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

Tens of thousands of public-sector workers in Northern Ireland walked off the job on Thursday, in what one union boss said could be the biggest strike in the province.

Two men were arrested in the murder of the Ecuadoran prosecutor charged with investigating last week's dramatic, live-broadcast assault by gangsters on a TV studio, authorities said Thursday.

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

Unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova shocked last year's runner-up Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open on Thursday, winning the longest tie-break in Grand Slam history as world number one Iga Swiatek came back from the brink.

Carlos Alcaraz revealed Thursday he is a huge fan of the Sylvester Stallone movie franchise 'Rocky' and is using it as motivation at the Australian Open.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday picked a nationalist former member of a hard-right party to run for mayor of Ankara in closely watched March 31 local elections.

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

Unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova said it was the best day of her life after beating last year's Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina Thursday following the longest tie-break in a singles match in Grand Slam history.

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic on Thursday said returned English winger Jadon Sancho was in "outstanding" condition despite having not played since August.

Europe's major stock markets rose Thursday in choppy trade after a largely upbeat Asian session, as investors assessed the outlook for global interest rates after the previous day's sharp losses.

Baluchistan is a restive region shared by Iran and Pakistan where security forces on both sides of the border have for years battled militant groups but which now risks being the subject of escalating tensions between the neighbours.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani on Thursday repeated his call for the US-led international anti-jihadist coalition to depart his country amid soaring regional tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

Taiwan's TSMC will open its latest chipmaking foundry on Japan's Kyushu island on February 24, but a plant in the United States will face further delays, the company said Thursday.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, spent her third day in hospital on Thursday following surgery, as King Charles III was poised for prostate surgery, creating a royal frontline staffing shortage.

France's far-right leader Jordan Bardella on Thursday rejected accusations in a television report that he used an anonymous Twitter account to share racist messages when he was a local elected official.

Rembrandt's earliest works, painted when the Dutch master was only 18 years old, will soon be on display together for the first time in his hometown of Leiden.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu dismissed Thursday criticism of his team's opening performance at the Asian Cup, saying: "It just shows that people are watching us."

Jordan Henderson has moved a step closer to ending his much-criticised spell with Saudi club Al-Ettifaq by undergoing a medical with Dutch side Ajax, a source close to the negotiations told AFP on Thursday.

Meta's former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, announced that she is leaving the company's board after more than a decade.

French police officers were urged to protest Thursday to press their claim for extra pay during this year's Paris Olympics, underlining the threat of strikes and disruption to the Games.

At a research facility in Kyiv, forensic experts pour over the wreckage of missiles, working to confirm that despite unprecedented sanctions, Russia is still using imported components to attack Ukraine.

Carlos Alcaraz said he reached a "great level" as he booked his ticket for the Australian Open third round on Thursday after Iga Swiatek staged an astonishing comeback to stay alive.

India's newest airline, Akasa Air, said Thursday it has ordered 150 Boeing 737 MAX planes as it looks to bolster its fleet and kick off international operations.

All eyes will be on Switzerland's runaway World Cup leader Marco Odermatt when racing on the hallowed snow of Kitzbuehel gets under way this weekend.

Ugandan opposition leader and former presidential candidate Bobi Wine said on Thursday police had surrounded his residence and put him "under house arrest" ahead of a planned protest.

Asian Cup hosts and holders Qatar have been on a mission to banish the painful memory of their 2022 World Cup flop and forward Akram Afif is leading the charge.

Taiwan's TSMC will open its latest chipmaking foundry on Japan's Kyushu island on February 24, its chairman said Thursday, part of the semiconductor giant's plan to expand its global manufacturing footprint.

An inspired spell of bowling from Josh Hazlewood and a brilliant attacking century from Travis Head put Australia in complete control of the first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide on Thursday.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set Thursday before rediscovering his mojo to battle into the Australian Open third round, coming good when it mattered.

Pakistan said Thursday it carried out strikes against militant targets in Iran, with Tehran reporting a death toll of nine civilians after staging its own air raid in Pakistan earlier this week.

Israeli strikes killed dozens more people overnight, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Thursday, including in the territory's south where Israel has intensified operations.

The International Monetary Fund said it has granted Kenya a new loan of more than $941 million to help buttress the finances of the cash-strapped East African nation.