Culture

From Excitement to Frustration: Louvre Visitors Caught Off Guard by Closure

This is Beirut 20/10 16:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Louvre Tourists State of mind Theft France Culture

Visitors pressed against the Louvre's iron gates on Monday, peering through bars locked after thieves pulled off a daylight jewel heist inside the world-famous museum the day before. Would-be museum-goers queued outside the famed tourist attraction for the scheduled 0900 (0700 GMT) opening, a day after robbers stole precious jewelry and fled on ...

Louvre Closes for Second Day as France Hunts Jewel Thieves

This is Beirut 20/10 13:39 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron France Louvre Heist Jewelry

The Louvre was closed for a second day Monday as police hunted for thieves who broke in and stole priceless jewels in a spectacular daylight robbery. Officials said a team of 60 investigators was working on the theory that an organised crime group was behind the theft Sunday of nine pieces of jewellery, one of which -- a crown covered in ...

Kering Sells Beauty Arm to L’Oréal in $4.6 Billion Deal

This is Beirut 20/10 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gucci Luxury L'Oréal Culture Art

Debt-laden French luxury group Kering is selling its beauty products business, including its leading perfume brand Creed, to cosmetics giant L’Oréal in a deal worth $4.6 billion, the companies said Sunday. The deal also gives L’Oréal 50-year exclusive licenses to develop and distribute products under Kering’s fashion labels Gucci, Bottega ...

What Your Handbag Really Reveals About Your Personality

Bélinda Ibrahim 19/10 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Handbags Fashion Personality Culture Women

A handbag is almost an extension of oneself. You choose it in the morning, carry it everywhere and rarely forget it. Yet few women consider how they actually wear it, though that simple gesture can say a lot. Between practicality, a need for security, a touch of vanity or a desire for freedom, our bags reveal not only our little habits but also ...

Word of the weekLooksmaxxing: The Male Side of the Beauty Obsession

Sana Richa Choucair 19/10 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Tik Tok look optimization beauty masculinity

On TikTok, forums and countless corners of the web, a growing trend grips young men: looksmaxxing, the drive to “maximize” one’s appearance. This isn’t just grooming or fitness, it’s conforming to rigid aesthetic ideals with extreme methods, turning bodies into commodities. What is the origin of this term? What vocabulary has it ...

Art and Faith Unite in Tehran’s Virgin Mary Station

This is Beirut 19/10 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Tehran Art Culture

Shiite Islam may be the official religion in Iran, but entering Tehran's brand-new Maryam Moghaddas metro station, you could be forgiven for feeling as if you're stepping inside a Christian church. Maryam Moghaddas in Persian translates as "Holy Mary." And the station's vaulted and arched concourse, with a dome decorated with Persian motifs, ...

ExplainerJames Bond 2.0: Can Artificial Intelligence Upstage 007?

Bélinda Ibrahim 18/10 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Artificial Intelligence AI James Bond Movie Culture

The announcement of the next James Bond, now in the hands of Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Steven Knight, reignites a familiar question: What role will technology play in 007’s world? After the Daniel Craig era, defined by gritty realism, should we expect a flood of AI-powered gadgets or a return to high-tech restraint? Official statements ...

The British Museum Goes Glam: London’s Answer to the Met Gala

This is Beirut 18/10 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Museum London British Museum Art Culture

The British Museum, the prestigious London institution, is hosting its first-ever fundraising gala on Saturday — a lavish and glamorous event aiming to rival New York’s Met Gala, and above all, to raise money to offset declining public subsidies. The museum, which holds one of the largest permanent collections in the world, says it aims to ...

French Cinema Legend Brigitte Bardot, 91, Returns Home After Brief Hospitalization

This is Beirut 18/10 10:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Film Brigitte Bardot Icon Health France Culture

Former French screen icon Brigitte Bardot was briefly hospitalized for an operation but is back home and convalescing, her office told AFP in a statement on Friday. The health of the 91-year-old, who lives in Saint-Tropez in the south of France, had been the subject of persistent rumors in recent days. The former actor spent a few days at the ...

SpotlightLeonardo, Callas, Beethoven… Could Europe’s Icons Appear on Euro Banknotes?

Bélinda Ibrahim 17/10 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe Euros Banknotes Culture

Nearly a quarter of a century after their introduction, euro banknotes are set to be completely redesigned, both aesthetically and in terms of security. If the ECB stays on schedule, the new banknotes are expected to be unveiled from 2026, following an unprecedented public consultation and design process. Since 2002, euro banknotes have depicted ...

Fashion’s Glass Runway: Women Designers Missing from Top Roles in SS26

This is Beirut 17/10 15:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Fashion Women Lead designers France Italy Culture

In fashion at the moment, as seen on catwalks: frills, corsets, big shoulder pads, and "naked dresses". Out of fashion: employing women as chief designers. In the most recent Spring-Summer 2026 womenswear Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan, the effects of a huge reshuffle at the top of the European luxury clothing industry were plain to see. From ...

Sam Fender Wins 2025 Mercury Prize with 'People Watching'

This is Beirut 17/10 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Culture UK Art Music Prize Mercury Prize

Rock singer Sam Fender took home the prestigious 2025 Mercury Prize on Thursday night with his album People Watching, during a ceremony held for the first time outside London. The 31-year-old singer-songwriter, born and raised in North Shields, received the award in front of a cheering crowd at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena. Jury members praised ...