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

Anti-doping chiefs at the Winter Olympics said on Thursday they they would investigate bizarre claims that Olympic ski jumpers are injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to get a competitive advantage.

England are sweating on the fitness of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso ahead of their Six Nations opener at home to Wales after the wing failed to finish training on Thursday.

The EU executive on Thursday expressed support for Spain after Telegram founder Pavel Durov slammed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his plan to ban social media for children.

Novo Nordisk said Thursday it would take legal action against a US chain offering a copycat of the new pill version of its Wegovy weight-loss drug.

Marco Odermatt has established himself as the leader of a strong Swiss men's ski team that will bid to bag a handful of medals at the Winter Olympics.

Canadian snowboard star Mark McMorris is still targeting the slopestyle event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics despite a nasty crash that ruled him out of the big air competition.

A deadly storm that triggered floods and thousands of evacuations in the Iberian Peninsula threw Portugal's presidential run-off into confusion on Thursday as the far-right candidate requested the vote be postponed.

Ukrainian flag bearer Vladyslav Heraskevych said Thursday he was "proud" to represent his country at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and show that war-battered Ukraine is still standing.

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday cancelled a mandate for all vehicles sold in Canada to be electric by 2035, while announcing a multi-billion-dollar plan to support EV production.

Authorities have evacuated more than 140,000 people from their homes since heavy rainfall flooded several provinces in northern Morocco last week, the interior ministry said Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank said Thursday that Cristian Romero's outspoken social media comments about the club's transfer policy had been "dealt with internally" as he refused to confirm if the Spurs skipper had been disciplined.

Giannis Antetokounmpo remained with the Milwaukee Bucks as the NBA trade deadline neared on Thursday with two suitors making other deals in the hours before the clock runs out.

Michael Carrick said his Manchester United players must "understand the history" of the Munich air disaster as the club prepare to mark the 68th anniversary of the tragedy.

Football clubs worldwide set a new winter transfer window record in terms of the number of transactions completed, according to a statement released by FIFA on Thursday, but the overall amount spent was down compared to last year's high.

First, the jihadists sent a letter saying they were coming to the village to preach, said Nigerian chief Umar Bio Salihu.

Iran and the United States were preparing for talks on Friday in Oman, with Washington looking to see if there is any prospect of diplomatic progress on the Iranian nuclear programme and other issues while refusing to rule out military action.

Preparations for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics ratcheted up Thursday on the eve of the opening ceremony while the start of the ice hockey was hit by an outbreak of norovirus.

British-Australian miner Rio Tinto said Thursday that it was dropping talks to merge with smaller Swiss resources giant Glencore, a deal that would have created the world's largest mining firm.

The World Economic Forum, which organises the Davos summit, said Thursday that it would conduct an independent review into its chief executive's interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The European Central Bank warned Thursday a stronger euro could push inflation down too far after recent gains in the single currency, but sought to downplay any immediate threat to the eurozone economy.

Famine is spreading in Sudan's western Darfur region, UN-backed experts warned on Thursday, as a grinding war between the army and paramilitary forces has left millions hungry, displaced and cut off from aid.

Power was restored Thursday to eastern Cuba after an electricity grid failure plunged three provinces and part of a fourth into darkness the previous evening, authorities said.

Russia and the United States have agreed to resume high-level military contacts at two-day Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, in a major step of rapprochement between the world's top nuclear powers.

Greece's culture ministry on Thursday unveiled a new portal to handle bookings to visit more than 100 archaeological sites and museums including the world-renowned Acropolis.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said he will have to continue to assess Cole Palmer's fitness "game-by-game" after an injury disrupted season for the England international.

Stocks fell across the board Thursday, pulled down again by growing worries that hefty AI investments by tech heavyweights may not pay dividends as soon as hoped.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee gave strong backing to the Los Angeles 2028 Games leadership on Thursday, following calls for LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman to resign after his name appeared in the Epstein files.

Germany forward Serge Gnabry has extended his contract at Bayern Munich by two years until 2028, the club announced Thursday.

England Test captain Ben Stokes has suffered a severe facial injury after being struck by a cricket ball.

Captain Michele Lamaro and backs Juan Ignacio Brex and Paolo Garbisi will earn their 50th caps for Italy against Scotland in the Azzurri's Six Nations opener after being named in coach Gonzalo Quesada's starting XV on Thursday.

Just a month before the Formula One season gets rolling again in Australia, McLaren's Oscar Piastri said he got a "fair shot" at the 2025 title and there were no hard feelings about his titanic tussle with teammate Lando Norris.

The European Central Bank held interest rates steady for its fifth straight meeting Thursday, saying the eurozone economy remained "resilient" despite mounting worries about the impact of a stronger euro.

Spanish rescuers on Thursday desperately searched for a woman missing after a new storm hit the Iberian peninsula while Portugal warned of a heightened flood risk after several months' worth of rain fell in a few hours.

The European Union is close to concluding a long-sought trade agreement with Australia, as US President Donald Trump's tariffs accelerate Europe's push to seal deals with other global partners.

The German Cup final is to remain at Berlin's Olympic Stadium until at least 2030 after an extension was agreed with state authorities, the German FA (DFB) announced on Thursday.

Iran and the United States are holding talks on Friday in Oman, with Tehran pushing to focus squarely on its nuclear programme, while Washington's demands go beyond that.

The Stelvio course in Bormio that will stage the men's alpine skiing events at the 2026 Winter Olympics has a reputation for being tough, unrelenting and dangerous.

Denmark's Vestas, Europe’s leading wind turbine manufacturer, on Thursday posted an all-time high revenue, but noted that regulatory changes in the United states had made wind power investments less attractive.

Italy's Mattia Casse topped the second men's training for the Olympic downhill in Bormio on Thursday.