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

Australian mining giant BHP goes on trial on Monday over one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters, potentially triggering billions of dollars in compensation to be shared among hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs.

Pakistan's government on Monday narrowly passed a package of constitutional amendments it said would stop the country's courts from issuing rulings that "interfere in parliament".

You can't walk very far through a forest in this part of the United States without stumbling upon a mushroom, an eruption from a vast fungal kingdom that all life depends on, but about which we know very little.

"Breaking" news, screamed an online post by a conservative American influencer as he pushed disinformation about Kamala Harris, illustrating how journalism lingo has been co-opted as a tool to amplify election falsehoods.

Defending champion Boston launches a quest for back-to-back titles, LeBron James teams with his 20-year-old son and familiar faces debut in new places when the NBA's 79th season begins on Tuesday.

J.T. Poston survived late pressure from Doug Ghim, firing five birdies in a four-under par 67 to claim the third US PGA Tour title of his career on Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Kansas City Chiefs remain as the last team in the NFL with an unbeaten record after an impressive 28-18 win at the San Francisco 49ers in their Super Bowl rematch on Sunday.

Moldova's pro-EU President Maia Sandu blamed an "unprecedented assault on our country's freedom and democracy" after partial election results on Sunday showed a majority of Moldovans choosing "no" in a referendum on joining the European Union.

An Aboriginal smoking ceremony will welcome King Charles III to Australia's capital Canberra on Monday, where the monarch will spotlight past war efforts and a new fight against climate change.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged "significant investment" in a fund created to safeguard Earth's biodiversity as he addressed delegates to the world's biggest nature protection conference in Cali, Colombia.

Hurricane Oscar made landfall on Sunday evening in Cuba, where residents were preparing for more chaos and misery as the country grapples with a nearly nationwide power outage that is in its third day.

McLaren team chief Andrea Stella blasted as "inappropriate" a controversial penalty handed to Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix which could shatter his world title dream.

La Rochelle bounced back after last week's heavy defeat to Bayonne with a 32-22 win over Bordeaux-Begles, pulling Ronan O'Gara's side up to third in the Top 14 table on Sunday.

Red-hot Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre struck twice each as Barcelona hammered Sevilla 5-1 on Sunday to stay three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga ahead of next weekend's Clasico.

Charles Leclerc led Carlos Sainz home as Ferrari claimed a resounding one-two triumph in Sunday's United States Grand Prix after Lando Norris was relegated to fourth, having finished third on track ahead of title rival Max Verstappen who took the third podium spot.

Moldovans voted "no" in a referendum on joining the European Union on Sunday, according to partial results, which if confirmed will mean a major setback to pro-EU President Maia Sandu, who managed to top the first round of presidential elections held at the same time.

Red-hot Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre struck twice each as Barcelona hammered Sevilla 5-1 on Sunday to stay three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga ahead of next weekend's Clasico.

The Minnesota Vikings' unbeaten start to the NFL season ended on Sunday as they fell 31-29 to divisional rivals the Detroit Lions.

Israel began bombing Lebanese branches of an association accused of financing the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, Lebanese state media reported late Sunday, a further escalation of Israel's nearly month-long war against the militants.

Lautaro Martinez made sure that Inter Milan kept pace with Serie A leaders Napoli by netting the Italian champions' only goal in Sunday's 1-0 win at Roma.

Marseille got back to winning ways in style with a 5-0 thumping of Montpellier on Sunday to move within three points of Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday canceled a trip to Russia for a BRICS summit after injuring his head, his office announced.

Cuba girded Sunday to be hit by Hurricane Oscar, with residents preparing for more chaos and misery as the country grapples with a nearly nationwide power outage that is in its third day.

Kamala Harris turned 60 on Sunday in the final stretch of a knife-edge US election, making campaign stops at Black churches in Georgia as her 78-year-old opponent Donald Trump served fries at a Pennsylvania McDonald's in a bid to appeal to blue-collar voters.

An "avalanche of water" in northeast Italy claimed one life and left swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region under water Sunday, local officials said.

Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson was carted off the field in the second quarter of the Browns' all-Ohio NFL clash with Cincinnati on Sunday with an Achilles tendon injury.

Arne Slot said Liverpool rose to the challenge posed by a step up in opposition after beating Chelsea 2-1 to move back top of the Premier League on Sunday.

New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr reached new heights with a superb performance with bat and ball that led her team to their first ever Women's T20 World Cup title as they beat South Africa by a commanding 32 runs in Sunday's final in Dubai.

Pope Francis created a new group of saints on Sunday, canonising 14 individuals including the "martyrs of Damascus", killed in Syria during the Ottoman Empire and symbols of Christian persecution.

World champion Ilia Malinin won his third straight Skate America title Sunday, adjusting on the fly after a mid-routine mistake to hold off France's Kevin Aymoz at the first Grand Prix event of the season.

Sri Lanka cruised to a comprehensive five-wicket win in the rain-shortened first one-day international against the West Indies in Pallekele on Sunday, with half-centuries from captain Charith Asalanka and debutant Nishan Madushka.

Moldovans voted on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, some troubled by fears of Russian meddling amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.