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Paris wins right to host 2018 Gay Games

Paris got one over on London on Monday when the French capital won the right to host the 2018 Gay Games. The news came a day after London had dethroned Paris as the "best city in the world", according to a biennial global survey.

Paris wins right to host 2018 Gay Games
A man performs in the freestyle competition of the waterballet event on the pink friday party of the Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, 2010. Photo: Patrick Stollarz/AFP

Paris won the right to host the 2018 Gay Games on Monday erasing memories of their defeat to German city Cologne for the 2010 edition.

Paris saw off rivals London and the Irish city of Limerick for the honour of hosting what started out in 1982 as the Gay Olympics.

They had to change the name to the Gay Games a few weeks before the inaugural event in 1982 after legal objections by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) over name rights.

The Gay Games are organised along the lines of the Olympics and bring together around 15,000 athletes from across the globe, without any restrictions on competitors age, religion, nationality or indeed sexuality. The overall aim of the event is to fight against all forms of discrimination in the world of sport.

The 2014 edition – which is a sporting and cultural event – is being hosted by Cleveland and Akron in the United States.

The decision to hand to the Games to Paris ahead of London will be a shot in the arm for the French capital and came just a day after it was knocked off its perch as the “Best City in the World” by its rival from across the Channel.

However, it is unlikely to make up for Paris's disappointment in losing out to London for right to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

But despite losing out Paris looks set to bid again, this time for a chance to host the 2024 Olympic Games. Sporting authorities in France have suggested they are considering a bid, which if successful would see the Olympics return to Paris 100 years after it last held the sporting event.

SEE ALSO: Gay marriage: ten most provocative statements

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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