Our Times - World news, culture and opinion

Rekindled love: 'It's as if we'd pressed the pause button, only to release it 25 years later'

They met, fell in love and then split before the whirlwind of life brought them back together again. Eric, 56, an executive in the audiovisual industry, tells the story of his relationship with Vicki.

Published on December 27, 2023, at 4:52 am (Paris), updated on December 27, 2023, at 10:18 am Sophie Gindensperger

Profile

Danièle and Marie, twins in their seventies who've been roommates for 14 years: 'We get along just fine... even if we do bicker!'

'Family portraits.' These two divorced sisters decided to move in together when they retired. They share an apartment in Metz, but not always the same pleasures or quirks.

Published on December 26, 2023, at 5:16 am (Paris), updated on December 26, 2023, at 9:37 am Jane Roussel

Column

Has the language of sex become too complicated?

Sexual vocabulary is saturated with anglicisms and new expressions, it's not easy to keep up, reports Maïa Mazaurette.

Published on December 25, 2023, at 7:01 pm (Paris) Maïa Mazaurette

Column

Is sleeping in front of the TV the new stage of wakefulness?

Our television columnist suffers from 'chronic cathodic narcolepsy.' The opening scenes of the movies and series he manages to watch all convey a vague anxiety about the future of humanity. These repeated fictional warnings end up dulling our ability to react to reality.

Published on December 24, 2023, at 1:16 am (Paris), updated on December 24, 2023, at 10:02 am Nicolas Santolaria

Feature

The French obsession with American Christmas movies

The season kicked off in mid-October on French television, the beginning of two months of giant fir trees, sweaters, red hats and good feelings. This particular genre of Hallmark comfort film presents a happy-ever-after America.

Published on December 21, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on December 21, 2023, at 9:08 am Hélène Bekmezian

In Depth

'Flantophilia,' or how eating flan can become an 'absolute pleasure'

Forget the bland industrial dessert with its artificial flavors, colorings, gelling agents and modified starch. Instead, search for the quintessence of this pastry speciality, a simple treasure whose success is rooted in childhood.

Published on December 19, 2023, at 5:05 am (Paris), updated on December 19, 2023, at 11:10 am Léo Bourdin

News

What happens when friends and family disagree over the war in Gaza

The war between Hamas and Israel has caused heated discussions between friends and families, with differences in opinion sometimes leading to lasting rifts.

Published on December 15, 2023, at 9:00 pm (Paris) Marion Bothorel

Feature

Korea's soft power: K-food aims for the taste buds

Korean cuisine − spicy, colorful and not too hard to reproduce at home − is pouring onto our plates. Popularized by TV series and K-pop, the cuisine is winning over young French adults, who are finding it in restaurants and grocery stores all over town.

Published on December 3, 2023, at 11:48 am (Paris) Catherine Rollot

Investigation

The growing trend of students shunning alcohol: 'In the end, I told myself it wasn't worth it'

While student and early professional life are associated with drinking-centric outings, some young people are abstaining. They say sobriety allows them to reconnect with themselves and others.

Published on November 29, 2023, at 6:12 pm (Paris) Alice Raybaud

Long Read

South Korean men are the new face of a fantasized masculinity

Through their sophisticated, romantic seducer characters, young K-drama actors have become the best ambassadors of the Korean cultural wave sweeping the world. In contrast to the virile sex symbols of American blockbusters, they are drawing a new form of the masculine ideal.

Published on November 28, 2023, at 1:37 am (Paris), updated on November 28, 2023, at 8:15 am Célia Laborie

Selection

Discover a different view of Paris! Five new hotels to suit all tastes

For a weekend away or a simple after-work aperitif, in the calm of a lush garden or in an exotic Art Deco bar, here are five quirky new Paris addresses perfect for lounging.

Published on November 26, 2023, at 6:40 pm (Paris) Isabelle Mériel Yoanna Sultan-R'bibo

Column

Fighting the trivialization of mourning a pet: 'It's okay, it's just a dog!'

Not all deaths are created equal. Mourning the death of your cat or dog remains taboo. Yet specialized therapists say there's nothing wrong with feeling devastating emotions when this happens.

Published on November 26, 2023, at 3:34 pm (Paris) Marjorie Philibert

In Depth

South Korea's romantic K-dramas find a new audience in France

Romance plays a key role in these series, which exploit all genres within a highly codified framework, but their 'flowery' side allows them to tackle important family issues.

Published on November 25, 2023, at 10:45 pm (Paris) Pauline Croquet

News

In South Korea, teachers are becoming the target of parents' frustration

In South Korean schools, where the burden of success weighs heavily on the shoulders of students and teachers alike, accusations and attacks on teachers are on the increase.

Published on November 25, 2023, at 3:42 pm (Paris) Philippe Mesmer

Conversation

Tea with Park Ji-min: 'Acting, why not? I've no career plan'

The South Korean visual artist was already a star in the film 'Return to Seoul.' She is currently finishing up shooting 'La Maison,' an Apple TV series on the world of haute couture.

Published on November 18, 2023, at 8:00 pm (Paris) Maroussia Dubreuil

News

In Casablanca, parents go all out for their children's birthdays

In Morocco's economic capital, some families spend thousands of dirhams for their child, usually enrolled in an expensive foreign school, to blow out their candles.

Published on November 14, 2023, at 3:00 am (Paris) Alexandre Aublanc

News

In Germany, the wealthiest fear losing their parental leave allowance

A heated debate is unfolding around a specific bill to abolish parental leave allowance for families with annual taxable incomes above €150,000.

Published on November 1, 2023, at 4:12 am (Paris), updated on November 1, 2023, at 8:25 am Gladys Marivat

Investigation

Women and menopause: 'I realized that it could turn your life upside down, but no one was talking about it'

With little or no information, many women find themselves at a loss when the first hot flashes arrive, almost by surprise. A fog persists around this pivotal moment in life, even though there are ways of getting through it better.

Published on October 31, 2023, at 7:15 pm (Paris) Maroussia Dubreuil

News

Threesomes: A recipe for pleasure

There's no shortage of terms for love triangles and sex trios. But in moving from fantasy to practice, little is left to chance, points out Maïa Mazaurette.

Published on October 29, 2023, at 1:30 pm (Paris), updated on October 29, 2023, at 1:30 pm Maïa Mazaurette

Conversation

Thomas Pesquet: 'I'd make a better living if I had stayed a pilot with Air France'

In an autobiography, France's most famous astronaut tells all about his life above the Earth. Now addicted to space, he dreams of a third space mission. Objective: the Moon.

Published on October 16, 2023, at 9:11 pm (Paris) Vanessa Schneider

News

'ChatGPT, what are we doing for dinner tonight?'

AI will revolutionize the economy, education and intellectual and artistic creation. But today, those who embrace it without delay often have more prosaic objectives.

Published on October 8, 2023, at 10:00 pm (Paris) Guillemette Faure

Op-Ed

'A man who devotes part of his time to his children or parents is transgressing powerful stereotypes'

In an op-ed, Clotilde Coron and Emmanuelle Garbe, professor and lecturer in management science, note that men who take paid paternity leave have their careers penalized.

Published on October 7, 2023, at 10:00 am (Paris) Clotilde Coron Emmanuelle Garbe

Investigation

France's Morvan Regional Park is in the running to become an International Dark Sky Place

The prestigious certification is attributed to the darkest skies in the world, places that fight light pollution and reconnect residents with the night.

Published on October 4, 2023, at 2:20 am (Paris), updated on October 4, 2023, at 8:04 am Catherine Rollot

Column

How do you talk to children about pedophilia?

Parents struggle to find the right words to talk about sexual violence.

Published on September 30, 2023, at 1:27 pm (Paris), updated on October 2, 2023, at 9:35 am Clara Georges

In Depth

How to raise a child in a world of climate change?

Ongoing climate change means the end of those carefree days when summers meant freedom. Despite pervasive eco-anxiety, the challenge is to teach our children that there is still time to act.

Published on September 26, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris) Cécile Cazenave

Column

Where there's sex, there's blood

Le Monde columnist Maïa Mazaurette embarks on an adventure like no other as she steers her vessel through the currents of sexuality's fluids.

Published on September 24, 2023, at 4:00 am (Paris) Maïa Mazaurette

Profile

Guillaume Canet: 'I finally understood that cinema wasn't going to save me'

Despite being a key figure in French cinema, the actor and director has a reputation in the business as a control freak, but at the age of 50 has at last discovered how to let go.

Published on September 23, 2023, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Vanessa Schneider

News

Saliva: Gliding between desire and disgust

Le Monde columnist Maïa Mazaurette embarks on an adventure like no other as she steers her vessel through the currents of sexuality's fluids.

Published on September 17, 2023, at 8:58 pm (Paris), updated on September 23, 2023, at 4:35 pm Maïa Mazaurette

Column

Mathieu Kassovitz's post-accident revelation: 'Maybe I need to stop being an asshole'

The French actor, victim of a serious motorcycle accident on September 3, chose Instagram to reassure the world about his condition.

Published on September 15, 2023, at 4:33 pm (Paris) Magali Cartigny

News

A frantic back-to-school week for Swedish parents

As part of a series exploring parenting abroad, this week Le Monde looks at Sweden, where school ends at 2 pm. Juggling work and extracurricular activities has a name: the 'family puzzle,' something which has to be replanned each year.

Published on September 11, 2023, at 3:00 am (Paris), updated on September 11, 2023, at 9:00 am Anne-Françoise Hivert

Column

Sweat, a scent of hand-to-hand combat

Columnist Maïa Mazaurette embarks on an adventure like no other as she steers her vessel through the currents of sexuality's fluids.

Published on September 10, 2023, at 10:00 pm (Paris), updated on September 23, 2023, at 4:36 pm Maïa Mazaurette

In Depth

Dodgy practices of France's private for-profit kindergartens revealed

Two new books uncover the exhaustion, unrelenting work schedules and pervasive malpractice in the private childcare sector. The authors say that for-profit businesses are cutting corners and putting children's safety at risk.

Published on September 8, 2023, at 5:30 pm (Paris), updated on September 8, 2023, at 5:32 pm Solène Cordier

Long Read

Vérargues, France's hottest town

The town in the South of France, which saw a scorching 46°C temperature during a 2019 heatwave, holds France's hottest weather record. Its residents acknowledge that such extreme temperatures are becoming increasingly common.

Published on September 2, 2023, at 4:03 am (Paris), updated on September 2, 2023, at 8:38 am Catherine Rollot

Feature

Rochefourchat, the village with a single resident

At the end of a small, winding country road, perched at an altitude of 844 meters, this southeastern French village boasts a record for having only one year-round inhabitant.

Published on August 27, 2023, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Catherine Rollot

Your stories

Three generations of midwives reflect on a profession that welcomes 'all the person's emotions'

Elisabeth Gaud, aged 74, her 47-year-old daughter Mathilde Girardin and her 21-year-old granddaughter Loeva Girardin talk about all the changes in their profession, including the struggle for bodily autonomy, scientific and technical advances.

Published on August 22, 2023, at 5:30 am (Paris) Solène L'Hénoret

Column

Sperm: A bodily fluid at the heart of all sorts of paradoxes

This summer, columnist Maïa Mazaurette embarks on an adventure like no other as she steers her vessel through the currents of sexuality's diverse fluids.

Published on August 21, 2023, at 5:30 am (Paris), updated on September 23, 2023, at 4:38 pm Maïa Mazaurette

Column

Discovering the liquid world of female arousal

Le Monde Maïa Mazaurette embarks on an adventure like no other as she steers her vessel through the currents of sexuality's diverse fluids.

Published on August 16, 2023, at 3:02 am (Paris), updated on September 23, 2023, at 4:38 pm Maïa Mazaurette

Your stories

In and out of love: 'Our relationship was secret at work and that made for some comical situations'

Two days in the life of lovers: The first when there is everything to play for, and the last when everything is lost. This week, Charles, 44, talks about how he let a relationship fizzle out and how much he regrets it.

Published on August 11, 2023, at 11:04 am (Paris), updated on August 11, 2023, at 11:06 am Lorraine de Foucher

Investigation

Guilt and exhaustion boost parenting market

'Parenting, what a job!' (6/6). What did I miss? Once a secondary consideration, this question is now at the heart of parents' torments. It explains the success of blogs and books that have fuelled the recent controversy surrounding "positive education."

Published on July 30, 2023, at 3:00 pm (Paris) Laurent Borredon Clara Georges

Investigation

School, a full-time job... for parents

'Parenting, what a job!' (5/6). In the United States, the whole family's involvement in children's academic and extracurricular success is taking on considerable proportions. France is not all that far behind.

Published on July 29, 2023, at 3:30 pm (Paris) Laurent Borredon Clara Georges

Investigation

Parenting: How did we end up with 'indoor children'?

'Parenting, what a job!' (4/6). Gone are the days when children played in the streets and came home from school on their own. In fact, while most parents claim to want independence for their children, they tend to overprotect them out of fear.

Published on July 28, 2023, at 4:27 pm (Paris) Laurent Borredon Clara Georges

Investigation

Fatherhood caught in a bind: Doting dad or punitive papa?

'Parenting, what a job!' (3/6). The evolution of the father's role toward one that is less authoritarian and more attuned to the child is confusing men in need of role models. Meanwhile, domestic chores remain the prerogative of women.

Published on July 27, 2023, at 4:23 pm (Paris), updated on July 28, 2023, at 3:48 pm Laurent Borredon Clara Georges

Investigation

Breastfeeding, or the myth of the total mother

'Parenting, what a job!' (2/6). Often depicted as the idyllic moment marking the symbiosis between mother and child, breastfeeding is at the heart of disputes surrounding motherhood and womanhood.

Published on July 26, 2023, at 12:00 pm (Paris), updated on July 27, 2023, at 2:51 pm Laurent Borredon Clara Georges

Investigation

Positive parenting vs. time out: What exactly is all the fuss about?

'Parenting, what a job!' (1/6). In France, the recently heated debate between supporters of the two camps mirrors an era in which parents, seen as laymen, cannot cope without expert advice.

Published on July 25, 2023, at 12:00 pm (Paris), updated on July 26, 2023, at 11:08 am Laurent Borredon Clara Georges

Investigation

The urbanites addicted to ultra running: 'It's given me incredible strength. In negotiations, I've learned not to give up'

Pushing the limits of endurance, a growing number of executives are training for extreme races which require them to combine the need for oxygen with the perfect performance.

Published on July 16, 2023, at 9:00 pm (Paris) Célia Laborie

Column

Rekindled love: 'I received a message on LinkedIn and I understood that she was the one missing from my life'

They met, fell in love and then split before the whirlwind of life brought them back together again. Sébastien, 53, an employee of a pro-bike organization, tells the story of his relationship with Karine.

Published on July 16, 2023, at 12:19 am (Paris), updated on July 16, 2023, at 3:44 am Sophie Gindensperger

Feature

Welcome to Giverny, home of painter and gardener Claude Monet

The garden of Monet's Giverny house, with its famous water lilies bordering on abstraction and the Japanese green bridge that he often depicted in his canvases, was designed by the Impressionist painter as a work of art.

Published on July 10, 2023, at 4:54 am (Paris), updated on July 10, 2023, at 8:50 am Lucien Jedwab

Feature

'When I become a mermaid I put all my problems aside, I'm in a bubble of peace'

The practice of mermaiding is more than just dressing up – it's physically demanding, has its own competitions, and has helped these women find a commnunity.

Published on July 9, 2023, at 3:00 pm (Paris) Marine Dumeurger

Investigation

Is twerking feminist?

This sensual dance based on shaking the pelvis is a way for women to take ownership of their bodies. Here's a look at some of the women who practice it.

Published on July 9, 2023, at 6:00 am (Paris), updated on July 9, 2023, at 11:19 am Anne Chirol

Op-Ed

Riots in France: 'It's high time to rethink boys' education'

At a time when traditional role models are being called into question, we are witnessing the reinforcement of a defensive masculinity that values the virile codes of power and destruction, writes sociologist Christine Castelain Meunier.

Published on July 9, 2023, at 4:53 am (Paris), updated on July 9, 2023, at 10:48 am Christine Castelain Meunier

Column

'Two slaps and off to bed' for young rioters, really?

In the wake of the riots in France, political leaders have stepped up their calls for parents to take responsibility, with varying degrees of nuance.

Published on July 8, 2023, at 12:23 pm (Paris), updated on July 8, 2023, at 1:45 pm Clara Georges

Selection

Five Hollywood classics you should watch with children

From Billy Wilder to Alfred Hitchcock to Marilyn Monroe to Grace Kelly and from thrillers to comedies, there is little chance 10-year-olds and over won't be won over by the end of this Hollywood marathon.

Published on July 4, 2023, at 3:28 am (Paris), updated on July 4, 2023, at 7:47 am Audrey Fournier

Investigation

Beware of splashback: For many men, 'peeing standing up is a form of pride'

Incentives for men to urinate sitting down are increasing. Are they a castrating imposition, or a healthy challenge to gender norms? As some women claim their own right to pee standing up, everyone seems to agree on one thing: The bathroom is becoming political.

Published on July 3, 2023, at 5:01 pm (Paris) Célia Laborie

News

Cycling shifts gears to ultra-cycling with 1,000-kilometer races

A growing number of amateur cyclists are trying their hand at the very long-distance, completely autonomous races that are sprouting up all over the country. An opportunity to combine demanding physical effort with adventure in the great outdoors.

Published on June 25, 2023, at 2:53 am (Paris), updated on June 25, 2023, at 2:53 am Tiphaine Thuillier

Column

Henri d'Anselme, Annecy's 'backpack man': A hero in spite of himself

The man who chased the assailant in a knife attack on June 8 found himself propelled the next day onto TV and social media as a figure of good against evil.

Published on June 19, 2023, at 4:00 pm (Paris) Magali Cartigny

News

The new life of a famous presidential scooter

In 2014, François Hollande was caught by paparazzi on a three-wheeler he rode to meet actress Julie Gayet. The vehicle now belongs to a septuagenarian who treated himself to this piece of 'French history,' authenticated by the former president himself.

Published on June 19, 2023, at 5:30 am (Paris), updated on June 19, 2023, at 8:51 am Frédéric Potet

Column

The unexpectedly delicious delights of tofu

This white soy-based paste from Asia is a popular meat substitute. Its taste may seem bland until the seasoning reveals all its subtlety.

Published on June 11, 2023, at 1:00 am (Paris) Léo Bourdin

Investigation

The one-time Parisians returning to their hometowns: 'Like starting the second part of your life, where you can rest from the first'

What if a new beginning was synonymous with a return to the past? For many French people tired of the capital and looking for a better quality of life, going back to their hometowns brings the paradoxical thrill of the unknown.

Published on June 10, 2023, at 10:00 pm (Paris) Marjorie Philibert

Profile

A drink with Fatoumata Diawara: 'Some people spend years seeing a shrink. As for me, I sing'

Over a Coke and suffering the full effects of jet lag, the Malian artist, who is releasing a new album with Damon Albarn, talks about her dreams of pythons and her fights for girls' rights and against female genital mutilation.

Published on May 23, 2023, at 8:30 pm (Paris) Anna Sylvestre-Treiner

News

Too fast, too soon? Sweden backs away from screens in schools

Based on doctors' advice, the center-right government wants to reduce the amount of time students spend in front of screens and bring textbooks back into the classroom.

Published on May 21, 2023, at 12:50 pm (Paris) Anne-Françoise Hivert