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

Los Angeles FC's attempt to defend their MLS Cup crown ended in a 2-1 defeat to the Columbus Crew on Saturday and now, after losses in two finals in a season, they face the possible exits of their biggest name players.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq stood their ground at UN climate talks on Sunday as pressure mounted for nations to agree on a phase-out of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai.

Atletico Madrid climbed provisionally third in La Liga with a tight 2-1 win over bottom-of-the-table Almeria on Sunday.

Javier Milei was sworn in Sunday as Argentina's president, as the country steels itself for harsh spending cuts and economic reforms aimed at curbing rampant inflation.

Anti-EU populist Nigel Farage's star turn on a popular reality TV show is fuelling speculation the divisive figure may be plotting a sensational return to frontline British politics.

A late mistake from Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf gave Nice a slightly lucky 2-1 win on Sunday which moves them back up to second place in Ligue 1.

Iranian authorities have accused a Swedish EU diplomat, held in a Tehran prison for more than 600 days, of conspiring with Iran's arch-enemy Israel, the judiciary said Sunday.

Bruno Fernandes has apologised for Manchester United's embarrassing defeat against Bournemouth as the Portugal star admitted his side did not have enough effort or quality.

Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi denounced Sunday a "tyrannical and anti-women religious" government in Iran, in a speech delivered by her children who accepted the award in her absence.

Erling Haaland misses Manchester City's Premier League clash against Luton on Sunday with a foot injury that could impact his availability for the champions' hectic Christmas schedule.

The president of the UN's COP28 climate talks urged negotiators to compromise on Sunday, warning "failure is not an option" as efforts to reach a deal on phasing out fossil fuels met resistance from top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.

West African leaders met in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Sunday for talks on their region in deepening crisis, after four countries fell under military rule and with risks growing from Sahel jihadist conflicts.

There has been a mixed response from anti-racism groups over a newly modified version of the Tintin comic books, after it was widely criticised over its colonialist depiction of Africans.

An original cover painting from the 1963 comic book Asterix and Cleopatre was to go under the hammer on Sunday despite a legal challenge from the artist's daughter.

Golden Sixty stole the show by winning the Group One Hong Kong Mile for a record-equalling third time at Sha Tin on Sunday as local horses dominated the Hong Kong International Races.

UN climate talks negotiators were under growing pressure on Sunday as the deadline nears to strike a new global deal aimed at keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The men's World Cup slalom in the French resort of Val d'Isere and the women's super-G across the Swiss border in St. Moritz were both cancelled on Sunday because of bad weather.

Israeli forces on Sunday fought Palestinian militants around southern Gaza's main city, as the UN chief decried divisions that had "paralysed" the Security Council's response to the two-months-old war.

A small minority of countries at UN climate talks are blocking a growing consensus to phase out fossil fuels, at-risk Vanuatu's climate change minister told AFP on Sunday.

Polling stations opened Sunday for Egyptians to vote in a presidential election overshadowed by war in neighbouring Gaza and with little doubt that the incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will secure a third term.

At an 11th-century castle off the coast of southern England, two knights in suits of shining armour charge at each other on horseback at top speed, wooden lances at the ready.

Expectations for Poland's pro-EU government which is due to take power next week are sky-high but current ruling nationalists will still be a powerful and influential opposition, analysts say.

The Nobel Peace Prize will be handed out in Oslo on Sunday but with the notable absence of winner Narges Mohammadi, currently in prison, who will be represented by her children.

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by a monster game from Anthony Davis, beat the upstart Indiana Pacers 123-109 to win the first edition of the NBA in-season tournament on Saturday.

Armed with tape and scissors, Alexei Orlov attached some cardboard on a wall outside a residential building known as the "Writers' House" in Moscow.

Eddie Jones is set to be re-appointed as the head coach of Japan's national rugby team pending approval from the union's board, local media reported Sunday, less than two months after he walked out on the Wallabies.

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by a monster game from Anthony Davis, beat the upstart Indiana Pacers 123-109 to win the first edition of the NBA in-season tournament on Saturday.

A Philippine boat and a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided near a hotly contested reef on Sunday, with both countries trading blame for the latest such confrontation in the disputed South China Sea.

The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates at a 22-year high for a third consecutive meeting on Wednesday as it continues to fight elevated inflation.

A growing number of US business leaders are rallying behind former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as the Republican Party's presidential hopeful, seeing her as more stable than rival Donald Trump, and more favorable to business interests than incumbent Joe Biden.

A dream debut by Matthew Forde helped guide the West Indies to a series-clinching four-wicket win over England in the decisive third and final match of their One-Day International series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.

Ethiopian migrants who crossed the sea in pursuit of a better life have one goal in mind as they hide in the Saudi mountains: avoid border guards, and their deadly shots.