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

The NFL will stage its first ever regular-season game in Australia in the 2026 season with the Melbourne Cricket Ground hosting the contest, the league announced on Wednesday.

Holding long-term global warming to two degrees Celsius -- the fallback target of the Paris climate accord -- is now "impossible," according to a stark though hotly debated new analysis published by leading scientists.

The Milwaukee Bucks traded All-Star forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma on Wednesday according to multiple reports as tensions grew ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

US President Donald Trump's administration appeared to backtrack Wednesday after his proposal to take over Gaza sparked uproar, with the UN chief warning against "ethnic cleansing" in the Palestinian territory.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Wednesday survived two no-confidence votes in parliament, winning some breathing space after less than two months in office but still facing an uncertain future.

Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza says he feared his NFL career was over before it had even begun but now finds himself on the brink of Super Bowl glory.

Germany's former chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday urged politicians to dial back tensions ahead of elections this month after her centre-right CDU party sparked uproar by accepting the far right's support.

Guatemala's leader promised Wednesday to allow a surge of deportation flights from the United States as he won a show of support from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a boost after simmering tensions in the Central American country.

A US Marine veteran who was acquitted in the chokehold death of a homeless man on the New York subway -- a high-profile case highlighting the divisive issue of race in America -- has been hired by a major Silicon Valley firm allied with Donald Trump.

England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth has pleaded for fans to be patient with boss Steve Borthwick by saying his Red Rose regime needs time to oversee a revival just as much as Manchester United football manager Ruben Amorim does at Old Trafford.

LIV Golf players were given a direct path into the US Open on Wednesday as the US Golf Association announced new exemption categories for this year's June 12-15 event.

France fly-half Romain Ntamack was on Wednesday ruled out of this weekend's Six Nations showdown with bitter rivals England after being hit with a three-week ban, officials said.

The National Women's Soccer League and three attorneys general said Wednesday they have agreed on a $5 million settlement over player harassment and sexual misconduct complaints after an investigation found systemic problems.

Disney reported higher quarterly profits Wednesday, posting increased revenues in its streaming business as it eyes a rollout of a key ESPN product later this year.

Ten "high-threat illegal aliens" have arrived at Guantanamo and are being held at the notorious American base in Cuba, the Pentagon said Wednesday, without providing details on their alleged offenses.

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee was on Wednesday named, then withdrawn from a below-strength South Africa squad for the first match of a tri-series tournament in Pakistan before being ruled out of the Champions Trophy in the same country.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Wednesday survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, winning some breathing space after less than two months in office but still facing an uncertain future.

The M23 armed group and Rwandan forces launched a new offensive on Wednesday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, days before the Rwandan and Congolese presidents are due to attend a crisis summit.

US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Wednesday barring transgender athletes from women's sports, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office.

Sweden on Wednesday mourned the victims of its worst mass killing as police indicated that the gunman likely shot himself after killing 10 people at an adult education centre.

Argentina said Wednesday it will pull out of the World Health Organization, following in the footsteps of the United States and citing similar complaints over the UN body's management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shares in Google parent Alphabet slumped on Wednesday as its earnings disappointed investors and it was ensnared in rising trade tensions.

Ange Postecoglou said Mathys Tel is "100 percent" committed to Tottenham after the French forward signed on loan despite reportedly rejecting a move to the club earlier in the January transfer window.

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr Wednesday told a court she was treated differently by police "because of the colour of my skin" after "fearing for my life" following an incident with a taxi driver.

When the World Health Organization's top donor the United States announced its withdrawal, one employee launched an online fundraiser to plug the gap -- and her efforts have already raised more than $100,000.

Tesla sales plunged in Germany last month, official data showed Wednesday, after billionaire owner Elon Musk waded into the country's election campaign by vocally backing the far right.

The US trade gap swelled last year to its second-largest on record, government data showed Wednesday, as deficits come under the spotlight with President Donald Trump's return to the White House.

The M23 and Rwandan forces on Wednesday launched a new offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing a mining town in South Kivu province, as they resumed their advance towards the regional capital Bukavu.

Many global leaders expressed opposition Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he wanted to take control of the Gaza strip and "permanently" resettle Palestinians in other countries.

President Donald Trump's decision to freeze foreign assistance has sent aid staff in Africa into "panic mode", with even HIV experimental treatment programmes stopped dead in their tracks.

Jenni Hermoso's brother on Wednesday told the forced kiss trial of Spain's ex-football federation chief Luis Rubiales his sister was threatened with "consequences" if she did not downplay the affair.

MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin has been ruled out of the remaining pre-season testing in Malaysia and will undergo surgery in Europe after crashing badly on the opening day at the Sepang track.