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

An infographic of a rat with a preposterously large penis. Another showing human legs with way too many bones. An introduction that starts: "Certainly, here is a possible introduction for your topic".

A surfer soaring above the clouds, a BMX champion riding up the Concorde obelisk, the first-ever Olympic dive into the Seine... AFP photographers tell us how they captured some of the incredible images from the Paris Olympic Games.

The poor, rural hometown of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif erupted in joy on Friday as she won gold at the Paris Olympics in the face of a major gender controversy.

US health regulators on Friday denied an application for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the drug MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, saying more investigation needed to be done.

Keshav Maharaj's discipline and persistence earned him three important wickets as the West Indies were limited to 145-4 in reply to South Africa's first innings total of 357 at the end of the third day of the rain-affected first Test at Queen's Park Oval on Friday.

Algerian gender-row boxer Imane Khelif said that winning Paris Olympics gold on Friday was the perfect response to "attacks" and "bullying", and declared: "I am a woman like any other."

France stunned Belgium 81-75 in overtime on Friday to reach the Olympic women's basketball final, where they'll try to stop the United States winning an eighth straight gold.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defied a major gender controversy to win gold at the Paris Olympics on Friday as the United States' star sprinters flew and then flopped on the track.

An airplane carrying 57 passengers and four crew crashed Friday in Brazil's Sao Paulo state, killing everyone on board, the airline said.

Top-seeded Brazilian pair Ana Patricia Silva and Eduarda Santos won Olympic gold in the women's beach volleyball on Friday, finally nailing down victory after three tense sets in a bad-tempered game.

France clawed back from a 15-point deficit to grab a thrilling 81-75 overtime victory over Belgium on Friday and book an Olympic women's basketball gold medal showdown with the mighty United States.

France coach Thierry Henry described his team's Olympic performance as "magical" despite their agonising extra-time defeat against Spain in the men's football final on Friday.

Rai Benjamin finally claimed a maiden global title after three previous silver medals and a bronze, defeating old rival Karsten Warholm in the Olympic 400m hurdles final.

Born in a poor village, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has overcome numerous obstacles throughout her life to win a controversial Paris Olympics gold on Friday.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defied a major gender controversy to win gold at the Paris Olympics on Friday in front of a pulsating Roland Garros crowd that roared her to victory.

Spain star Fermin Lopez described his summer as "unbeatable" after he starred on their run to Olympic football gold having also played a part in their triumph at Euro 2024.

Spain's Jordan Diaz won gold in the men's triple jump at the Paris Olympics on Friday with a jump of 17.86m, leading an all-Cuban exile podium.

Stocks wobbled in trading Friday but largely closed higher at the end of a roller-coaster week for markets, on worries the US economy could tip into recession.

President Nicolas Maduro on Friday ruled out negotiating with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after he appeared before Venezuela's Supreme Court, asking the country's top judicial body to ratify his disputed reelection.

Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam said years of suffering lay behind her Olympic success after she clinched a historic treble of heptathlon golds on Friday.

US sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson struck gold with a relay rescue act as Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam sealed her place in the pantheon of Olympic greats with a third consecutive heptathlon title on Friday.

Switzerland's Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner claimed the bronze medal in women's beach volleyball on Friday, securing the win in straight sets.

American Rai Benjamin outstripped Norwegian arch-rival Karsten Warholm to win Olympic 400m hurdles gold in Paris on Friday.

An airplane carrying 58 passengers and four crew crashed Friday in Brazil's Sao Paulo state, killing everyone on board, local officials said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Friday that UK authorities must "stay on high alert" for more far-right riots, as courts issued the first jail sentences for online incitement during the recent disorder.

Fugitive Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont said Friday he had left Spain for Belgium after briefly addressing supporters in Barcelona, sparking a row over how he evaded arrest again.

The Netherlands completed a remarkable double in Olympic hockey on Friday when their women's team, the defending champions, beat China 3-1 in a shootout to take gold just 24 hours after the men's side had triumphed over Germany.

The urban sport of breaking spun its way onto the Olympic stage on Friday for the first and possibly last time, with Japan's B-Girl Ami winning the inaugural women's gold.

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet won Olympic women's 10,000m gold in Paris on Friday, adding to her 5,000m crown to again scupper the hopes of defending champion Sifan Hassan.

Haifa's residents gaze warily on to the sprawling industrial port that flanks their Israeli city, knowing the potential for a major blast as they brace for bombardment from Hezbollah.

OpenAI says it is concerned that a realistic voice feature for its artificial intelligence might cause people to bond with the bot at the cost of human interactions.

Andre de Grasse anchored Canada to victory in the Olympic men's 4x100m relay in Paris on Friday, but there were more tears for the United States, disqualified for a botched handover.