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

Primoz Roglic won the Giro d'Italia after crossing with the peloton on Sunday's final procession stage in Rome, which was claimed by Mark Cavendish in a bunch sprint.

Defending double world champion Max Verstappen extended his lead in this year's title race when he drove his Red Bull to a comprehensive victory in challenging conditions in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took an early lead Sunday in a historic runoff election that could extend two decades of his dominant but divisive Islamic style of rule until 2028.

President Joe Biden and House Republicans have reached a deal in principle to raise the government's debt ceiling and avert a devastating default.

Marathon crisis talks that produced a tentative deal to prevent a cataclysmic US debt default may yet prove the easy part of a process that turned Sunday to the fraught challenge of securing congressional approval.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari defended his political record on Sunday, the day before he steps down, saying he leaves the country in a better state than when he took power in 2015.

Marina Saprykina thought about leaving the Russian border city of Belgorod, but finally, despite the bombing, incursions and fear, she says she is staying.

Aryna Sabalenka won a politically-charged French Open duel against Marta Kostyuk on Sunday as jeers rained down on the defeated Ukrainian who refused to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent.

Lucy Bronze has hit the ground running for Barcelona, winning Spain's Liga F title and reaching the Champions League final for the fourth time in her career, in her first season with the club.

Turkish polling stations closed Sunday in a historic runoff election that could extend President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two decades of dominant but divisive Islamic style of rule until 2028.

Stefanos Tsitsipas held off a spirited comeback from Jiri Vesely to reach the second round of the French Open on Sunday with a four-set win.

France prop Mohamed Haouas has been remanded in custody ahead of his trial on Tuesday for domestic violence his lawyer told AFP.

After the most dramatic final Bundesliga matchday in recent memory, Bayern Munich are again title winners as Borussia Dortmund go empty handed once more.

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk shrugged off the deluge of jeers and boos which greeted her refusal to shake hands with Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open, insisting she has "no respect" for her rival's claim that "nobody wants this war".

Rain has delayed the toss for the Indian Premier League final between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

A stretch of Venice's Grand Canal turned bright green Sunday, prompting police to investigate amid speculation about a stunt by environmentalists.

In a working-class Istanbul harbour where Recep Tayyip Erdogan grew up playing football, Hasan Karakaya had only one description for Turkey's president after voting on Sunday: "He's the best."

Four Czech teenagers are setting out to make a mark at the French Open, inspired by the successes of their older compatriots.

Turkey voted on Sunday in a historic runoff election that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan entered as the firm favourite to extend two decades of his Islamic-rooted rule until 2028.

Paris Saint-Germain back-up goalkeeper Sergio Rico is in "serious" condition after a horse riding accident, the French club confirmed Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday praised his country's air defence forces, after the capital Kyiv saw the largest drone attack since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

There is no added pressure on Carlos Alcaraz to win his second Grand Slam title at the French Open, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero said on Sunday.

Manu Tuilagi is playing "at his best" ahead of the World Cup according to Sale boss Alex Sanderson after the powerhouse England centre impressed for the Sharks in their Premiership final defeat by Saracens at Twickenham.

Two activists from the Just Stop Oil pressure group have been charged with "aggravated trespass" after they ran onto the field during the English Premiership rugby final at Twickenham, London police said Sunday.

Bayern Munich chairman Herbert Hainer on Sunday promised manager Thomas Tuchel's job is safe with the freshly-minted German champions, while confirming the return of former executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Aryna Sabalenka kept her cool to win a politically-charged French Open duel against Marta Kostyuk on Sunday as jeers rained down after the defeated Ukrainian refused to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent.

Indian police dragged away and detained on Sunday two Olympic wrestlers and dozens of others as they tried to march to parliament demanding the arrest of the sport's federation chief over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation.

Aryna Sabalenka eased into the French Open second round on Sunday with a straight sets win over Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk who honoured her pledge not to shake the hand of her Belarusian opponent, a decision greeted with jeers at Roland Garros.

Spaniards were voting Sunday in local and regional polls seen as a barometer for a year-end general election which surveys suggest Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will lose, heralding a return of the right.

Turks headed to the polls Sunday for a historic runoff vote that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan entered as the firm favourite to extend two decades of his Islamic-rooted rule to 2028.

Somalia's government and federal member states said Sunday that direct universal suffrage would be introduced with local elections set for June 2024.

Russia unleashed the "most important" assault by drones on Kyiv overnight Saturday-Sunday since the start of the invasion, but nearly all were destroyed, military authorities said.