This is Beirut

Patrick Watson’s ‘Uh Oh’: A Soundtrack to Unsettled Times

This is Beirut, 26/09 19:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music Patrick Watson Streaming Internet Canada Culture

Top-streaming Canadian singer Patrick Watson says he called his new album Uh Oh, which released Friday, to capture the sense of fatalistic doom felt by many people when they wake up and read the news. The bilingual 45-year-old multi-instrumentalist, whose ballad Je te laisserai des mots is the most-streamed francophone title ever on Spotify, said ...

Canada and Indonesia Seal Landmark Free Trade Agreement

This is Beirut, 26/09 09:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Indonesia Canada Free trade

Canada has signed a bilateral free trade agreement with Indonesia, which aims to eliminate or reduce tariffs on over 95 percent of Ottawa's exports to its largest market in Southeast Asia. Several experts told AFP the strategic agreement is being made in the context of global economic turmoil, exacerbated by the protectionist policies of the ...

Motswedi: Botswana’s 2,488-Carat Gem Draws Global Cultural Interest

This is Beirut, 23/09 16:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Mining Luxury Museum Belgium Botswana Canada Culture

The world's second-largest diamond could soon find a new home in a museum or a sheikh's collection, but first needs to be properly evaluated, the Belgian firm holding it told AFP Monday. Unearthed last year in Botswana, the 2,488-carat stone known as Motswedi is currently being analyzed by gem dealer HB Antwerp in the namesake port city ...

UK, Canada, and Australia Recognize the State of Palestine

This is Beirut, 21/09 19:28 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Palestinian Statehood Canada United Kingdom Australia

The United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada officially recognized the State of Palestine on Sunday, ahead of similar announcements by other countries and the UN General Assembly—a historic yet largely symbolic decision criticized by Israel. This recognition by Israel’s traditional allies comes as the Israeli military has intensified its ...

'Hamnet' Wins Toronto Top Prize, Eyes Oscar Glory

This is Beirut, 15/09 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Toronto Canada TIFF Culture Art Cinéma

Hamnet, a devastating period drama about the life of William Shakespeare and his family, won top prize Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival. The heart-wrenching movie stars Paul Mescal as Shakespeare, who tries to forge a career as a playwright while his wife Agnes — played by Jessie Buckley — contends with the perils of plague ...

Canada 'Evaluating' Relations with Israel after Qatar Strikes

This is Beirut, 10/09 20:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Canada Israel

Canada said Wednesday it is reassessing its relationship with Israel in the wake of Israel's air strikes targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. "We are evaluating the relationship with Israel," said Foreign Minister Anita Anand to reporters. "The attack yesterday on Qatar was one that was unacceptable. It was a violation of Qatari airspace." AFP

Dwayne Johnson’s Oscar Journey Begins at Toronto Premiere

This is Beirut, 09/09 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cinema Toronto International Film Festival Canada The Rock Dwayne Johnson Actor

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's surprise Oscars campaign for his first arthouse role in The Smashing Machine barreled into the Toronto Film Festival Monday. Johnson, 53, who has earned rave reviews playing fighter Mark Kerr, sat down with an audience before the movie's North American premiere to reflect on a unique ...

Russell Crowe Stuns at Toronto International Film Festival with Chilling Nazi Role

This is Beirut, 08/09 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Toronto International Film Festival Cinema Awards Canada Culture Art

Russell Crowe's nerve-shredding portrayal of a notorious Nazi on trial and Angelina Jolie's deeply personal dive into the world of French fashion led a busy Sunday of world premieres at the Toronto Film Festival. Crowe's depiction of the second-ranking Nazi, Hermann Goering, in Nuremberg, as he plays a cat-and-mouse game with a psychiatrist (Rami ...

Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis Bring Paradise Wildfire Heroism to Life

This is Beirut, 06/09 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Matthew McConaughey Canada Festival Toronto International Film Festival Culture

For Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis, making an action film about the deadliest wildfire in California history hits close to home. The Lost Bus tells the harrowing true story of a school bus driver who risked his life to save 22 children from the inferno that destroyed the town of Paradise in 2018. The movie's world ...

Toronto International Film Festival Celebrates 50 Years With Star-Studded Lineup

This is Beirut, 04/09 13:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Film Festival Toronto Opening Canada Culture

Hollywood stars arrived in Toronto Thursday for a celebratory 50th edition of North America's biggest film festival, with new movies from Daniel Craig, Sydney Sweeney and Matthew McConaughey among a packed lineup. The Toronto International Film Festival dwarfs more famous rivals like Venice and Cannes for sheer scale, if not glitz and glamour, ...

Air Canada Flight Attendants Strike Over Pay, Shutting Down Service

This is Beirut, 16/08 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Canada Air Canada Strike

Air Canada's flight attendants went on strike Saturday, as the airline announced a complete shutdown of operations, creating summer travel chaos for its 130,000 daily passengers. "We are now officially on strike," the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants, said in a statement. Air ...

American Ben Shelton Tops Khachanov to Win First ATP Masters Title in Toronto

This is Beirut, 08/08 15:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Tennis ATP Canada

Ben Shelton became the first American to win an ATP Masters 1000 title in Canada in more than two decades as he defeated Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in Toronto final on Thursday. The 22-year-old will rise one place to sixth in the world rankings, overtaking 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic in the table. "It's a ...

Canada