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

Sweden's right-wing government withdrew Thursday a heavily-contested proposal to lower the age at which children can be sentenced to prison from 15 to 13, citing a lack of support in parliament.

Two Chinese Uyghur men were sentenced to death Thursday for carrying out a 2015 attack on a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people, a long-awaited verdict in Thailand's deadliest bombing case.

Britain's competition watchdog said Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Irish carrier Ryanair over fees that parents must pay to sit with their children.

In early May 2026, the French start‑up IPOP Automobiles unveiled a prototype of its mini electric car at the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse. Nicknamed IPOP, the vehicle breaks with conventions: instead of a central motor, each wheel houses its own electric motor. The company promises that nearly all components are manufactured in France, with battery cells from China being the only exception.Visually, the IPOP resembles a hybrid of a beach buggy and a golf cart. It can be configured as a two‑ or four‑seat vehicle, with open or enclosed bodywork, and with either two‑ or four‑wheel drive. Inventor Christophe Winkelmuller believes that wheel‑hub motors are the next big leap in vehicle electrification, comparable to the battery revolution of the past decade. By eliminating bulky drivetrains, the wheel motors are intended to save space and increase efficiency.

The contents of a secretive security pact between China and the Solomon Islands will remain undisclosed due to legal restrictions, the Pacific nation's new government told AFP on Thursday.

Ja'Kobe Tharp clocked 12.75sec to smash the 110m hurdles world record during heats at the NCAA collegiate athletics championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Wednesday.

Two Chinese Uyghur men were sentenced to death on Thursday for carrying out a 2015 attack on a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people, a long-awaited verdict in Thailand's deadliest bombing case.

Inside a majestic domed church at one of Russia's oldest monasteries, bearded priests in red-and-gold frocks recite prayers calling for "victory" in the four-year war against Ukraine.

The last time 68-year-old Tetiana Zaitseva saw her son Artem, she was bringing him clothes after he was detained and taken to an army recruitment centre the night before.

The Swiss will vote Sunday on imposing stricter rules for claiming conscientious objection to military service, as the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical tensions push European countries to bolster army numbers.

OG Anunoby's game-clinching tip-in to put New York on the brink of an NBA title will go down as one of the greatest plays in Knicks history, coach Mike Brown said.

The Swiss will vote Sunday on a divisive anti-immigration proposal to cap the country's population, with the result expected to be tight and warnings of "chaos" if it passes.

For nearly 25 years, GoPro cameras have gone underwater, glided with parachutes and slipped down ski slopes, allowing the adventurous to record images of their experiences.

With both hands gripping a large wooden spoon, a woman stirred thick maize-meal porridge -- Zimbabwe's staple known as sadza -- over an open fire while a three-legged pot of sorghum bubbled beside her.

In San Francisco, the longtime hub of the US tech sector, fortunes tied to artificial intelligence startups are inflating home prices and fueling a spike in evictions, splitting the city's population into two different trajectories.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs were searching for answers after a historic collapse against the New York Knicks in game four of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

The World Cup kicks off Thursday with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, launching a sprawling tournament of 48 teams that will last nearly six weeks.

Police arrested several unruly fans near Madison Square Garden in New York Wednesday night, where basketball fans gathered for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Spurs and the Knicks, an AFP photographer observed.

The New York Knicks staged the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history on Wednesday as they erased a 29-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 and now need one more win to seal the title.

With a smartphone strapped to her head, Indian housewife Nagireddy Sriramyachandra films herself slicing mangoes to train AI-powered robots to take on household jobs in the future.

Beijing cleaner Lin Meiqiong found her work a little easier the day she was paired with an unlikely new colleague -- a tall, wheeled robot with AI-powered tidying skills.

In her tiny apartment in South Korea, where she lives alone, 78-year-old Bang Chun-ja spends her days with a childlike AI-powered doll she says she prefers to people.

South Korea hit e-commerce giant Coupang with a record $408 million fine Thursday over a leak that allegedly exposed more than 30 million customers' data and has provoked the ire of US lawmakers.

The United States launched fresh attacks against Iran on Thursday, prompting Tehran to retaliate, as US leaders accused their counterparts of dragging out negotiations for a deal to end the three-month war.

Fresh worries about the Middle East ceasefire and the prospect of a US interest rate hike hit stocks and oil prices Thursday, following a rollercoaster week for markets that has sent shivers through trading floors.

The Women's T20 World Cup starts on Friday when hosts England face Sri Lanka in Birmingham, with at least one leading nation guaranteed an early exit from what promises to be an unusually open tournament.

Ten years after Max Verstappen announced his arrival by winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, his apparent heir Mercedes' teenage ace Kimi Antonelli, will on Sunday seek a crushing sixth consecutive victory.

After Russian police started using facial-recognition cameras to identify men wanted by military authorities, a young bank worker spent weeks avoiding the Moscow metro.

Twenty-two countries including the United States and European nations jointly warned Iran on Thursday to stop attacking people "on our soil".

The European Central Bank is set to hike interest rates Thursday for the first time since 2023 as the Iran war fuels inflation, despite concerns the move could hit growth in the struggling eurozone.

India's aviation accident probe agency is facing renewed criticism from pilot groups ahead of the anniversary of the 2025 Air India Boeing-787 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people.

Between them, Reza Mansoor and Mostafa Pourmand have attended 11 World Cups to cheer on their beloved Iran, and even a war between their team and host nation the United States is not going to stop them this time.

The use of a sea drone to rescue two US Army aviators apparently shot down by Iran underscores the growing importance of such vessels in Washington's naval operations, analysts said Wednesday.

When SpaceX lists on Wall Street, expected on Friday, Elon Musk will serve simultaneously as chief executive, chief technology officer and board chairman of the rocket and AI company.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos has challenged his players to block out an expected wall of sound on Thursday when they take on co-hosts Mexico in their World Cup opener.

SpaceX enters the final stretch Thursday before its expected trading on Wall Street as part of the biggest initial public offering in history, which could propel co-founder Elon Musk to trillionaire status.

France and Switzerland are imposing tight security for a looming G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, with a demonstration to be held Sunday in Geneva serving as their first test.

Pop diva Taylor Swift was courtside at Madison Square Garden to cheer on the New York Knicks in game four of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

All Blacks star Damian McKenzie says the Waikato Chiefs are pumped up and ready to "rip" into the Canterbury Crusaders with a place in the Super Rugby final at stake when they meet on Friday.