France

Cinema Icon Gérard Depardieu Sentenced to 18-Month Suspended Term for Sexual Assault

A Paris court on Tuesday handed French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu an 18-month suspended sentence after convicting him of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The Paris court also ordered that Depardieu, 76, who was not present in court for the verdict, be inscribed on the sex offenders' register. Depardieu, who has acted in ...

Robert De Niro, Mylène Farmer and Glamour to Take Center Stage in Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival chose to dedicate the day before its grand opening to that conflict, screening three powerful documentaries. Another outside event may cause waves on opening day: by coincidence, the festival’s first official evening will unfold just hours after a Paris court delivers its verdict in Gérard Depardieu’s trial. That ...

Lebanon Border Deal Nears Under US, French and Saudi Mediation

The border demarcation issue between Lebanon and its neighbors—Syria to the north and Israel to the south—is progressing, with France, Saudi Arabia and the US playing key mediating roles. The situation is now more favorable, as long-standing internal and external obstacles have largely dissipated, creating a better climate for finalizing ...

Kim Kardashian Returns Tuesday to Paris to Testify in $10M Robbery Case

A list celebrity Kim Kardashian is to testify in a Paris court on Tuesday, an eagerly awaited appearance nearly a decade after being robbed of millions of dollars of jewelry during the French capital's fashion week. Ten suspects have been on trial since late April over the armed robbery in 2016, which saw jewellery worth some $10 million stolen ...

Fashion Labels Now Fund Films, Not Just Red Carpets

Luxury fashion labels are increasingly reaching beyond the red carpets and exclusive parties of the cinema world, becoming partners with filmmakers and production companies. At the Cannes Film Festival this year, which starts Tuesday, labels will be looking to showcase not only their outfits, but also their credibility as investors. Alongside ...

Moody’s Slashes Global Growth Forecasts for 2025–2026

Credit rating agency Moody’s has sharply downgraded its global economic growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026, revising them to 1.9% and 2.3% respectively, down from the 2.5% predicted last February. This significant drop is mainly attributed to rising tariffs on key industrial goods such as steel and aluminum—a trend that is hindering ...

Lebanese-Syrian Border and UNIFIL Renewal: Two Critical Challenges Ahead

France has stepped in decisively to take a leading role in the border demarcation process between Lebanon and Syria—an initiative announced by President Emmanuel Macron during the visit of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to France. According to French sources, Macron expressed his country’s readiness to provide both the Lebanese and Syrian ...

France Hands Over Border Maps to Raggi

Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joe Raggi, received on Thursday the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, who presented him with copies of documents and maps from French archives related to the Lebanon-Syria border. This handover follows Lebanon's official request and a promise made by French President Emmanuel Macron to Lebanese ...

Macron Urges Washington to Quickly Lift Sanctions against Syria

Emmanuel Macron called on Wednesday for the United States to "rush to lift sanctions" against Syria, "with conditions," and to "maintain" its military operations against the Islamic State in the country. "The interest of everyone, including the Americans, is today (...) to act in support of lifting sanctions against the Syrian people," and "to ...

France Defends Cinema Model after Trump Threats

France's culture minister vowed Wednesday to defend the country's system of promoting domestic film production in the face of threats from US President Donald Trump. France has a complex mix of taxes, quotas and levies on film and TV distributors that helps funnel money into the national film sector, making it Europe's cinema powerhouse. "We ...

Cannes 2025: Glamour, Heritage, and Films in Competition

There was a time when Cannes carried an air of carefree charm, when passersby froze mid-step at the chance to lock eyes with Sophia Loren or Alain Delon. People exchanged smiles, hellos, and autographs between melting ice creams and cinema tickets, on a sun-drenched—or rain-soaked—Croisette. Today, Cannes retains its legendary glamour, but its ...