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

A new graft scandal rocked the European Parliament after police carried out raids Thursday in Belgium and Portugal, detaining multiple suspects in a probe into suspicions of corruption under the guise of lobbying, for the benefit of Chinese tech giant Huawei.

UEFA on Thursday said it would consider a potential rule change after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez's penalty was controversially disallowed in their Champions League shootout loss to Real Madrid.

Turkey's top diplomat travelled to Damascus on Thursday as Ankara said foreign fighters must be expelled from Syria, after an agreement spearheaded by the war-torn country's new authorities to disband armed groups.

On the way to investigate the scene of a historic asteroid collision, a European spacecraft swung by Mars and captured rare images of the red planet's mysterious small moon Deimos, the European Space Agency said Thursday.

The White House on Thursday pulled its vaccine-skeptical nominee for director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ahead of a scheduled Senate hearing.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday hailed the start of a "new history" for his country, signing into force a constitutional declaration regulating its five-year transitional period and laying out rights for women and freedom of expression.

Azerbaijan and Armenia said Thursday that they had wrapped up peace talks aimed at resolving the Caucasus neighbours' decades-long conflict, both sides having agreed the text of a possible treaty.

European and US policy makers are eyeing deeper ties around natural gas even as trade conflict boils and President Donald Trump challenges the long-running transatlantic alliance.

Host Canada called Thursday on the Group of Seven powers to back Ukraine against Russia's "aggression" as a more conciliatory approach toward Moscow by Donald Trump's United States split the club of wealthy democracies.

Scarlets centre Joe Roberts will make his first professional start on the wing when Wales bid to end their lengthy losing streak in a Six Nations finale against title contenders England.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visits the White House Thursday seeking to convince President Donald Trump to maintain US commitment to the transatlantic alliance and to Ukraine.

The captain of a cargo ship that struck a tanker and sparked a massive blaze in the North Sea will be held in custody for a further 36 hours, UK police said Thursday.

US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday to present Washington's plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, a source said, as the Kremlin warned against any "hasty" deal that would give Kyiv a respite from fighting.

Donatella Versace will end nearly 30 years as creative director of fashion label Versace, handing the reins of the flashy luxury brand to Miu Miu's Dario Vitale, the brand's owner said Thursday.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose 200 percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic products from European Union countries, in retaliation against the bloc's planned levies on US-produced whiskey.

Social media giant Meta on Thursday announced it would begin testing its new "Community Notes" feature across its platforms on March 18, as it shifts away from third-party fact-checking toward a crowd-sourced approach to content moderation.

Global stock markets mostly slid on Thursday as US President Donald Trump launched a new volley in his trade war and hopes for a quick Ukraine ceasefire faded.

A trial as to whether Australian mining giant BHP is liable for one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters concludes in London on Thursday, with hundreds of thousands of victims demanding billions in compensation.

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out for four months following an operation on his left knee, effectively ruling him out of an upcoming Test series at home to India.

Captain Kylian Mbappe returned to the France squad named Thursday for this month's UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Croatia, as Paris Saint-Germain teenager Desire Doue earned a first call-up.

A new graft scandal rocked the European Parliament on Thursday after police carried out several raids in Belgium and Portugal, detaining multiple suspects as part of a probe into corruption masqueraded as lobbying.

Bayern Munich on Thursday announced Joshua Kimmich had signed a four-year extension to his contract that had been set to expire at the end of the season.

The father of a British-Pakistani girl jailed for 40 years for her murder should have been given a whole life sentence from which he would never be released, a top government lawyer argued in a court appeal hearing Thursday.

A United Nations investigation concluded Thursday that Israel carried out "genocidal acts" in Gaza through the destruction of its main IVF clinic, maternity facilities and other reproductive healthcare facilities.

Germany's likely next leader Friedrich Merz said Thursday urgent action was needed to boost the country's under-resourced military and ailing economy, as he defended plans for a spending bonanza during a fiery parliamentary debate.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Canadian counterpart Thursday as part of the highest-level US visit to Washington's northern neighbor since threats launched by President Donald Trump, whose trade war and bid for a Ukraine ceasefire dominated a Group of Seven meeting.

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out for four months following an operation on his left knee, effectively ruling him out of an upcoming Test series at home to India.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose 200-percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic products from France and other European Union countries in retaliation against the bloc's planned levies on US-produced whiskey.

Pope Francis marked 12 years as head of the Catholic Church on Thursday, seemingly out of danger after a month in hospital but with his health casting a shadow over his future.

Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the Israeli Air Force conducted an air strike in Damascus on Thursday, following reports from a war monitor that an Israeli raid had killed one person in Syria's capital.

French lawmakers on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging France and allies to provide more support for Ukraine, including by seizing tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets.

US President Donald Trump has been condemned by Jewish and Muslim groups for using the term "Palestinian" as a slur in an attack on the country's highest-ranking elected Jewish official.

Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley will make his first start of this Six Nations in the team's tournament finale away to Italy on Saturday after ousting Sam Prendergast from the No 10 shirt.

Federica Brignone took another step towards the overall World Cup crystal globe by finishing ahead of Lara Gut-Behrami in Thursday's difficult super-G at La Thuile, which was won by Germany's Emma Aicher.

An Iranian sports climber, widely praised in 2022 for competing without a hijab at the height of nationwide protests, has left the country, her brother and an Iranian official said.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed on Thursday a border agreement seen as key for the stability of Central Asia, a move that follows three decades of conflict between the two former Soviet republics over water resources and land.

A bear cub bear that underwent pioneering life-saving brain surgery has come out of hibernation and appears to have made a "remarkable" recovery, UK zoo chiefs said on Thursday.

Gregor Brown will make his first Six Nations start for Scotland after the Glasgow lock was included for their tournament finale at leaders France on Saturday.

Infighting between rival factions in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray has raised the spectre of a fresh war between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, analysts and residents said Thursday.