Page 7 - Paris

Paris Olympics: Opted for athletics due to father's passion, says Jyothika

An academically-inclined child is a dream realised in most Indian households and that's why Olympic-bound runner Jyothika Sri Dandi aspired to be a doctor before she realised that her father would be happier seeing her excel in sports. The 23-year-old from Tanuku town in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, secured 97 per cent in Class X while studying at the Montessori School at her home town. But, her father Srinivasa Rao, a body-builder in his younger days, nudged her into taking interest in sports as he wanted to see her in the Olympics some day. That dream is going to be a reality in less than three months' time. Jyothika was part of the Indian women's 4x400m relay team that qualified for the Paris Olympics during the World Relays in Bahamas earlier this month. "I got 97 per cent in class X and when I was in school I actually wanted to be a doctor. But, once I started doing sports, I could not go back and think about becoming a doctor," Jyothika, who is taking part in the

France gets $16 bn in foreign investments as part of 'Choose France' event

That amount represents an increase from last year's summit, which brought in 13 bn euros

Nisha Dahiya secures India's fifth Paris Olympic quota in woman wrestling

Nisha Dahiya became the fifth Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the Paris Olympics after prevailing over Romania's Alexandra Anghel in the 68kg semifinals at the World Olympic Qualifiers here on Friday. This will be the first time India will have five women wrestlers at the quadrennial extravaganza. This was a day after all six Greco-roman wrestlers came up with forgettable performances. Nisha, a World U-23 bronze medallist and Asian Championships silver-medal winner last year beat Anghel 8-4 by points to enter the final and secure another Olympic quota for India. This will be the first time that five Indian woman wrestlers will be competing in the Olympics. Against Anghel, Nisha zoomed to a 8-0 lead with a flurry of attacks in the first period. She began with a right leg attack and converted that into a takedown. She quickly followed that up with a two-pointer and rolled her rival for a comfortable 6-0 cushion. Before the end of first period, she had taken what became an ...

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, will Schengen visa woes ease?

While France is the most sought-after destination amongst all Schengen countries, the wait time for its visa and the rejection rate for Indians are high

Taylor Swift draws five times as many US luxury travelers as Olympics

Now, Swift fever is reaching Europe, where many cities-including Paris-maintain limitations on ticket resales, preventing prices from reaching the five-digit sums that some consumers have paid in US

Want to stay in a Paris museum or balloon house? Airbnb plans to list them

Airbnb, an accommodation platform, is now offering its customers a chance to stay in unique places that are much more than just holiday rentals

A city scarred by terrorism prepares an Olympic opening without walls

Since the 2015 deadly Islamist attacks, France has become sadly accustomed to terrorist threats and to soldiers patrolling its crowded squares and train stations

Paris Olympics: Policing to include checks for some of city's residents

Special anti-terrorism measures being put in place to safeguard the unprecedented opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics on the River Seine will also apply to all buildings along the route, meaning people who work and live there and their guests will be subjected to background security checks, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said on Thursday. Those affected will be cross-checked against security services' databases, to see whether they have previously been flagged as suspected Islamist extremists or for other radicalism, Nunez said. The wildly ambitious July 26 ceremony is proving to be a gargantuan security challenge. Athletes will be paraded through the heart of the French capital on 94 boats along a six-kilometre (nearly four-mile) stretch of the Seine, from east to west. They will be accompanied by 87 other boats for security, media and other people. All of the parade route will be inside a high-security zone that Nunez described as an "anti-terrorism perimeter". He said it wi

Paris will become no-fly zone to safeguard 2024 Olympic opening ceremony

Skies over the Paris region will be closed for six hours as part of the massive security operation for the July 26 opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the Paris airports operator said Wednesday. Augustin de Romanet, chairman of Aroports de Paris, said airlines are being warned in advance about the closure and told they will have to fly around the restricted airspace. For six hours, there won't be any aircraft over the Paris region," he said on France Info radio. The no-fly zone will extend for a radius of 150 kilometers (93 miles) around Paris, the civil aviation authority and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin have said. The unprecedented waterborne ceremony on the River Seine running through the French capital is the stiffest single security challenge for Paris Games organizers, with crowds of more than 320,000 people expected to line the waterway. At least one French military AWACS surveillance aircraft will police the skies during the Olympics, using its powerful radar to wa

Vinesh Phogat secures women's 50kg category Paris Olympics quota for India

Looking as dominant as ever, Vinesh Phogat on Saturday locked Paris Olympics quota in women's 50kg category, reaching the final at the Asian Olympic Qualifier without conceding a single point, here Saturday. It is India's second quota place for the Paris Games as Antim Panghal had earned a quota in the 53kg category with her bronze medal winning show at the World Championships last year. The 29-year-old Vinesh has now secured her third straight Olympic quota, having featured in Rio Games (2016) and in Tokyo (2020) earlier. Vinesh, who was a prominent face of protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, dished out a strong performance, demolishing her opponents one by one. As is her wont, Vinesh looked for that one opportunity to subdue Miran Cheon in her opening bout and grabbed it after measuring her Korean rival for about 30 seconds. Once she grabbed Cheon and pushed her down for a take down, the bout ended in a jiffy, in one minute and 39 seconds. It was difficu

Paris 2024: Things to know about the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece

A priestess prays to a dead sun god in front of a fallen Greek temple. If the sky is clear, a flame spurts that will burn in Paris throughout the world's top sporting event. Speeches ensue. On Tuesday, the flame for this summer's Paris Olympics will be lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece in a meticulously choreographed ceremony. It will then be carried through Greece for more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) before being handed over to French organizers at the Athens venue used for the first modern Olympics in 1896. Here's a look at the workings and meaning of the elaborate ceremony held among the ruins of Ancient Olympia ahead of each modern Olympiad. COULDN'T THE FRENCH JUST LIGHT IT IN PARIS? Couldn't the Academy Awards just be announced in a conference call? The pageantry at Olympia has been an essential part of every Olympics for nearly 90 years since the Games in Berlin. It's meant to provide an ineluctable link between the modern event a

Nike pins hopes on Olympic Games in Paris to win back market share

Nike spotlighted its 'Air' cushioning technology, used in everything from marathon shoes to sneakers, and its knit materials that make shoes lighter

In a first, Paris Olympics 2024 gold medalists to get $50,000 prize money

With this, World Athletics (WA) will become the first international federation to award prize money at an Olympic Games.

France asks for foreign police, military help with Paris Olympics security

France says it has asked 46 countries if they would be willing to supply more than 2,000 police officers to help secure the Paris Olympics this summer, as organizers finalize security planning for the French capital's first Games in a century while on heightened alert against potential attacks. The Interior Ministry said Friday that the request for foreign security assistance was made in January, seeking nearly 2,185 reinforcements. The officers are sought to help with Games security and the spectator experience and to strengthen international cooperation," the ministry said. This is a classic approach of host countries for the organization of major international events, the ministry added. It noted that France sent 200 of its gendarmes to soccer's World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and also welcomed 160 officers from other European security forces for the Rugby World Cup that France hosted last year. Separately, the French Defense Ministry has also asked foreign nations for small numbers

Paris Olympics opening ceremony to be held during sunset on July 26

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics along the river Seine will be held during sunset, organizers said Friday. It's the first time an Olympic opening ceremony will be held outside a stadium setting, in line with the Paris organizers' motto: Games Wide Open. About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route. Organizers said the open-air event will start on July 26 at 7:30 pm (Paris time). They said the ceremony will offer an unprecedented experience, using the natural light of the setting sun with all its nuances to illuminate the river promenade of all the world's best athletes along the Seine, in the heart of the capital. This week, the French government said tourists won't be given free access to watch the opening ceremony over security concerns. Free access will be invitation-only instead. Organizers had planned a grandiose opening ceremony on July 26 for as many as 6,00,000 people, most ..

Tourists not to have free access to Olympics opening ceremony in Paris

Tourists won't be allowed to watch the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics along the Seine River for free, the French government announced Tuesday, as it grapples with security concerns about the unprecedented open-air event. Free access will be invitation-only instead. Organizers had planned a grandiose opening ceremony July 26 for as many as 600,000 people, most watching free of charge from riverbanks. But security and logistical concerns and an outcry from booksellers along the city's picturesque quays have led the government to progressively scale back ambitions. Earlier this year, the overall number of spectators was reduced to around 300,000. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Grald Darmanin said that 104,000 of them will be paying ticket holders with spots along the lower riverbanks, with another 222,000 watching for free from the upper banks. But he said that the free tickets will not be available to the public via open registration as earlier envisaged, and will be ...

Eiffel Tower reopens to visitors after a 6-day closure due to staff strike

The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Sunday after a six-day closure because of striking employees demanding better maintenance of the historic landmark, showing traces of rust, and salary hikes. The operator of the 330-metre (1,083-foot) tower said in a statement it reached an agreement with unions representing the workers after promising to allocate an ambitious 380 million euro (about USD 412 million) investment by 2031 for renovation work. This week, it also launched salary negotiations, expected to be finalised next month, after employees on strike demanded an increase proportionate to revenue from ticket sales. The 135-year-old tower will feature prominently in the July 26-August 11 Paris Games and the following Paralympics. The Olympic and Paralympic medals in Paris are being embedded with pieces from a hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the historic landmark. The Eiffel Tower is typically open 365 days a year. Last year, the monument was closed to visitors for 10 days ..

Eiffel Tower working staff goes on strike ahead of Summer Olympics

Eiffel tower working staff has gone on strike due to salary and maintenance issues. The Eiffel tower website advised visitors to check website before heading to the landmark

France, Ukraine to sign security pact in Paris in presence of Zelenskyy

French President Emmanuel Macron will sign a bilateral security agreement with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Friday in Paris to provide long-term support to the war-ravaged country which has been battling Russia's full-scale invasion for nearly two years. The French presidency said in a statement Thursday that Macron and Zelenskyy's bilateral meeting in late afternoon will be followed by a news conference and a working dinner at the Elysee presidential palace. It did not release specific details about the agreement. Macron said earlier this year that France was negotiating a bilateral deal on the model the one Ukraine recently agreed with the United Kingdom, which covers 10 years and provides a package worth 2.5 billion pounds (USD 3.2 billion) over the next fiscal year. It is the largest the UK has given to Ukraine since the war began. A French official, speaking anonymously because he was not allowed to disclosed the details of the deal, said the agreement aim

France, Ukraine to sign security pact in Paris in presence of Zelenskyy

French President Emmanuel will sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday in Paris, the French presidency said in a statement. It did not release specific details about the agreement, to be signed at the Elysee presidential palace. This will be the third visit by Zelenskyy to Paris since Russia's invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, following those in February and May 2023, the statement said.