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This Happened

This Happened - March 12: Stromae Is Born

Stromae, the Belgian singer, rapper, and songwriter, was born on this day in 1985.


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Where is Stromae from?

Stromae's real name is Paul van Haver, and he was born and raised in Brussels, Belgium. His father was a Rwandan Tutsi named Pierre Rutare, and his Flemish mother is Miranda van Haver. He and his siblings were raised by their mother, as his father, an architect, was killed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, while visiting his family.

His stage name comes from the French slang, that twists the word "maestro."

What is special about Stromae's music?

Known for his unique blend of electronic, hip-hop, and pop music, Stromae first gained international recognition with his hit single "Alors On Danse" in 2009. He has gone on to win numerous awards for his music, including several Belgian Music Industry Awards, Victoires de la Musique awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards. Some of Stromae's other most popular songs include "Papaoutai," "Formidable," and "Tous les mêmes."

What is Stromae known for beyond his music?

In addition to his music career, Stromae is known for his unique fashion sense and his involvement in various social and political causes, including mental health awareness and the refugee crisis.

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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainians In Occupied Territories Are Being Forced To Get Russian Passports

Reports have emerged of children, retirees, and workers being forced by the Russian military and occupying administration to obtain Russian Federation passports, or face prison, beating or loss of public benefits.

Image of a hand holding a red Russian passport.

Russian passport

Iryna Gamaliy

It's referred to as: "forced passportization." Reports are accumulating of police and local authorities in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine requiring that locals obtain Russian passports. Now new evidence has emerged that Ukrainians are indeed being coerced into changing their citizenship, or risk retribution from occupying authorities.

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Ever since late September, when President Vladimir Putin announced Russia hadd unilaterally annexed four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine (Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson), Moscow has been seeking ways to legitimize the unrecognized annexation. The spreading of Russian passports is seen as an attempt to demonstrate that there is support among the Ukrainian population to be part of Russia.

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