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

Hamas said Saturday it was going ahead with the release of a second group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners after mediators allayed its concerns about Israeli compliance with the agreement.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino labelled his side "soft" after a 4-1 defeat to a depleted Newcastle on Saturday left the Argentine enraged.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's late equaliser rescued Liverpool in their 1-1 draw at title rivals Manchester City, as Arsenal snatched top spot in the Premier League with a dramatic 1-0 win at Brentford on Saturday.

Lens extended their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to eight matches on Saturday with a 3-0 victory at Clermont, before turning their attentions to Wednesday's Champions League game at Arsenal.

Kai Havertz sent Arsenal to the top of the Premier League as the German's last-gasp goal clinched a hard-fought 1-0 win at Brentford on Saturday.

Jannik Sinner beat world number one Novak Djokovic twice in one day to send Italy into the Davis Cup final with a 2-1 win over Serbia on Saturday in Malaga.

Walter Mazzarri made a winning return as Napoli coach with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Atalanta pushing the champions up to third in Serie A on Saturday.

Uncapped English fly-half Joe Simmonds slotted 15 points as surprise packages Pau beat Stade Francais 30-6 on Saturday to take the lead in the French Top 14.

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka said on Saturday "it is a dream" to play under Xabi Alonso after a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen helped his team back to the top of the Bundesliga.

Thousands of people took to the streets across the world on Saturday to condemn violence against women on the international day highlighting the crime.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's late equaliser rescued Liverpool in their 1-1 draw at title rivals Manchester City after Erling Haaland bagged his 50th Premier League goal, while Newcastle routed woeful Chelsea 4-1 on Saturday.

Hamas said Saturday that it was delaying the release of a second group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners until Israel complies with a truce agreement, in a bitter blow to relatives.

Strikes from Alex Grimaldo, Jeremie Frimpong and an own goal took Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen on Saturday and a return to the top of the Bundesliga.

Fiji winger Setariki Tuicuvu scored twice as Toulon beat Castres 41-19 on Saturday to take the lead in the French Top 14.

Jannik Sinner saved three match points in a thrilling win over world number one Novak Djokovic to pull Italy level at 1-1 against Serbia in the Davis Cup semi-finals on Saturday, sending the match to the deciding doubles.

Nicaraguan authorities have barred the director of the national beauty pageant from re-entering the country after a Nicaraguan woman seen as a symbol of opposition to the Ortega government was crowned Miss Universe, media reports and exiled opposition members said.

Rounding the corner of a hospital corridor, nine-year-old Ohad breaks into a run, hurling himself into the arms of his father after being held by militants in Gaza for nearly seven weeks.

Max Verstappen shrugged off set-up problems with his Red Bull car to blitz to pole position and set up another assault on the record books in Saturday’s hectic qualifying for Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Actress Hu Ling on Saturday became the first Chinese film star to walk the red carpet of Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards since 2019, when China boycotted the self-ruled island's biggest awards show over political tensions.

Six teenagers go on trial in Paris on Monday for their role in the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, the first of two trials in a case that horrified France.

Jurgen Klopp said his new-look Liverpool remain far from the finished article, but passed a significant test in coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Manchester City on Saturday.

Max Verstappen made light of earlier set-up problems on Saturday by blitzing to pole position for Red Bull in an eventful qualifying session for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Spanish champions Barcelona slipped up in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday in La Liga, continuing a worrying run of underwhelming performances.

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has won another term in office, the election commission said on Saturday, but his victory in a vote boycotted by most opposition candidates is already facing legal challenges.

Spanish champions Barcelona slipped up in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday in La Liga, continuing a worrying run of underwhelming performances.

Jorge Martin ensured the MotoGP title will be decided on the final day of the season as he won Saturday's Valencia MotoGP sprint race reducing defending champion Francesco Bagnaia's lead to just 14 points.

A Brazilian delivery driver branded a hero for helping subdue a knife-wielding assailant suspected of attacking children outside an Irish school told AFP Saturday that he acted "like every parent would".

From the musical nights of his youth that earned his nickname "the disc jockey" to his political adventures over the past decade, life has been one long party of one kind or another for Andry Rajoelina, who on Saturday secured a second elected term as Madagascar's president.

When the first group of Israeli hostages was released from Gaza as part of a truce, Noam Peri's elderly father was not among them. But they brought with them news that he was still alive.

Liverpool snapped Manchester City's 23-match winning run at the Etihad as a clash between the Premier League's top two ended 1-1 on Saturday.

The UAE's Sultan Al Jaber, the president of the forthcoming UN climate conference in Dubai, is "cautiously optimistic" that the pivotal talks will be successful, he told AFP in an interview on Saturday.

Miomir Kecmanovic stormed back from a set down to dispatch Lorenzo Musetti 6-7 (7/9), 6-2, 6-1 and earn Serbia a 1-0 lead over Italy in the Davis Cup semi-finals on Saturday.