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

Former world number one Simona Halep will appear before a three-day hearing of the Court of Arbitration for Sport starting on Wednesday to appeal her four-year doping ban, CAS confirmed.

A gunshot interrupts the peaceful sleep of a leopard seal, lying nonchalantly on a small piece of ice floating in the shadow of an Antarctic glacier.

Hong Kong and Shanghai stock markets soared Tuesday after Chinese authorities moved to reverse a long-running rout, while US and European indices rose as investors also digested corporate results.

UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi on Tuesday said he had many questions for the Russian team in control of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ahead of a visit to the facility.

Red Bull Formula One team boss Christian Horner faces a hearing on Friday following an accusation of "inappropriate behaviour", British media reports said.

The EU on Tuesday urged a 90-percent cut to its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, even as the bloc's transition to a greener future was clouded by a widespread farmers' revolt.

King Charles III's estranged son Prince Harry reportedly arrived in London on Tuesday after his father's diagnosis of cancer, which his doctors said was "caught early".

Rassie Erasmus can dream of an unprecedented third successive Rugby World Cup title after signing a four-year contract as South Africa head coach on Tuesday which includes the 2027 global showpiece in Australia.

Naomi Osaka's comeback hit another roadblock as she suffered a 7-5, 6-0 defeat to former world number seven Danielle Collins in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday.

It's a case of Hermes vs Hermes.

As Britain digested the shock news of King Charles III's cancer diagnosis, it was almost business as usual outside his Buckingham Palace home in London, with well-wishers hoping he would make a speedy recovery.

Superstar Simone Biles leads a list of veteran champions vying with a talented new generation aiming to make a US women's Olympic gymnastics team that could be one for the ages.

The Senegalese opposition on Tuesday denounced a "constitutional coup" after parliament voted to delay the presidential election by 10 months, plunging the normally stable country into its worst crisis in decades.

Movistar general manager Eusebio Unzue has called for cycling's Grand Tours to be shortened to two weeks and teams to be allowed use replacements like in football to modernise the sport and make it "more humane".

A Kenyan court on Tuesday charged the leader of a starvation cult and dozens of suspected accomplices with murdering nearly 200 children in a forest near the Indian Ocean.

Liz Truss may have flopped as UK prime minister, but she remains on the political stage, launching on Tuesday a new movement that aims to push the ruling Conservatives rightwards.

Country music star Toby Keith, celebrated in Middle America for his patriotic fervor and songs extolling the pleasures of drinking, has passed away aged 62, a statement on his social media account said Tuesday.

Turkish police on Tuesday shot dead two assailants from a leftist organisation, branded "terrorists" by authorities, who attacked a security checkpoint outside Istanbul's main court, killing one person and injuring five, officials said.

The Tour de France may still be almost five months away but preparations have already begun for British sprinter Mark Cavendish who makes his first start in the Tour Colombia on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Egypt on Tuesday as part of his latest Middle East crisis tour, seeking a new ceasefire and "an enduring end" to the Israel-Hamas war.

King Charles III's estranged son Prince Harry was reportedly flying back to London Tuesday, raising hopes of a family reconciliation after his father's diagnosis of cancer which doctors "caught early".

Rotating cameras planted on a rooftop terrace "follow our every move", said Hebron resident Umm Nasser, protesting intensified Israeli surveillance of her occupied West Bank city since the start of the Gaza war.

British energy giant BP logged multi-billion-dollar annual profits Tuesday despite lower oil prices and following boardroom turmoil, sending its share price rallying thanks also to more big payouts to investors.

Hong Kong and Shanghai stock markets surged Tuesday after Chinese authorities pledged to help reverse a long-running rout, while Europe mostly gained as investors tracked company earnings.

Saudi Arabia drew 27 million foreign tourists in 2023 and has more than doubled its goal for the end of the decade, an official said on Tuesday.

King Charles III's cancer was caught early, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, after treatment began for the monarch who is just 18 months into his reign.

The European Union on Tuesday unveils its climate targets for 2040 and a roadmap for the next stage of its energy transition, with the bloc reeling from a farmer revolt against green reforms just months before European elections.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said several of his ageing stars are facing "the last dance" as they prepare to meet hosts and holders Qatar in Wednesday's Asian Cup semi-final.

At least eight people died and 80 were injured Tuesday in a giant explosion at a firework factory in India that saw balls of flames soar into the sky, officials said.

A Kenyan court on Tuesday charged the leader of a starvation cult and dozens of suspected accomplices with murder over the deaths of nearly 200 people in a forest near the Indian Ocean.

French investigators have opened a legal probe into the pay of Paris Olympics chief organiser Tony Estanguet, a legal source said Tuesday, in an embarrassing development six months before the Games begin.

Sevilla condemned a Rayo Vallecano fan's "obscene" act early Tuesday after the supporter poked forward Lucas Ocampos's backside with his finger during a La Liga match.