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

Climate change was the chief driver of the devastating drought that gripped the Amazon last year, say researchers, as warming threatens one of the world's most important ecosystems for stabilising the global climate.

US Open champion Coco Gauff said she was proud of herself and heading in the right direction despite falling short of making another Grand Slam final on Thursday.

Taking Kaoru Mitoma to the Asian Cup had been "a risk", Japan's coach Hajime Moriyasu said Thursday, with the injured Brighton winger yet to play and no timescale for his return.

Haute couture week in Paris showcases the fashion world's most elite outfits -- one-off, made-to-measure creations that the labels hope will adorn red carpets and high society events around the world.

Russian nationalist and ex-rebel commander Igor Girkin, whose pro-Moscow militants sparked a decade-long armed conflict in east Ukraine, was jailed for four years Thursday after repeatedly criticising the Kremlin.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal led India's charging reply to England's 246, which had been driven by captain Ben Stokes' half-century on an all-attacking opening day of the first Test on Thursday.

European stock markets dropped in morning trades on Thursday as investors awaited an update on the outlook for eurozone interest rates.

An Austrian court on Thursday approved the transfer of Josef Fritzl -- an incest rapist who fathered seven children with his daughter he locked in a cellar for over 24 years -- from a special security unit to a regular jail.

Questions remained Thursday over the military plane crash that Russia said had killed dozens of captured Ukrainian soldiers ahead of a planned prisoner exchange.

Formidable world number two Aryna Sabalenka blasted past Coco Gauff into the Australian Open final on Thursday to keep her title defence on track.

A Spanish judge on Thursday proposed that disgraced former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales be tried over the kiss he forced on Women's World Cup star Jenni Hermoso.

Israel stepped up its assault in the Gazan city of Khan Yunis on Thursday, with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas saying dozens were killed in heavy bombardment and urban combat.

Finnish telecommunications equipment maker Nokia warned Thursday that it expects another tough economic environment in the first half of this year after its net profit sank in 2023.

England captain Ben Stokes hit a defiant 70 to round out an attacking innings, with India's spinners holding the tourists to 246 on day one of the opening Test on Thursday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explored greater coordination with emerging regional partner Angola on Thursday, capping a tour of Africa to champion US-friendly democracies as global crises mount.

Real Madrid have climbed to the top of football's 'Money League' as the Spanish side surpassed Manchester City to become the highest revenue-generating club in 2022-23.

President Emmanuel Macron was given a red carpet welcome and an elephant honour guard on Thursday as he started a two-day visit to India, with France eyeing lucrative deals with the world's fifth-largest economy.

Kavem Hodge and Joshua Da Silva led a West Indies fightback in the middle session of the second Test to reach 145-5 against Australia at the Gabba on Thursday.

France's government scrambled on Thursday to come up with answers to farmers blocking motorways and demonstrating at public buildings across the country, after a fuel tax rise detonated long-standing resentments.

Colombia has declared a state of emergency in two regions as dozens of forest fires burned wide swathes of the country and left the capital choking on smoke during record temperatures linked with the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Two US lawmakers met Taiwanese president-elect Lai Ching-te on Thursday to reaffirm Washington's support for the self-ruled island, which China claims as part of its territory.

Novak Djokovic meets Jannik Sinner for a place in the Australian Open final on Friday, boosted by the knowledge he cannot be toppled as world number one after the shock exit of Carlos Alcaraz.

Shanghai and Hong Kong stocks built on their recent rally Thursday as traders awaited fresh pledges of stimulus from Chinese officials a day after they announced a measure to boost bank lending, though other Asian markets fluctuated.

From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menace in the urban landscape of Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital and the continent's most populous city.

The news that Saudi Arabia will allow its first alcohol shop has citizens and foreigners alike mulling one question: is this a minor policy tweak, or a major upheaval?

Japan's "Moon Sniper" craft made a pin-point lunar landing despite last-minute engine problems, the space agency said Thursday as it released the first images from the mission.

Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined to dent England after a brisk start by the tourists in the opening Test on Thursday.

France's highest constitutional authority will on Thursday issue a keenly-awaited verdict on whether an immigration bill adopted under pressure from the far-right is in line with its basic law.

Statues of British colonial figures Captain James Cook and Queen Victoria were damaged in Melbourne on Thursday, as annual Australia Day celebrations were again marked by division and protest.

Israeli air strikes and ground operations were focused Thursday on the Gazan city of Khan Yunis, where the UN said nine people were killed by tank shelling at one of its shelters the day before.

Devin Booker produced another high-scoring gem to help the Phoenix Suns notch a seventh-straight victory on Wednesday as Milwaukee shrugged off the sacking of coach Adrian Griffin to end Cleveland's unbeaten streak.

A Japanese court on Thursday sentenced to death the perpetrator of a 2019 arson attack on an animation studio that killed 36 people, local media reported.