Football

Soccer-Real Madrid's Alexander-Arnold out for two months with new muscle injury

MADRID, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Real Madrid's England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to be sidelined for the next two months after suffering a thigh muscle injury in his left leg, the club said on Thursday.

World

"Blackout" chosen as 2025 Word of the Year in Portugal

LISBON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- "Blackout" has been elected Portugal's 2025 Word of the Year, a choice its publisher said reflected a national disruption caused by major power failures.

World

AfDB grants nearly 18 mln USD in debt relief to Somalia

MOGADISHU, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) said it has approved additional debt relief for Somalia, paving the way for full cancellation of all African Development Fund loans to the country covering the 2024-2039 period.

World

Iraqi PM inaugurates 1st section of regional transportation project Development Road

BAGHDAD, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani on Thursday inaugurated the first section of the Development Road, a regional transportation project linking southern Iraq's Al-Faw Grand Port to Türkiye's border and further extending into Europe.

World

Russian attacks cut power, heating for tens of thousands in southern Ukraine

KYIV, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people were left without power and heating in southern Ukraine after Russian attacks on the frontline city of Kherson and Ukraine's largest seaport, Odesa, authorities and a top energy provider said on Thursday.

World

Feature: Young teacher crosses continents to inspire Chinese learners in Namibia

WINDHOEK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Li Wen, a young teacher from southwest China's Sichuan Province, never expected her work to take her across continents.

World

Mozambique, China maintain close cooperation in supporting persons with disabilities: official

MAPUTO, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique and China enjoy a long-standing tradition of friendship, with a history of mutual support in assisting persons with disabilities, a Mozambican official has said.

World

Explainer-Did the US military commit a war crime in boat attack off Venezuela?

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Members of Congress have said they will investigate whether the U.S. military broke the law by allegedly killing two survivors of a strike on a suspected drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean. The White House has defended the strike as lawful.

World

Experts share insights on advancing China-Africa modernization at Hong Ting Forum in Kenya

NAIROBI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Ting Forum was held Thursday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, bringing together government officials, scholars, and media practitioners to discuss innovative ways of advancing China-Africa modernization over the next five years.

World

UN honors 3 projects for advancing biodiversity, climate action

NAIROBI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Three new World Restoration Flagships were on Thursday recognized by United Nations agencies for promoting agrifood systems transformation, biodiversity protection, and climate action through indigenous knowledge.

World

23rd ICASA opens in Ghana to boost Africa's fight against AIDS, STIs

ACCRA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) in Africa (ICASA) has opened in Accra, Ghana's capital.

World

South African medics call for release of detained Palestinian health workers

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A protest took place on Thursday near the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa's legislative capital, to request the release of Palestinian health workers alleged to have been illegally detained and tortured by Israel.

World

Return of refugees to Syria pushes growth above World Bank estimate, central bank chief says

NEW YORK, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Syria's economy is growing much faster than the World Bank's 1% estimate for 2025, due to the flow of refugees back to the country after a 14-year civil war ended, aiding plans for the country to relaunch its currency, Syrian central bank governor AbdulKader Husrieh told Reuters NEXT on Thursday.

World

Kenya hosts sports games to boost ties with China

NAIROBI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural China-Kenya Friendship Games took place on Thursday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.

World

WMO forecasts weak La Nina in coming months

GENEVA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- There is a 55 percent chance of a weak La Nina impacting global weather and climate patterns during the next three months, according to the latest updates from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Thursday.

World

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Dayton, Nevada, USGS says

Dec 4 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the Dayton, Nevada region on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said.

World

China's Huaxin commissions 100-mln-USD cement plant in Malawi

BALAKA, Malawi, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A major Chinese-funded cement plant has been launched in Balaka, about 215 km south of Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.

Cricket

Cricket-Root goes from dud to dominator with breakthrough ton in Australia

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Less than two weeks after being dismissed as a "dud" Down Under, Joe Root finally shrugged the monkey off his back with a first test century in Australia on Thursday to breathe life into England's Ashes campaign.

Golf

Golf-Norway's Reitan takes three-shot lead after opening round at Sun City

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Norway's Kristoffer Reitan hit three birdies on the last five holes to open a three-shot lead after the first round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Thursday.

World

US signs pact with Kenya under 'America First' global health plan

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 - The U.S. will provide more than $1.6 billion to Kenya's health system under a new five-year agreement signed on Thursday, the first such agreement reached under the Trump administration's overhaul of foreign aid.