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

Cuba's government on Monday told AFP that it was in "communication" with US President Donald Trump's administration but not yet in formal talks on a deal to end Washington's pressure campaign on the island.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said, as his counterpart Donald Trump threatened "bad things" if no deal with the Islamic republic was struck.

TORONTO, ON AND LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / February 3, 2026 / Retained executive search firm Caldwell (TSX:CWL)(OTCQX:CWLPF) today announced the addition of Dr. Christoph Themel as a Partner in the firm's Life Sciences and Healthcare Practice. Based in London, Dr. Themel advises boards, investors, and senior leadership teams on executive and non-executive appointments, leadership assessments, and succession planning across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and animal health sectors.

MANCHESTER, UK / ACCESS Newswire / February 3, 2026 / AccessPay, the leading bank integration provider, today announced the release of its Finance Trends 2026 report, presenting the findings of its annual survey of finance leaders. In this fourth year of the report, AccessPay reveals marked sectoral differences between finance teams in financial services firms and those in corporates with regards to their priorities and attitudes to technology adoption.

A month ago Donald Trump told Gustavo Petro to "watch his ass." On Tuesday, the US president will meet his Colombian counterpart for the first time at the White House.

Liverpool won the race to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet on a quiet final day of the Premier League transfer window, while Crystal Palace swooped for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen despite the collapse of Jean-Philippe Mateta's move to AC Milan.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he would not demolish the Kennedy Center but hinted at major changes, a day after announcing he is closing the famed Washington arts venue for two years for renovations.

Burnley manager Scott Parker blasted his "childish" players after a dismal 3-0 defeat at Sunderland pushed the Premier League strugglers closer to relegation on Monday.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has taken over his artificial intelligence company xAI in a merger aimed at deploying space-based data centers, a statement said on Monday.

French striker Karim Benzema, who fell out with his club Al-Ittihad, has joined another Saudi club, Al-Hilal, the current league leaders, where he has signed an 18 month contract, the Riyadh club said on Monday.

Sunderland cruised to a 3-0 win against Burnley on Monday to boost their hopes of qualifying for Europe and push the Premier League strugglers closer to relegation.

Costa Rican President-elect Laura Fernandez on Monday welcomed guidance from El Salvador's gang-busting Nayib Bukele in her own country's fight against a surge in drug-related violence.

Hosts Australia will face debutants Hong Kong in the opening game of next year's Rugby World Cup, organisers announced on Monday.

New York has counted 13 hypothermia-related deaths as the city faces an exceptional cold snap that swept large parts of the United States in late January, its mayor said Monday.

Supporters and opponents of Venezuela's government protested on Monday for better salaries and pensions, marching separately although united in their demand for a decent income.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero slammed his squad's lack of depth as "disgraceful" after their quiet end to the transfer window on Monday.

US President Donald Trump urged the House of Representatives on Monday to swiftly adopt a spending bill and end the three-day government shutdown.

US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal Monday to reduce tariffs on India, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine.

Cuba's tourism sector suffered a sharp decline in 2025, with shortages of basic goods repelling visitors even before the United States began strangling the island's fuel supply.

Liverpool were set to win the race to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet on a quiet final day of the Premier League transfer window, while Crystal Palace swooped for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen despite the collapse of Jean-Philippe Mateta's move to AC Milan.

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to award a peace prize to United States president Donald Trump as he dismissed calls for a World Cup boycott.

France adopted a 2026 government budget on Monday following months of fraught negotiations after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived the latest in a string of no-confidence motions.

US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with India on Monday, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine.

Steve Borthwick backed Maro Itoje to make a "massive impact" when the mourning England captain comes off the bench against Wales in his side's Six Nations opener on Saturday.

A group of 21 friends from a Belgian village won a 123-million-euro ($145 million) EuroMillions jackpot on Friday, quickly becoming the talk of the town.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's potential deadline-day move to AC Milan from Crystal Palace has fallen through for medical reasons, a source told AFP on Monday, confirming Italian media reports.

Despite its deadly impacts, the recent winter storm that battered much of the United States was not historically exceptional, official data showed Monday.

Punctuality at Germany's much-maligned state railway Deutsche Bahn slumped even further in January, the company said Monday, adding to the network's woes.

Sick and wounded Gazans began crossing into Egypt to seek medical treatment on Monday after Israel permitted a limited reopening of the Palestinian territory's Rafah border post.

Israel's ban on Doctors Without Borders' humanitarian operation in Gaza spells deeper catastrophe for the Palestinian territory's people, the head of the medical charity told AFP on Monday.

Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler has failed a doping test and was on Monday provisionally suspended from competing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Europe's ESO star-gazing organisation on Monday welcomed plans to call off building a massive green energy project in the Chilean desert which threatened to spoil its telescopes' view of the darkest skies on Earth.