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

After a wildly successful first few days, Threads popularity has waned in the weeks since Meta launched its challenge to Twitter, which lives on despite its problems.

New Zealand "set a new standard" for themselves by winning a Women's World Cup match for the first time, defender CJ Bott said Sunday, as the co-hosts eye a landmark place in the knockout stages.

British indie-rock band The 1975 cancelled a concert in Indonesia Sunday, after Malaysia axed a festival over a same-sex kiss and tirade against the country's anti-LGBTQ laws by their frontman.

Spain votes Sunday on whether to hand Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a fresh four-year mandate or, as polls suggest, bring the right back to power with its far-right ally.

Mykhailo Mudryk finally found the net for Chelsea and new signings Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson also scored in a 4-3 friendly win over Brighton in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would undergo surgery to implant a pacemaker on Sunday, with lawmakers set to debate a controversial judicial reform bill that has brought tens of thousands of protesters to the streets.

Melanie Floyd took her kids to the zoo in Phoenix in the morning, when temperatures in the heat wave roasting the city and much of the US southwest were still bearable.

Billy Costello walks the deck of a ship wearing his scuba gear and fins, as well as a prosthetic right leg, before dropping into the sea.

He is not a lawyer, finance guy or a politician, but activist Bill Sheehan has moved mountains to clean up the Hackensack River in New Jersey just outside Manhattan, which for decades has been a dumping ground for industrial chemicals.

Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol combined for a five-under par 65 in the four-ball final round on Saturday to edge Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan by one stroke in the Great Lakes Bay Invitational LPGA team event.

Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho were on target as Manchester United beat Arsenal 2-0 in a friendly front of 82,262 fans at MetLife Stadium on Saturday.

Around 30,000 people were moved to safety on the Greek island of Rhodes where a wildfire burned on Saturday, while people in the southern United States struggled under a record-breaking heatwave.

A day of turgid, rain-interrupted cricket saw the West Indies grinding their way to 229 for five in reply to India's first innings total of 438 at stumps on the third day of the second and final Test at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Saturday.

Officials on the Greek island of Rhodes evacuated thousands of locals and tourists from villages in the southeast of the Aegean island, where wildfires were raging out of control for a fifth day.

Around 30,000 people were moved to safety on the Greek island of Rhodes island where a wildfire burned on Saturday, while people in the southern United States struggled under a record-breaking heatwave.

British Open runaway leader Brian Harman says hunting has taught him "patience" and "strategy" as he closes in on his first major win at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Barcelona's friendly match against Juventus in San Francisco on Saturday has been cancelled after an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis among the Spanish team.

Marnus Labuschagne insisted Australia had no plans to "give England a sniff" after his century frustrated the hosts' bid for an Ashes-levelling win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Officials on the Greek island of Rhodes said Saturday they had moved 30,000 people threatened by wildfires to safety -- including 2,000 who had to be ferried off beaches.

Cambodians will vote Sunday in an election that longtime leader Hun Sen is all but guaranteed to win as he looks to secure his legacy by handing the reins to his eldest son.

British Open debutant Alex Fitzpatrick says he has a fiercer rivalry with golfing girlfriend Rachel Kuehn than he does with his famous older brother Matt after posting a stunning 65 on Saturday.

Ravichandran Ashwin claimed the wicket of West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite for the third time in as many innings as the home side crawled to 174 for three in reply to India's first innings total of 438 at tea on the third day of the second and final Test at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Saturday.

American Brian Harman shrugged off the pressure applied by Jon Rahm's course-record 63 to take a five-shot lead into the final round of the British Open.

Paris Saint-Germain have left Kylian Mbappe out of their squad for a pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, casting further doubt on the forward's future at the French champions.

World champion Kalle Rovanpera swept all of Saturday's nine stages on the Rally of Estonia as the Toyota driver opened up a huge gap on Hyundai rival Thierry Neuville.

Tens of thousands of Israeli protesters rallied in Tel Aviv and near parliament in Jerusalem on Saturday, intensifying action against a controversial judicial reform bill that faces a final vote early next week.

Jonas Vingegaard was given the ultimate stamp of approval this week when cycling's all-time great Eddy Merckx described him as the strongest Grand Tour rider around.

Joe Root dismissed Australian century-maker Marnus Labuschagne but rain returned to Old Trafford to frustrate England's hopes of forcing a series-levelling win in the fourth Test on Saturday.

Jonas Vingegaard said he felt "euphoric" after surviving Saturday's penultimate stage of the Tour de France to virtually clinch his second successive title.

Masters champion Jon Rahm hit eight birdies in a course-record 63 to haul himself into contention for the British Open on Saturday as overnight leader Brian Harman steadied himself after a shaky start.

An emotional Lewis Hamilton said "it felt like the first time" after ending his lengthy pole drought by outpacing Max Verstappen in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Joe Root revived England's hopes of forcing a series-levelling win in the fourth Test by removing Australia century-maker Marnus Labuschagne on Saturday's rain-marred fourth day.