Derek News

Paris (AFP) – La Rochelle host Clermont in the French Top 14 on Saturday with an Australian feel to both clubs’ hefty second rows.

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Workers at Starbucks will walk off the job Friday in three US cities in a strike their union threatened could spread around the country in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Melbourne (AFP) – Opener Nathan McSweeney was dropped from Australia’s squad for the fourth Test against India on Friday, with teenager Sam Konstas getting his first call-up.

Karachi (AFP) – In Pakistan’s largest city, cars inch forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But some seamlessly carve through the jam: SUVs flanked by Toyota Hilux pickup trucks.

Port Vila (Vanuatu) (AFP) – Rescuers say they have expanded a search for trapped survivors in quake-rocked Vanuatu to “numerous places of collapse” beyond the capital, as the reported death toll climbs to 10.

Sydney (AFP) – Tactical timeouts will be allowed in mixed-doubles matches at the ATP-WTA season-opening United Cup, organisers said Friday, calling it a world first for tennis.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Equities fluctuated Friday and the dollar maintained its gains against its peers as investors assessed the fallout from the Federal Reserve’s outlook for interest rate cuts and possible impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on the economy.

Seoul (AFP) – Investigators probing suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his foiled martial law bid on Friday ordered him to appear before the country’s corruption watchdog on Christmas Day — after he snubbed a previous summons this week.

Cairo (AFP) – Egypt adopted its first-ever asylum law this week, but it has sparked concerns among human rights groups who warn it takes a “security-focused approach” that could undermine refugee protections.

New Delhi (AFP) – From an anonymous office in a New Delhi mall, matrimonial detective Bhavna Paliwal runs the rule over prospective husbands and wives — a booming industry in India, where younger generations are increasingly choosing love matches over arranged marriage.