Latest news with #Demon
NDTV
5 days ago
- NDTV
"Stop Stealing Cobblestones": Bruges Pleads With Tourists As Historic Streets Crumble Underfoot
The picturesque city of Bruges, the capital and largest city of West Flanders in Belgium's Flemish Region, is celebrated for its medieval architecture and rich cultural heritage. Situated in the country's northwest, it is the sixth most populous city in Belgium. However, this historic tourist destination is now facing a rather unusual problem, officials have issued a public plea asking visitors to stop removing cobblestones from the city's iconic center, according to The Metro. Tourists have reportedly been taking pieces of the historic pavement as souvenirs, raising concerns about preserving the integrity of Bruges' treasured streets. According to The Metro, Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its charming canals and blend of Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Neo-Classicist, and Baroque architecture. The iconic cobbles date back to the Middle Ages. Every year, over 8 million international tourists descend on the capital of West Flanders to marvel at these wonders in real life. However, such popularity has led to the destruction of Bruges, which ironically, is also famed for being one of the most preserved medieval cities in Europe. According to the city councillor, Franky Demon, Bruges is losing between 50 and 70 cobblestones every month, due to tourists taking a piece of history home with them. While sneaky travellers might not think it's a big deal, he revealed that repair costs actually add up to 200 Euros (Rs 17,121) per square metre of stones. Demon told the The Brussels Times: 'We ask for nothing but respect. Walking in Bruges means treading on centuries of history. Please leave these stones where they belong.' The councillor then highlighted the places experiencing the most damage, including the iconic areas of Minnewater, Vismarkt, the Grand Place and the Gruuthuse Museum. He explained that while these thefts occur each month, the severity increases during spring and summer, when Bruges welcomes the majority of its visitors. Additionally, Demon said pinching the stones is a threat to people's safety, too. As Bruges is a compact and walkable city, renowned for being pedestrian-friendly, the gaps left by the missing stones pose trip hazards.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'Burnt out' Demon shattered by French Open collapse
Down and out in Paris, crestfallen Alex de Minaur has complained of feeling burnt out and mentally weary following a "miracle" French Open capitulation, sighing it's time for him to change. The never-say-die 'Demon' has never seemed so downcast as he tried to make sense of how he lost his second-round contest 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to comeback wizard Alexander Bublik from a position on Thursday where "99.9 per cent of the time" he would have won. "There's no excuse for myself, what happened today. I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reason, because ultimately this isn't going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn't happen again," lamented the world No.9. The first time he's been knocked out this early in his last seven grand slams meant Alexei Popyrin is the only Aussie left in the men's draw after Brisbane's Adam Walton bowed out to No.17 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) later on Thursday. It came in a weird but wildly entertaining affair, the ultimate 'match of two halves'. The famously eccentric Kazhak Bublik admitted the 11am start had been too early for a sleepyhead like him and was already thinking about getting an early flight home to Monaco until deciding to throw caution to the wind after being outplayed for two sets. But though Bublik stirred to provide some out-of-the-box brilliance, de Minaur could only feel this was one that criminally got away - and he couldn't understand how. "No illness, no injury. Look, I'm just tired. I'm tired mentally. I'm a little bit burnt out, if anything," sighed de Minaur. Suggesting he'd lost the match rather than Bublik winning he added: "I lost that one. Looking back at my grand slam career, I can't think of another match where I felt this way and ended up losing a match that I win 99.9 per cent of the time. "In a way, the good thing is that today is something like a miracle, in the sense that I'm not known for these types of performances. I'm probably known for the opposite, which is just being consistent and not losing really matches that I shouldn't be losing." It was a crushing blow for the 26-year-old Sydneysider, who'd been enjoying his best clay-court season and was ready to build on his breakthrough quarter-final appearance last year. "Obviously have to have a hard chat with the team and analyse everything that's been happening, kind of find a reason of why this happened." He also complained about there being "too much tennis" and the ATP needing a shorter schedule, echoing fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson's complaints earlier in the week. Mainly though, he just sounded like a man in need of a break after 38 matches already this year. Ironically, his misery all unfolded just as the sun came out for the first time these championships - conditions 'Demon' loves - and for two sets he positively shone. Looking to have cracked the puzzle that is Bublik, making light of his crazy drop shots, suicidal monster second serves and one dismally executed underarm delivery, he waltzed two sets up in an hour. There was the odd dazzling shot - one which sent de Minaur sliding into the courtside furniture - but it felt like Einstein's definition of insanity as he played drop shot after drop shot only to get the same result as the fastest man in tennis hunted them down. Then, a switch was flicked at two-sets down. Out went the drop shots, in came the power. "I was checking the tickets already in my head. I didn't really care, in a way," shrugged Bublik. De Minaur's composure evaporated as Bublik got the crowd behind him with musketeer shotmaking, like the point that won him the fourth, featuring a tweener followed by a brilliant backhand bullet down the line. No wonder the Kazakh took a deep bow. Bublik raced through the final set, taking his ace count to a dozen and, for his piece de resistance, finished the job, after de Minaur had saved three match points in the final game, with one rapier-like cross-court backhand winner, his 51st of a marvellously entertaining encounter. Down and out in Paris, crestfallen Alex de Minaur has complained of feeling burnt out and mentally weary following a "miracle" French Open capitulation, sighing it's time for him to change. The never-say-die 'Demon' has never seemed so downcast as he tried to make sense of how he lost his second-round contest 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to comeback wizard Alexander Bublik from a position on Thursday where "99.9 per cent of the time" he would have won. "There's no excuse for myself, what happened today. I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reason, because ultimately this isn't going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn't happen again," lamented the world No.9. The first time he's been knocked out this early in his last seven grand slams meant Alexei Popyrin is the only Aussie left in the men's draw after Brisbane's Adam Walton bowed out to No.17 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) later on Thursday. It came in a weird but wildly entertaining affair, the ultimate 'match of two halves'. The famously eccentric Kazhak Bublik admitted the 11am start had been too early for a sleepyhead like him and was already thinking about getting an early flight home to Monaco until deciding to throw caution to the wind after being outplayed for two sets. But though Bublik stirred to provide some out-of-the-box brilliance, de Minaur could only feel this was one that criminally got away - and he couldn't understand how. "No illness, no injury. Look, I'm just tired. I'm tired mentally. I'm a little bit burnt out, if anything," sighed de Minaur. Suggesting he'd lost the match rather than Bublik winning he added: "I lost that one. Looking back at my grand slam career, I can't think of another match where I felt this way and ended up losing a match that I win 99.9 per cent of the time. "In a way, the good thing is that today is something like a miracle, in the sense that I'm not known for these types of performances. I'm probably known for the opposite, which is just being consistent and not losing really matches that I shouldn't be losing." It was a crushing blow for the 26-year-old Sydneysider, who'd been enjoying his best clay-court season and was ready to build on his breakthrough quarter-final appearance last year. "Obviously have to have a hard chat with the team and analyse everything that's been happening, kind of find a reason of why this happened." He also complained about there being "too much tennis" and the ATP needing a shorter schedule, echoing fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson's complaints earlier in the week. Mainly though, he just sounded like a man in need of a break after 38 matches already this year. Ironically, his misery all unfolded just as the sun came out for the first time these championships - conditions 'Demon' loves - and for two sets he positively shone. Looking to have cracked the puzzle that is Bublik, making light of his crazy drop shots, suicidal monster second serves and one dismally executed underarm delivery, he waltzed two sets up in an hour. There was the odd dazzling shot - one which sent de Minaur sliding into the courtside furniture - but it felt like Einstein's definition of insanity as he played drop shot after drop shot only to get the same result as the fastest man in tennis hunted them down. Then, a switch was flicked at two-sets down. Out went the drop shots, in came the power. "I was checking the tickets already in my head. I didn't really care, in a way," shrugged Bublik. De Minaur's composure evaporated as Bublik got the crowd behind him with musketeer shotmaking, like the point that won him the fourth, featuring a tweener followed by a brilliant backhand bullet down the line. No wonder the Kazakh took a deep bow. Bublik raced through the final set, taking his ace count to a dozen and, for his piece de resistance, finished the job, after de Minaur had saved three match points in the final game, with one rapier-like cross-court backhand winner, his 51st of a marvellously entertaining encounter. Down and out in Paris, crestfallen Alex de Minaur has complained of feeling burnt out and mentally weary following a "miracle" French Open capitulation, sighing it's time for him to change. The never-say-die 'Demon' has never seemed so downcast as he tried to make sense of how he lost his second-round contest 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to comeback wizard Alexander Bublik from a position on Thursday where "99.9 per cent of the time" he would have won. "There's no excuse for myself, what happened today. I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reason, because ultimately this isn't going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn't happen again," lamented the world No.9. The first time he's been knocked out this early in his last seven grand slams meant Alexei Popyrin is the only Aussie left in the men's draw after Brisbane's Adam Walton bowed out to No.17 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) later on Thursday. It came in a weird but wildly entertaining affair, the ultimate 'match of two halves'. The famously eccentric Kazhak Bublik admitted the 11am start had been too early for a sleepyhead like him and was already thinking about getting an early flight home to Monaco until deciding to throw caution to the wind after being outplayed for two sets. But though Bublik stirred to provide some out-of-the-box brilliance, de Minaur could only feel this was one that criminally got away - and he couldn't understand how. "No illness, no injury. Look, I'm just tired. I'm tired mentally. I'm a little bit burnt out, if anything," sighed de Minaur. Suggesting he'd lost the match rather than Bublik winning he added: "I lost that one. Looking back at my grand slam career, I can't think of another match where I felt this way and ended up losing a match that I win 99.9 per cent of the time. "In a way, the good thing is that today is something like a miracle, in the sense that I'm not known for these types of performances. I'm probably known for the opposite, which is just being consistent and not losing really matches that I shouldn't be losing." It was a crushing blow for the 26-year-old Sydneysider, who'd been enjoying his best clay-court season and was ready to build on his breakthrough quarter-final appearance last year. "Obviously have to have a hard chat with the team and analyse everything that's been happening, kind of find a reason of why this happened." He also complained about there being "too much tennis" and the ATP needing a shorter schedule, echoing fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson's complaints earlier in the week. Mainly though, he just sounded like a man in need of a break after 38 matches already this year. Ironically, his misery all unfolded just as the sun came out for the first time these championships - conditions 'Demon' loves - and for two sets he positively shone. Looking to have cracked the puzzle that is Bublik, making light of his crazy drop shots, suicidal monster second serves and one dismally executed underarm delivery, he waltzed two sets up in an hour. There was the odd dazzling shot - one which sent de Minaur sliding into the courtside furniture - but it felt like Einstein's definition of insanity as he played drop shot after drop shot only to get the same result as the fastest man in tennis hunted them down. Then, a switch was flicked at two-sets down. Out went the drop shots, in came the power. "I was checking the tickets already in my head. I didn't really care, in a way," shrugged Bublik. De Minaur's composure evaporated as Bublik got the crowd behind him with musketeer shotmaking, like the point that won him the fourth, featuring a tweener followed by a brilliant backhand bullet down the line. No wonder the Kazakh took a deep bow. Bublik raced through the final set, taking his ace count to a dozen and, for his piece de resistance, finished the job, after de Minaur had saved three match points in the final game, with one rapier-like cross-court backhand winner, his 51st of a marvellously entertaining encounter. Down and out in Paris, crestfallen Alex de Minaur has complained of feeling burnt out and mentally weary following a "miracle" French Open capitulation, sighing it's time for him to change. The never-say-die 'Demon' has never seemed so downcast as he tried to make sense of how he lost his second-round contest 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to comeback wizard Alexander Bublik from a position on Thursday where "99.9 per cent of the time" he would have won. "There's no excuse for myself, what happened today. I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reason, because ultimately this isn't going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn't happen again," lamented the world No.9. The first time he's been knocked out this early in his last seven grand slams meant Alexei Popyrin is the only Aussie left in the men's draw after Brisbane's Adam Walton bowed out to No.17 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) later on Thursday. It came in a weird but wildly entertaining affair, the ultimate 'match of two halves'. The famously eccentric Kazhak Bublik admitted the 11am start had been too early for a sleepyhead like him and was already thinking about getting an early flight home to Monaco until deciding to throw caution to the wind after being outplayed for two sets. But though Bublik stirred to provide some out-of-the-box brilliance, de Minaur could only feel this was one that criminally got away - and he couldn't understand how. "No illness, no injury. Look, I'm just tired. I'm tired mentally. I'm a little bit burnt out, if anything," sighed de Minaur. Suggesting he'd lost the match rather than Bublik winning he added: "I lost that one. Looking back at my grand slam career, I can't think of another match where I felt this way and ended up losing a match that I win 99.9 per cent of the time. "In a way, the good thing is that today is something like a miracle, in the sense that I'm not known for these types of performances. I'm probably known for the opposite, which is just being consistent and not losing really matches that I shouldn't be losing." It was a crushing blow for the 26-year-old Sydneysider, who'd been enjoying his best clay-court season and was ready to build on his breakthrough quarter-final appearance last year. "Obviously have to have a hard chat with the team and analyse everything that's been happening, kind of find a reason of why this happened." He also complained about there being "too much tennis" and the ATP needing a shorter schedule, echoing fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson's complaints earlier in the week. Mainly though, he just sounded like a man in need of a break after 38 matches already this year. Ironically, his misery all unfolded just as the sun came out for the first time these championships - conditions 'Demon' loves - and for two sets he positively shone. Looking to have cracked the puzzle that is Bublik, making light of his crazy drop shots, suicidal monster second serves and one dismally executed underarm delivery, he waltzed two sets up in an hour. There was the odd dazzling shot - one which sent de Minaur sliding into the courtside furniture - but it felt like Einstein's definition of insanity as he played drop shot after drop shot only to get the same result as the fastest man in tennis hunted them down. Then, a switch was flicked at two-sets down. Out went the drop shots, in came the power. "I was checking the tickets already in my head. I didn't really care, in a way," shrugged Bublik. De Minaur's composure evaporated as Bublik got the crowd behind him with musketeer shotmaking, like the point that won him the fourth, featuring a tweener followed by a brilliant backhand bullet down the line. No wonder the Kazakh took a deep bow. Bublik raced through the final set, taking his ace count to a dozen and, for his piece de resistance, finished the job, after de Minaur had saved three match points in the final game, with one rapier-like cross-court backhand winner, his 51st of a marvellously entertaining encounter.
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Alex de Minaur collapses as Alexander Bublik pulls off ‘most absurd tennis result of the year' at the French Open
The sun came out in Paris and the gloom descended for Alex de Minaur as his French Open bid was poleaxed by a superlative comeback from the mad, marvellous maverick Alexander Bublik. So used to playing in damp and dreary conditions at Roland Garros, Australia's great hope looked energised by the lovely Roland Garros weather on Thursday as he swept into a two-set lead. He looked just too fast, too focused and too professional for his eccentric Kazakh opponent. But it only kicked the world No.62 Bublik into a no-holds-barred, nothing-to-lose boldness as he then stunned the world No.9 with a barrage of brilliant shotmaking to storm back to a 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 victory. De Minaur had been primed to expect the unexpected from the 27-year-old Bublik but he couldn't have expected the transformation from the player who looked so lost for answers in the opening two sets to the one who then quite dominated for the final three. It was a crushing blow for the 26-year-old Sydneysider, who had been enjoying his best clay-court season and had looked in the mood to at least try to emulate his breakthrough quarter-final appearance last year. Bublik's win will have been all the sweeter after his last opponent, Australian James Duckworth, bluntly sided with his countryman when asked who would take out the second-round match. 'Demon will win,' he said. Why so certain? 'Well, he's got one of the best return of serves in the world and he's lighting quick, so he's going to get to a lot more drop shots than I did,' Duckworth said. 'Then from the back, Demon wins most of the points. The weather's not overly hot, it's not playing particularly quick, so Bublik's gonna have to hit lines to win.' Asked what it's like playing Bublik, Duckworth said: 'Well, it is unpredictable. Like you've got to be ready for everything.' 'You go into the match knowing that there could be an underarms, there could be, like, a drop shot from an obscure position, that he could just hit and come in randomly. That's his style, and that's worked for him,' he said.
Metro
6 days ago
- Metro
European city begs for ‘respect' as tourists keep stealing bizarre souvenir
A historic Belgian city has requested that tourists stop stealing cobblestones from its famous centre. While most of us might bring home a fridge magnet, or a chic vintage buy, from a European trip, some are taking pieces of the pavement. Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its charming canals and blend of Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Neo-Classicist, and Baroque architecture. The iconic cobbles date back to the Middle Ages. Every year, over 8 million international tourists descend on the capital of West Flanders to marvel at these wonders in real life. However, such popularity has led to the destruction of Bruges, which ironically, is also famed for being one of the most preserved medieval cities in Europe. According to the city councillor, Franky Demon, Bruges is losing between 50 and 70 cobblestones every month, due to tourists taking a piece of history home with them. While sneaky travellers might not think it's a big deal, he revealed that repair costs actually add up to €200 (£168) per square metre of stones. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Demon told the The Brussels Times: 'We ask for nothing but respect. Walking in Bruges means treading on centuries of history. Please leave these stones where they belong.' The councillor then highlighted the places experiencing the most damage, including the iconic areas of Minnewater, Vismarkt, the Grand Place and the Gruuthuse Museum. He explained that while these thefts occur each month, the severity increases during spring and summer, when Bruges welcomes the majority of its visitors. Additionally, Demon said pinching the stones is a threat to people's safety, too. As Bruges is a compact and walkable city, renowned for being pedestrian-friendly, the gaps left by the missing stones pose trip hazards. Over on Reddit, people have been suggesting ways to deter people from taking cobblestones as souvenirs, from announcing fines rather than 'politely asking people not to steal', or selling replicas at tourist shops. More Trending Others suggested putting up cameras, while also questioning why people would want to steal stones in the first place. Many agreed, asking what's wrong with traditional keepsakes, like magnets. However, one Bruges resident revealed that this has been going on for some time now and will likely continue. They joked: 'I once caught a tourist digging a stone out of the street. I told them horses have been sh***ing on it for decades. They didn't listen and took it anyway.' Another Bruges resident said that measures aren't strict enough, which is why this issue keeps happening. Bruges is just one of the many European cities grappling with the effects of overtourism right now. The city has implemented various measures to reduce footfall over the years, including the most recent: limiting cruise ship arrivals from five to two per day in 2019. Earlier this year, Venice doubled its controversial tourist tax for last-minute travellers who book less than four days in advance. The €5 (£4.20) fee increased to €10 (£8.30). In Barcelona, a large public square outside one of its most famous attractions is being created in an effort to ease overwhelming crowds of tourists. As for Palma, Mallorca's capital, tours have been limited to 20 people per group, while cruise ship visitors to Santorini and Mykonos will be charged a daily fee of €20 (£16.80). Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: The 'Venice of Eastern Europe' is a 'youthful' city with £29 flights — and 800 gnomes MORE: New train to span 745 miles linking five European countries — and tickets are just £40 MORE: EasyJet launches new holidays to 'charming' but underrated Italian seaside destination
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
‘Master of his craft': New trend sweeping AFL
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin lauded superstar skipper Max Gawn as a 'master of his craft' and, as one of the AFL's best players at age 33, said the shift was on towards helping the aged elite play for as long as possible. As 36-year-old Brisbane Lions gun Dayne Zorko prepares to rack up a 50th consecutive match against Essendon at the Gabba on Thursday night, Collingwood recalled 37-year-old Scott Pendlebury and 34-year-old Steele Sidebottom for a blockbuster Friday clash with Hawthorn. The importance of all three veteran stars to their premiership-contending teams cannot be understated and the remarkable form of ruckman Gawn has helped propel the Demons to six straight wins and put them back in finals contention. Scott Pendlebury is still killing it for the Magpies. Michael Klein Credit: News Corp Australia As a raft of older players were taken by clubs in Wednesday night's mid-season rookie draft, Goodwin said the old adage that players would be on the decline after they turned 30 was no longer relevant. He pointed to 33-year-old Jake Melksham as another veteran Demon who was getting better 'the older he gets' and said the reliability of older players was becoming more than just an asset but a weapon. 'I think you have already seen that shift taking place. Clearly, players are playing for a little bit longer,' Goodwin said. 'Back in the day when you got to 30 you were starting to think about the end of your career and clubs were similar in terms of how they looked at players. 'Right now it comes down to an individualised thing and you are seeing right across the competition … a whole range of different guys who are mid 30 and playing exceptional footy and clubs are taking note of that. 'Jake Melksham for us, he seems to be getting better the old he gets and that experience, you just can't buy.' Gawn is on track for what would an eighth all-Australian blazer. At the MCG last Sunday, he destroyed former protege Brody Grundy in a huge Demons win over Sydney and Goodwin couldn't sing his captain's praises any higher. 'What you are seeing is someone who is the master of his craft,' he said. 'He has worked for 13 years on being a great ruckman and has really focused on what that looks like, both from a ruck perspective but also from an aerial perspective. What we are seeing is a guy who is incredibly professional. 'He looks after himself incredibly well and is playing to a really high level.'
