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☆ Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest amid Gaza protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The completed stage for the Eurovision song contest (ESC) is pictured at the Malmo Arena, shown to the media at a press conference in Malmo, Sweden on April 25, 2024. Switzerland on Saturday won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Swedish host city Malmo, beating runner-up Croatia, after having been among bookmakers' top-three to win the competition. Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, 24, won the contest with "The Code", a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock song, about Nemo's journey of self-discovery as a non-binary person. The Eurovision winner is awarded the contest's official glass trophy, which is shaped like a classic, old-fashioned microphone, with sand blasted and painted details. "I didn't just break the code, I also broke the trophy," Nemo said, laughing, at the press conference after the win.

Persons: Nemo, Celine Dion, Swiss revellers, Maha Nater, Lasagna, Marko Purisic, Israel's Eden Golan, Joost Klein Organizations: Eurovision, Malmo, Saturday, Moi, Protesters, European Broadcasting Union, Russia, Police Locations: Malmo, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia, Israel, Gaza, Swiss, Zurich, Europe, Ukraine, Dutch

☆ Australia Authorities Say More Sydney Sites Tainted With Asbestos
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Saturday said asbestos had been discovered in more places in Sydney including housing estates as the New South Wales government continues a weeks-long scramble to remove the toxic material from mulch used in public spaces. Since then, in what is the biggest investigation by the state's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in decades, 32 city sites have returned positive results for bonded asbestos, the agency said in a statement on Saturday. The EPA said new sites where asbestos had been detected were a public school and park in the city's north, and two residential estates under construction in Sydney's south-west. The University of Sydney had also been identified as potentially tainted and would be tested this weekend, it said. The rate of positive results is around 10 percent," the EPA said.

Persons: Sam McKeith, Matthew Lewis Organizations: SYDNEY, New South, Environmental Protection Authority, EPA, University of Sydney, Authorities, Sydney Gay, Mardi Locations: Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney's

☆ Sydney Parks Cordoned Off, Mardi Gras Event Cancelled After Asbestos Concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Friday cordoned off areas in several parks in Sydney after the discovery of asbestos in mulch, while schools began precautionary testing as the government scrambled to remove the toxic material from public spaces. About 700 students at a public school in Sydney's southwest will be relocated to another school for several weeks after finding asbestos on campus. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day event, which usually draws tens of thousands of revellers, scheduled for Sunday was cancelled after traces of asbestos were found around the Victoria Park venue. The New South Wales state government on Thursday set up a taskforce to provide more resources and staff to help support the Environment Protection Authority's investigations. The complex, criminal investigation involves multiple lines of enquiry," New South Wales Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said in a statement.

Persons: Penny Sharpe, Sharpe, Renju Jose, Jamie Freed Organizations: SYDNEY, Sydney City Council, Sydney Gay, Mardi, Sunday, Protection, Environment Protection Authority, Wales Environment Locations: Sydney, Sydney's, Victoria, New South Wales, New, Wales

☆ South Korea Halloween crush: 3 former police officers sentenced for destroying evidence
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Three former police officers were sentenced in a Seoul court on Wednesday for destroying evidence related to the deadly Halloween crowd crush in the city’s Itaewon neighborhood in 2022. They are the first officers to be convicted of crimes related to the crowd crush, in which nearly 160 people were killed. The court document said Park ordered his officers to delete police reports warning of crowd-related incidents and raising public safety concerns ahead of the Halloween celebrations in 2022 shortly after the Itaewon crowd crush occurred. One of the deleted police reports stated a need for measures to prevent male police officers from hitting on women during Halloween. Most of those killed in the October 29 crush were young adults and teenagers, who were among tens of thousands of partygoers who poured into Seoul’s Itaewon district to celebrate Halloween.

Persons: Sung, Kim Jin, Young, seok, Kim Kwang Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul’s, Seoul police Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Seoul’s

☆ Revellers Who Fled Hamas Reunite With Holocaust Survivor Who Sheltered Them
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Rami AmichayTEL AVIV (Reuters) - As a child, Sarah Jackson survived the Nazi Holocaust. She was four years old when the war started. Jackson gave her testimony as part of an Israeli grassroots initiative of informal gatherings in people's private homes to commemorate the Holocaust. The event, titled 'Zikaron Basalon' (Remembrance in the Living Room), brings together Holocaust survivors or descendants of survivors who share their accounts with younger people. For some survivors, Hamas' attack recalled past atrocities.

Persons: Rami Amichay TEL, Sarah Jackson, Jackson, Ilya Pisatzkov, Pisatzkov, Benel Fransis, It's, Avivit Delgoshen, Maayan Lubell, Timothy Heritage Organizations: Reuters, Nova Locations: Rami Amichay TEL AVIV, Nazi, revellers, Israel, Gaza, Sa'ad, Poland, Siberia

☆ Seoul Police Chief Indicted Over Halloween Crush
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors have indicted the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, charging him with contributing through negligence to the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul in 2022 that killed nearly 160 people, according to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office. The indictment of Seoul police chief Kim Kwang-ho came more than a year after the crowd crush in October 2022, which killed 159 people on a Halloween weekend in the entertainment district of Itaewon in capital Seoul. Kim is the highest-ranking police official charged in connection with the crowd crush. In January last year, a special investigation team referred Kim and 22 other police, rescue and district office officials to the prosecution on charges related to the government's inadequate response to the stampede. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang; editing by Giles Elgood)

Persons: , Kim Kwang, Kim, Heekyong Yang, Giles Elgood Organizations: Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Seoul Western, Prosecutors Office Locations: SEOUL, Seoul, Itaewon

☆ At Israeli rave site hit by Hamas, music plays again for the dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Amir Cohen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Thousands of young people were partying in the dawn hours of Oct. 7 when the armed Palestinian infiltrators swept in. All that faced the five Israeli DJs on the stage this time were silent and unmoving placards showing pictures of the dead. Sadness for all his friends lost and happiness for bringing music back to the rave-goers, whom he described as people of love, peace and music. Another 40 people were taken hostage by Hamas back to the Gaza Strip, 5 km (2 miles) away, police said. It was the bloodiest incident in a shock cross-border assault by the Palestinian Islamist faction, and triggered a devastating Israeli counter-offensive in Gaza.

Persons: Amir Cohen, . Asher Swissa, Skazi, Dan Williams, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Palestinian Islamist, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Re'im, Israel, Reim, Palestinian

☆ Gaza hostage briefly escaped captors after building was bombed, family says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Citing Kriboy's dual Russian citizenship, Hamas said he was freed to show appreciation for Moscow, the only world power openly engaging the group during the now seven-week-old war. Like other recovered hostages, Kriboy has been kept away from the media in what Israeli authorities describe as an effort to focus on helping with their physical and emotional recovery. Kriboy's aunt, Yelena Magid, said in an interview with Israel's Kan radio that she spoke to Kriboy after his return. Kriboy's cousin, Alex Magid, gave a similar account in an interview to Israel's Army Radio on Monday, adding that the bombing of the building killed several Palestinian gunmen. Six hostages still in Gaza hold Russian citizenship, according to the Israeli government.

Persons: Roni Kriboy, Kriboy, Yelena Magid, Israel's Kan, Alex Magid, Dan Williams, Nick Macfie Organizations: Israel's Army Radio, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Israel, Moscow

☆ Three Indian cities among world's 10 most polluted after Diwali
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Two Indian cities joined New Delhi to be among the world's worst 10 for pollution on Monday morning, with smoke heavy in the air a day after revellers let loose with firecrackers for Diwali - the annual Hindu festival of light. It had an air quality index (AQI) figure of 420, putting it the 'hazardous' category, according to Swiss group IQAir. An AQI level of 400-500 impacts healthy people and is dangerous to those with existing diseases, while a level of 150-200 brings discomfort to people with asthma, lung and heart problems. Every year authorities impose bans on firecrackers in the capital, but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Air quality in India deteriorates every year ahead of winter, when cold air traps pollutants from vehicles, industry, construction dust and agricultural waste burning.

Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai, India

☆ Smoky skies in Indian capital on Diwali as revellers defy firecracker ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Neha Arora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke plumes were visible across the sky as revellers let off firecrackers in the evening to mark the country's biggest festival. Every year government authorities or India's Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers - but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Globally, air pollution was the worst in India's eastern city of Kolkata, while Delhi was the fifth-most polluted, according to Swiss group IQAir. Doctors say the air quality is likely to worsen on Monday as smoke from firecrackers lingers in the air, potentially causing itchy eyes and irritation in the throat. Some Hindus resent the Diwali firecracker bans, which they see as an attempt to interfere with them observing their religious festivals.

Persons: Health Organization's, Deepak, Dr, Ram Manohar, Gopal Rai, Neha Arora, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Health, Ram Manohar Lohia, Delhi's, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Kolkata, Delhi, Swiss

A woman dressed up as a starving medical student. One woman dressed up as a medical student, holding a begging bowl in her hands. A woman dressed up as a liberal arts student hungry for egg fried rice. Greg Baker/Pool/ReutersTo address these challenges, President Xi Jinping hosted a key financial policy meeting this week to reiterate the need to resolve financial risks in the economy. “Hidden economic and financial risks are still widespread,” the readout said.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Zhou, Xiao Pan, Yan Ziqi, “, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Global, Stock, Huaan Securities, Service, National People's, of, People, Reuters, Communist Party, Ministry of State Security Locations: China, Hong Kong, China’s, Shanghai, Weibo, Douyin, “, Beijing

SHANGHAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Halloween revellers thronged central Shanghai late on Tuesday night, with some dressed in costumes that poked fun at China's strict COVID-19 curbs in a rare showcase of free expression as police looked on. Celebrations in the Chinese financial hub began on the weekend, culminating on Tuesday in a large crowd of mostly young people that gathered around a popular bar area, according to onlookers and social media posts. "The 'dabai', COVID-19 testing, A-share market...that Shanghai people dressed up as are all elements that speak to the trauma of the times and traces of history. Public critiques of government policies are rare in China, where authorities have been cracking down on free expression. Some party goers also showed up with blank sheets of paper stuck to their clothes, a key symbol of last year's protests, other social media posts showed.

Persons: Lu Xun, Brenda Goh, Casey Hall, Eduardo Baptista, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Weibo, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China, Beijing

[1/3] People walk through a CCTV (closed-circuit television system) monitored alley in Itaewon, where the Halloween crowd crush occurred last year, in Seoul, South Korea, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A year after 159 Halloween revellers were killed in a crowd crush in South Korea, the capital's night-life district of Itaewon was quiet on Saturday, the area's usual festivities replaced by mourning for those died. Lee Sung-min, who has lived and worked in the Seoul district for years, said he did not even realise it was the Halloween weekend until early Saturday. Many people were still looking for other places to join Halloween festivities, such as Hongdae, another popular spot among the young. "I thought Hongdae would be better than Itaewon to celebrate Halloween with my boyfriend," said Cheon Ye-ji, a 19-year-old student.

Persons: Kim Soo, Lee Sung, Lee, I've, Lee Jung, Cheon, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Soo, Choi, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL

This year, officials in the South Korean capital said they would work with police, emergency services and local officials to ensure "not a single person gets hurt" during Halloween celebrations. The plan unveiled this week covers just Seoul, rather than the entire nation, he added. The Seoul anniversary has unnerved authorities elsewhere in the run-up to this year’s celebrations. "Officials have grown fearful of a disastrous crowd crush similar to the one in the Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea," Shibuya city officials said in a statement. The safety campaign has involved a ban on street drinking over the Halloween weekend, while videos posted on social media urge: "On Halloween night, everyone should stay away from Shibuya."

Persons: Ahn, Paek Seung, Dogyun Kim, Jihyun Jeon, Jack Kim, John Geddie, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Seoul City Hall, Cyber University of Korea, Thomson Locations: Gangnam district, Seoul City, Seoul, South Korea, SEOUL, Tokyo, Itaewon, Shibuya

☆ The deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( David Clarke | Sophie Meyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

The deadly Hamas rampage across southern IsraelUnder a barrage of rockets, hundreds of Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Oct. 7, on motorbikes, paragliders and four-wheel drives, unleashing death, destruction and despair on nearby towns and villages. Major Hamas attacks Map showing location of five communities in southern Israel attacked by Hamas gunmen – from north to south, Ashkelon, Sderot, Kfar Aza, Be’eri and Re’im, the site of the Nova music festival. Video footage shows Hamas gunmen manhandling Be’eri residents and pulling them along. What the video shows Hamas fighters pulling people along the street at gunpoint, several with their hands bound. What the video shows Israeli police inspect rocket damage to a civilian building in Ashkelon on Oct. 7, 2023.

Persons: Kfar Aza, Be’eri, Be’eri Israel Gaza Be’eri, manhandling, Hami, Atias, “, He'll, ”, Mir Shani, Golan Abitbul, Ammar Awad “, revellers, Arik Nani, I've, Maariv, Christophe Van Der Perre Kfar Aza, Avidor Schwartzman, Ilan Rosenberg Organizations: Nova, Reuters, Hamas, Kan, Be’eri Israel Gaza, Be’eri, REUTERS, Nova Festival, Israeli Defence Forces Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ashkelon, Sderot, Kfar, Be’eri Israel, Be’eri, Gaza Sderot, Re’im Israel Gaza, Gaza's, Aza, Kfar Aza, ” Ashkelon Israel Gaza Ashkelon

Domestic courts can apply so-called universal jurisdiction in war crimes cases, but that would be limited in scope. It has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 123 member states or committed by its nationals. The ICC has had an ongoing investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021. WHAT ACTS COULD VIOLATE WAR CRIMES LAW? The taking of hostages, murder and torture are explicitly banned under the Geneva Conventions, while Israel's response could also be subject to a war crimes investigation.

Persons: Prosecutors, Omar Shakir, Yoav Gallant, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Nick Kaufman, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Heather Timmons, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: HAGUE, Hamas, Criminal Court, ICC, Palestine, Rights, Israeli, GENEVA, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Geneva, The Hague, Rome, China, United States, Russia, India, Egypt, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar, York, Gaza, Palestine, U.S, British, Kibbutz

☆ Music festival attack: Revellers in Israel first took cover from rockets, then Gaza militants began firing on them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The rockets began around 6:30 a.m., Tal Gibly told CNN. Thirty minutes later, she and hundreds of others attending a music festival were running as Gaza militants fired at them. “We didn’t even have any place to hide because we were at [an] open space,” she told CNN. Gibly began taking more video of the traffic jam. We took cover.”Gibly told CNN she ran to the forest, and after about an hour, came across a car driving down the road.

Persons: Tal Gibly, Gibly, “, ”, ” Gibly Organizations: CNN, Israel’s Channel, “ Locations: Gaza, Israel, Israeli

☆ Pura Luka Vega: drag queen arrested after Jesus performance sparks backlash in the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Philippines is a deeply Christian country and the Catholic Church maintains significant influence both in daily life and politics. Social media videos of drag queen Pura Luka Vega singing to a rock version of The Lord's Prayer while dressed as Jesus became a topic of debate in the Philippines. Multiple politicians, including senators, also went on Philippine television shows to criticize the drag artist’s performance, calling it blasphemous, disrespectful and offensive. ‘Denied my rights’The drag artist has previously apologized to those who “felt uncomfortable” about their performance. But Secillano stopped short of commenting whether the church viewed Pagente’s arrest as the right thing to do to defend the faith.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Amadeus Fernando Pagente, Pura Luka Vega, “, belting, revellers, Jesus, Christian Manalon, Pagente, Hijos Del, Lord Jesus, Father Jerome Secillano, ”, Secillano, Carlos Conde, Vega, –, ” Conde, Rod Singh, Singh, ” Singh Organizations: CNN, Catholic Church, Pura Luka, Catholic, Del, Black Nazarene, Nazarene, CNN Philippines, Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of, Human Rights Watch, Amazon Prime Locations: Philippines, Manila, Del Nazareno, Mexico, Quezon City, Hijos Del Nazareno, Philippine, Vatican City

☆ Ukraine’s defense reshuffle, rare protests in Syria and Erdogan’s Russia push
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

President Volodymyr Zelensky replaces his defense minister – will the move change things on the battlefront? Russia attacks Ukrainian ports near the border with NATO member Romania. The attacks come hours before Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan is due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for the restoration of a grains deal. Anger over economic hardship in Syria triggers protests against President Bashar al-Assad. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, –, Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, NATO, Thomson Locations: Romania, Syria, Nevada

☆ La Tomatina festival paints Spanish town red
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PicturesLa Tomatina festival paints Spanish town redRevellers hurled tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes at each other in the eastern Spanish town of Bunol, at the annual "Tomatina" festival.

Locations: Spanish, Bunol

☆ Anger in South Korea as court rejects removing minister over Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Judges of South Korea's Constitutional Court sit for the ruling on the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, at the constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, July 25, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERSSEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) - South Korea's top court on Tuesday ruled against a parliamentary vote to impeach the interior minister over a botched government response to a deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, sparking anger and dismay among relatives of the victims. Dozens of relatives and supporters gathered in front of the court chanting "condemn the constitutional court that gave immunity to Lee Sang-min!" Choi Sun-mi, the mother of Park Ga-young, one of the victims, described the court ruling as "truly devastating." The Itaewon district in South Korea’s capital is known to revellers as a place of fun, freedom and openness.

Persons: Lee Sang, Lee Jong, Lee, Yonhap, Choi, Yoon Suk Yeol, partygoers, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Lincoln Organizations: South, South Korea's Constitutional, Yonhap, REUTERS, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: South Korea's, Seoul, South Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, Itaewon, South Korea’s

☆ Podcast: A Russian general's words and photographing with the bulls - plus Putin and Biden on Prigozhin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Russian general says he was fired for telling his bosses about the dire situation at the front in Ukraine. Does this fresh turmoil mean discontent is spreading in the Russian military? Vladimir Putin on mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin after that aborted mutiny and Joe Biden’s words of advice for the soldier of fortune. Plus, all the latest on the fallout from the China hack, the Hollywood strike and North Korea’s rare UN appearance. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Joe Biden’s, Ukraine Russia's Putin snubs Prigozhin, Biden, Blinken, revellers Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Hollywood, Thomson, Reading, Spain's, Spain's Pamplona Hollywood Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Spain, China, Spain's Pamplona, Korea

[1/34] Bulls from the Fuente Ymbro ranch run along Estafeta street during the fourth running of the bulls during Sanfermines in Pamplona, Spain, July 10, 2023. The famed bull-running festival engulfs downtown Pamplona every July when revellers from around the globe descend upon the northern Spanish city... Read moreSummary Picture essayPAMPLONA, Spain, July 12 (Reuters) - The bell tolls - eight chimes. Some are drawn to the Sanfermines - as the festival is popularly known - by the timeless prose of one of the grandees of 20th-century American literature. For the past 24 years, she has rented the same apartment in Pamplona for the festival with her family. WHAT HAS CHANGED AND WHAT HASN'TThere's a recurring debate among Pamplona's residents: Is the city's overcrowding during Sanfermines Hemingway's fault?

Persons: Fuente, St Fermin, savoured, Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway, Bill Hillmann, Hillmann's, He's, wilder, Hemingway's, John, Michael ., gored, hasn't, I've, Hillmann, Cheryl Mountcastle, Mary Welsh, Arrieta, Sanfermines, William Kappal, Kappal, it's, Susana Vera, David Latona, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Bulls, American, New, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Pamplona, Spain, Spanish, PAMPLONA, British, Paris, Chicago, New Orleans, Sanfermines, Miguel, France, Izu

☆ Ravers dance through Berlin heat at techno parade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Revellers attend the 'Rave The Planet' techno parade near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, July 8, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschBERLIN, July 8 (Reuters) - Ravers gathered in Berlin on Saturday for the annual "Rave The Planet" techno music-themed street parade, with up to 300,000 attendees expected over the course of the afternoon. Police gave the go-ahead for the street parade on Saturday morning, after organisers had cautioned it may be cancelled due to concerns over security and sanitation. "The town centre belongs to the ravers today," Berlin police tweeted, confirming the event could take place. Around 200 DJs were due to play on 25 floats at the event, seen as the successor to the Love Parade founded in 1989 which was halted in 2010 after a stampede killed 21 and injured 500.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch BERLIN, Ravers, Tanya Wood, Fabrizio Bensch, Victoria Waldersee, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Police, Love, Thomson Locations: Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany, Berlin's

☆ Spain's Pamplona bull-running festival kicks off with a bang
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, July 6 (Reuters) - The northern Spanish city of Pamplona on Thursday marked the start of its iconic nine-day Running of the Bulls festival with the ceremonial launching of a firework known as the "chupinazo". After the highly awaited bang, the crowds cheered "Long live St Fermin! ", in reference to Pamplona's patron saint, as bands playing the traditional txistu flute and drums led them off the square in a jovial march. This year marks the 100th anniversary of American author Ernest Hemingway's first visit to the festival, which he made internationally famous in his 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises". Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: St Fermin, Ernest Hemingway's, David Latona, Andrei Khalip Organizations: Bulls, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spanish, Pamplona

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