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By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - Folk music, Greenwich Village and a quick-footed cat star in the new Coen brothers movie at the Cannes film festival on Sunday, kicking off the first of five U.S. entries with its engaging misadventures of a struggling singer. "Inside Llewyn Davis" by directing duo Ethan and Joel Coen is a delightful tale about the early 1960s folk music scene, a tribute to artists living hand to mouth, and an ode to New York all at once. ...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel's tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting. Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won the event, watched by around 125 million people across Europe, with 281 points while German act Cascada was 21st out of 26 countries, getting just 18 points from Austria, Israel, Spain, Albania and Switzerland. ...

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian troops supported by Hezbollah militants launched an offensive to retake a major town near Lebanon from rebels on Sunday, the heaviest fighting yet involving Lebanese armed group, opposition activists said. At least 32 people were killed when rebel fighters clashed with mechanised Syrian army units and Hezbollah guerillas in nine points in and around the town of Qusair, 10 km (six miles) from the border with Lebanon's Bekaa valley, they said. ...

By Catherine Hornby VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis warned the Catholic Church to not close in on itself at a Mass to mark Pentecost Sunday attended by more than 200,000 people, urging the faithful to be open and present in a new and changing world. The Church should ask itself daily whether it is resisting new challenges and remaining "barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness to what is new," he said. ...

DHAKA (Reuters) - A Bangladesh court on Sunday banned the owner of a garment factory that was destroyed in a fire in November from leaving the country as anger builds up over a string of deadly incidents in which thousands have died. The high court in Dhaka also directed that Delwar Hossain, owner of Tazreen Fashion, appear before it on May 30 to explain the circumstances in which 112 workers, mostly women, died in the fire on the outskirts of the capital last year. ...

By Agnieszka Flak JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's justice minister on Sunday accused an Indian High Commission official and some South Africans of colluding to obtain permission for a plane chartered by a rich family close to President Jacob Zuma to use an air force base to land. The affair - dubbed "Guptagate" after the influential Indian-born Gupta family - has transfixed South Africa since the private flight landed at Pretoria's Waterkloof Air Force base last month with nearly 200 guests for a lavish family wedding. ...

By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - The top aide to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper abruptly resigned on Sunday over his role in an mounting expenses scandal which is threatening to undermine the Conservative government. Nigel Wright, Harper's chief of staff, quit after secretly giving a C$90,000 check in February to Mike Duffy, a member of the upper Senate chamber, to help him cover living expenses he had improperly claimed. News of the gift leaked late on Tuesday. ...

By Ed Osmond LONDON (Reuters) - Stuart Broad took seven wickets to rip through the New Zealand batting order and bowl England to an emphatic 170-run victory on the fourth day of the first test at Lord's on Sunday. The touring side were skittled for 68 in just 22.3 overs, putting England 1-0 up in the two-match series and giving them the perfect start to a summer in which they also host Australia in five Ashes tests. ...

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - Indian movie actors and a new wave of directors are on a mission at the Cannes film festival - to show that their industry, which turns 100 this year, is more than just Bollywood. The largest Indian contingent to date is on the French Riviera at the world's leading cinema showcase to promote their country, which has the world's biggest film industry, making over 1,000 films a year compared to about 600 in Hollywood. ...

By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans to discuss potential arms deals with Indian officials during a trip to New Delhi this week, officials said, at a time when tensions are running high on Afghanistan's disputed border with Pakistan. Kabul's overtures to New Delhi are likely to rile Islamabad where a new government led by two-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to take office soon, promising improved ties with India. ...

PARIS (Reuters) - A capacity crowd chanting his name, the Eiffel Tower in the background: even by his own glamorous standards, David Beckham got a special send-off on Saturday as he headed into retirement with another title in the bag. "Tonight was a nice way to go out, in front of my family and in front of the capacity crowd who were excited because we won the league," the 38-year-old former England captain told reporters after his 10th and probably final Ligue 1 appearance. ...

By Ed Osmond LONDON (Reuters) - England's Stuart Broad took five wickets to leave New Zealand, chasing 239 for victory, in tatters at 29 for six at lunch on the fourth day of the first test at Lord's on Sunday. Broad removed Peter Fulton (1), Hamish Rutherford (9), Ross Taylor (0), Kane Williamson (6) and Brendon McCullum (8) in the space of 32 balls to put England on the brink of victory. New Zealand earlier bowled out the hosts for 213, Tim Southee completing figures of six for 50 to give the touring side genuine hopes of securing only their fifth test win in England. ...

By Mohammed Abbas LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron is "losing control of his party", Conservative Party grandee Geoffrey Howe said on Sunday, as a row raged over whether a close aide to Cameron had labelled grassroots activists "mad, swivel-eyed loons". The furore threatens to further alienate Cameron and his inner circle from the core of his party, with whom ties are already almost at breaking point. ...

Dhaka, May 19 (IANS) The Bangladesh government Sunday banned political rallies for one month, a step the opposition described as an attempt to mute dissenting voices.

Ramallah, May 19 (IANS) The role of the US in reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations lacks credibility, a Palestinian official said Sunday.

Beijing, May 19 (IANS) An explosion at an unlicensed firecracker workshop in central China killed three people and left three others injured Sunday, officials said.

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Three more people have been arrested in the Indian Premier League spot fixing case, Delhi Police said Sunday, taking the number of arrested to 18, including India fast bowler S. Sreesanth and two other players of the Rajasthan Royals.

Hyderabad, May 19 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and opted to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League match here Sunday evening.

Pune, May 19 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here Sunday:

Kolkata, May 19 (IANS) Sudipta Sen, Saradha Group chief and alleged mastermind of the chit fund scam, and one of his close aides were Sunday sent to 10 days' police custody by a West Bengal court in a fresh case.

Pune, May 19 (IANS) Delhi Daredevils, who topped the league standings in the last Indian Premier League, finished last this season after losing to Pune Warriors at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here Sunday.

Bhubaneswar, May 19 (IANS) Accusing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of systematically covering up the mining scam in Odisha, the Congress party here Sunday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into it.

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) A 35-year-old man was crushed to death by a Delhi Transport Corp (DTC) bus here but police said Sunday they were yet to trace the bus or its driver.

Kabul, May 19 (IANS) A C-130 plane with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) made a hard landing Sunday in Afghanistan, but there were no casualties, a statement said.

Hull (England), May 19 (IANS) Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal will lead India's challenge at the British Open Squash Championships beginning here Monday. The prestigious tournament is the world's oldest.

Hyderabad, May 19 (IANS) Jailed YSR Congress party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's wife Y.S. Bharathi Reddy Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene and stop his victimization and harassment.