Israel-Hezbollah Conflict 2024: Displaced
October 6, 2024, Masnaa, Bekaa Governorate, Lebanon: Mostly from Dahieh, the Hezbollah stronghold southern suburb daily targeted by drones and missiles, residents from the area go back to the country they left over ten years ago due to the war instead of camp living on the streets of the city. According to Lebanese government data, more than 300,000 people, mostly Syrians, have passed from Lebanon into Syria over the past 10 days to escape intensifying Israeli bombardments. (Credit Image: © Matteo Placucci/ZUMA Press Wire)
SELFIE PANDA Chengdu's Sculpture of World's Heaviest Giant Panda
October 10, 2024, Dujiangyan City, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China: A 26-meter-long sculpture of the world's heaviest giant Panda, weighs 130 tons, lies on the ground and holds a selfie stick with its feet up and taking a selfie. 'Selfie Panda' sculpture by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman in the city of Dujiangyan in southwest China's Sichuan Province, and has become the new mecca for selfie and panda lovers alike. The sculpture is 26.5m by 11m by 12m in dimension, featuring a selfie-taking giant panda lying on its back. Weighing 130 tons, the 26-meter-long sculpture is the world's heaviest giant panda, lying on the ground and holding a selfie stick with its feet up and taking a selfie. The work takes shape with the help of three million lacquer-painted stainless steel rods. 'Selfie Panda' is inspired by a real giant panda that went astray in downtown Dujiangyan in 2005. It soon became a popular photogenic spot following its public debut. Florentijn Hofman’s sculptures of monumental friendly animals are internationally famous, and his latest collaboration with UAP (Urban Art Projects). The work is a direct reference to the ongoing conservation efforts to protect the species by creating a clever social commentary, offering large scale community engagement and attracting global attention. Over 3 million strands of painted wire were screwed into the perforated aluminum body of the sculpture to create a tactile and weatherproof fur coat. The selfie stick showcases a large programmed LED screen with a camera embedded into it, emulating a real phone. Visitors are encouraged to take selfies via a custom developed mobile application. (Credit Image: © Cfoto/DDP via ZUMA Press)
Oktoberfest Blumenau Style Brazil's German City 40th Party
October 12, 2024, Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil: Couples in traditional costumes and lederhosen dance at the Oktoberfest in Blumenau. Brass music instead of samba: Brazil's Oktoberfest opens in Blumenau. Visitors raise their hands in the air at the Brazilian Oktoberfest. One of the world's most famous Oktoberfests has opened in the Brazilian city of Blumenau with the traditional tapping ceremony. The 40th edition of the German folk festival in the city of 360,000 inhabitants lasts 19 days. Until October 27, 600,000 visitors are expected to enjoy German folk music and plenty of beer on the grounds of the Parque Vila Germânica. It is said to be the largest Oktoberfest on the American continent and one of the most famous festivals in Brazil. Those who come to the festival in typical Bavarian costume pay a reduced entrance fee. The organizers' website shows what traditional costume should look like. A few rules must be observed to ensure ''that tradition is respected''. Wearing flip-flops, sandals, sports shoes or football socks will not be accepted, it said. Founded in 1850 by the German immigrant O. Blumenau, Blumenau in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina is considered one of the ''most German cities'' in Brazil. In 2017, it was officially named the ''national beer capital'' by the Brazilian government. During the celebrations, there will also be traditional parades through the streets of the city center. Brazil is also celebrating 200 years of German immigration this year. The first settlers arrived in the South American country in 1824. And it is not only Blumenau that has numerous half-timbered houses with German traces. Other places in Santa Catarina and in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul still retain many German traditions and dialects. Today, an estimated six million Brazilians have German ancestors. (Credit Image: © Leo Laps/dpa via ZUMA Press)
World's Most Beautiful Bookstore: The Surreal Zhongshuge
October 13, 2024, Chengdu, Sichuan, China: Bookstore Zhongshuge designed by Shanghai-based architecture firm X+Living, which has created several locations for Zhongshuge is spellbinding. Architecture Digest said: 'The two-story space appears cathedral-like, thanks to the mirrored ceilings and gleaming black tile floors which reflect the bookcases, creating a visual effect that feels akin to an M.C. Escher drawing. “The mirror ceiling in the space is the signature of Zhongshuge bookstore,” says Li Xiang, founder of X+Living. “It effectively extends the space by reflection.” Upon entering, shoppers encounter C-shaped bookcases, which create a series of intimate spaces. In the center of the store, towering arches and columns take advantage of the full height of the space. These bookcases were inspired by the history and topography of the region.' (Credit Image: © Cfoto/DDP via ZUMA Press)
Hurricane Milton 2024: Aftermath
October 14, 2024, Zephyrhills, Florida, USA: With over 11,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen activated for the recovery of Hurricane Helene and the ensuing Hurricane Milton, 7,600 of those were mobilized to respond by air, land and sea to assist in recovery efforts in Florida. In Zephyrills a coalition of Air Force National Guard, Army National Guard and Florida State Guard conducted disaster relief operations assisting flood victims with tarps, ice, food boxes and drinking water. (Credit Image: © Dave Decker/ZUMA Press Wire)
Hummingbird Feasts In A Forest of Purple
October 16, 2024, Placentia, California, USA: On a cloudy morning, in Placentia, California, a female Allen's hummingbird feeds itself in a forest of purple, Mexican bush sage, flowers. The plant, Latin named, Salvia leucantha, thrives in late October as heatwaves give way to cooler temperatures. (Credit Image: © Bruce Chambers/ZUMA Press Wire)
Israel-Hezbollah Conflict 2024: Airstrike Hits Beirut
October 22, 2024, Beirut, Lebanon: Pigeons fly as smoke billows from the site, where Israeli war planes strike a building causing it to collapse in Beirut. The rocket attack was in the neighborhood of Ghobeiri at the edge of Beirut southern suburb. The strike Tuesday came roughly 40 minutes after an Israeli military spokesperson posted a warning in Arabic on social media, notifying people in and around a pair of buildings on Beirut’s southern outskirts that that they should evacuate the area. Sources said that the attack was near “interests and facilities” associated with the Hezbollah militant group. The warning prompted many people to flee the busy, densely populated neighborhood, even as others, including a few journalists, kept watch. By the time of the attack the building was evacuated and there were no reports of casualties Tuesday. Minutes before the bomb brought down the building, two smaller projectiles were fired at the roof in what Israel’s military often refers to as warning strikes. It is a practice Israel has followed in staging strikes in Gaza during past wars. (Credit Image: © Marwan Naamani/dpa via ZUMA Press)
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