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

A long line of people appears in silhouette, walking along the flat desert in northern Niger.

A thick layer of dust from the construction of a huge airport in Vietnam has been blanketing nearby neighbourhoods for months, staining everything from trees to homes to schoolchildren's uniforms a sickly shade of red.

Indonesian animal experts were preparing Thursday to conduct an autopsy on an 18-metre (59-foot) whale that died after washing up on a beach in Bali, conservation officials said.

Top UN officials warned Wednesday that a Taliban government ban on Afghan women working for its mission in the country would violate the world body's charter, and demanded it be revoked.

The resilience of Russia's economy has over the past year surprised many observers as Moscow adjusts to unprecedented Western sanctions over its assault on Ukraine.

Forget the Hollywood thriller "Snakes on a Plane", two commuters in Australia have dished up a platypus on a train.

When it comes to what some call his most important job -- saving the Amazon rainforest -- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been talking the talk, vowing "Brazil is back" in the fight against climate change.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has not had much of a honeymoon in his comeback as president of Brazil, delivering mixed results and nursing several wounds -- some self-inflicted -- after 100 days in office.

From crops to corals, a book circulated by a controversial US think tank is riddled with misleading claims about established climate science, in what campaigners slam as a bid to "infect" young minds.

Atsushi Ikeda loves his car so much that he founded a club for Tesla owners, but his embrace of an electric vehicle makes him something of an outlier in Japan.

Argentina's already fragile economy is now taking a beating from nature, as the worst drought in almost 100 years decimates critical soy, wheat and corn production.

China sent warships through waters around Taiwan on Thursday as it vowed a "resolute response" to the island's president meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday denied any misconduct while being questioned by police over allegations he tried to illegally import millions of dollars' worth of jewelry gifted by Saudi Arabia, a source told AFP.

Growing fears of a US recession weighed on equities Thursday as traders gear up for the release of key jobs data that could determine the Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision.

In a Tripoli arcade, players banter amid the bleeping and music of video games. Isolated by decades of dictatorship and post-revolution chaos, Libyan gamers are finally taking on the world.

France on Thursday braced for another day of protests and strikes to denounce President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform after talks between the government and unions ended in deadlock.

Scottie Scheffler will launch his bid to become just the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Masters on Thursday when the 87th edition of the tournament gets under way at Augusta National.

French and EU leaders will on Thursday seek to make Europe's case for bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine in a Beijing meeting with Xi Jinping, a close ally of Vladimir Putin.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson looks set to miss the one-day World Cup in India later this year after rupturing a knee ligament, it was announced Thursday.

Marseille's drug lords have a problem. Last year 32 of their foot soldiers were shot dead in the crime-plagued French Mediterranean port city.

Napoli travel to Lecce on Friday trying to bounce straight back from their crushing home defeat at the hands of AC Milan with the all-Italian Champions League quarter-final between the two looming.

South African sides the Stormers and the Sharks will compete in Champions Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, in a first for the country.

Taiwan's president expressed gratitude for a meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday, saying it showed her island was "not isolated" on the international stage -- but Beijing soon after threatened a "resolute" response.

Twitter drew the anger of venerable US radio broadcaster NPR on Wednesday after the social media platform owned by Elon Musk tagged the news giant as a state-backed entity.

Karim Benzema struck a hat-trick as Real Madrid hammered Barcelona 4-0 at Camp Nou to reach the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, progressing 4-1 on aggregate.

Tom Hoge overtook LIV Golf's Bubba Watson with an ace-birdie finish to win Wednesday's Masters Par-3 Contest, risking an Augusta National curse on the eve of the 87th Masters.

Nantes reached a second straight French Cup final as Ludovic Blas' brilliant goal gave the holders a 1-0 last-four victory over Lyon on Wednesday.

Karim Benzema struck a hat-trick as Real Madrid hammered Barcelona 4-0 at Camp Nou to reach the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, progressing 4-1 on aggregate.

A feminist French minister who posed for Playboy told the magazine she backed the right of women to pose nude if they wanted to amid fresh criticism from her cabinet colleagues about her stunt on Wednesday.

Marcus Rashford sent Manchester United back into the Premier League top four with the winner as the Red Devils beat Brentford 1-0 on Wednesday, while Newcastle won 5-1 at West Ham to stay third.

Holders RB Leipzig kept their hopes of a second straight German Cup title alive, winning 2-0 against Borussia Dortmund to reach the semi-finals on Wednesday.

More than 600 children in the eastern US state of Maryland were abused by over 150 clergy and other Catholic Church members, according to a study made public Wednesday that covers six decades.