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

Irish no-frills airline Ryanair said Thursday it will fine "disruptive passengers whose unruly behaviour" results in their removal from aircraft 500 euros ($580).

Sri Lanka counted more than seven million monkeys during a census of crop-destroying wildlife, authorities said Thursday, after a government minister called the figure "unbelievable".

South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, a team used to dominating possession, may have their time with the ball considerably reduced at the Club World Cup, says coach Miguel Cardoso.

Iran on Thursday vowed to "significantly" increase its output of enriched uranium in defiance of US demands ahead of a new round of nuclear talks, and amid reports of an imminent Israeli attack.

Myanmar's economy is set to shrink 2.5 percent in the 2025/26 financial year, largely as a result of March's devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake, the World Bank said on Thursday.

A London-bound passenger plane crashed Thursday in India's western city of Ahmedabad with 242 on board, aviation officials said in what the airline called a "tragic accident".

Communities across Asia's Himalayan Hindu Kush region face heightened disaster risks this monsoon season with temperatures and rainfall expected to exceed normal levels, experts warned on Thursday.

A Chinese woman was briefly detained in Seoul for allegedly attempting to enter the home of BTS idol Jungkook, who was released from his military service a day before, police said Thursday.

Oman said Thursday it would host a sixth round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran over the weekend, amid escalating tensions between the long-time foes and reports of an imminent Israeli attack on Iran.

Britain's economy shrank more than expected in April following a tax hike on UK businesses and a record drop in exports to the United States due to President Donald Trump's tariffs, official data showed Thursday.

Poland coach Michal Probierz, who had been feuding with star striker Robert Lewandowski, has resigned for "the good of the national team", the country's football federation said on Thursday.

Israel charged Thursday that Hamas was "weaponising suffering in Gaza" after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian militant group of killing five of its aid workers in the territory.

Eddie Jones said Thursday he wants Japan to "run Wales off their feet" in two Tests next month while conceding he had made mistakes in an underwhelming return to coaching the Brave Blossoms.

Investors were rattled on Thursday after Donald Trump said he would impose unilateral tariffs on partners in the next two weeks, reigniting trade war fears soon after reaching a deal with China to dial down tensions between the superpowers.

Beijing condemned on Thursday what it called "dangerous behaviour" by a Japanese military plane over the Pacific after Tokyo said Chinese fighter jets flew unusually close to its aircraft at the weekend.

The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains "untenably high", the United Nations said Thursday.

Nearly two years after Niger's military seized power and the border with Benin was shut, tensions over security, sovereignty and French influence have hardened into a stand-off throttling trade and paralysing ties between the west African neighbours.

There is a constant hum around Ethiopia's enormous Lake Dembel -- the sound of its water steadily being sucked out by pumps.

The first EU-wide cryptocurrency regulation was meant to impose some harmony, but disparities in implementation by member countries has allowed companies to exploit a flaw in the system.

Away from the heady rush to build ultra-capable, sci-fi style artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley, ambitious Nairobi-based startup Amini AI is betting on the technology addressing emerging countries' prosaic problems in the here and now.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government survived an opposition bid to dissolve parliament on Thursday, as lawmakers rejected a bill that could have paved the way for snap elections.

A US- and Israeli-backed charity operating in Gaza accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of attacking aid workers en route to a distribution centre on Wednesday, saying at least five people were killed.

Bennedict Mathurin's game-changing performance in game three of the NBA Finals felt like a long time coming, but the 22-year-old Canadian made sure he was ready when the opportunity arrived.

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler launches his bid for back-to-back major titles as the US Open gets under way on Thursday.

An Australian woman accused of murdering three lunch guests with a toxic mushroom-laced beef Wellington denied Thursday that she intended to kill them.

The Indiana Pacers, fueled by a near triple-double from Tyrese Haliburton, out-dueled the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

President Donald Trump touted a new website for his planned $5 million US residency permit on Wednesday, saying the waiting list for the golden visa has opened on TrumpCard.gov.

Australia said Thursday it is "very confident" in the future of a US agreement to equip its navy with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, after the Trump administration put the pact under review.

Ferrari's Formula One fortunes may be flagging but the Italian constructor start this weekend's Le Mans 24 Hour Race as favourites targeting a third consecutive triumph in motorsport's fabled endurance classic.

Max Verstappen will be seeking a record fourth consecutive Canadian Grand Prix triumph this weekend and a trouble-free race that helps him banish the threat of a suspension following his "rash" moment in Spain.

FIFA's inaugural expanded Club World Cup in the United States has one billion dollars of prize money on the line but will be missing some of the game's star names.

After Real Madrid's hopes of major silverware this season faded the Club World Cup took on far greater importance for them and it will provide an insight into new coach Xabi Alonso's strategy.

The Indiana Pacers bounced back to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 and take a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification.

India launches a rugby sevens league this weekend in a bold bid to win fans and bolster dreams of the Olympics in a country where cricket is king.

All is calm at Satoshi Yamazaki's rice farm, with its freshly planted rows of vivid-green seedlings, but a row over the cost of the staple in Japan is threatening to deal the government a blow at the ballot box.

Asian shares were rattled Thursday after Donald Trump said he would impose unilateral tariffs on partners in the next two weeks, reigniting trade war fears soon after reaching a deal with China to dial down tensions between the superpowers.

At just 39 years old, Fidji Simo is poised to become OpenAI's second-in-command after leaving her mark at two other major tech firms, including Meta.

French Polynesia pledged this week to create the world's largest marine protected area to safeguard its seas -- and it hopes to encourage others to lift their game.