Culture

W.Sahara Film Festival Urges Nolan to Drop Scenes Shot in Disputed Territory
W.Sahara Film Festival Urges Nolan to Drop Scenes Shot in Disputed Territory

The Sahara International Film Festival has called on director Christopher Nolan to exclude scenes filmed in Western Sahara from his upcoming movie, citing concerns over shooting in the disputed territory. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, has been largely controlled by Morocco since 1975 but is considered a non-self-governing territory by ...

Thousands Honor Ozzy Osbourne at UK Hometown Funeral Procession
Thousands Honor Ozzy Osbourne at UK Hometown Funeral Procession

Thousands lined the streets of the UK city Birmingham on Wednesday to pay an emotional farewell to hometown hero Ozzy Osbourne as the heavy metal hellraiser was laid to rest. Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne, who earned the nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and once bit a bat while on stage, died on July 22 at the age of 76. He had been ...

Van Gogh Immersion: At the Heart of Light
SpotlightVan Gogh Immersion: At the Heart of Light

The immersive Van Gogh exhibition returns to the Atelier des Lumières in 2025 with a revamped edition that’s more powerful and emotionally engaging than ever. Through captivating 360° projections and an evocative soundscape, visitors rediscover the genius of Vincent van Gogh in a setting that feels almost sacred. This artistic and emotional ...

Ziad Is Gone, the Drama Isn’t
Op-edZiad Is Gone, the Drama Isn’t

Ziad Rahbani, Lebanon’s most brilliant satirist and musical artist, was finally laid to rest. But instead of a dignified farewell fitting of the man who gave voice to a nation’s contradictions, his funeral devolved into a spectacle, an unintentional parody of the plays he once wrote. Some mocked Dima’s presence, others sneered at Majida’s ...

Pop Memorabilia: Glittery Michael Jackson Sock Fetches $8,822 at French Auction
Pop Memorabilia: Glittery Michael Jackson Sock Fetches $8,822 at French Auction

A single glittery sock that late pop superstar Michael Jackson wore during a concert in France in the 1990s sold for more than $8,000 on Wednesday, a French auctioneer said. A technician found the used sock discarded near Jackson's dressing room after the concert in the southern city of Nimes in July 1997, auctioneer Aurore Illy told AFP. The ...

The Fantasized Body: When the Image Erases the Woman (2/2)
SpotlightThe Fantasized Body: When the Image Erases the Woman (2/2)

In today’s world, the female body is under constant pressure. It must be smooth, toned, youthful, desirable but not vulgar, slim but not unhealthy, maternal yet flawless. On social media, in advertising and in television shows, a single ideal takes hold: a body that is controlled, edited and put on display. The ideal is now algorithmic. It is ...

Gucci owner Kering posts 46% profit slump before new CEO arrives
Gucci owner Kering posts 46% profit slump before new CEO arrives

French luxury group Kering reported Tuesday a 46 percent plunge in net profit during the first half, with sales slumping again at its flagship Gucci brand, as the group awaits a new CEO to try to regain its footing. Group net profit fell to 474 million euros ($547 million) in the first half from 878 million in the same period last year, on sales ...

A Last Goodbye to the Prince of Darkness: Ozzy Osbourne Honoured in Birmingham
A Last Goodbye to the Prince of Darkness: Ozzy Osbourne Honoured in Birmingham

Heavy metal hell-raiser Ozzy Osbourne will be laid to rest on Wednesday, with thousands set to bid the legendary musician a final farewell when his funeral cortege drives through his UK hometown. Officials in the central city of Birmingham said Tuesday they have worked with his family to draw up the details of Osbourne's last goodbye, before a ...

These Women Who Changed the World with Their Inventions
SpotlightThese Women Who Changed the World with Their Inventions

When we talk about major inventions, the names that come to mind are usually men’s. But history is full of pioneering women whose ideas quietly changed our lives, often without the credit they deserved. They created everyday objects that brought real shifts in technology, society, and science. Some were scientists, others tinkerers, engineers, ...

'Demon Slayer' Movie Smashes Box Office Records in Japan
'Demon Slayer' Movie Smashes Box Office Records in Japan

The latest movie adaptation of hit manga and anime series Demon Slayers breaking records in Japan, becoming the fastest film to gross 10 billion yen ($67 million), an industry body said. The film was released on July 18 and reached the 10-billion-yen mark after eight days. The previous record-holder was the last installment of the series, which ...

Bosnian Street Artists Turn Trauma Into Public Art
Bosnian Street Artists Turn Trauma Into Public Art

Bullet holes still pockmark many Sarajevo buildings; others threaten collapse under disrepair, but street artists in the Bosnian capital are using their work to reshape a city steeped in history. A half-pipe of technicolor snakes its way through the verdant Mount Trebevic, once an Olympic bobsled route - now layered in ever-changing art. "It's a ...

'Panigiria': Folk Festivals Punctuate Greek Summer Life
'Panigiria': Folk Festivals Punctuate Greek Summer Life

It's midnight in the Aegean Sea, but on the Greek island of Ikaria, in the courtyard of the church of St. Elijah, the revelry is barely getting started. Dozens of dancers and scores of onlookers, including many tourists, are attending the local panigiri, a folk celebration that is an integral part of centuries-old summer traditions in villages ...