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

Masked Hamas gunmen freed a first wave of hostages Friday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, sparking rare scenes of celebration in a seven-week war that has killed thousands of people.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reviewed images taken by his country's new spy satellite of "major target regions" in South Korea, including its capital and cities hosting US military bases, state media said Saturday.

The scorching summer in Texas this year was the second hottest on record -- but students in the southwestern US state might have a hard time understanding why.

The Orlando Magic knocked off another marquee foe on Friday, beating the Boston Celtics 113-96 to boost their bid to reach the knockout stage of the NBA's new in-season tournament.

Cuban and Haitian migrants are increasingly taking chartered flights to Nicaragua from where they seek to travel overland to the United States, prompting Washington to impose sanctions this week on the operators of the aircraft.

Australia women's boss Tony Gustavsson insisted Saturday he was "fully focused" on taking the team to the Paris Olympics amid reports he was interviewed to take over as coach of the Swedish men's side.

The Miami Dolphins won the first ever NFL game played on "Black Friday" with a convincing 34-13 victory at the New York Jets.

The Orlando Magic knocked off another marquee foe on Friday, beating the Boston Celtics 113-96 to boost their bid to reach the knockout stage of the NBA's new in-season tournament.

The leaders of Canada and the European Union reiterated on Friday strong support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, while pledging to deepen coordination on climate efforts.

Irish police were out in force Friday night in Dublin to prevent a repeat of rioting blamed on far-right agitators that erupted after a knife attack outside a school that injured three children.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey declined to comment Friday amid reports the NBA was looking into allegations he had an improper relationship with an underage girl.

Ousmane Dembele scored his first Paris Saint-Germain goal in stunning fashion as the reigning French champions crushed Monaco 5-2 in Ligue 1 on Friday to cement their lead at the top of the table.

Charles Leclerc topped the times, but team-mate Carlos Sainz crashed heavily as Ferrari out-performed rivals Mercedes in an incident-filled second practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday.

Firecrackers lit up the night sky Friday as raucous celebrations -- mixed with defiance -- marked the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons in exchange for the first wave of hostages freed by Hamas in Gaza.

US retailers' efforts to attract holiday gift buyers build to a crescendo this weekend as the "Black Friday" shopping day kicked off with big discounts.

England striker Harry Kane continued his brilliant Bundesliga form on Friday, scoring the winner in Bayern Munich's 1-0 win over Cologne.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said Friday it will take legal action against social media users who attacked its president and players with racist slurs.

Major League Soccer's playoffs reach the sudden-death knockout stage this weekend with the Western Conference semi-final clash between Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders topping the bill.

Police were out in force in Dublin on Friday to prevent a repeat of the widespread rioting that erupted after a knife attack outside a school.

Jorge Martin piled the pressure on title rival Francesco Bagnaia in Friday's practice for the season-ending Valencia MotoGP with the world championship leader failing to make the top ten and needing to take part in qualifying.

Alex de Minaur guided Australia into a second successive Davis Cup final with an assured 2-0 win over Finland on Friday in Malaga.

FIFA on Friday confirmed disciplinary proceedings have been opened into the football federations of Brazil and Argentina after a brawl delayed the start of a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

The leaders of Canada and the European Union reiterated strong support at a summit Friday for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, with new military assistance announced by Ottawa.

Conflict-weary Somalia on Friday became the eighth member of the East African Community (EAC) in a move hailed as a milestone for the troubled Horn of Africa country.

A Brazilian delivery driver and a young French chef were among the "heroes" Ireland saluted Friday for subduing a knife-wielding assailant suspected of attacking children outside a Dublin school.

Australia put one foot in the Davis Cup final after Alexei Popyrin beat Finland's Otto Virtanen in the first singles rubber on Friday for a 1-0 lead.

How will the first group of hostages released by Hamas on Friday recover from the psychological trauma of being held captive since the Palestinian militant group's attack on Israel on October 7?

Hamas on Friday freed a first batch of hostages seized in the deadliest attack in Israel's history under a deal that saw a temporary truce take hold in war-ravaged Gaza.

Slovak premier Robert Fico said Friday that the Ukraine war risks lasting until 2030 if peace talks are not started.

An army of Israeli medics, child protection experts and trauma specialists were bracing Friday to receive 13 women and children released from Gaza after weeks of Hamas captivity.

Anti-EU, anti-immigration firebrand Geert Wilders' surprise victory in the Dutch general election this week shows right-wing populism's success in gobbling up support from traditional conservative parties and taking its pet themes mainstream, experts said.

Mauricio Pochettino said he will not rush Christopher Nkunku back into action for Chelsea as he called for patience in the France forward's recovery from injury.