The Global Times

Baghdad - Iraq hosted senior parliamentary officials from arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran on Saturday as Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi sought to bolster his country's nascent role as a mediator in the region. Delegations including the heads of parliament from Turkey, Kuwait, Syria and Jordan also attended the one-day conference in the Iraqi capital to discuss regional security, diplomacy and economic issues. Abdul Mahdi recently returned from visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia, both oil-super-powers that have long been vying for dominance in the Middle East. It is unusual for Saudi and Iranian officials to attend the same events.

Beijing - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman cemented a $10 billion deal for a refining and petrochemical complex in China on Friday, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping who urged joint efforts to counter extremism. The Saudi delegation, including top executives from state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco, arrived on Thursday on an Asia tour that has already seen the kingdom pledge investment of $20 billion in Pakistan and seek to make additional investments in India’s refining industry.

Dubai - Iran is ready to work with all of its neighbors to secure peace in the Middle East in the face of U.S. and Israeli aggression, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, in his latest attempt to weaken ties between regional rival Saudi Arabia and America. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been fighting proxy wars for years, backing opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen. But pressure is building on Tehran after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions. Saudi Arabia welcomed the move.

Dubaï - Le ministre français de l'Economie et des Finances Bruno Le Maire a profité d'un forum international dimanche à Dubaï pour prononcer un vibrant plaidoyer en faveur d'une "Europe plus forte" et d'un "nouveau capitalisme plus juste". "Nous (l'Europe) voulons être une puissance politique" entre les Etats-Unis et la Chine, a dit M. Le Maire qui s'exprimait en anglais au World Government Summit, un sommet annuel sur la gouvernance mondiale qui réunit des décideurs politiques et économiques du monde entier. "Nous voulons aller plus en profondeur" avec la création en 2021 d'un budget pour la zone Euro, ce qui ouvrira "une nouvelle phase pour notre union économique et monétaire", a-t-il dit. Le ministre a cependant admis que "beaucoup de changements" devaient être opérés pour améliorer le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne et que certaines règles communautaires étaient "dépassées".

by Kristin Smith Diwan for the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington

On February 5, Pope Francis concluded a historic three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first-ever trip of a pontiff and leader of the Roman Catholic Church to the Arabian Peninsula. This landmark event was preceded by years of preparation and represents the most high-profile of a series of initiatives positioning the UAE as a champion of interfaith dialogue, moderation, and pluralism. These stand as ideational touchstones for Emirati soft power, tying together the UAE's positioning as an economic hub within the global economy, its leadership in the Middle East, and its outreach to the broader international community.

Papal Visit, Clerical Initiatives, and a "Year of Tolerance"

Pope Francis' activities in the UAE aimed to highlight the country's leadership role in several distinct realms: tolerance of different faith communities at home, championing the meeting of religious leaders with the Arab world's foremost Islamic leadership, and facilitation of interfaith dialogue globally. The pontiff's visit was organized to coincide with the Global Conference for Human Fraternity, a dialogue among leaders of the Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh faiths focused on encouraging peaceful coexistence among communities.

Abu Dhabi - To coincide with the historic visits to the UAE by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sherif, a new book celebrating the country’s diversity was launched today. Published by Dubai-based Motivate Publishing and entitled ‘Celebrating Tolerance: Religious Diversity in the United Arab Emirates’, the book was launched at a ceremony at the British Embassy, hosted by British Ambassador Patrick Moody. In a Foreword to the book, Sheikh Nahyan says that, "Because we live so harmoniously together in the United Arab Emirates, we may suspect that our various religions might all value tolerance. This anthology serves the essential purpose of converting our vague suspicion into fact. That wonderful fact of tolerance deserves the celebration accorded by this splendid book. To ensure that the celebration never ends, we must communicate and protect the fact by always acting in the spirit of the fact. Without our active attention, tolerance can swiftly vanish. Let the essays in this book inspire tolerance in perpetuity." Introducing the event, Moody quoted Britain’s Queen Elizabeth on what she described as the importance of a "continued focus on patience, friendship, a strong community focus and considering the needs of others." 

Abu Dhabi Full video HD

Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, stated that the historic joint visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, to the UAE reflects the country’s efforts to establish the values of tolerance around the world, which have made the UAE a model of civilised coexistence.

Damascus - Military operations against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in Syria are wrapping up and the last pocket of the jihadists’ “caliphate” will be flushed out within a month, Mazloum Kobani, the chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, has said. “The operation of our forces against [IS] in its last pocket has reached its end and [IS] fighters are now surrounded in one area,” AFP quoted the top commander as saying.

United Nations - Russia on Tuesday slammed a planned US-Polish conference on peace and security in the Middle East as “counterproductive” because of its focus on countering Iran, and said it would not attend. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced plans for the major conference in Warsaw on February 13 and 14 to be attended by ministers from a dozen countries. Addressing the UN Security Council, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the conference would fail to bolster Middle East security because of its “one-country aspect” and failure to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Davos, Switzerland - Global elites arriving in Davos for the World Economic Forum on Monday were met with urgent IMF warnings about swelling inequality and popular anger fueling dangerous economic uncertainty. Even before the official kick-off of the annual week of networking and socialising by the world's rich and influential, it was clear that this year's event would be under the sign of increasing global instability, risk and an upsurge in angry populism. Leaders from the US, France, Britain and Zimbabawe have stayed home from the posh Swiss ski resort in order to put out political fires back home, largely buffeted by popular anger against the elite.

Londres - La Première ministre britannique Theresa May présente lundi son "plan B" pour le Brexit aux députés qui ont massivement rejeté la semaine dernière l'accord de divorce qu'elle avait difficilement négocié avec l'Union européenne. A dix semaines seulement de la sortie prévue de l'Union européenne, le 29 mars, la dirigeante conservatrice doit trouver une voie pour éviter à la cinquième économie mondiale une rupture sans accord, synonyme de risques de pénuries, d'embouteillages monstres aux abords des ports et d'effondrement de la livre. Et ce alors que plusieurs groupes de députés ont prévu de tenter de court-circuiter son gouvernement, pour éviter un "no deal" ou reporter la date de sortie.

Beirut/Jerusalem - Israel struck in Syria early on Monday as part of its increasingly open assault on Iran’s presence there, shaking the night sky over Damascus with an hour of loud explosions in a second consecutive night of military action. The threat of open confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has long simmered in Syria, as the Iranian military has established a presence there since early in its civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad against rebels. Israel, regarding Iran as its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets and those of allied militia, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in Syria, aiming to push them far from its frontier.

Ankara has asked the United States to hand over 16 of its military bases in northern Syria, which were set up for the fight against ISIL, to Turkey or local authorities in the region after the U.S. withdraws, the Turkish presidential spokesperson said after discussions with U.S. officials. “We are pleased with [President Donald] Trump’s decision for withdrawal [from Syria], but it needs to be clarified as to what kind of structure will be left behind, what will happen to the heavy weapons that have been deployed, the fate of American military bases and logistics centers. In this meeting we discussed these in detail,” presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said on Jan. 8.

Moscow - Russian military police have begun patrolling around the Syrian city of Manbij, a spokesman said Tuesday, moving into an area once held by US-backed Kurdish forces. Russian forces are acting in support of Syrian government troops who recently deployed around Manbij, in Aleppo province near the border with Turkey. Kurdish fighters, fearing a Turkish military assault, invited regime forces into Manbij late last month after US President Donald Trump's shock announcement of a full American withdrawal from Syria.

U.S. foreign policy experts assess the likelihood and impact of thirty potential crises or conflicts around the world in the coming year in CFR’s annual survey.

Each year since 2008, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Center for Preventive Action (CPA) has asked foreign policy experts to rank thirty ongoing or potential conflicts based on their likelihood of occurring or escalating in the next year and their potential impact on U.S. national interests.

by Juan Cole

Trump shook up the Washington establishment and Middle Eastern and world politics on Wednesday by abruptly announcing by Tweet a full and immediate withdrawal of US military forces from northeast Syria.

Riyadh - Saudi Arabia has rejected a resolution by the US Senate directly blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Riyadh has accused Washington of undermining its sovereignty. Saudi Arabia has "categorically" rejected a resolution from the US Senate blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and another to end American military support for a Riyadh-led war in Yemen.

Stockholm - On the sidelines of the Sweden Consultations, the Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory Group held meetings with the two parties as well as members of the diplomatic community and the Foreign Minister of Sweden, Ms. Margot Wallström.

Doha - Qatar's long-delayed national museum, a sprawling 52,000-square metre building in the capital Doha, will finally open in March 2019, officials said on Monday. Estimated to have cost $434 million (380 million euros), the French-designed museum in the shape of a desert rose was first due to open in 2016 but is now set to start welcoming the public next year. "It is definitely opening on March 28th," said Karen Exell, senior museum development specialist.  "It has been delayed before, we've had a big push this last year and it's very important to the whole team to now reach the end of this journey".

Doha - Women’s representation in mediation remains persistently low despite normative commitments made to increase women’s roles in peace and security. There is a gap between the peacebuilding work of women mediators and the representation of women in high-level peacemaking.

par Edgar Morin

Les gilets jaunes sont le signe d’une crise de foi. Crise de la foi dans l’État, dans les institutions, dans les partis, dans la démocratie, dans ce que les partis appellent le système tout en faisant partie du système. La jaunisse est le signe d’une crise de foie. Les gilets jaunes sont le signe d’une crise de foi. Crise de la foi dans l’État, dans les institutions, dans les partis, dans la démocratie, dans ce que les partis appellent le système tout en faisant partie du système. L’irruption soudaine de ce mouvement imprévu, son ampleur, ses désordres, puis les violences de samedi nous obligent à réviser les modes de penser prééminents sur notre société, sur sa civilisation, sur leurs carences et misères tant physiques que morales, sur notre République, sur notre présent, notre avenir et à repenser notre Politique.

Doha - Over the last seven years and more, Syria has undergone one of the worst human tragedies in living memory. This once proud and splendid country with its fabled cities of Damascus and Aleppo has been largely destroyed and great parts of its population have fled in one of the major refugee-migrations of recent history. Syria’s fate concerns everyone, but especially its neighbours in the Middle East. It is for this reason the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha presents “Syria Matters” to highlight the extraordinary cultural heritage of this country, and at the same time plead to safeguard this unique legacy in danger.

EU/E4 political consultations on regional issues with Iran were hosted in Brussels on 10 December 2018. This is the fourth edition of talks in this format.

Les médias étrangers sont largement revenus sur l’acte 4 de la mobilisation des gilets à Paris et en province. Si les articles sont largement consacrés aux violences en marge de ces manifestations, l’attention se porte désormais sur Emmanuel Macron et la réponse qu’il peut apporter à cette crise.

London - A Ketubbah from Jamaica and an Esther Scroll from Canton province, China, are but two of a rich array of objects from around the world featured in Sotheby’s upcoming Important Judaica auction (19 December). The sale is highlighted by a particularly magnificent assortment of Italian Judaica along with works from Morocco, England and more. Click ahead to discover these objects that reflect the global history of Jewish life and customs.

Saint Petersburg - On 7 December 2018, Russian Orthodox St Catherine’s Day, the monographic exhibition Piero della Francesca opens in the State Hermitage, bringing together works by one of the most celebrated 14th-century masters from art collections in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Britain. 

Doha - Qatari Amir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani received a written message from King of Saudi Arabia, inviting the Amir to attend the 39th Summit of the Supreme Council of the GCC, to be held on Dec 9.

President Mauricio Macri discusses his G20 vision and hopes in this new column for the Buenos Aires Times.

by Mauricio Macri

by Michael R. Pompeo

The Trump administration’s effort to rebuild the U.S.-Saudi Arabia partnership isn’t popular in the salons of Washington, where politicians of both parties have long used the kingdom’s human-rights record to call for the alliance’s downgrading. The October murder of Saudi national Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey has heightened the Capitol Hill caterwauling and media pile-on. But degrading U.S.-Saudi ties would be a grave mistake for the national security of the U.S. and its allies.

Tunis - Le Syndicat national des journalistes tunisiens (SNJT) est revenu, dans un communiqué rendu public ce mardi 27 novembre 2018, sur la visite du président du syndicat, Néji Bghouri en Syrie et sa rencontre avec le président syrien Bachar Al Assad, apportant des éclaircissements autour de cette visite. En effet, les syndicalistes arabes ont été invités en Syrie en tant que membres élus du secrétariat général de l’Union des journalistes arabes et non pas en tant que représentants de leurs syndicats nationaux.

L’horreur du «califat » de Daesh au Levant entre 2014 et 2017 et son terrorisme planétaire ont été une conséquence paradoxale des «printemps arabes» de 2011. Pourtant ceux-ci avaient été célébrés dans l’enthousiasme des slogans démocratiques universels et de la «révolution 2.0». Comment s’est installé ce chaos, et peut-on en sortir pour de bon après l’élimination militaire de l’«État islamique»?

Depuis qu’elle est petite, il suffit à Magdalena d’ôter ses lunettes pour que le monde se dissolve autour d’elle. Réfugiée dans le brouillard de sa myopie, elle ne distingue plus ces étranges marques sur la peau des gens, ces mots qu’elle est la seule à voir et qui trahissent les secrets de leurs vies. Un flot d’informations dont elle ne sait que faire. Mais à vingt ans, quand sa meilleure amie meurt accidentellement - un drame qu’elle aurait pu prévenir -, Magdalena va tenter de se racheter.

par Silvia Castello

«Le plus souvent maintenant quand je pensais à elle, je la voyais devant le porche d’une cathédrale, m’expliquant la signification des statues, et, avec un sourire qui disait du bien de moi, me présentant comme son ami, à Bergotte. Et toujours le charme de toutes les idées que faisaient naître en moi les cathédrales, le charme des coteaux de l’Île-de-France et des plaines de la Normandie faisait refluer ses reflets sur l’image que je me formais de Mlle Swann : c’était être tout prêt à l’aimer. »

Washington - The kingdom is a "steadfast partner" that has agreed to invest "a record amount of money" in the US, Mr Trump said in a statement. 

Ryad - Le roi Salmane d'Arabie saoudite a fait l'éloge de la justice de son pays et apporté son soutien au prince héritier Mohammed dans son premier discours public depuis le meurtre du journaliste saoudien Jamal Khashoggi, une affaire au retentissement mondial qui a considérablement terni l'image du Ryad. La semaine dernière, le procureur général saoudien a disculpé le puissant prince Mohammed ben Salmane, l'un des fils du roi, du meurtre de Khashoggi qui a eu lieu le 2 octobre au consulat saoudien d'Istanbul. Mais la CIA a conclu qu'il était derrière ce meurtre, selon le Washington Post. Le président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a affirmé quant à lui que l'ordre de tuer est venu du "plus haut niveau" du gouvernement saoudien.

by Max Walden

In October, Latin America's most populous nation, Brazil, elected as president Jair Bolsonaro, a former military man and historically fringe, far-right senator known for his pro-gun, pro-torture views. In 1999, he told Brazilian television, "Elections won't change anything in this country. It will only change on the day that we break out in civil war here and do the job that the military regime didn't do: killing 30,000. If some innocent people die, that's fine. In every war, innocent people die." Elsewhere in the world, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Recep Erdogan, Viktor Orban and Rodrigo Duterte are some of the names that have dominated headlines as leaders who are spearheading the world's reported march towards authoritarianism.

Paris - Plus de 70 chefs d’Etats se sont retrouvés dimanche 11 novembre dans l’après-midi dans l’Est parisien pour participer au Forum de la paix, deuxième temps fort de cette journée de commémorations de la Grande Guerre, après la cérémonie à l’arc de Triomphe. Donald Trump était absent de ce forum de la paix, grand-messe du multilatéralisme et coopération. Il s’est rendu à la place au cimetière américain de Suresnes.

Washington - Top representatives from the European Union, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said they regretted the U.S. decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran. In a joint statement, foreign ministers and finance ministers pledged to protect European companies doing legitimate business with the Islamic Republic. They reiterated their support for the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the United States withdrew from in May 2018.

Washington - On November 5, President Hassan Rouhani condemned the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran. “We have to make Americans understand that they cannot talk to the great Iranian nation with the language of pressure and sanctions. They have to be punished,” he told officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance. Rouhani also vowed to defy the United States.

London - Bonhams is to offer an extensive draft of Robert Schumann's 1837 piano masterpiece Fantasiestücke Opus 12 – written in the composer's own hand – at the Fine Books and Manuscripts sale in London on Tuesday 27 November 2018. The draft, which is unknown to music scholars, is estimated at £200,000-300,000, and was taken out of Germany months before the outbreak of World War II by the distinguished German jurist Dr Moritz Sprinz.

#MetJewelry 

Hanoi - La France "ne met rien sous le tapis" sur le sujet des droits de l'Homme au Vietnam communiste mais s'exprime en privé sur la question avec le régime et pas "par la presse", a affirmé dimanche le Premier ministre français Edouard Philippe au dernier jour de sa visite dans le pays. Interrogé par des journalistes sur cette question sensible, le chef du gouvernement français a répondu que le sujet était abordé "dans les forums qui vont bien, de la façon dont nous avons toujours procédé". "Nous ne mettons rien sous le tapis, mais nous avons des discussions avec les autorités vietnamiennes qui ne passent pas par la presse", a-t-il plaidé.

Il y a des sujets qui résistent. Le Yémen, par exemple. La guerre atroce qui s’y déroule et que seul M. Kepel sait nous expliquer au plus fin[1] n’est absolument pas saisie par les esprits. Saisir la guerre au Yémen, une fois passées les explications pédagogiques, relève simplement de l’impossible. Et comme toujours, les cinéastes, les photographes sont de ceux qui arrivent à capter quelque chose. Ils ne savaient pas, eux non plus, comment saisir la chose, et la chose s’est présentée d’elle-même : un groupe d’enfants pique-niquant sur la tombe de leurs parents écroulés sous les bombes. Il fait beau, soudain le garçon, un « petit garçon », se met à pleurer. Les autres le consolent tout en continuant le pique-nique, c’est ainsi que vont les choses, là-bas, dans ce pays où personne ne va. La scène filmée n’a rien de sordide, ni de perverse dans la fascination. On se demande même ce qui fait qu’il n’y a pas de malaise. La douceur de l’air peut être, le soleil sur la poussière, allez savoir. Qui s’occupe désormais de ces enfants ? On aperçoit une sorte d’oncle, mais ce n’est pas sûr. Et puis que s’est-il passé depuis ce jour de printemps ? Sont ils toujours en vie, au moins ?

After touring to Paris, New York, Hong Kong and and Los Angeles, this masterpiece will be offered on 13 November 2018 from the collection of Barney A. Ebsworth.

#RomanticismoMilano

Abou Dhabi - Une ministre israélienne a visité une célèbre mosquée d'Abou Dhabi alors qu'Israël et les Emirats arabes unis n'ont pas de relations diplomatiques, une première qui marque la volonté de rapprochement de l'Etat hébreu avec des pays arabes. La ministre israélienne de la Culture et des Sports Miri Regev a posté sur sa page Facebook une vidéo d'elle visitant dimanche la mosquée Cheikh Zayed, à Abou Dhabi.

Bruxelles - La Commission européenne attend de Jair Bolsonaro, leader d'extrême droite élu à la tête du Brésil dimanche, qu'il travaille à "consolider la démocratie", a déclaré lundi une porte-parole de l'institution lors du point presse quotidien. "Nous attendons de tout futur président du pays (qu'il) travaille pour consolider la démocratie, au bénéfice du peuple brésilien", a affirmé cette porte-parole, Natasha Bertaud, interrogée sur l'élection de M. Bolsonaro.

Istanbul - The leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Turkey stressed the importance on Saturday of a lasting ceasefire in Syria, and said a committee to create a new constitution should meet by the end of the year.

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, MEPs condemn in the strongest possible terms the torture and killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. They also call for an impartial, international investigation into his death to find out what actually happened inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, and for those responsible to be brought to justice. The text notes that the murder is unlikely to have happened without the knowledge or control of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte pledged Wednesday to boost economic ties between their countries despite European Union sanctions against Russia. They also agreed to pool efforts to help settle the political crisis in Libya. Making his first trip to Russia since taking office in June, Conte hailed the country as an essential global player and invited Putin to visit Italy in the near future. He said he hoped Moscow would participate in a conference on Libya taking place next month. The Italian premier said the split between the European Union and Russia over the Ukrainian crisis had lasted too long, adding that Italy hopes to convince its EU partners about the need for dialogue. For Italy, the sanctions aren’t the goal, they are an instrument that would be better left behind,” said Conte, who was a law professor before he became the consensus prime minister pick of the populist coalition now governing Italy.

Ankara - Erdogan said Turkey had strong evidence Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated and "savage" murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. He also called for the suspects to be tried in Istanbul.

Paris - De l’appartement familial des Quatre Cents Coups au Gaumont-Palace aperçu dans Domicile conjugal et au théâtre Saint-Georges du Dernier Métro, François Truffaut a utilisé dans ses films de nombreux décors de son quartier d’enfance, entre Pigalle et la place de Clichy. Le réalisateur ne s’aventure qu’exceptionnellement sur la rive gauche, dont l’existence n’est guère attestée que par de lointaines apparitions de la tour Eiffel. Si l’œuvre de Truffaut est plus poétique que documentaire, elle offre cependant au spectateur d’aujourd’hui de contempler un Paris où les portes cochères ne sont pas encore condamnées par des digicodes, un Paris où le téléphone se trouve au café d’en bas, un Paris où le laitier dépose ses bouteilles à l’aube devant le rideau de fer des crèmeries… Un Paris dont le cinéma est le dernier refuge.

"After almost three weeks, facts are finally emerging, confirming that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the premises of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on 2 October 2018. The European Union expresses its deepest condolences to his family and friends and pays tribute to the memory of this respected journalist who was in direct contact for his work with many European institutions and organisations. We reaffirm our commitment to the freedom of the press and the protection of journalists across the world. The emerging circumstances of Jamal Khashoggi’s death are deeply troubling, including the shocking violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and particularly its Article 55. Therefore the European Union, like its partners, insists on the need for continued thorough, credible and transparent investigation, shedding proper clarity on the circumstances of the killing and ensuring full accountability of all those responsible for it. The memory of Jamal Khashoggi, the family of the journalist as well as his friends deserve justice."

Riyad – Washington - Saudi Arabia said on Saturday a missing journalist had died in a fight inside its Istanbul consulate and it had fired two senior officials over his death, an account President Donald Trump said was credible but U.S. lawmakers found hard to believe. (Photo via KSAMOFA Twitter) 

Anéantie par les excès de l’humanité et des guerres interminables, la Terre n’est plus que cendres et désolation. Seuls les plus riches survivent, forcés de s’adapter à des conditions apocalyptiques. Leurs corps se sont transformés, albinos, stériles, les survivants se voient désormais contraints de mourir le jour de leurs cinquante ans. Tous vivent dans la peur, sous le joug du sanguinaire Jean de Men. Christine Pizan a quarante-neuf ans. La date fatidique approche . Rebelle, artiste, elle adule le souvenir d’une héroïne, Jeanne, prétendument morte sur le bûcher. Jeanne serait la dernière à avoir osé s’opposer au tyran. En bravant les interdits et en racontant l'histoire de Jeanne, Christine parviendra-t-elle à faire sonner l’heure de la rébellion?

#VogueFashionFestival #Paris 

Paris - Première exposition temporaire thématique du Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris depuis son ouverture en octobre 2017, « L’Asie rêvée d’Yves Saint Laurent » rassemblera une cinquantaine de modèles haute couture inspirés de l’Inde, de la Chine et du Japon. Ces pièces issues de la collection du musée seront présentées en dialogue avec des objets d’art asiatiques prêtés par le musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet et par des collectionneurs privés.

The subject of the present work comes from Leo Tolstoy's novella of the same title published in 1889 (though quickly censored for its controversial content) and recounts the tale of Pozdnyshev, a man who has abandoned music while his wife continues to play the piano, often with the violinist, Trukachevsky. Pozdnyshev's jealousy becomes all-consuming after attending the duo's recital of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, a piece known for its musical range suggesting emotions from dark anger to deep meditation to exuberant joy.

Paris - Egon Schiele’s work is indissociable from the Viennese spirit of the early 20th century. In just a few years, his drawing emerged as one of the peaks of expressionism. At odds with the Academy, which he entered precociously, he founded the Neukunstgruppe in 1909 and, thanks to Gustav Klimt, discovered the work of Van Gogh, Munch and Toorop.

Paris - La société de ventes aux enchères Piasa et Jean-Baptiste de Proyart, Libraire-Expert, ont l’honneur de présenter aux enchères les 29 et 30 octobre prochains la partie moderne de la bibliothèque de François Mitterrand, ancien Président de la République française de 1981 à 1995.

Moscou - L'Eglise orthodoxe russe a annoncé lundi à Minsk rompre ses liens avec le Patriarcat de Constantinople après sa décision de reconnaître une Eglise orthodoxe indépendante en Ukraine. "Nous ne pouvons plus célébrer d'office en commun, nos prêtres ne pourront plus participer aux liturgies avec des hiérarques du Patriarcat de Constantinople", a déclaré aux journalistes le métropolite Hilarion, chargé de la diplomatie du Patriarcat de Moscou, à l'issue d'un synode de l'Eglise orthodoxe russe.

Le jour de l’investiture de Barack Obama, un énigmatique millionnaire venu d’un lointain Orient prend ses quartiers dans le bijou architectural des “Jardins”, une communauté préservée nichée au cœur de Greenwich Village, à New York. Flanqué d’une jeune maîtresse russe, la sulfureuse Vasilisa, Néron Golden est accompagné de ses trois fils adultes, aussi brillants que névrosés : Petronius, dit Petya, l’agoraphobe génie de l’informatique, Lucius Apuleius, dit Apu, l’artiste mystique, et Dionysos, dit D., l’indéfini sexuel. Parmi les demeures qui ceignent les Jardins se trouve celle de René Unterlinden, jeune cinéaste putatif, traumatisé par la récente disparition de ses parents dans un accident. Quand les Golden emménagent, René, comprenant que ces fascinants nouveaux voisins seront son remède et sa muse, fait leur connaissance, devient leur familier et calque l’écriture du scénario de son film sur les événements qui secouent cette maisonnée dont bien des secrets, passés, présents et futurs, lui échappent encore.

#LaBiennaleParis

#LFF 

Milano civiltà del lusso. Fino al 30 settembre 2018 Palazzo Reale ospita la mostra Luxus. Lo Stupore della Bellezza a cura di Stefano Zecchi. “Il lusso ci mette di fronte al significato prezioso della bellezza e riflette una volontà di vita nella bellezza: cosa esso sia lo comprendiamo attraverso l’educazione estetica. Lusso è il risultato di un’esperienza sentimentale che forma l’identità personale, in cui il rapporto con l’arte è decisivo”.

par Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir

« Le fait est que je suis écrivain : une femme écrivain, ce n’est pas une femme d’intérieur qui écrit mais quelqu’un dont toute l’existence est commandée par l’écriture », déclare Simone de Beauvoir dans La Force des choses.

Brussels - European leaders struggled to overcome deep divisions on migration at a tense EU summit that dragged into the early morning hours of Friday before yielding vague pledges to strengthen external borders and explore new migrant centers. The meeting in Brussels, dominated by a nine-hour dinner, underscored how Europe's 2015 spike in immigration continues to haunt the bloc despite a sharp drop in arrivals of people fleeing conflict and economic hardship in the Middle East and Africa.

di Silvia Castello

Città del Vaticano - Papa Francesco ha ricevuto questa mattina in udienza il presidente francese Emmanuel Macron. Incontro di rito e cordiali colloqui  - in cui sono stati sottolineati i buoni rapporti bilaterali esistenti tra la Santa Sede e la Francia. Il dialogo ha affrontato soprattutto le “questioni globali di interesse condiviso”, quali la protezione dell’ambiente, le migrazioni e l’impegno a livello multilaterale per la prevenzione e la risoluzione dei conflitti, specialmente in relazione al disarmo. La conversazione ha inoltre consentito “uno scambio di valutazione su alcune situazioni di conflitto, particolarmente nel Medio Oriente e in Africa”. Infine, - rivela ancora il comunicato della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede – “non è mancata una riflessione congiunta circa le prospettive del progetto europeo”.

Singapore - US President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave his "unwavering commitment" to work towards denuclearisation during their summit.

Quebec City - The United States and Canada swung sharply toward a diplomatic and trade crisis on Sunday as top White House advisers lashed out at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a day after U.S. President Trump called him “very dishonest and weak.” The spat drew in Germany and France, who sharply criticized Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw his support for a Group of Seven communique hammered out at a Canadian summit on Saturday, accusing him of destroying trust and acting inconsistently.

(Photo Casa de S. M. el Rey)

Rome - Le nouveau chef du gouvernement italien Giuseppe Conte demande mercredi la confiance des députés sur un programme tournant le dos à l'austérité, mais pas à l'Europe, après avoir obtenu la veille celle des sénateurs.

Milan - The return of Verdi’s Attila conducted by Riccardo Chailly will open a great Season with 15 opera titles, 7 ballets (plus 2 guest productions from the Tokyo Ballet), 8 symphonic programs and 7 voice recitals. The calendar is completed by extraordinary concerts and the performances for children. On stage, the best singers, soloists, conductors and stage directors will add another memorable year to the history of La Scala.

Paris - Emmanuel Macron, a mis en garde mardi contre toute « escalade » vers une guerre au Moyen-Orient alors que le premier ministre d’Israël, Benjamin Nétanyahou, l’exhortait à mettre une « pression maximale » sur l’Iran pour l’empêcher d’accéder à l’arme nucléaire. « J’invite tout le monde à stabiliser la situation et à ne pas céder à cette escalade parce qu’elle ne mènerait qu’à une chose, le conflit », a lancé Emmanuel Macron à l’issue d’un entretien avec M. Nétanyahou à l’Élysée.

L'évènement Chagall, Lissitzky, Malévitch

The EU supports the process of economic and social reform underway in China. It backs China's transition towards an open society based upon the rule of law and respect for human rights, and believes this will benefit China's development and social stability. Over ninety dialogues and working groups feed the work of the annual EU-China Summit.

Rome - Italy's anti-establishment parties revived coalition plans on Thursday, ending three months of political turmoil by announcing a government that promises to increase spending, challenge European Union fiscal rules and crack down on immigration. The coalition deal, following inconclusive elections in March, removes the risk of a repeat vote, a prospect that had sparked a big selloff in Italian financial markets this week. The leaders of the right-wing League and the 5-Star Movement patched up their alliance after agreeing to substitute a eurosceptic they had initially proposed as economy minister, a nomination that had been rejected by the head of state.

Statement by High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini following today's speech by US Secretary of State Pompeo on Iran. We have listened attentively to today's speech by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, addressed not only to the audiences in Iran, but also to all those in support of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The Iran Nuclear Deal and continuing support for it are major achievements of international diplomacy, ensuring that Iran’s nuclear capacities remain exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Cannes - For Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, the fifth time was the charm at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, as he pocketed the Palme d'Or for “Shoplifters” here on May 19. Kore-eda, 55, admitted that he was so surprised at winning the festival's top prize that his legs were shaking. “I’m really happy that I can be up here,” Kore-eda said after receiving the Palme d'Or on stage from actress Cate Blanchett, head of the jury.

Vienna - President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that Iran would remain committed to the 2015 nuclear deal if its interests were protected, while his foreign minister hoped the pact could be redesigned without Washington as a member. The U.S. withdrawal from the accord on Tuesday was a “violation of morals”, Rouhani said in remarks carried by state television. “If the remaining five countries continue to abide by the agreement, Iran will remain in the deal despite the will of America,” he said. Rouhani made similarly conciliatory comments on Tuesday, and on Saturday, foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif began a tour of other signatory nations in an attempt to save the deal. Zarif said in Beijing on Sunday: “We hope that with this visit to China and other countries we will be able to construct a clear future design for the comprehensive agreement.”

Cannes - Le réalisateur iranien Jafar Panahi, interdit de voyager à l’étranger, n’a pas assisté samedi soir à Cannes à la projection de son film « Trois visages », en lice pour la Palme d’or, a rapporté l’Afp.

Moscow - The foreign ministers of Germany and Russia said on Thursday they were working to preserve the Iran nuclear deal after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Washington would leave it and ordered sanctions reimposed on Tehran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was crucial Iran sticks to its obligations under the international 2015 deal despite Trump promising to impose new sanctions on Tehran. Moscow, he said, could use its influence on Tehran to that end. “It is necessary that Iran stays in the agreement. It is in Iran’s interest, too, to keep the agreement alive,” Maas said after meeting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

www.cinematheque.fr 

Seoul/Beijing - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a statement by Beijing's foreign ministry, as the two countries seek to mend their ties. The report noted the Chinese top diplomat's meeting with the North's leader during his stay in Pyongyang without disclosing details. Wang earlier met with North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho on Wednesday to discuss ways to improve the two countries' ties and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the North's state media said. His visit came as President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summit last Friday, reaffirming the goal of "complete" denuclearization of the peninsula.

Paris - Un ensemble exceptionnel de lettres adressées à Marcel Proust par son éditeur Gaston Gallimard ainsi que des manuscrits de l'écrivain seront dispersés aux enchères chez Sotheby's à Paris le 24 mai. Au total, quelque 70 lots provenant de la collection de Marie-Claude Mante, petite nièce de l'auteur de "Du côté de chez Swann", seront mis à l'encan, a précisé la maison de vente.

Today in plenary EC President Juncker unveil to MEPs the proposal for the next 7-year budget, right after its adoption by the college this morning. Juncker a dévoilé la proposition de la Commission pour le prochain budget à long terme de l'UE, juste après son adoption par le Collège. La plupart des députés ont salué le projet de la Commission d’augmenter les contributions nationales à hauteur de 1,11% du RNB et d’introduire de nouvelles sources de recettes.

Paris - Le président iranien Hassan Rohani a contesté mercredi la légitimité d'un éventuel nouvel accord sur le nucléaire iranien, en réponse à des propos tenus la veille en ce sens par ses homologues français et américain. "Ensemble, avec le chef d'un pays européen, ils disent: « Nous voulons décider pour un accord conclu à sept ». Pour quoi faire? De quel droit?", a demandé M. Rohani dans un discours à Tabriz (nord de l'Iran), dans une référence implicite à Donald Trump et Emmanuel Macron.

www.salondulivre.ch

Paris - La France, les Etats-Unis et le Royaume-Uni ont soumis à leurs partenaires du Conseil de sécurité une version amendée de leur projet de résolution sur la Syrie, abordant simultanément les volets chimique, politique et humanitaire du conflit, selon des diplomates. Les trois pays occidentaux, qui ont mené des raids aériens il y a une semaine en Syrie en représailles à des attaques chimiques présumées, sont toujours dans l'attente d'une entrée de la Russie dans les négociations.

Riyadh - The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at Al-Yamamah palace today the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican State, Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, the importance of the role of followers of religions and cultures in renouncing violence, extremism, terrorism and achieving security and stability in the world was emphasized.

This week's premiere in Riyadh shows that entertainment and leisure can reveal deep political, economic and social shifts.

by Jane Kinninmont

Saudi Arabia is about to open its first cinema for 35 years, showing the film Black Panther. And Saudi Arabia's decision to end its ban on cinemas is part of a wider change across society.

Genève - Après l’étape de Ryad pour assister au sommet de la Ligue arabe, l’Envoyé spécial de l’ONU pour la Syrie était attendu ce mercredi à Ankara, avant d'aller à Moscou puis à Téhéran. Selon les services de Staffan de Mistura, il s’agit d’une série d’entretiens pour relancer les pourparlers de paix entre Damas et l'opposition. Selon l’ONU, l’objectif de ces intenses consultations de haut niveau, est de « déterminer de manière proactive les options permettant une relance significative du processus politique facilité par les Nations unies, comme demandé par la résolution 2254 du Conseil de sécurité ».

Paris - Emmanuel Macron a affirmé dimanche dans une interview qu'il avait «convaincu» Trump de rester en Syrie... Petit couac de communication entre Paris et Washington. La Maison blanche a publié un communiqué pour réaffirmer que la mission des forces américaines déployées en Syrie « n’a pas changé » et que le président Donald Trump veut qu’elles rentrent aux Etats-Unis «dès que possible».

Berlin - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Sunday criticized Russia for a series of activities beyond its borders, blaming it for a cyber attack on his own ministry, and said Moscow must change its ways. Maas listed a series of what he called problematic actions that also included the lack of progress in implementing a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, a poison gas attack in Britain, support for the Syrian government, and efforts to influence Western elections.

La Sélection officielle 2018

«La dette publique est un danger pour les générations futures», «La France n’a pas fait de réformes depuis plus de trente ans», «Notre modèle social est inefficace», «Le Code du travail empêche les entreprises d’embaucher », «Une autre politique économique, c’est finir comme le Venezuela» ; telles sont les affirmations ressassées en boucle depuis plus de trente ans par une petite élite bien à l’abri de ce qu’elle prétend nécessaire d’infliger au reste de la population pour sauver la France.

by Iranian Diplomacy

In return for its good will, Iran has seen broken promises and has good reason to Japanize its nuclear program, write Salman and Hasti Savafi of the International Peace Studies Center – London.

Diplomacy between Iran and the US was full of tension during the last Persian calendar year (March 2017 to March 2018). Donald Trump's rise to US presidency from the hawkish camp marked the beginning of a new round of deeply rooted hostilities against the Iranian nation. In response, Iran adopted an iron fist policy as its foreign policy strategy in the face of US' aggressive approach.

Paris - Emmanuel Macron a déclaré lundi vouloir "réparer" le lien entre l'Église et l'État qui "s'est abîmé", dans un discours fleuve devant la Conférence des évêques, appelant les catholiques à "ne pas rester au seuil" de l'engagement politique. Pour rétablir cette relation, "il n'est pas d'autre moyen qu'un dialogue en vérité", a précisé le président devant 400 invités réunis en début de soirée dans la grande nef cistercienne du collège des Bernardins à Paris.

di Silvia Castello

Parigi - Il discorso del presidente della Repubblica ai rappresentanti del cattolicesimo ha fatto polemica, ma quali parole, Macron ha veramente utilizzato?

La Chine a appelé vendredi l'Union européenne "à agir ensemble" contre le protectionnisme américain, alors que le ton monte entre Pékin et l'administration Trump, en pleine guerre commerciale. "La Chine et l'UE ont pour responsabilité de faire respecter l'ordre commercial multilatéral basé sur des règles (...) nous devons agir ensemble", a affirmé l'ambassadeur chinois auprès de l'UE, Zhang Ming, dans une déclaration contre le protectionnisme américain.

Beijing - The Chinese government’s top diplomat hopes that planned summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the presidents of South Korea and the United States will “take the fuse” out of the situation on the Korean peninsula. After a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, China’s State Councillor Wang Yi said he hoped the summits would bring the issue of North Korea’s nuclear program back into the realm of dialogue and negotiations.