GAMES WIDE OPEN," BILLBOARDS, POSTERS and officials across Paris proudly declare, as the city gears up to host this month's Olympics. The Games' website promises a sporting celebration "more responsible, more inclusive, more equal and more spectacular than ever before." But the warmth of this installment of the quadrennial carnival will be ringed with steel.
France's security services are embarking on an enormous operation to try and prevent disaster, while their U.S. counterparts have reportedly spent years preparing to protect American athletes competing in Paris.
To guard the Games, some 30,000 police officers-most armed with at least handguns will be deployed every day, with 45,000 to guard the opening ceremony on the Seine River. Another 25,000 private security guards will also be working daily.
Behind them, some 18,000 soldiers well used to operating in French cities given the country's recent struggles with Islamist terrorism-will support the operation. Among them will be members of the famed Foreign Legion.
"Since the end of the Second World War, there has never been such a massive mobilization of military forces on French soil," General Christophe Abadwho leads military operations in Paris-declared.
France's Interior Ministry has undertaken a huge vetting program of around one million people slated for involvement, from the army of volunteers to the Olympic flame bearers and private security officers. More than 1,000 have already been excluded over security concerns. Meanwhile, French lawmakers have been pushing a massive expansion of its surveillance powers to handle the millions of people expected to flood into Paris for the Games. Among the plans are an increase in the use of AI-powered facial recognition CCTV, proposals that have prompted concerns among privacy campaigners.
This story is from the August 02 - 09, 2024 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 02 - 09, 2024 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"
