![Sri Lanka bowl against England in third Test](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/47/e8/25/Sri-Lanka-bowl-against-England-in-t-651526.jpg)
Sri Lanka bowl against England in third Test
![Paralympic great Campbell breaking the mould in the discus](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/30/90/62/Paralympic-great-Campbell-breaking--155277.jpg)
Paralympic great Campbell breaking the mould in the discus
![Super Typhoon Yagi slams into southern China](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/43/d8/ce/Super-Typhoon-Yagi-slams-into-south-415166.jpg)
Super Typhoon Yagi slams into southern China
![Eurozone second-quarter economic growth revised down](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/a5/e0/85/Eurozone-second-quarter-economic-gr-266454.jpg)
Eurozone second-quarter economic growth revised down
Economy
Puffed up with pride: Japanese 10-year-old passes deadly fish test
A Japanese 10-year-old has become the youngest person authorised to prepare "fugu" pufferfish -- a delicacy that can kill if its poisonous parts are not properly removed.
Politics
Zelensky at military aid meet in Germany to rally Ukraine's allies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared in person at a meeting of Ukraine's international backers in Germany on Friday to rally support for Kyiv days after one of the deadliest Russian strikes of the war.
Last news
![France's new PM tackles first challenge of forming cabinet](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/04/9a/b8/France-s-new-PM-tackles-first-chall-015516_small.jpg)
France's new PM tackles first challenge of forming cabinet
France's new right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier started consulting all sides Friday to cobble together a government capable of mustering a majority in parliament after two months of political deadlock.
![Super Typhoon Yagi threatens southern China, Vietnam](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/43/d8/ce/Super-Typhoon-Yagi-threatens-southe-817133_small.jpg)
Super Typhoon Yagi threatens southern China, Vietnam
Southern China's Hainan province evacuated over 400,000 people ahead of the expected landfall on Friday of Super Typhoon Yagi, while tens of thousands prepared to seek shelter in neighbouring Vietnam from what is set to be the strongest storm to hit the region in over a decade.
![Football diplomacy: banned by FIFA, Russia vie for $10,000 in Vietnam](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/a6/09/8b/Football-diplomacy--banned-by-FIFA--287779_small.jpg)
Football diplomacy: banned by FIFA, Russia vie for $10,000 in Vietnam
In front of a sparse crowd in Hanoi, Vietnam face Russia -- a team barred from major international football tournaments after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
![World's largest indoor ski resort opens in Shanghai as China logs hottest month](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/c8/d5/21/World-s-largest-indoor-ski-resort-o-607265_small.jpg)
World's largest indoor ski resort opens in Shanghai as China logs hottest month
Shanghai opened the world's largest indoor ski resort on Friday, welcoming snowsuit-clad visitors to its faux pistes as China reported its hottest August in 60 years.
![Stock markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/a8/12/3a/Stock-markets-swing-as-traders-prep-215773_small.jpg)
Stock markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data
Markets fluctuated Friday as traders positioned themselves ahead of a highly anticipated US jobs report later in the day and after a mixed bag of economic data on the world's top economy.
![Serbia tackles sunken Nazi fleet in the Danube](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/4a/a8/ea/Serbia-tackles-sunken-Nazi-fleet-in-562666_small.jpg)
Serbia tackles sunken Nazi fleet in the Danube
A Serbian operation to clear a fleet of sunken Nazi warships from the Danube will bring relief to vessels struggling to navigate the waters, even if local fishermen will lose out.
![Japan's only young imperial heir turns 18](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/f8/a8/ae/Japan-s-only-young-imperial-heir-tu-277257_small.jpg)
Japan's only young imperial heir turns 18
Japan got a new highly eligible bachelor on Friday as Prince Hisahito, the imperial family's last hope for long-term survival unless the rules are changed to allow female succession, turned 18.
![App helps Mexican tortilla makers join digital economy](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/f8/51/53/App-helps-Mexican-tortilla-makers-j-451001_small.jpg)
App helps Mexican tortilla makers join digital economy
Long marginalized by the banking industry, Mexico's neighborhood tortilla producers are cautiously embracing financial technology, in a country where cash is still king for many.
![China pushes smaller, smarter loans to Africa to shield from risks](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/c0/22/c6/China-pushes-smaller--smarter-loans-441255_small.jpg)
China pushes smaller, smarter loans to Africa to shield from risks
China's years of splashing cash on big-ticket infrastructure projects in Africa may be over, analysts say, with Beijing seeking to shield itself from risky, indebted partners on the continent as it grapples with a slowing economy at home.
!['In nick of time' as Pegula sets up US Open title clash with Sabalenka](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/60/d4/1e/-In-nick-of-time--as-Pegula-sets-up-993554_small.jpg)
'In nick of time' as Pegula sets up US Open title clash with Sabalenka
Jessica Pegula scripted an astonishing comeback "just in the nick of time" to defeat Karolina Muchova on Thursday at the US Open and reach her first Grand Slam final, where she will take on big-hitting Aryna Sabalenka for the title.
![Papua New Guinea prepares for rare papal visit](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/ee/18/ce/Papua-New-Guinea-prepares-for-rare--522952_small.jpg)
Papua New Guinea prepares for rare papal visit
Over mountains, by air, and by sea, pilgrims flocked to Papua New Guinea's capital ahead of Pope Francis's arrival Friday on a landmark four-day visit.
![Chiefs edge Ravens by a toe in stunning NFL season opener](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/3a/5b/0f/Chiefs-edge-Ravens-by-a-toe-in-stun-555479_small.jpg)
Chiefs edge Ravens by a toe in stunning NFL season opener
Defending champion Kansas City edged Baltimore 27-20 in Thursday's 105th NFL season-opener after a video review denied the Ravens a touchdown on the game's final play.
![Father charged along with son, 14, in US school shooting](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/45/2e/9c/Father-charged-along-with-son--14---919252_small.jpg)
Father charged along with son, 14, in US school shooting
A 14-year-old boy was charged with shooting four people dead at a US high school, while his father was charged with manslaughter, authorities said Thursday, after the country's latest outburst of gun violence.
![Chinese football numb after 'disastrous' 7-0 Japan thrashing](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/f9/9d/4e/Chinese-football-numb-after--disast-255255_small.jpg)
Chinese football numb after 'disastrous' 7-0 Japan thrashing
Chinese football fans and media rounded on the national team on Friday after they suffered fresh humiliation in a 7-0 thrashing to rivals Japan in World Cup qualifying.
![Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt opening of Toronto film fest](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/ea/a9/d9/Pro-Palestinian-protesters-disrupt--777745_small.jpg)
Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt opening of Toronto film fest
The Toronto film festival, the largest in North America, kicked off in earnest Thursday with Ben Stiller's family movie "Nutcrackers" as a handful of pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the opening night screening.
![Pope wraps up Indonesia leg of gruelling Asia-Pacific tour](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/f8/g0/9f/Pope-wraps-up-Indonesia-leg-of-grue-573835_small.jpg)
Pope wraps up Indonesia leg of gruelling Asia-Pacific tour
Pope Francis left Indonesia for Papua New Guinea Friday on the second leg of an arduous 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific, after delivering a message of religious unity in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
![Multiple changes add intrigue to Springboks-All Blacks Test](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/8e/e9/3d/Multiple-changes-add-intrigue-to-Sp-575312_small.jpg)
Multiple changes add intrigue to Springboks-All Blacks Test
South Africa and New Zealand square up in a Rugby Championship Test at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday with both teams having made multiple changes in their backlines.
![Farrell, Tuilagi add English beef to start of Top 14 season](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/e9/5f/e6/Farrell--Tuilagi-add-English-beef-t-921578_small.jpg)
Farrell, Tuilagi add English beef to start of Top 14 season
France's Top 14, with its seemingly bottomless resources, has always attracted the finest cuts of world rugby talent but the arrival of Owen Farrell, the epitome of English 'rosbif', at Racing 92 comes across as more substantial than most.
![Gold medals give fleeting happiness, says Paralympic dressage great Wells](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/58/52/d0/Gold-medals-give-fleeting-happiness-515527_small.jpg)
Gold medals give fleeting happiness, says Paralympic dressage great Wells
Sophie Wells is one of Britain's greatest equestrian Paralympians but she told AFP she is no longer as single-minded about winning gold as she once was, saying the euphoria "lasts only a few moments and then you are back to your normal life."
![Comeback queen Pegula sets up US Open title clash with Sabalenka](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/60/d4/1e/Comeback-queen-Pegula-sets-up-US-Op-952125_small.jpg)
Comeback queen Pegula sets up US Open title clash with Sabalenka
Jessica Pegula scripted an astonishing comeback to defeat Karolina Muchova and reach her first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday where she will take on big-hitting Aryna Sabalenka for the title.
![Pegula in thrilling comeback to set-up US Open final with Sabalenka](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/60/d4/1e/Pegula-in-thrilling-comeback-to-set-555537_small.jpg)
Pegula in thrilling comeback to set-up US Open final with Sabalenka
Jessica Pegula staged an astonishing recovery from a set and a break down to defeat Karolina Muchova and reach her first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday.
![7-Eleven owner rejects initial takeover bid from Canadian rival](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/06/b7/94/7-Eleven-owner-rejects-initial-take-412295_small.jpg)
7-Eleven owner rejects initial takeover bid from Canadian rival
The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven said Friday it had rejected a takeover bid from Canadian retail giant Alimentation Couche-Tard, saying the proposal "grossly undervalues" the company.
![India's far-right Hindus seek to drive Muslims out of 'holy land'](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/1c/be/ce/India-s-far-right-Hindus-seek-to-dr-575225_small.jpg)
India's far-right Hindus seek to drive Muslims out of 'holy land'
A year after extremists forced Muslim neighbours from their homes in India, victims live in despair as their tormentors seek to drive Islam from what they consider a Hindu "holy land".
![China logs hottest August in more than six decades](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/18/ee/43/China-logs-hottest-August-in-more-t-051052_small.jpg)
China logs hottest August in more than six decades
China logged its hottest August in more than six decades last month, its national weather service said, after the country endured a summer of extreme weather and heatwaves across much of its north and west.
![Asian markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/a8/12/3a/Asian-markets-swing-as-traders-prep-279507_small.jpg)
Asian markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data
Asian markets drifted Friday as traders positioned themselves ahead of a highly anticipated US jobs report later in the day and following a mixed bag of economic data on the world's top economy.
![Taiwan volunteers fight rise in whale and dolphin strandings](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/cc/37/4d/Taiwan-volunteers-fight-rise-in-wha-615021_small.jpg)
Taiwan volunteers fight rise in whale and dolphin strandings
Taiwanese volunteers gathered around a large inflatable whale as they learned how to help beached sea mammals -- an increasingly common sight across the island.
![Sinaloa cartel leader agrees to transfer to New York for trial](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/68/29/c4/Sinaloa-cartel-leader-agrees-to-tra-569289_small.jpg)
Sinaloa cartel leader agrees to transfer to New York for trial
The co-founder of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel agreed on Thursday to be transferred to New York from Texas, where he has been held since his dramatic arrest in late July, to appear in the first of his US drug trials.
![June-August 2024 were hottest ever recorded: EU monitor](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/41/d6/31/June-August-2024-were-hottest-ever--231678_small.jpg)
June-August 2024 were hottest ever recorded: EU monitor
The 2024 northern summer saw the highest global temperatures ever recorded, beating last year's record and making this year likely Earth's hottest ever, the EU's climate monitor said Friday.
![Under-pressure Zelensky in Germany to rally Ukraine's allies](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/3b/62/27/Under-pressure-Zelensky-in-Germany--887005_small.jpg)
Under-pressure Zelensky in Germany to rally Ukraine's allies
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday visits Germany where Ukraine's military backers are meeting, days after one of the deadliest strikes of the war and as Russian forces make battlefield gains.
![Argentina cruise past Chile, Bolivia thrash Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/66/50/f8/Argentina-cruise-past-Chile--Bolivi-318612_small.jpg)
Argentina cruise past Chile, Bolivia thrash Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers
Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Paulo Dybala were on target as Argentina tightened their grip on South America's 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament with a 3-0 win over Chile on Thursday.
![Outgoing Japan PM heads to Seoul hoping warmer ties outlast him](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/3a/37/0b/Outgoing-Japan-PM-heads-to-Seoul-ho-237182_small.jpg)
Outgoing Japan PM heads to Seoul hoping warmer ties outlast him
Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to arrive in South Korea on Friday for a final round of talks, hoping to cement improving ties between the two countries before he leaves office.
![Iraqi date farmers fight drought to protect national treasure](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/c8/bb/4c/Iraqi-date-farmers-fight-drought-to-775557_small.jpg)
Iraqi date farmers fight drought to protect national treasure
Bare feet pressed against the rough trunk of a palm tree, his back supported by a metal and fabric harness, Ali Abed begins the climb to the dates above.
Hamas urges US pressure on Israel over Gaza truce
Hamas called on the United States Thursday to "exert real pressure" on Israel to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was no deal in the making.
!['Reagan' movie splits audiences, captures US divisions](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/d7/83/f0/-Reagan--movie-splits-audiences--ca-662256_small.jpg)
'Reagan' movie splits audiences, captures US divisions
Movie critics and audiences don't always see eye-to-eye -- but rarely have they appeared as divided as they are over "Reagan," a highly flattering biopic of the Republican president released just months before another deeply polarized US election.
![Despite court victory, 'parental alienation' plagues Colombian mothers](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/66/e0/99/Despite-court-victory---parental-al-282655_small.jpg)
Despite court victory, 'parental alienation' plagues Colombian mothers
When Sandra filed a complaint against her partner for sexually abusing their son, she said she became the target of Colombia's justice system.
![Boeing's troubled Starliner spaceship to return to Earth sans crew](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/78/23/eb/Boeing-s-troubled-Starliner-spacesh-628535_small.jpg)
Boeing's troubled Starliner spaceship to return to Earth sans crew
Boeing's problem-plagued Starliner is set to finally depart the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, returning to Earth without astronauts after NASA deemed the risk too great.
![Sabalenka beats Navarro and crowd to reach second successive US Open final](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/a2/df/28/Sabalenka-beats-Navarro-and-crowd-t-441455_small.jpg)
Sabalenka beats Navarro and crowd to reach second successive US Open final
World number two Aryna Sabalenka reached a second successive US Open final on Thursday when she defeated a battling Emma Navarro as well as a partisan crowd to move one win away from her third Grand Slam title.
![Japanese 7-Eleven owner says rejected initial takeover offer from Canadian rival](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/06/b7/94/Japanese-7-Eleven-owner-says-reject-494495_small.jpg)
Japanese 7-Eleven owner says rejected initial takeover offer from Canadian rival
The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven said Friday it had rejected a takeover bid from retail giant Alimentation Couche-Tard, saying the proposal "grossly undervalues" the company.
![Sabalenka into second successive US Open final](https://www.thenationaltimes.au/media/shared/articles/58/17/4e/Sabalenka-into-second-successive-US-558554_small.jpg)
Sabalenka into second successive US Open final
World number two Aryna Sabalenka reached a second successive US Open final on Thursday when she defeated a battling Emma Navarro to move one win away from her third Grand Slam title.