Hollywood stars condemn Gaza ‘genocide’ on eve of Cannes Festival

• A documentary on slain Gazan journalist Fatima Hassouna is set to premiere at Cannes, spotlighting the toll of Israel's strikes
• Hollywood star Tom Cruise and French icon Gerard Depardieu are set to make headlines at this year’s festival, on and off the red carpet

Cardinals elect a new pope to lead Catholic Church

• Crowds of people rushed towards the square to watch the balcony of the basilica, which has been fitted out with red curtains for the first address to the world by the 267th pope.
• The new pontiff, who succeeds Argentine reformer Pope Francis, will be introduced in Latin with his chosen papal name and address the world for the first time.

Joseph Nye, influential political scientist, who coined ‘soft power,’ dies at 88

• The neo-liberal thinker studied topics as varied as arms control and pan-Africanism but became best known for developing the term "soft power" in the late 1980s
• As opposed to hard power, such as weapons and economic sanctions, soft power includes values and culture that can win over others

Trump says ordering ‘100% tariff’ on all movies produced abroad

• The announcement comes as the White House is coming under mounting criticism over its aggressive trade policies that have seen Trump impose sweeping tariffs on other countries
• Trump's post comes after China, which has taken the brunt of the US president's combative trade policies with 145% tariffs on many goods, said it would reduce import of US films

‘The Eternaut’ echoes fight against tyranny: Ricardo Darin

• Based on a 1950s comic with iconic status in the South American country, the sci-fi series tells the story of a mysterious, toxic snowfall that precedes an alien invasion of Buenos
• More elementally, it is about ordinary people with few resources and no special powers who collectively stare down a totalitarian threat, Darin, 68, told AFP in an interview

Tunics & turbans: Afghan students don Taliban-imposed uniforms

• The Taliban say the dress code enforces discipline, masks inequality, and reflects true Islamic attire — a move that has sparked controversy
• Since their return, the streets of Kabul and other areas have become more uniform, with many men opting for the monochrome loose trousers and long tunic

Remains of 5,000-year-old noblewoman found in Peru dig

• "What has been discovered corresponds to a woman who apparently had elevated status, an elite woman," archaeologist David Palomino told AFP
• The mummy was found in Aspero, a sacred site within the city of Caral that was a garbage dump for over 30 years until becoming an archaeological site in the 1990s

Cannes film festival says to ‘honour’ slain Gaza photojournalist

• The film features conversations between Farsi and Hassouna, 25, as she documents the impact of Israel's devastating war on the Palestinian territory
• Hassouna was killed along with 10 relatives in an air strike on her family home in northern Gaza last Wednesday, the day after the documentary was announced

Anti-hero Star Wars series “Andor” heads towards its finale

• For Disney, the success of "Andor" stands out as a new hope for a franchise that has become hit-or-miss with audiences in recent years.
• That is why it has banked heavily on the 12-episode story, which cost a staggering $645 million to make, according to Forbes magazine.

‘Diriyah Tan’ unveiled to celebrate Saudi tourism hub’s rich heritage