French rapper Jul holds the Olympic torch during the torch arrival ceremony in Marseille.Keystone
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Marseille city for the arrival of the Olympic flame on French soil. The French rapper set the cauldron on fire as well as with his music.
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The first cauldron of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games was lit on Wednesday at 7:35 p.m. in Marseille by Jul, French rap star, in front of a crowd gathered in the Old Port of France’s second city.
In a charged atmosphere, the Marseille artist received the Olympic torch from the hands of Paralympic athletics champion Nantenin Keita, daughter of Malian musician Salif Keita, who herself received it from Florent Manaudou, Olympic 50m swimming champion free in 2012 in London, the first bearer of the flame on French soil after his descent from the three-masted Belem.
“Paris-2024 has chosen two Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the arrival of the flame in Marseille. This first handover on French soil symbolizes the ambition of rapprochement and unity of the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11, 2024) and Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8),” underlined Paris-2024.
“We succeeded in our bet for the unified French team, and it was important for us as athletes, and it was also important for the organizing committee, so well done”
Nantenin Keita, leader of the visually impaired
Jul sang him a song, arousing the enthusiasm of the crowd gathered in the Old Port. (ats/jch)
This is a small revolution in the heart of the Vatican: in the future, Swiss women should also be able to join the pontifical guard. The pope himself would be open to these projects.
Late Monday afternoon, senior Swiss political and religious figures attended the swearing-in of 34 young men of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. There were the President of the Confederation Viola Amherd, Bishop Felix Gmür and a delegation from the canton of Basel-Landschaft. In the St. Damasus Courtyard of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the future guards have vowed to sacrifice their own lives to protect the pope if necessary.
