Besançon, France | AFP | Tourists visiting a church in the picturesque French town of Chateau-Chalon were surprised to discover that local pranksters had replaced the fonts’ holy water with alcohol, the local tourism office said Friday. A dozen tourists sniffed out the telltale signs of eau-de-vie, a clear fruit brandy, …

Caracas, Venezuela | AFP | Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Friday his government will sell oil and other commodities in currencies other than the dollar, in a bid to weather US-imposed sanctions on the embattled country. “I have decided to start selling oil, gas, gold and all other products that Venezuela …

New York, United States | AFP | Moments after qualifying for his first Grand Slam final, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson raced to hug his friends and family in the players’ box, standing on a large flower plot to reach them. His joy and enthusiasm were evident after his impressive 4-6, 7-5, …

Paris, France | AFP | Kylian Mbappe scored on his debut as Paris Saint-Germain eased to a 5-1 away thumping of 10-man Metz in Ligue 1 on Friday. Neymar’s pin-point through ball created the opening goal for Edinson Cavani in the 31st minute, only for Emmanuel Riviere to head in an equaliser …

New York, United States | AFP | Juan Martin del Potro admitted he was “angry” over his US Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal before backing the Spaniard to claim a third New York title and 16th Grand Slam triumph. Del Potro dominated the first set as he sought to defeat …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Hertha Berlin are offering women half-price tickets for Sunday’s German league match against Werder Bremen with Bibiana Steinhaus set to make history as the first female referee in a top European league. The German Football Association (DFB) have confirmed the 38-year-old will take charge of …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Philippe Coutinho has been left out of Liverpool’s squad to face Manchester City this weekend over his fitness but manager Jurgen Klopp said the Brazilian did nothing “unforgivable” during Barcelona’s pursuit of him. The playmaker, who returned from international duty this week, was linked …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday urged football governing bodies UEFA and FIFA to tighten rules governing transfers and stamp out spiralling record spending on players. “I view the financial developments in professional football as critically as many people,” she told Mittelbayerische Zeitung daily. “Such sums are …

Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Civilians in a central province of the strife-torn Central African Republic are enduring “a horrifying surge in torture, pillage and forced displacement”, Amnesty International reported Friday. “Women have been raped, men murdered, villages destroyed, and the region’s UN peacekeeping force has proved ineffective in stemming these …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Malian and Burkinabe soldiers have killed, tortured and disappeared civilians while trying to root out jihadists in central Mali, Human Rights Watch said Friday. “Mali and Burkina Faso military operations to counter the growing presence of Islamist armed groups in central Mali have resulted in …