SPORTS

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester City maintained their blistering start to the season as the Premier League leaders demolished Stoke City 7-2, while champions Chelsea crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat at lowly Crystal Palace on Saturday. With second-placed Manchester United settling for a drab stalemate at Anfield earlier …

Paris, France | AFP | Rafael Nadal is seeking 100,000 euros ($118,000) in damages from former French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot after she accused the Spanish tennis legend of a dope test cover-up. Nadal is suing Bachelot, who served as sports minister between 2007 and 2010, over remarks in March …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | The biggest game of the La Liga season so far is shrouded in political tension as Barcelona visit Atletico Madrid on Saturday in their first trip to the Spanish capital since a Catalan independence referendum marred by violence. Barca played their last match behind closed doors …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Bayern Munich will play their first game under returning coach Jupp Heynckes when they host Freiburg this Saturday. The 72-year-old, who won the treble with the club in 2013, is tasked with reviving Bayern’s stuttering season after his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed two weeks …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Jose Mourinho takes high-flying Manchester United to Liverpool for a searching test of their title credentials this weekend as the Premier League returns with a bang after the international break. United are level with Manchester City at the top of the table on 19 points, …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger conceded on Thursday he may have no option but to sell star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in the January transfer window. The pair are both out of contract at the end of the season and are yet to agree …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Switzerland has opened a criminal probe targeting Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, and FIFA’s former secretary general Jerome Valcke, over alleged corruption in the sale of World Cup media rights. “The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has opened a criminal proceeding against …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Glistening with sweat, Satoko Yamanouchi’s biceps ripple and the veins in her neck throb as if about to pop as she strikes a fearsome pose at the Japan bodybuilding championships. An hour later, the pint-sized Nagoya housewife is close to tears after narrowly failing to retain …

Gelsenkirchen, Germany | AFP | Schalke 04 are a sleeping giant in the German league, yet their youth academy is one of Germany’s most successful, producing World Cup winners, Bundesliga stars and Premier League exports. Germany has just qualified for Russia 2018, where they will defend the World Cup title …

Panama City, Panama | AFP | Panama president Juan Carlos Varela declared a national holiday in celebration at the central American country’s first ever qualification for the World Cup. “It’s a historic day for the country. Tomorrow (Thursday) will be a national holiday for public and private sector workers,” Varela said …