As the Paris Olympics draw closer, the hype is increasing – and it’s only going to build from here.
If you are kicking yourself for not bagging tickets when they first went on sale, all is not lost.
There are still ways you can get to Paris to see the Games.
Sky News talks to a travel expert to bring you all you need to know about securing your last-minute trip.
Can I still get tickets for the Olympics?
Yes, it is still possible to get tickets for the Games.
More than 250,000 tickets went on sale on 17 April to mark 100 days until the opening of the Games.
This is the last ticket sale, but tickets are still available for dozens of events.
The first sale involved a lottery and timeslots to buy packs of tickets for events.
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In the final stretch of ticket sales, things are a lot simpler.
Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and you can see the availability for different events in real time on the website.
While a lot of the final tickets on sale are pretty pricey, there is still the chance to bag a bargain.
Almost 20,000 tickets were put on sale for €24 and it is still possible to get tickets to see football for this price.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are ticket and hospitality packages available that will set you back hundreds of Euros.
What about the Paralympics?
The Paralympic Games will take place from 28 August to 8 September and there are still tickets available from €15.
The booking works the same as for the Olympics – first-come, first-served, with the remaining tickets now available on the website.
Avoid the scammers
Don’t get caught out by scammers – make sure you only buy tickets through the official Paris 2024 ticketing website.
It’s not too late to book – but don’t wait
While the start of the Games is fast approaching, it’s not too late to plan a trip – but you should “get booking ASAP”, Jessica Dante, travel expert at Love and London, tells Sky News.
The Eurostar is not as “wildly priced” as you might expect, she says, with return fares available for the first week of the Games for under £200 – and the same is true of budget airlines.
But, Ms Dante cautions, “that will invariably only continue to go up” – so book soon rather than hold out for a last-minute deal.
Image: An athletics track floating on the Seine in 2017. Pic: Reuters
Could there be last-minute deals on accommodation?
Don’t bank on it, Ms Dante says.
“I’m always in the camp of just book something so you have it. If something else pops up closer to the time then fine, you can try to make a switch if you’ve got something that you can cancel.
“But there’s also the chance that something might not pop up that’s going to be in your price range as well.”
While there could be a small wave of accommodation deals open up as people cancel, a lot of accommodation will be non-refundable at least a couple of weeks before the Games, so any cancellations are likely to still be fairly far in advance, she says.
Tips for booking accommodation
There is still “decent availability” for hotels, she says, although some popular spots are already booked up.
Unsurprisingly, cost has a lot to do with location – so look away from central areas and places close to Olympic locations if you are looking to save money.
“The flip side of that is it then means that you’re probably going to have to deal with taking the metro and you’ll have to pay for the inflated cost of the rides.”
The price of metro tickets will almost double during the Games, from €2.10 (£1.80) to €4 (£3.40).
But the surcharge on public transport is unlikely to match the price difference on a more central hotel. Ms Dante advises looking at suburban areas or the outskirts of the city.
What about staying in another town?
Staying in another town entirely and travelling to Paris for events is one option.
But you should consider the pros and cons carefully, Ms Dante says.
There is a looming threat of train strikes. The CGT public servants union has announced plans to strike during the Olympics, which could mean many transport workers walking out.
If you are staying outside Paris, that could scupper your plans to easily travel into the city.
Even if there are not strikes, trains into Paris are likely to be crowded, Ms Dante says.
“You do have to kind of balance that and just be prepared that you might have some difficulty.”
Image: Train strikes could be called during the Olympics. Pic: AP
Can you go to the Olympics and avoid Paris entirely?
The Games may be headlined as Paris 2024, but there are events taking place across the country – and the surfing is even in Tahiti.
The cities of Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes and Marseille will host events.
The Olympic ticketing site allows you to filter available events by location, so if you are keen to give Paris a miss you can seek out what is happening in other places.
“They’re going to be a little bit less popular than stuff that’s right in the centre of Paris, so I think that’s a really good option,” Ms Dante says.
Consider the Paralympics
The Paralympics often gets overshadowed by the Olympics, but it’s a great option if you want to experience the Games, Ms Dante says.
“It’s going to be a little bit less crowded, the pricing will be better, probably a little bit more of a relaxed experience.”
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Is it worth going to Paris if you don’t have tickets to the Games?
Maybe there are no tickets left in your price range, or your favourite event is sold out – is it worth planning a trip to Paris anyway?
“Definitely,” according to Ms Dante. “This whole summer it’s going to be really buzzy there.”
A lot of locals will leave the city, she says. It’s French tradition in the summer, but the exodus is likely to be even bigger this year as Parisians flee the crowds – meaning some areas could end up being quieter than normal.
Attractions away from the main Olympic sites could also be quieter than normal, she says.
How to make the most of your trip
If you are keen to combine cultural activities with sporting ones, consider booking a guided tour to big attractions, Ms Dante advises.
That way, you have got your ticket secured and the tour guides will be up to speed on any road closures or access changes that could make your visit more tricky.
Also keep in mind that there will be a lot of security measures in place and getting around the city will take longer than normal.
Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men in the West Bank after they appeared to be surrendering.
Palestinians said the killings, which were captured on video and shown on two Arab TV channels, were carried out “in cold blood”.
In the video, the men were seen exiting a building and lying on the ground in front of Israeli forces in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Both men lifted their T-shirts and held their hands in the air, apparently to show they were not carrying weapons or explosives.
The soldiers then appeared to order the men back inside the building before they were shot.
A Reuters journalist in the area saw the men leave the building, appearing to surrender, and later, after hearing shots fired, saw Israeli forces standing near what appeared to be a lifeless body.
The men were identified as al Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37, by Palestinian authorities.
Image: Footage of the incident has been broadcast on Arab TV channels
What has Israel said about the incident?
A joint statement between the Israeli Defence Forces and Israeli police said: “Earlier this evening (Thursday), during an Israel Border Police and IDF operation in the area of Jenin, the forces operated to apprehend wanted individuals who had carried out terror activities, including hurling explosives and firing at security forces.
“The wanted individuals were affiliated with a terror network in the area of Jenin.
“The forces entered the area, enclosed the structure in which the suspects were located, and initiated a surrender procedure that lasted several hours. Following the use of engineering tools on the structure, the two suspects exited.
“Following their exit, fire was directed toward the suspects.
“The incident is under review by the commanders on the ground, and will be transferred to the relevant professional bodies.”
Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the military and police unit involved in the shooting had his “full backing”.
“The fighters acted exactly as expected of them – terrorists should die!” he wrote on X.
Image: A Reuters journalist captured images from near the scene. Pic: Reuters
‘An outright extrajudicial killing’
But Palestinians and human rights groups say Israeli investigations in such incidents yield few results, with Israeli troops rarely prosecuted.
The Palestinian prime minister’s office in Ramallah also accused Israel of executing the men “in cold blood”, calling the shooting “an outright extrajudicial killing in blatant violation of international humanitarian law”.
Yuli Novak, the executive director of B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, said: “The execution documented today is the result of an accelerated process of dehumanisation of Palestinians and the complete abandonment of their lives by the Israeli regime.
“In Israel, there is no mechanism that acts to stop the killing of Palestinians or is capable of prosecuting those responsible.”
Israel’s military has scaled up its military operations in the West Bank since the October 7 Hamas attack, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to B’Tselem, which said the perpetrators were “granted full impunity by Israel”.
Donald Trump has warned US action against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers will move to the land “very soon”.
American forces have carried out at least 21 strikes on boats it claims were carrying narcotics to its shores over the last few months.
The US has accused the South American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, of being involved in the drugs trade – a claim he denies.
Venezuela has said the attacks, which have killed more than 80 people, amount to murder.
Image: Mr Trump made the comments while in Florida for Thanksgiving. Pic: Reuters
‘We warned them,’ says Trump
America’s most advanced aircraft carrieris among the ships that have been deployed to the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific as part of Operation Southern Spear.
Mr Trump said on Thursday he was preparing to significantly ramp up the response.
“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” he told military service members in a call.
“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”
“We warned them to stop sending poison to our country,” Mr Trump added.
The US has released videos of boats being targeted, but hasn’t provided evidence – such as photos of their cargo – to support the smuggling claims.
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Three killed as US strikes another alleged drug boat
The Pentagon has sought to justify the strikes by labelling the drug gangs as foreign terrorist organisations – putting them on par with the likes of al Qaeda and Hamas.
This week it formally designated Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) as such, and said the group was headed by Mr Maduro and “other high-ranking individuals” from his regime.
Another Venezuelan drugs group, Tren de Aragua, was designated a terror organisation by the US in January.
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Mr Maduro – seen by most countries as a dictator who’s cheated elections – has accused the US of “fabricating” a war to overthrow him and install a more favourable government.
Venezuelan officials have also claimed Mr Trump’s true motivation is access to the country’s plentiful oil reserves and other natural resources such as gold and diamonds.
Experts say Mr Maduro, 63, could use oil as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations.
Mr Trump has said previously he would be open to talks – but that prospect seems unlikely, with the Venezuelan leader wielding a sword this week as he vowed to “defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat”.
Police said a passer-by who made a tourniquet to stem the man’s bleeding had probably saved his life.
Switzerland’s foreign affairs office didn’t name the victims – who are both believed to be in their 20s – but confirmed they were Swiss citizens.
The pair are said to have arrived the night before, camping nearby before going for a swim with dolphins at dawn – a time when sharks are more active.
The man suffered major wounds to his thigh after trying to fight off the shark and dragging his partner more than 50m back to shore, reported Sky News Australia.
The woman died on the sand but call handlers instructed the passer-by how to fashion a tourniquet from a swimsuit in order to treat the man.
Image: Early assessments indicate a bull shark may be responsible. File pic: iStock
New South Wales Ambulance superintendent Josh Smyth said the backpacker’s quick thinking was “heroic” and created valuable time for them to reach the remote, unpatrolled beach.
Sky News Australia said initial indications are a large, mature bull shark may be responsible.
The beach has been closed while drones scour the area and drumlines have been laid in the hope of capturing the shark.