WORLD

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 …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester City star Raheem Sterling sent a letter to a 13-year-old goalkeeper after hearing he had been racially abused advising him to “stand tall and be proud of who you are”. Sterling himself was the subject of alleged racist abuse from Chelsea fans in a Premier League match in …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Bayern Munich said Friday they will appeal the two-match Champions League suspension handed to Thomas Mueller which means the Germany international will miss both legs of their last-16 tie against Liverpool. European football’s governing body UEFA handed Mueller a two-match ban on Friday following his sending-off in the 3-3 draw …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Las Vegas police have asked football star Cristiano Ronaldo to submit a DNA sample as part of their investigation into rape allegations made against him. The five-time world player of the year — who plays for Italian league champions Juventus — has vehemently denied the accusations, and his …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | The Idlib area in northern Syria is now fully ruled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist organisation dominated by members of Al-Qaeda’s former affiliate. Some of the other factions in the region are already allies, the others will either have to leave to other areas or be absorbed into …

Washington, United States | AFP | Federal Bureau of Investigation agents warned Thursday that the ongoing partial shutdown of the government is threatening their ability to investigate crimes and maintain staffing. “Special Agents remain at work for the American people without being paid, and FBI leadership is doing all it …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un came away from his fourth meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping with his hand strengthened in nuclear talks with the US, analysts say, even as Seoul urged him to do more. Beijing is Pyongyang’s sole major ally and …

Mesilla, United States | AFP | Ovidio Lopez Tum sold tortillas in his hometown of Chicaman in Guatemala to support his wife and eight children. But after being wounded in machete and grenade attacks by extortionists, the 53-year-old Lopez said he decided to flee to the United States. To bolster his …

New York, United States | AFP | Toyota on Wednesday announced a recall of 1.7 million vehicles in North America as part of a general effort to replace defective Takata airbags tied to some 20 deaths worldwide. The Japanese auto manufacturer did not say whether it had been notified of injuries …

Washington, United States | AFP | Illegal border crossings into the United States continued at a high pace in December, with more than 50,000 people detained for a third straight month as the number of families illegally entering surged, US Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday. With the US government in …