Olympic cauldron likely to stay permanently

PARIS, Aug 11 (AFP): The Olympic cauldron rising over Paris beneath a huge balloon each night has become such a popular sight that it may become a permanent fixture in the City of Light.

The unique version of the Olympic flame, located in the Tuileries Gardens between the Louvre Museum and Concorde obelisk, has been one of many innovations for this year's Games. The seven-metre (23-foot) ring of flame is not actually fire, but is made up of clouds of mist lit by LED rays, built by French energy firm EDF and powered by 100-percent renewable electricity.

Each night at sunset, it is drawn up into the sky for two hours by a 30-metre helium balloon, coated in light-reflecting satin paint.

All 10,000 daily slots to watch it rise up-close have been booked out until the end of the Games on Sunday, and it will return for the Paralympics at the end of the month.

The "real" Olympic flame, transported from Greece to France, is installed a few steps from the cauldron in a lantern sheltered by a display case.

Now, many politicians are talking about making the cauldron a permanent addition to the Paris skyline.

The decision lies with President Emmanuel Macron's government. He told reporters last week that the idea "would be a dream for many people" and that his team would "look at all that in due time".