey showcasing Black Hawk helicopters and AI-powered robotic “guard dogs” for stadium security.
  • Local authorities focus on conventional crime; technology used for surveillance and crowd control.
  • Labor unrest threatens tournament logistics—the teachers’ union threatens blockades over pension disputes.

Notable quotes:

“Visitors should rest assured there'll be peace in this city and this state.”
— Alfredo Favela, Monterrey security chief [22:53]

“I just hope this new tech is used to our benefit.”
— Angel Perez, local resident [24:18]

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7. Ebola Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

[18:33–21:36]

• WHO reports progress on Ebola containment but maintains high risk levels for DRC and the region.
  • 344 positive cases, 60 deaths, but challenges remain: limited contact tracing, resource constraints, and the negative side effects of international travel restrictions.
  • The DRC’s first World Cup appearance is threatened by restrictions, as some nations suspend travel and cancel pre-tournament matches.

Notable quotes:

“The outbreak had a big head start and we're still behind, but under the leadership of the government of drc, we're catching up.”
— Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO [18:33]

“...closing the border...hinders access to data up to date, data that is really needed for the information of people around the virus.”
— Paul Njia [20:16]

---

8. Tribeca Film Festival: AI Films, 9/11 Reflection, and Taxi Driver Anniversary

[25:35–29:17]

• “Dreams of Violets,” a feature-length AI-generated film, stirs debate at Tribeca, challenging views on authenticity and employment in filmmaking.
  • Director Ash Kusha:

    “The achievement for me is to be able to convey the real human emotions, be able to tell a story without interrupting the viewer with the notion that this is AI or not, or how it's made.” [26:46]

• Other highlights: “IXXI” documentary on 9/11's aftermath and a 50th-anniversary screening of “Taxi Driver,” with Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster.
  • Classic line remembered:

    “You talking to me?” — Robert De Niro, recalled during the festival [28:41]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On symbolism vs power:

  “It is politically quite symbolic.” — Tom Simons [04:12]

• On shifting nuclear priorities:

  “He used the word overrated, the need to remove the nuclear materials…” — Tom Simons [05:13]

• On cultural change:

  “It was really another era.” — Elizabeth Grenier, on minors in controversial films [15:36]

• On AI in art:

  “27 people...didn’t know it was AI.” — Ash Kusha [26:46]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:08] – US House votes to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran
• [04:12] – Analysis of the House vote’s significance
• [05:03] – Discussion of potential US-Iran peace deal
• [06:37] – Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire context
• [07:23] – Congressional action and Ukraine-Russia analysis
• [09:24] – Cuba: Visa/MasterCard ban and sanctions
• [13:11] – Film industry’s reckoning with child exploitation cases
• [18:33] – DRC Ebola crisis update
• [21:36] – Mexico World Cup security and preparations
• [25:35] – Tribeca Film Festival highlights

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Summary

This episode provides a comprehensive look at pressing international developments, highlighting both political maneuvers (such as the US House’s move against presidential war powers) and multifaceted humanitarian and social issues. Through expert voices and ground reports, listeners are offered both context and critical perspectives across topics as varied as war, health, culture, and technology.

Transcript

[Oliver Conway]

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[BBC News Narrator]

You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. This edition is published in the early hours of Thursday 4 June. The US House of Representatives passes a resolution limiting President Trump's power to continue the war with Iran, but how effective will it be? Israel and Lebanon agree another ceasefire after talks in Washington on the condition that Hezbollah stops its attacks and Cuba's central banks as Visa and MasterCard payments will be suspended from Saturday because of U.S. sanctions. Also in the podcast, the achievement for

[Ash Kusha]

me is to be able to convey the real human emotions without interrupting the viewer with the notion that this is AI or not or how it's made.

[BBC News Narrator]

A film generated entirely by artificial intelligence gets people talking at the Tribeca Film Festival. Just a day after he was forced to drop his plan for a $1.8 billion alleged slush fund, Donald Trump has suffered another political setback, this time on the war with Iran. Since the US And Israel launched their attacks in the Middle east three months ago, the Democrats have tried and failed to rein in the president's war powers. But now the US House of Representatives has passed a resolution ordering him to withdraw American troops or gain congressional approval for the conflict. On this vote, the yeas are 215 and the nays are 208.

[Tom Simons]

The concurrent resolution is adopted

[BBC News Narrator]

for Republican members of the House sided with the Democrats to pass the resolution in the latest sign of growing opposition from the president's own party. Before the votes, the Republican speaker, Mike Johnson, said the legislation would weaken Mr. Trump's hand in negotiations with Iran. Democrats said it was an unambiguous message from the American people to the president to end his deeply unpopular and illegal war of choice in Iran. The measure will now go before the Senate, but even if it passes, it's largely symbolic and the president has the power of veto. In any case, Mr. Trump said on Wednesday, the fighting may soon be over once and for all. The negotiation itself has gone very well, actually.

[Tom Brook]

Very well.

[Oliver Conway]

Mr. President could have. I mean, if it happens, and it might not happen, you know, who knows? But if it happens, it could happen, like over the weekend.

[BBC News Narrator]

That optimism came despite renewed clashes between the US And Iran, which left at least one person dead in Kuwait. But there does appear to have been some progress in the parallel conflict in Lebanon, with the US State Department announcing after talks in Washington that Israeli and Lebanese officials had agreed to implement a conditional ceasefire. Fighting has continued in Lebanon despite a truce brokered by President Trump. In mid April, I heard more from our correspondent in Washington, Tom Simons. First, he told me about the significance of the congressional vote on Iran.

[Tom Simons]

It doesn't actually go before the president, so it's not legally binding. And as you said, if. If it did go in front of Donald Trump, he would veto it, and then that could only be reversed by a 2/3 majority vote in each of the House and the Senate, which is not likely currently. Also, the War Powers Resolution, which was passed in 1973, on which all this is based, gave the President 60 days to request permission from. From Congress to effectively have a war. That clock ran out in May. But the White House has said in a statement that the war actually ended in April when the US And Iran agreed a ceasefire. Now, that ceasefire has been broken many times. Both sides are using their military to blockade the Straits of Hormuz. But it doesn't look like this vote's gonna change very much. But it is politically quite symbolic.

[BBC News Narrator]

Yeah, I mean, it might all be academic anyway, because President Trump has again been talking about a possible U. S. Iran peace deal. But has any real progress there?

[Tom Simons]

Yeah, let's wait and see on that, shall we? Because Donald Trump there was reporting last week that the talks had stopped, and earlier this week as well. And in a fairly rambling press conference today, Donald Trump said the negotiations were actually going very well. We could see a deal over the weekend. We'll see. And I was quite interested that he gave an example about one of the issues at stake. I mean, Iran has agreed, he said, not to develop a nuclear weapon. But then there was a question of what if it tried to buy one. And Donald Trump said that US Negotiators had to effectively close that possibility down, which resulted in another two weeks of negotiations. So it's quite interesting getting an insight there of how he sees what's going on behind the scenes. And he also said that he had previously he used the word overrated, the need to remove the nuclear materials that Iran has from underneath their bombed out bunkers in Iran. So that's now looking like less of an issue. And that's despite the emphasis he was putting on it last week. So maybe some signs of hope there in two different ways.

[BBC News Narrator]

Now, one of the main sticking points for Iran has been Israeli attacks on the Iranian backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon. But now Lebanon and Israel have agreed this ceasefire. Hezbollah, of course, not party to those talks in Washington. So will this latest agreement make any difference?

[Tom Simons]

Well, there could now be a ceasefire, so that would stop the attacks on Hezbollah that seem to have been a sticking point for Iran in these negotiations. But it much easier to say let's have a ceasefire than to actually have a ceasefire. Hezbollah is going to need to stop firing under this agreement. It's going to need to pull out of a key part of southern Lebanon. The Lebanese army is going to have to take control in various places and Israel is going to need to be happy that its aim of disarming Hezbollah is being met. So there's clearly quite a lot that could go wrong there. But you're right, the US clearly realizes the importance of all of this to the Iran conflict. So it's insisting on the need to keep brokering, need to be the talks that will potentially turn this ceasefire into a peace deal.

[BBC News Narrator]

Tom simons in Washington. U.S. congress members today also agreed to move forward with a vote on providing more support for Ukraine. It came as the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate committee that the risk of escalation between Russia and Ukraine was now higher than it was two years ago. He said the US was ready to mediate in peace talks despite the difficulties.

[Marco Rubio]

And it's been a difficult role to play because frankly, we're not an impartial mediator. We sanction Russia and we are providing and have sold weapons through the Pearl program, which has remained unimpeded to the Ukrainians. Unfortunately, those talks have stalled in recent months for a variety of reasons. The Ukrainians have actually made some battlefield gains in the last month, the Russians are losing 5,000 not, not injured, dying. According to the Department of War. It is one of the first conflicts ever in which the death rate is higher than the casualty rate on the Russian side.

[BBC News Narrator]

Our State Department correspondent, Tom Bateman listened in to the meeting.

[Tom Bateman]

The message that they got from him was that in the view of the administration, their attempts to mediate a negotiated outcome to the war have effectively hit a stalemate and that they're not currently engaged in that process to all intents and purposes. I mean, I heard a similar message from Mr. Ruby. I spent about a week on the road with him last week, and a few times we put to him that question about the current state of play with the US Role when it comes to Russia, Ukraine, and really the language around it has become, well, we're prepared to re engage in negotiations, but the two sides were too far apart. They wouldn't make the necessary concessions. I think there is more to it than that, of course, which is both the situation on the ground has shifted. There clearly is some momentum behind Ukraine at the moment, and they've managed to freeze the front line. And at the same time, you've had President Trump and the Israeli war against Iran, which has clearly taken sucked all the oxygen as far as Washington is concerned, away from continuing to deal with the process when it comes to Russia, Ukraine.

[BBC News Narrator]

Tom Bateman in Washington. Cuba is in a bad way with rubbish piling up on the streets, shortages of food and fuel, and on Wednesday, a large hotel chain announcing it was ceasing operations there from Saturday. Things could get even worse for the economy with Visa and MasterCard transactions no longer working as a result of US sanctions, the authorities say. A presenter on state TV announced the news reading out. A government, The foreign bank that processes the transactions has terminated its relationship with Cuba, he says, as a result of the executive order issued by President Trump as part of his strategy to, quote, strangle the Cuban people. Well, Pascal Fletcher from BBC Monitoring has lived and worked in Cuba for many years. So what does this, this suspension of payments mean for people living on the island?

[Pascal Fletcher]

Well, I think it's just going to be another, another turn of the screw, if you like, in what is already pretty ratcheted up in US Sanctions. In the case of these particular cards, not everybody will have them. So it will be people who've been able to obtain them through travel or through having foreign relations who can help them with this sort of thing. It's not everybody. And a lot of people have a lot of things on their mind. Just, you Know, trying to live with having 18 or 20 hour power cuts a day, problems with water, problems with obtaining food. So while this will certainly affect people and affect their ability to make purchases, it's certainly not something that will affect the whole population who have already got a lot on their mind and are under a lot of pressure with this sort of ratcheted up U.S. sanctions situation.

[BBC News Narrator]

Yeah. And what sort of alternative payment systems are there in Cuba?

[Pascal Fletcher]

There are some, I mean, there are national cards they can use. And I noticed that the central bank in announcing this also mentioned the MIR card. Of course, that's a, a Russian payment system. But of course the Cuban economy is still plugged into the international economy, which is very dependent on US Financial transactions, the US dollar. So this will definitely have an impact. And these other cards that they mentioned, not really going to replace or solve the problem.

[BBC News Narrator]

Now, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Cuba has, quote, technocrats ready to negotiate change in the island's governance. What is the latest in terms of negotiations between the US and the authorities in Cuba?

[Pascal Fletcher]

Well, there certainly hasn't been any really good news recently. You know, the US Side, the Trump administration has not concealed the fact that it really wants maximum pressure on the Cuban government in a bid to obtain political and economic changes. And on the Cuban side, you know, this is a government, an island that's used to playing hardball, particularly under U.S. pressure. There's not much sign of any change either. I mean, today, for example, they're celebrating the 95th birthday of Raul Castro. So we're seeing pretty entrenched positions on either side. We really haven't seen a great deal of movement. We've seen contact visits by the CIA director, a contact on the perimeter of the Guantanamo Bay naval base the other day between military officials. But progress towards some kind of deal or solution, certainly not very visible so far.

[BBC News Narrator]

And what about pressure on the authorities from ordinary Cubans?

[Pascal Fletcher]

There's certainly internal pressure coming from discontent, which has kind of rumbled on for the last few weeks. Protests certainly in the poorer parts of Havana and other cities are almost nightly now with pots and pans, beating, expressing people's displeasure and discontent with not having power and all sorts of other, of other shortages. And there's even been signs more recently that these have been spreading to areas of the city, Havana, the western part, where, you know, the elite have homes and where, you know, closer to sort of government centers and even during the day. But there is that pressure, but there are also those who support the government. So as I say, it's a very, very tight situation at the moment.

[BBC News Narrator]

Pascal Fletcher in Miami. For years, the German actress Nastasja Kinski has been trying to get one of her earliest films taken out of circulation. The Wrong Move, filmed when she was 13 years old, includes a scene where she is topless and an older man lies on top of her. The director Vim Wenders, has always resisted her requests, but on Wednesday, in a statement online, the director admitted that she should have been better protected. I apologize to you, Nastasya, unreservedly. No ifs and buts, he said, and the Wrong Move will now be withdrawn. It's just one example of a film from the 60s or 70s with then young actors who now feel they were exploited. Sean Lay spoke to Elizabeth Grenier, culture reporter with the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. She started by telling him about the film in question.

[Elizabeth Grenier]

It's one of the lesser known films of the vendors, but came back into the spotlight this weekend, especially after Vendors got lifetime achievement prize at the German Film Festival. And that's when he reacted by saying, well, I can't blame myself as a young filmmaker at the time, but I wouldn't do that in the same way today. But, you know, I have this problem. I'm. I feel so alone with the film, I don't know what to do. I would be asking the public and other younger filmmakers to help me with this issue. How should I deal with it? Is it right to edit a film that has already been released as a completed artwork? And people in the industry acted by saying, well, obviously you should have apologized very simply. And the right move would have been just to delete the scene because you're the filmmaker, in the end, you have the sole rights to decide on this, and we don't have to help you decide.

[Tom Simons]

We had any reaction from Ms. Kinski

[Elizabeth Grenier]

to this now, yes, she did write on his Instagram account, well, after all these years, simply because the public is now weighed in commenting in so many newspapers, and my colleagues have done so as well. And now, because thousands have spoken up, only now do you react to the outcry.

[Tom Simons]

It clearly cuts very deep for her, and understandably so. And she's not the only actress who was arguably exploited in this way when they were under the age of sexual consent in many countries and nonetheless performing scenes of a sexual nature, sometimes partially dressed or naked.

[Elizabeth Grenier]

Exactly. Well, it was really another era. Van does is right about that. I mean, you have examples of Brooke Shields, who appeared in the film called Pretty Baby by Louis Malle. She was only 12 years old and she was nude, playing the role of a child prostitute. She also talked about how she felt forced and uncomfortable on the set of the film the Blue Lagoon in 1980, and there she was, only 14 years old. We have the very famous example of the actors in Zeffirelli's film Romeo and Juliet from 1968. They filed a lawsuit because they felt uncomfortable being nude when they were just 15 and 16.

[Tom Simons]

Yeah, this is Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting.

[Elizabeth Grenier]

Exactly. The court permanently dismissed their case. That was in October 2024. But it did, like, really put these issues in the spotlight.

[BBC News Narrator]

Elizabeth Grenier, culture reporter at Deutsche Welle in Berlin and still to come in the podcast How Mexico is gearing up to Host the Football World cup in a week's time,

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[BBC News Narrator]

You're listening to the Global News podcast. For weeks, the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been causing global concern, particularly because of initial delays in identifying and reporting cases. But the World health organization boss, Dr. Tedros Sadhanom Ghebreyesas says progress is now being made in tackling it. WHO's risk assessment remains unchanged. Very high at the national level, high at the regional level and low at the global level. The outbreak had a big head start and we're still behind, but under the leadership of the government of drc, we're catching up. BBC Africa correspondent Paul Njia told Valerie Sanderson what more the WHO chief had had to say.

[Paul Njia]

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus did reveal that as of Today, there are 344 positive cases of Ebola in the DRC, including 60 deaths and 116 suspected cases. Six people have so far recovered. And then in neighboring uganda, there are 15 confirmed cases and one death. But Dr. Tedros was also keen to speak about efforts and also the challenges that they are facing. While he said that the world is catching up with the Ebola outbreak, he also admitted that there are challenges in scaling up testing capacity and also spoke about the fact that only about 45% of contacts have been followed up. He said that there needs to be that. That figure needs to be around 90%. So really tough times indeed for responders to the Ebola virus.

[Oliver Conway]

But he warned, didn't he, against blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries? Why was that?

[Paul Njia]

That's right, Valeri. He was very blunt in that warning and cautioning against those blanket travel restrictions because that they disrupted supply chains and hindered the response. He rather urged countries to prioritize exit screenings at airports and ports and, you know, to ensure there are these screening operations ongoing. Because closing the border, as the WHO has said over the last couple of weeks, also hinders access to data up to date, data that is really needed for the information of people around the virus. So it's something that is really important, as the WHO says. And over the last couple of weeks we've seen countries such as Canada, the United States rolling out some of these restrictive measures. Canada, for example, has a 90 day pause on documentation or immigration for people from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. And with the World cup coming, people from these different countries that are going to take part, especially from the drc, supporters say they remain stranded because they don't know how they are going to support the DRC that will be participated participating in the tournament for the first time in over 50 years. And recently Spain authorities in Spain also cancelled a World cup friendly game that the Congolese national football squad was supposed to participate in against Chile. They canceled that over concerns about the spread of Ebola virus.

[BBC News Narrator]

Paul Njia of BBC Africa the World cup kicks off a week from today, and it will be the biggest tournament yet, with 48 nations taking part. Matches will be played in 16 cities across the U.S. canada and Mexico, with the first match in Mexico City. Some fans had expressed concerns after violent scenes gripped Mexico in February following the killing of a major cartel leader. The government insists fans will be perfectly safe, but it has also faced violent protests. This week, our correspondent Will Grant went to one of the country's host cities, Monterrey in northern Mexico,

[Oliver Conway]

patrolling the skies over the steel giant as Monterrey's World cup up stadium is known locally. The overflights in one of two Black Hawk helicopters purchased from the US Are for both surveillance and for show, intended to reassure visitors they'll be safe even in Mexico's dangerous border region. Few could blame fans for having their doubts. In February, the Jalisco cartel wrought havoc across the country following the killing of their leader, El Mencho. The violence sent a stark message that cartel gunmen could derail this event if they so choose. In the Monterrey police nerve center responsible for the stadium, officers are less concerned with cartels than criminality and crowd trouble. Some 300,000 fans are expected to visit Monterrey, watched over by more than 1,500 street cameras. In this municipality alone, we have no information that any cartel will harm any tourist, claims the local security chief, Alfredo Favela. It's mainly the common crimes, mobile phone theft and robberies, he adds, but we've reduced those a lot here. Visitors should rest assured there'll be peace in this city and this state. To that end, the police have sent in the military machines. In a promotional video, the city shows off its four robot dogs, which will patrol the stadium during games. Using facial recognition technology to identify known criminals, they're able to detect early signs of crowd trouble and then alert their masters to intervene. Three of Monterrey's four robo dogs have been brought out to this very hot car park outside a supermarket and have been wandering around to show us what can be done, much to the surprise and fascination of some of the customers. Some here are extremely doubtful about the dystopian sight of robotic dogs with AI and facial recognition technology patrolling the stadium. But the authorities on Monterrey insist they're a crucial part of keeping visiting football fans safe. I think it's good and bad, says Jocelyn Morales. I know they're here to keep watch, but I worry about them taking jobs from real people. I've never seen robot dogs before, laughs Angel Perez. I just hope this new tech is used to our benefit. However, there's plenty in Mexico that could still disrupt this world. Car the main teachers union is on strike over pensions and threatening to close arterial roads into the stadium unless the government meets their demands. The slogan for the protests there will be no kick off. The authorities meanwhile, are adamant there will be. In the final days, the anti riot police in Monterrey are running through their training drills, practicing at removing and injuring injured colleague while facing a hostile crowd. In a nation all too often associated with violence, the hope is such scenarios remain on the exercise yard and that the only clashes in this World cup are on the pitch.

[BBC News Narrator]

Will grant in Mexico finally, the Tribeca Festival, one of the biggest cultural events in North America, has just got underway in New York. Co founded by movie legend Robert De Niro, it's now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Over the next two weeks, it'll show more than 100 independent films from around the world, including one generated entirely by artificial intelligence. Tom Brook reports from New York.

[Tom Brook]

The Tribeca Festival is expected to bring some 150,000 people to New York City. A Tribeca film getting a lot of attention is Dreams of Violets. It makes the claim of being the first feature length live action film generated in entirely by AI to be part of the official selection of a major film festival. It dramatizes the killings of protesters in Iran earlier this year. It's a fictionalized story inspired by photographs as well as journalistic and eyewitness accounts. It cost only $2,000 to make. None of the actors are real. Writer director Ash Kusha sent his film out to industry colleagues and they had no idea it was an AI creation.

[Ash Kusha]

We send it to around 30 people in the film industry and 27 people. These are top executives been in the cinema for a long time. They didn't know it was AI. The achievement for me is to be able to convey the real human emotions, be able to tell a story without interrupting the viewer with the notion that this is AI or not, or how it's made.

[Tom Brook]

This AI film raises many questions. How much can we trust the images we see in a movie as being authentic? And to what extent could this kind of AI generated filmmaking put people out of work in the film industry? This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival. It began here in the downtown Manhattan neighbourhood of Tribeca. Back then it was a very different story. The community had been devastated by the September 11 attacks and the film festival came about partly as a civic restoration project to revitalize the area.

[Tom Simons]

And it dawned on me that this is real.

[Tom Brook]

The impact of the 911 attacks is explored in a Tribeca film called Ixxi. It features testimony from 12 unrelated individuals on how they reacted to the devastation of 9 11. It's a collection of quite moving stories. The film is directed by Sean Wilsey.

[BBC News Narrator]

I think they portray humanity in a way that's really apolitical. And I kind of had that in mind in this divisive moment that it feels like we're in.

[Pascal Fletcher]

In America, that like, it's a film for everybody.

[Tom Brook]

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the classic New York film Taxi Driver, starring Tribeca co founder Robert De Niro. He will appear in a special screening reuniting with Taxi Driver co star Jodie Foster and director Martin Scorsese.

[BBC News Narrator]

Daisy.

[Tom Brook]

In Taxi Driver, De Niro plays the mentally unstable Travis Bickle, who uttered what's become one of the most famous lines in movie history.

[Tom Simons]

You talking to me?

[Tom Brook]

Like it or not, Robert De Niro will forever be associated with that line of dialogue. Do you find when you walk down the street, people yell out at you? You talking to me?

[Tom Simons]

Oh, yeah. And I say, you're the only one there. And I sing it sometimes. Street and I. You know, it's a.

[BBC News Narrator]

A whole thing.

[Tom Brook]

Tribeca may lack focus and big breakout, memorable hit films, but on its 25th anniversary, it's fair to say that this New York extravaganza has always been adventurous, and it's generated an estimated more than $1 billion to the local economy.

[BBC News Narrator]

Tom Brooke. And that is all from us for now, but the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Jane Francis Haycocks and produced by Siobhan Leahy and Chantal Hartle. Our editors, Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.

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