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

Award-winning director Mohammad Rasoulof, who made a dramatic clandestine escape from Iran this month, will attend the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of his new movie, organisers told AFP on Tuesday.

Almost 20 percent of adults in the United States were financially impacted by natural disasters last year, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday, marking a nearly 50-percent rise from 2022.

Ten bodies were found scattered around Mexico's once-glamorous resort city of Acapulco, which has been engulfed by violence linked to organized crime, authorities said Tuesday.

The White House on Tuesday condemned a video posted by Donald Trump's social media account showing fake headlines about a "unified reich" if he wins the 2024 presidential election.

Israel said it had shut down an Associated Press live video feed of war-torn Gaza on Tuesday, sparking a protest from the US news agency and concern from the White House.

European stock markets fell while Wall Street traded sideways with investors awaiting more signs on the direction of interest rates and an earnings update from US tech giant Nvidia.

Platinum prices are rising due to tight supplies although the metal has fallen out of favour as miner Anglo American seeks to offload assets and fight a vast takeover bid from Australian rival BHP.

Tadej Pogacar continued his dominance of the Giro d'Italia after pounding his way to victory in Tuesday's shortened 16th stage, which started three hours late after riders rebelled at demands they race through snow.

Mohamed Salah said Liverpool "will fight like hell" to win trophies next season as the Egyptian hinted he will at least see out the final year of his contract at Anfield.

When Karim Khan was sworn in as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, he said the court should be judged by its acts -- "the proof of the pudding should be in the eating."

Donald Trump's defense lawyers rested their case Tuesday -- without the former president following through on a vow to testify -- as the judge planned jury deliberations in the historic criminal trial for early next week.

The UK government acted unlawfully by changing legislation to give police tougher powers to clamp down on street protests, judges ruled on Tuesday.

Three years after winning best actress for the much-loved "The Worst Person in the World", Norway's Renate Reinsve has again wowed Cannes Film Festival critics with one of the craziest laughter scenes ever filmed.

After Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara covered up the anti-homophobia logo on his shirt, his club's general manager pledged Tuesday that it would not happen again next season.

Ukraine said Tuesday that its allies could shoot down Russian missiles from their own territory, an apparent appeal stemming from the war-torn country's critical lack of air defence systems.

Apple is challenging a 1.8 billion-euro ($1.9-billion) fine by the European Union for thwarting access to information about cheaper music streaming services, an EU court said Tuesday.

A Greek court on Tuesday dropped charges against nine Egyptians over one of the Mediterranean's worst migrant shipwrecks in which rights groups said they had been made scapegoats for the failures of the Greek coastguard in the deaths of more than 600 people.

The death in a helicopter crash of president Ebrahim Raisi, seen as a possible successor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reshuffled the cards in the succession process and increased the spotlight on the Iranian number one's son Mojtaba as a contender.

Factories and schools near Naples were closed for inspections Tuesday after 150 tremors, including the biggest for 40 years, hit the volcanic region in southern Italy.

The self-styled prince at the heart of an alleged conspiracy-fuelled plot to attack Germany's parliament and topple the government rejected the accusations made against him as his trial opened Tuesday.

Tens of thousands mourned Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday after his death in a helicopter crash, amid political uncertainty ahead of an election for his successor next month.

The 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia started three hours late on Tuesday after riders' fury at demands they race through snow, for a shortened run of 118.4 km.

Inter Milan could change hands days after being crowned Italian champions as Tuesday's deadline for a near 400 million-euro debt repayment rears into view.

Afghanistan Tuesday roped in former West Indian allrounder and the leading wicket taker in Twenty20 cricket Dwayne Bravo as their bowling consultant for next month's World Cup.

Victims of a decades-long contaminated blood scandal that has killed about 3,000 people in Britain will start receiving final compensation payments this year, the government announced on Tuesday.

European stock markets fell while Wall Street indices were little changed Tuesday as traders awaited more signs on the direction of interest rates and an earnings update from US tech giant Nvidia.

Marcus Rashford paid for his poor season as the Manchester United forward was left out of England boss Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday.

Irish back Simon Zebo will retire from rugby at the end of the season, the Irish Rugby Union announced on Tuesday.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman apologized Tuesday to Scarlett Johansson after the movie star said she was "shocked" by a new synthetic voice released by the ChatGPT-maker, but he insisted the voice was not based on hers.

Progress in the US Federal Reserve's fight against inflation "likely resumed" last month, a senior bank official said Tuesday, adding that additional rate hikes were probably unnecessary.

Marcus Rashford paid for his poor season as the Manchester United forward was left out of England boss Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday.

Toni Kroos, a world champion and five-time Champions League winner, is eyeing two more major trophies after announcing on Tuesday he will retire after Euro 2024.