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

In a Shanghai shopping centre, customers browsed racks of used winter coats, $2 trousers and household appliances -- pre-used items that would have been out of place in a major Chinese mall a decade ago.

Israel early Wednesday launched new attacks on Iran as the US military said it has hit nearly 2,000 targets inside the Islamic republic, which tried to impose a cost by expanding a missile and drone barrage across the region.

From menstruation mishaps to a meditation on old age, and the challenges faced by Arab-Israelis in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, one Oscars category is nothing if not varied.

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei's death is "historically significant" but will not "automatically" lead to the fall of the Iranian system, the widow of the country's last shah told AFP in an interview Tuesday.

President Donald Trump and his team scrambled Tuesday to reclaim the narrative on why he decided to attack Iran, after his top diplomat suggested the US struck only after learning of an imminent Israeli strike.

An explosion rocked the Lebanese capital and Israel said it was launching a new overnight wave of strikes on Iran, as the war engulfing the Middle East continued into Wednesday.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it targeted northern Israel's Haifa naval base on Tuesday in response to the Israeli military's ongoing strikes against the Iran-back movement's strongholds in Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify in the congressional inquiry of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the chairman of the committee conducting the investigation said Tuesday.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday voiced her support for a proposal to make women's matches best-of-five sets during the later stages of Grand Slam tournaments.

With top players stranded in the Middle East by war and a tournament scrapped due to falling drone shrapnel, the glamorous globe-trotting world of tennis has not been spared the "brutal" reality of recent events, stars said at Indian Wells on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, OHIO / ACCESS Newswire / March 4, 2026 / Formerra, LLC ("Formerra"), a leading distributor of engineered thermoplastic resins, additives, elastomers, and other specialty materials, today announced the appointment of Tom Kelly as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"). A seasoned executive with over 30 years of specialty and engineered materials experience, Tom is known for leading teams to drive differentiated growth and building high-performing organizations set up for long-term success. The former CEO, Cathy Dodd, will stay on as Special Advisor to the Board and will remain an investor in the Company.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called on Wednesday for the rapid de-escalation of the conflict unleashed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, urging all parties to respect the international rules of engagement.

New Zealand's All Blacks named Dave Rennie on Wednesday as head coach, replacing Scott Robertson who was sacked midway through a four-year contract.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through a crucial Gulf shipping route, as he justified his war on Iran by saying he believed Tehran was about to strike first.

In the end there were enough penalty kicks to go around as Strasbourg converted twice from the spot in the last seven minutes to scratch out a 2-1 French Cup quarter-final win over Reims on Tuesday.

Arne Slot admitted Liverpool must solve their habit of conceding late goals to save their troubled season after Tuesday's embarrassing 2-1 defeat at bottom of the table Wolves.

Iran expanded its retaliatory missile and drone barrage across the Middle East on Tuesday, hitting another US consulate and base, even as the United States and Israel said they had pummeled key sites inside Tehran.

Energy prices have surged dramatically since the United States and Israel launched their attack on Iran Saturday, and that will almost certainly translate into bigger profits.

Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolves as Andre's stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Premier League's bottom club on Tuesday.

Drones and missiles hit oil facilities and US diplomatic missions in the Gulf on Tuesday as Iran retaliated to fresh strikes.

Atletico Madrid struggled through a 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final second leg defeat at Barcelona on Tuesday but scraped into the final 4-3 on aggregate.

US equities joined a global equity rout Tuesday due to surging oil prices, but cut their losses after President Donald Trump announced steps to safeguard commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.

Donald Trump's brutal immigration crackdown, polarized politics and a war unleashed on Iran have tarnished the global image of the United States just under 100 days before millions of fans are expected to visit for the World Cup.

A US "dream team" led by Aaron Judge will seek revenge against Shohei Ohtani's defending champions Japan in the World Baseball Classic, as the sport's premier international competition begins Thursday.

Portuguese veteran Cristiano Ronaldo has a hamstring tendon injury, his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr announced on Tuesday, but his participation in the 2026 World Cup does not appear to be in doubt.

France is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday.

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump cannot block New York City from charging motorists to drive in congested parts of Manhattan.

US President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while also lashing out at Britain for not cooperating more.

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered an aircraft carrier group to the Mediterranean in response to the widening Middle East conflict and said the US-Israel strikes on Iran were outside international law.

European champions England made a winning start to their bid for automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup as they hammered Ukraine 6-1 in Antalya, Turkey, on Tuesday.

US-Israeli strikes in Iran, and Tehran's retaliation, are set to trigger a surge in US gas prices with a potential knock-on inflationary hit that could pile pressure on President Donald Trump domestically as midterm elections approach.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday backed the aims of the US-Israeli war on Iran but called for its early end, voicing fear for the global economy, as he visited the White Hosue.

The Pentagon's policy chief on Tuesday distanced the United States from the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying he was killed by an Israeli strike.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped up his criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not initially permitting American warplanes to use UK bases to strike Iran, saying "this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with".

Brazil's economy grew 2.3 percent in 2025, cooling from the previous year as its interest rates remained among the highest in the world, official data showed Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at Britain and Spain for not fully backing his attack on Iran, as he threatened to end "all trade" with Spain.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday boasted of wide damage on Iran inflicted by the US-Israel attack, while denying that Israel had forced his hand into launching the war.

A Polish court on Tuesday sentenced three doctors to prison sentences over the 2021 death of a pregnant woman, which sparked nationwide protests and renewed scrutiny of the country's restrictive abortion laws.

Tehran feels like a ghost town, with residents who have not fled remaining shut away in their homes for fear of new explosions from the US-Israeli bombardment.