Culture

Boualem Sansal Breaks His Silence After Release From Algerian Custody

This is Beirut 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Boualem Sansal Algeria France Culture Censorship

In his first public remarks since being freed by Algeria and returning to France, French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal said on Sunday that he had always sought “reconciliation” between the two countries, while acknowledging that diplomatic sensitivities still constrain what he can say. Imprisoned in Algeria for a year over comments he made ...

The Gucci Jackie: Italian Elegance in Jackie Kennedy’s Hand

Bélinda Ibrahim 23/11 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Jackie Kennedy Gucci Bags Fashion Culture Iconic

Named after an icon and defined by its unmistakable silhouette, the Jackie exemplifies the subtle interplay between Italian refinement and global elegance. As one of the Florentine house’s signature pieces, it rose to fame through Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who lent it an enduring aura of sophistication. This is the remarkable journey of an ...

Word of the week“Embargo”: When Economics Becomes a Weapon

Sana Richa Choucair 23/11 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hamas United States Houthis Sanction Russia Iran OFAC

On January 1, 2025, the United States tightened its technological embargo on China, doubling tariffs on a wide range of strategic goods, from semiconductors to industrial equipment. Beijing retaliated ten days later with countermeasures targeting American agricultural products, adding a new chapter to the escalating economic confrontation between ...

PortraitOrnella Vanoni, a Timeless Voice who Shaped Six Decades of Italian Music

This is Beirut 23/11 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ornella Vanoni Heritage Culture Art Singer Italy

Before becoming a singer, Vanoni was an actress. Trained at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro, she made her debut in 1960 under the direction of Giorgio Strehler, her mentor and companion, performing in Brecht’s plays. It was there she developed her mastery of text, nuance and emotional presence, foundations of her future musical identity. Her early ...

SpotlightZeitz MOCAA: Africa Tells Its Story in a Silo Cathedral

Bélinda Ibrahim 22/11 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Zeitz MOCAA Africa Museum Culture Cape Town

The offshore winds of Cape Town still carry the memory of the port, the muted echoes of colonial trade, and the vertical dream of a continent gazing toward the horizon. At the far end of the Waterfront in the Silo District, a silent concrete giant, abandoned for decades, has come to life as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. Entering ...

Rome Exposes Sexist Paradigms with a 'Patriarchy' Exhibition

This is Beirut 22/11 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Rome Exhibition Art Women rights Culture History

A temporary exhibition on patriarchy in Rome showcases sexist paradigms in Italy’s male-dominated and macho society, where gender equality “is a distant prospect.” It is the year 2148 and women and men are equal: Rome’s temporary “Museum of the Patriarchy” looks back from the future to highlight the gender gap. Pink and blue payslips ...

'Black Panther’ Star Chadwick Boseman Honored with Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

This is Beirut 22/11 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hollywood Walk of Fame Chadwick Boseman Actor US Culture

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman was posthumously honored on Thursday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ryan Coogler, who directed Boseman in the 2018 hit, actress Viola Davis, and Boseman's widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, led the emotional ceremony in the heart of Tinseltown. "Today was a beautiful day," Ledward-Boseman told ...

Jafar Panahi Accelerates Awards Campaign Amid Global Political Constraints

This is Beirut 21/11 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Jafar Panahi Iran Cannes Culture Art

After years of being banned from leaving Iran, filmmaker Jafar Panahi is enjoying his tour of the United States — visiting Los Angeles, New York and Telluride — as he promotes his Oscar-hopeful It Was Just an Accident. The film, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, has been selected by France as its official nomination for the Academy Awards, ...

VideosMiss Mexico Wins Miss Universe Crown After Intense Pageant Turmoil

This is Beirut 21/11 15:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Miss Universe Art Culture Mexico US Contest

Miss Mexico was crowned Miss Universe in Thailand on Friday, strutting to victory after several dramatic missteps before the final round, including staging a walkout when an organizer of the beauty pageant chastised her. Contestants from Ivory Coast, the Philippines, Thailand and Venezuela also made it to the final stage, selected from more than ...

Nigeria’s Bronze Masters Preserve Ancient Craft Amid Modern Pressures

This is Beirut 21/11 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nigeria Africa Craftsmanship Culture Art Heritage

Using long iron tongs, Victor Uinmwen Aduwe and Matthew Mathias pick a blazing pot from a fire and pour a thick golden liquid into a partly buried mold, using a centuries-old technique that still flourishes in Nigeria's south. After a short cooling period, the mold is dug up and opened, revealing three small bronze heads fashioned after an ancient ...

'El Sueño': Frida Kahlo Sets Historic Auction Record With Iconic Painting

This is Beirut 21/11 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Painting Frida Kahlo Auction Art Culture NYC

A self-portrait by legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $54.66 million in New York on Thursday, setting a new record for the price of a painting by a woman, the auction house Sotheby's said. The sale of Kahlo's 1940 artwork, titled El sueño (La cama) — which translates to The Dream (The Bed) — breaks the previous record in this ...

Warner Music Enters Licensing Deal With AI Music Startup

This is Beirut 21/11 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Music AI Warner Copyright Patent US Culture

Warner Music Group and AI startup Udio announced on Wednesday they have settled a US copyright lawsuit and struck a deal to cooperate on a licensed artificial intelligence music creation service. The landmark agreement resolves litigation between the major label and Udio, while establishing what the companies described as a "clear framework" for ...