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

It's Christmas in Ottawa, with filmmakers this spring and summer capturing couples smooching under mistletoe, reindeer running amok and Santa Claus leaving presents under evergreens lavishly decorated with lights and ornaments.

Two 17th century paintings looted by the Nazis and kept at the Louvre in Paris after the war have finally been returned to their Jewish owners, who then donated them back to the museum.

Joe Biden headed for France on Tuesday to mark 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings and promote America as a defender of democracy and international alliances -- contrasting himself against election rival Donald Trump.

Global warming has accelerated at an "unprecedented" pace as the window to limit rising temperatures within internationally-set targets closes, over 50 leading scientists warned in a study published on Wednesday.

Xander Schauffele, coming off his first major triumph at last month's PGA Championship, sees his game at a high level as he prepares to defend his Olympic title in Paris.

A panel of US health experts convened by the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted against the use of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and sharpshooter Kyrie Irving spearhead the upstart Dallas Mavericks against the favored Boston Celtics when the NBA Finals begin on Thursday.

The venerable Hubble Space Telescope, which has revolutionized astronomical discovery since its launch in 1990, will ease into retirement with a scaled-back observing schedule, NASA officials said Tuesday.

What did you do for summer vacation? Three pre-teen dinosaur aficionados have the answer of a lifetime: they discovered the remains of a rare juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex in the North Dakota dirt.

Alec Baldwin is to star in a reality TV show, the US actor announced Tuesday, a month before he stands trial for manslaughter over a deadly film set shooting.

Italy were held to a goalless draw by Turkey on Tuesday as the Azzurri gear up for their European Championship title defence later this month.

The United States will temporarily close its Mexico border to asylum seekers from Wednesday, as President Joe Biden as tries to neutralize his political weakness on migration ahead of November's election battle with Donald Trump.

TikTok on Tuesday said it slammed the door on a cyberattack that targeted high-profile accounts including CNN.

Novak Djokovic's worst fears materialised as a knee injury forced him out of the French Open on Tuesday, while women's reigning champion Iga Swiatek surged into the semi-finals with another ruthless display.

The leaders of Britain's two main political parties faced off in the first live TV debate of the general election campaign on Tuesday, a month before voters go to the polls and with predictions of a record win for the main opposition Labour party.

Carlos Alcaraz saw off Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets on Tuesday to set up a mouthwatering French Open semi-final clash with incoming world number one Jannik Sinner.

Italy were held to a goalless draw by Turkey on Tuesday as the Azzurri gear up for their European Championship title defence later this month.

Mexican president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum's team reassured investors Tuesday that she would ensure the stability of Latin America's second-biggest economy, after her landslide election win rattled financial markets.

US stocks bounced back from an early morning slump to close higher Tuesday as fresh data showed that job vacancies slipped in April to their lowest level since 2021.

Switzerland warmed up with a 4-0 victory over visitors Estonia on Tuesday in their penultimate match before heading to Euro 2024 in Germany.

The leaders of Britain's two main political parties faced off in the first live TV debate of the general election campaign on Tuesday, a month before voters go to the polls and with predictions of a record win for the main opposition Labour party.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday appeared to play down a suggestion he made in an interview with Time magazine that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was dragging out the Gaza war for political reasons.

Max O'Dowd hit an unbeaten half-century to steer the Netherlands to a six-wicket victory over Nepal in their T20 World Cup Group D clash on Tuesday.

Japan's capital will launch its own dating app as early as this summer as part of government efforts to boost the plunging national birth rate, a Tokyo official said Tuesday.

A dangerous heatwave was building over parts of the western United States Tuesday, with forecasters warning of rocketing temperatures in an early taste of a possibly brutal summer for the region.

Australian Test and one-day captain Pat Cummins has signed a four-year deal with Major League Cricket's San Francisco Unicorns, the team announced on Tuesday.

Two men are under investigation in Italy accused of illegally selling semen from trotting champion Varenne, one of their lawyers told AFP Tuesday.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) announced on Tuesday that coach Luis de la Fuente has signed a contract extension until 2026 at the helm of its men's national team.

Heavy fighting rocked Gaza on Tuesday after G7 and Arab powers urged both Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce and hostage release deal outlined by US President Joe Biden.

Rain had the final say after Scotland threatened an upset against defending champions England in the teams' abandoned Group B T20 World Cup opener in Barbados on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday he had ordered sweeping new migrant curbs to "gain control" of the US-Mexico border, making a dramatic bid to neutralize one of his political weak spots in his reelection battle against Donald Trump.

Jurors heard unsparing accounts of Hunter Biden's drug use in his own words on Tuesday as his trial on gun charges, the first ever prosecution of a child of a sitting US president, got underway.