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Gulf Today
27 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
Paris police to deploy en masse for Bastille Day, PSG game
Paris will be under tight police surveillance Sunday and Monday for a key football match for local champions PSG, and France's national holiday, with both events potentially creating public disturbances, police said. Some 11,500 officers will be deployed in the French capital and surrounding areas for the FIFA Club World Cup final between English side Chelsea and French champions Paris Saint-Germain, which coincides with festivities on the eve of France's national holiday on Monday, known as Bastille Day, that can degenerate into violence. No crowd gatherings will be allowed on the Champs-Elysees, the prestigious Paris thoroughfare that has often been the scene of violence on such occasions. Although the Club World Cup final is played in the United States, PSG fans will be out in numbers in the streets of Paris. When the club won the Champions League final on May 31, several violent incidents in France led to around 200 arrests and 20 police injuries. On the Champs-Elysees that night, store windows were smashed and shops looted. "For now we are not aware of any risks, but we nevertheless always prepare for public disturbances," Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told the BFMTV broadcaster on Saturday. The police deployment in Paris and suburbs would be "very dense", he said. "We will act with great firmness," Nunez warned, adding he had given the order for any gathering on the Champs-Elysees Sunday evening to be dispersed. No fan zones or pavement TV screens would be allowed between Sunday evening and the small hours of Monday. The avenue will on Monday be the scene of the traditional July 14 military parade, for which police will put in place points for body and bag checks for guests. The event is followed Monday evening by a classical concert near the Eiffel Tower, and traditional Bastille Day fireworks lasting 20 minutes, for which a crowd of 60,000 is expected. Agence France-Presse
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Tim Merlier at the double as Mathieu van der Poel denied at Tour de France Stage 9
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Belgian rider Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step celebrating his victory in Stage 9 of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1km from Chinon to Chateauroux, France, on July 13, 2025. – Tim Merlier won Stage 9 of the Tour de France at Chateauroux on July 13 after a heroic long-range escape from Mathieu van der Poel was caught in the final kilometre. There was no change atop the overall standings with Tadej Pogacar now holding a 54 seconds advantage over Remco Evenepoel in second with French starlet Kevin Vauquelin third. This was a second win for Soudal Quick-Step's Belgian sprinter Merlier, who was first across the line on Stage 3 at Dunkirk as he racked up a 12th stage win in 2025. Said Merlier: 'Me and Bert (van Lerberghe) were together. I was so much more confident with him in front of me… I thought I was boxed in at one point but I came out. I'm very happy to have won my second stage at the Tour this year.' On a sun-drenched slog from the Chinon vineyards, van der Poel and a teammate broke early and built up a lead of 5min 30sec on the flat roads to Chateauroux. Jonas Rickaert won the combativity award for accompanying van der Poel to within 10km of the line, before slumping over his handlebars. Said van der Poel: 'I discussed with Jonas that we wanted to go for it today. His dream was to be on the podium. I'm really happy (as) it was one of his dreams.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys World Israeli strikes kill over 40 as truce talks deadlocked, says Gaza civil defence Singapore Segregated recycling bins found to lower contamination rate as more spring up Asia Mahathir discharged from hospital after feeling fatigued during birthday gathering Business 29 Jollibean workers get help from MOM, other agencies, over unpaid salaries Singapore Medics treat 7 after blaze at HDB block lift lobby in Chai Chee Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons With his gung-ho all-in style, van der Poel grew his Tour de France legend here despite being caught with 700m to go, the plaudits will be both his and Merlier's. As van der Poel was reeled in, it looked as though Jonathan Milan would win a second consecutive stage but Merlier got ahead with 50m remaining as Milan finished second with Arnaud de Lie completing the podium. Pogacar's Tour de France defence took a hit on July 13 as his key teammate Joao Almeida threw in the towel two days after his nasty fall at the Mur de Bretagne, where he fractured a rib. Stage 10 should shake up the race with eight classified climbs in the Massif Central on the July 14 French national holiday. Road signs in honour of British cycling great Mark Cavendish had been placed at entry points to Chateauroux – reading Cavendish City – in homage to the now-retired 40-year-old, after he won three stages there in 2008, 2011 and 2021. 'We placed road signs at 17 roundabouts at the entry points of the city as a nod and wink to him,' Town Hall communications director Anne-Laure Bodin told AFP. 'We put up the signs at the start of July and they'll stay there until the end of the Tour de France,' she said, explaining it was to mark the fast-man's legacy and connection with the town. 'He was happy by the looks of it because he made an Instagram post of it. It's fun but he deserves it.' Cavendish was a specialist on the flat stages and the finish line on the July 13 Stage 8 is the same 3km home straight that suited the 'Manx Missile' so well. 'Now I'm truly humbled,' Cavendish wrote on Instagram. 'It's emotional to me as my first ever win. I hope it's a place as special for whoever wins there this year. ' The 40-year-old Briton is now retired, and won 35 stages in total at the Tour de France, a record for stage wins he shares with all-time great Eddy Merckx. AFP
Hamilton Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Police on high alert in France for PSG vs. Chelsea Club World Cup final in US
PARIS (AP) — Tens of thousands of police officers will be deployed in France on Sunday night as Paris Saint-Germain takes on Chelsea in the Club World Cup final thousands of miles away in the United States. French officials have warned that no fan misbehavior will be tolerated after violence in the country marred celebrations of PSG winning its first Champions League trophy in Germany. 'No gatherings will be tolerated on the Champs-Elysées,' Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told RMC media. 'A total of 11,500 police and gendarmes will be mobilized in Paris on Sunday, and 53,000 throughout France.' French police are faced with a double security challenge, with PSG's match at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey followed on July 14 by France's Bastille Day celebrations. 'Every year, there are troublemakers who want to have fun with violence, who break things, who want to loot. We're going to have to provide security for a huge number of events: fireworks displays, parties,' Retailleau said. Celebrations of PSG's first Champions League title were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a PSG street party after the final, the national police service said. In Paris, a man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations. ___ AP soccer:
