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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

About 2,000 foreign troops to help France secure Paris Olympics

Some 2,000 foreign troops and police will be sent to Paris to bolster security for this summer's Olympic Games as France remains on high alert following attack threats, the French armed forces minister said Friday.

Pedestrians walk past closed-off construction works with the Eiffel Tower in the background at the Champ-de-Mars that will host the beach volleyball competition event during the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic
Pedestrians walk past closed-off construction works with the Eiffel Tower in the background at the Champ-de-Mars that will host the beach volleyball competition event during the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on April 12, 2024. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)

“We have something like 2,000 foreign police officers, gendarmes and troops who will be joining the protection system for the Olympic Games,” Sebastien Lecornu told all-news television station LCI.

France, which will host the games from July 26 to August 11, has raised its security alert to the highest level after a Moscow concert hall attack claimed at least 144 lives on March 22. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the massacre.

The minister said the reinforcements would provide “specific functions” in short supply,  including dog handlers, horse riders and mounted patrols.

READ ALSO: Factcheck: Which areas will be closed in Paris during the Olympics?

In late March, Poland said it would supply troops with an emphasis on sniffer dogs for bomb detection and counter-terrorism operations. It did not specify the number of troops.

Nearly 45,000 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilised in the Paris region for the opening ceremony July 26, which in breaking with tradition will be held along the Seine River instead of the main stadium.

During the games themselves, 18,000 French military troops will be deployed, including 3,000 responsible for aerial surveillance — in addition to about 35,000 police and gendarmes.

READ ALSO: Paris bosses ‘confident’ that Seine will be clean enough for Olympic events

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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Paris Olympics ticket app and resale platform goes live

The official 2024 Paris Olympics app went live on Wednesday, enabling ticket holders to obtain their places and resell seats for any unwanted sessions, the organising committee announced.

Paris Olympics ticket app and resale platform goes live

The app “paris2024tickets” is the “only official and authorised resale channel: the resale is completely transparent for both the seller and the purchaser,” the organising committee said in a statement.

Most events for the July 26th-August 11th Olympic Games have quickly sold out during multiple ticket releases since last year, with around 8.27 million places purchased in total.

There remain tickets for the Olympic football, however, while most sports are still available for the Paralympics which take place from August 28th-September 8th.

The app will be “the essential tool for accessing your tickets for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. On competition day, only a ticket presented on the Paris 2024 tickets app will allow access to the venues,” the organising committee said.

It enables buyers to transfer tickets to their fellow travellers and will be used to obtain the QR codes that must be shown to security at venues.

The QR codes “are not visible for the moment to prevent counterfeiting,” Michael Aloisio, director general of the Paris organising committee, told reporters.

Also now live in the website to request QR codes to enter security zones in Paris during the Games – you find out HERE whether you will need a code and how to apply for one.

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