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

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is "justified" and demonstrates Moscow's position as a world power, Myanmar's junta said on Friday, backing its major ally and arms supplier.

Ukrainian forces fought off Russian invaders in the streets of the capital Kyiv on Friday as President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of targeting civilians and called for more international sanctions.

Daniil Medvedev, who has become only the third Russian to be crowned men's tennis world number one, said his sport was not important given his country's invasion of Ukraine.

With Russian forces in neighbouring Syria, Washington its unswerving ally and about a million citizens with ties to the former Soviet Union, Israel is seeking a delicate balance in the Ukraine crisis.

Hong Kong prisons on Friday reported a worsening coronavirus outbreak involving more than 200 inmates at a time when hundreds of political activists and protesters are being kept behind bars.

Equities bounced back Friday from the previous day's rout with investors taking their lead from a rally on Wall Street after Washington decided against imposing the stiffest sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Protesters took to the streets of the Philippine capital on Friday as church leaders called on the faithful to prevent a return to the abuses of the Ferdinand Marcos era on the anniversary of his ouster and months before a presidential election in which his son is heavily favoured.

A bold call by South Africa to bat first in the second Test against New Zealand paid dividends Friday with the tourists 238 for three, including a maiden century to Sarel Erwee, at stumps on day one.

Marilyn Baikie's remote Inuit community has more wisdom than they could ever want about ecological grief.

Disgusted with corruption and power-hungry politicians, Nebojsa Kalamanda is already planning his exit from Bosnia, leaving behind a broken political system and a stagnant economy.

The world has a rare opportunity to clean up the planet for future generations by uniting behind an ambitious treaty to tackle plastic trash, the UN environment chief told AFP.

World number three Alexander Zverev, who was thrown out of the Mexico Open at Acapulco this week after repeatedly smashing his racquet against the umpire's chair, was fined $40,000 by the ATP on Thursday.

Rivals Singapore and Hong Kong have become pandemic polar opposites, the former opting to live with the coronavirus and reopen to the world while the latter doubles down on zero-Covid and its international isolation.

DeMar DeRozan notched his eighth straight game with at least 35 points to power the Chicago Bulls to a 112-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday as the NBA returned to action after its All-Star break.

Kenia was 17 when, she says, she had a miscarriage after a fall and was sent to jail on suspicion of having had an abortion in El Salvador.

Hotly anticipated gaming title "Elden Ring" debuts Friday, promising an intricate world crafted in collaboration with the author of "Game of Thrones," and offering high-level escapism for a crisis-hit world.

Test skipper Pat Cummins said on Friday his team were "comfortable" with security arrangements and excited by what lies ahead, as Australia prepare to jet into Pakistan on their first tour since 1998.

A bold call by South Africa to bat first in the second Test against New Zealand paid dividends Friday with the tourists 238 for three, including a maiden century to Sarel Erwee, at stumps on day one.

The campaign for Brazil's October presidential elections has not yet officially started, but the candidates are already bending over backwards to woo a powerful constituency: Evangelical Christians.

At least two people died when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday, with residents shuttling loved ones to safety as buildings crumbled around them.

Invading Russian forces pressed deep into Ukraine as deadly battles reached the outskirts of Kyiv, with explosions heard in the capital early Friday that the besieged government described as "horrific rocket strikes".

DeMar DeRozan notched his eighth straight game with at least 35 points to power the Chicago Bulls to a 112-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday as the NBA returned to action after its All-Star break.

Refugees from Ukraine, including dozens of children and two women with their cats, camped overnight at a train station in neighbouring Poland after fleeing Russia's invasion on Thursday.

Australia on Friday pilloried China's failure to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as Beijing's "unacceptable" decision to ease restrictions on a key Russian export in the face of Western sanctions.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, with residents sent fleeing from their homes.

In the stores and buses of Iraq masks are rare even as Covid-19 spreads widely, vaccines are viewed with suspicion and the sick see hospitals as a last resort.

Zhou Guanyu had his first official outing Thursday, on the final laps of his long journey to become the first Chinese Formula One driver.

Unbeaten France head to Murrayfield with an underdog mentality and a point to prove against bogey-side Scotland on Saturday as they continue their bid for a Six Nations Championship clean sweep.

Equities bounced back Friday from the previous day's rout with investors taking their lead from a rally on Wall Street after Washington decided against imposing the stiffest sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Sarel Erwee posted his maiden Test century as South Africa reached 163 for one at tea on day one of the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Friday.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios says he had suicidal thoughts, abused drugs and self-harmed during a dark period in his life in 2019.

Australia's rivalry with the All Blacks will be scaled back to two Tests each year from three, officials said Friday, as the Wallabies seek to play other countries.