This is Beirut

Trump Considers Gutting US Diplomatic Footprint in Africa

This is Beirut, 20/04 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Africa US State Department Donald Trump

The United States would drastically reduce its diplomatic footprint in Africa and eliminate State Department offices focused on climate change, democracy, and human rights, according to a White House order under consideration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that The New York Times, which first reported the existence of the draft order, had ...

Matthieu Chedid Revives 'Lamomali' with a Joyful Pulse

This is Beirut, 19/04 10:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music France Lebanon Africa Matthieu Chedid

Sequels? Not really his thing. “Stuff like Rocky II freaks me out, the idea of repeating the same thing.” And yet, eight years after blending voices and sounds from Mali into a groundbreaking choral album, -M- is back at the helm of a new Lamomali. “At first, I wasn’t into it at all. I thought doing a pale imitation would’ve been a ...

Cape Town’s Streets Alive for Historic Minstrel Carnival

This is Beirut, 05/01 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Africa Culture Art Music Carnaval Heritage

Cape Town’s historic streets erupted in a riot of color and music on Saturday, January 4, as thousands of costumed minstrels paraded through the city’s center in an exuberant celebration of cultural heritage and resilience. This annual carnival, deeply rooted in the city’s history of slavery, drew large crowds and cemented its reputation as ...

Ivory Coast President Says French Forces to Withdraw in January

This is Beirut, 01/01 09:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Africa France Senegal Ivory Coast

The reorganization of France's military presence in Africa continues, marking a new era in relations between several African countries and the erstwhile colonial power. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara announced on Tuesday evening that the French military base in Abidjan, home to the 43rd BIMA (marine infantry battalion) in Port-Bouet, ...

Tunisia: CinemaTdour, a Mobile Truck Making Cinema Accessible to All

This is Beirut, 2024-12-23 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Tunisia Algeria Africa Culture Art Cinema

"If you can't go to the cinema, it will come to you" might well describe CinemaTdour, a mobile cinema truck touring Tunisia to make the seventh art accessible to everyone, from rural areas to underserved neighborhoods. Dozens of workers joyfully step down from a large red truck parked in front of their factory in Djemmal, a central-eastern town ...

Macron Hosts Leader of Nigeria in Search for Economic Opportunities

This is Beirut, 2024-11-28 10:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Nigeria Africa

Thursday marks the beginning of a two-day state visit to France by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, with both sides scenting economic rewards as Paris looks to build new ties in Africa after a series of setbacks. The first such formal visit by a Nigerian leader since 2000 comes after military coups and changing attitudes have lessened France's ...

Breyten Breytenbach, Poet and Anti-Apartheid Activist, Has Died

This is Beirut, 2024-11-25 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Africa France Writer Activist

Breyten Breytenbach, one of the most honored South African writers, left an indelible mark on literature and activism. Born in 1939 in Bonnievale, a small town in the Western Cape, he grew up speaking Afrikaans, a language often tied to South Africa’s oppressive apartheid system. Yet, Breytenbach transformed his mother tongue into a powerful ...

Tumaini Festival in Africa: Unity Through Music

This is Beirut, 2024-11-05 18:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Festival Music Africa

At the Tumaini Festival in Malawi, in East Africa, a 72-year-old singer, sporting tinted hair, oversized sunglasses, and a vibrant tracksuit, made her way onto the main stage, eliciting a wave of excitement from the crowd. “Who am I?” she asked the audience of approximately 12,000, who enthusiastically responded, “I am Jetu!” Tumaini, ...

Mpox Crisis: Over 1,100 Lives Lost in Africa

This is Beirut, 2024-10-18 21:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Mpox Africa

The mpox epidemic, formerly known as monkeypox, continues to wreak havoc in Africa. On October 17, the health agency of the African Union reported a tragic toll of 1,100 deaths on the continent since the beginning of the year. With a total of 42,000 cases recorded, the situation risks becoming “out of control,” in the words of the agency, ...

Idris Elba, African Cinema Ambassador in Accra

This is Beirut, 2024-10-09 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Africa

Accra, the capital of Ghana, is hosting the second edition of the African Film Summit, an event that showcases the talents of the African continent. Among the distinguished guests is actor Idris Elba, who holds dual British and Sierra Leonean nationalities and was born to a Ghanaian mother. He advocates for a crucial mission: to promote and ...

Mpox in Africa: Preventing a Pandemic at All Costs

Alain E. Andrea, 2024-10-07 12:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Mpox Africa WHO

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRG) has recently reached a significant turning point in its fight against mpox, a potentially deadly viral disease. On October 5, the DRC launched a vaccination campaign in response to a concerning epidemic that has impacted the African continent, particularly the Congo Basin region. However, mpox is not a new ...

KSA Takes Lead in Climate Donations

This Is Beirut, 2023-12-04 20:16 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Africa Climate Change COP28 Development Dubai environment Saudi Arabia Sustainable Development UAE United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister brushed off Western contributions to a recently established climate loss and damage fund, describing them as "insignificant," while emphasizing Riyadh's financial commitments to developing countries on Monday. Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman dismissed Western donations to a new climate loss and ...