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

Arguably the best team to watch in France just now under Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, Lille are preparing for their first ever European quarter-final while also targeting qualification for next season's Champions League.

Kenya's double Olympic gold medallist Eliud Kipchoge and defending women's champion Peres Jepchirchir were included Thursday in a star-studded marathon team to this year's Paris Olympics, athletics officials said.

Arsenal said Thursday there were "no obvious cardiac causes" for Frida Maanum's collapse during last weekend's Women's League Cup final win over Chelsea.

In the dead of night a drone hovers over a prison in southern France, secretly dropping packages to inmates inside. But one parcel becomes stuck in the railing outside a cell window, and guards seize three others.

Venice's mayor on Thursday promised a light touch "without queues" when the city rolls out a new ticket policy in a few weeks, seeking to cut down on the hordes of visitors who descend on its canalled streets every summer.

The universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate, but it may have slowed down recently compared to a few billion years ago, early results from the most precise measurement of its evolution yet suggested Thursday.

Australia's Nathan Lyon has said the chance to be on the same side as longstanding Ashes rival James Anderson was a "big part" of his decision to sign up for a stint with English county side Lancashire.

Somalia on Thursday ordered the expulsion of Ethiopia's ambassador and said it was recalling its own envoy to Addis Ababa, accusing its neighbour of "bluntly interfering" in its internal affairs.

US President Joe Biden faced growing calls Thursday to turn outrage over the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza into conditions on military support for Israel, as he prepared to confront Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the incident.

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday condemned Russia's "threatening" tone following rare phone talks between the French and Russian defence ministers that only served to underline the gaping gulf between Moscow and Europe two years into the invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea on Thursday of Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura performing at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics and urged his compatriots to have "confidence" ahead of the Games.

US and European stock markets rose Thursday on the eve of key US data, while gold set another record peak on the back of geopolitical tensions and hopes of interest-rate cuts.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was unhappy at being asked about the club's finances before Saturday's key clash with Premier League relegation rivals Everton.

The US trade deficit expanded in February by more than analysts expected to reach its highest level since April 2023, as imports once again exceeded exports, according to government data published Thursday.

The Baths of Caracalla, one of Rome's most spectacular sites, unveiled a special pool on Thursday that reflects the majestic ruins, in an interplay of the contemporary and ancient.

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals for the next three editions, the Women's Tennis Association said on Thursday, following widespread speculation and criticism from some of the game's greats.

The booming use of electric vehicles in parts of California is reducing CO2 emissions in those areas, a study showed Thursday, bolstering a key pillar of the state's drive towards net zero.

Cameroonian football federation president Samuel Eto'o has written to the country's sports ministry to denounce its "illegal" appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as the new national team coach.

South Africa's former parliament speaker was charged with corruption and money laundering Thursday, piling new pressure on the governing African National Congress (ANC) party ahead of elections in May.

Russia's two-time Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev has been excluded from qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Games this week because of his support of the war in Ukraine, the sport's governing body said on Thursday.

Just one in three people live a nation that guarantees the independence of universities and research, according to an annual index warning that academic freedom is declining worldwide, particularly in Russia, China and India.

A French court will deliver its verdict Thursday for four men charged in connection with the 2018 Christmas market attack in France's eastern city of Strasbourg, which left five people dead and 11 wounded.

Vote-weary Kuwait heads to the polls for the third time in three years on Thursday, just months into the reign of a new emir but with no end in sight to the major oil exporter's chronic political paralysis.

Oleksandr Zinchenko reckons Arsenal's pursuit of Premier League and European glory has proved they can live with the world's leading clubs.

More than 50 people were arrested and 17 police officers injured when football fans clashed with authorities after a match in Croatia's coastal town of Split, officials said Thursday.

Rio Ferdinand believes Marcus Rashford may have to leave Manchester United if the England forward is to revive his faltering career.

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday denounced as "bizarre and threatening" Russia's tone following rare phone talks between the defence ministers of France and Russia, their first contact since 2022.

French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea on Thursday of Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura performing at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics following criticism from conservatives about the prospect.

European equities rose Thursday on the eve of key US data, while gold set another record peak on haven demand and hopes of interest-rate cuts.

The Philippines will hold joint naval drills with the United States, Japan and Australia, two diplomatic sources told AFP Thursday, as the four countries deepen military ties to counter China's expanding influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has told his side to prepare for another Premier League title race that goes all the way to the last day of the season.

George Russell believes Mercedes can start with "a fresh sheet of paper" without Lewis Hamilton and says their relationship has improved since his Ferrari-bound team-mate announced he is leaving after this season.