- Bangladesh into Super Eights with win over Nepal
- Nuclear arms spending soars as global tensions swell: studies
- Sri Lanka deliver big win over Dutch as they bow out of T20 World Cup
- 'Outsiders,' 'Stereophonic' top Tony Awards
- Weghorst reprises super sub role to offer Dutch plan B at Euros
- Portugal's record collector Ronaldo 'thinking big' at Euro 2024
- Philippine, Chinese ships collide near hotspot reef: Beijing
- Asian stocks struggle after tepid Wall St lead, euro dips further
- Once fruitful, Libyan village suffers climate crisis
- 'Meaty rice'? South Korean professor aims to change global protein
- Sri Lanka make 201-6 against Netherlands in T20 World Cup
- 'Shot of my life' helps lift DeChambeau to second US Open title
- Philippine ship, Chinese vessel collide in South China Sea: Beijing
- France begins frenetic campaign after Macron poll gamble
- Wu makes Australian diving history with fifth Olympics
- Illegal gold mining eats into Peruvian Amazon
- Shareholders OK with soaring executive pay in US
- On thin ice: Greenland's last Inuit polar bear hunters
- McIlroy silence speaks volumes after US Open collapse
- Walsh follows up 100m fly world record with Olympic berth
- McIlroy departs Pinehurst without talking to media after US Open collapse
- Team 'Melodi' woos India as Meloni-Modi video goes viral
- DeChambeau outlasts McIlroy to win second US Open crown
- DeChambeau edges McIlroy by one stroke to win US Open
- In hostile Boston, Mavs' Irving aims to keep focus on NBA Finals challenge
- Southgate says England will benefit from Serbia suffering
- Vu wins LPGA Meijer Classic after playoff thriller
- Nuclear arms more prominent amid geopolitical tensions: researchers
- Lucu boots Bordeaux-Begles into Top 14 semis
- England begin Euro 2024 quest with win over Serbia, Dutch edge Poland
- Bellingham sparkles as England star takes centre stage at Euros
- Bellingham gets unconvincing England off to winning Euros start
- Water crisis batters war-torn Sudan as temperatures soar
- 'Best manager' Ten Hag reveals Tuchel was approached for his United job
- DeChambeau and McIlroy share US Open lead as drama builds
- Zuma's party joins S.African opposition alliance
- Love double as Boulter and De Minaur win tennis titles on same day
- Denmark's Eriksen glad for 'very different' Euros experience
- Eriksen scores on emotional Euros return as Denmark held by Slovenia
- Rangnick optimistic as he leads Austria into Euros in home country
- French Open champion Alcaraz eager to take clay form into grass season
- Babar delivers captain's knock as Pakistan bow out with win over Ireland
- US Open leader DeChambeau tees off in last round at Pinehurst
- Belgium coach Tedesco 'sure' De Bruyne ready for Euros
- Eriksen scores on emotional Euro return as Denmark held by Slovenia
- 'Inside Out 2' posts smashing debut at N.American box office
- Andy Murray uncertain if he'll play in fifth Olympics
- France braces for frenetic campaign as Mbappe warns against extremes
- German police shoot man wielding weapons ahead of Euros match
- Afghan Taliban govt says to attend next round of UN talks in Doha
Cannes 'Palm Dog' goes to mutt on trial
Griffon pup Kodi scampered to victory in the Cannes Film Festival's annual Palm Dog for best canine performer on Friday — proving he is not just a very good boy but a very fine actor too.
His film, "Dog on Trial", is exactly as its title suggests.
Cosmos is hauled before a judge for biting three people, and a young lawyer battles to save him from being put down in this bittersweet Swiss comedy.
But canine actor Kodi -- a former street dog from the south of France, found in a shelter -- steals the show with a paw-fect performance.
The film's director initially "told us Kodi wouldn't have much to do", recalled animal trainer Juliette Roux-Merveille.
But when she received the script, she realised Kodi would have to perform as many as 100 on-camera movements -- including a few new tricks.
"Kodi didn't know how to howl, so we played him the sound of a meowing kitten and it worked," she told AFP.
Kodi's main rival in the dogfight for Cannes-ine glory came from a Chinese film, "Black Dog".
In the movie, a former convict returning to his hometown in northwest China joins a dog patrol tasked with clearing stray mutts from the streets before the 2008 Olympics.
But when he tries to capture a black Jack Russell-greyhound cross, the dog proves a wily adversary and the pair strike up a bond.
Canine star Xin proved such a hit on set that she was adopted by her human counterpart, Taiwanese superstar Eddie Peng, after filming had finished.
A brief heated moment occurred at the Palm Dog ceremony, when the elegant calm of the glamorous beachside club was interrupted by a confrontation between the two rivals.
Coming face to face for the first time, the pair exchanged a few choice barks and yaps, before being led off by their owners and settling in for the ceremony.
- Messi scores again -
Palm Dog Woopets, founded in 2001, honours the best canine performance on the big screen.
Attracting dog lovers, from journalists to Hollywood stars including Quentin Tarantino, the unique and extremely kitsch prize is awarded by bone-a fide film critics, who also pay close attention to animal welfare on set.
Initially conceived as a bit of a joke, it has become a valuable way for Cannes movies to earn extra attention.
And this year, pooches have made their presence felt far beyond the event.
Last year's Palm Dog winner Messi -- star of "Anatomy of a Fall" -- was invited back to "interview" stars on the red carpet.
Equipped with a special 360-degree microphone and camera attached to his back, the Border Collie bounded up the steps to pose for photographers at the festival's opening ceremony.
It caps an extraordinary year for Messi, who went viral in selfies with the likes of Billie Eilish and Ryan Gosling at the Oscar nominees luncheon in Hollywood, and even appeared on the Academy Awards telecast.
And Demi Moore was accompanied on the red carpet at this year's Cannes premiere for "The Substance" by her Chihuahua dog Pilaf.
Moore has earned rave reviews for the body horror film -- a performance which required her to don layers of bizarre and hideous prosthetics.
Thankfully, at least one faithful companion could still identify her on set.
"My little dog... always recognised me," joked Moore. "That's all that counted."
C.Kovalenko--BTB