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

The world economy's fragile recovery from the Covid-induced crisis is now threatened by Russia's war in Ukraine and soaring commodity prices.

Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova clinched victory in the World Cup giant slalom event at Are on Friday to keep her hopes of the overall title alive.

Russia moved on Friday to restrict Instagram access and launched a criminal case against its owner Meta, as Moscow fired back at the tech giant for allowing posts calling for violence against Russian forces.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hit out Friday at EU lawmakers who urged his government to protect journalists and accused him of intimidating the press, branding their statement slanderous.

Kevin Magnussen made an eye-catching return to Formula One on Friday when he topped the times in pre-season testing in Bahrain, just 48 hours after replacing Nikita Mazepin at Haas.

Russian oligarch Valeriy Oyf is selling his majority share in Dutch football club Vitesse Arnhem amid the war in Ukraine, the first division outfit announced on Friday.

Last-minute Russian demands threatened to derail the near-complete process of reviving the Iran nuclear deal Friday, as the EU announced negotiations would be paused.

US and European stock markets were buoyed Friday by Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments about a "positive shift" in talks with Ukraine, traders said.

On the 16th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces were encircling at least four major cities Friday and inched closer towards the city limits of Kyiv.

The United States stepped up the pressure against Moscow on Friday as Russian forces moved further into western and central Ukraine and tightened their grip on the capital Kyiv.

Warren Barguil won Friday's fifth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico after a late burst into the final kilometres of a climb-packed day, as Tadej Pogacar held onto the overall lead despite taking a wrong turn just as he mounted an attack of his own.

Its once-flourishing oil industry decimated by corruption, poor management and US sanctions, Venezuela's vast crude reserves are unlikely to make up for banned Russian oil even if Washington eases measures against Caracas, experts say.

Primoz Roglic and Simon Yates remain on course for a Paris-Nice showdown on Saturday's climb stage after outsider Mathieu Burgaudeau of TotalEnergies won the hilly stage six on Friday with the main contenders finishing together.

Washington and its allies moved Friday to end normal trade relations with Russia, as President Joe Biden vowed the West would make Vladimir Putin "pay the price" for his invasion of Ukraine.

Warren Barguil won Friday's fifth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico after a late burst into the final, gruelling kilometres of a climb-packed day as Tadej Pogacar held onto the overall lead.

Kemar Roach struck an early blow for the West Indies but England succeeded in erasing a first innings deficit of 64 runs, reaching 72 for one at lunch on the fourth day of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

Leftist former student leader Gabriel Boric was sworn in Friday as Chile's youngest-ever president, with plans to turn the country that was a neoliberal laboratory for decades into a greener, more egalitarian "welfare state."

England's preparations for their crunch Six Nations clash against Ireland suffered a setback when Maro Itoje missed training on the eve of Saturday's match through illness.

Everton manager Frank Lampard has played down "crisis" talk at the club even though they could be in the Premier League relegation zone by the time they kick off against Wolves on Sunday.

Leftist former student leader Gabriel Boric, 36, was sworn in Friday as Chile's youngest-ever president.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon set a new record for the month of February, according to official data released Friday, the latest sign of a surge in destruction under President Jair Bolsonaro.

Primoz Roglic and Simon Yates remain on course for a Paris-Nice showdown on Saturday's climb stage after outsider Mathieu Burgaudeau of TotalEnergies won the hilly stage six on Friday with the main contenders finishing together.

The corpse lies with its hands clasped, as if in prayer.

Russia is piling huge pressure on foreign companies fleeing the country following Moscow's decision to send troops to Ukraine even as some tycoons warn that the seizure of assets would take the country "back to 1917".

The woman who was Ukraine's first female volunteer to get a full military contract wants the new recruits in her charge to drop all notions about the romance of war.

Russia restricted access on Friday to Instagram and launched a criminal case against its owner Meta, as Moscow fired back at the tech giant for allowing posts calling for violence against Russian forces.

The world economy's fragile recovery from the Covid-induced crisis is now threatened by Russia's war in Ukraine and soaring commodity prices.

There will be no welcome parade when Ukraine's most successful Winter Paralympics team returns to its war-torn homeland from Beijing -- some members may not even be able to reach their bombed cities.

US and European stock markets rose Friday as investors were buoyed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments about a "positive shift" in talks with Ukraine, traders said.

US President Joe Biden intends to strip Russia of its preferential trade status, a move that would enable Washington to inflict steep tariff hikes on Moscow in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.

Powers are jostling to play the lead role in finding a diplomatic solution to Russia's war in Ukraine but such attempts risk being a sideshow unless President Vladimir Putin shows genuine interest in a negotiated settlement.

Northern Ireland lawmakers fell silent on Friday as they remembered victims and survivors of decades of institutional abuse in children's homes, and offered them a formal public apology.