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

Jannik Sinner will head into the French Open as the most overwhelming favourite to win the men's title since Rafael Nadal's hey-day and with the career Grand Slam firmly in his sights.

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang expects China to eventually open its market to high-end US chips that can train and run artificial intelligence systems.

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as oil prices eased on hopes of a US-Iran deal, though elevated crude levels capped investor appetite for risk.

A shooting Monday at a mosque complex in southern California killed three people, with two suspected teenage gunmen later found dead in a car from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.

From gardens to inspire younger generations, to havens of peace and sanctuary, to a hothouse space designed to stir desire, the UK's top flower show is flourishing.

Every Sunday, percussionists, dancers and everyday residents of the US capital gather in a Washington park for a drum circle -- a decades-old tradition that historically celebrated Black liberation.

In a lot behind a disused West Virginia gas station at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Roy Funkhouser is surrounded by about a dozen beekeepers and countless buzzing bees.

It's the middle of the night in Havana, but Alejandro Benitez is just getting down to work.

An attempt in Italy to introduce a consent-based rape law is floundering and experts warn rapists could stand to gain after the far right torpedoed an "only yes means yes" definition.

A former boss of a notorious Libyan prison faces three days of hearings at the International Criminal Court from Tuesday, accused of war crimes including murder, rape and torture.

Scientists attempting to determine whether or not hantavirus is present in Argentina's Ushuaia on Monday laid the very first traps to catch rodents potentially carrying the disease, AFP journalists observed.

His face smiles out from every kiosk in Rome on the cover of the ubiquitous "sexy priest" calendar sold to tourists but Giovanni Galizia was never a man of the cloth.

Harry Styles' dozen concerts in London this summer will see fans spend more than £1.0 billion ($1.3 billion) combined on tickets and costs including accommodation and travel, Barclays forecast Tuesday.

Bolivian protests calling for center-right President Rodrigo Paz to resign intensified Monday as demonstrators swarmed government buildings and a protest leader faced terrorism charges over the unrest.

US President Donald Trump said he was planning a major new assault on Iran on Tuesday, but held off as he saw hope for securing a so far elusive agreement to end the war.

Workers at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium vowed Monday to go on strike if federal immigration enforcement agents are deployed at the venue when it hosts World Cup matches next month.

A shooting at a mosque complex in California killed three people Monday, with two suspected teenage gunmen later found dead in a car from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.

The United States said Monday it is bolstering precautions to prevent the spread of Ebola, including screening air travelers from outbreak-hit areas and temporarily suspending visa services.

Australian Adam Scott is officially set for his 100th consecutive major golf at June's US Open as officials confirmed 35 exemptions into the field on Monday.

Pep Guardiola is set to bring his trophy-laden decade in charge of Manchester City to an end this weekend, according to multiple reports on Monday.

Brazil superstar Neymar was handed a dramatic recall to the country's World Cup squad on Monday, returning to the national team after a near three-year absence.

Arsenal are on the brink of ending a 22-year wait to win the Premier League after beating Burnley 1-0 on Monday to open up a five-point lead at the top.

Global stock markets were mixed Monday and oil prices rose while investors digested shifting developments in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump said he postponed a planned attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders.

World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard announced Monday that he was leaving Marseille, where he had been on on loan from Inter Milan and played only one season.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he had held off on imminent plans to resume attacking Iran, piling pressure as Tehran rebuffs his demands for ending the war.

Cuba's leader warned Monday of a "bloodbath" in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba's main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes.

US President Donald Trump said he was postponing a planned attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders amid "serious negotiations" with Tehran.

Cuba's leader warned Monday of a "bloodbath" in the event of an American attack, and the US Treasury issued sanctions targeting Cuba's main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the longtime rivals.

The brazen murder of a small-city mayor shocked Mexico and forced President Claudia Sheinbaum to step up an offensive against all-powerful drug cartels.

US President Donald Trump's Justice Department announced on Monday the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate political allies prosecuted under the Biden administration.

Jamahl Mosley was named as the New Orleans Pelicans new head coach on Monday, completing a swift return to the NBA just two weeks after he was dismissed by the Orlando Magic.

The deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks are only the latest crises in "dangerous and divisive" times, the World Health Organization chief said Monday.

Skipper Pat Cummins' 3-28 and an attacking 70 by Ishan Kishan helped Sunrisers Hyderabad book their play-off spot in the IPL with a nervy five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings on Monday.

A teenager nicknamed "The Girl in the River Main" after her body was found floating in Germany a quarter-century ago bearing signs of abuse has finally been identified, leading to her father's arrest, Interpol said Monday.

A federal jury ruled Monday that Elon Musk waited too long to sue OpenAI and its co-founders, delivering a decisive victory to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and ending one of Silicon Valley's most closely watched courtroom battles.

The global corporation Scandic Finance Group (SFG) from Hong Kong is taking an unusual path: with the SNC Scandic Coin (SNC), it is launching a digital asset on the market that is not intended purely as a speculative object but as a genuine means of payment, an access medium and a customer loyalty instrument. The token is the core of a large ecosystem comprising media, mobility, technology, real estate and security services, in which users are meant to pay for their daily needs with a single digital currency. Following the announced listings on BitMart and L-Bank, SFG has now announced that Biconomy has been won as the third of five major exchange partners. This cooperation is intended to massively increase the international reach of the SNC and put the vision of a regulated, practical real-world asset token into practice.A new kind of utility tokenUnlike many hype coins, the SNC Scandic Coin focuses on clear use cases. According to the SFG board, the letters “SNC” stand for security/synergy, network and community and reflect Scandinavian values such as transparency, modern design and technological affinity. The fixed total supply of one billion tokens and the planned issue price of USD 0.02 per SNC limit the supply and create long-term planning certainty. A detailed vesting plan ensures that new tokens are released only gradually; according to the white paper, the proceeds from the sale flow into security measures, audits, the expansion of SFG infrastructure and liquidity, as well as into marketing and operations.The Scandic platforms – including Scandic Fly, Scandic Pay, Scandic Cars, Scandic Estate, Scandic DEV, Scandic SEC, Scandic Domains and Scandic Yachts – plan to accept the coin in future for flight and yacht charters, vehicle and property purchases, apps, artificial intelligence services and domain services. In addition, users will receive cashback, rewards and access to exclusive services such as luxury travel and premium media offerings, which the Legier-Group markets worldwide through its portfolio of over 115+ daily newspapers across all continents, and even operates its own Global-News-App.Security and regulation occupy a central position in this project. The SNC smart contract was audited by CertiK; the publicly accessible Skynet report of 2 March 2026 found no critical vulnerabilities. For the KYC/KYB processes and anti-money laundering controls, SFG cooperates with the data and credit provider CRIF. A multi-layered risk management system is intended to ensure compliance and ESG certificates. This strong regulatory basis is decisive for establishing a utility token in the highly regulated environment of real-world assets.

The US judge overseeing Luigi Mangione's New York state trial for the murder of a healthcare executive decided Monday to admit crucial items of evidence including a gun and a notebook.

The first attack targeting an Arab nuclear site has sent a symbolic warning to the United Arab Emirates and its allies, even as Iran and the US remain in negotiations to end the Middle East war, analysts say.

Stock markets diverged Monday as investors worried about borrowing costs, while oil prices rose as US President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure on Iran.