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

An Israeli strike on a car near the Syrian border killed a man Sunday, a security source said, after overnight fire wounded four people in Lebanon's east, a second security official said.

Jorge Martin hit the front in the first lap and never relinquished his lead to win the Portuguese MotoGP on Sunday, in the second race of the season.

Russia observed a national day of mourning on Sunday after a massacre in a Moscow concert hall killed 137 people, the deadliest attack in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt said it was "something special" to become just the fourth man to claim four titles in a World Cup season after Sunday's final downhill in Saalbach was cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

Turks will vote next Sunday in local polls as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, buoyed by a strong showing in last year's general elections, sets his sights on winning back Istanbul.

Slovakia's recent shift towards Russia has hit a hurdle, analysts said Sunday, after the pro-West former foreign minister Ivan Korcok topped the first round of the presidential election.

Marco Odermatt claimed the men's downhill crystal globe on Sunday when the final event of the Alpine World Cup skiing season in Saalbach was cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

Rescuers in boats and aircraft raced against the clock Sunday to help isolated people in Brazil's mountainous southeast after storms and heavy rains killed at least 20 people.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis both slammed their second century of the match as Sri Lanka set up a 511-run target for Bangladesh before pushing the hosts to the corner in the first Test on Sunday.

Heavy fighting raged in Gaza on Sunday as Israel has vowed to push on with its ground war in the territory's far south despite US objections and truce talks.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis became the third pair in Test history to score a century in both innings, as Sri Lanka set up a 511-run target for Bangladesh in the first Test Sunday.

Jesper Svensson finally shed his bridesmaid's tag by prevailing over Kiradech Aphibarnrat in a thrilling three-hole playoff battle to win the Porsche Singapore Classic on Sunday.

Ukraine claimed Sunday to have hit two Russian military ships stationed at the annexed peninsula of Crimea in overnight strikes, as it suffered another night of "massive" Russian aerial attacks.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis became the third pair in Test history to score a century in both innings, as Sri Lanka stretched their lead in the first Test against Bangladesh on Sunday.

More than 130 schoolchildren seized by gunmen in a mass kidnapping in northwestern Nigeria earlier this month were released unharmed on Sunday, officials and the army said.

Ukraine's capital Kyiv and the western region of Lviv came under a "massive" Russian air attack early Sunday, officials said, while Poland said one of the Russian missiles breached its airspace.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has said she is "enormously touched" by the support she has received from around the world following her shock announcement on Friday that she is being treated for cancer.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen said it felt like driving "with the handbrake on" after retiring from the Australian Grand Prix Sunday with smoke billowing from his Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz said he was savouring the moment Sunday after a "rollercoaster" start to the season culminated in a fighting victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

Andres Iniesta said he has paid additional tax owed in Japan over his failure to declare part of his income, but claimed that he had also declared the earnings in Spain.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz surged to victory at the Australian Grand Prix Sunday to snap Red Bull's winning start to the season after three-time world champion Max Verstappen sensationally failed to finish.

Search teams in southeastern Brazil rescued a girl buried for more than 16 hours in the rubble of a collapsed house following a powerful storm that has claimed at least a dozen lives.

The Boston Celtics pushed their NBA winning streak to nine games with a 124-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday as the Houston Rockets won their eighth straight, 147-119 over Utah.

A traumatic week for world number two Aryna Sabalenka came to an end with a third round, three set loss in the Miami Open to Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina on Saturday.

Sixteen undernourished Asiatic black bear cubs have been found in a home in Laos capital Vientiane by a conservation charity, the largest rescue of the year.

Fatih Macoglu, the popular "Communist Mayor" of a city in eastern Turkey, is now vying for control of a vibrant and hip Istanbul district along the Asian banks of the Bosphorus.

Seated before the tram's control panel, Benedikt Hanne, 24, deftly steered the red and white wagons, hours before heading to Nuremberg university to study for a social work degree.

The Senegalese go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president in a totally unpredictable race after three years of turmoil and political crisis.

American Ilia Malinin produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men's free skate on Saturday to capture his first figure skating world title.

Margaret Thatcher remains despised by many on the left of British politics, but the main Labour opposition seems comfortable citing her as it woos the right before this year's election.

Russia will observe a national day of mourning on Sunday after a massacre in a Moscow concert hall that killed more than 130 people, the deadliest attack in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.

Sameh Makki's soup kitchen is barely 100 metres from the market, but it can take two hours to make the journey through Sudan's war-torn streets, often through hails of bullets.