Los Angeles, United States | AFP | SpaceX on Friday blasted off a payload of global communications satellites for Iridium, marking the first launch of 2019 for the California-based company headed by Elon Musk. “Three, two, one, ignition, liftoff of Falcon 9,” Iridium CEO Matt Desch said on a live …

Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Pep Guardiola insisted on Friday he will be happy if Manchester City have no time for a mid-season break, because it will mean they are still competing for every trophy. City’s rivals Manchester United took the opportunity this week for a warm-weather training trip …

Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Marcus Rashford has the potential to be as good a centre-forward as England teammate Harry Kane as the pair prepare to face off in the Premier League this weekend. Rashford is expected to line up as the …

Wadi al-Kharrar, Jordan | AFP | Hundreds of Catholic worshippers attended a special mass Friday on the banks of the Jordan River in an annual pilgrimage to the site where many believe Jesus was baptised. Before the ceremony started on the Jordanian side of the river, dozens of priests filled …

Shanghai, China | AFP | At least 145 children were administered expired polio vaccines in eastern China, state media reported, despite the government promising to prevent such lapses in the industry following a major scandal last year. Thirteen county-level health officials in Jiangsu province have been dismissed since the case …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Mauricio Pochettino says his focus is solely on defeating Manchester United on Sunday to further Tottenham’s Premier League title chances rather than his own prospects of taking over at Old Trafford next season. The Argentine is the bookies’ favourite to take over as United’s …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The outcome of DR Congo’s tempestuous presidential election appeared to be headed for the courts Friday after the poll’s runner-up said he would demand a recount. Martin Fayulu, an opposition candidate tipped by pollsters as the likely winner of the December 30 vote, told …

Paris, France | AFP | French officials said Friday they expect this weekend’s “yellow vest” demonstrations to be bigger and more violent than a week ago, as the protest movement which had shown signs of fatigue gains fresh impetus. National police chief Eric Morvan told France Inter radio he expected …

Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP | Cesc Fabregas completed his move from Chelsea to Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco on Friday to reunite with his old Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry. Fabregas put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Stade Louis II after passing a medical earlier in …

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP | Twelve civilians were killed on Thursday during a jihadist attack in the north of Burkina Faso, which has been battling a wave of Islamist violence, officials said Friday. The west African country declared a state of emergency in several provinces at the end of …