Alcohol ban

A group working against domestic violence in Tahiti has raised its concerns in a letter to the president Edouard Fritch and the French High Commissioner Dominique Sorain, saying the ban has unintended consequences.

After widespread partying in defiance of restrictions, the sale of alcohol was stopped in late March for two weeks but the ban has been extended until the end of the curfew on 29 April.

The ban was also justified as a measure to reduce violence within the family.

The Qatari government will uphold the ban on alcohol in all public places during the tournament, with a booze ban in stadiums also likely.

People can get a drink at a licensed hotel, restaurant or bar while local residents need a permit to buy takeaway alcohol.

Qatari officials have previously said the half a million fans expected to attend the tournament would be allowed to consume alcohol in designated zones, but that now appears unlikely.