Emmanuel Macron has spoken. The Strait of Hormuz will not be forced open by military means. It would be "unrealistic," he told reporters during a trip to South Korea, a location that, one must admit, puts him admirably close to the action.

There are moments in history when nations reveal their true character. Not in speeches, not at summits, not in carefully worded communiqués, but in actions. Or rather, in their absence.

For weeks, Beirut's new leadership - President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam - assured the international community that Hezbollah had disarmed south of the Litani River. The message was reassuring. It was also, as it turns out, either dangerously naive or deliberately false.

Nearly 200 participants in the Venice Biennale have signed an open letter calling for the exclusion of the Israeli pavilion, according to The Art Newspaper. 

Parisian brasseries are more than restaurants. They are part of France’s cultural fabric, places where time slows, waiters glide between tables in long aprons, and the menu rarely strays from the classics. 

Phuket, Thailand’s flagship island destination, is stepping up efforts to diversify its tourism markets.