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

Ukrainian bombardments killed two people in a Russian border region on Saturday, its governor said, on the second day of presidential elections inussia guaranteed to cement Vladimir Putin's hardline rule.

A major fire in Cairo destroyed one of the Arab world's most prestigious and oldest film production houses, founded 80 years ago, an AFP journalist said.

Former Wallabies star Kurtley Beale played his first match in more than a year Saturday, resuming his career after being cleared of sexual assault last month.

Efforts towards a truce in the Israel-Hamas war continued Saturday after a new proposal from the Palestinian militant group which also called for more aid into Gaza, where famine threatens and the first food shipment by sea was unloaded.

Kaylee McKeown went close to her own 100m backstroke world record Saturday, hitting the wall at the NSW State Championships in the sixth-fastest time ever.

Ukrainian bombardments killed two people in a Russian border region on Saturday, its governor said, on the second day of presidential elections in Russia guaranteed to cement Vladimir Putin's hardline rule.

John Catlin carded the first sub-60 round in Asian Tour history on Saturday, his 11-under-par 59 catapulting him into the lead at the International Series Macau.

Shohei Ohtani said Saturday he was focused on baseball despite being the subject of sky-high global interest as he prepares to make his Los Angeles Dodgers regular-season debut in South Korea.

Maria Sakkari needed three sets and four match points to get past US Open champion Coco Gauff on Friday, setting up a title clash with world number one Iga Swiatek at the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters.

Golf is in "a bit of turmoil", Asian Tour boss Cho Minn Thant admitted on Saturday, but the circuit's decision to partner with upstart LIV had "worked out well" for players.

Environmental activists are increasingly facing hostility across Europe, a UN expert said, warning that the very right to protest was "at risk" in countries usually considered beacons of democracy.

In one of Mexico City's busiest neighborhoods on Friday, about 200 people took a collective nap in the middle of the street to celebrate World Sleep Day.

Virgil van Dijk says the intensity of Liverpool's bitter rivalry with Manchester United will make Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final a major test for his quadruple chasers.

Ireland can assure themselves of back to back Six Nations titles by beating Scotland at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Ireland head into the "Super Saturday" final round of the Six Nations as firm favourites to retain their title where a surprise slip-up could result in the trophy heading elsewhere.

The women's semi-final at Indian Wells between US Open champion Coco Gauff and Greece's Maria Sakkari resumed after a two-hour rain delay on Friday.

Tiger Woods and five other players on the PGA Tour Policy Board are being pushed to meet Monday with Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, according to multiple reports on Friday.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversaw paratroop drills aimed at showing his soldiers' ability to occupy an "enemy region at a stroke", state media said Saturday, days after the most recent annual US-South Korean military exercise.

Haitians were on edge Friday awaiting the naming of a transitional governing body meant to restore stability to the country, wracked by gang violence and largely isolated from the outside world.

Eric Nam barely spoke any Korean when he moved to South Korea to build a music career, but he somehow became one of the country's biggest K-Pop stars.

In a quintessentially American tale of race and politics, the lowly menthol cigarette is playing a curiously large role in the US presidential election this year.

It's still dark out, but Chilean lawyer Gonzalo Chiang and his dog Sam are already out jogging and collecting rubbish in Santiago's largest park.

Industrial fishing boats hover menacingly on the edges of Ecuador's Galapagos Marine Reserve, where schools of multicolored fish and hammerhead sharks frolic in the protected Pacific waters.

World number one Iga Swiatek overpowered Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1 on Friday to reach the final at the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters.

Rising star Wyndham Clark opened up a four-stroke lead at the Players Championship after his second straight round of 65 at TPC Sawgrass on Friday put him in a commanding position.

Former Australian Test wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has called time on the red-ball game, but will continue playing cricket's shorter formats.

Western Force coach Simon Cron has apologised after the struggling Super Rugby team crashed to a fourth straight defeat, describing their 22-14 loss to Moana Pasifika as "horrendous".

The United Nations appealed Friday for Sudan's battling factions to allow delivery of humanitarian relief to fend off looming "catastrophic" hunger.

On Sunday morning, 500 fans of a third division club that has never played a competitive game will board a bus in High Point, North Carolina, to travel to see their team's debut.

Cara Delevingne's Los Angeles home was gutted in a huge fire Friday, in a blaze that left the multimillion-dollar house a smoldering ruin.

Scotland and Romania will visit the United States for rugby matches in July as the Eagles test their talent and possible host venues for 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cup matches.

A goal and an assist from Xavi Simons and a Lois Openda brace helped RB Leipzig thump Cologne 5-1 away on Friday to leapfrog Borussia Dortmund into the top four.