Entertainment

Epic Cannes of strong women and ageing icons to decide Palme

It has been a year of Hollywood icons and ground-breaking women's perspectives, but as an epic edition of the Cannes Film Festival draws to a close on Saturday, eyes turn to the jury for who will win a tight race for the Palme d'Or.  There have been several strong contenders among the 21 entries in the main competition at the French Riviera festival, but no clear front runner.. Loach has had no fewer than 15 films in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and a win on Saturday would give him a record-breaking third Palme d'Or.  - 'Accessible to women' - Meanwhile, it was notable that many of the starriest attendees made their names in the 1980s and 1990s, among them Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Johnny Depp and Sean Penn.

Sofia Salomon: angling to become first trans Miss Venezuela

Sofia Salomon is the picture of concentration as she poses in bathing suits and evening wear for a photo shoot in preparation for what could be an historic campaign.. "Like football is very important in other countries, here it is very important to be a beauty queen," Salomon said between poses.

Brit wins Cannes newcomer prize for 'How to Have Sex'

British director Molly Manning Walker won the coveted Un Certain Regard newcomer prize at Cannes on Friday for her much-praised feature debut "How to Have Sex".. Manning Walker is one of an emerging crop of exciting British woman directors alongside the likes of Charlotte Wells whose "Aftersun" was last year's unexpected breakout at Cannes, earning an Oscar nomination for star Paul Mescal.

Three generations of Italian cinema on show at Cannes

Italian cinema has shown its vitality at the Cannes Film Festival, with three different generations of filmmakers in the race for the Palme d'Or to be decided on Saturday. . Rohrwacher is one of an unprecedented seven women in competition for the Palme d'Or this year and the festival has seen many films exploring issues via the female gaze.

Ken Loach at Cannes: 'working class is undefeated'

At 86, British director Ken Loach showed he still had fighting spirit at Cannes, presenting his latest moving homage to working class solidarity and saying: "we're still in the game". . "The working class is not defeated, we're still in the game."

Google withdraws 'Slavery Simulator' game app after Brazil outcry

Google has withdrawn a gaming app that allowed players to buy, sell and torture black virtual "slaves" after a racism outcry in Brazil.. Dubbed "Slavery Simulator," the Portuguese-language game saw players trade in slaves and strategize to prevent the abolition of slavery in order to amass virtual riches.

'Messi' the border collie crowned top dog actor at Cannes

Following the glorious path of his footballer namesake, a border collie named "Messi" was awarded the Palm Dog for his crucial role in solving a crime in Cannes favourite "Anatomy of a Fall.". The border collie "Messi" was hailed by the jury for "one of the best performances we have ever seen" in the film by French director Justine Triet.

Pope Francis has fever, clears his schedule

Pope Francis has a fever that caused him to clear his schedule on Friday morning, the Vatican said, nearly two months after the 86-year-old pontiff was hospitalised with bronchitis.. "Due to a feverish state, Pope Francis did not receive an audience this morning," said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, without giving more details. 

Celine Dion cancels 2023-2024 shows over health

Pop icon Celine Dion on Friday cancelled all her remaining shows scheduled for 2023-2024, saying she was not strong enough to tour as she battles a rare neurological disorder.. A statement released by her tour said: "With a sense of tremendous disappointment, Celine Dion's Courage World Tour today announced the cancellation of all remaining dates currently on sale for 2023 and 2024."

Celine Dion cancels 2023-2024 shows over health

Pop icon Celine Dion on Friday cancelled all her remaining shows scheduled for 2023-2024, saying she was not strong enough to tour as she battles a rare neurological disorder.. A statement released by her tour said: "With a sense of tremendous disappointment, Celine Dion's Courage World Tour today announced the cancellation of all remaining dates currently on sale for 2023 and 2024."