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

American consumers braced for pain even ahead of President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs on imported products, which came into effect overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.

Japan will sell more rice from its emergency stockpile through July in an attempt to stabilise soaring prices, the agricultural minister said Wednesday.

Barring any eleventh-hour intervention, social media juggernaut Meta will stand trial next week facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors.

The United States will not allow China to "threaten" the operations of the Panama Canal, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned during a visit, earning a rebuke from Beijing on Wednesday over Washington's "bullying nature."

The leaders of Spain and Vietnam pledged on Wednesday to upgrade ties to the highest level, as the two countries attempt to manage the fallout from enormous tariffs imposed by Washington.

Priyansh Arya has been earmarked for great days ahead and a possible place in the India team after the six-hitting specialist's match-winning century for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League.

India's central bank cut interest rates in the world's fifth-largest economy on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in and policymakers warned of "challenging global economic conditions".

Taiwanese exporters are crunching numbers and talking to American clients as they scramble to figure out how to respond to US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz that threatens to derail their businesses.

Rescuers raced to find survivors early Wednesday after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed during a concert by popular singer Rubby Perez, one of nearly 100 people killed in the disaster.

An injury-time goal from substitute Amanda Gutierres gave Brazil a 2-1 friendly victory and their first win over the United States in more than a decade in San Jose on Tuesday.

Japanese badminton star Chiharu Shida has told Chinese fans to "stop stalking" her and said she was "very scared" by the unwanted attention.

Long discussed purely in terms of potential, Eintracht Frankfurt's French forward Hugo Ekitike is finally flourishing and has his club dreaming of another Europa League title.

US President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs on dozens of economies came in force Wednesday, including over 100 percent in levies against Chinese goods, dramatically ramping up a devastating global trade war.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-120 on Tuesday in a hard-fought battle that saw Luka Doncic controversially ejected in the fourth quarter.

Nearly two decades since Nepal became a secular republic, a surge of pro-monarchy protests have swept the Himalayan nation, fuelled by economic despair and disillusionment with current leaders.

Manchester United's lone hope of salvaging anything from a terrible season lies in the Europa League, where success is vital to helping finance a rebuild of Ruben Amorim's underperforming squad.

Kim Jong Un's powerful sister slammed US-led efforts to take away North Korea's nuclear weapons, saying the idea of denuclearising the country was a "daydream".

Even the most sumptuous cushions cannot ease the pain that Italian luxury furniture makers -- gathered at their annual fair -- can already feel from US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The EU's plans to impose tariffs on fertiliser imports from Russia in a bid to increase pressure on Moscow over the Ukraine war have alarmed European farmers worried about possible price hikes.

Equities and oil plunged again Wednesday after Donald Trump ramped up his trade war by hitting China with tariffs of more than 100 percent as sweeping measures against the United States' dozens of partners are set to come into effect.

In an era where computer algorithms automate trading at breakneck speeds, a dwindling number of London's metal traders still conduct business in-person by shouting orders across Europe's last so-called open-outcry trading floor.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday forged ahead with tariffs of over 100 percent against Chinese goods after Beijing refused to withdraw its retaliation as the world's biggest economies go head-to-head in a ruinous trade war that has rocked global markets.

Japan's famed cherry trees are getting old, but a new AI tool that assesses photos of the delicate pink and white flowers could help preserve them for future generations.

A Canadian deep-sea mining pioneer, The Metals Company, is charting a new course to land the controversial extraction practice's first commercial contract -- by appealing to US President Donald Trump.

Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday said he was prepared to grant temporary shelter to Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza between the Israeli military and the territory's rulers Hamas.

Billionaire Elon Musk blasted President Donald Trump's senior trade advisor Peter Navarro as "truly a moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks" on Tuesday in a growing rift over the US tariff policy that has rocked the world.

The former Facebook employee behind a scathing book about parent company Meta will testify Wednesday before US senators keen to establish whether the social networking giant ever collaborated with the Chinese government.

Rescuers raced to find survivors Tuesday among the rubble of a Dominican Republic nightclub where at least 79 people, including a former Major League Baseball star, were killed when the roof collapsed.

Universal will build its first European theme park in Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday, unveiling a mega deal which could create thousands of jobs and attract millions of tourists.

Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal defied the odds with their stunning 3-0 win against Real Madrid as Declan Rice's free-kick magic left the Champions League holders in disarray.

Argentina's Congress on Tuesday backed the creation of a commission of inquiry into a cryptocurrency promoted by President Javier Milei that soared then crashed, losing investors hundreds of millions of dollars.

The United States will not allow China to jeopardize the operations of the Panama Canal, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned during a visit to the Central American nation on Tuesday.