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

Johannesburg will host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw on July 4, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday.

European police forces have arrested around 40 people in a years-long operation to bust a major drug smuggling ring, leading to the seizure of eight tonnes of cocaine, Europol said Thursday.

England captain Harry Kane said the team are primed to "make history" ahead of their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday.

The world's favourite French misanthrope writer Michel Houellebecq is too controversial for the world's new AI tools, which find his views so offensive that they cannot be repeated.

Matthijs de Ligt believes the Netherlands' cohesive unit can compensate for a lack of star power in their bid to win Euro 2024.

Kenya's finance minister on Thursday presented the East African nation's biggest ever budget, alongside contentious tax proposals to help plug a hole in the public finances.

Bayern Munich on Thursday announced the signing of Japanese centre-back Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart until 2028 after reportedly triggering his 30 million euro ($32 million) release clause.

Conor Gallagher is hoping England's shock Euro 2024 warm-up defeat to Iceland can spark a reaction when the Three Lions get their tournament underway against Serbia on Sunday.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, Sweden's Ludvig Aberg and France's Matthieu Pavon shared the early lead in Thursday's first round of the US Open at Pinehurst.

The US Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a bid to restrict an abortion pill widely used in the United States to terminate pregnancies.

An international team of scientists said Thursday that polar bears faced local extinction in Canada's Hudson Bay by mid-century if global warming exceeds limits set under the Paris climate accords.

G7 leaders agreed at a summit in Italy Thursday on a new $50-billion loan for Ukraine using profits from frozen Russian assets, a US official said.

Israeli helicopters struck Gaza's Rafah Thursday, residents said, with Hamas militants reporting street battles in the southern city after top US diplomat Antony Blinken said a truce was still possible.

Tesla boss Elon Musk claimed victory in a closely-watched shareholder vote to approve on Thursday a multibillion-dollar pay package seen as critical in keeping the mercurial CEO at the electric auto company.

Russians on the streets of the capital shrugged off new US sanctions on dollar and euro trading Thursday, claiming they had no need for Western currencies in their heavily targeted economy.

Russian prosecutors sent US journalist Evan Gershkovich's case to court on Thursday, paving the way for him to be tried on espionage charges denied by his employer and the White House.

Stock markets diverged on Thursday as traders reacted to the US Federal Reserve's plan to only cut interest rates once this year.

Benin voudon religious dignitary Oscar Kptenon is still in shock, ten days after the fall of a centuries-old giant tree on a historic square in Ouidah, once at the heart of the slave trade.

Rafael Nadal confirmed on Thursday he will miss Wimbledon to focus on the Paris Olympics, which will be played on the clay courts at Roland Garros.

Rafael Nadal confirmed on Thursday he will miss Wimbledon to focus on the Paris Olympics.

The US pushed back hard Thursday against a reported attempt by Italy to water down a G7 leaders' declaration on abortion by removing a reference to "safe and legal" terminations.

Tiger Woods was among a host of contenders chasing sixth-ranked Ludvig Aberg, who grabbed the early US Open lead with two morning birdies on Thursday at Pinehurst.

A massive fire at an oil refinery in Iraqi Kurdistan injured at least 13 people including firefighters battling to control the blaze, which was ongoing Thursday, an official said.

To house the thousands of soldiers tasked with keeping the Paris Olympics safe, France is building the largest army camp its mainland has seen since World War II, at breakneck pace.

From misting systems to heat-reflective road coverings, Saudi officials are trying to aid hajj pilgrims in coping with heat, but scientists caution that climate change may outpace these efforts.

Gianluca Scamacca said Thursday that he wants to make history with Italy as the in-form striker prepares for his major tournament debut against Albania in Euro 2024.

A year after one of the Mediterranean's worst migrant shipwrecks killed more than 600 people, lawyers for survivors pursuing a criminal case against the Greek coastguard gave fresh details on the case Thursday.

Britain's Labour party launched a "manifesto for wealth creation" Thursday, pledging to get the economy firing again if it wins power in next month's election after 14 years in opposition.

The European Union on Thursday told three pornographic websites to explain what steps they have taken to protect children online and prevent the spread of illegal content.

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has confirmed in an interview with US broadcaster ESPN that he will not attempt to win a second gold medal with Argentina at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said on Thursday he was leaving the Bundesliga club less than two weeks after they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Ukrainian football great Andriy Shevchenko has told AFP his country's presence at Euro 2024 that kicks off on Friday has been a triumph over adversity and will "remind the world of what we are going through".