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

Australian firefighters said Friday they were fighting to control a bushfire racing through a national park that has consumed an area the size of Singapore.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep on Friday pulled out of Australian Open qualifying and a warm-up tournament in Auckland citing pain in her knee and shoulder.

Liverpool powered seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as the title favourites survived a scare in their 3-1 win against Leicester, while Bruno Fernandes was sent off in Manchester United's dismal 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves.

Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic, organisers said Friday, a day after the race began with gale-force winds and high seas forecast.

Curtis Jones fired Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as the title favourites survived a scare in their 3-1 win against struggling Leicester on Thursday.

Membership of Britain's upstart anti-immigration Reform UK party has overtaken that of the centre-right Conservative Party for the first time, the party said Thursday, as Tories disputed the numbers.

Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their "Santa Claus Rally" with several bourses still shut for the holiday.

Two sailors have died in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic, organisers said Friday, while race favourite Comanche was forced to retire.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said he needs time on the training ground to iron out the Red Devils' flaws after a 2-0 defeat to lowly Wolves on Thursday.

A bus carrying several foreign tourists went off the road and ended up partially submerged in a lake near the Raftsundet strait that separates the Lofoten archipelago from the Norwegian mainland, killing three people and injuring four, police said Thursday.

Azerbaijani and US officials believe a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, media reports and a US official said Thursday, as the Kremlin cautioned against "hypotheses" over the disaster.

Manchester United's miserable season suffered another Boxing Day blow as captain Bruno Fernandes was sent-off in a 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves.

Bruno Fernandes was sent off as Manchester United crashed to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves, while Erling Haaland missed a penalty as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against Everton on Thursday.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou blamed an injury crisis for his side's poor form after a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Thursday.

Syria's new authorities have arrested a military justice official who under ousted president Bashar al-Assad issued death sentences for detainees in the notorious Saydnaya prison, a war monitor said Thursday.

Manmohan Singh's father may have believed his bookworm son would one day lead India, but the understated technocrat with the trademark blue turban, who died Thursday at the age of 92, never dreamed it would actually happen.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out negotiations with Donald Trump over control of the Panama Canal, which the US president-elect threatened to demand be returned to Washington.

Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister whose economic reforms made his country a global powerhouse, has died at the age of 92, current leader Narendra Modi said.

Authorities in Brazil on Thursday said the risk of acid pollution from a bridge collapse in the country's north has been contained, as they raised the death toll from the disaster to eight.

The Kremlin on Thursday cautioned against "hypotheses" over the crash of an Azerbaijani plane heading for Russia, killing 38 people, which Azerbaijan officials reportedly believe was caused by a Russian surface-to-air missile.

Fulham scored twice in the final 10 minutes to end Chelsea's 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions with a stunning 2-1 Premier League win at Stamford Bridge.

Finnish authorities said Thursday they were investigating an oil tanker that sailed from a Russian port over the "sabotage" of a power cable linking Finland and Estonia that was damaged the previous day.

Erling Haaland had a second-half penalty saved as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against lowly Everton, while title contenders Chelsea suffered a first home defeat against Fulham since 1979 on Thursday.

Debutant fast bowler Corbin Bosch said South Africa reaped the rewards for "holding our nerve" against aggressive Pakistan batting on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

Peru has declared an "environmental emergency" after an oil spill that triggered a clean-up operation on a stretch of northern coastline popular with tourists.

Around 125 people have been killed in three days of violent clashes across Mozambique amid opposition-led protests over the presidential election results, a non-governmental organisation said Thursday.

Finnish authorities said Thursday that they were investigating an oil tanker that sailed from a Russian port for the "sabotage" of a power cable linking Finland and Estonia that was damaged the previous day.

Veteran middle-order batter Sean Williams was unbeaten on 145 as Zimbabwe posted 363 for four against Afghanistan on the first day of the first Test in Bulawayo on Thursday.

Pakistan's bowlers hit back after the tourists were bowled out for 211 on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

Banbridge sprouted wings to foil front runner Il Est Francais after the last fence and land the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Thursday.

Erling Haaland had a second-half penalty saved as Manchester City's astonishing slump continued with a 1-1 draw against lowly Everton at the Etihad Stadium.

Pakistan were bowled out for 211 on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

Cricket's governing body fined Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli 20 percent of his match fee for deliberately bumping shoulders with young Australian batsman Sam Konstas in the fourth Test on Thursday.

The Kremlin on Thursday cautioned against "hypotheses" over the crash of an Azerbaijani plane which had been due to land in Russia as experts pointed to possible evidence of a missile explosion.

Pakistan military courts have sentenced 60 more civilians for taking part in pro-Imran Khan unrest last year, the armed forces said Thursday, after international outcry over earlier announced convictions.

Turkey's central bank lowered its key interest rate on Thursday, the first cut in nearly two years as it battles with double-digit inflation.

Syria's new authorities launched an operation in a stronghold of ousted president Bashar al-Assad on Thursday, with a war monitor saying three gunmen affiliated with the former government were killed.

At least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea in 2024, an NGO said Thursday, more than 50 percent more than last year and the most since it began keeping a tally in 2007.

Virat Kohli was called out by some of the game's greats on Thursday after appearing to deliberately bump shoulders with young Australian batsman Sam Konstas in the fourth Test.