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

The FBI uncovered more than 150 homemade bombs on a farm in Virginia in what is thought to be the largest such seizure in the agency's history, according to court documents filed this week.

Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka used a rain break to her advantage to power to a straight-sets win in the second round of the Auckland Classic on Wednesday.

A towering wooden "Grand Ring" built for Expo 2025 in Osaka pays homage to Japan's architectural history and is a symbol of unity despite criticism over costs, its creator says.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri called Wednesday for a two-tier structure in Test cricket with relegation and promotion to ensure the survival of the red-ball game.

Umayyad Square in Damascus hummed to the throngs of people brandishing "revolution" flags as Syria saw in the new year with hope following 13 years of civil war.

Ukraine's decision to turn off the taps keeping Russian gas flowing via its territory to Europe has already sown trouble in the continent's east, with Moldova declaring a state of emergency and Slovakia threatening Kyiv with retaliation.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday vowed that his country would use 2025 to fight for an end to Russia's nearly three-year-long invasion by any means necessary.

A major power outage plunged much of Puerto Rico into darkness on New Year's Eve, with the US island territory's electric utility saying restoration could take up to two days.

Thousands of students marched in Belgrade and two other Serbian cities during a New Year's Eve protest that went into Wednesday, demanding accountability over the fatal collapse of a train station roof in November.

Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the Schengen zone on Wednesday, expanding the borderless area to 29 members and ending a 13-year wait for the two eastern European countries.

An American man who absconded after being sentenced to prison for his role in the US Capitol riot is now seeking political asylum in Canada, as he hopes for a pardon when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Elon Musk adopted the moniker "Kekius Maximus" on X Tuesday, sparking speculation among his 210 million followers about his mysterious new handle that is a mash-up of an alt-right symbol, a memecoin, and the lead character of the movie "Gladiator."

Wall Street stocks slid Tuesday to close the year on a gloomy note but Europe's main stock markets advanced, as all eyes turn to 2025 and the impact that the policies of US President-elect Donald Trump will have on the global economy.

Dani Olmo's future at Barcelona was plunged into uncertainty on Tuesday as La Liga poured cold water on the financially troubled Catalan giants' frantic attempts to register the Spain star.

Venezuelan opposition leaders called on their supporters Tuesday to prepare for mass protests against the start of President Nicolas Maduro's third term in office on January 10.

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met with senior Christian clerics on Tuesday, amid calls on the Islamist chief to guarantee minority rights after seizing power earlier this month.

The remains of Suriname's former dictator Desi Bouterse, who led two coups and became a fugitive from justice for the killing of political opponents, will be cremated on Saturday, his party announced.

Victims of a £10 million ($12.5 million) London jewellery raid have offered rewards of up to £1.5 million to help recover the gems and catch the thief.

Zimbabwe officially abolished the death penalty Tuesday after President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law an act that will commute to jail time the sentences of about 60 prisoners on death row.

Barcelona raced against the clock to keep Dani Olmo on Tuesday after a Spanish court thwarted a second attempt by the financially troubled Catalan giants to extend the star's registration.

Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to hammer away at Liverpool's daunting lead in the Premier League title race.

Panama on Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the United States' handover of its interoceanic canal, a milestone overshadowed by President-elect Donald Trump's threat to demand control be returned to Washington.

Israel's raid on a major Gaza hospital and the arrest of its director over alleged links to Hamas have drawn global attention to the war-ravaged territory's crumbling healthcare system.

Russia advanced by almost 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 miles) in Ukraine in 2024, seven times more than in 2023, an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War showed Tuesday.

Wall Street stocks moved higher on Tuesday, looking to ring out the year with gains as did Europe's main stock markets, as all eyes turn to 2025 and the impact that the policies of US President-elect Donald Trump will have on the global economy.

Lifelong farmer Joe Del Bosque knows that America can't live without immigrants, but he worries that many of his countrymen think it can't live with them either.

The BBC on Wednesday celebrates 100 years of a weather forecast for sailors in British waters that has inspired musicians and poets and become an immovable fixture on UK radio.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen is set to be sidelined for several weeks after suffering a fractured foot during last weekend's defeat by Liverpool.

Despite political upheavals, stock markets and bitcoin smashed records in 2024, fuelled by investor enthusiasm for AI, falling interest rates, and hopes of tax cuts.

Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of Kurdish militant group the PKK is hailed by many Kurds as an icon, but within wider Turkish society many see him as a terrorist who deserves to die.

Europe's main stock markets ended the year Tuesday with solid gains, as all eyes turn to 2025 and the impact that the policies of US president-elect Donald Trump will have on the global economy.

Israel's devastating campaigns against Iran's regional allies have severely weakened its arch-enemy's ability to project its power, but Yemen's Tehran-backed Huthi rebels remain a stubborn thorn in its side, analysts say.