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

France head coach Fabien Galthie said on Thursday he had selected Gregory Alldritt as captain for the Six Nations in Antoine Dupont's absence as he is younger than regular stand-in Charles Ollivon.

Rishi Sunak on Thursday urged members of the UK's unelected upper chamber of parliament to pass his contentious plan to send migrants to Rwanda, insisting it was "the will of the people".

Former England hooker Richard Cockerill has been appointed the new head coach of Georgia and will also manage the Tblisi-based Black Lion franchise, the Georgian rugby federation announced on Thursday on X.

Global stocks rebounded Thursday in choppy trade as investors assessed the outlook for interest rates after the previous day's sharp losses.

Indian-owned Tata Steel is to cut about 3,000 jobs at a plant in Wales, a source said Thursday, as the industry struggles to finance greener production of the metal.

Turkey on Thursday hailed the unexpected sighting of the leopard barbel fish -- listed as one of the most endangered in the world -- in the Tigris River.

The Anglo-Dutch group Just Eat Takeaway said Thursday that it would wind up its Paris subsidiary that employs riders on labour contracts but that it will continue to operate its delivery service in the French capital.

An all-European crew including Turkey's first astronaut are set to launch for the International Space Station on Thursday with Axiom Space, as countries increasingly look to the private sector to fulfill their final frontier ambitions.

Wanindu Hasaranga's bottom-order demolition eased Sri Lanka to a 2-1 series win against Zimbabwe Thursday after the tourists were bowled out in Colombo for 82, their worst-ever T20 total.

Emilio Nsue scored the first Africa Cup of Nations hat-trick since 2008 as Equatorial Guinea beat Guinea-Bissau 4-2 on Thursday to close in on a place in the last 16.

Generative artificial intelligence could transform healthcare through things like drug development and quicker diagnoses, but the World Health Organization warned Thursday of the potential pitfalls in rushing to embrace AI.

Icelanders forced from their town by a dramatic volcanic eruption face never returning home, after lava engulfed several homes in the town, something the island nation had not seen in five decades.

The post election crisis in the Comoros has intensified with the first reported death in street violence and a call from the opposition for a national day of protest on Friday against the "masquerade" of President Azali Assoumani's victory.

The Ecuadoran army and police on Thursday launched an operation in a vast penitentiary complex in the port city of Guayaquil, the nerve center of a drug war between the government and powerful criminal groups.

Turkish first division club Basaksekir on Thursday sent Israeli midfielder Eden Karzev on loan to Maccabi Tel Aviv following a probe into his repost of a social media message calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas militants.

Movie stars and indie darlings from Pedro Pascal and Kristen Stewart to Richard Linklater and Steven Soderbergh were headed to the mountains of Utah on Thursday for the 40th edition of the Sundance film festival.

Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga cut through Zimbabwe's bottom order to bowl the tourists out for their worst-ever T20 innings total of 82 in Thursday's series decider in Colombo.

Turkish first division club Basaksekir on Thursday ended the loan spell of Israeli midfielder Eden Karzev who reposted a social media message calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas militants.

The head of Russia's Bashkortostan said Thursday protests that shook the Urals region this week were organised by separatist "traitors" from abroad who want to start a "partisan war".

Australia followed hosts and holders Qatar into the last 16 of the Asian Cup with an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Syria on Thursday.

French rally great Sebastien Loeb's hopes of a first ever Dakar Rally success all but evaporated on Thursday after he was stranded in the desert for more than an hour due to a mechanical problem.

Global stocks attempted to rebound Thursday in choppy trade as investors assessed the outlook for interest rates after the previous day's sharp losses.

The deputy leader of Yemen's presidential council said Thursday that its military forces need foreign assistance to launch a ground operation that would back US and UK air strikes against Huthi rebels.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned employees that more layoffs are in store at the search engine giant as it focused on new priorities, including artificial intelligence.

Julien Sommer has been putting on a puppet show in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower since he was 15, filling his picturesque theatre with starry-eyed children and their parents several times a week.

Ukraine's defence minister warned Thursday that the country faced a "very real and pressing" ammunition shortage in its grinding near-two-year battle against Russia, as Western allies met in Paris to agree new artillery supplies.

"Oppenheimer" on Thursday led the shortlist of films vying for recognition at Britain's forthcoming BAFTA awards, earning an unrivalled 13 nominations, including a first ever for leading actor Cillian Murphy.

Turkey on Thursday hailed the unexpected discovery of the leopard barbel fish -- listed as one of the most endangered in the world -- in the Tigris River.

A Kenyan court on Thursday charged the leader of a starvation cult with terrorism over the deaths of more than 400 of his followers.

Israeli ground troops killed dozens of militants in "close-quarters combat" Thursday, the army said, as it intensified operations in Khan Yunis, south Gaza's biggest city.

Former South Africa fly-half Elton Jantjies has been banned from rugby for four years after using a prohibited substance, the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) said on Thursday.

Russian prosecutors on Thursday requested a nearly five-year prison sentence for former separatist commander Igor Girkin, a sharp critic of President Vladimir Putin, arrested and detained last year on "extremism" charges.