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☆ Prague bans bar crawls to discourage ‘drunk’ tourists
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Prague, a city as famous for its beer as its historic architecture, is set to ban late-night bar crawls, seeking to end its reputation as a party destination. Prague’s deputy mayor, Jiri Pospisil, said the city wants to discourage tourists who come “for a short time only to get drunk” in favor of “a more cultured, wealthier tourist,” according to the AFP news agency. The news, announced on Monday, follows complaints from residents in Prague 1, the city’s historic district – home to the UNESCO-protected Old Town Square, Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge – over noise caused by rowdy pub crawls. Prague joins many cities across Europe that have been pushing back against tourists in recent months. Officials in Venice, Italy recently limited tour group sizes to 25 people and banned megaphones, while Barcelona’s mayor plans to end apartment rentals for tourists by 2028.

Persons: Jiri Pospisil, Zdenek Hrib, Charles, Vaclav Starek, Starek, ” Simon Old, ” Organizations: CNN —, AFP, UNESCO, Czech Association of Hotels, Brits, stags, ”, CNN Travel Locations: CNN — Prague, Czech, Prague, Europe, Venice, Italy

☆ British content creator dies trying to climb Spain’s highest bridge
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A 26-year-old British man has died after falling from Spain’s tallest bridge during an attempt to climb one of its pylons. Local councillor Macarena Muñoz said he was accompanied by another British man, aged 24. “According to what we have been able to find out they had come to Talavera to climb the bridge and create content for social media,” Muñoz said in the statement. The British man is far from the first person to die in the pursuit of social media content in recent years. And in November 2019 a French tourist died after falling from a waterfall in Thailand while attempting to take a selfie.

Persons: Macarena Muñoz, ” Muñoz, Koh Samui Organizations: CNN, Talavera de la Reina, Nine, AFP Locations: Castilla, Mancha, Talavera de, Spain, Talavera, Australia, Victoria, Thailand, Thai, Koh

Routh became animated when writing about Trump, and he frequently weighed in on US and global current events on social media. He even commented on the first assassination attempt on Trump, when the former president was wounded by a gunshot during a rally in Pennsylvania in July. According to Cernea, Routh described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a “black and white… good versus evil” conflict. Hawaiian business owner Saili Levi told CNN he had paid Routh $3,800 up front to build a trailer for his business. Levi said when he asked Routh to improve the work via email, Routh ranted at him.

Persons: CNN — Ryan Wesley Routh, Donald Trump, Routh, Trump, Ryan Wesley Routh, “, ”, ” Routh, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, “ Trump, Ryan Routh, ’, Oleksandr Shaguri, Remus Cernea, it’s, ” Cernea, Cernea, Vladimir Putin’s, “ Putin, ” Oran, Saili Levi, Levi, Routh ranted, you’re, ” Levi Organizations: CNN, US Secret Service, LinkedIn, Honolulu Star, Democratic, Trump, Global Citizen, Independence, Ukraine, Foreigners, Department, Land Forces Command, Legion, Newsweek Romania, AFP, Russia Locations: Ukraine, Taiwan, North Korea, Kyiv, Hawaii, Honolulu, North Carolina, Afghanistan, Iran, Tehran, Moscow, Pennsylvania, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Kyiv’s, United States, Oran, Florida

☆ Moscow and Kyiv trade barbs over nuclear plant fire as tempers flare over Ukraine's ongoing incursion
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A fire broke out Sunday in Europe's largest nuclear power plant, located in southern Ukraine, with Ukraine and Russia trading blame over the incident. "As long as Russian terrorists retain control of the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal. A view of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on June 15, 2023. He said he had met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin who had "clearly indicated increasing vigilance and attention to strategic infrastructure facilities, which include the nuclear power plant." International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors are seen at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on June 15, 2023.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy, Olga Maltseva, Yevgeny Balitsky, Balitsky, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Smirnov, Roman Pilipey, Putin Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Zaporizhzhya NPP, Afp, NATO, CNBC, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, AFP, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Institute for, Kremlin, AP Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Russia, Anadolu, Moscow, Kyiv, Russian, Enerhodar, Europe, Zaporizhia, Kursk, Kursk Oblast, Soviet, Sumy, Ukrainian, Sudzha

☆ Elon Musk reposted a deepfake video of Kamala Harris on X — it may violate his own platform's policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewOn Friday evening, Elon Musk reposted a deepfake video of Vice President Kamala Harris on X — a move that may violate his own platform's policy on synthetic and manipulated media, The New York Times reported. In the video, the edited voice-over says, "I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire. And that may just run afoul of X's policy on synthetic and manipulated media, which states: "You may not share synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm ("misleading media")." This is a violation of @X’s policies on synthetic media & misleading identities. A video on social media appeared to show the president hitting out at his critics and cursing them.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, X, Harris, Biden, Musk, ake, abel, allen, linton Organizations: Service, New York Times, Democratic Party, Business Locations: ust

☆ Bangladesh army enforces curfew as students-led protests spiral
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bangladesh students vowed on July 18 to continue nationwide protests against civil service hiring rules, rebuffing an olive branch from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who pledged justice for seven killed in the demonstrations. Bangladesh soldiers patrolled the deserted streets of the capital Dhaka on Saturday during a curfew meant to quell deadly students-led protests against government job quotas that have killed at least 105 people this week. In addition to the deaths, the clashes have injured thousands, according to data from hospitals across Bangladesh. With the death toll climbing and police unable to contain the protests, Hasina's government imposed the national curfew and deployed the military. Those venturing out on the streets had their identification cards inspected by army personnel at different check points, TV footage showed.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Tarique Rahman, Nahid Islam Organizations: Overseas, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Supreme, AFP, Bangladesh Nationalist Party . Police Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Narsingdi, Spain, Brazil

☆ 6 NATO countries are planning to build a 'drone wall' to defend themselves against Russia, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Six NATO countries are planning a "drone wall" to defend against Russia. Finland, Norway, Poland, and the Baltic states want to prevent smuggling and Russian provocations. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSix NATO countries are joining forces to create a "drone wall" to defend themselves against Russia, AFP news agency reported. Over the weekend, ministers from Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania convened to discuss a coordinated system to help defend against Russian provocations and smuggling attempts, per the Financial Times.

Persons: —, Agnė Bilotaitė Organizations: NATO, Service, Financial Times, Baltic News Service, Business Locations: Russia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Baltic, AFP, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

☆ First ship carrying aid approaches Gaza Strip as Israel accused of stalling supplies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Dalya Al Masri | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Video footage from the AFP news agency showed the ship visible off the shore of the Gaza Strip on Friday morning London time. Israel last year agreed to work with Cyprus in setting up an aid corridor across the sea between the European Union member and the Gaza Strip. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid and food supplies at the Kerem Shalom Crossing on the Israel-Gaza border. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesA spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said it continues to expand its efforts to enable the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Earlier this month, Refugees International released a report that alleges that Israel is obstructing the entry of life-saving supplies into the Gaza Strip.

Persons: —, Juliette Touma, Ahmad Hasaballah, Nebal Farsakh, Farsakh, Israel, Touma, Menahem Kahana, Philippe Lazzarini, Jesse Marks, Jordan, José Andrés, Jose Andres, Sen, Chris Coons, Peter Welch, Andres, Chip Somodevilla Organizations: Afp, Getty, AFP, European Union, Israeli Foreign Ministry, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, CNBC, Palestinian Health Ministry, Palestine Red Crescent Society, West Bank, Bloomberg, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab Emirates, ., IDF, Palestinian, Refugees International, UN, Gaza, Arms, U.S, Capitol Locations: Cypriot, Larnaca, Gaza, Spanish, Cyprus, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Palestine, Israeli, Kerem, U.S, United States, Israel's, Morocco, Israel's Ben Gurion, WASHINGTON, DC, Washington ,

☆ Dubai wants to build the biggest airport in the world. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

To put that in perspective, that’s nearly 63 million more travelers than the world’s current busiest airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International, handled in 2022 and nearly 100 million more than Dubai International. philipus/Alamy Stock PhotoThe recent Dubai Air Show, held at a purpose-built venue at Al Maktoum International Airport in 2023, offered some intriguing hints about what’s ahead for DWC – and some insights into Dubai Airports’ long-term strategy. “We have prioritized expansion and investments at DXB to meet our customers’ requirements and plans,” Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO, tells CNN. Changing the business modelNew artist renderings haven't been released in a decade, but Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths says the team will soon be working on ambitious new designs. It will have capacity for 185 million passengers per year, or almost seven times the number it handled in 2022.

Persons: Al Maktoum, it‘ll, that’s, Hartsfield –, let’s, DWC, ’ Al Maktoum, DWC –, ” Paul Griffiths, ”, Griffiths, ” Griffiths, “, haven't, Paul Griffiths, “ We’re, Mohammed bin Rashid, Nadine Itani, Abu Dhabi’s, Foster Organizations: CNN, Al, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai World, Dubai Airports, Dubai International, Al Maktoum International, Hartsfield, Hartsfield – Jackson Atlanta International, Emirates Cargo, UAE, ‘, ’ Al Maktoum International, Dubai Air, Dubai, AFP, Traveller, Emirates, University of Surrey, Hamad International Airport, Kuwait International, Partners, Sharjah International Airport, Air, Riyadh Air Locations: Budapest, Al Maktoum, Dubai, Dubai’s, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Emirates, England, India, Middle, Europe, Qatar, Muscat , Oman, Bahrain, Gulf, Kuwait, British, Sharjah, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Israeli military says 2 civilians killed for every militant is ‘tremendously positive’ ratio given Gaza combat challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Mitchell Mccluskey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A ratio of two Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza for every Hamas militant is “tremendously positive”, a spokesperson for the Israeli military told CNN on Monday, describing the challenges of urban combat. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believes that about two civilians have been killed in Gaza for every Hamas militant, the AFP news agency reported Monday, citing a briefing for foreign media by senior Israeli military officials. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told journalists during a press conference on Saturday that the military has killed “thousands of terrorists.” The Israeli military has not officially published any estimates of those killed. And it could be that they’re even higher than are being cited.

Persons: CNN’s Erin Burnett, Jonathan Conricus, ” Conricus, Yoav Gallant, ”, Barbara Leaf, We’ll Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, AFP, of Health, Israeli, . State Department, U.S, State, Near Eastern Affairs Locations: Gaza

☆ Russia's daily casualties in Ukraine are likely higher now than at any other time in the war, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia may be losing more soldiers in Ukraine now than at any other time in the war, per UK intel. The UK Ministry of Defence put it down to those killed and injured in Russia's attacks on Avdiivka. Russian casualties in November are outpacing those of its March offensive in Bakhmut, Ukraine said. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Russia's military has suffered heavy losses in the region because of its reliance on Soviet-era military tactics, according to military analysts.

Persons: —, Mark Cancian, George Barros, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Ukraine's Organizations: intel, UK Ministry of Defence, Service, Russia, Ukrainian, Staff, US Marine Corps, Center, Strategic International Studies, Institute for, AFP, Strategic Group Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Ukrainian

☆ Russian Attacks on Key City Are Like Zombie Movie: Ukrainian Soldier
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian and Ukrainian forces are deadlocked across a broad front line. Russia has tried to take the city, hoping to break the stalemate with Ukrainian forces in east Ukraine. They were repelled by Ukrainian forces using artillery, mortars, grenades, drones and cannons fired from US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. The soldier told the AFP that Russian units advance overnight in units of five to seven then attack in the morning. AdvertisementFor months, Ukrainian and Russian forces have been deadlocked in a front line stretching from east to south Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces seeking to make advances in the south, and Russian forces in Avdiivka.

Persons: —, Wagner, Yevgenvy Prigozhin Organizations: AFP, Service, Ukrainian, Bradley Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine, AFP

☆ World’s ‘most sought-after’ whisky sells for $2.7 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —For those who appreciate the finer tipples in life, a bottle of the world’s “most sought-after Scotch whisky” sold for more than £2.1 million ($2.7 million) Saturday at Sotheby’s in London. This bottle of The Macallan 1926, is one of 12 that were labelled by Italian painter Valerio Adami. Tristan Fewings/Getty ImagesAhead of the sale, Sotheby’s head of whisky Jonny Fowle told AFP that he had tried a small sample. This bottle is also the first of The Macallan 1926 bottles to have undergone reconditioning, carried out by The Macallan Distillery in Scotland before the auction. Of the unlabelled, one was hand painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon, and became the first bottle of whiskey to surpass £1 million ($1.2 million) when it sold in 2018 for £1.2 million ($1.5 million), the auction house said on its website.

Persons: Sotheby’s, Valerio Adami, Tristan Fewings, Jonny Fowle, it’s, ”, Sir Peter Blake, Michael Dillon Organizations: London CNN, AFP Locations: Sotheby’s, London, Italian, Scotland, Irish

☆ The key to fighting the urban doom loop might be a downtown beach
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Urban rivers, lakes, and parks can also be the key to making cities more resilient to climate change. The 1,200 tons of sand near Greenwich Village along the Hudson river would have to do. But there's no public pool nearby, and no sanctioned river swim spots in the city. The sandy bluff on Gansevoort peninsula is part of the much larger Hudson River park and looks out over Little Island, a whimsical, highly instagrammable transformation of Pier 55. Seattle has torn down an elevated freeway downtown to make way for a waterfront park.

Persons: Mia Olis, Olis, they'll, Amanda Weinstein, Hudson, Karin Balow, Eliza Relman, Bill O'Leary, Trey Sherard, It's, vVJ9elwcss, Sherard, Charles, satchel, Paris, Anne Hidalgo, he's Organizations: Service, University of Akron, Hudson, Inwood, New, Battery, Park, DC, Navy, Nationals, Anacostia, Prince, AFP, Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, Yacht Locations: Chelsea, Hawaii, Greenwich Village, Harlem, New York, Rivers, Upper Manhattan, Manhattan, Jersey City, New York City, Hudson, Little, Manhattan's, Brooklyn, Domino, Queens, Governor's, . Cleveland , Ohio, Lake Erie, Cuyahoga, . Seattle, Potomac, Anacostia, Washington , DC, Prince George's County , Maryland, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Iraja, Black, Boston, Switzerland's, Zurich, Lake Zurich, Bern, who's, American

In Jajarkot district, close to the quake’s epicenter, 92 people were confirmed dead and another 55 injured. Army personnel carry an injured person on a stretcher after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023. Jajarkot district has a population of 190,000 with villages scattered in remote hills. A damaged building is seen after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023 Nepal Prime Minister Office/Handout/ReutersIndia’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed in the earthquake. “Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal,” Modi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Kuber Kadayat, Kadayat, Harish Chandra Sharma, ” Sharma, Narendra Modi, ” Modi Organizations: Kathmandu CNN, United States Geological Survey, CNN, Reuters, Jajarkot . Army, Nepal Army, AFP, Reuters India’s Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Jumla, Karnali province, New Delhi, Jajarkot, Rukam West, Reuters Earthquakes, India

☆ Fact Check: Photo shows Israeli airstrike on Gaza in 2019, not October 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A photograph of a 2019 Israeli airstrike on Gaza has been falsely captioned online to suggest that it shows a new wave of aerial attacks on the Palestinian enclave on Oct. 22, 2023. The post includes three photos of Israeli strikes on Gaza, none of which is from Oct. 22 as claimed. The images were shared after Israel pounded hundreds of targets in Gaza from the air on Oct. 22, with the bombardment killing hundreds, according to figures reported by Gaza’s health ministry. And keep sharing,” reads the caption of an Oct. 22 Facebook post sharing images of night-time explosions. A 2019 photograph was shared with false captions suggesting that it shows a new wave of Israeli strikes on Gaza on Oct. 22, 2023.

Persons: Read Organizations: Facebook, AFP News Agency, “, AP, Hamas, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Tel Aviv, Palestinian

☆ Wife of Gabon's Deposed Leader Ali Bongo Jailed - AFP
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - The wife of Gabon's deposed leader Ali Bongo has been jailed, the AFP news agency said in a post on social media platform X on Thursday, citing a lawyer. Gabon army officers seized power on Aug. 30, annulling an election minutes after an announcement that President Ali Bongo had won, which they said was not credible. Bongo, in power since 2009, had succeeded his father Omar Bongo, who ruled for 42 years.

Persons: Gabon's, Ali Bongo, annulling, Bongo, Omar Bongo Organizations: Reuters, AFP Locations: Gabon

☆ 20,000 people feared dead in Libyan city destroyed by floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Patrick Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"The situation is very large and surprising for the city of Derna. A view shows a damaged car, following a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hitting the country, in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023. A government official estimated Wednesday that 25% of the city was completely destroyed or washed away. People look at the dead bodies outside the hospital, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 12, 2023. A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on September 11, 2023, in Derna, Libya.

Persons: Hassan El Salheen, Aly, Storm Daniel, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Daniel, Abdel Moneim Al, Ghaithi, Esam Omran, Hunter Biden, Elie Abouaoun, Reuters Othman Abduljaleel Organizations: Reuters, Sky News Arabia, fetori, United Nations, World Meteorological Organization, AFP, WMO, NBC, FBI, Social Security, International Rescue, International Organization for Migration, United Arab, Fetori, Tripoli Public Services Company, Libyan News Agency, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: Libya, Al Sharief, Bani Swief, Egypt, Derna, Geneva, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Tripoli, Derna's

☆ What travelers to Morocco need to know following the recent earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —Thousands of people are known to have killed in the Morocco earthquake, with the death toll expected to rise as rescuers continue to search for survivors. Zdenek Kajzr/iStock Editorial/Getty ImagesHow about the High Atlas Mountains? “Many hotels in the High Atlas Mountains have had considerable structural damage with some of them closing,” he says. “I would say that the only part to avoid is the High Atlas mountains, to help the authorities with the rescue process. Santiago Urquijo/Moment RF/Getty ImagesIs there an an alternative to the High Atlas mountains?

Persons: King Mohammed VI, that’s, Al Haouz, “, ”, Zina Bencheikh, CNN’s Ivana Kottosová, storeowners, Kottosová –, Bilal El Hammoumy, Vanessa Branson, El Fenn, Musee Des Confluences, Zdenek Kajzr, Kottosová, ” Kasbah, Richard Branson, El Hammoumy, –, Fez –, Abdelilah El Khadir, Francesco Riccardo Iacomino, Anabel Dean, she’d, Dean, Stallholders, Bencheikh, Ait, they’ve, I’d, ” El Hammoumy, ” Dean, ” Azrou, Santiago Urquijo, Ameziane, Meryem Organizations: CNN, Intrepid Travel’s, EMEA, AFP, Inclusive, Jewish, El, Musee Des, Marrakech medina, Expeditions, US State Department, Foreign Locations: Morocco, Spain, Qatar, UAE, Marrakech, Al, medina, Seaside, Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Intrepid Travel’s Morocco, Jemaa el, Bahia, Saadian, El, ”, Inclusive Morocco, reroute, “, Hassan, Rabat, Paris, –, Ait Benhaddou, Dades, Santiago

CNN —At least 12 people were killed and 121 injured in an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand. The incident – in the village of Mu No – reduced the warehouse and surrounding area to rubble, drone footage showed. At least two of the victims were children, including a four-year-old boy and a eight-month-old baby girl, according to state run Radio Thailand. Kriya Tehtani/APThe cause of the explosion is under investigation but initial reports suggested there had been a welding error. When there was a flood, I still could survive but now I really have nothing left.”Fireworks accidents are not uncommon in Thailand.

Persons: Anuruth Imarb, “, ”, Samsueya Chuenchompoo, Chiang Mai Organizations: CNN, Radio Thailand, “, Provincial Police, AFP Locations: Thailand, Mu

☆ Swedish embassy in Baghdad: Protesters break in after Stockholm Quran burning
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Demonstrators breached the perimeter of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad Thursday, a day after a protester burned a copy of the Quran in Sweden. Videos circulating on social media showed some protesters climbing over a barricaded wall outside the embassy. Muslim countries and Islamic organizations had condemned the burning of the Quran in Stockholm. On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Abu Dhabi to protest the Quran burning incident, the UAE’s state news agency WAM said. In January early this year Iraqi protesters clashed with security forces outside the Swedish embassy for a separate incident of Quran burning in Stockholm.

Persons: Muqtada, Sadr, Al Sadr, Momika, ” Al Sadr, it’s, Sweden’s, Abu, WAM Organizations: CNN, Embassy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, AFP, of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, United Arab Emirates Locations: Swedish, Baghdad, Sweden, Muqtada al, Iraqi, Stockholm, Stockholm –, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi

☆ French riot police fire tear gas at climate protesters outside TotalEnergies shareholder meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Protesters outside the Salle Pleyel venue in Paris could be heard chanting "all we want is to knock down Total" and "one, two, three degrees, we have Total to thank." French riot police on Friday fired tear gas at hundreds of climate activists trying to prevent the annual general meeting of oil giant TotalEnergies from taking place. Activists from campaign groups including 350.org, Friends of the Earth France and Scientists in Rebellion had pledged to try to stop the AGM from taking place to denounce TotalEnergies' fossil fuel expansion. Protesters outside the Salle Pleyel venue in Paris could be heard chanting "all we want is to knock down Total" and "one, two, three degrees, we have Total to thank," according to the AFP news agency. It comes amid a sense of palpable frustration among climate activists during the proxy voting season, with demonstrations also taking place at British oil majors BP and Shell in recent weeks after an extraordinary run of record profits.

☆ Controversial 'Homecoming' film director attends Cannes premiere with cast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Le retour" (Homecoming) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Catherine Corsini, producer Elisabeth... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Corsini appeared on the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet flanked by a cluster of cast members on Wednesday for the premiere of her drama "Homecoming," which has been the subject of some controversy in recent months. The director walked between producer Elisabeth Perez and actor Aissatou Diallo Sagna, who won France's Cesar award for best supporting actress in Corsini's 2021 film "The Divide." The movie had faced controversy after concerns were raised about an intimate scene involving minors. Wednesday's red carpet appearance was briefly interrupted by a protester at the barricades in a red dress, who flashed her pregnant stomach with the word "Surrogacy" and a barcode on it.

☆ Father of cellphone says people will learn not to stare at their phones while crossing the street 'after a few people get run over'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Father of the cellphone" Martin Cooper says he is "devastated" by pedestrian phone use, per AFP. The engineer's comment comes 50 years after he invented the world's first Motorola cellphone. Cooper told AFP that we are still at the "mindless staring phase" with our phones. A 2022 study on how pedestrians use their phones found that 14.4% of pedestrians don't pay attention to traffic when crossing. Despite the safety risks, Cooper told the AFP he isn't worried about the longterm dangers of unfettered cellphone usage.

☆ A French politician posed for a Playboy magazine cover. Her colleagues are criticizing the decision amid political upheaval in the country.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

French minister Marlene Schiappa appeared on the April cover of Playboy magazine. Her colleagues, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, criticized the move, CNN reported. Schiappa, a women's rights activist, defended her choice to pose for the magazine on Sunday. Playboy interviewed the French politician on women's and LGBTQ rights, the outlet reported. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told Shicappa, who is the minister delegate in charge of citizenship, that posing for Playboy "wasn't appropriate, especially during this period," a source close to the prime minister told BFMTW.

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