| Mueller Reportedly Investigating Foreign-Linked Donors To Trump's Inauguration Fund Posted: 11 May 2018 08:30 PM PDT  Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating contributions to Donald
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| Knife Attack In Paris Leaves 1 Dead, Several Injured Posted: 12 May 2018 02:11 PM PDT  A man wielding a knife was shot dead in central Paris on Saturday evening
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| Candidate says ‘f*** the NRA’ to spark gun control debate Posted: 12 May 2018 09:58 AM PDT  Pat Davis, a Democratic candidate in a New Mexico Congressional race, says being polite just gets "thoughts and prayers" from the NRA. The former police officer and shooting survivor aired the advertisement to "keeps the conversation moving forward."
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| Guide to Britain's royal wedding on May 19 Posted: 11 May 2018 07:30 PM PDT  The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next Saturday will be a fun-filled occasion but run with military precision, as per British royal tradition. The wedding service will be followed by a carriage procession, a lunchtime reception and an evening party. -- 9:00 am (0800 GMT): Some 2,640 people including charity workers, community leaders and military veterans begin to enter the grounds of Windsor Castle where they will be able to see the royals before and after the ceremony.
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| Noisy Hawaiian volcano lava fissure prompts more evacuations Posted: 13 May 2018 03:53 PM PDT  PAHOA, Hawaii (AP) — A new fissure emitting steam and lava spatter spurred Hawaii officials to call for more evacuations on Sunday as residents braced for an expected eruption from the Kilauea volcano.
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| Iraqis head to the polls for first election since the defeat of Islamic State Posted: 12 May 2018 02:39 AM PDT  Iraqis are voting in the first election defeating the Islamic State (Isil), but few people expect its new leaders to stabilise a country beset by conflicts, economic hardship and corruption since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Depending on the outcome, the poll could bolster Iran's role in Iraq and the Middle East. Aside from geopolitics that have deepened sectarian divisions, Iraq faces an array of challenges after a three-year war against Islamic State which cost the country about $100 billion. Much of the biggest northern city of Mosul was reduced to rubble. Security is still threatened by sectarian tensions, which erupted into a 2006-2007 civil war at the height of a 2003-2011 U.S. occupation. The election's victors will have to contend with the fallout from US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran, a move that raised fears among Iraqis that their country will be a theatre of conflict between Washington and Tehran. Iraq has defeated Isil but is still grappling with corruption and economic hardship Credit: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images The three main ethnic and religious groups - the majority Shia Arabs and minority Sunni Arabs and Kurds - have been at odds for decades, and sectarian divisions remain as deep as ever even though they joined forces to fight Islamic State. "I will participate but I will mark an 'X' on my ballot. There is no security, no jobs, no services. Candidates are just looking to line up their pockets, not to help people," said Jamal Mowasawi, a 61-year-old butcher. The three main candidates for prime minister, all Shia, are incumbent Haider al-Abadi, his predecessor Nuri al-Maliki and Shia militia commander Hadi al-Amiri. All need the support of Iran, which has economic and military sway in Iraq as the primary Shia power in the region. Abadi is considered by analysts to be marginally ahead, but victory is far from certain for the man who raised hopes that he could forge unity when he came to office. His office released photographs of him voting on Saturday morning and going through the same security pat down as other Iraqi voters. السيد رئيس مجلس الوزراء الدكتور حيدر العبادي يدلي بصوته في احد مراكز الانتخاب( مدرسة بغداد) في منطقة الكرادة . pic.twitter.com/rBLvrHj2jO— PM Media Office (@IraqiPMO) May 12, 2018 In office Abadi reached out to minority Sunnis but alienated Kurds after crushing their bid for independence. He improved his standing with the victory against Islamic State, which had occupied a third of Iraq. But Abadi lacks charisma and has failed to improve the economy and tackle corruption. He also cannot rely solely on votes from his community as the Shi'ite voter base is unusually split this year. Instead, he is looking to draw support from other groups. Even if Abadi's Victory Alliance list wins the most seats, he still has to negotiate a coalition government, which must be formed within 90 days of the election. Amiri, 63, spent more than two decades fighting Saddam from exile in Iran and leads the Badr Organisation, the backbone of the volunteer forces that fought Islamic State. Victory for Amiri would be a win for Iran, which is locked in proxy wars for influence across the Middle East with Saudi Arabia. But many Iraqis are disillusioned with war heroes and politicians who have failed to restore state institutions and provide badly needed health and education services. "There is no trust between the people and the governing class," said Hussein Fadel, a 42-year-old supermarket cashier in the capital. "All sides are terrible. I will not vote." Hadi al-Amiri, a Shia militia commander running for prime minister, shows his ink-stained finger after casting his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Baghdad Credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah Some people expressed frustrations at technical problems which kept them from voting in Falluja, which used to support Saddam, was devastated by battles between US troops and insurgents during the occupation and is now far from recovering from the war against Islamic State militants. "I have to vote it's very important. My voice is going to waste. Are they telling me no election? Shall I just go home?," asked labourer Khalid Abd, 65. Critics say Maliki's sectarian policies created an atmosphere that enabled Islamic State to gain sympathy among some Sunnis as it swept across Iraq in 2014. Maliki was sidelined soon afterward, having been in office for eight years, but he is now trying to make a comeback. He is again posing as Iraq's Shia champion, and has proposed doing away with the unofficial power-sharing model under which all main parties have cabinet representatives. Maliki, who pushed for US troop withdrawals, and Amiri, who speaks fluent Farsi and spent years in exile in Iran during Saddam's time, are both seen as closer to Tehran than Abadi. More than 7,000 candidates in 18 provinces, or governorates, are running this year for 329 parliamentary seats. More than 24 million of Iraq's 37 million people are eligible to vote in the election, the fourth since Saddam's fall. In Kirkuk, the main oil city disputed by Iraq's Kurds and the Baghdad government, 90-year-old Najm al-Azzawi has witnessed Iraq's upheaval over many years: Saddam's military adventures and the crippling international sanctions that followed, the US occupation, sectarian bloodshed and Islamic State's reign of terror. But he has not lost hope. "God save Iraqis from the darkness they have been in," he said. "It is the most joyful thing to vote."
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| Video Shows Security Guard Choking Black Teen Accused Of Shoplifting In New York Posted: 12 May 2018 08:54 PM PDT  New York police officers arrested a department store security guard on Friday
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| Parkland survivors meet Waffle House hero who snatched semi-automatic weapon from gunman Posted: 13 May 2018 08:02 AM PDT  Survivors of the Parkland school shooting met James Shaw Jr, the man who disarmed a gunman who killed four people at a Nashville Waffle House, in Miami on Saturday amid a drive for gun reform by student groups. Seventeen people were killed and another 17 were injured in the Florida shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February. "Meeting the young adults of the Parkland incident so much fire and inspiration in their eyes was a great joy," Mr Shaw tweeted with a photo of the group.
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| China's first home-built carrier sets out for sea trials Posted: 12 May 2018 07:28 PM PDT  China's first domestically developed aircraft carrier left its northeastern port to begin sea trials on Sunday, state media said, the latest milestone in the country's efforts to modernize its military. The official Xinhua news agency confirmed the ship had left for trials with a short announcement. "Our country's second aircraft carrier set sail from its dock in the Dalian shipyard for relevant waters to conduct a sea trial mission, mainly to inspect and verify the reliability and stability of mechanical systems and other equipment," Xinhua said.
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| Michael Bloomberg Slams 'Epidemic' Of Political Lies As Danger To Democracy Posted: 12 May 2018 06:40 PM PDT  Billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg lashed out
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| How Amazon Is Holding Seattle Hostage Posted: 12 May 2018 05:00 AM PDT  SEATTLE ― The 9:30 a.m. meeting of the Seattle City Council's Finance and
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| Car transporting illegal immigrants races through Border Patrol checkpoint Posted: 12 May 2018 02:04 PM PDT  A Border Patrol Agent was seriously injured after the car struck a steel-framed stop sign.
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| Possible Autopilot Use Probed After Tesla Crashes At 60 MPH Posted: 12 May 2018 10:06 PM PDT  A Tesla Model S sedan equipped with a semi-autonomous Autopilot system plowed
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| Irish anti-abortion activists rally ahead of referendum Posted: 12 May 2018 04:59 PM PDT  Thousands gathered in Dublin on Saturday for the final major pro-life rally ahead of Ireland's referendum on whether it should liberalise its tight abortion laws. Demonstrators held up placards reading "Compassion for both" showing a mother and baby, "No abortion on demand" and "Also your niece, your friend, your grandchild". Others read: "Where there is life, there is hope", "There's always a better answer than abortion", "Voice for the voiceless", "My heartbeat started at 22 days" and "Repeal kills.
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| Wisconsin group wants officer charged for punching teen Posted: 13 May 2018 03:18 PM PDT ![Wisconsin group wants officer charged for punching teen]( "Wisconsin group wants officer charged for punching teen") WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) — A community organization is calling for a Wisconsin police officer to be fired and charged after a video surfaced showing a white officer punching a black teenager in the face outside a mall during an arrest.
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| Fire breathing dragon at Disney World parade bursts into flames Posted: 13 May 2018 06:10 AM PDT  "I think we have a problem, the dragon's literally on fire," says one shocked onlooker in a video circulated on social media. The float was supposed to represent 'Maleficent' from Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Onlookers, including many children, saw the motorised beast continued to lift its head up and down while the flames made their way down its neck.
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| Iraqis vote in first national election since ISIS defeated Posted: 12 May 2018 12:55 PM PDT ![Iraqis vote in first national election since ISIS defeated]( "Iraqis vote in first national election since ISIS defeated") Iraqis voted on Saturday for the first time since the defeat of Islamic State.
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| Kumar: Trump's immigration plan is 'hurting people at scale’ Posted: 12 May 2018 11:54 AM PDT  Marisa Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, says President Trump's approach to immigrants is harmful because of his penchant for creating more undocumented immigrants.
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| College Costs Are America's Cruel Graduation Gift Posted: 13 May 2018 05:00 AM PDT  Springtime at the school where I teach is usually a celebration of how far so
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| Michael Che's Stepmom Melissa McCarthy Embarrasses Him On 'Weekend Update' Posted: 13 May 2018 10:00 AM PDT  As much as she might embarrass him, Michael Che loves his stepmom Melissa
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| Aston Martin SUV Could Have Over 700 Horsepower Posted: 12 May 2018 12:04 AM PDT  Reports suggest the hybrid version of the upcoming Aston SUV could pack a punch.
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| Stalking Cheetahs Give Oblivious Family A Scare When They Exit Car At Safari Park Posted: 11 May 2018 06:10 PM PDT  A French family had a very close call when the parents foolishly exited their
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| North Korea to dismantle nuclear site ahead of Trump-Kim summit Posted: 12 May 2018 08:18 AM PDT  North Korea has announced it will hold a ceremony in late May for the dismantling of its nuclear test site. The country's central news agency said tunnels will be collapsed with explosions, blocking entrances, while observation facilities, research buildings and security posts will be closed. The event, which journalists across the world including from America and South Korea will be invited to cover, will take place between May 23 and May 25, depending on weather. The news came as Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, said America was prepared to help the regime boom economically if it denuclearises. The developments precede Donald Trump's historic meeting with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. David Beasley, executive director of the UN's World Food Programme, said on Saturday that he believed North Korean leaders wanted change after a four-day visit to the country. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We must capture this moment and work diligently to move the ball forward down the road toward progress and peace. "And I am hopeful. I do believe there's a genuine desire to move forward, but time will tell." Mr Pompeo, who has visited North Korea twice in recent weeks, said the country could have a bright economic future if it quickly agrees to give up its nuclear weapons. If North Korea took "bold action" to quickly denuclearise, then the US was prepared to reward Pyongyang by propelling it towards the same levels of prosperity as the neighbouring South, he said at a press conference in Washington. "If Chairman Kim chooses the right path, there is a future brimming with peace and prosperity for the North Korean people," Mr Pompeo added. His comments set a positive tone for the talks in the Asian city-state of Singapore on June 12, and follow a goodwill gesture from Pyongyang after Kim agreed last week to release three Americans who had been held prisoner for over a year. Lee Hsien Loong, the Singaporean prime minister, has hailed the decision to hold the "historic and momentous event" in his tiny nation, and the news has been largely welcomed by the public, despite concerns over tight security, roadblocks and traffic chaos on the 85-mile long island. The local media has already touted several possible venues for the high stakes meeting, including the glitzy Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino resort, which is owned by Sheldon Adelson, an American business magnate and one of the largest donors to the Republican party. However, the luxury five-star Shangri-la hotel, a short distance from Singapore's main shopping boulevard, is "on top of the list" of likely locations for the meeting, said Toby Koh, group managing director of Ademco Security. The hotel has hosted annual meetings of defence ministers and military chiefs since 2002 and its security procedures were "down pat," said Mr Koh. "They don't really need to do a lot more to improve it." But the luxurious settings that Singapore has to offer will do little to detract from the difficulty of the negotiations that the two leaders face. In spite of easing tensions in recent months, Pyongyang has given few indications of being willing to go beyond sweeping statements in support of the concept of denuclearisation. Washington, meanwhile, remains committed to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" of North Korea's nuclear programme. Nevertheless, Mr Pompeo described his meeting with Kim last week in Pyongyang as "warm" as they communicated "mutual objectives." "We talked about the fact that America has often in history had adversaries who we are now close partners with and our hope that we can achieve the same with respect to North Korea," he said.
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| Fox Is Bringing Back Tim Allen's Last Man Standing This Fall Posted: 12 May 2018 06:33 AM PDT  After cancelling 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and 'The Last Man on Earth'
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| Trump administration reverses Obama-era prison rules to protect transgender inmates Posted: 12 May 2018 11:53 AM PDT  The Trump administration is reversing Barack Obama-era measures aimed at protecting transgender jail inmates, after four women prisoners challenged the policies in court. The Bureau of Prisons has rolled back rules that allowed transgender inmates to use facilities that match their gender identity, including cell blocks and bathrooms.
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| Three killed in attack linked by security services to Iraq's election Posted: 12 May 2018 10:15 AM PDT ![Three killed in attack linked by security services to Iraq's election]( "Three killed in attack linked by security services to Iraq's election") Three men were killed by a bomb attached to their car in a Sunni Arab region south of the oil city of Kirkuk on Saturday in an attack which security sources linked to Iraq's parliamentary election. Two of the dead were voters and the third an observer in a voting station near the town of al-Khan, the sources said. Islamic State earlier claimed responsibility for the attack.
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| LGBTQ Groups Call New Oklahoma Adoption Law Discriminatory Posted: 12 May 2018 08:51 AM PDT  A new "faith-based" adoption law signed by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday
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| Woman kicked off United flight in Houston after man complains of 'pungent odor' Posted: 11 May 2018 08:24 PM PDT  The woman, who is Nigerian, believes United Airlines kicked her off the plane because of her race.
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| How Many Toy Cars Are Needed To Pull A Jeep Grand Cherokee Posted: 13 May 2018 09:00 AM PDT  Of course it worked.
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| Tomi Lahren Claims Low-Skilled Immigrants Are 'Not What This Country Is Based On' Posted: 13 May 2018 09:21 AM PDT  Conservative pundit Tomi Lahren attempted on Saturday night to defend
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| Grandparents, mum and kids shot dead in Australia murder-suicide Posted: 12 May 2018 12:35 AM PDT  Three generations of a single family were identified Saturday as the victims of Australia's worst mass shooting in 22 years, a murder-suicide which left seven people dead. Miles' mother Cynda Miles, 58, was found in the main house at the property and her father Peter Miles, 61, was found outside, Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told reporters.
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| Malaysia's new leader indicates anti-fake news law to stay Posted: 13 May 2018 05:28 AM PDT  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — New Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad indicated Sunday that his government will keep a controversial law banning fake news that he once slammed as a tool to curb dissent.
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| Airbus, Boeing fly into lucrative services market Posted: 12 May 2018 09:40 PM PDT  Airbus and Boeing may have built their global success on the back of the transcontinental airliners but they are now eyeing a lucrative if rather less glamorous side of the aviation sector in their battle to dominate the skies -- parts and repairs. The European and American firms have long done some business in after-sales support, but they are now moving to win greater market share and take on other players like Germany's Lufthansa Technik and US-based AAR. "The services market is more lucrative than actual aircraft sales because it has more potential and it covers many different spectrums," said Shukor Yusof, an analyst with aviation research firm Endau Analytics in Malaysia.
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| Michael Cohen is 'in business'. But just what sort of business is he in? Posted: 12 May 2018 08:00 AM PDT  Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen arrives at his hotel in New York City this week. Michael Cohen, the most personal of the president's personal attorneys, has cut an extraordinary figure in this totally abnormal administration.
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| Pakistan bars U.S. diplomat from leaving amid tense relations: media Posted: 12 May 2018 11:20 AM PDT ![Pakistan bars U.S. diplomat from leaving amid tense relations: media]( "Pakistan bars U.S. diplomat from leaving amid tense relations: media") Pakistani authorities have barred a U.S. diplomat involved in a fatal traffic accident from leaving the country, forcing an American military aircraft flown in for his departure to leave without him, local media reported on Saturday. The move came a day after Pakistan said it would restrict the movements of all American diplomats in the country in response to Washington's similar restrictions on Pakistani embassy diplomats. A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Islamabad declined to comment on the media reports, and a U.S. State Department spokesperson in Washington would neither confirm nor deny them.
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| Pope to give Chilean bishops a dressing-down on abuse errors Posted: 12 May 2018 08:39 AM PDT  VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican made it clear Saturday that Pope Francis had summoned Chile's bishops to Rome for a papal dressing-down because of their role in covering up sexual abuse by priests and their "grave omissions" in caring for victims.
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| Paris attack latest linked to Russian Caucasus Posted: 13 May 2018 10:24 AM PDT  A knife attack in Paris that killed one man on Saturday, carried out by a French citizen born in Chechnya, is the latest of numerous suspected acts of terrorism linked to the troubled Russian region. The Chechen warlord Akhmed Chatayev, who was killed in 2017, was believed to be behind an attack the previous year at Istanbul's Ataturk airport in which 45 people died. Turkish officials said the attack was carried out by suicide bombers from the area as well as the ex-Soviet central Asian nations Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan -- which in recent years have also proved to be a hotbed of extremist violence.
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| ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Finds New TV Home, Stars And Fans Rejoice Posted: 11 May 2018 10:53 PM PDT  "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is coming back to television!
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| At Iraq's polls, many voters seek patronage and jobs Posted: 13 May 2018 04:19 PM PDT  BAGHDAD (AP) — Ahmed Abdelruba needs a job. Twenty-three years old and idle, he's embarrassed he can't contribute to his family's rent. So, on Saturday, he did what many Iraqis before him have done: He voted, and prayed a political patron would help him find work.
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| The Week's Most Important Car Numbers Posted: 12 May 2018 06:00 AM PDT  From a new luxury SUV to the world's fastest GTI, these are the most important numbers of the week.
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| Officer arrested after video shows him hitting daughter at school Posted: 12 May 2018 01:31 PM PDT  Surveillance video shows police officer beating his daughter at school while school workers do nothing to stop him.
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| Eleven Iranians among dead in Israel strikes on Syria Thursday: monitor Posted: 12 May 2018 12:24 AM PDT  At least 11 Iranians were among those killed in unprecedented Israeli strikes on Syria this week, a monitor said Saturday. "At least 27 pro-regime fighters were killed" in Thursday's strikes, said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The new report is due to the death of wounded or missing persons whose deaths have been confirmed," Abdel Rahman said.
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| Iran foreign minister sets off on tour to save nuclear deal Posted: 12 May 2018 05:41 AM PDT  Iran's foreign minister embarks on a tour of world powers on Saturday, state media reported, in what is seen as a last-ditch effort to save Tehran's nuclear deal after Washington's withdrawal from the accord. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal on Tuesday, raising the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upsetting European allies and casting uncertainty over global oil supplies. Iran said it would remain committed to the deal without Washington if Tehran achieved its goals - namely being protected from sanctions against key sectors of its economy such as oil - in cooperation with other countries that have signed up to the agreement.
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| Malaysia bars scandal-ridden ex-leader from leaving country Posted: 12 May 2018 03:52 AM PDT  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia's new leader, Mahathir Mohamad, said Saturday that defeated scandal-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife have been barred from leaving the country to prevent them from fleeing from possible prosecution over a massive corruption scandal.
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| Parts shortage halts Mercedes-Benz SUV production in Alabama Posted: 11 May 2018 06:34 PM PDT  The parts shortage that halted production at Ford, General Motors and Fiat-Chrysler factories has now forced Mercedes-Benz to stop building SUVs at its plant in the US state of Alabama, the automaker said Friday. The Mercedes-Benz US International Inc. plant in Alabama exhausted its supply of cockpit cross members and halted SUV production on Thursday, spokeswoman Felyicia Jerald said in an e-mail.
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| Deadly Indonesia church suicide bombings committed by one family Posted: 13 May 2018 11:14 AM PDT  A family of six including two young daughters staged suicide bombings at three Indonesian churches during Sunday services, killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group. The bombings at three churches in Surabaya were Indonesia's deadliest for years, as the world's biggest Muslim-majority country grapples with homegrown militancy and rising intolerance towards religious minorities. A further three people were killed and two wounded when another bomb exploded at an apartment complex in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, just hours later, police said.
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| Cate Blanchett leads 82-woman Cannes red carpet '#metoo' protest Posted: 12 May 2018 10:09 AM PDT  Cate Blanchett led female stars in an unprecedented red-carpet protest at the Cannes Film Festival last night to demand equal pay and an end to sexual harassment. Salma Hayek and Kristen Stewart were also among 82 actresses, female producers and directors who marched arm in arm to demand equality and "a safe workplace" seven months after the fall of Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood mogul accused of rape and sexual harassment. The protest highlighted that only 82 films directed by women have been selected for the festival's prestigious Palme d'Or competition in its 71-year history, compared with 1,645 directed by men. Blanchett, who is presiding the jury this year awarding the coveted Palme d'Or award, one of the film industry's highest honours, said: "We demand that our workplaces are diverse and equitable so they can best reflect the world in which we live." Cate Blanchett made a speech demanding workplace equality Credit: Dominique Charriau /Wireimage She said female stars were calling for "a world that allows all of us, in front and behind the camera, to thrive shoulder to shoulder with our male colleagues." Jane Campion is the only female director to have won the Palme d'Or, for her 1993 film, "The Piano". The march up the red-carpeted steps came before an unprecedented move by the festival to sign "strong commitments" on parity and diversity on Monday. Thierry Frémaux, the festival director, said he supported the march as a way for women "to affirm their presence". 82 actresses, female producers and directors who marched arm in arm to demand equality Credit: Dominique Charriau/WireImage Just hours earlier, Marlène Schiappa, France's minister for gender equality, revealed that several women attending the event had called a special helpline for women to report sexual harassment at the festival. "A female responder who took one of the calls escorted an Anglo-Saxon woman to a police station to file a complaint on Friday night," Ms Schiappa said. The term 'Anglo-Saxon' is used in French to mean someone from an English-speaking country. Neither the complainant nor the alleged attacker have been identified. The line was set up for the first time this year following four alleged attacks at the festival in previous years by Weinstein. Salma Hayek was among the women at the red carpet protest Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP The #MeToo movement has thrown the spotlight on harassment and 40,000 flyers were handed out at this year's festival reminding guests that sexual harassment can be punished in France by three years in prison and a £40,000 fine. Cannes has also come under scrutiny over the small number of female directors selected for its competition. Mr Frémaux insisted that the festival chooses films solely for their quality, but he has promised to make selection committees gender-balanced. After the march, the festival screened Eva Husson's "Girls of the Sun," which tells the story of Kurdish women fighters. Husson, a French director, is one of only three women whose films are among the 21 selected for the competition this year. The others are Nadine Labaki's "Capernaum" and Alice Rohrwacher's "Happy as Lazzaro", which are to premiere next week.
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