The National Times - News around the clock from Sydney, Australia and around the world

Jos Buttler's first international century in three years powered England to an emphatic 56-run victory over India at Southampton on Saturday as they took over at the top of the T20 world rankings after completing a 4-0 series clean sweep.

Jesse Kriel scored a 78th-minute try to seal a 42-28 victory for South Africa over Scotland in a thrilling Nations Championship match in Pretoria.

The death toll in Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes last month has topped 4,300, a top lawmaker said Saturday.

Russia struck Ukraine with missiles, drones and guided bombs on Saturday, killing eight people and wounding dozens of others, officials said.

Linda Noskova won her first Wimbledon title in astonishing style on Saturday as the tearful Czech recovered from wasting five match points to beat Karolina Muchova in one of the most dramatic finals in All England Club history.

Liam Slock blew his chances of a Tour de France stage victory after 175km in a breakaway when he took off on his own, fellow escapee Thibault Guernalec said on Saturday.

Kranti Gaud took five wickets before Smriti Mandhana once more piled on the runs against England as India continued to dominate the inaugural women's Test at Lord's on Saturday.

Tour de France organisers for the first time in the race's history have decided to shorten a stage due to intense heat, as Belgian sprint king Tim Merlier doubled up in Saturday's flat eighth stage.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will take part in a commemoration on Sunday for South African soldiers killed in World War I, as part of a three-day visit to France.

Typhoon Bavi made landfall late Saturday in eastern China, packing strong winds as it roared ashore after authorities evacuated nearly two million people, state media said.

Belgian Tim Merlier dominated a bunch sprint finish for the second day running to claim victory in the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, as organisers announced a shortened stage the following day due to the "intense heatwave".

Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick of tries as England ended their five-match losing streak with a 73-8 Nations Championship rout of Fiji in Liverpool on Saturday.

Tour de France organisers announced on Saturday that the next day's ninth stage would be shortened by 30km due to the extreme weather conditions in the central Correze region.

Ryu Hae-ran put herself in position to win a second women's major this season as she blazed a spectacular third-round 60 on Saturday for a two-shot lead at the Evian Championship.

Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick of tries as England ended their five-match losing streak with a 73-8 Nations Championship rout of Fiji in Liverpool on Saturday.

Belgian Tim Merlier dominated a bunch sprint finish for the second day running to claim victory in the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Saturday.

Reigning champion Jannik Sinner takes a 13-match Wimbledon winning streak into Sunday's final at the All England Club against French Open winner Alexander Zverev, unbeaten in 13 Grand Slam ties.

After trying for over a decade to win a Grand Slam title and overcoming an array of challenges, Alexander Zverev is one match from making it two in barely a month at Wimbledon.

Russia struck Ukraine with missiles, drones and guided bombs on Saturday, killing six people and wounding dozens of others, officials said.

Kranti Gaud became the first woman to claim a place on the Lord's honours boards for her performance in a Test match with a five-wicket haul that put India in command against England on Saturday.

Seven-time world champion Marc Marquez demonstrated his continued mastery of the Sachsenring with victory in Saturday's German MotoGP Sprint, just hours after booking pole for the main race on Sunday.

The German Football Federation (DFB) announced on Saturday that it was close to an agreement with Jurgen Klopp for him to become the new Germany coach.

Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara won the Wimbledon men's doubles title with a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) victory over Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in Saturday's final.

Nigerian security forces suffered "casualties" during the rescue of over 40 kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers, the army said Saturday, in an operation that put an end to a major security crisis in the country's relatively safe southwest.

South African midfielder Jayden Adams, who represented his country at the ongoing World Cup, died Saturday at the age of 25, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said.

As brightly coloured kites climb above Burin, a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, children race across a sun-baked hillside, watching their creations soar into the sky.

Iran's supreme leader on Saturday vowed revenge for the US-Israeli killing of his father and predecessor, hours after President Donald Trump warned against any attempt to assassinate him.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell admitted Saturday the 36-20 scoreline against Japan flattered his much-changed team and he was relieved to get the win, but credited the grit of his players who stuck to their task.

A new-look Ireland ground out a 36-20 victory over an energetic Japan in the Nations Championship on Saturday to stretch their win streak to six, but coach Andy Farrell admitted the scoreline "flattered" his side.

US rapper Pitbull has set the first Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps.

As flames raced toward the Spanish village of Bedar, Manoli Ramos received a desperate order from the mayor: run to the church and ring the bells to warn residents of the danger closing in.

India struck three early blows before capturing the prize wicket of Amy Jones in the inaugural women's Test at Lord's on Saturday.

The Eiffel Tower and other Paris landmarks announced early closures over the weekend as a quarter of mainland France was under the highest heat alert level on Saturday in the third heatwave to hit the country since May.

A new-look Ireland ground out a 36-20 victory over an energetic Japan in the Nations Championship on Saturday to stretch their win streak to six.

Marc Marquez secured pole position for the Germany MotoGP after the Spaniard set the fastest time on his Ducati in qualifying at the Sachsenring on Saturday, but Marco Bezzecchi will miss the rest of the weekend after breaking his collarbone following a heavy fall.

Nearly two million people have fled their homes in China as an approaching typhoon lashed northern Taiwan and Japan's remote southwestern islands on Saturday, toppling trees and leaving tens of thousands without power.

Marc Marquez secured pole position for the Germany MotoGP after the Spaniard set the fastest time on his Ducati in qualifying at the Sachsenring on Saturday.

Firefighters aided by better weather on Saturday gained the upper hand on one of Spain's deadliest wildfires as survivors described "horrific" and terrifying moments as they escaped the flames.

France came back from a nine-point half-time deficit to beat Australia 42-26 in a pulsating Nations Championship clash in Brisbane on Saturday.