The Irish Press - News from Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, Drogheda, Galyway, Ireland and the world

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ground out victory over the Carolina Panthers to book their place in the NFL postseason on Sunday as the Jacksonville Jaguars crashed out of the playoff picture with defeat at the Tennessee Titans in the final round of regular season fixtures.

European Council president Charles Michel announced Sunday that he will step down early, setting off a race against time for EU leaders to find a successor for the key position.

Six sailors set out on the 40,000km around-the-world Ultim Challenge from France on Sunday, hoping to complete one of the sport's "biggest challenges" inside 50 days.

An air strike, gunfire and explosives across the West Bank killed at least nine Palestinians and two Israelis on Sunday, officials on both sides said as violence surges in the occupied territory.

Istanbul's top division side Besiktas on Sunday appointed Portuguese legend Fernando Santos as head coach in the hope of reviving their chase for a Champions League spot.

Israel pounded Gaza on Sunday as its war with Hamas raged into a fourth month, while top US diplomat Antony Blinken decried the "tragedy" of civilian deaths and warned the conflict threatened the wider region.

Jurgen Klopp saluted Liverpool's fighting spirit as they kept fired-up Arsenal at bay to seal a 2-0 win in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

Dusan Vlahovic made sure that Juventus stayed two points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan with the decisive late goal in Sunday's 2-1 win at 10-man Salernitana, as Napoli crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Torino.

Johann van Graan has told Bath to prepare for a "massive challenge" in a January featuring European Champions Cup games against French giants Racing 92 and Toulouse.

Liverpool survived an Arsenal barrage to steal a place in the FA Cup fourth round in dramatic fashion as a pair of late goals sealed their gritty 2-0 win on Sunday.

Musical fantasy "Wonka" hung on atop the North American box office this weekend, taking in an estimated $14.4 million as Hollywood hoped for a boost from the annual Golden Globe awards, industry analysts said Sunday.

Pep Guardiola lauded Kevin De Bruyne as a "unique" talent after the Belgian playmaker's return to action in Manchester City's FA Cup rout of Huddersfield.

A strike that threatened to grind London's underground network to a virtual halt for several days was called off at the last minute on Sunday following "positive discussions" in pay talks, the main rail union said.

Sheikh Hasina once helped rescue Bangladesh from military rule, but her time in power has seen the mass arrest of her political opponents and human rights sanctions against her security forces.

Rafael Nadal on Sunday withdrew from the Australian Open with a muscle tear after he played his first tournament in almost a year.

Napoli plunged deeper into crisis on Sunday after crashing to a 3-0 defeat at Torino which ended with fiery protests from fans and humiliation for the troubled Serie A champions.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won re-election for a fifth term Sunday, officials said, following a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation".

Dakar Rally veteran Stephane Peterhansel notched up a record-equalling 50th stage win on Sunday as Spanish rider Carles Falcon was reported in a "serious condition" after crashing in Saudi Arabia.

Al Jazeera on Sunday said two of its Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip were killed in an Israeli strike on their car, in what the Qatar-based media network claimed was a "targeted killing".

Bangladeshi cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan won a seat in the country's parliament Sunday after a landslide victory in a general election boycotted by the opposition, an official said.

Internet and social media services across Pakistan were severely disrupted Sunday night as the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan prepared to launch a massive online campaign ahead of elections next month.

Kevin De Bruyne made his long-awaited return for Manchester City as the FA Cup holders thrashed Huddersfield 5-0 in the third round on Sunday.

Spanish motorcyclist Carles Falcon was helicoptered to hospital with serious injuries in Saudi Arabia on Sunday after crashing during the second stage of the Dakar Rally.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina looked certain Sunday to win a fifth term in office following a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation", as partial results pointed to an overwhelming victory.

An air strike, gunfire and explosives across the West Bank killed eight Palestinians and two Israelis on Sunday, officials on both sides said as violence surges in the occupied territory.

Australia women's football star Sam Kerr faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Chelsea's warm-weather training camp in Morocco.

Petra Vlhova produced two excellent runs on a difficult course to win the slalom at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia on Sunday while World Cup overall leader Mikaela Shiffrin completed a poor weekend by straddling a gate in the first run.

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu suspended three deputy ministers on Sunday for making "derogatory remarks" against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government said.

London's underground train network was to grind to a virtual halt for several days late Sunday due to a strike over wages.

Audi veteran Stephane Peterhansel left his rivals trailing in the dust on stage two of the Dakar Rally on Sunday in a treacherous 463km race through the winding dunes of the Saudi desert.

AC Milan consolidated their place in Serie A's Champions League positions on Sunday with a straightforward 3-0 win over lowly Empoli.

Airlines and safety bodies around the world grounded some versions of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets pending inspections Sunday, with dozens of flights cancelled over the weekend after a panel blew out of one of the planes over the western US state of Oregon.