Search : 500 result(s)

'Michael' Sparks Jackson Fever Ahead of Release

At dawn on November 7, the numbers made headlines. Less than 24 hours after its release, the trailer for the biopic Michael had already racked up 116 million views worldwide. The figure is more than a digital milestone. It underscores Michael Jackson’s enduring presence in popular memory, fifteen years after his death, and places the King of Pop ...

Carbon Capture Promoters Turn Up in Numbers at COP30

Companies and groups backing carbon-capture technology, which critics slam as an excuse to keep burning fossil fuels, have deployed more than 500 participants to the COP30 climate talks, according to a list compiled by an NGO and shared exclusively with AFP. The list, assembled by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), names oil ...

Egypt's Foreign Minister Presents De-Escalation Proposal to Lebanon

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed Cairo’s “full support” for Lebanon’s efforts to assert exclusive state control over weapons during an official visit to Beirut on Wednesday. After talks with President Joseph Aoun, Abdelatty underscored Egypt’s backing for the president’s latest Independence ...

Historic Pont Neuf Set to Become Artist JR’s Latest Monumental Installation

French artist JR, who made his way from tagging graffiti on the street to being one of the most recognizable figures on the country's art scene, has told AFP how he plans to turn the oldest bridge in Paris into an "immersive cave" for his latest project. Once hailed as the "French Banksy" after the secretive British street artist, JR has become ...

Kassem Rejects Disarmament, Opposes the Appointment of a Civilian to the "Mechanism"

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed his militia’s categorical refusal to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state and criticized the appointment of a civilian—former ambassador Simon Karam—to the ceasefire supervision mechanism. He described the decision as “illegal,” “baseless,” and “another mistake,” ...

Lebanon and Cyprus Seal Landmark Maritime Boundary Agreement

The official signing of the Maritime Boundary Agreement (MBA) between Lebanon and Cyprus is a major achievement, one that confers important advantages on both parties. This process was delayed for a very long time for no good reason, so President Joseph Aoun and the government deserve congratulations for having seized the initiative and for having ...

The Gucci Jackie: Italian Elegance in Jackie Kennedy’s Hand

Named after an icon and defined by its unmistakable silhouette, the Jackie exemplifies the subtle interplay between Italian refinement and global elegance. As one of the Florentine house’s signature pieces, it rose to fame through Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who lent it an enduring aura of sophistication. This is the remarkable journey of an ...

Defense and Israel at the Heart of MBS’s Washington Visit

The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), is expected in Washington on Tuesday November 18 for a meeting with United States President Donald Trump. The visit is seen as crucial for the US administration and is meant to revive and broaden the Abraham Accords while strengthening strategic and economic ties between Washington and ...

Sharaa Says Israeli Push for Buffer Zone Would Endanger Syria

President Ahmed al-Sharaa warned Saturday that Israel's demand for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria would endanger his country, as Israeli forces continue to operate in the area. Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. Sharaa's Islamist forces ...

Is Hamas Rebuilding Its Military Presence in Lebanon?

The Israeli strike that targeted the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night has brought back into focus a question that had mostly stayed out of the spotlight in the conflict, at least since the November 27, 2024 ceasefire, which shifted attention primarily to Hezbollah: Is Hamas in the process of rebuilding ...

New Strikes on Gaza Kill Five

Gaza health authorities said fresh Israeli air strikes killed five people on Thursday, as ceasefire mediator Qatar warned the renewed attacks threatened to undermine the fragile weeks-long truce between Israel and Hamas. The new strikes came the morning after one of the deadliest days in the Gaza Strip since the truce began on October 10. Qatar, ...

Lady Dior: The Legendary Bag Inspired by Lady Di

In September 1995, the destiny of an accessory was forever transformed during an official visit by Princess Diana to Paris. Invited to the Cézanne exhibition at the Grand Palais, the princess received a Dior bag from Bernadette Chirac, then France’s first lady. This understated object, still unnamed, was soon destined for legend, born from the ...

Johnny Depp Calls Life With Vanessa Paradis “Bliss” in Rare Interview

Johnny Depp's life with former French partner Vanessa Paradis and their two children was "bliss," the US actor told AFP in an interview on Thursday. "I have nothing but incredible memories from those days. They gave me time to be a tour father," Depp said in Tokyo. "Vanessa was doing her shows, you know, various tours. I got to be just Daddy for ...

Fondation Cartier Unveils its Bold New Home at the Heart of Paris

The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain is turning a page and stepping into a bold future as it leaves boulevard Raspail for 2, Place du Palais-Royal. Moving into the former Louvre des antiquaires—a Haussmann-era building revived by Jean Nouvel, who also designed its previous home—the Fondation embraces a transformed vision of what an ...

ALS: A Protein Signature that Could Change the Game

In the field of neurodegenerative diseases, scientists have spent decades chasing the same goal: finding an early and reliable biomarker that can reveal what the body has not yet shown. For ALS, that search has long seemed out of reach. The disease arrives quietly, progresses unnoticed, and only becomes visible once the first motor neurons are ...

In Turkey, a Patchwork of Christian Communities

Turkey's Christian community, which hosts Pope Leo XIV this week, was a minority under the Ottoman Empire whose numbers have dwindled due to forced exiles and massacres. Today, it counts around 100,000 members spread across five denominations -- just a fraction of Turkey's population of 86 million, the vast majority of whom are Sunni ...

Football – 2025 Arab Cup: Lebanon Self-Destructs Despite Numerical Advantage

No one will be able to say the context wasn’t favorable. In Doha, on the pitch of the Thani bin Jassim Stadium, in front of 20,816 spectators and under the eyes of Gianni Infantino and Lebanese FA president Hachem Haidar, Lebanon played more than an hour with eleven men against ten… only to lose 2–1 to Sudan and crash out of the 2025 Arab ...

Kate Winslet Directs First Film, 'Goodbye June', Written by Her Son

Oscar-winning British actress Kate Winslet said she was "so proud" of herself for directing her first film, Goodbye June, and would "love to do more." Speaking at the Christmas drama's world premiere in London on Wednesday, the 50-year-old Winslet, who also acts in the film, said she found the experience of directing "incredibly rewarding." “I ...

President Aoun Honors the Army in South Lebanon on the Eve of Independence Day

On the eve of Lebanon’s 82nd Independence Day, President Joseph Aoun visited the command of the South Litani sector at the Benoit Barakat barracks in Tyre, accompanied by Army Commander General Rodolphe Haikal. Message to Officers and Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Addressing the officers, President Aoun congratulated the army on the occasion of ...

Iran: The Swan Song!

Some regimes govern with ideas; others thrive on chaos. Iran is clearly in the latter camp, lighting fires across the Middle East while hoping the smoke will hide its failures. Since 1982, Tehran has treated Lebanon—and its political-military proxy, Hezbollah—like a live grenade waved during negotiations: always a threat, never a plan. For ...

Syrians Mark One Year Since Offensive That Toppled Assad

Demonstrators across multiple Syrian cities condemned on Friday the deadly Israeli attacks on the south of the country during rallies to mark one year since the start of the offensive that toppled former ruler Bashar al-Assad. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on Thursday for Syrians to "go down to the squares" to commemorate the ...

Paris to Host Meeting on Lebanon Next Week

A meeting on Lebanon will be held in Paris next week with the commander of the Lebanese army and U.S. officials, as France and the United States push Beirut to speed up Hezbollah’s disarmament process, four sources familiar with the matter told AFP. “Rodolphe Haykal is expected on Wednesday,” one of the sources said. U.S. Middle East envoy ...

Disarmament and the End of the Militia’s Whims

In a moment of deep existential crisis, there is no space for hesitation, for diluted choices or for timid calculations. When a nation’s future is pulled apart by forces bent on destabilization and backed blindly by regional powers with sweeping ambitions, the responsibility is clear. One must choose a side and do so without wavering. The ...

Israel Says US Plan for Gaza to Deliver 'Peace and Prosperity' After UN Vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Tuesday hailed a US-drafted plan for Gaza after it was endorsed by the UN Security Council, saying it would lead to "peace and prosperity." The Palestinian foreign ministry also welcomed the 13-0 vote at the United Nations in New York and called for the resolution to be swiftly implemented on ...

“Arab Golf” in Riyadh: Silver for Lebanon… and a Seat That Matters

 JSI Riyadh, immaculate fairways, high-level field: the Lebanese delegation did not flinch. Over two rounds played at the Riyadh Golf Club, Lebanon totaled 314 strokes (158 + 156) and claimed the second step of the podium, edging out a dense pack of Arab competitors. With the flag waving and silver medals around their necks, the national team ...

Wicked Sequel Expands Oz With Depth, Music And Magic

When Universal Pictures split its musical adaptation of Wicked into two films, the move was derided by some critics as a cynical — if spectacularly successful — money grab. But with Wicked: For Good out in theaters around the world this week, its stars and filmmakers say the decision has freed them up to expand the Wizard of Oz prequel ...

Saudi Residents Report Booze Ban Eased for Select Foreigners

Diplomats and premium visa-holders in Saudi Arabia told AFP that the conservative kingdom has quietly eased restrictions on purchasing alcohol for select foreign residents. While the government has not made any statements regarding the sale of alcohol in recent days, the sources said non-Muslim individuals with so-called premium resident status ...

Israeli Army Launches New Operation in West Bank

Israel's military on Wednesday launched a new operation against Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank, where a local governor told AFP that Israeli forces had raided several towns. The Israeli military, police and internal security service said in a joint statement that they had begun "a broad counter-terrorism operation" in the ...