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The Cannes film festival kicked off Tuesday with a highly political ceremony that included a tribute to a slain Palestinian photojournalist from Juliette Binoche and a fresh attack on US President Donald Trump from Robert De Niro.Binoche, who heads this year’s Cannes jury that will award the Palme d’Or top prize, lamented the death of Gaza photographer Fatima Hassouna to the star-studded audience.Hassouna, 25, was killed in an Israeli air strike last month along with her family, a day after a documentary about her was selected to premiere at Cannes.  “She should have been here tonight with us,” an emotional Binoche said, adding that “in every region of the world, artists are fighting every day and make resistance into art.”She also briefly referenced the Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian group Hamas in its October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, which sparked the Gaza war.  On the eve of the festival, more than 380 film insiders including “Schindler’s List” actor Ralph Fiennes and former Cannes-winning directors said they were “ashamed” of their industry’s failure to speak out about Israel’s siege of Gaza. “We cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza,” read a letter initiated by several pro-Palestinian activist groups and published in French newspaper Liberation and US magazine Variety. The signatories — who include Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and former Cannes winners Ruben Ostlund, Mike Leigh, Justine Triet and Costa-Gavras — also denounced the death of Hassouna.She was killed along with 10 relatives in an Israeli strike on her family home in northern Gaza.- Trump tariffs -De Niro was guest of honour at the opening ceremony, receiving an honorary Palme d’Or award for his contribution to cinema from fellow actor and occasional co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.The 81-year-old is one of the most outspoken critics of Trump in American cinema, with the “Taxi Driver” star often aiming harsh words at the US president. The veteran actor said that “in my country we are fighting like hell for democracy” against a “philistine president”.He slammed Trump’s plans for 100-percent tariffs on films “produced in foreign lands” which the Republican leader announced on May 5.”You can’t put a price on creativity. But apparently, you can put a tariff on it,” De Niro said. “Of course, all these attacks are unacceptable. This is not just an American problem, it is a global one.”Trump’s idea sent shockwaves through the film world, although few insiders or experts understand how the policy can be implemented. Cannes director Thierry Fremaux has talked up the festival’s “rich” American film programme, with movies from Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster and Kelly Reichardt in the main competition.Former Cannes winner Quentin Tarantino declared the festival open.He posed for photos on the red carpet with his Israeli wife Daniella Pick, who wore a yellow ribbon as a tribute to the 251 hostages taken by Hamas in 2023. – Dress code -Tuesday’s opening gala was also a first test of the festival’s new dress code which prohibits excessively large dresses and “total nudity”.Jury member Halle Berry said she had been forced to leave a gown she had chosen for the opening night by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta in her wardrobe.”I cannot wear it because the train is too big,” the Oscar winner told reporters.Others openly flouted the restrictions. German model Heidi Klum sported a pink train at least three metres (10 feet) long, while Chinese actor and influencer Wan Qianhui appeared in an enormous mountain of white taffeta.The opening film was musical drama “Leave One Day” by newcomer French director Amelie Bonnin, who became the first debut director to be granted the prestigious slot.Tom Cruise is to return to the Riviera for the premiere of the latest instalment of his “Mission: Impossible” franchise on Wednesday, three years after attending the festival for “Top Gun: Maverick”.The festival opened hours after a Paris court rocked the film world by convicting legendary actor Gerard Depardieu for sexual harassment and handing him an 18-month suspended prison sentence.The 76-year-old, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France’s response to the #MeToo movement against sexual violence.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday promised billions of dollars in deals with the United States from defence to artificial intelligence as it threw a lavish welcome for President Donald Trump on the first state visit of his second term.Trump returned the favour by lavishing praise on the kingdom’s crown prince and moving on a key Saudi policy request by announcing a lifting of sanctions on Syria.The Saudis escorted Air Force One into the kingdom with fighter jets before bringing out long-stretching guards of honour and sending flag-waving cavalry to accompany Trump’s motorcade to the palace.Under imposing chandeliers, Trump welcomed a promise by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who effectively rules the kingdom due to King Salman’s frail health, for $600 billion in investment and quipped that it should be $1 trillion.”We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today and they’re going to walk away with a lot of cheques,” Trump told the prince.For “the United States, it’s probably two million jobs that we’re talking about,” Trump said.The White House said that Saudi Arabia would buy nearly $142 billion in weapons in what it described as the largest-ever weapons deal, although Trump in his first term trumpeted a larger, longer-term figure.The White House said that Saudi company DataVolt will invest $20 billion in artificial intelligence-related sites in the United States, while tech firms including Google will invest in both countries — welcome news for Saudi Arabia which has faced restrictions on US advanced technology.The US leader will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, fellow oil-rich Arab monarchies with long-standing ties to the United States — and to Trump.In choosing Saudi Arabia for his first state visit, as he did in his previous term, the 78-year-old billionaire was again bypassing traditional presidential stops among Western allies, some of which have been unnerved by his norms-shattering diplomacy.- Saudis seek image change -Trump’s embrace of the Saudis contrasts with a more hesitant initial approach by former president Joe Biden, who had vowed to punish the crown prince after US intelligence found that he ordered the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.Since Khashoggi’s gruesome killing, the crown prince has worked aggressively to change Saudi Arabia’s image, from easing restrictions on women to diversifying from oil to new areas such as artificial intelligence.”Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong,” Trump said at an investment forum as the crown prince, at his constant side throughout the day, beamed.Complimenting the gleaming skyscrapers in the desert capital, Trump said: “The transformation that has occurred under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed has been truly extraordinary.””I’ve never seen anything at that scale happen before,” he said.Trump announced, in response to appeals from the crown prince and Turkey but breaking with ally Israel, that he would ease US sanctions on Syria, ruled by Islamists since the toppling of the iron-fisted Bashar al-Assad in December.An ultimate prize, pushed both by Trump and Biden, has been to persuade Saudi Arabia, home of Islam’s holiest sites, to take the landmark step of recognising Israel.Trump called normalisation with Israel “my fervent hope and wish, and even my dream”.”You’ll do it in your own time, and that’s what I want, that’s what you want,” he said.Saudi Arabia has said it cannot follow the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which all normalised relations with Israel during Trump’s first term, without the establishment of a Palestinian state.As Trump was in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the army would enter Gaza again “with full force” against Hamas militants, more than two months after Israel cut off all food and other supplies.The United States, which has quietly been frustrated with Israel, negotiated directly with Hamas to secure the release of a hostage with US citizenship, Edan Alexander, to whom Trump spoke by telephone Tuesday.- Lavish plane -Trump heads on Wednesday to Qatar, which has offered a luxury Boeing aircraft for Trump to refurbish as Air Force One and then keep after he leaves the White House.Trump’s Democratic rivals have called the gift blatant corruption. Trump has hit back that the deal was “very public and transparent”.Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that for Trump, the Gulf “is his happy place”.The leaders will “flatter him and not criticise him. And they’ll treat his family members as past and future business partners,” he said.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would lift sanctions on Syria to offer it a chance for “greatness” after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, as he cast himself as a peacemaker in the Middle East.On a state visit to Saudi Arabia primarily aimed at securing billions of dollars of investment, the billionaire president took aim both at the US left and right who he said had intervened in the region in the guise of “nation builders” but “wrecked far more nations than they built”.Trump renewed his offer for a better US relationship with longtime nemesis Iran, although he warned the nation’s rulers of consequences if ongoing talks with his administration failed.In his most significant announcement, Trump said he would end sweeping US sanctions on Syria, in place for decades and ramped up dramatically during the iron-fisted rule of Assad, who was overthrown by Islamist-led forces in December.”I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said in a speech in Riyadh.”The sanctions were brutal and crippling,” he said. “But now it’s their time to shine.”Trump will at least “say hello” to Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Riyadh on Wednesday, a US official said.Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold more extensive talks in Turkey this week with Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, Trump said.Shaibani welcomed the lifting of sanctions, telling state news agency SANA it was a “pivotal turning point for the Syrian people”.- Listening to Saudi appeals -In announcing the move, Trump said he was listening to the appeals of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — who joined the crowd in cheering the announcement — as well as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, the longtime patron of the triumphant Syrian Islamists.United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric welcomed the easing of US sanctions, saying it would “help the Syrian people recover from more than a decade of conflict”.The European Union, Britain and Canada had already eased sanctions that had intensified during Syria’s decade and a half of brutal civil war.But the United States had held out on maintaining sanctions, which have impeded investment for the reconstruction of Syria whose economy was devastated by the war.After Assad’s fall, Washington, then under president Joe Biden, lay down conditions for sanctions removal including protection of minorities.In recent weeks, there have been a series of deadly attacks on the Alawite and Druze minorities.- Breaking with Israel -The last US president to meet a Syrian leader was Bill Clinton, who in 2000 unsuccessfully tried to persuade Bashar’s father Hafez al-Assad to make peace with Israel.On both Syria and Iran, Trump is moving in directions that put him at odds with Israel, which he has long supported.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ordered strikes on Syria, demanded the demilitarisation of its south, and pushed for action against Iran’s contested nuclear programme.The Trump administration has held four rounds of talks with Iran on reaching a nuclear accord to avoid war.Trump, who himself pulled out of an earlier nuclear agreement with Tehran in his first term, sharply criticised Iran’s leaders, saying they had “focused on stealing their people’s wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad” and “dragged down an entire region with them.”But he added: “I’m here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new path — and a much better path — toward a far better and more hopeful future”. If the talks fail, however, Trump said he would “have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure,” including using sanctions to curtail all Tehran’s oil exports.Trump’s speech took on much of the tone of his domestic rhetoric. He lashed out at US rivals and even brought the Saudi crown prince on stage to the sound of the Village People’s “YMCA”, a gay anthem turned Trump campaign song.But the US president, whose second term has included slashing most foreign assistance and aggressively deporting migrants, said that he still saw himself as a “peacemaker”.”In the case of Iran, I have never believed in having permanent enemies. I am different than a lot of people think,” Trump said.

Rights groups on Tuesday urged judges to halt Britain’s supply of fighter jet parts to Israel amid the war in Gaza, as they took the government to court and accused it of breaking international law.Supported by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and others, the Palestinian rights association Al-Haq is seeking a court order to stop the government’s export of UK-made components for Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.Israel has used the US warplanes to devastating effect in Gaza and the West Bank.Outside the High Court in London, around 50 protesters waved Palestinian flags and placards with the words “Stop Arming Israel: Stop the genocide”.Inside the packed courtroom, Al-Haq lawyer Raza Husain said the case was “being heard against the backdrop of human calamity unfolding in Gaza, the extremity of which is difficult to convey in words.”He argued the government’s trade department had unlawfully allowed exports of F-35 parts knowing there was a “clear risk” Israel would use them to commit violations of international law in Gaza.Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide.The plane’s refuelling probe, laser targeting system, tyres, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system and ejector seat are all made in Britain, according to Oxfam, and lawyers for Al-Haq have said the aircraft “could not keep flying without continuous supply of UK-made components.”Britain’s defence ministry has previously said suspending F-35 licences would “undermine US confidence in the UK and NATO,” while in a written submission a lawyer for the government said its actions were “consistent with the rules of international law.”It is not certain when a decision could be made following the four-day hearing, which marks the latest stage in a long-running legal battle.- ‘Loophole’ -Lawyers for the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) have said they launched the case soon after Israel’s assault on Gaza began, following the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel led by Palestinian militants from Hamas. The lawyers said the UK government had decided in December 2023 and again in April and May 2024 to continue arms sales to Israel, before suspending licences in September 2024 for weapons assessed as being for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza.The new Labour government suspended around 30 of 350 export licences following a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.But the partial ban did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets.A UK government spokesperson told AFP it was “not currently possible to suspend licensing of F-35 components for use by Israel without prejudicing the entire global F-35 programme, due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security”.”Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licences for the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza,” they said.But GLAN described the F-35 exemption as a “loophole” which allowed the components to reach Israel through a global pooling system.Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, told a briefing last week the UK government had “expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel”, with F-35s being used to drop “multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza”.The 2023 Hamas-led attack in southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, whose figures the United Nations deems reliable.”Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything within its power to prevent genocide,” said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive.  “Yet the UK government continues to authorise the export of military equipment to Israel. “This is a fundamental failure by the UK to fulfil its obligations.”

The US Senate’s top Democrat announced Tuesday he would hold up all Justice Department political appointees in protest over President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million luxury plane as a gift from Qatar.The Gulf state’s royal family has offered to donate a 747-8 jumbo jet as Trump awaits the delayed delivery of two new presidential planes from Boeing.But the move raises huge constitutional and ethical questions — as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive Air Force One.”This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Tuesday. Schumer’s blanket hold — the first time he has ever resorted to such a move — applies to dozens of would-be appointees, and could significantly delay their start dates in the Trump administration.But very few Trump nominees were benefiting from bipartisan agreements to fast-track them through the Senate in any case, meaning Schumer’s announcement will likely only have a limited practical impact. The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State,” in a section known as the Emoluments Clause.Schumer called for the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) unit to “disclose all activities by Qatari foreign agents inside the US that could benefit” Trump or his businesses.He also demanded information from the administration about the jet itself, such as whether it comes with security enhancements or would have to be upgraded by the United States. “How much will those modifications cost American taxpayers? Hundreds of billions of dollars? Hundreds of millions of dollars? Billions of dollars?” he asked.And he called for an explanation of what the jet means for future presidential planes that the government has already agreed to buy from Boeing.The veteran New York Democrat is also demanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi — who once served as a lobbyist for the Qatari government — testify before Congress to explain her approval of the gift.Although Democrats are out of power and cannot block Trump appointees on their own, several have announced holds on groups or individuals that make the confirmation process more drawn-out and unwieldy.Senator Chris Murphy has also pledged to force votes to block weapons sales to Qatar.Trump, on a trip this week to the Middle East including Qatar, has long been unhappy with the current Air Force One jets — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that entered service in 1990 under president George H.W. Bush.Under questioning from reporters on Monday, Trump angrily defended the arrangement with Qatar, saying he would be “stupid” not to accept such a gift.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will enter Gaza “with full force” in the coming days, despite ongoing ceasefire efforts and the release of a US-Israeli hostage from the war-ravaged territory.”In the very coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the operation,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying in a statement from his office on Tuesday. “Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas,” Netanyahu said.”There will be no situation where we stop the war. A temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way.”The prime minister’s comments followed the return on Monday of 21-year-old soldier Edan Alexander, who had been in Hamas captivity since the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.Netanyahu had credited Alexander’s release to a combination of “our military pressure and the political pressure exerted by (US) President (Donald) Trump.”But on Tuesday, Hamas rejected the claim.”The return of Edan Alexander is the result of serious communications with the US administration and the efforts of mediators, not a consequence of Israeli aggression or the illusion of military pressure,” the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a January 19 ceasefire.Earlier this month, Israel’s government approved plans to expand its offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence there. Israel says that its renewed bombardments are aimed at forcing Hamas to free hostages.- ‘Made of steel’ -The release of Alexander — the last living captive in Gaza with US citizenship — came a day after Hamas revealed it was engaged in direct talks with Washington towards a ceasefire in Gaza.Netanyahu on Monday thanked Trump “for his assistance in the release” and said would be sending a negotiating team to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the release of the remaining captives.He had said earlier Monday that negotiations for a possible deal to secure the release of all hostages would continue “under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting”.Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on the first leg of a Gulf tour that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.Netanyahu on Tuesday spoke on the phone with Alexander and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who met the former hostage in hospital.”The entire nation of Israel is overjoyed,” Netanyahu said on the call, according to a video released by his office.”We are grateful for American support and deeply appreciate the (Israeli) soldiers who are prepared to act by any means necessary if the remaining hostages are not released,” he added.When asked by Netanyahu how he was feeling, Alexander replied: “It’s crazy, unbelievable. I’m okay. Weak, but slowly I’ll get back to how I was before. It’s just a matter of time.”Witkoff and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler met with hostages’ relatives in Tel Aviv, with Witkoff emphasising that “they will accept nothing less than the return of everyone, as this is the (US) President’s mission,” a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. – ‘Over 50 percent will leave’ -During the meeting with soldiers late Monday, Netanyahu said Israel was working to find countries that may be willing to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.Israeli ministers have seized on a proposal initially floated by Trump for the voluntary departure of Gazans to neighbouring countries such as Jordan or Egypt.Cairo and Amman, along with other Arab allies, governments around the world and the Palestinians themselves, have flatly rejected the proposal.”We’ve set up an administration that will allow them (Gaza residents) to leave but… we need countries willing to take them in. That’s what we’re working on right now,” he said, adding that he estimated “over 50 percent will leave” if given the option.The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.In addition, militants abducted 251 people, of whom 57 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli army.The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation for the October 7 attack has killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry, which is considered reliable by the UN.