The Champions League quarter-finals will go ahead as scheduled this week despite an alleged terror threat, UEFA says.
A media outlet linked to IS allegedly issued a threat concerning all four of this week’s ties.
Two English football clubs, Arsenal and Manchester City, are playing tonight in the European competition’s quarter-finals.
The Gunners will host the first leg of their last-eight tie at the Emirates Stadium against German giants Bayern Munich.
While Manchester City are in action away to Real Madrid where local reports said the roof was going to be closed for the game at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Tomorrow, there are two further games – one in Paris, between PSG and Barcelona, and a second game in Madrid, between Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Image: Police in Madrid ahead of the match. Pic: Reuters
The Metropolitan Police’s deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is overseeing the policing of London today, said that the force had a “robust policing plan” in place for Arsenal’s game tonight.
In a statement, Arsenal said they were “working closely” with the Met Police to keep everyone safe during tonight’s match.
They added: “Our planning for tonight’s fixture is no different and our approach, working together with the police and UEFA, is proportionate to the current UK threat level.”
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For the clash in the French capital, the country’s interior minister said that security had been “considerably reinforced”.
UEFA, Europe’s club football governing body, said in a statement: “UEFA is aware of alleged terrorist threats made towards this week’s UEFA Champions League matches and is closely liaising with the authorities at the respective venues.
“All matches are planned to go ahead as scheduled with appropriate security arrangements in place.”
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French interior minister Gerald Darmanin has said that security will be “considerably reinforced” in Paris after a “threat” by the Islamic State group.
“We have seen, among others, a communication from the Islamic State which is particularly aimed at stadiums,” Mr Darmanin said.
Image: Manchester City fans in Madrid ahead of their tie tonight. Pic: Reuters
Luis Enrique, the coach of PSG – who play Barcelona on Wednesday evening – said at a team press conference: “I hope it can be controlled and I hope it’s just a threat and that nothing will happen.
“Of course we are concerned.”
PSG player Danilo added: “Security is always important, not just for us as the players, but for everyone, for everyone who loves sport and this game.
“I do think that’s important, but we do have to focus on what we need to do, playing football. There are other people who need to focus on everyone’s safety and security.”
Meanwhile, in Spain, a government minister said they had taken all necessary precautions to avoid any terror attacks.
Over the two Madrid games, there will be more than 2,000 officers from the national police and civil guard deployed, along with municipal police.
The country’s interior minister added that the Spanish government and state security forces had taken “all relevant initiatives” to keep everyone at the two games, and within Madrid, safe.
In a release today, London’s Met Police added: “The UK terrorism threat level remains at ‘substantial’ meaning an attack is likely, and we work closely with colleagues from across Counter Terrorism Policing in planning for events here in London, to take into account any relevant information that could help us to keep those attending safe.
“We’re aware of online and media reports in relation to calls to target matches across Europe and here in London.
“However, I want to reassure the public that we have a robust policing plan in place for tonight’s match and we continue to work closely alongside the club’s security team to ensure that the match passes peacefully.”
Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.
While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.
The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.
Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.
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Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.
The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.
And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.
Image: US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters
Trump holds trade deal talks – reports
It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indianand Israelirepresentatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.
The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.
Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.
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China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.
Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.
Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.
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6:50
Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump
He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’
“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”
Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.
The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.
The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.
The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.
The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.
Image: Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP
Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.
The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.
Image: The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP
After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.
He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.
His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.
The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.
South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.