LONDON, August 5, 2008 (AFP) - The first of some 250,000 pints of beer, from as far afield as Japan, South Africa and Australia, were served to curious drinkers Tuesday as the Great British Beer Festival kicked off in London.

GENEVA, August 5, 2008 (AFP) - Almost 200,000 people are expected to descend on the small Swiss-Italian town of Locarno for its 61st film festival that opens on Wednesday.

Around 380 films, including 203 feature films, will be shown until August 16, with 78 world premieres.

THE HAGUE, August 2, 2008 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people thronged Amsterdam Saturday to watch the city's biggest-ever parade of homosexuals floating flamboyantly down the historic canals in dazzling style.

ROME, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - This year's Venice film festival showcasing new offerings by the Coen Brothers, Takeshi Kitano and Hayao Miyasaki, will be dedicated to the late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, organisers said Tuesday.

The central figure in post-war Arab cinema, Chahine died Sunday aged 82 after spending several weeks in a coma.

MADRID, July 24, 2008 (AFP) - British director Michael Winterbottom's new movie 'Genova', a ghost story starring Colin Firth, will compete for the top prize at the San Sebastian film festival in September, the organisers said Thursday.

BENICASSIM, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of rock fans have gathered on Spain's east coast for the 14th Benicassim festival, one of Europe's biggest annual music gatherings.

Peruvian DJ Aldo Linares kicked off the festival on Thursday night as he has done each year since 2000.

OTTAWA, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Paul McCartney has told Quebec separatists to 'smoke the pipes of peace' amid controversy over his upcoming performance on Sunday to mark Quebec City's 400th anniversary, media said Friday.

MONTREUX, July 16, 2008 (AFP) - British rocker Pete Doherty cast off a troubled past of drug abuse, cancelled shows and prison spells to play a compelling set at the Montreux Jazz Festival on Tuesday night.

BELGRADE, July 13, 2008 (AFP) - One person was killed and two more seriously injured when a tree branch fell on a tent overnight in the campsite at Serbia's Exit rock festival, hospital officials said Sunday.

PAMPLONA, July 12, 2008 (AFP) - Five people were injured on the sixth day of the running of the bulls in Pamplona in northern Spain on Saturday, bringing to 33 the total injured in the annual festival, organisers said.