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

Russian missiles and drones ripped through apartment blocks in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least eight people in what President Volodymyr Zelensky said represented a clear disregard for peace negotiations.

Australian police said Thursday they will not rest until they catch a 56-year-old gunman who fled into the bush two days earlier after allegedly killing two officers.

The Norwegian state and environmental groups face off in court again Thursday over three oil fields ruled illegal last year due to insufficient environmental impact studies.

President Donald Trump's administration moved Thursday to impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can stay in the United States, the latest bid to tighten legal immigration in the country.

Lionel Messi scored twice late on as Inter Miami fought back to beat Orlando City 3-1 and reach the final of the Leagues Cup on Wednesday.

Drastic weight loss, ferocious sparring and lax regulation have created a dangerous environment in Japanese boxing, as the sport battles for its future in the country after two fighters died.

Russian forces launched a "massive" attack on Kyiv on Thursday, hitting the Ukrainian capital with strikes that killed at least four people and wounded around 30 others, Ukrainian officials said.

Australia were boosted on Thursday by the return of Allan Alaalatoa for two home Rugby Championship Tests against Argentina, but a slew of players including winger Tom Wright were ruled out injured.

After a four-year suspension, the Taliban government has announced it would resume pension payments for Afghanistan's nearly 150,000 retired military and civil servants.

Inter Milan head into Sunday's match with Udinese on the up after a show of force in Cristian Chivu's coaching debut at the San Siro suggested they will be Napoli's main challengers for the Serie A title.

Japan remains optimistic about the adoption of renewable energy despite Mitsubishi pulling out of three big offshore wind projects, the government said Thursday.

Fierce city rivals Hamburg and St Pauli resume hostilities in the Bundesliga on Friday, 14 years since their last top-flight clash.

China's President Xi Jinping will host world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin and India's Narendra Modi from Sunday for a summit before a huge military parade as he seeks to showcase a non-Western style of regional collaboration.

Global air pollution is worsening, with the United States and Canada experiencing the sharpest increases due to record-breaking, climate-supercharged wildfires that are undoing decades of progress, a study said Thursday.

Jelena Ostapenko was involved in a furious on-court confrontation with Taylor Townsend after being dumped out of the US Open by the unseeded American on Wednesday.

Defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka says she is "a better player and person" than the one who lost to Leylah Fernandez four years ago as they prepare for a re-run of their 2021 semi-final.

The Trump administration confirmed Wednesday it was firing the head of the top US public health agency after she refused to step down during a stand-off with vaccine skeptic Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Super Rugby will mark its 30th anniversary next year with the first of 77 matches kicking off on February 13, officials said Thursday, while tweaks were made to its finals format.

Lionel Messi scored twice late on as Inter Miami fought back to beat Orlando City 3-1 and reach the final of the Leagues Cup on Wednesday.

Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the third round of the US Open with a blistering straight-sets victory on Wednesday as Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to advance.

The encroaching ocean laps against a road in Karminah's village, threatening her home on Indonesia's Java island, where the government says it has a plan to hold back the tide.

Investigators were seeking to find out why a heavily-armed shooter opened fire on school children at a church service in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two pupils and wounding 17 people in the latest violent tragedy to jolt the United States.

Former Australian Rules player Mitch Brown was hailed Thursday for his "immense courage and bravery" after coming out as the first openly bisexual or gay man in the sport's history.

South Korea has passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones in school classrooms nationwide, officials said Thursday, joining other countries in efforts to curb social media use among minors.

Carlos Alcaraz put the "bad thoughts" of last year's early US Open exit behind him Wednesday as he charged into the third round with a straight-sets win over Mattia Bellucci.

Eliud Kipchoge says the desire to inspire others drove him to enter this week's Sydney Marathon with the Kenyan legend admitting there was "huge pressure" on him to win.

Hollywood stars and Netflix are set to take the spotlight Thursday on the second day of the prestigious Venice film festival, with George Clooney, Adam Sandler and Emma Stone preparing for high-profile premieres.

From a gold-plated White House to a grandiose revamp for the capital Washington, Donald Trump is trying to leave an architectural mark like no American president has attempted for decades.

The UN Security Council is set to vote Thursday on the future of the blue helmet peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, which has faced US and Israeli opposition.

Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the third round of the US Open with a blistering straight-sets victory on Wednesday as Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to advance.

Qantas Airways said Thursday it lifted annual net profit and saw a bright outlook for travel demand, days after it was fined for illegally firing staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

When veteran fisherman Brian Tapper checked his 1,200 crab pots in waters off southwest England during this year's crabbing season, he got a series of unwelcome surprises.

Carlos Alcaraz powered into the US Open third round on Wednesday with a commanding 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 win over Italy's Mattia Bellucci.

Jelena Ostapenko was involved in a furious on-court confrontation with Taylor Townsend after being dumped out of the US Open by the unseeded American on Wednesday.

The Israeli military pressed operations around Gaza City on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump hosted a meeting on post-war plans for the shattered Palestinian territory.

Marathon Returns December 13-14, 2025, Early Registration Now Open

NATO on Thursday said all its members were finally set this year to hit the alliance's previous defence spending target of two percent of GDP -- as they gear up for a far more ambitious goal.

Rangers bowed out of the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday with a humiliating 6-0 defeat at the hands of Club Brugge which piles further pressure on manager Russell Martin, while Benfica secured a place in the competition proper at the expense of Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce.

A heavily-armed shooter opened fire Wednesday on school children attending a church service in Minneapolis, killing two pupils and wounding 17 people in the latest violent tragedy to jolt the United States.