Il Messaggiere - News from Rome, Modena, Reggio, Italy and the world

Thousands of opponents of Covid rules were encamped on the outskirts of Paris early Saturday after driving in convoys from across France, intent on entering the city in defiance of a ban by authorities who are determined to prevent any blockade of the capital.

Luckless Australian batting prodigy Will Pucovski suffered another concussion Saturday in his comeback match after an extended break out of the game.

Joel Embiid poured in 25 points and 19 rebounds to power the Philadelphia 76ers to a 100-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

The United States plans to re-establish an embassy in the Solomon Islands, a senior State Department official said Saturday, as Washington seeks to beef up its presence in a region where China is rapidly expanding its influence.

The Beijing Olympics are the most gender-balanced Winter Games ever, with competitors saying the expansion of mixed team events "means a lot" and helps drive up standards in women's sport.

The coaching team surrounding Kamila Valieva has come under fierce scrutiny after the 15-year-old Russian figure skater was engulfed by a doping controversy at the Beijing Olympics -- and none more so than Eteri Tutberidze.

Sahith Theegala fired a seven-under par 64 on Friday to lead the Phoenix Open, with former world number one Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele on his heels.

Carrie Johnson, the wife of Britain's prime minister, is an experienced political operative in her own right who has been thrust from the shadows as allegations of sleaze and scandal envelop Downing Street.

A Los Angeles Rams team bristling with star-power will seek to deny the giant-killing Cincinnati Bengals a Hollywood ending in the Super Bowl on Sunday as an NFL season full of plot twists reaches its climax.

Mexico is on course for one of its deadliest years yet for the press, with five journalists murdered already in 2022, prompting calls for authorities to end a culture of impunity.

Tesla can hardly make enough electric vehicles to meet booming demand, but behind the world's most valuable auto brand is its troubled California factory that makes most of those cars.

Truckers snarling a key bridge between Canada and the United States in protest at Covid rules defied a judge's order to leave Friday night, with the crowd getting even bigger two weeks into the snowballing protest movement.

With support from ex-police and military intelligence officers, American funding, and stockpiles of food and fuel, "Freedom Convoy" protesters are hunkered down for a long stay in the Canadian capital.

The Brooklyn Nets will welcome new acquisition Ben Simmons "with our arms wide open," general manager Sean Marks said Friday, but it's not clear when the former Philadelphia star will debut with his new NBA team.

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee was ruled out of the Super Bowl on Friday after failing to recover from a knee injury.

Ian McDonald, the English architect of progressive rock who co-founded the band King Crimson as well as Foreigner, has died. He was 75 years old.

Truckers snarling a key bridge between Canada and the United States in protest at Covid rules were ordered by a judge to leave Friday night, setting up a potential showdown two weeks into the snowballing protest movement.

The United States dramatically raised the alarm Friday over Ukraine, warning that a Russian invasion starting with civilians caught under aerial bombing could begin in days and telling US citizens to leave within 48 hours.

Wall Street stocks tumbled and oil prices surged Friday as White House warnings of a possibly imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine reverberated through financial markets.

Former Major League Baseball standout Jeremy Giambi died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said Friday.

Kylian Mbappe scored an injury-time winner as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League showdown with Real Madrid by beating Rennes 1-0 in Ligue 1 on Friday.

The efficacy of third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines wanes substantially by the fourth month after administration, a new study by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday.

Sahith Theegala came out on the right side of a rollercoaster morning at the Phoenix Open on Friday, firing eight birdies in a seven-under 64 for the early second-round lead.

A coronavirus-impacted New York Fashion Week gets under way Friday with Fall/Winter 2022 shows by Proenza Schouler and Christian Cowan.

Eight civilians were killed by armed groups in recent days in Venezuela's restive southwest region that borders Colombia, the country's defense minister said Friday.

The United States dramatically raised the alarm Friday over Ukraine, warning that a Russian invasion starting with civilians caught under aerial bombing could start in days and telling US citizens to leave within 48 hours.

Canadian leader Justin Trudeau said Friday all options were now "on the table" for ending trucker-led protests that have paralyzed Ottawa and closed border crossings with the United States, but stressed calling in the military was a distant final resort.

The Central African Republic's army, accompanied by a Russian paramilitary group, sparked panic earlier this week in the center of the country which prompted some of the population to flee, a UN source in New York told AFP on Friday.

The United States dramatically raised the alarm Friday over Ukraine, warning that a Russian invasion starting with civilians caught under aerial bombing could start in days and telling US citizens to leave within 48 hours.

McLaren unveiled their car for the 2022 season on Friday with team principal Andreas Seidl hoping the MCL36 can "further close the gap to the front of the pack".

A necropsy on 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit showed no definitive cause of death, the California Horse Racing Board said on Friday.

Call girls in jeopardy, a serial killer on the loose, fountains of blood -- horror master Dario Argento has returned to filmmaking after a 10-year hiatus, saying Friday it's been his mission to bring "meaning" to schlock.