This is Beirut

El Fan Connects Lebanese Artists with European Audiences in 2025

Marie-Christine Tayah, 23/04 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

El Fan Culture Art Artists Lebanon France

Since its inception in November 2022, El Fan has established itself as a key player in the French-Lebanese cultural landscape. Driven by Fabienne Touma’s vision and based in France, the platform functions as both a directory of artists and a committed project designed to amplify Lebanese artistic voices internationally. “When I first ...

French FM Makes First Visit to Iraq

This is Beirut, 23/04 10:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Barrot France Irak Baghdad

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will meet officials in Baghdad on Wednesday as part of a regional tour to push for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In a statement, the French foreign ministry said that Barrot, who will also visit Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is on a tour to help "prepare for the ...

Cannes Film Festival: 'Un homme et une femme' Honored with Dual Official Poster

This is Beirut, 22/04 10:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Cannes France Cannes 2025 Cannes Film Festival Cinema Poster

The Cannes Film Festival unveiled on Monday a special dual official poster for its 78th edition, celebrating the unforgettable scene from Claude Lelouch’s classic Un homme et une femme—a first in the festival’s history. This year’s posters, launched ahead of the event taking place from May 13 to 24, feature actors Anouk Aimée and ...

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 ...

Macron Invites Foreign Researchers to "Choose France"

This is Beirut, 18/04 20:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Donald Trump France

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday invited foreign researchers to work in France, in an apparent effort to lure US scientists hit by federal research spending cuts under Donald Trump. "Researchers from the world over, choose France, choose Europe," Macron said on X. https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1913265914377633928 The ...

Tragic Promise Drove World's first Michelin-Starred Woman Sushi Chef

This is Beirut, 17/04 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

France Sushi Chizuko Kimura Michelin Star Japan Culture

Chizuko Kimura has become the first female sushi chef in the world to win a Michelin star, fulfilling a promise she made to her dying husband to continue his legacy. The 54-year-old Japanese chef regained the Michelin star her late husband Shunei Kimura won three years ago for their Sushi Shunei restaurant in Paris. For Shunei, the star was a ...

Jonathan Anderson takes helm at Dior Men

This is Beirut, 17/04 17:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Fashion LVMH Dior Men Jonathan Anderson France Culture

French fashion giant Dior named the highly-rated designer Jonathan Anderson as creative director of Dior Men on Thursday. Anderson, 40, quit Loewe last month after more than a decade in which he turned around the fortunes of the heritage Spanish brand. The Northern Irish designer -- an influential tastemaker with many A-list fans -- made the ...

Zelensky Urges Pressure on Russia to End War

This is Beirut, 17/04 14:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

ukraine russia conflict france Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged "pressure" on Russia to end the three-year war as his top aides visited Paris for talks with US and EU officials on the conflict. At least 10 people were reported killed and dozens wounded Thursday as Russia pounded Ukraine with drone strikes and shells. "Russia uses every day and every ...

Rubio in Paris to Meet Macron on Ukraine War

This is Beirut, 17/04 12:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

US Secretary of State Ukraine Iran Gaza France

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Paris on Thursday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron about crafting an Ukraine ceasefire, as Washington and Europe seek common ground on ending the fighting. Top Ukrainian officials were also in the French capital on Thursday to meet EU and US delegations, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of ...

Christian Lacroix Reveals His True Calling in Costumes

This is Beirut, 17/04 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Fashion France Christian Lacroix Paris Luxury Art

He describes himself as an “impostor” in haute couture: at 73, Christian Lacroix is now fully dedicated to what he calls his “real profession”—that of a costume designer. His flamboyant style, shaped by fashion history, folklore, and painting, now finds its true expression on the stage. “As a child, I thought in terms of costumes, of ...

The Freida McFadden Phenomenon Confuses French Literary Critics

This is Beirut, 16/04 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Movie Literature US France Thriller Culture

Why are American author Freida McFadden’s psychological thrillers selling so well in France? French literary critics are trying to understand the craze but remain doubtful about the true merit of her work. The Housemaid was the best-selling book in France in 2024, with over 600,000 copies sold. By the end of February 2025, it had crossed the ...

Armenia PM Pushes Azerbaijan to Sign Peace Agreement

This is Beirut, 15/04 15:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Armenia Azerbaijan France Russia

Armenia on Tuesday pushed Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan saying he was ready to simultaneously agree to one of Baku's key demands to get the deal finalized. The two ex-Soviet republics last month agreed the text of a long-awaited peace deal aimed at resolving decades of conflict. But Azerbaijan has ...

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