Culture

'Black Phone 2' Rings Up No. 1 at U.S. Box Office
'Black Phone 2' Rings Up No. 1 at U.S. Box Office

Black Phone 2, a horror sequel starring Ethan Hawke, captured the top spot at the North American box office with $26.5 million as spooky season shifts into high gear in the run-up to Halloween, industry estimates showed Sunday. The film from Universal and low-budget horror specialists Blumhouse has excellent critical and audience scores, said ...

Nicole Sarkis Exhibits at the Florence Biennale 2025
Nicole Sarkis Exhibits at the Florence Biennale 2025

Lebanese painter and sculptor Nicole Sarkis is taking part in the Florence Biennale 2025, an international celebration of contemporary art and design. This year’s edition is centered around the theme “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness: Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design,” a reflection on how contrasting ...

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

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
Louvre Closes for Second Day as France Hunts Jewel Thieves

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

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
What Your Handbag Really Reveals About Your Personality

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 ...

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

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
Art and Faith Unite in Tehran’s Virgin Mary Station

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, ...

James Bond 2.0: Can Artificial Intelligence Upstage 007?
ExplainerJames Bond 2.0: Can Artificial Intelligence Upstage 007?

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

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

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 ...

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

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 ...