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

Enzo Fernandez has told Liam Rosenior he is happy at Chelsea and "how passionate he is for this football club" after the midfielder made comments earlier this week suggesting he may not be Stamford Bridge next season.

Former Nazi concentration camps should be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, a group preserving the memorials urged Thursday, warning that "democracy can no longer be taken for granted".

English cricket chiefs Rob Key and Richard Gould will speak to the media at Lord's on Monday regarding a post-Ashes review into the team's series loss in Australia.

The European Space Agency announced Thursday it has re-established communication with a spacecraft that is part of its Proba-3 mission, after losing contact with the satellite a month ago.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu talked of how his country is "challenged by terrorism" as he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday as part of his state visit to the UK.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said out-of-form Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade's lack of goalscoring impact was because he is being played in the wrong position at club level.

Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan received a major boost Thursday after a judge at London's High Court ruled the proposed development of the current site is not subject to restrictions on how the land cam be used.

EU leaders failed to persuade Hungary's Viktor Orban to lift his block on a massive loan to support Ukraine's war effort at summit talks on Thursday, leaving the much-needed funding in limbo.

Morocco's new head coach Mohamed Ouahbi congratulated his country on Thursday on CAF's "well-deserved" decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title in favour of his new side.

The Senegalese Football Federation announced Thursday it has instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the national team were stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said he was "mixing things up" by banking on flexibility as he announced his squad for the March friendlies on Thursday, three months out from the 2026 World Cup.

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson will take to the track in Torun, Poland, this weekend aiming to nab an elusive world indoor 800m title off the back of a new world record.

The European Central Bank warned Thursday that the energy shock unleashed by the Middle East war would sharply push up inflation and hit the eurozone's growth this year.

Cristian Romero has dismissed talk about a post-season transfer move, saying his priority is ensuring Tottenham Hotspur remain in the Premier League.

Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis will head into the world indoor championships, which run from Friday to Sunday, confidently eyeing a fourth pole vault title, but there is a rival lurking in the wings potentially capable of springing a suprise.

Kylian Mbappe, who has only just returned to action after a knee injury, will lead the France squad into friendly matches this month against Brazil and Colombia in the United States.

A pro-democracy research group said Wednesday that freedom in the United States has declined to its lowest level since it started assessments, as President Donald Trump aggressively wields executive authority.

Four teams out of six eliminated, with a total of 28 goals conceded over the two legs -- it has been a chastening week for most of England's representatives in the Champions League knockout phase.

UK health authorities are probing 27 cases linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak believed to have spread at a nightclub in southeast England.

Bayern Munich starlet Lennart Karl received a first Germany call-up while his injured club teammate Jamal Musiala missed out after coach Julian Nagelsmann named his 26-man Germany squad on Thursday.

Just a trickle of cargo ships and tankers -- most of them Iranian -- have made it through the Strait of Hormuz since Iranian forces blocked the crucial trade route in the Middle East war.

The Bank of England left its benchmark interest rate at 3.75 percent on Thursday as it monitors the inflation outlook, pressured by rising energy prices from the Middle East war.

Oil and gas prices soared Thursday after Iran hit the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Qatar and threatened to destroy the region's energy infrastructure, and Donald Trump warned of a furious US response if such attacks continued.

Formula One world champion Lando Norris has said it feels "surreal" he will soon be joining other sports stars and celebrities by having a waxwork likeness unveiled at London's Madame Tussauds.

Iran executed three men on Thursday who were accused of killing police officers during protests in January, with activists warning of the risk of a new surge in hangings as war rages with Israel and the United States.

North Korea reached their first Women's World Cup since 2011 on Thursday with the Philippines also securing a spot at the global showpiece in Brazil next year.

Michael Carrick has told his Manchester United side to ready themselves for an awkward encounter away to Bournemouth on Friday as they look to maintain their challenge for a Champions League place.

Energy prices soared and stocks sank Thursday as Iran stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, reigniting fears over global supplies and inflation.

China's Alibaba said Thursday that revenue from AI-related products showed strong momentum, even as the tech giant reported a 66 percent year-on-year drop in quarterly net profit.

Oil prices soared 10 percent Thursday after Qatar reported "extensive" damage to the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility following Iranian strikes, sparking fears for global energy supplies.

The number of meningitis cases being probed by UK authorities has risen to 27, health officials said Thursday, following an unprecedented deadly outbreak centred on a university.

A defiant Hungarian leader Viktor Orban vowed Thursday to keep blocking a massive loan for Ukraine despite heavy pressure from EU partners, who were headed into a Brussels summit hoping to unlock the much-needed funding.

Iran will "boycott the United States" but "not the World Cup", Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video released by the Iranian press agency Fars.

Tokyo's meteorologists declared the start of the much-loved cherry blossom season in the Japanese capital on Thursday, as residents prepare to host outdoor picnics under dazzling floral displays.

Energy prices soared Thursday and stocks sank as Iran attacked several Gulf energy facilities and warned of more in retaliation for a strike on one of its key gas fields.

Qatar reported "extensive" damage on Thursday to the site of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility following Iranian strikes, sparking fears for global energy supplies and fresh threats from Donald Trump against Iran.

Clutching a monkey plushie, Eliete Ikeda screamed "Punch!" as she caught sight of the underdog baby macaque still drawing crowds of photo-hungry visitors to a Japanese zoo weeks after he shot to stardom.

China's snaggle-toothed Labubu dolls will soon come alive on the big screen after flying off the toy shelves, with maker Pop Mart announcing a collaboration with Sony Pictures.

Oil surged more than five percent Thursday and stocks sank as Iran attacked several Gulf energy facilities and warned of more in retaliation for a strike on one of its key gas fields.