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

TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19.

The EU and four South American countries concluded a huge but controversial trade deal on Friday despite fierce opposition from France, which called the agreement "unacceptable."

Lewis Hamilton said his final Friday practice with Mercedes had been "very surreal" as he fought to keep his emotions in check after 12 years with the team.

Britain's Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have joined a growing VIP guestlist for the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday, with the latter expected to seek talks with US president-elect Donald Trump over Kyiv's faltering war effort.

President Joe Biden is considering preemptive pardons for several prominent names facing possible retribution from the incoming Trump administration, US media has reported.

TikTok faces a US ban after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19.

US stocks mostly rose Friday after a report showed a healthy jobs market and Paris rallied as President Emmanuel Macron vowed to serve out his full term and end France's political crisis.

Pathum Nissanka made 89 to lead a strong Sri Lankan batting effort on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Friday.

London's Metropolitan Police force said on Friday that it had used facial recognition technology to make more than 500 arrests in 2024 for offences ranging from shoplifting to rape.

A bonus round of talks striving to finish a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics was set to close Friday without a breakthrough.

The image is particularly symbolic: A statue of former President Hafez al-Assad, the father of Syria's current ruler Bashar, was toppled in Hama after Islamist-led rebels overran the country's fourth-largest city, video authenticated by AFP showed.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City face an almost impossible job in replacing Kevin De Bruyne thanks to the impact the Belgian has made over the past 10 years.

Arne Slot expects a hostile atmosphere when Everton host Liverpool for the final Merseyside derby in the Premier League at Goodison Park on Saturday, but will only savour his first experience of the fixture with a victory.

The US continues to face a greater risk from underlying inflation than from any weaknesses in the labor market, despite recent progress, a senior Federal Reserve official said Friday.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday sat down with party leaders on the left and right in a bid to hammer out a compromise that would give France a new prime minister and a path out of crisis.

The US economy added more jobs than expected last month, government data showed Friday, bouncing back from a dramatic slowdown triggered by hurricanes and labor strikes.

Ruben Amorim believes he has to keep expectations in check at Manchester United after the optimism surrounding his positive start was punctured by a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.

British driver Lando Norris led Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri in second practice on Friday as McLaren turned up the heat in their bid to secure the constructors' title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A former British soldier on Friday pleaded not guilty to murdering two men during the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, one of the most significant events in Northern Ireland's decades-long conflict.

Lionel Messi was named Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player on Friday after leading Inter Miami to a record-breaking regular season campaign.

Bernard Poitau has made no headway on his yacht in nearly a month -- with good reason. The Frenchman is taking part in a famed round-the-world yacht race on dry land, raising money for charity as he goes nowhere.

US stocks rose Friday after a report showed a healthy jobs market and Paris rallied as President Emmanuel Macron vowed to serve out his full term and end France's political crisis.

"Alien" star Sigourney Weaver dislikes seeing "scary films" and tries to avoid them, she said in a television interview to air on Friday.

Romania's constitutional court announced on Friday that it had annulled the presidential election following allegations of Russian interference, effectively cancelling the second-round run-off that had been due to take place this weekend.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said his side want to be "the best in the world" in every aspect after receiving plaudits for the Gunners' prowess from set-pieces.

The EU and four South American countries have concluded a huge, but controversial trade deal that is opposed by France and many European farmers, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday.

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer and forward Serge Gnabry will miss Saturday's clash with Heidenheim, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said his resolve to bring success to the struggling Premier League club has been strengthened by a tough run of results, despite being confronted by angry supporters.

At least 90 people have been killed in Mozambique amid clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces sparked by October's disputed presidential elections, civil society group Plataforma Decide said Friday.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said star forward Vinicius Junior will be back from injury quicker than expected to face Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday.

A Filipina on death row in Indonesia could be home before Christmas after Manila and Jakarta signed an agreement to repatriate her, officials said Friday.

A filmmaker accused of sexually assaulting French actor Adele Haenel when she was a minor goes on trial in Paris Monday, five years after her allegations fired France's #MeToo movement.