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

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday that it will distribute equal prize money to men's and women's teams from now on at its events.

Basque rider Ion Izagirre broke away for a solo triumph on stage 12 of the Tour de France on Thursday after a hilly run through the Beaujolais vineyards.

US health authorities on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the country, dramatically widening access to contraception for women in the United States where abortion rights are increasingly under assault.

Trade ties between France and Gulf Arab states, namely Qatar and the UAE, are expanding year-on-year, France's trade minister told AFP on Thursday, praising the deepening partnership as "good news".

About 5,000 demonstrators on Thursday staged an anti-LGBTQ protest in Lilongwe, the capital of the conservative southern African nation of Malawi, where same-sex relationships are illegal.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day visit to France on Thursday focused on defence ties as the EU parliament urged his country to do more to protect ethnic and religious minorities.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday urged nations targeted by Western sanctions to band together as he hosted the leader of fellow international outlier Iran.

Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic became the first unseeded player in 60 years to reach the Wimbledon women's final on Thursday, crushing the title dreams of Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Beijing's top diplomat on Thursday of consequences over hacking after a breach blamed on China again threatened to undermine a nascent stability in ties between the two powers.

A summit of African leaders from war-torn Sudan's neighbours Thursday urged an end to the fighting, as UN experts reported a mass grave had been discovered in the country's Darfur region.

Kevin Spacey said Thursday he was a "big flirt" but denied any "aggressive" behaviour as the Hollywood actor entered the witness box of his sexual assault trial in south London.

The EU and Japan are working on a cooperation agreement for raw materials to whittle down China's dominance in the sector, leaders said in Brussels on Thursday.

Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic became the first unseeded player in 60 years to reach the Wimbledon women's final on Thursday, crushing the title dreams of Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

The UN's top court dismissed Nicaragua's claims against Colombia Thursday in a decades-long Latin American legal battle over an oil and fish-rich swathe of the Caribbean Sea.

Germany on Thursday adopted a tougher strategy toward a more "assertive" China, its top trade partner, in a move Beijing warned could "damage cooperation and mutual trust".

ExxonMobil will acquire Denbury Inc., a specialist in enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration, for $4.9 billion as it builds out its low-carbon business, the oil giant announced Thursday.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday urged unions to call off strike action, warning the government will no longer negotiate on higher salaries.

Kenya's interior ministry on Thursday said more than 300 people including a lawmaker had been arrested following violent anti-government protests that left nine dead.

Ashley Young became Everton's first signing of the transfer window on Thursday as the 38-year-old penned a one-year deal with the Toffees.

The combination of "warp speed" advances in neurotechnology, such as brain implants or scans that can increasingly peek inside minds, and artificial intelligence poses a threat to mental privacy, UNESCO warned on Thursday.

The UK economy shrank in May on an extra public holiday for the coronation of King Charles III, official data showed Thursday, and as high inflation prolongs a cost-of-living crisis.

China's top diplomat said Thursday Beijing would strengthen ties with Russia in areas of strategic communication and coordination, as the allies' contacts grow closer after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year.

Hollywood actors were poised to go on strike Thursday, joining writers in the first industry-wide shutdown in 63 years after last-ditch talks failed, with nearly all film and television production likely to grind to a halt.

Barcelona's new defender Inigo Martinez said he was glad to join a team he has regularly suffered against, at his presentation on Thursday.

China's state intelligence apparatus targets the UK "prolifically and aggressively" but the government in London's response has been "completely inadequate", a parliamentary committee said Thursday.

Kenya's interior ministry on Thursday said more than 300 people including a lawmaker had been arrested following violent anti-government protests that left seven people dead.

The IEA trimmed its forecast for 2023 oil demand for the first time this year as macroeconomic headwinds including higher interest rates bite, but still sees it reaching a record level thanks to China's thirst for fuel.

British cyclist Mark Cavendish has described the fall that forced him to leave the Tour de France in an ambulance last week "as part of the beauty and brutality of cycling".

The top US and Chinese diplomats met Thursday for the second time in as many months, seeking to manage tensions that risk flaring anew over alleged Chinese hacking.

Thailand's parliament on Thursday rejected election winner Pita Limjaroenrat's bid to become prime minister.

As much of the world swelters in record temperatures, spare a thought for Issam Genedi, who ekes out a living washing cars in one of the planet's hottest regions, the Gulf.

Kenya's interior ministry on Thursday said more than 300 people including a lawmaker had been arrested following violent anti-government protests that left seven people dead.