Paris Police Sealing Off Seine River Ahead of Olympics Opening Ceremony

People carry their bikes up a staircase to get around a security area closed off for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
People carry their bikes up a staircase to get around a security area closed off for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Paris Police Sealing Off Seine River Ahead of Olympics Opening Ceremony

People carry their bikes up a staircase to get around a security area closed off for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
People carry their bikes up a staircase to get around a security area closed off for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

A special kind of iron curtain came down across central Paris on Thursday, with the beginning of an Olympic anti-terrorism perimeter along the banks of the River Seine sealing off a kilometers-long area to Parisians and tourists who hadn’t applied in advance for a pass.
The words on many lips were “QR code,” the pass that grants access beyond snaking metal barriers that delineate the security zone set up to protect the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony on July 26.
“I didn’t know it started today,” said Emmanuelle Witt, a 35-year-old communications freelancer who was stopped by police near the Alma bridge while biking across town. She desperately went on her phone to fill out the online form to get her QR code, unaware that the vetting process could take several days, The Associated Press reported.
Those with the precious code – either on their phones or printed out on pieces of paper – passed smoothly past police checkpoints at gaps in the barriers taller than most people.
Those without got mostly turned away – with no amount of grumbling and cajoling making officers budge.
“That’s too much, that’s over the top, that whole thing is a pain,” grumbled Nassim Bennamou, a delivery man who was denied access to the street leading to Notre Dame Cathedral on his scooter.
“Even the GPS is confused, I have no idea how I’m going to work today,” he added.
While authorities announced the code system last year and have been meeting with local residents for months to explain the restrictions, not everyone was aware. Officers patiently explained to visitors without the pass how to reach iconic Paris monuments without going through the restricted zone.
“We had no idea we needed a QR code,” said Takao Sakamoto, 55, who was denied access to the Eiffel Tower near the Bir Hakeim Metro station. Visiting from Japan with his wife, he took a photo of the tower from a distance, behind fences and police cars. “That will do,” Sakamoto remarked with despair.
On the other hand, visitors who were lucky enough to come across officers who leniently let them pass without QR codes and others who'd equipped themselves with them were treated to the sight of near-empty riverside boulevards that, in normal times, heave with traffic.
“There's no one around!” sang a happy cyclist on a street he had largely to himself. With police seemingly everywhere, another man walking past a riverside café with fewer than usual customers loudly quipped: “You can leave your money and cell phones on the tables, there's definitely no thieves!”
“It’s surreal, it really feels like we’re the only ones here,” said Sarah Bartnicka from Canada. Enjoying a morning jog with a friend, the 29-year-old took a selfie with a police officer on the deserted Iéna bridge to capture the moment.
Paris has repeatedly suffered deadly extremist attacks, most notably in 2015. Up to 45,000 police and gendarmes as well as 10,000 soldiers are being deployed for Olympic security.
“I understand why they’re doing this,” said Carla Money, a 64-year-old American who managed to pass the barriers with her family.
Some business owners inside the security zone grumbled that sharply reduced foot-fall would hurt their bottom line.
“They’ve locked me up like a prisoner," said Raymond Pignol. His restaurant, L'Auberge Café, near the Pont Neuf that spans the Seine, is just inside the metal fencing.
The perimeter went into effect early Thursday morning and will last through the ceremony. As an exception, Paris has decided to hold the opening of its first Games in a century on the river rather than in a stadium, like previous host cities. Most of the river security measures will be lifted after the show.
Officers were under instructions to be polite and patient as employees on their way to work and others dealt with the perimeter and the passes for the first time. But Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said that after the initial 24 hours of being accommodating, officers would apply the rules much more firmly, with no more looking the other way for those without QR codes.



Tottenham Hotspur Sack Head Coach Thomas Frank

(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
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Tottenham Hotspur Sack Head Coach Thomas Frank

(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/

Thomas Frank was fired by Tottenham on Wednesday after only eight months in charge and with his team just five points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

Despite leading Spurs to the round of 16 in the Champions League, Frank has overseen a desperate domestic campaign. A 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Tuesday means Spurs are still to win in the league in 2026.

“The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” Tottenham said in a statement. “Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.

“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”

Frank’s exit means Spurs are on the lookout for a sixth head coach in less than seven years since Mauricio Pochettino departed in 2019.


Marseille Coach De Zerbi Leaves After Humiliating 5-0 Loss to PSG 

Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
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Marseille Coach De Zerbi Leaves After Humiliating 5-0 Loss to PSG 

Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi is leaving the French league club in the wake of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of PSG in French soccer biggest game.

The nine-time French champions said on Wednesday that they have ended “their collaboration by mutual agreement.”

The heavy loss Sunday at the Parc des Princes restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place after the humiliating defeat.

De Zerbi's exit followed another embarrassing 3-0 loss at Club Brugge two weeks ago that resulted in Marseille exiting the Champions League.

De Zerbi, who had apologized to Marseille fans after the loss against bitter rival PSG, joined Marseille in 2024 after two seasons in charge at Brighton. After tightening things up tactically in Marseille during his first season, his recent choices had left many observers puzzled.

“Following consultations involving all stakeholders in the club’s leadership — the owner, president, director of football and head coach — it was decided to opt for a change at the head of the first team,” Marseille said. “This was a collective and difficult decision, taken after thorough consideration, in the best interests of the club and in order to address the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”

De Zerbi led Marseille to a second-place finish last season. Marseille did not immediately announce a replacement for De Zerbi ahead of Saturday's league match against Strasbourg.

Since American owner Frank McCourt bought Marseille in 2016, the former powerhouse of French soccer has failed to find any form of stability, with a succession of coaches and crises that sometimes turned violent.

Marseille dominated domestic soccer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the only French team to win the Champions League before PSG claimed the trophy last year. It hasn’t won its own league title since 2010.


Olympic Fans Hunt for Plushies of Mascots Milo and Tina as They Fly off Shelves 

Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
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Olympic Fans Hunt for Plushies of Mascots Milo and Tina as They Fly off Shelves 

Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)

For fans of the Milan Cortina Olympic mascots, the eponymous Milo and Tina, it's been nearly impossible to find a plush toy of the stoat siblings in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Many of the official Olympics stores in the host cities are already sold out, less than a week into the Winter Games.

“I think the only way to get them is to actually win a medal,” Julia Peeler joked Tuesday in central Milan, where Tina and Milo characters posed for photos with fans.

The 38-year-old from South Carolina is on the hunt for the plushies for her niece. She's already bought some mascot pins, but she won't wear them on her lanyard. Peeler wants to avoid anyone trying to swap for them in a pin trade, a popular Olympic pastime.

Tina, short for Cortina, is the lighter-colored stoat and represents the Olympic Winter Games. Her younger brother Milo, short for Milano, is the face of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Milo was born without one paw but learned to use his tail and turn his difference into a strength, according to the Olympics website. A stoat is a small mustelid, like a weasel or an otter.

The animals adorn merchandise ranging from coffee mugs to T-shirts, but the plush toys are the most popular.

They're priced from 18 to 58 euros (about $21 to $69) and many of the major official stores in Milan, including the largest one at the iconic Duomo Cathedral, and Cortina have been cleaned out. They appeared to be sold out online Tuesday night.

Winning athletes are gifted the plush toys when they receive their gold, silver and bronze medals atop the podium.

Broadcast system engineer Jennifer Suarez got lucky Tuesday at the media center in Milan. She's been collecting mascot toys since the 2010 Vancouver Games and has been asking shops when they would restock.

“We were lucky we were just in time,” she said, clutching a tiny Tina. “They are gone right now.”

Friends Michelle Chen and Brenda Zhang were among the dozens of fans Tuesday who took photos with the characters at the fan zone in central Milan.

“They’re just so lovable and they’re always super excited at the Games, they are cheering on the crowd,” Chen, 29, said after they snapped their shots. “We just are so excited to meet them.”

The San Franciscan women are in Milan for the Olympics and their friend who is “obsessed” with the stoats asked for a plush Tina as a gift.

“They’re just so cute, and stoats are such a unique animal to be the Olympic mascot,” Zhang, 28, said.

Annie-Laurie Atkins, Peeler's friend, loves that Milo is the mascot for Paralympians.

“The Paralympics are really special to me,” she said Tuesday. “I have a lot of friends that are disabled and so having a character that also represents that is just incredible.”