Follow the latest news on the 2024 Paris Olympics
Calls in France for an “Olympic truce” during the Paris 2024 Summer Games have failed, and Palestinian athletes feel pressure to raise awareness about the Gaza war’s devastating human cost.
In Paris, members of the Arab community said they hoped that, despite international tensions and political uncertainty in France, the Games would be a moment of celebration.
The Games are being held under a cloud, with the wars in Gaza and Ukraine shaping the scenes in Paris.
Palestinian Olympic Committee president Jibril Rajoub was greeted on Thursday at dawn at Charles de Gaulle Airport by a group of activists holding Palestinian flags and chanting “long live the struggle of the Palestinian people".
Mr Rajoub repeated his call to boycott Israel over its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 39,100 people. The Israeli army began its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200.
“For legal, moral and human and sports reason, Israel has lost its right to take part in this altruistic event,” Mr Rajoub told reporters.
Such calls have fallen on deaf ears at the International Olympic Committee and in the French government, drawing accusations of double standards.
Russian athletes have been subject to tight restrictions due to the war in Ukraine and have to compete under a neutral banner.
But France has maintained its support for Israeli athletes, despite growing international condemnation of Israel's conduct in Gaza.
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera described as “shameful” a recent statement made by left-wing legislator, Thomas Portes, claiming Israeli athletes were “not welcome".
“There is an Olympic truce. We have a responsibility to contribute to global harmony,” Ms Oudea-Castera told local radio on Tuesday.
Palestinian athletes greeting Mr Rajoub were careful not to comment on the presence of Israeli athletes, but said they were keen to use the Olympic Games as a platform to highlight the plight of their people.
“It's not about the medals. It's about reaching the most people about the Palestinian cause,” swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab told The National. “If a medal gets me more awareness, that's what I care about, for me personally, sport is a tool for peace.”
Palestinians are not able to practise sports properly because of a lack of infrastructure, said Al Bawwab, adding there is “not one pool in Palestine.”
“It's unfortunate that an athlete like me, instead of talking about my participation, instead of talking about my races and medals, I'm talking about kids being killed. I'm talking about trying to get human rights,” he said.
Just raising the Palestinian flag was also a source of pride for Mr Al Bawwab. “Some protesters, they raise the flag, the police get them. Nobody can talk to me,” he said.
Palestinian flags, which were raised in support of Gaza on Wednesday evening at an Israel-Mali football match at the Parc des Princes, have been banned at some pro-Palestine events in France.
A Dubai resident, Mr Al Bawwab said he had received both negative and positive attention in the past two weeks as he trained in the city of Nanterre, north-west of Paris.
“I do get a lot of people looking at me and staring, but I don't care,” he said, dismissing the idea that such attention could interfere with his training.
“The pressure is on the Palestinian people. This is nothing.”
There are eight Palestinian athletes taking part in the Olympic Games. Wassim Abu Sal, 20, is the only member of the delegation who lives in the occupied West Bank. He shared his excitement about competing in a world-class event.
“I'm proud to be here representing Palestine,” said Mr Abu Sal, a boxer trained in Ramallah with a Cairo-based coach from Gaza. Gazans cannot travel to the occupied West Bank.
US-born swimmer Valerie Tarazi added: “Our goal is to compete, absolutely, but our goal is also to tell everyone's story. Every Palestinian has a unique story because we are located all over the world.”
Excitement about the Olympic Games has been slow to spread through the French capital but noticeably picked up with the first football matches on Wednesday.
Egypt drew 0-0 with the Dominican Republic, but Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in a match that was suspended for two hours after crowd trouble.
“I've been waiting for the Games with passion since last year,” said Idi, a 50-year-old lorry driver from Tunisia, as he sat in a cafe in the northern suburb of Aubervilliers to watch the football matches with his friends.
The only athlete to attract Idi's attention was Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui.
“To be honest nobody else interests me. I'm crazy about football,” Idi said.
His family, who are on holiday in Tunisia, have asked him to have a live video phone call with them on Friday evening during the first-ever open-air opening ceremony.
There will be more than 200,000 free spots for the event, which will take place along the river Seine in the centre of Paris.
Hassan Saleh, a 27-year-old waiter at an Egyptian cafe in the 18th arrondissement, also hopes to be part of the crowd to catch a glimpse of the ceremony.
Details have been kept under wraps but it is expected to include pop stars such as Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.
“I've been counting down the days,” Mr Saleh told The National. “It's an exciting event that has brought many tourists to France. It is very well organised and safe. The rumours claiming it is not safe are false.”
Mr Saleh, who arrived in Paris from Egypt 10 months ago, was alarmed by the recent shift to the far-right in French politics.
Countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – in pictures
Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National, which obtained its best results in recent European and snap elections, had campaigned against immigration with a particular focus on foreigners from Muslim countries.
The far-right's results were limited in the second round of the snap election by alliances between leftists and the centrists.
But the results have caused political uncertainty in France, with many officials complaining that it would cast a shadow over the Olympic Games.
“It was difficult to see France shifting towards the right,” said Mr Saleh. “It is a country built on freedoms and human rights. Since my childhood, I've heard that France is the country of human rights.”
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)
Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14
Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)
Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31
Bangla Tigers win by six wickets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
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Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
