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

Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou has vowed not to let a clash with old club Queensland Reds get personal this weekend as the Melbourne Rebels look to equal their longest win streak in Super Rugby.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un drove a "new-type main battle tank" while overseeing military training exercises, state media said Thursday, as Seoul and Washington wrap joint drills to improve deterrence.

When England head to Lyon on Saturday to face France in a potential Six Nations title decider they will be shorn of four members of the side that took them to a surprise third place in the Rugby World Cup in October.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is pushing forward on the presidential campaign trail, traversing the country to energize supporters despite having little chance of overcoming the hurdles the state has placed in her way.

The leader of Bulgaria's Orthodox Christian church, Patriarch Neophyte, died late Wednesday at the age of 78, the Holy Synod announced.

OpenAI on Wednesday announced partnerships with French daily Le Monde and Spanish conglomerate Prisa Media, saying it intends to develop news-related uses of its ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool.

The UK government on Thursday unveiled a new definition of extremism, as church leaders warned it risked disproportionately affecting Muslim communities.

Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited a Bangkok temple Thursday in his first public appearance since being freed early from a jail sentence for graft and abuse of power.

US Open champion Coco Gauff, who celebrated her 20th birthday with a "straightforward" victory at Indian Wells on Wednesday, says on-court goals are her priority for the next decade.

Trailblazing Australian gay soccer player Josh Cavallo has proposed to his partner on the pitch at his club Adelaide United, thanking the team for providing "a safe space in football".

American Emma Navarro shocked Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Wednesday as Coco Gauff sailed through.

Atletico Madrid bounced back from two goals down on aggregate against Inter Milan to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shoot-out triumph on Wednesday.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho said there was "no better feeling" after his goal helped secure a 2-0 win over PSV Eindhoven and progress to the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Atletico Madrid bounced back from two goals down on aggregate against Inter Milan to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shoot-out triumph on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting line-up and scored as Paris Saint-Germain beat Nice 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the French Cup on Wednesday.

A third-minute goal from Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus' late strike sent Borussia Dortmund through to the Champions League last eight with a 2-0 win on Wednesday, sealing a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Actor Olivia Munn revealed Wednesday that she had undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Bournemouth staged an astonishing fightback from three goals down to beat Luton 4-3 and spoil Tom Lockyer's emotional return to the scene of his near-death ordeal on Wednesday.

American Emma Navarro shocked second-seeded Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA and ATP Indian Wells Masters.

A United States special envoy on Wednesday urged Panama to stop Iranian ships from flying its flag, which allows Tehran to evade sanctions imposed by Washington.

A powerful Haitian gang leader pledged Wednesday to continue his fight that has plunged the country into chaos, after the crisis-wracked nation's prime minister agreed to step aside and be replaced by a transitional governing body.

The US economy is not expected to see stagflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an interview broadcast Wednesday, adding that most forecasters expect inflation to cool as housing costs move lower.

European stock markets rose Wednesday, with Paris and Frankfurt setting new records, while Wall Street saw a gloomy close as traders await fresh data.

Midfielder Tyler Adams is back in the United States squad for the first time since the World Cup in Qatar after coach Gregg Berhalter called him up for this month's CONCACAF Nations League finals.

American Emma Navarro shocked second-seeded Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA and ATP Indian Wells Masters.

A large suspected gas explosion at a building in northern China has left at least seven people dead and dozens more injured, state media reported Thursday.

Brazil is charging up for a hybrid revolution as global car manufacturers race to pump billions of dollars into the development of green vehicles in Latin America's biggest economy.

TikTok creators voiced outrage Wednesday over proposed legislation that could scuttle the platform in the United States, saying it defies common sense and financial wisdom.

After years of chaos in Haiti, ultraviolent gangs have turned into their own power centers, posing a massive challenge as the international community pushes a political solution for the country's crisis.

The United States is not expected to see stagflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an interview broadcast Wednesday, adding that most forecasters expect inflation to cool as housing costs move lower.

Haitian stakeholders were working feverishly Wednesday to form a transitional governing body, after Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign in hopes of restoring order to the impoverished nation as it faces a deep crisis of gang violence.

The main UN aid agency in war-ravaged Gaza said an Israeli strike Wednesday hit one of its warehouses, killing an employee, as calls intensified for land routes to bring food into the besieged territory.