Paris's Moulin Rouge Inaugurates New Windmill Sails Ahead Of Olympics

The broken sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, Paris' most famous cabaret club, are taken away after they fell off during the night in Paris, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Purchase Licensing Rights
The broken sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, Paris' most famous cabaret club, are taken away after they fell off during the night in Paris, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Purchase Licensing Rights
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Paris's Moulin Rouge Inaugurates New Windmill Sails Ahead Of Olympics

The broken sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, Paris' most famous cabaret club, are taken away after they fell off during the night in Paris, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Purchase Licensing Rights
The broken sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, Paris' most famous cabaret club, are taken away after they fell off during the night in Paris, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Purchase Licensing Rights

Paris's Moulin Rouge cabaret club, whose landmark windmill sails fell down in April, inaugurated its new blades on Friday, nearly a week before the Olympic torch was due to pass the venue.

Several hundred delighted locals and tourists gathered outside the club, one of the most visited attractions in the French capital, to celebrate the four red blades, decked out in gold and red, AFP reported.

"The windmill without its wings is a void for Paris, it was just sad," said managing director Jean-Victor Clerico, who runs the family business that attracts 600,000 visitors every year.

"The idea was to be ready for the Olympic Games," he added, which begin on July 26.

The Olympic torch is due to pass the venue on July 15.

A show of French cancan, the wild traditional dance from Jacques Offenbach's operettas of the early 19th century, was performed in front of the club on Friday by dancers in traditional petticoats and frills.

"I live in the neighbourhood and the Moulin Rouge has been part of my life for 65 years. I'm a fan of dancing, the French cancan, bubbles and good humour," Nicole Doucin, 86, told AFP.

"I heard of the inauguration on TikTok and I've always wanted to come to a show but it's so expensive, so it's so cool to watch this," said Autumn Mannsfeld, 25, from California.

The sails fell down on the night of April 25.

The first three letters on the cabaret's facade -- M, O and U -– also fell off. No one was injured in the incident.

The club's management has said it has ruled out any "malicious act".

The birthplace of the cancan and the location for Baz Luhrmann's film "Moulin Rouge", the club has since remained open to the public.



Dozens of Zoo Tigers Die after Contracting Bird Flu in Vietnam

Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)
Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)
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Dozens of Zoo Tigers Die after Contracting Bird Flu in Vietnam

Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)
Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)

More than a dozen tigers were incinerated after the animals contracted bird flu at a zoo in southern Vietnam, officials said.
State media VNExpress cited a caretaker at Vuon Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city saying the animals were fed with raw chicken bought from nearby farms, The Associated Press reported. The panther and 20 tigers, including several cubs, weighed between 10 and 120 kilograms when they died. The bodies were incinerated and buried on the premises.
“The tigers died so fast. They looked weak, refused to eat and died after two days of falling sick,” said zoo manager Nguyen Ba Phuc.
Samples taken from the tigers tested positive for H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu.
The virus was first identified in 1959 and grew into a widespread and highly lethal menace to migratory birds and domesticated poultry. It has since evolved, and in recent years H5N1 was detected in a growing number of animals ranging from dogs and cats to sea lions and polar bears.
In cats, scientists have found the virus attacking the brain, damaging and clotting blood vessels and causing seizures and death.
More than 20 other tigers were isolated for monitoring. The zoo houses some 3,000 other animals including lions, bears, rhinos, hippos and giraffes.
The 30 staff members who were taking care of the tigers tested negative for bird flu and were in normal health condition, VNExpress reported. Another outbreak also occurred at a zoo in nearby Long An province, where 27 tigers and 3 lions died within a week in September, the newspaper said.
Unusual flu strains that come from animals are occasionally found in people. Health officials in the United States said Thursday that two dairy workers in California were infected — making 16 total cases detected in the country in 2024.
“The deaths of 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther at My Quynh Safari and Vuon Xoai Zoo amid Vietnam’s bird flu outbreak are tragic and highlight the risks of keeping wild animals in captivity,” PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.
“The exploitation of wild animals also puts global human health at risk by increasing the likelihood of another pandemic,” Baker said.
Bird flu has caused hundreds of deaths around the world, the vast majority of them involving direct contact between people and infected birds.