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

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called on nations to ramp up funding to the Horn of Africa, which is suffering its worst drought in generations.

The EU and Google want voluntary rules on AI before a new law comes into force in the bloc to regulate the rapidly advancing technology, the bloc's industry commissioner Thierry Breton said Wednesday.

A new film at Cannes, showing the everyday maddening frustration of dealing with Iranian authorities, reflects the "absurdity" of life in that country, say the makers.

Citi announced Wednesday that it will launch an initial public offering of its Mexican business Banamex, shifting away from a plan to possibly divest the operation.

Alcohol by the bucket-load, rammed pool parties, cheesy chips and loads of sex -- all the stereotypes of Brits abroad are in Molly Manning Walker's feature debut causing a storm at Cannes this year, but she wants to break them all by exploring thorny issues of rape and consent.

England manager Gareth Southgate took aim on Wednesday at an eight-month ban from all football-related activity for Brentford striker Ivan Toney for breaches of betting rules.

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has extended his deal by one year until the summer of 2024, the club announced Wednesday.

The White House and Congressional Republicans are still locked in crunch talks to try and avert the first debt default in US history, which Treasury officials have warned could come as soon as June 1.

Cult Japanese director Takeshi Kitano has returned after more than a decade, premiering his new film at Cannes -- a bloody quest for power punctuated by love between warriors.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA playoffs but after their win at the Miami Heat on Tuesday, the Boston Celtics clearly sense a chance of history.

Living in the Spanish desert on a quirky film set imagined by director Wes Anderson for his latest mind-bending movie was an "intense" experience, actress Scarlett Johansson said Wednesday.

Stock markets slipped on Wednesday as investors grow increasingly concerned about stalled US debt ceiling talks aimed at averting a painful default.

The head of a far-reaching UK inquiry into the government's handling of the Covid pandemic is threatening legal action to obtain former prime minister Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages and diaries, according to correspondence released Wednesday.

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze received his first call-up to the England squad on Wednesday as Raheem Sterling was omitted for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

Former Netherlands and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has quit his job as PSV Eindhoven coach "with immediate effect", the club announced on Wednesday.

Erik ten Hag said Manchester United must strive for more even though his team look set to clinch a place in next season's Champions League.

A social media influencer bombarded Premier League star Mason Mount with messages in a four-month stalking campaign after he broke off their relationship, a court heard on Wednesday.

Jordi Alba will leave Barcelona at the end of the season after 11 years at the club, the Catalan side said Wednesday.

A senior Greek judge, Ioannis Sarmas, was asked Wednesday to lead an interim government tasked with organising a second national election by late June, the presidency announced.

Southampton announced on Wednesday that interim manager Ruben Selles would leave the relegated Premier League club at the end of the season.

The United Nations rights chief decried Wednesday the racist attacks on Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior during a match in Spain, urging concerted efforts to root racism out of sports.

German police on Wednesday raided homes of climate activists known for their controversial street blockade protests that Chancellor Olaf Scholz has blasted as "completely nuts".

The world's biggest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, arrived in Oslo on Wednesday for a stopover criticised by neighbouring Russia as an "illogical and harmful" show of force.

More than a million Somalis have been displaced within their own country in just over four months through a "toxic" mix of drought, conflict and floods, humanitarian agencies said Wednesday.

Asian and European stock markets slumped Wednesday as investors grew increasingly concerned about stalled US debt ceiling talks aimed at averting a painful default.

Taiwan's Quanta Computer confirmed it had "investment plans" in Mexico on Wednesday after the governor of Nuevo Leon announced the company would pump an additional $1 billion into his state.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he wants more than 100 Premier League charges levelled against the club for alleged financial irregularities to be dealt with "as soon as possible".

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday offered Beijing's support on Moscow's "core interests", at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

A Swiss court on Wednesday acquitted Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan on charges of rape and sexual coercion, finding no evidence against the former Oxford University professor.

Typhoon Mawar roared over the US territory of Guam on Wednesday, bringing destructive winds to the Pacific military outpost.

Britain's annual inflation rate struck a 13-month low in April, official data showed Wednesday, but remains elevated at 8.7 percent as soaring food prices offset weaker energy costs, prolonging a cost-of-living crisis.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman will not face a potentially career-ending ethics investigation into her handling of a speeding ticket received last summer, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Wednesday.

French defender Robin Le Normand has obtained Spanish nationality according to an Official State Bulletin (BOE) published on Wednesday.

Ignacio Martinez never imagined becoming mayor, but when he saw the struggles of his mountain village in northeastern Spain, he and his friends decided to run for office in the 2015 elections.

France is to try 19 men over a people-smuggling plot that led to the 2019 deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in the back of a lorry, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

From dry toilets to recovered water captured by air conditioners, the Venice Architecture Biennale is full of ideas for how to tackle climate change.

Fighting had eased but not stopped in Sudan on Wednesday, the second full day of a US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire that has raised cautious hopes among its beleaguered civilians that aid corridors and escape routes will open soon.

Russia's prime minister on Wednesday hailed "unprecedented" relations with China despite sanctions pressure from the West, as he met with his counterpart in Beijing.

A former Olympian says there is a "toxic and negative" team culture in Malaysian swimming, following a poor showing at the Southeast Asian Games.