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

The Tren de Aragua leader killed in a US-Venezuelan raid was a high school dropout who lived in comfort behind bars as he transformed a prison gang into one of the most powerful and extensive criminal organizations in Latin America.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu on Saturday described Wataru Endo as "hurt" and apologised after torpedoing the captain's World Cup dreams on the eve of the tournament.

Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi stunned Switzerland with a late equaliser as the sides played out a 1-1 draw in their opening match at the World Cup on Saturday.

Racing 92 upset Pau 33-31 on Saturday to qualify for the Top 14 semi-finals and a clash against champions Toulouse in Marseille next weekend.

United States captain Tim Ream told AFP an "intense" training camp was vital to his team's dream World Cup start, as a 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay turbo-charged the co-hosts' hopes of unlikely glory.

Workers removed President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington on Saturday -- a stinging defeat for the US leader who has eschewed political tradition to affix his name and likeness across public spaces.

Australia cruised to a 65-run win against South Africa in their opening Women's T20 World Cup match on Saturday.

Anthropic said Friday it has suspended access to two powerful AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, to comply with a US national security order.

Lebanon reported Israeli strikes in the country's south on Saturday, as the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for the city of Nabatieh and more than 20 other locations ahead of raids.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu said that she is back to her best after the British star won twice in the space of just six hours to earn a Queen's Club final clash with Croatia's Donna Vekic.

Harry Kane said England had enjoyed "great preparation" ahead of their World Cup campaign as the squad touched down in Kansas City -- their base camp for the tournament.

Albanian prosecutors said Saturday they had demanded the arrest of 20 people over alleged drug-trafficking and money-laundering, with media saying some may have ties to a resort project linked to relatives of Donald Trump.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu will face Croatia's Donna Vekic in the Queen's Club final after the British star won twice in the space of just six hours on Saturday.

David Raya believes Spain "are in good hands" no matter who starts the World Cup in goal as he battles with Unai Simon and Joan Garcia to be Luis de la Fuente's number one.

Former NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden was arrested Saturday in Houston, Texas, on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon, court documents showed.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran to end the war in the Middle East would be signed on Sunday, and that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be "open to all" immediately after.

Five-time winners Brazil roll into the World Cup on Saturday when they play surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco in one of the standout group-stage matchups.

Skipper Shubman Gill's unbeaten 84 and inspired bowling led India to an emphatic seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in a rain-reduced 25-overs-a-side ODI contest on Saturday.

George Russell returned to an approach that suits him well as he claimed pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in Saturday's qualifying session.

Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas said officials at "local, state and federal levels" were investigating after World Cup equipment belonging to England was stolen ahead of the squad's arrival at their training base on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump will take part in a G7 working session with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in France on Tuesday, but no bilateral meeting between the two is scheduled, a senior administration official said.

What promised to be a hyper-competitive hypercar class in the 24 hours of Le Mans started with a flurry of overtaking and four leaders in the first hour on Saturday.

The leader of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua has been killed in southern Venezuela as part of a joint operation with the United States, in what a top Pentagon official on Saturday described as a warning to "narco-terrorists" in Latin America.

George Russell of Mercedes claimed pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix after a thrilling end to the qualifying session on Saturday.

Thousands of people on Saturday gathered for an anti-racism rally in the Northern Irish city of Belfast after unrest sparked by a horrific stabbing.

US tennis great Serena Williams, on the comeback trail nearly four years after retiring, will partner Czech Karolina Muchova in the doubles at next week's Berlin Open grass court tournament.

Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit an attacking century but India bowled out the opposition for 194 in a rain-reduced 25-overs-a-side ODI contest on Saturday.

Mexican Isaac del Toro won Saturday's seventh stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes to close in on overall leader Luke Tuckwell as pre-race favourite Paul Seixas lost time due to a crash.

The United States and Iran could finalise an agreement to end the Middle East war within as little as 24 hours, mediator Pakistan said Saturday, after both sides expressed optimism about the chances of concluding a deal.

US qualifier Robin Montgomery upset Australian Ajla Tomljanovic to advance to the final of the s'Hertogenbosch grass court tournament on Saturday where she will meet Czech Barbora Krejcikova.

Ghana said Saturday it has formally lodged a protest over Canada's refusal to issue a visa for the World Cup to player Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges.

Five-time winners Brazil roll into the World Cup on Saturday when they play surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco in one of the standout group-stage matchups.

George Russell built confidence ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix by topping the timesheets in the final practice session on Saturday.

A dominant Lani Pallister swept to victory in the 1500m freestyle at the Australian trials on Saturday to cap a marquee week where she also won the 400m and 800m in super-quick times.

The United States and Iran could finalise an agreement to end the Middle East war "within 24 hours", key mediator Pakistan said Saturday, after both sides expressed optimism about the chances of concluding a deal.

International Cricket Council chief executive Sanjog Gupta, insists the Women's T20 World Cup can "co-exist" with the football World Cup.

Batsman Will Young was drafted into the New Zealand Test squad on Saturday in place of Kane Williamson, who called time on his international career mid-series against England.

The body of the Thai king's eldest daughter was brought to the royal palace in Bangkok on Saturday, as thousands of black-clad mourners lined the procession route.

Days of anti-immigration violence in Belfast have shown how three decades of unrest in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, still shape the contours of daily life, residents and academics said.