World

U.S. dollar ticks up

NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Thursday.

Football

From hosts to contenders: Qatar aim to prove credentials at 2026 World Cup

Dec 4 (Reuters) - - Qatar will enter Friday's FIFA World Cup draw in Washington with renewed purpose, determined to show that their debut in 2022 was the beginning of a lasting football journey rather than a one-off showcase.

Football

Soccer-FIFA eyes referee body cams and faster offside calls for 2026 World Cup

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - FIFA is weighing up the introduction of new refereeing technologies and stricter timekeeping rules at the 2026 World Cup as it looks to build on trials conducted at this year's Club World Cup in the United States, senior officials said on the eve of the World Cup draw.

Football

Saudi Arabia dream big for 2026 World Cup

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Saeed Al-Owairan's breathtaking solo goal against Belgium at the 1994 World Cup – a 70-metre run past five defenders that sealed Saudi Arabia's place in the last 16 – remains the Kingdom's proudest football memory.

World

Spain withdraws from 2026 Eurovision Song Contest amid Gaza-related dispute

MADRID, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Spain's state broadcaster RTVE announced on Thursday that the country will not participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to take place in Vienna, the capital of Austria, on May 16, 2026.

World

International seminar on classical literary works in Chinese and Western civilizations held in Athens

ATHENS, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The international seminar on "The Formation of Classical Literary and Artistic Works in Chinese and Western Civilizations" was held in Athens on Thursday, bringing together more than 60 Chinese and foreign experts to discuss the comparative study, dissemination, and development of literary classics from both civilizations.

World

Drones were spotted near Zelenskiy flight path to Dublin, Irish media report

DUBLIN, Dec 4 (Reuters) - An Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, local media reported on Thursday.

Sabah & Sarawak

Sabah BN chairman Bung passes away

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman and Kinabatangan member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has passed away.

World

Belgian PM hopes to have 'fruitful discussion' on Russian frozen assets with Germany's Merz

BRUSSELS, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Thursday he hopes to have a "fruitful discussion" with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday about an EU plan to use Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

World

Czech populist Babis to become prime minister next week

PRAGUE, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Czech election winner and populist ANO party chief Andrej Babis will be appointed prime minister on December 9, the country's president said on Thursday, after Babis said he would shift his Agrofert business group to an independently governed trust structure.

Other Sports

Olympics-Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizers top $2 billion in commercial revenue

LOS ANGELES, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee said it had surpassed $2 billion in domestic sponsorship revenue, putting it on track to be among the most commercially successful Games in the history of the Olympic movement.

World

Russia's used car imports up 83 pct in November

MOSCOW, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Russia imported 59,800 used cars in November, up 83 percent year on year, Sergey Tselikov, director of Russian automotive analytical agency Autostat, said Thursday.

Football

Soccer-Arsenal face a testing trip to Villa as Arteta's injury woes deepen

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Arsenal's mounting injury problems pose a challenge for manager Mikel Arteta ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to third-placed Aston Villa, who are flying high on a six-match winning streak across all competitions.

World

USGS says report of Nevada earthquake was a false detection by automatic system

Dec 4 (Reuters) - The United States Geological Survey said on Thursday that its automatic earthquake detection system had erroneously sent out a report earlier in the day that a 5.9 magnitude earthquake had struck near Dayton, Nevada.

World

1st LD Writethru: USGS retracts false quake alert issued for U.S. Nevada

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Thursday withdrew a previously issued quake alert near Dayton in the U.S. state of Nevada, saying the notification had been sent in error.

World

NATO must be ready to respond to hybrid threats, top commander says

MONS, Belgium, Dec 4 (Reuters) - NATO must be ready to respond to increasing hybrid threats in order to defend its member states' territory, the alliance's top military commander said on Thursday.

Rugby

Rugby-Springbok lock Etzebeth gets 12-match ban for eye gouge

Dec 4 (Reuters) - South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has received a 12-match suspension for his eye gouge on Wales flanker Alex Mann, ruling him out until April, but maintained his actions were not intentional.

Motorsport

Motor racing-No regrets about Red Bull move, says Tsunoda

ABU DHABI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Japan's Yuki Tsunoda said he was "disappointed" but "okay" about losing his Red Bull seat alongside four-times Formula One champion Max Verstappen next season.

World

Rising drug resistance hinders anti-malaria progress, WHO warns

GENEVA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A million lives were saved last year using new tools to fight malaria, but this progress is under threat from rising drug resistance, according to a report released Thursday by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Other Sports

Pickleball-Owl AI to bring electronic line-calling to pro pickleball, eyes wider sporting impact

LOS ANGELES, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Major League Pickleball is set to introduce electronic line-calling for its matches next season, following a deal with technology firm Owl AI, the company's founder Jeremy Bloom told Reuters.