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

Arne Slot says the second half of the season will be even tougher than the first as he targets a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title for Liverpool in his first campaign at Anfield.

France's President Emmanuel Macron was in Lebanon on Friday, where he was due to meet his newly-elected counterpart and offer support to leaders seeking to open a new chapter in their country's turbulent history.

A shared library, sports fields and fire stations. The American border town of Derby Line and its Canadian twin Stanstead have been living in harmony for more than two centuries, but their bonds are being tested by US President-elect Donald Trump.

The EU on Friday demanded X provide more details about its algorithms as part of its wide-ranging probe into the platform, as Elon Musk's outbursts on European politics ramp up pressure for the bloc to act.

Coco Gauff said she just wanted to enjoy the ride after an eighth straight-sets win this season propelled her into the Australian Open last 16 on Friday.

Norway's 87-year-old Queen Sonja has left hospital after undergoing surgery to fit a pacemaker to correct an irregular heartbeat, the royal palace announced on Friday.

With 33 dead in four days and 29 in intensive care after drinking bootleg liquor in Istanbul, the politically-charged debate over Turkey's soaring alcohol taxes has swung back into the spotlight.

A French woman who has kept a wild boar as a pet since finding and domesticating the animal can keep it for now, a court has ordered, overruling local authorities who insisted the animal had to be removed or killed.

Coco Gauff has wowed the crowds at the Australian Open this week and gained plenty of attention for her striking yellow outfit, based on Marvel superhero costumes.

India's cricket board has capped the amount of time players can spend with their families on tour after a string of Test defeats including a 3-1 drubbing in Australia this month.

A "hot-headed" Novak Djokovic sent an Australian Open warning to join Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in the last 16 on Friday, but Naomi Osaka's bid for a third Melbourne crown is over with injury.

Jayden Seales grabbed three quick wickets to leave Pakistan struggling at 86-4 on the opening day of the first Test in Multan on Friday, following a delayed start due to poor visibility.

Women's Super League club Arsenal on Friday announced the appointment of Renee Slegers as head coach on a permanent basis following a successful spell as interim boss.

A fired-up Novak Djokovic powered into the last 16 of the Australian Open on Friday in an ominous reminder of why he is a 10-time Melbourne champion, but he needed a medical break and used an inhaler.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index reached an all-time high Friday as global equities rallied and the dollar climbed on renewed optimism for the global economy.

Oscar-nominated UK actress Joan Plowright, a legend of stage and screen and wife of the great actor Laurence Olivier, has died at the age of 95, her family said Friday.

The UK weather service said Friday that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere in 2024 grew at the fastest annual rate on record, exceeding their own projections by some margin.

Russia and Iran are poised to sign a new treaty on Friday to cement military and economic ties between two of the world's most heavily sanctioned nations, in a pact likely to worry the West.

Erling Haaland has signed a blockbuster new deal at Manchester City that will keep the prolific forward at the Etihad until 2034, the Premier League champions announced on Friday.

A suspension for Elon Musk-owned social network X in the European Union could be more difficult than some politicians have suggested and at worst only temporary, experts told AFP.

An Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal expected to take effect on Sunday has sparked hope for life-saving aid to reach Palestinians, but aid agencies warn of obstacles from destroyed infrastructure, massive need and collapsed law and order.

South Korean prosecutors asked a court Friday for a new arrest warrant for detained President Yoon Suk Yeol as he again refused questioning by investigators probing his failed martial law bid.

Yazeed al-Rajhi made history on Friday by becoming the first driver from host nation Saudi Arabia to win the Dakar Rally.

Coco Gauff extended her unblemished start to the season with a straight-sets win over Leylah Fernandez on Friday to roll into the second week of the Australian Open.

Israel's security cabinet met Friday to vote on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend.

In an era of town-torching megablazes spewing smoke plumes visible from space, scientists say there is still a lot they don't know about the effects of extreme fire on people, nature and the climate.

Cinemas worldwide are still struggling with the after-effects of the Covid pandemic, but France's screens bucked a broad downturn in developed markets last year, providing lessons for other countries.

Erling Haaland has signed a new 9.5-year deal at Manchester City that will keep him at the Etihad until 2034, the Premier League champions announced on Friday.

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said "it sucks" after retiring Friday with a stomach muscle injury during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic in Melbourne.

Israel's security cabinet was set to meet Friday to approve a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend.

A Pakistan court on Friday convicted former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a landmark graft case, sentencing Khan to 14 years in prison.

Consumers pinching pennies, businesses seeing fewer customers, and a pervading sense that the economy just isn't bouncing back -- the mood was grim in Beijing as China posted some of its lowest growth in decades.