Paris icon Moulin Rouge windmill turns again after accident – DW – 07/11/2025
Hundreds of locals and tourists gathered Thursday night outside the famed Paris Moulin Rouge cabaret and nightclub to see its iconic windmill sails start turning again.
The iconic, 12-metre (40-foot), red wings had been out of action since they were knocked down by high winds 14 months ago.
The occasion was marked by 60 dancers performing the Moulin Rouge's signature can-can dance in the street next to Place Blanche in the Montmartre district of Paris.
Fireworks were also set off from the roof of the club's, which claims to attract some 600,000 visitors each year.
"The sails have always turned at the Moulin Rouge, so we had to restore this Parisian symbol to Paris, to France, and to the state it was in before," said Jean-Victor Clerico, the cabaret's managing director.
The accident in April 2024 was blamed on a failure in the windmill's central axis.
The blades collapsed overnight after the venue had closed. Nobody was injured in the incident.
New aluminum blades were installed in time for the Paris Olympics last summer.
But the wings have remained motionless because of delays with a new electric motor, which also powers the hundreds of light bulbs that illuminate the iconic landmark.
The Moulin Rouge, French for "red windmill," was immortalized by 19th century French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and later brought to modern audiences by Baz Luhrmann's eponymous 2001 film musical starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
Opened in 1889, the famous red windmill quickly became an emblem of Parisian nightlife during the Belle Époque (1871-1914).
The cabaret house is one of the most visited attractions in the French capital, sharing its status as a world-famous landmark with the likes of the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
5 days ago
- DW
Afghan Youth Orchestra: Resistance against the Taliban – DW – 08/15/2025
Music is banned at home. But after fleeing the Taliban into exile, the Afghan Youth Orchestra is performing in Europe about loss, hope, and the power of music. In August 2021, when the Taliban once again seized power in Afghanistan, the entire Afghan Youth Orchestra managed to flee to Europe. For the past four years, the young musicians of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) have found a new home in Portugal and are now guests at the Young Euro Classic Festival in Berlin. "Making instruments and playing music is completely forbidden in Afghanistan," said Ahmad Sarmast, founder and director of ANIM. He says he was able to help 273 people associated with his music school flee Afghanistan. His Kabul school was then closed and the instruments were destroyed. "Listening to and playing music is a human right. The people of Afghanistan are denied this right,' Sarmast told DW. "This has turned my country into a 'silent nation'." But Afghan music lives on in exile, including at the Young Euro Classic. Hundreds of young musicians from all over the world perform at the annual international youth orchestra festival, with European and non-European orchestras and ensembles alike invited to participate. "The core of the festival remains symphonic music and how differently countries deal with this tradition of classical music," said project manager, Carolin Trispel. Meanhile in the still young "Festival within a Festival' series, ensembles primarily perform music from their home countries and play traditional instruments from their cultures. "We are also interested in preserving musical traditions for the future and providing a platform for their further development,' says Trispel. This year, in addition to Afghan musicians, ensembles from Bolivia, Indonesia, India, Gambia, and the indigenous Sami people of northern Scandinavia will also be participating. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some of these ensembles play traditional music that was banned in their respective homelands. This includes the singing of the Sami people, known as "joik." This spiritual-sounding chant was prohibited from the 18th to the 20th century as it was seen as an expression of a non-Christian religion. "You often see this with indigenous peoples, that their own musical language was suppressed by colonization and the musical tradition was no longer allowed to be practiced," Trispel explained. The Bolivian ensemble, Dos pares de la Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos plays old tunes from the Andes as well as new pieces composed especially for their traditional instruments. Meanwhile, the Azada Ensemble is an Afghan group within the youth orchestra that performs traditional music and dances. Their performances highlight the connection between humans and nature, as well as the beauty of the country and its music. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Afghan Youth Orchestra was a guest in Bonn in 2023 as part of the DW Campus project at the Beethovenfest, along with Iranian musicians. "When we came to Bonn, the whole orchestra was not there, only part of it," said the orchestra's founder, Ahmad Sarmast. In Berlin, the entire orchestra's 51 members are now performing in the Young Euro Classic, and they will put on the final concert. "Every piece we play is in some way connected to the current situation in Afghanistan and the policies of the Taliban," said Sarmast. The songs performed by the Afghan Youth Orchestra deal with themes like social cohesion. "One song is a call to Afghan men to support oppressed women in their struggle for freedom and equality,' explains Sarmast. One well-known traditional piece is closely associated with celebrating the New Year in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have banned both the festival and the music — and destroyed countless musical instruments. "This has been celebrated in Afghanistan for thousands of years," explained Sarmast. "Playing this piece is a protest against the Taliban's destruction of cultural tradition in Afghanistan." The last of the concert songs, which were arranged by Tiago Moreira da Silva, a young Portuguese conductor and director of the orchestra, is based on a well-known Persian poem about the return of spring — and the return of peace. Ahmad Sarmast quotes the Chilean poet and freedom fighter Pablo Neruda: "You can cut down the flowers and trees, but spring will always return, and you cannot stop freedom." The orchestra keeps in touch with its homeland via social media, and also by streaming their concerts. "Hope lives on," said Sarmast, who believes the day will come when the arts can flourish again in Afghanistan. "We want the Taliban to know that no oppressive regime in human history has ever managed to stay in power. And that will also be the case with the Taliban."
Int'l Business Times
13-08-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Glitz And Graft: Pogba In Race Against Time As Ligue 1 Season Looms
Paul Pogba's return to Monaco this summer set tongues wagging as the 2018 World Cup winner made his comeback to football after nearly three seasons on the sidelines -- a turbulent period blighted by injury, blackmail and an 18-month doping ban. Now with the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season looming large, the former Manchester United star must put all that behind him and get to work if he is to light up Monaco's Stade Louis II and realise his "dream" of winning back his spot in the France national team. "It's the wish of every French football player to represent the France national team, but there are stages," Pogba said during his unveiling at Monaco in July. "Today I'm at stage one: coming back and performing well." Pogba's words attracted attention for what he could still offer on the field, but it was his tears of joy that really grabbed the spotlight. Images of the 32-year-old weeping as he signed a two-year contract with Monaco went viral on social media -- thus setting the tone for a very different type of graft. The arrival of the midfielder at Monaco represented more than just the return of a star name of French football to Ligue 1, it was clearly a marketing opportunity too good to pass up. Pogba was sent straight to work. First, he joined Zinedine Zidane for a video produced by their mutual sponsor, which garnered huge attention. Then, he took a trip to Saint Tropez with American influencer Darren Watkins Junior, who has 40 million followers under the name IShowSpeed. After that, he and his wife, Zulay, launched their new high-end jewellery brand, accompanied by a suitable social media campaign. Named 'Unbreakable', the jewellery collection is a direct nod to Pogba's recent travails. He was the victim in March 2022 of an attempt to extort 13 million euros ($15.1 million) from him by relatives, including his brother Mathias who was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, in 2024. Pogba was also injured for a long period and then suspended for 18 months after failing a drugs test while at Italian club Juventus in August 2023. Since having his contract terminated by the Serie A outfit last November, Pogba had been living in the United States and training alone until Monaco came calling and offered him the chance to make his comeback. "A lot of boxes were ticked: the conditions, the lifestyle, France, Ligue 1, the family, and of course the club," explained Pogba, who will be playing club football in his home country for the first time in his professional career. Once back in a professional environment at Monaco, "the easy part was just beginning" for Pogba. If the exquisitely gifted ball-player was less worried about getting his touch back, rediscovering the fitness and intensity of an elite athlete would be more challenging. A month later, Pogba has moved on to the second phase of his programme: individualised work on the pitch, often with the ball. "I'm determined," he said on his arrival. "I want to get back on the pitch. But it will take as long as it takes." "Everything is going in the right direction," Monaco general manager Thiago Scuro told AFP. "He has started sessions on the pitch and is making progress. The timing is on track, the process is positive, with no red flags or setbacks so far." Pogba's progress is been closely monitored by Monaco coach Adi Huetter, who so far is impressed by his commitment and how quickly he has integrated into a squad in which he is the elder statesman. For Scuro the key moment will be "when (Pogba) is able to participate in all training sessions with the group". "The intensity, pressure and level are very high. He will have to be able to repeat this training load on a daily basis. We will then see how his body adapts." Should all go to plan, Pogba could return to competition in the autumn -- perhaps even in time for the home match against fierce rivals Nice on October 5. "We really want to see him succeed," said Scuro. "It's going to be a great story. The most special thing would be to see him play in the World Cup (in 2026). That would mean he's done a lot of good things in Monaco." Pogba next to Monaco's Brazilian general manager Thiago Scuro (L) during his official presentation at the club AFP Paul Pogba celebrates scoring in the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow on July 15, 2018 AFP
DW
07-08-2025
- DW
Taiwan imagines a Chinese invasion with TV and games – DW – 08/07/2025
Taiwanese creatives are creating fictional, yet plausible, depictions of a Chinese invasion. Some say the imaginary scenarios are helpful, others say they only create fear. A new Taiwanese series about a fictional Chinese invasion has sparked heated debate after its Saturday premiere topped drama rankings on public TV and multiple streaming platforms. The ten-episode drama titled "Zero Day Attack" is set in 2028, imagining China using a missing warplane as a pretext to launch a blockade when a newly elected Taiwanese president is about to take office. Some viewers praised the show for helping "every Taiwanese understand how the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] infiltrates us," while others accused it of "selling a sense of national doom." Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that Beijing claims is part of China, with the CCP vowing to "reunify" with the mainland by using force if necessary. For years, Taiwanese filmmakers largely avoided cross-strait conflict plots to avoid jeopardizing access to China's lucrative media market. Yu-Hui Tai, an associate professor of political economics of communication at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, said a trend is emerging where imagining a Chinese invasion is no longer taboo. "[The trend] reflects how we've broken the spiral of silence," she told DW. "It's gone from something we didn't want to talk about to something we can now imagine and even simulate." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Witnessing the severity of the war in Ukraine, I felt that if we didn't address this topic now, there might never be another chance," showrunner and screenwriter Cheng Hsin-mei told DW, adding that production on Zero Day Attack began in late 2022, the same year Russia invaded Ukraine. Taiwan has emerged as one of the globe's most contentious flashpoints as China intensifies its military presence in the region, and carries out regular exercises around the island. While most democratic countries including the United States — Taiwan's largest security backer – adhere to the "One-China Policy," which means they do not officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, they oppose any unilateral attempts by either side to change the current status quo. In May, Zero-Day Attack premiered at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in Denmark, where it received a standing ovation. The series is also set to premiere at a debut event in Washington, DC in September and launch on a Japanese streaming platform in mid‑August. But before the series officially aired, its trailer already sparked controversy domestically. With about half the series' budget coming from government subsidies, Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of using public funds to promote a "sense of national doom" — a charge echoed by many KMT supporters. Cheng responded that government subsidies are common for most local film and TV projects, arguing that "the sense of national doom" comes from "the reality that a powerful authoritarian regime continually warns it will not abandon the use of force against Taiwan." Unlike typical war dramas filled with epic battle scenes, Zero Day Attack focuses on Taiwan's internal struggles amid a potential war, portraying the political divisions and chaos on the island. The concept was developed through research and consultation with national security experts, Cheng said, as "modern warfare relies on various forms of infiltration to sow fear or prompt surrender." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Like the TV series, games that aim to bring about awareness and knowledge of China's political infiltration strategies have also emerged on the market. Earlier this year, the board game 2045 was officially released after a successful crowdfunding campaign. The game simulates a Chinese military attack in 2045, following which Taiwan divides into six different forces including self-defense units and pro-unification groups. Another board game even turned the story idea into a mobile game called Reversed Front. It created a virtual "Oriental Continent" that allows players to infiltrate the Chinese Communist Party from Taiwan, Hong Kong, or other surrounding areas. In June, Hong Kong authorities banned the mobile game for allegedly "violating the National Security Law." The ban, however, only fueled a surge in downloads. "We aim to present a realistic picture of the political landscape in East Asia," said Johnny, the spokesperson of Reversed Front, who used a pseudonym given the sensitivity of the topic. "Regardless of the threat or methods of infiltration from Beijing, we hope Taiwan can learn how to take countermeasures," he told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, concerns about the psychological impact of these works have grown, with critics warning they could increase public anxiety. A Taiwanese board game store told DW that while most customers visit to unwind and relax, playing 2045 can leave some feeling emotionally strained or under pressure. "There will inevitably be anxiety," said Tammy Lin, a distinguished professor at Taiwan's National Chengchi University who studies digital games and media psychology. "For Taiwan, this is a nightmare‑level topic that people would rather not mention or confront," she told DW. Tai, the professor for political economy of communication, said it is natural for the films and games to evoke a spectrum of emotions, given Taiwan's deep partisan divides over cross‑strait relations. "How we facilitate dialogue among these differing emotions instead of letting them clash is a real test of Taiwanese wisdom," she said. Tai also noted that Beijing is likely to see these TV shows and games as Taiwanese public sentiment drifting further away from China, which could prompt the Chinese government to "intensify its ideological efforts." China's Defense Ministry has already criticized Zero Day Attack, calling it a politically motivated production aimed at "forcing compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait into conflict and to harm and ruin one another." "Division is a fertile ground for information warfare and fake news," Tai said, "The question is: do we want to create fear or foster rational dialogue?" To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
