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

Max Verstappen conceded he is no longer leading the pack and feels as if he and Red Bull are "chasing" after he qualified third for the Hungarian Grand Prix behind McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Tadej Pogacar won for a fifth time on this year's Tour de France on Saturday, moving to the brink of a third title, with an "out of this world" performance ahead of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.

Cyprus on Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the bloody invasion of the Mediterranean island by Turkish troops with both sides as divided as ever over the territory's future.

Overall leader Tadej Pogacar won for a fifth time on this Tour de France on Saturday, moving to the brink of a third title, as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard came second and Remco Evenepoel dropped around a minute.

Donald Trump is set to hold a triumphant first campaign rally Saturday since surviving an assassination attempt, in startling contrast to President Joe Biden, who remains hunkered at home with Covid, resisting unprecedented Democratic pressure to step aside.

Lando Norris grabbed pole position ahead of his team-mate Oscar Piastri for the Hungarian Grand Prx on Saturday as McLaren locked out the front row of the grid for the first time since 2012.

US sprint star Noah Lyles fired out a timely broadside at pretenders to the Olympic 100m crown at Saturday's Diamond League meeting where Femke Bol again shone in the hurdles.

Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope proved a thorn in the side of the West Indies again as England started to regain the initiative in the second Test on Saturday.

Noah Lyles set himself up perfectly for the Paris Olympics by haring to a personal best in winning the 100m at Saturday's Diamond League meeting.

Environmental protesters clashed with police in France's western port of La Rochelle Saturday, AFP journalists saw, as conservationists and small farmers mobilised against massive irrigation reservoirs under construction.

Planes were gradually taking off again Saturday after global airlines, banks and media were thrown into turmoil by one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years, caused by an update to an antivirus program.

Rafael Nadal reached his first final on Saturday since winning the 2022 French Open, defeating Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in a three-set tussle in Bastad ahead of the Paris Olympics.

World champion Femke Bol set a new meet record as she cruised to victory in the women's 400m hurdles at Saturday's Diamond League in London.

Rafael Nadal reached his first final since winning the 2022 French Open, defeating Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in a three-set tussle in Bastad on Saturday.

Joshua Da Silva and Shamar Joseph frustrated England with a dashing last-wicket stand at Trent Bridge on Saturday as West Indies compiled their first total of 450 or more in a Test for nearly a decade.

Vietnam will hold a funeral next week for late communist leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the party said Saturday.

Shane Lowry is hoping to lean on his experience of winning the Claret Jug in 2019 as he holds a two-shot overnight lead heading into Saturday's third round of the British Open.

French police removed demonstrators from the western port of La Rochelle with tear gas Saturday, as environmentalists and small farmers mobilised against massive irrigation reservoirs under construction.

Cyprus on Saturday marked 50 years since Turkish troops invaded the Mediterranean island, with comments from the Turkish and Cypriot leaders demonstrating the stark divide that remains.

Preparations for the Paris Olympics stepped up a gear on Saturday as security teams scoured the banks of the Seine ahead of Friday's opening ceremony and top International Olympic Committee officials met in the French capital.

Kevin Jordan thought he would spend his retirement listening to the sound of the sea at his home on the Norfolk coast in eastern England.

A bridge collapse caused by torrential rains in northern China killed 12 people and left more than 30 missing, state media said Saturday.

Fresh tears flowed in Cyprus Saturday for loved ones killed 50 years ago when Turkish troops landed on the Mediterranean island in an invasion that has left it divided and scarred to this day.

A bridge collapse caused by torrential rains in northern China killed 11 people and left more than 30 missing, state media said Saturday.

A new-look Wallabies side continued their rejuvenation under coach Joe Schmidt Saturday to overcome Georgia 40-29 in an entertaining one-off Test in Sydney.

Soldiers were patrolling Bangladeshi cities on Saturday to quell growing civil unrest sparked by student demonstrations, with riot police firing on protesters who defied a government curfew.

Airlines were gradually coming back online Saturday after global carriers, banks and financial institutions were thrown into turmoil by one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years, caused by an update to an antivirus program.

Soldiers were out in force Saturday in cities around Bangladesh after another day of lethal clashes between student protesters and police prompted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to cancel a foreign diplomatic tour.

Disneyland employees in California authorized a strike in a union-wide vote Friday, opening the door to withhold their labor from "the happiest place on Earth", the theme park's unions announced.

A bridge collapse caused by torrential rains in northern China has killed 11 people and left more than 30 missing, state media said Saturday.

With huge headphones propped over her white hair, Polish DJ and activist Wirginia Szmyt, 85, grooves alongside a drag queen on a float at the Warsaw pride parade.

Tensions are simmering ahead of summer talks on which UNESCO World Heritage sites are deemed to be endangered, with countries battling against featuring on the UN cultural body's list.