Latest news with #LeMonde
LeMonde
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
20 must-see exhibitions this summer, in Paris and beyond
For those seeking new discoveries, such as the British painter Barbara Hepworth, or wishing to revisit familiar ground, like the photographic work of Agnès Varda, or to deepen their understanding of classics, including Hokusai or Jean Dubuffet, Le Monde 's critics have selected around 20 exhibitions from across France. Marinette and Henri Cueco: An eclectic duo An inseparable couple, Marinette and Henri Cueco's artistic practices were worlds apart. Henri Cueco (1929-2017) was one of the leading figures of an era when, after the Young Painters' Salon and the movement known as Narrative Figuration, he co-founded, in 1972, the Malassis Cooperative, which brought together artists who were vigorously engaged in politics. Marinette Cueco (1934-2023) spent many years as a teacher while practicing tapestry and weaving, techniques she quickly applied to a particular form of land art. She used plant materials, creating either ground installations or panels hanging on the wall. These abstract works (striking examples of which can be seen through July 26 at the Ceysson & Beynetière gallery in Lyon) are very different from her husband's figurative paintings. The idea behind this juxtaposition, put together at the former paper mill in Uzerche, central France, is to remind people that "neither one left their studio without visiting the other, to observe their work and acknowledge it with a comment or a shared vision," explained their son David, himself a restorer of works of art and one of the exhibition's organizers. Ha. B.
LeMonde
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorney takes aim at accusers in closing argument, defends rapper's sexual 'lifestyle'
Sean "Diddy" Combs's lawyer aimed Friday, June 27, to skewer the credibility of the music mogul's accusers, saying in closing arguments they were out for money while rejecting any notion he led a criminal ring. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo scoffed at the picture painted by prosecutors of a violent, domineering man, who used his employees, wealth and power to foster "a climate of fear" and force women into demeaning, unlawful sex parties. Combs, 55, is a "self-made, successful Black entrepreneur" who had romantic relationships that were "complicated" but ultimately consensual "love stories," Agnifilo said. In his meandering closing arguments, Agnifilo aimed to confuse the narrative US attorney Christy Slavik provided one day prior. She had spent nearly five hours methodically walking the jury through the charges, summarizing thousands of phone, financial, travel and audiovisual records along with nearly seven weeks of testimony from 34 witnesses. In explaining the most serious charge of racketeering, the prosecution said Combs led a criminal enterprise of "loyal lieutenants" and "foot soldiers" who "existed to serve his needs." Central to their case is the claim that senior employees – including his chief-of-staff and security guards – were aware of his actions and actively enabled them. But Agnifilo underscored that none of those individuals testified against Combs, nor were they named as co-conspirators in the indictment. "This is supposed to be simple," the defense counsel told jurors. "If you find that you're in the weeds of this great complexity, maybe it's because it just isn't there." "It takes a lot of courage to acquit," he said in closing. If convicted, Combs faces potential life in prison. 'Not sex trafficking' Agnifilo spent ample time dissecting the testimony of singer Casandra Ventura and a woman who spoke under the pseudonym Jane. Both witnesses described abuse and coercion under Combs in excruciating detail. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey As in their opening statements, Combs's defense conceded that while domestic violence was a feature of the artist's relationships, his outbursts did not amount to the sex trafficking he's charged with. The prosecution showed multiple examples they say are "crystal clear" evidence of trafficking that included coercion into drug-addled sex with paid escorts under threat of reputational, physical or financial harm. The defense countered that the women were consenting adults making their own choices – at times even making light of their harrowing witness testimony. Agnifilo pointed to Ventura's civil lawsuit against Combs in which she was granted $20 million: "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it would be Cassie," he said. Ventura spent days on the stand, speaking through tears as she described brutal physical violence, emotional manipulation and fear that Combs would ruin her career or reputation if she left him. Addressing an infamous video of Combs beating Ventura in a hotel hallway, Agnifilo acknowledged it was "terrible" and "very much domestic violence," but insisted the video "is not sex trafficking." 'Drugged, covered in oil' Prosecutors have explained to jurors however that the case is "not about free choices" and that the women involved were "drugged, covered in oil, sore, exhausted." Agnifilo questioned testimony from both Ventura and Jane about being coerced into sex with male escorts, scenarios core to charges related to transportation for purposes of prostitution. "This was a lifestyle. You want to call it swingers, you want to call it threesomes... that's all it is," Agnifilo said. In taking on drug distribution accusations, which are among the eight possible acts that could result in a racketeering conviction, Agnifilo said that too was simply part of Combs's party boy lifestyle. "They seem to be doing what people in creative fields do," the lawyer said. Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages of affection and desire from both women – but prosecutor Slavik said taking those words literally, and in isolation, doesn't paint the whole picture. Slavik repeatedly referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by their abusers. The government has the last word: Prosecutor Maurene Comey will rebut Agnifilo's argument, the last piece of the proceedings jurors will hear before they head into the weekend. And on Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will instruct jurors on how they are to apply the law to the evidence during their deliberations before they are handed the case.
LeMonde
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Amazon tycoon Bezos says 'I do' in Venice as activists line the canals urging to 'Tax Billionaires'
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tied the knot Friday, June 27, at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice's lagoon. "This city seems impossible! It can't exist and yet, here it is!" an enchanted Bezos told a La Repubblica journalist Thursday who got close to the magnate as he whizzed around the canals by boat. But protesters had a different view, wondering how long Venice can endure: While the billionaires party, activists say the fragile city is sinking, overrun by tourists, and a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out. "No Kings, No Bezos" read a sign in green neon projected on the St Mark's Campanile tower on Thursday night. "Tax Billionaires," read protest signs along the city's canals. "In the time it takes you to read this, Jeff Bezos's wealth has increased by more than your monthly salary," they read in English and Italian. Bezos and Sanchez, a former news anchor and entertainment reporter, celebrated their nuptials with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom. The tech magnate, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto bridge. Other A-list guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis. The couple exchanged vows at a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore Friday afternoon, according to Italian and US media reports. The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said. Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake has been made by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, the Corriere della Sera said. Sanchez is alleged to have prepared 27 outfits to wear during the festivities. Sanchez late Friday posted a photo on Instagram – under a new name, laurensanchezbezos – showing her in a long flowing white dress and Bezos in a black tux. Vogue, in a digital cover story featuring the bride, later posted that the gown was Dolce&Gabbana, "inspired by the one Sophia Loren wore in the 1958 film Houseboat." Mega yachts and dozens of jets Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, French luxury goods executive Francois-Henri Pinault, American football player Tom Brady, US fashion designer Spencer Antle, the singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner. Bezos and Sanchez are donating three million euros ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans. Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags that will also contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Ivanka Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano on Wednesday, according to the owner. "They were amazed and enchanted by the magic of glass," Massimiliano Schiavon told the Corriere della Sera, adding that the family had a go at blowing glass. Venice, home to the oldest film festival in the world, is used to VIPs whizzing around in speed boats, and happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014. Italy's tourism ministry said Friday it expected the wedding to bring the city nearly one billion euros, with about 895 million of that estimated to come from the "media visibility" generated. Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets – at least 95 – bringing the rich and famous to the city. Meanwhile, Italy's health ministry has issued a red heat alert for Venice for the weekend, part of a heatwave affecting much of southern Europe.
LeMonde
18 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Congo and Rwanda sign a US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday, June 27, signed a peace deal facilitated by the US to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the US government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it "an important moment after 30 years of war." Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for "one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen": "I was able to get them together and sell it. And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from Congo." The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the US and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. Congo and Rwanda send top diplomats to sign Congo's Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner invoked the millions of victims of the conflict in signing the agreement with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Both expressed optimism but stressed significant work still to do to end the fighting. "Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear," Wagner said. "Those who have suffered the most are watching. They are expecting this agreement to be respected, and we cannot fail them." Nduhungirehe noted the "great deal of uncertainty" because previous agreements were not put in place. "There is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy," he said. "But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached." They, along with Rubio, lauded the support of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in facilitating the agreement, which Doha has been working on for months at the request of the US and others. The agreement has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. The peace deal is not likely to quickly end the conflict The deal is at the heart of the US government's push to counter China in Africa. For many years, Chinese companies have been a key player in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda , where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. Since then, the ongoing conflict in east Congo has killed 6 million people, in attacks, famines and unchecked disease outbreaks stemming from the fighting.
LeMonde
19 hours ago
- LeMonde
Syringe attacks at France-wide music event: How panic spread on social media
The photo shows a plastic bag from a pharmacy in the southern French city of Perpignan, with the message scrawled across it: "I have everything I need to inject on Saturday." Published on Snapchat, the image was one example among several alleged calls to "inject people with syringes during the Fête de la Musique," according to the news monitoring account ActuReact, which shared this message with its 120,000 followers on Instagram. As early as June 17, this online media outlet was the first to warn that some internet users were encouraging such assaults at the French music event. Reached by Le Monde, the French high school student who runs the account said his team had "infiltrated" Snapchat groups preparing these actions in several French cities. In the following days, he also shared "advice" on what to do in case of a syringe attack, content that was reposted by the popular feminist account Abrègesœur on TikTok and Instagram. The rumor snowballed. Across social media, mainly teenagers posted warnings for young women, who were said to be the main targets of these syringe attacks with incapacitating drugs, allegedly intended to facilitate sexual assault. Meanwhile, on June 20, controversial influencer Amine Mojito posted a video in the same vein as his usual tasteless "pranks": He pretended to inject unsuspecting tourists. Shocking and viral, the clip circulated widely and was condemned by many. Outlandish rumors This was the atmosphere as the Fête de la Musique took place on Saturday, June 21. According to a report released Sunday by the Interior Ministry, nearly 145 people – most of them young women – contacted authorities with suspicions of having been attacked with a syringe.
