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

Washington's top diplomat Antony Blinken arrived on the island of Crete on Saturday to meet with the Greek prime minister and address Greece's concerns about the looming sale of US fighter jets to Ankara, after talks with President Recep Tayip Erdogan in Turkey.

Ross Branch of Botswana was handsomely rewarded for stopping to help a stricken rider by emerging as the winner of the opening stage of the Dakar Rally on Saturday.

Australia's Alex De Minaur backed up his upset of Novak Djokovic by defeating Alexander Zverev Saturday, but it was not enough to prevent Germany booking a United Cup final against Poland.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led the tributes as Brazil mourned four-time World Cup-winning football legend Mario Zagallo, who will be laid to rest Sunday after his death at age 92.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called for an end to FA Cup replays to avoid fixture congestion ahead of his side's third-round tie at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Newcastle ended their 13-year wait to beat bitter rivals Sunderland as Alexander Isak's double inspired a 3-0 win in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Davide Frattesi put Inter Milan five points clear at the top of Serie A on Saturday with a last-gasp winner which gave his team a thrilling, and controversial, 2-1 victory over Verona.

Switzerland's Olympic champion Marco Odermatt overcame foggy conditions to reign yet again in Saturday's World Cup giant slalom on his home slope of Adelboden.

Canada's Valerie Grenier emerged the surprise winner of the women's World Cup giant slalom at Kranjska Gora on Saturday.

Bangladesh police on Saturday arrested seven opposition party members blamed for an alleged pre-election arson attack on a packed commuter train that killed four people and injured another eight.

North Korea's military fired over 60 artillery rounds near Yeonpyeong Island on Saturday, Seoul's military said, a day after both sides staged live-fire drills in the same area near their contested maritime border.

World number five Andrey Rublev overcame a fierce examination from Chinese wildcard "Jerry" Shang Juncheng on Saturday to reach the Hong Kong Open final.

Washington's top diplomat discussed the Israel-Gaza war with Turkey's mercurial leader on Saturday before flying to Crete to address Greek worries about the looming sale of US fighter jets to Ankara.

When a North Korean artillery shell slammed into his house and burned it to the ground in 2010, Jung Chang-kuan thought that war had broken out again.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka swept past Victoria Azarenka on Saturday into a Brisbane International final against world number four Elena Rybakina, setting up a replay of their 2023 Australian Open decider.

Sudan's paramilitary chief spent the first months of the country's war in the shadows. Now he has emerged to embrace civilian politicians and tour African capitals in a bid for international legitimacy, analysts say.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's election authority has annulled recent election results for three government ministers and four provincial governors, citing fraud and voter intimidation.

UK police have announced they are investigating possible fraud offences committed during Britain's post office scandal, described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history.

Rescuers and residents sifted through rubble Saturday as their focus turned to recovering bodies and cleaning up rather than finding survivors, five days after a huge earthquake struck central Japan and killed at least 126 people.

Israel bombed southern Gaza early Saturday as the UN warned the besieged Palestinian territory has been rendered "uninhabitable" by three months of war.

Washington's top diplomat discusses the Gaza war with Turkey's mercurial leader on Saturday before flying to Crete to address Greek worries about the looming sale of US fighter jets to Ankara.

World number four Elena Rybakina put on a serving masterclass as she stormed into the Brisbane International women's final Saturday, while top seed Holger Rune battled through to the men's decider.

US Open champion Coco Gauff maintained her imperious form in the lead-up to the Australia Open by dismantling Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the Auckland Classic on Saturday.

Rescuers and residents sifted through rubble Saturday as focus turned to recovering bodies and cleaning up rather than finding survivors, five days after a huge earthquake struck central Japan killing at least 110 people.

Twenty-five minutes after the New Year's Day earthquake, a tsunami several metres high barrelled into Shiromaru, leaving a trail of destruction for the Japanese coastal community's mostly elderly residents.

World number four Elena Rybakina put on a serving masterclass as she stormed into the final of the Brisbane International with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Linda Noskova Saturday.

Israel bombed Gaza on Saturday as the United Nations warned the Palestinian territory has become "uninhabitable" after three months of fighting that threatens to engulf the wider region.

The first person to win the FIFA World Cup as both a player and coach, Mario Zagallo was as instrumental a figure as any in Brazil's rise to prominence as a global football power.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek and teammate Hubert Hurkacz swept top seeds Poland into the United Cup final on Saturday with a hard-fought victory over France.

Australian opener David Warner played the last of his 112 Tests to end a glittering and controversal career against Pakistan in Sydney on Saturday.

Israel bombed Gaza on Saturday as the United Nations warned the Palestinian territory has become "uninhabitable" after three months of fighting that threatens to engulf the wider region.

Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets with David Warner scoring a pulsating 57 in his farewell Test match in Sydney on Saturday to sweep the series 3-0.