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

Despite political upheavals, stock markets and bitcoin smashed records in 2024, fuelled by investor enthusiasm for AI, falling interest rates, and hopes of tax cuts.

Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of Kurdish militant group the PKK is hailed by many Kurds as an icon, but within wider Turkish society many see him as a terrorist who deserves to die.

Europe's main stock markets ended the year Tuesday with solid gains, as all eyes turn to 2025 and the impact that the policies of US president-elect Donald Trump will have on the global economy.

Israel's devastating campaigns against Iran's regional allies have severely weakened its arch-enemy's ability to project its power, but Yemen's Tehran-backed Huthi rebels remain a stubborn thorn in its side, analysts say.

Wayne Rooney's latest managerial flop ended in his abrupt exit from Plymouth after just seven months, extending a streak of dug-out disappointments for England's 'golden generation'.

A United Nations report published Tuesday found that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in the Gaza Strip had left healthcare in the Palestinian territory on the verge of collapse.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his deputy hit back Tuesday at Elon Musk's support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as the billionaire continued intervening in the country's politics.

Gareth Southgate joked he won't be called 'Sir' by his family after the former England manager was given a knighthood in the New Year Honours.

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney stepped down as Plymouth manager on Tuesday after just seven months in charge of the Championship strugglers.

Nick Kyrgios said he will need "a miracle" at the upcoming Australian Open after losing in three tight sets on Tuesday in his first singles match since June 2023.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu pulled out of the Auckland Classic on Tuesday with a "back niggle" in a blow to her Australian Open preparations.

South Korean authorities said Tuesday they were investigating the role of a concrete barrier at the end of Muan airport runway in the country's worst air disaster, which killed 179 people as a Jeju Air jet crashed on landing.

The dance world mourned Tuesday the internationally acclaimed South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo, who died in hospital at the weekend aged 39.

Liverpool have one hand on the Premier League title as 2024 draws to a close, while it was a first half of the season to forget for Manchester City and Manchester United.

Famed actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie signed off on a divorce settlement Monday, according to US media, marking a turning point in the eight-year legal saga.

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka launched their Australian Open preparations with straight-sets wins on Tuesday at the Brisbane International but Nick Kyrgios lost on his return from injury.

Taiwan said Tuesday that this year was the hottest since records began 127 years ago, echoing unprecedented temperature highs felt around the world.

Beijing insisted on Tuesday that it had shared information on Covid-19 "without holding anything back", after the World Health Organization implored China to offer more data and access to understand the disease's origins.

Nick Kyrgios lost in three tight sets on Tuesday in his first singles match since June 2023 as women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to win her season-opener at the Brisbane International.

President Xi Jinping said China will put in place "more proactive" macroeconomic policies next year, state media reported, as he addressed a top political advisory body on Tuesday.

Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz all clocked impressive wins Tuesday as tennis powerhouses Italy and the United States surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup.

The wall was tagged with graffiti above 22-year-old Sidi's bed in the lone psychiatric hospital in Mauritania, a country whose mental health system is as sparse as its desert landscapes.

Josh Hart delivered his third triple-double of the season on Monday to spark the New York Knicks to a 126-106 victory at Washington that stretched their win streak to eight games.

Famed actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie signed off on a divorce settlement Monday, according to People Magazine, marking a turning point in the eight-year legal saga.

Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to open her season with a straight-sets victory Tuesday and kickstart her bid to win the Australian Open for a third consecutive time.

South Korean authorities began releasing the bodies of plane crash victims to families Tuesday, as investigators raced to determine why the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash landed and burst into flames.

Animal ears and pom-poms on fuzzy hats adorn tourists' heads on the streets of the frigid northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, which is enjoying a surge in visitors driven by social media.

A red-hot Jasmine Paolini led Italy into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup on Tuesday, with the world number four in sizzling form.

Josh Hart delivered his third triple double of the season on Monday, sparking the New York Knicks in a 126-106 victory at Washington that stretched their win streak to eight games.

Asian stocks ended the year in the red on Tuesday after worries about 2025 and profit-taking turned Wall Street's usual holiday-period "Santa Claus rally" into a mini-rout.

Crowds will marvel at fireworks and toast champagne to greet 2025 on Tuesday, waving goodbye to a year that brought Olympic glory, a dramatic Donald Trump return, and turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said he was optimistic Tuesday that pace spearhead Mitchell Starc will be fit for the decisive fifth Test against India while also backing misfiring Mitch Marsh.

A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached, suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, investigators said Tuesday, over his short-lived bid to impose martial law on the country.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, celebrating his 40th birthday Monday, said he could play another five to seven years in the NBA at a high-caliber level -- though he conceded he would probably retire before then.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Tuesday pulled out of the Auckland Classic with a "back niggle" in a blow to her preparations for the Australian Open which starts in less than two weeks.

King Charles III announced awards for actors Stephen Fry and Carey Mulligan, as well as victims of Britain's Post Office scandal in the country's traditional New Year's Honours on Tuesday.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said the English giants are in a battle for Premier League survival after Newcastle cruised to a 2-0 win at Old Trafford to inflict a fourth consecutive defeat on the hosts.

Ruben Amorim said Manchester United are in a battle for Premier League survival after losing 2-0 to Newcastle on Monday to end 2024 14th in the table.

Aston Villa wasted a chance to close the gap on the Premier League's top four as Tariq Lamptey's late equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Brighton on Monday.