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

Steve Smith said Sunday he felt obligated to step up and replace David Warner as Australia's Test opener, but also admitted it suited him because he got bored waiting to come in at four.

China's campaign of warplanes, balloons and fearsome rhetoric to intimidate voters in Taiwan's elections may have failed, but few expect President Xi Jinping to deviate from his strategy of maximum pressure.

Jannik Sinner admitted he already has half an eye on an Australian Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic after a hard-fought opening-round victory over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp on Sunday

Sitting with her two children in a hotel room in Russia, Anna Demkina only watches cartoons.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday, Seoul's military said, days after Pyongyang staged live-fire exercises near the tense maritime border with the South.

Australian cyclist Sarah Gigante overpowered her rivals with a strong hill assault to claim a dominant final stage win Sunday, carrying off the women's Tour Down Under title.

Undefeated Artur Beterbiev defended three world light-heavyweight boxing titles by stopping Britain's Callum Smith in the seventh round on Saturday, winning by knockout for the 20th time in as many fights.

The Kansas City Chiefs took another step toward a Super Bowl title defense Saturday, routing the Miami Dolphins 26-7 at frigid Arrowhead Stadium in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Novak Djokovic will launch his bid for Grand Slam history at the Australian Open on Sunday against an 18-year-old qualifier after Jannik Sinner came through a testing opener in style.

Lavish celebrations for the wedding of Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen and his wife reached a climax Sunday with a glittering ceremony attended by government leaders and blue-blooded guests from Asia and the Middle East.

Former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova survived a scare to reach the second round of the Australian Open on Sunday, beating Japanese wildcard Mai Hontama 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Fourth seed Jannik Sinner fired up his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a hard-fought straight-sets victory over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp at the Australian Open on Sunday.

Taiwan on Sunday told China to "face reality" and respect its election result, after voters defied Beijing's warnings and chose pro-sovereignty candidate Lai Ching-te as president.

Artificial intelligence raises serious concerns for jobs but it will also create new positions, the head of Adecco, the world's biggest temporary staffing agency, told AFP.

Former PGA Champion Keegan Bradley closed with back-to-back birdies to grab a share of the third-round lead alongside Grayson Murray on Saturday in the US PGA Tour Sony Open at Waialae in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Comoran voters head to polling stations Sunday to decide whether to hand a third-straight term to President Azali Assoumani, who has voiced confidence in securing re-election over a divided opposition on the Indian Ocean archipelago.

The war between Israel and Hamas entered its 100th day on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed "no one will stop us" from destroying the militant group.

After years of war, drought and economic crisis, Omar Abdel-Fattah was forced to rent out his farmland in northeast Syria, preferring a more stable job to provide for his family.

Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum added 27 as the Boston Celtics remained unbeaten at home, defeating Houston 145-113 on Saturday in former Celtics coach Ime Udoka's return to Boston.

British supermodel Kate Moss, whose looks embodied "Cool Britannia" in the 1990s, turns 50 on Tuesday, and still fascinates the country.

Delayed by four months due to Hollywood strikes, television's Emmy Awards will finally take place on Monday, with the final season of HBO's "Succession" expected to dominate the top drama prizes.

Bernardo Arevalo is due to be sworn in on Sunday as Guatemala's president after warding off months of judicial machinations to block him from office after his vow to clamp down on deep-rooted corruption.

Voters venture into sub-zero temperatures Monday to kick off the Republican presidential nomination race with the Iowa caucuses, the first major test of whether runaway front-runner Donald Trump is as much of a sure thing as he appears.

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi has anointed Novak Djokovic as the greatest men's player of all time, saying you cannot argue with the weight of his achievements.

Kate Douglass clocked an American record of 2min 19.30sec to win the women's 200m breaststroke on Saturday as the Pro Swim series meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee, concluded.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud continued his remarkable season, throwing three touchdowns as the Houston Texans delivered a brutal ending to Joe Flacco's comeback story with a 45-14 victory in the opening NFL wildcard playoff game on Saturday.

A private US lunar lander that has been leaking fuel throughout its journey is now headed for Earth and will likely burn up in the atmosphere, the company said Saturday.

Inter Milan continued their domination of the Serie A title race on Saturday by crushing Monza 5-1 and moving five points clear at the summit, while last-gasp drama gave Napoli a 2-1 win over Salernitana.

US climate envoy John Kerry, a key player in the Biden administration's push to tackle climate change, will step down to work on the president's reelection bid, media reported Saturday.

Four-time Champions Cup winners Leinster hammered Stade Francais 43-7 on Saturday to book their place in the last 16 where they were joined by Toulouse who crushed Ulster 48-24.

Rennes eased to a 2-0 victory over Nice on Saturday, condemning their opponents to a third defeat in five Ligue 1 games and handing Paris Saint-Germain the chance to go eight points clear at the top of the table.

Seko Fofana's stunning early goal set hosts Ivory Coast on the way to a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau before a euphoric crowd as the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off on Saturday.