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

Novak Djokovic swept into the French Open quarter-finals for the 14th straight year on Sunday as world number one Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Lorenzo Musetti to stay on a collision course with the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Novak Djokovic reached his 55th Grand Slam quarter-final and record 17th at the French Open on Sunday before urging a "healthy" Rafael Nadal to return next year and resume their epic rivalry.

Riyadh on Sunday announced it would slash output further by one million barrels per day in a bid to prop up prices, despite fears of a recession.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was philosophical on Sunday after failing to extend his run of podium finishes when he came home seventh for Aston Martin at his home Spanish Grand Prix.

Moscow's spiritual leader Patriarch Kirill praised President Vladimir Putin on Sunday for handing Russia's most famous icon from a museum to the Orthodox Church as the country "faces huge enemy forces."

World number one Carlos Alcaraz crushed Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday and move a step closer to a blockbuster showdown with Novak Djokovic.

Lewis Hamilton hinted on Sunday that he may be poised to sign a new contract with Mercedes within days.

Elina Svitolina, playing her first Grand Slam since becoming a mother, reached the French Open quarter-finals for the fourth time on Sunday.

The Choco Andino Biosphere Reserve near Ecuador's capital Quito is a UN-designated biodiversity hotspot -- and the center of an increasingly heated debate over mining.

Hong Kong police on Sunday detained more than 20 people, including key pro-democracy figures trying to commemorate the anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown, as hundreds in Taiwan mourned the dead with a vigil.

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine said on Sunday that fighting was ongoing on his side of the frontier and acknowledged pro-Ukrainian forces had taken Russians prisoner during cross-border clashes.

England's Ashes preparations were dealt a blow on Sunday as frontline spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the series due to a lower back stress fracture.

Karen Khachanov hopes he can translate his skills on the chessboard to checkmate Novak Djokovic at the French Open.

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff on Sunday thanked his engineers for a successful upgrades package -- but warned the team to stay realistic after a double podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hong Kong police on Sunday detained over a dozen people, including key pro-democracy figures trying to commemorate the anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown, as hundreds in Taiwan mourned the dead with a vigil.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 French Open runner-up, reached the quarter-finals on Sunday after rallying to beat Belgian 28th seed Elise Mertens 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Sunday he was in good spirits on his third birthday behind bars, despite tougher prison conditions and yet another spell in solitary confinement.

Tough negotiations between major oil producers led by Riyadh and Moscow were under way on Sunday to consider slashing output further in a bid to prop up prices.

Frenchman Christophe Laporte pipped Belgian Rune Herregodts on the line in central France to win the first stage of the Criterium du Dauphine on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic swept into the French Open quarter-finals for the 14th straight year on Sunday as world number one Carlos Alcaraz prepared for a tricky test against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti.

Defending double world champion Max Verstappen extended his lead in this year’s title race to 53 points on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick by driving his Red Bull to a masterful victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Novak Djokovic reached his 55th Grand Slam quarter-final and record 17th at the French Open on Sunday with a straight-sets win over Juan Pablo Varillas.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday called on Ankara to drop its opposition to Sweden's bid to join the US-led defence alliance, hoping Stockholm's accession would be finalised "as soon as possible".

A Manchester United fan has been charged after wearing a shirt at the FA Cup final that made an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster, which killed 97 Liverpool fans.

Karim Benzema has agreed a deal to leave Real Madrid, the Spanish giants said on Sunday, with strong interest in the ex-France striker reportedly coming from Saudi Arabia.

The United States and Saudi Arabia on Sunday made a renewed push for truce talks between Sudan's warring generals as deadly fighting has raged into its eighth week.

Railway teams worked non-stop Sunday restoring tracks after India's deadliest train crash in decades, a tragedy that has reignited safety concerns about one of the largest networks in the world.

Soap, wet wipes and children's toys: Irina Burlakova, a 30-year-old Russian woman, picks up humanitarian aid after having fled Shebekino, a border town heavily shelled by Ukraine this week.

Belgium's Thierry Neuville, driving a Hyundai, jumped from fifth to second in the drivers' standings after winning the Rally of Italy in Sardinia on Sunday.

Half a million protesters packed the streets of central Warsaw on Sunday, Poland's opposition organisers said claiming one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in the 30 years since the end of communism.

Novak Djokovic steps up his bid Sunday for a record 23rd men's Grand Slam singles title against Peruvian outsider Juan Pablo Varillas at the French Open, while world number one Carlos Alcaraz faces a tricky test in Lorenzo Musetti.

Hong Kong police on Sunday detained several key pro-democracy figures attempting to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen crackdown in China.