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

Ducati rider Enea Bastianini won the British MotoGP sprint at Silverstone on Saturday as championship leader Francesco Bagnaia crashed out on lap five.

Carlos Yulo triumphed on Saturday in the men's floor exercise of the gymnastics in Paris for only the second Olympic gold in the history of the Philippines.

The penultimate day of artistic gymnastics at the Paris Olympics on Sunday features Kaylia Nemour seeking history for Africa, home hope Samir Ait Said on rings, and Britain's Jake Jarman on the vault.

Goals from Gabriel Vidovic and Leon Goretzka gave new Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany a 2-1 win over Tottenham on his first real test since taking the reins at the Bundesliga giants.

Australia's Matthew Ebden enjoyed a golden finale to his Olympics on Saturday just a week after being humiliated by Novak Djokovic in a rout deemed "not a good image" for tennis.

Bangladeshi student leaders on Saturday said they would carry on a planned nationwide civil disobedience campaign until Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned following last month's deadly police crackdown on protesters.

Luz Long's mantra that "sometimes you just have to follow your heart" is exactly what the German long jumper did in defying Nazi leaders by hugging Jesse Owens in one of sport's most iconic moments.

Born in a poor village some 300 kilometres from Algiers, boxer Imane Khelif had to overcome obstacles in a conservative country where women are considered unfit for the sport.

UK police monitored several far-right protests and counter-demonstrations on Saturday after a third night of rioting linked to misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls sparked fears of more unrest.

Britain's men's eight confirmed the nation's return as an Olympic rowing superpower by winning the regatta's blue riband event on Saturday but the Netherlands topped the medals table.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe would not comment Saturday on reports that Newcastle were trying to sign England centre-back Marc Guehi after watching his side lose 2-0 to Yokohama F. Marinos in steamy Tokyo.

Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians in separate air strikes in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian press agency Wafa reported, while the Israeli military said it had "eliminated terrorist cells".

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who dramatically defected at the Tokyo Games in 2021, never doubted she would compete in the Paris Olympics.

Fears of a regional Middle East war grew on Saturday after the assassination of Hamas's political leader, blamed on Israel, triggered vows of vengeance from Iran-backed Middle East groups.

Novak Djokovic insists Carlos Alcaraz will be the "favourite" for Olympic gold on Sunday in the latest instalment of tennis's generational power grab.

Spain's Carolia Marin moved into the Olympic badminton semi-finals on Saturday and said it had been a long journey back since missing the Tokyo Games with a serious knee injury.

US sprint star Noah Lyles admitted underestimating the power of a one-shot Olympics as he was made to work harder than expected to advance from his 100m heat at the Paris Games on Saturday.

From a small Algerian village, home of the boxer Imane Khelif at the centre of a gender eligibility row in the Paris Olympics, her father hailed the athlete as a "heroine".

Ireland's Daniel Wiffen set the fastest time in qualifying for the men's 1500 metres freestyle on Saturday, and then set his sights on a world record and a second Paris gold.

Olympic chief Thomas Bach said on Saturday boxing should be in the next Games in Los Angeles despite a furore over the gender of two women boxers in Paris -- but urged the sport to get its house in order fast.

Matthew Hudson-Smith says he is the "best prepared he has ever been" as he attempts to emulate British Olympic legend Eric Liddell by capturing Olympic 400m gold in Paris.

US sprint king Noah Lyles launched his campaign for 100m glory Saturday, recovering from a slow start to come through his heat at the Paris Olympics, where a gender row in boxing rumbled on.

Dutch rower Karolien Florijn dethroned reigning champion Emma Twigg in the women's single sculls on Saturday to add to her family's remarkable collection of Olympic gold medals.

US sprint star Noah Lyles and defending Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy safely negotiated their 100m heats at the Paris Games on Saturday to move into the semi-finals of the blue riband event along with a host of top rivals.

UK police readied Saturday for more far-right protests across England after a third night of rioting linked to misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls.

Borussia Dortmund on Saturday announced the arrival on loan of Brazil defender Yan Couto from Manchester City until June 30, 2025, with the potential for the deal to become permanent after that.

It takes intense dedication, hours of prep and a whole lot of sewing: dressing up as Japanese characters may not be an Olympic sport, but these competitors are at the top of their game.

An Israeli drone strike killed five people in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian press agency Wafa reported, while the Israeli military said it struck "five terrorists" on their way to carry out an attack.

British Muslims voiced fear about far-right protests that have targeted UK mosques in recent days, as community leaders bolstered security at Islamic centres before more demonstrations planned for Saturday.

An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a busy beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing 32 people and wounding scores more, in one of the deadliest attacks in months, police said on Saturday.

An Israeli drone strike killed five people in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian press agency Wafa and Palestinian sources reported, while the Israeli military said it struck a "terrorist cell" in the Tulkarem region.

An archer from Chad has captured hearts in South Korea and been hailed by a K-Pop star for his "true Olympic spirit" after a Games debut where he almost missed the scoring rings.