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Aug 7, 2010, 11:40 am
(Morocco/Algeria/Tunisia/Libya)- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a month of fasting in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured from dawn until dusk. Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim... Comment - Like
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Jul 31, 2010, 1:19 pm
(Congo DRC)- The dandy, dance hall king and village wise man, Papa Wemba, is attempting to rejuvenate his name and make his voice heard. After several years of dormant creativity, the rumba daddy, renamed "notre père" (our father) in Kinshasa, has bought out two different albums in the space of six... Comment - Like
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Jul 30, 2010, 2:07 am
(Tunisia)- Rap and poetry gave audiences the flavor of city life as the 46th International Festival of Hammamet (in northern Tunisia) showcased the power of the spoken word. Tunisian Hatem Karoui kicked off the festival's rap-and-poetry mix with a performance on Monday. "Poetry slams are still rare ... Comment - Like
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Jul 23, 2010, 11:46 pm
(France/USA/Russia/Belgium/World)- France 24, the international news and current affairs television channel aimed at the overseas market and broadcast through satellite and cable operators throughout the world, has secured since January 2010 a number of new international carriage deals, adding to it... Comment - Like
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Jul 21, 2010, 11:11 pm
(Belgium)- 180 candles light up the cake today: Belgium is celebrating its birthday. The Royal Family and its invitees will attend the national march-past that is to take place this afternoon before the Royal Palace. Many representatives of European bodies will also be attending the festivities. But... Comment - Like
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Jul 19, 2010, 11:37 pm
(USA/France)- French international soccer star Thierry Henry is poised to make his New York Red Bulls debut Thursday night against his old foe, Tottenham Hotspur, but his first appearance should be brief. Coach Hans Backe said Henry, who signed earlier this month a multi-year contract with Major Lea... Comment - Like
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Jul 14, 2010, 11:13 pm
(France)- The international photography festival the Rencontres d’Arles in southern France opened earlier this month and runs until September 19. This year’s festival is split into several themes, including Argentina, rock, film photography and prisons. Some 72,000 people went to last year’s ... Comment - Like
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Jul 14, 2010, 5:24 pm
(France)- The French are celebrating their independence today. Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on July 14 each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale ("National Celebration") in official parlance, or more commonly in French: "le quatorze juillet" ("the 14 July"). It... Comment - Like
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Jul 12, 2010, 10:54 pm
(Tunisia)- With the local launch of French satellite TV giant Canal+ just months away, Tunisian television viewers are eager to see what competition from the new channel means for national and Gulf stations. "This is good news," said Chaima ben Hmida, a fresh graduate of the Tunis University. "I thi... Comment - Like
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Jul 11, 2010, 1:20 am
(France)- From July 3 to 13, the festival Paris Cinema IFF is welcoming visitors for a cinematographic, popular and entertaining beginning of summer. Held at cinemas all over the French capital and with an attractive price of 5 euros ($6.50) per screening, Paris Cinema IFF is once again taking posse... Comment - Like
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Jul 9, 2010, 12:34 am
(Canada)- An edgy blend of urban street culture and acrobatics is going to kick off a major circus festival today when the curtain goes up on Montreal Complètement Cirque. The world-renowned Cirque Eloize is opening the festival, which runs until July 25, with "Id," which explores the concept of id... Comment - Like
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Jul 6, 2010, 9:40 am
(Switzerland)- One of the most prestigious and famous summer resorts in the world - Montreux in Switzerland – is hosting for the 44th time the international Montreux Jazz Festival (July 2-17). This festival is perhaps the most significant summer jazz event in Europe. It always gathers on its sites... Comment - Like
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Jun 23, 2010, 3:12 pm
(Luxembourg)- The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is celebrating its National Day today. A constitutional monarchy, Luxembourg is an independent sovereign state, tucked between Belgium, France and Germany. The country is 84 km (51.7 miles) long and 52 km (32.5 miles) wide, encompassing an area of 2,586 sq... Comment - Like
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Jun 23, 2010, 12:28 am
(USA/Haiti)- The 44th Smithsonian Folklife Festival is expected to draw one million visitors to the National Mall in Washington DC, with exhibits, concerts and live demonstrations. This year's event focuses on Haitian art and Asian Pacific American and Mexican cultures and offers a behind-the-scenes... Comment - Like
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Jun 21, 2010, 1:16 am
(France/South Africa)- France's World Cup campaign descended into chaos today with a row between captain Patrice Evra and a fitness coach, a boycott of a training session and the resignation of a senior team official. All this came a day after striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for insulting coach... Comment - Like
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Jun 19, 2010, 4:05 am
(Francophonie)- The Fête de la Musique, also known as World Music Day (June 21), is a music festival taking place this weekend and on Monday in over a hundred countries around the world, and which is especially popular in French-speaking cities. The idea was first broached in 1976 by American music... Comment - Like
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Jun 17, 2010, 11:29 am
(France/Tunisia/Francophonie)- All over the French-speaking world, feelings of resentment, optimism, relief, sadness and happiness can all be found among "bac" students, who either finished their exam period or started it this week. This year was different for one reason: the World Cup in South Afri... Comment - Like
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Jun 15, 2010, 4:45 am
(Switzerland)- Many eyes may be on the football World Cup in South Africa, but in Basel in northern Switzerland - host of the world’s premier art fair Art Basel - art has taken centre stage. Swiss galleries and artists are hoping to make their mark as thousands of art lovers descend on the Rhine c... Comment - Like
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Jun 13, 2010, 2:13 pm
(Burkina Faso)- A proposed television drama series entitled "Princess Yennenga" was presented to the media last month in Ouagadougou by the author Rejean Tremblay, a Canadian national. The series with five parts of one hour each is built around a meeting between Canadians and Africans on African soi... Comment - Like
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Jun 11, 2010, 11:11 am
(Morocco)- The Chellah Jazz Festival ("Jazz au Chellah") celebrates its 15th anniversary this year by making Rabat ring with its trademark blend of melodies and cultures in five days of performances ending Monday (June 10-14). Chellah audiences regularly hear unprecedented fusions of musical trad... Comment - Like
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Jun 9, 2010, 2:48 pm
(Canada)- Les FrancoFolies de Montréal is one of Montreal's most important festivals, attracting almost one million spectators over the course of ten days, running June 10 to June 19. A grand celebration of the best in French music from Quebec and abroad used to run every summer around the end ... Comment - Like
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Jun 7, 2010, 9:56 am
(France/USA/Great Britain/Canada/World)- World leaders gave thanks last Saturday to military veterans for their efforts in the D-Day landings of 65 years ago at a ceremony in northwest France, warning that their legacy must not be forgotten as the world faces renewed threats of tyranny. President Ob... Comment - Like
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Jun 6, 2010, 1:53 am
(France/World)- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced the killing off of the English-language news channel France 24, barely a year after it first hit the airwaves. The president announced on Tuesday that it would be replaced by a new, purely French-speaking network, France Monde. The new ... Comment - Like
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Jun 3, 2010, 9:49 pm
(Canada)- The second edition of Le Rendez-Vous Naval de Québec (RVNQ) is taking place today. The mission of this significant 3-day event, held every other year and unique in Canada, is to host Canadian and foreign military vessels in order to promote the Québec region and to animate it with activi... Comment - Like
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Jun 1, 2010, 9:53 pm
(Haiti/France/Francophonie)- The French-speaking university association, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie or AUF, has unveiled an action plan to rebuild Haiti's universities. It will require raising millions of dollars of capital but its wide-ranging initiatives will depend on goodwill an... Comment - Like
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May 30, 2010, 11:56 pm
(France/Europe)- France will be the host country of the 2016 European football championship. France squeaked by Turkey by one narrow vote, as well as Italy and Poland for the coveted chance to host one of the world’s biggest and more prestigious sporting events, 18 years after its 1998 hosting —... Comment - Like
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May 29, 2010, 11:46 pm
(France/Chad)- The world's poorest continent won a share of red-carpet glory when Chad director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's "Un Homme Qui Crie" (A Screaming Man) scooped the jury prize last Sunday. Haroun is the first filmmaker in Chad's history to present a feature film in the Cannes' of... Comment - Like
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May 27, 2010, 10:52 pm
(Switzerland/USA)- If you’re young, hip and into all things Swiss, Switzerland Tourism may just have the site for you. Its recently launched site, HowdyHeidi, tracks down all things Swiss: from a solar messenger bag that allows you to charge your mobile phone on the go to an iPhone application tha... Comment - Like
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May 25, 2010, 8:34 pm
(France)- If you were lucky enough to be in Paris last Sunday and yesterday, we hope you meandered over to the Champs-Elysees to check out one of the most beautiful ad hoc farmers markets you're ever likely to see. To celebrate a 2-day French public holiday (the Christian Pentecost and Whit Mond... Comment - Like
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May 23, 2010, 3:51 am
(France)- The French Open (French: Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros or Tournoi de Roland-Garros) is kicking off today. The two-week event (May 23-June 6) is the second of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar and the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world... Comment - Like
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May 23, 2010, 2:17 am
(France/World)- The city of Montpellier in southern France is the center of the French breakdancing world today during the Battle of The Year event. Battle of the Year, commonly referred to as BOTY, is an annual international breakdancing series that began in 1990. It is a "crew" (as opposed to indi... Comment - Like
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May 21, 2010, 5:42 pm
(France)- The MotoGP paddock moves to France this weekend for the third round of the 2010 MotoGP series (Grand Prix motorcycle racing season). Held at the famed Le Mans venue in northwestern France, this year marks the 22nd-time in the circuit’s history hosting MotoGP. Road Racing World Championsh... Comment - Like
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May 20, 2010, 2:43 am
(Guadeloupe/France)- The island of Marie-Galante (in southeastern Guadeloupe) springs to life with daytime performing-arts shows dotted around the district of Grand-Bourg and live music at night during the 11th edition of the annual Terre de Blues Festival (May 21-24). Local and international musici... Comment - Like
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May 17, 2010, 9:33 pm
(France)- It's France's newest architectural wonder, and it looks something like an enormous white floppy sun hat. Or a giant swimming manta ray, or maybe an alien spacecraft. The Pompidou Center art museum's new outpost in eastern France opened last week and the unusual building will pr... Comment - Like
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May 16, 2010, 1:18 am
(France/Belgium/Switzerland/Europe)- Do you like culture but not standing in line? Try the European Night of the Museums (Nuit des Musées). For one night each year, over 2,000 museums throughout France take part in this event which lets visitors in museums free of charge today, from sunset to appr... Comment - Like
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May 14, 2010, 10:32 pm
(Morocco)- Three Moroccan bands were crowned the winners of Generation Mawazine at a star-lit Rabat concert last week featuring Hoba Hoba Spirit, H-Kayne, Cheb Khaled, Johnny Clegg and Ziggy Marley. Judges for the fifth Mawazine Generation talent contest zeroed in on Morocco's up-and-coming musi... Comment - Like
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May 13, 2010, 11:19 am
(Belgium)- The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition is taking place this month in Brussels (May 3-29). This competition that awards young virtuous pianists, violinists and singers is unique in the world, not only because of its importance, its influence, but also because of the difficulty of the tests... Comment - Like
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May 11, 2010, 10:43 pm
(France)- The Cannes Film Festival is opening tomorrow. Founded in 1946, it is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals. The private festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France. The 63rd edition ... Comment - Like
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May 9, 2010, 5:47 am
(Senegal)- The 9th Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dak'Art 2010, kicked off last Friday in the Senegalese capital with the participation of 16 countries. The one-month biennial event, being held under the theme "Retrospective and Prospects," is bringing together 28 African artists livi... Comment - Like
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May 8, 2010, 2:55 am
(Canada/USA)- Montreal is officially the 19th Major League Soccer (MLS) club, the League announced today. The Montreal Impact will join MLS in 2012, paling in a renovated 20,000-capacity Saputo Stadium as well as using Montreal's Olympic Stadium. "We are proud to welcome Montreal, the second ... Comment - Like
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May 6, 2010, 11:38 pm
(France/USA)- Local business reviews site Yelp is making its first foray into non-English-speaking territory with the launch of a French version of the site that allows residents of that country to critique local businesses in their native tongue. Yelp, Inc., is an American Web 2.0 company t... Comment - Like
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May 5, 2010, 3:52 pm
(Burkina Faso)- Some150 artists participated in the 18th edition of the international festival "Jazz à Ouaga" last week in the capital of Burkina Faso. The artists held about 20 concerts in ten cities in Burkina Faso. The festival, held under the theme "Contribution of jazz in musical and artistic ... Comment - Like
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May 3, 2010, 9:26 pm
(USA)- A prestigious exhibition, Cartier and America, is featured until May 9 at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, and shows many of the famous jewels made by Cartier for socialites and movie-stars, on loan from the Cartier Collection and private lenders around the globe. This exclusive e... Comment - Like
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May 1, 2010, 12:55 pm
(World/Francohonie)- More than 80 countries, including several French-speaking countries (Belgium, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Haiti, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Morocco) are celebrating the official holiday of May Day today (French: La fête du travail). In many countries like France and Belgi... Comment - Like
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Apr 30, 2010, 3:04 am
(Switzerland)- The 64th Tour de Romandie, Switzerland’s second road bicycle stage race, started this week, marking the end of the classics season and the approach of the first of the year’s Grand Tours. The race’s position in the calendar (April 27-May 2) allows the Ardennes (Belgium) speciali... Comment - Like
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Apr 28, 2010, 10:04 pm
(Togo)- The West African country of Togo celebrated 50 years of independence yesterday among political and civil unrest. Togo's culture reflects the influences of its 37 tribal ethnic groups, the largest and most influential of which are the Ewe, Mina, and Kabre. French is the official languag... Comment - Like
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Apr 26, 2010, 9:29 pm
(Martinique/Guadeloupe/French Guiana)- The French Caribbean islands are celebrating the abolition of slavery tomorrow. Slavery was first abolished in France in 1794, then definitively abolished in 1848. In 1794, the First Republic (Convention) voted for the abolition of slavery in all French colonie... Comment - Like
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Apr 24, 2010, 10:26 am
(Tunisia)- Volcanic ash may have singed the 6th International Jazz fest in Carthage (Jazz à Carthage), but in the end it was the musicians who turned up the heat. Air transport problems caused by Iceland's volcanic episode led to the cancellation of the April 17th performances of the Belgian gr... Comment - Like
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Apr 22, 2010, 4:32 am
(World/Côte d'Ivoire)- Côte d'Ivoire is joining the rest of the world today in the celebration of the 40th Earth Day, which has become over the years the largest environmental event in the world. The first-ever Earth Day festival in Côte d’Ivoire will be held from April 22 to 24 in the ... Comment - Like
I am originally from Brussels, Belgium, and I am a native French speaker. I moved to the U.S. in 2005. I teach English as a Second Language and French, and I am currently living in San Diego. From the French-speaking expatriate to the French language learner, to the curious who simply appreciates French culture, I hope that my selection of articles and their related links will help you discover and enjoy the wealth of a diverse world united by a common language.
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