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

A volcano in Iceland was erupting on Tuesday, with geysers of molten lava shooting into the pitch-black night sky after weeks of seismic activity had the region southwest of the capital on high alert.

A second-hand pop-up store in Tokyo by casual clothing giant Uniqlo was a first for the Japanese firm, but also a sign that a local aversion to used garments may finally be fading.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to accelerate his country's nuclear build-up and warned Washington against making a "wrong decision" after overseeing the launch of the country's most powerful ballistic missile, state media said Tuesday.

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday after Federal Reserve officials looked to dampen expectations for a series of interest rate cuts next year, while the yen edged up ahead of a closely watched Bank of Japan policy decision later in the day.

Rescue teams on Tuesday evacuated a flood-ravaged town in northeastern Australia, racing to airlift hundreds of people to safety before they run out of food and water.

The UN Security Council is expected on Tuesday to accede to a demand from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and launch a gradual withdrawal of peacekeepers, starting later this month.

A US jury on Monday ordered chemical company Monsanto to pay $857 million to seven people at a school in the western state of Washington who said they were sickened by chemicals leaking from light fittings.

Victor Wembanyama's first clash with Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to wait after the San Antonio Spurs said their sensational rookie would miss Tuesday's NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a sore right ankle.

A volcanic eruption began Monday night in Iceland, south of the capital Reykjavik, following an earthquake swarm, Iceland's Meteorological Office said.

Blue Origin said it would try again on Tuesday to launch a rocket and return to space for the first time in more than a year, after scrubbing a mission for last-minute technical reasons.

Lionel Messi is expected to line-up against his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys after the Argentine team agreed to a pre-season friendly game at Inter Miami in February.

The Republican governor of Texas signed a bill on Monday that would allow state police to arrest and deport migrants who cross illegally into the United States from Mexico.

Russian competitors remain banned from track and field events at next year's Paris Olympics but Sebastian Coe on Monday conceded that "the world changes" and said the situation was being monitored.

Rising Hollywood star Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, prompting Marvel to drop him from a prime role in its superhero blockbusters.

Stocks on Wall Street finished the day mostly higher Monday as traders reacted to news of a large steel acquisition and both caution and optimism from a number of senior US Federal Reserve officials about interest rates.

The United States on Monday announced a 10-nation coalition to quell Huthi missile and drone attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea, with Britain, France, Bahrain and Italy among countries joining the "multinational security initiative."

NASA on Monday announced it had used a state-of-the-art laser communication system on a spaceship 19 million miles (31 million kilometers) away from Earth -- to send a high-definition cat video.

Fourteen people were killed and 178 others injured after a powerful explosion and fire at the main fuel depot in Guinea rocked the centre of the capital Conakry early on Monday, causing substantial damage and bringing the city to a standstill.

Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz credited his side's experience for riding out an Al Ahly storm to reach the final of the Club World Cup with a 2-0 win on Monday.

Japan's Nippon Steel agreed to buy US Steel Corp for $14.1 billion, the companies announced on Monday, sparking criticism about the firm's ownership in an industry crucial to US national security.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Monday that the tickets for the Paris Olympics are "expensive" and pleaded for the families of athletes to be given priority by organisers.

Finland on Monday signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation with the United States, saying it saw a long-term threat from Russia, a day after its giant neighbor issued a warning over Helsinki's recent entrance into NATO.

Prolonged negotiations have led the UN Security Council to postpone to Tuesday a vote on a resolution that had sought a new ceasefire in Gaza, diplomatic sources said, as Washington exhibits growing impatience with key ally Israel.

A team of international observers on Monday slammed Serbian elections over a string of "irregularities" including "vote buying" and "ballot box stuffing", after the opposition accused the ruling populist party of committing voter fraud.

Apple on Monday said it will stop selling some of its smartwatch models in the United States while it fights a patent battle over technology for detecting blood oxygen levels.

Fluminense advanced to the Club World Cup final after two goals in the final 20 minutes proved enough to beat a spirited Al Ahly 2-0 in Jeddah on Monday.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee has been suspended without pay for the rest of the season by the NFL for what the league called "repeated violations of player safety rules'.

The US Justice Department announced the launch on Monday of a national database to document misconduct by federal law enforcement officers.

North Korea on Monday test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that has the potential to reach the United States, extending a record-breaking number of weapons tests this year and triggering further international condemnation.

A team of international observers on Monday slammed Serbian elections over a string of "irregularities", including "vote buying" and "ballot box stuffing", after the opposition accused the ruling populist party of committing voter fraud.

In her hairdressing salon in northern France, Elise Legrand was delighted to have contributed to the short haircut that saw one of her customers elected Miss France.

A major US union representing steelworkers slammed the deal by Japan's Nippon Steel to buy US Steel Corp for $14.1 billion, which was confirmed on Monday just months after US Steel rejected an offer from its main domestic rival.