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

Nestle shares slipped on Wednesday after the Swiss food giant announced the earlier-than-expected departure of its chairman, just weeks after the sudden ouster of its chief executive over an office relationship.

The top suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal was freed from a German prison on Wednesday, an AFP journalist at the scene reported.

American tennis player Taylor Townsend apologised on Wednesday after calling turtle and bullfrog served at a dinner buffet "crazy" while at the Billie Jean King Cup in China.

Peru has evacuated around 1,600 tourists from a train station that serves the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu after a local protest escalated into clashes with police.

Nepal flew flags at half-mast during a national day of mourning Wednesday for the 73 people killed during youth-led anti-corruption protests that toppled the government.

British inflation was unchanged in August, official data showed Wednesday, fuelling expectations that the Bank of England will not cut interest rates again at its meeting this week.

Maoist rebels in India are suspending their armed struggle and are ready for talks, they said in a statement, though authorities said Wednesday they were still verifying its authenticity.

Israel's army said Wednesday it had opened a temporary new route to allow people to flee Gaza City, a day after launching a major ground assault aimed at crushing Hamas.

Singapore's exports slid again in August according to official figures out Wednesday, as shipments to its biggest markets -- the US and China -- keep dropping.

Authorities have shared their most detailed account yet of the investigation set off by the killing of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which concluded with a suspect surrendering to police.

Four years after the military seized power, Guineans will finally vote on a new draft constitution that would pave the way for elections but also permit the country's junta leader to run for president, in a referendum boycotted by the opposition.

Acclaimed Tel Aviv-based TV screenwriter Hagai Levi says many artists like him want to leave Israel because of the Gaza war, fearing the consequences of a gathering cultural boycott of their country.

Sri Lanka will ban four species of predatory ornamental fish including Piranhas that have escaped into rivers and lakes, devastating native species and threatening fragile freshwater ecosystems, the fisheries minister said Wednesday.

Kevin De Bruyne will return to Manchester City on Thursday with the wind in his sails after a fast start with Napoli, who return to the Champions League full of confidence following a perfect start to the Serie A season.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday pulled out of next week's China Open with an injury suffered on the way to winning her fourth Grand Slam title in New York earlier this month.

Scientists estimated Wednesday that rising temperatures from human-caused climate change were responsible for roughly 16,500 deaths in European cities this summer, using modelling to project the toll before official data is released.

The latest edition of the "FC" series of football video games set for release on Friday will seek to keep fans onside with polished moves as it faces new competition from rivals.

Celebrated director Park Chan-wook's star-studded murder comedy will open Asia's biggest film festival Wednesday, which launches its first fully fledged competition lineup as South Korea projects its soft power worldwide.

India's ban on online gambling has shuttered a billion-dollar industry serving hundreds of millions of people and torpedoed the sponsorship of the national cricket team.

European firms still face challenges in securing access to crucial rare earths from China, a business lobby warned Wednesday, despite a July deal to speed up exports.

Decked out with fake crystal chandeliers and velvet sofas, cosmetic surgery clinics in Afghanistan's capital are a world away from the austerity of Taliban rule, where Botox, lip filler, and hair transplants reign.

Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday as investors bided their time ahead of an expected US interest rate cut later in the day.

Australia and Papua New Guinea failed to sign a long-awaited mutual defence treaty as expected on Wednesday, as Canberra seeks to deepen ties with Pacific nations and counter Beijing's rising influence.

The Sentry, January's opening event of the 2026 PGA Tour season, will not be played at Plantation Course at Kapalua because of drought conditions on Maui, the tour said Tuesday.

Brazilian police on Tuesday arrested 45 people and rescued hundreds of exotic animals in the biggest ever operation against wildlife traffickers in the world's most biodiverse nation.

Britain will roll out a supersized royal welcome for Donald Trump's unprecedented second state visit on Wednesday, with the king to greet the US president who has compared himself to a monarch.

The US Federal Reserve is poised to make its first interest rate cut of 2025 on Wednesday, but it battles competing forces in the path forward -- with heightened political pressure and likely divisions among its ranks.

The casino industry's quest to bring gambling to Manhattan faces a key test this week when an advisory panel weighs a Times Square proposal that has enraged much of Broadway.

Charismatic Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas and American star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone go for gold in the triple jump and 400 metres flat in Thursday's action at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

A Colombian court on Tuesday held seven leaders of the defunct Colombian guerrilla army FARC responsible for the kidnappings of tens of thousands of people during the group's half-century of war with the state.

The suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk appeared in court Tuesday charged with the conservative activist's murder, as prosecutors said they were seeking the death penalty for a crime that has shaken the United States.

Peru evacuated some 1,400 tourists overnight from the train station that serves the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, while about 900 others remained stranded Tuesday as protesters blocked the railway tracks, officials said.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Britain on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit, with the UK government rolling out a royal red carpet welcome to win over the mercurial leader.

Arsenal won 2-0 away to Athletic Bilbao as the league phase of this season's Champions League kicked off on Tuesday, with two Kylian Mbappe penalties giving Real Madrid a narrow win over Marseille while Juventus and Borussia Dortmund drew an eight-goal thriller.

Devotees of fan favorite "Friends" will soon be able to sip a cup of Joey in a Manhattan recreation of the "Central Perk" cafe made famous by the sitcom.

Kylian Mbappe slammed home two penalties for Real Madrid as the record 15-time winners opened their Champions League campaign with a controversial 2-1 comeback win over Olympique Marseille on Tuesday.

The historic town of Windsor braced Tuesday for a return to the global spotlight, as its world-famous castle prepared to host Donald Trump amid pomp, protests, support and mammoth security.

Juventus came back from two goals down in stoppage time to draw 4-4 in a thrilling Champions League match with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

Robert Redford was rarely spotted at Sundance in his final years, yet the late Hollywood legend forever looms large at the influential US movie festival he co-created.