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

Ireland coach Andy Farrell says Japan are "bang in form" and pose a threat, but Eddie Jones' side will need something special to topple a team on a five-match win streak when they meet on Saturday.

Top Silicon Valley executive Fidji Simo announced Wednesday she is leaving her full-time role at OpenAI to go part-time as an advisor and focus on recovery from a chronic illness.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi promised that his team will bounce back from their World Cup quarter-final exit against France on Thursday and keep building as they prepare to co-host the next tournament in 2030.

Iran on Friday laid to rest its former supreme leader Ali Khamenei over four months after his killing in an airstrike, as two days of US and Iranian attacks raised fears of a return to all-out war.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said he won't be caught out by an under-par Italian performance in the opening round of the Nations Championship when the two teams meet in Wellington on Saturday.

Lionel Messi has scored in every World Cup match so far, but after two gruelling knockout ties, will age finally catch up with the 39-year-old in the quarter-final against Switzerland?

Rory McIlroy made a fine start to the Scottish Open after a five-under-par 65 on Thursday gave him a share of the first-round lead.

South Korean chip giant SK hynix on Friday priced its mega US listing at $149 per share, raising around $26.5 billion in what will be the world's second largest stock sale after SpaceX.

England's quest to end 60 years of World Cup pain comes up against Norway's scoring machine Erling Haaland in a Miami showdown for a place in the semi-finals on Saturday.

The medieval Bayeux Tapestry began a hugely complicated journey on Thursday that will see it leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital.

France coach Didier Deschamps paid tribute to forward Kylian Mbappe after he scored his eighth goal of the World Cup to fire Les Bleus into the semi-finals on Thursday.

Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were on target as France surged past Morocco 2-0 to book their place in the World Cup semi-finals on Thursday.

Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final showdown on Thursday.

South Korean chip giant SK hynix is expected on Thursday to set the price for its mega US listing that could be the world's second largest stock sale after SpaceX.

Australian backstroke star Kaylee McKeown pulled out of the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Friday, citing fatigue and loss of breath.

India captain Shreyas Iyer said his T20 world champions were in "transition" after another heavy defeat saw England complete a series-clinching success in Bristol on Thursday.

Torstein Traeen, who started the day in the race leader's yellow jersey, was forced to leave the Tour de France on Thursday after suffering a concussion in a dramatic crash.

India captain Shreyas Iyer said his T20 world champions were in "transition" after another heavy defeat saw England complete a series-clinching success in Bristol on Thursday.

The timing of the International Olympic Committee's decision to ease restrictions on Russian athletes was "particularly cynical", Ukraine's sports minister has told AFP.

Keeping Erling Haaland quiet would be "huge" but the Norwegian juggernaut is not the only threat to England in their World Cup quarter-final, Manchester City teammate Nico O'Reilly said on Thursday.

Kawhi Leonard's return to Toronto is on hold pending conclusion of the NBA's probe of whether the LA Clippers skirted salary cap rules by paying him through a phony endorsement deal.

Veteran politician Andy Burnham was on track Thursday to become Britain's next prime minister as hundreds of Labour lawmakers formally nominated him to succeed Keir Starmer as party leader.

Australian sprint star Gout Gout has pulled out of the world under-20 championships, Australian Athletics said on Thursday, and he is set to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring tear.

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to loosen truck pollution regulations put in place by his predecessor Joe Biden, in its latest environmental rollback that benefits makers of fossil fuel burning vehicles.

Iran on Thursday was laying to rest its former supreme leader Ali Khamenei over four months after his killing in a US-Israeli airstrike, as Tehran's reports of new American attacks and Iranian hits on US allies raised fears of a return to all-out war.

England captain Harry Brook led the way as his side thrashed India by nine wickets at Bristol on Thursday to secure a dominant series win over the T20 world champions.

Fendi presented its first haute couture show under designer Maria Grazia Chiuri Thursday, showing off a luxurious collection of black and cream looks -- and an homage to longtime couturier Karl Lagerfeld.

Wimbledon finalist Linda Noskova said her strong run of grass-court form has "come out of nowhere" after she beat Marta Kostyuk in the biggest match of her career on Thursday.

Spain's run to the World Cup quarter-finals has been built on a tournament record run without conceding a goal, a fact goalkeeper Joan Garcia has told AFP comes down to the whole team's willingness to defend.

Harmanpreet Kaur believes the first women's Test at Lord's offers India the chance to end their tour of England on a high after the disappointment of a T20 World Cup group-stage exit at the 'Home of Cricket' a fortnight ago.

Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova will put their friendship on hold when they fight for the Wimbledon title on Saturday after the Czech pair took contrasting paths to their first All England Club final.

A fire that tore through a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday killed at least 28 people, state media said, with more than 500 fire and rescue personnel racing against time to extinguish the blaze.