Libya's Derna hosts theatre festival year after flash flood

A year after a flash flood ripped through Derna and killed thousands of people, the coastal Libyan city is hosting a theatre festival with a message of hope. The city in the war-torn country's east is still reeling from the flooding that destroyed historic buildings, including Libya's oldest theatre where the festival was held in previous years.  Now, back after a pause due to the September 2023 floods, the festival's sixth edition is being held this week under the slogan: "Derna is back, Derna is hope". It includes five theatre troupes from Libya, and one each from neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, the event has drawn artists, comedians and visitors from across the Arab world.