Football

Soccer-Tottenham hit five first-half goals in thrashing of Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur scored five goals in the opening half of a Premier League game for the first time in their history as they thrashed bottom club Southampton 5-0 away on Sunday.

Football

Soccer-Chelsea beat Brentford 2-1 to close in on Liverpool

LONDON (Reuters) -Buoyant Chelsea moved within two points of leaders Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday as goals from Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson earned them a 2-1 victory over neighbours Brentford.

Football

Soccer-Inter Milan boss Inzaghi braces for emotional, tough Lazio encounter

(Reuters) - Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi is set for an emotionally charged encounter as his side take on Lazio on Monday, with the coach claiming his former team are Serie A title contenders.

Football

Soccer-Rashford and Garnacho left at home as Man Utd boss Amorim demands high standards

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - A couple of hours before Manchester United's 2-1 comeback victory over rivals Manchester City, United manager Ruben Amorim was already making headlines for his bold decision to leave forwards Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho at home.

World

Greece to scrap some bank fees for retail customers, parliament approves budget

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will scrap bank fees and charges for some retail transactions as part of measures to help households cope with a cost-of-living crisis, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday.

World

New train service linking Slovak, Ukrainian capitals launched

BRATISLAVA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A new daily train service connecting the capitals of Slovakia and Ukraine officially launched on Sunday, according to spokesperson Dominik Drevicky of Slovak state-owned passenger train company ZSSK.

World

Ukraine services say they destroy Russian train carrying fuel

(Reuters) - Ukraine's SBU security service said on Sunday it had launched an operation to destroy 40 rail cars carrying fuel to Russian troops in an area of the Zaporizhzhia region Moscow holds in southern Ukraine.

World

Niger says 39 civilians killed in militant attacks

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Suspected jihadists killed 39 civilians, including women and children, in two separate attacks in western Niger's conflict-torn borderlands in recent days, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

Football

Soccer-Hoffenheim snatch 1-1 draw at Dortmund with stoppage-time equaliser

DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) -Hoffenheim's Jacob Bruun Larsen scored a stoppage-time goal against former club Borussia Dortmund to snatch a 1-1 draw for the visitors on Sunday and drop their opponents down to eighth place in the Bundesliga.

Football

Soccer-Celtic edge Rangers in shootout to lift League Cup after thriller

GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - Celtic won the Scottish League Cup with a 5-4 shootout triumph over Rangers after a thrilling final ended 3-3 following extra time in a raucous atmosphere at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Football

Soccer-Manchester United's Diallo snatches derby victory at stunned City

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Manchester United poured on the misery for flagging Premier League champions Manchester City as late goals by Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo snatched an unlikely 2-1 away victory from the jaws of defeat on Sunday.

World

US needs to do more make cyber attackers pay, Trump adviser says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration will examine ways to impose higher costs on private actors and U.S. adversaries who wage cyber attacks on America, Trump's pick for national security adviser, Representative Mike Waltz, said on Sunday.

World

China-Cambodia cultural show celebrates people-to-people exchange year

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The "Golden Promise 2024," a China-Cambodia cultural show, was staged here Sunday evening to celebrate the people-to-people exchange year, attracting hundreds of spectators.

Football

Soccer-Simeone urges Atletico to maintain next-game mentality despite winning run

MADRID (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone quickly shut down any talk about his side challenging for the LaLiga title after they extended their winning streak with a 1-0 victory over visitors Getafe on Sunday.

World

W Africa bloc offers junta-led states six months to rethink exit

ABUJA (Reuters) - Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will have a six-month grace period after their scheduled exit from West Africa's main political and economic group next month during which the ECOWAS bloc will try to persuade them to stay, the bloc's leaders agreed on Sunday.

World

Israel allocates 56 mln USD to rebuild north for returning evacuees

JERUSALEM, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government on Sunday approved a budget of 200 million shekels (about 56 million U.S. dollars) to prepare for the return of tens of thousands of residents evacuated from the northern region due to the conflict with Hezbollah, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Finance Ministry.

World

Feature: Egypt's ancient herbs bloom into promising modern industry

FAYOUM, Egypt, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Helmy Mahmoud, a 72-year-old farmer, tenderly nurtures his medicinal herbs in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt's burgeoning hub for botanical agriculture.

World

Brazil's Lula leaves hospital, speaks publicly for first time since surgeries

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Doctors discharged Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from a Sao Paulo hospital on Sunday, after a pair of emergency surgeries last week to treat and prevent bleeding in his head.

World

At least 10 people die in Nigeria boat accident

ABUJA (Reuters) - At least 10 people died when a boat capsized on the Benue River in central Nigeria, Benue State police spokesperson Catherine Anene said on Sunday.

Football

Soccer-Sarr at the double as Palace end Brighton's unbeaten home run

BRIGHTON, England (Reuters) -Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr scored a brace as his side beat arch-rivals Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, handing the Seagulls their first home defeat in the Premier League this season.