Paris, France | AFP |  International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has urged France and other countries to push through reforms “while the sun is shining” on the global economy. In an interview with France’s Le Journal du Dimanche published Sunday Lagarde said the strength of the global economic recovery …

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Hundreds of Indonesian couples celebrated getting married in Jakarta on New Year’s Eve in a free mass wedding. The communal event, attended by 437 couples, was staged by authorities to ease residents’ struggles with bureaucracy. Many Jakartans cannot access public services because they have never …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Paul Pogba has called on Manchester United to “wake up” after a third straight draw over the Christmas period saw them slip behind Chelsea in the Premier League table. Draws against Leicester and Burnley either side of Christmas severely undermined United’s status as challengers …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester City survived late penalty drama at Crystal Palace on Sunday but saw their 18-match Premier League winning run halted as Arsene Wenger overtook Alex Ferguson’s record for games in charge. Pep Guardiola’s men travelled to their match in London with a 13-point lead …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  The latest episode in Disney’s mammothly popular “Star Wars” series has passed the $1 billion mark in worldwide revenues in just three weeks, a Disney spokesperson said Sunday. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is expected to take in an estimated $65.6 million for …

Paris, France | AFP |  An apparent gaffe by Nike has fired speculation that Philippe Coutinho could leave Liverpool for Barcelona in the January transfer window. The sportswear giant, who manufacture Barcelona’s kit, advertised a Barca shirt on their website with the Brazilian midfielder’s name on it. Headlined “Where the …

Washington, United States | AFP | A sheriff’s deputy was killed and six other people, including four deputies, were wounded Sunday in what police called a “domestic disturbance” in a residential suburb near Denver, Colorado. The lone suspect was “shot & believed to be dead” after the standoff at the …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Eight people were killed Sunday and dozens arrested as security forces in DR Congo cracked down on Catholic worshippers who gathered at churches across the country to demand President Joseph Kabila leave power, a UN source said. Despite appeals notably from the United Nations …

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | The president of Equatorial Guinea said a war is being organised against his regime, days after a government official warned of a “destabilisation attempt”. A “war” is being prepared “because they say I have spent a lot of time in power,” President Teodoro Obiang …

  N’Djamena, Chad | AFP |  The President of Chad, Idriss Deby, on Sunday said general elections, scheduled for 2015 but much postponed, would be held in 2018. “I am happy to announce, on the cusp of the New Year, that legislative elections will be organised in 2018,” Deby said …