While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 6, 2024
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Damage to a bar in the Californian town of Ferndale is seen in a video uploaded to social media.
SCREENSHOTS: X/@CAROLINE95536
Strong quake strikes off California, tsunami warning cancelled
A large magnitude 7 earthquake hit off a sparsely populated stretch of northern California coast on Dec 5, prompting coastal towns to evacuate low-lying areas amid a tsunami warning that was later cancelled.
No deaths or injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service said that the tsunami warning that extended along 800km of the California and Oregon coasts was called off about 90 minutes after the earthquake struck at 10.44am Pacific Time (2.44am on Dec 6 in Singapore).
The quake, which hit at a shallow depth of 10km, was centred about 60km west of the town of Ferndale, a sparsely populated portion of the northern California coast, the US Geological Survey said.
Macron vows to serve remainder of term as president
AFP
France’s Emmanuel Macron said he will serve out the remainder of his presidential term as he seeks to quickly stymie the political turmoil in France after Marine Le Pen’s far-right party allied with leftist lawmakers to topple his government.
“The mandate you gave me democratically is for five years and I will exercise it fully to its term,” Mr Macron, whose term ends in 2027, said in a televised speech on the evening of Dec 5.
He said he will appoint in the coming days a new premier, who will be tasked with forming a government of general interest representing all the political forces committed to not censuring it.
Ukraine, Russia ministers clash at Malta OSCE meeting
Ukraine’s foreign minister called Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov a “war criminal” on Dec 5 as they both attended an international meeting in Malta, the latter’s first visit to a European Union country since the 2022 invasion.
Ukraine’s Andriy Sybiha also accused Moscow of being “the biggest threat to our common security” as both ministers sat at the same huge table for a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The ministers from Poland and Latvia and half a dozen other delegates walked out when Mr Lavrov addressed the meeting in Ta’Qali, near Malta, according to a diplomatic source.
Muhammad most popular boy’s name in England, Wales
REUTERS
Muhammad was the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, topping the annual rankings for the first time, the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Dec 5.
The name, which has been in the top 10 for newly-named boys in England and Wales since 2016, leapfrogged Noah as the top choice after being the second most popular in 2022.
There were 4,661 boys named Muhammad in the two nations in 2023, according to the ONS.
Man City to face Juventus in Club World Cup group stage
Getty Images via AFP
Premier League champions Manchester City were drawn on Dec 5 with Juventus, Wydad AC and Al Ain in Group G for next year’s Fifa Club World Cup in the United States.
Lionel Messi and Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami are in Group A and will face Al Ahly in the opening match of the expanded 32-team tournament before games against Porto and Palmeiras.
The tournament, featuring top teams from around the world, will be held in 12 stadiums around the country from June 15-July 13 and serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
