The Cannes Film Festival opens Tuesday with the unveiling of Greta Gerwig’s jury and the presentation of an honorary Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep, as the French Riviera spectacular kicks off a potentially volatile 77th edition. A 10-day stream of stars will begin flowing down Cannes’ famous red carpet beginning with the opening night film, “The Second Act,” a French comedy starring Lea Seydoux and Vincent Lindon. Cannes will also premiere George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed “Megalopolis” and anticipated new movies from Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold and Kevin Costner.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that American military aid on its way to Ukraine will make a “real difference” on the battlefield. The remarks Tuesday came as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive. According to open-source monitoring analysts, Moscow’s troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometers in the Kharkiv region that includes at least seven villages in recent days. Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting. Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked for more air defense systems to protect civilians in the northeast.

The Chinese Foreign Ministery says Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a two-day state visit to China this week. Putin will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping during his visit starting on Thurday, it said. The Kremlin said Putin was going on Xi's invitation. China has backed Russia politically in the conflict in Ukraine and has continued to export machine tools and other items seen as contributing to the Russian war effort, without actually exporting weaponry. China is also a major export market for energy supplies that keep the Kremlin’s coffers full. China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi would discuss with Putin “cooperation in various fields of bilateral relations ... as well as international and regional issues of common concern.”

A large billboard that collapsed amid raging thunderstorms in Mumbai killed at least 14 people and injured 75 others, reports said on Tuesday. A rescue operation was ongoing Tuesday morning, and authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency that 89 people had been rescued since the incident occurred on Monday evening. The rains and high winds caused the 100 foot-tall billboard to fall over a gas station in the suburb of Ghatkopar on Monday evening. Officials told PTI that police say the billboard was illegally installed. India has heavy rain and severe floods during the monsoon season, and the deluge often causes extensive damage.