![Stocks rise as inflation data boosts rate cut hopes](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/1f/8a/e3/Stocks-rise-as-inflation-data-boost-003741.jpg)
Stocks rise as inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
![Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/16/f0/08/Long-queues--ticketing-problems-ahe-714401.jpg)
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
![Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/dc/3c/f7/Two-Sinaloa-Cartel-leaders-face-US--611691.jpg)
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
![Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/5b/0f/90/Spain-train-driver-jailed-for-2-5-y-162900.jpg)
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
Sports
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
The Paris Olympics were poised to open in an unprecedented ceremony along the river Seine on Friday to mark the formal launch of the global sporting spectacular.
Sports
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
An Iraqi male judoka has tested positive for banned anabolic steroids at the Paris Olympics, the International Testing Agency announced on Friday -- the first positive doping test at the Games.
Last news
![Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/9f/56/f4/Holder-and-Da-Silva-keep-England-at-169004_small.jpg)
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva held firm after the West Indies squandered a promising position on Friday's first day of the third Test against England at Edgbaston.
![Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/c4/dd/f3/Alpine-F1-boss-Bruno-Famin-to-leave-727270_small.jpg)
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
The Alpine Formula One team announced Friday that team principal Bruno Famin will leave his post at the end of August.
![Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/ef/a5/36/Ethiopia-declares-three-days-of-mou-537021_small.jpg)
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
Ethiopia announced on Friday three days of mourning following a devastating landslide in a southern remote part of the country where more than 250 people lost their lives.
![Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/f5/66/33/Brazilian-dunes-dotted-with-dazzlin-444162_small.jpg)
Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list
Brazil's Lencois Maranhenses National Park, famed for its white dunes that fill with blue and emerald lagoons in the rainy season, was on Friday declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
![Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/51/17/b9/Rain--cooling-slow-huge-blaze-in-Ca-024757_small.jpg)
Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
Rain and cooler temperatures are helping firefighters battling a huge forest fire that has devastated part of the popular tourist town of Jasper in western Canada, authorities said Friday.
![French Rugby's Jaminet suspended 34 weeks after racist video: Federation](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/26/47/c7/French-Rugby-s-Jaminet-suspended-34-021227_small.jpg)
French Rugby's Jaminet suspended 34 weeks after racist video: Federation
France's Melvyn Jaminet has been suspended for 34 weeks from all competitions after he recorded a video in which he made racist comments, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced on Friday.
![Osaka looking to turbo-charge comeback at Paris Olympics](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/48/c8/79/Osaka-looking-to-turbo-charge-comeb-074851_small.jpg)
Osaka looking to turbo-charge comeback at Paris Olympics
Japan's Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo three years ago but she has it all to prove in Paris as she continues her slow-burning return to tennis.
![Stock markets climb as US inflation rate drops](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/1f/8a/e3/Stock-markets-climb-as-US-inflation-622303_small.jpg)
Stock markets climb as US inflation rate drops
Major stock markets mainly rose Friday as traders welcomed data showing US inflation is slowing, firming expectations for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates in September.
![Russian central bank hikes key rate to fight inflation](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/d3/45/3e/Russian-central-bank-hikes-key-rate-607723_small.jpg)
Russian central bank hikes key rate to fight inflation
Russia's central bank raised its key interest to 18 percent on Friday, the sixth hike in just over a year as it seeks to tame soaring price rises.
![Verstappen tops times in opening practice, faces grid penalty](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/94/d6/ec/Verstappen-tops-times-in-opening-pr-881919_small.jpg)
Verstappen tops times in opening practice, faces grid penalty
Max Verstappen, who faces a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race, topped the times for Red Bull ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri in Friday's opening free practice at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
![UK to reveal £20 bn hole in public finances: reports](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/a6/cc/94/UK-to-reveal---20-bn-hole-in-public-271011_small.jpg)
UK to reveal £20 bn hole in public finances: reports
Britain's new Labour government will announce next week that the country's public finances have an additional hole of around £20 billion ($26 billion), risking tax rises in an upcoming budget, media reported on Friday.
![Gaming sector recovery on flamboyant display at ChinaJoy expo](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/f7/44/65/Gaming-sector-recovery-on-flamboyan-755971_small.jpg)
Gaming sector recovery on flamboyant display at ChinaJoy expo
A long-haired sorcerer wearily checked his smartphone as elves and androids bustled past at the digital entertainment expo ChinaJoy on Friday, the crowds a testament to the local gaming industry's tentative recovery after a period on pause.
![Biles ready to unveil unique uneven bars skill at Paris Olympics](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/95/a6/10/Biles-ready-to-unveil-unique-uneven-982919_small.jpg)
Biles ready to unveil unique uneven bars skill at Paris Olympics
US gymnastics great Simone Biles is aiming to have a sixth unique skill named for her, a new move on the uneven bars that she will unveil at the Paris Olympics.
![Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympic coach sent home: official](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/4e/aa/b2/Players-unaware-of-spying-scandal-a-176929_small.jpg)
Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympic coach sent home: official
Canadian soccer chiefs on Friday pleaded for FIFA not to deduct points from their women's Olympic football team amid a drone-spying scandal which led to head coach Bev Priestman being dramatically kicked out of the Paris Games in disgrace.
![Snoop Dogg stars as flame sails into Paris for opening ceremony](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/b3/d7/69/Snoop-Dogg-stars-as-flame-sails-int-114911_small.jpg)
Snoop Dogg stars as flame sails into Paris for opening ceremony
The Olympic flame cruised into Paris on Friday on a diesel-belching tug, the torch held aloft by its white-clad bearer, having earlier been carried by US rapper Snoop Dogg, as it passed under the peripherique motorway.
![US Fed's favored inflation measure cools further in June](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/b8/f5/cc/US-Fed-s-favored-inflation-measure--921298_small.jpg)
US Fed's favored inflation measure cools further in June
The US Federal Reserve's favored inflation measure eased further in June, according to government data published Friday, in more good news for policymakers ahead of next week's interest rate decision.
![Brathwaite holds firm as West Indies collapse in third Test](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/g0/d3/2f/Brathwaite-holds-firm-as-West-Indie-181926_small.jpg)
Brathwaite holds firm as West Indies collapse in third Test
Kraigg Brathwaite could only watch as the West Indies squandered a promising position by losing three wickets shortly before lunch on Friday's first day of the third Test against England at Edgbaston.
![Electric car woes force German supplier ZF to axe jobs](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/4b/ca/7a/Electric-car-woes-force-German-supp-919911_small.jpg)
Electric car woes force German supplier ZF to axe jobs
German car parts manufacturer ZF said Friday it would cut a fifth to a quarter of jobs in Germany as it struggled with the switch to electric vehicles and foreign competition.
![Olympic icon Felix making presence felt at Paris Games](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/2e/34/61/Olympic-icon-Felix-making-presence--479451_small.jpg)
Olympic icon Felix making presence felt at Paris Games
Allyson Felix may have finally hung up her spikes after a glittering career that spanned three decades and five Olympics, but the track and field icon is still making her presence felt at the Paris Games.
![Ex-champion Mir extends Honda MotoGP deal](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/65/c6/13/Ex-champion-Mir-extends-Honda-MotoG-914972_small.jpg)
Ex-champion Mir extends Honda MotoGP deal
Spanish motorbike racer Joan Mir has extended his deal with Honda to continue racing the elite-level MotoGP circuit until 2026, the Japanese team said Friday.
!['Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/d8/70/07/-Sabotage--on-French-rail-network-b-212589_small.jpg)
'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know
Arson attacks scrambled France's high-speed rail network for tens of thousands of passengers on Friday, after what officials called premeditated acts of "sabotage" just hours before the Paris Olympics opened.
![Evenepoel unhappy with 'holes' in road for Olympics time trial](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/e2/05/d3/Evenepoel-unhappy-with--holes--in-r-811218_small.jpg)
Evenepoel unhappy with 'holes' in road for Olympics time trial
Remco Evenepoel, one of the favourites for Olympic time trial gold on Saturday, criticised the presence of numerous "holes" on the Paris roads which will stage the event.
![French rail network hit by 'sabotage' on eve of Paris Olympics](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/5e/7e/3c/French-rail-network-hit-by--sabotag-823176_small.jpg)
French rail network hit by 'sabotage' on eve of Paris Olympics
France's rail network was paralysed Friday by coordinated acts of sabotage which knocked out most of its high-speed train services hours before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
![Stock markets recover before US inflation data](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/1f/8a/e3/Stock-markets-recover-before-US-inf-712719_small.jpg)
Stock markets recover before US inflation data
Major stock markets mainly rose Friday as traders looked ahead to key US inflation data that could firm expectations for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates in September.
![Obama endorsement adds momentum to Harris White House bid](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/6f/0e/da/Obama-endorsement-adds-momentum-to--410117_small.jpg)
Obama endorsement adds momentum to Harris White House bid
Former US president Barack Obama endorsed his fellow Democrat Kamala Harris' bid for the White House on Friday, delivering a major boost to her campaign to defeat Donald Trump in November's presidential election.
![New India captain Yadav says ready to lead against Sri Lanka](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/84/f3/20/New-India-captain-Yadav-says-ready--012992_small.jpg)
New India captain Yadav says ready to lead against Sri Lanka
India's Suryakumar Yadav said Friday he was not going to repeat the mistakes of his domestic captaincy ahead of his first trial as Twenty20 skipper against Sri Lanka.
![Australian swim coach avoids being kicked out of Olympics](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/ae/6f/37/Australian-swim-coach-avoids-being--088899_small.jpg)
Australian swim coach avoids being kicked out of Olympics
An Australian swimming coach who backed a South Korean rival to beat two of his countrymen avoided being kicked out of the Olympics Friday, with officials deciding it would be too disruptive.
!['Sabotage' hits French trains hours before Olympics](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/d8/70/07/-Sabotage--hits-French-trains-hours-158013_small.jpg)
'Sabotage' hits French trains hours before Olympics
Arson attacks scrambled France's high-speed rail network for tens of thousands of passengers on Friday, after what officials called premeditated acts of "sabotage" just hours before the Paris Olympics opened.
![Harris win would be 'monumental': Olympic icon Felix](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/2e/34/61/Harris-win-would-be--monumental---O-418004_small.jpg)
Harris win would be 'monumental': Olympic icon Felix
US Olympic icon Allyson Felix believes Kamala Harris winning November's US presidential election would be a "monumental" moment for the country.
![Olympics a homecoming for coaching duo backing Biles in Paris](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/d3/32/d0/Olympics-a-homecoming-for-coaching--871644_small.jpg)
Olympics a homecoming for coaching duo backing Biles in Paris
The Paris Olympics are a family affair for Laurent and Cecile Landi, the husband and wife coaching team that has shepherded Simone Biles back to the pinnacle of gymnastics and into a third Games.
![Five matches to watch at Olympics tennis](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/38/6e/9b/Five-matches-to-watch-at-Olympics-t-681261_small.jpg)
Five matches to watch at Olympics tennis
The Olympic Games tennis tournament gets underway at Roland Garros on Saturday with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka all in action.
![South Sudan's basketball 'Bright Stars' on Olympic mission to make their nation proud](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/47/d2/8d/South-Sudan-s-basketball--Bright-St-393128_small.jpg)
South Sudan's basketball 'Bright Stars' on Olympic mission to make their nation proud
"Bigger than basketball": After qualifying for the Olympics for the first time, South Sudan's basketball team are on a mission to make their troubled young country proud.
![Nadal returns to training after Olympics injury scare](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/e0/5d/06/Nadal-returns-to-training-after-Oly-616765_small.jpg)
Nadal returns to training after Olympics injury scare
Rafael Nadal returned to training at Roland Garros on Friday after an injury scare had put his participation at the Paris Olympics in doubt.
Paris braces for Olympics opening ceremony as rail network 'sabotaged'
The Paris Olympics are set to open in a spectacular and unprecedented ceremony on the river Seine on Friday but hours before the show France's rail network was paralysed by what officials said were acts of sabotage.
![China, Russia say to counter 'extra-regional forces' in SE Asia](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/16/22/67/China--Russia-say-to-counter--extra-221119_small.jpg)
China, Russia say to counter 'extra-regional forces' in SE Asia
China and Russia's foreign ministers met their Southeast Asian counterparts Friday after vowing to counter "extra-regional forces", a day before Washington's top diplomat was due to arrive.
![France's high-speed railway hit by 'sabotage' hours before Olympics](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/d8/70/07/France-s-high-speed-railway-hit-by--929724_small.jpg)
France's high-speed railway hit by 'sabotage' hours before Olympics
France's high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks that disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
![UN puts 4th century Gaza monastery on endagered site list](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/c6/4e/5d/UN-puts-4th-century-Gaza-monastery--481204_small.jpg)
UN puts 4th century Gaza monastery on endagered site list
The Saint Hilarion complex, one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, has been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the war in Gaza, the body said Friday.
![Comaneci's perfect 10, Scherbo's golden Barcelona, Biles' 'twisties'](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/fc/28/43/Comaneci-s-perfect-10--Scherbo-s-go-799171_small.jpg)
Comaneci's perfect 10, Scherbo's golden Barcelona, Biles' 'twisties'
Gymnastics has emerged as one of the showstopping Olympic sports. AFP Sport takes a look at five unforgettable moments served up by some of the world's greatest athletes on the journey to this summer's Games in Paris with action getting underway on Saturday:
![Markets make battling recovery from tech rout after US data](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/1f/8a/e3/Markets-make-battling-recovery-from-211257_small.jpg)
Markets make battling recovery from tech rout after US data
Investors fought back Friday after a tech-fuelled sell-off, taking heart from forecast-beating US growth data that indicated the economy was still in rude health, but did not dent hopes for an interest rate cut.