It’s that most magical time of the year, as the yuletide song goes, and football certainly gave us a good dose of that old black stuff yesterday.

An architect and an engineer agreed a scheme to move shares in a firm worth US$8m (€7.1m) as the architect got into financial trouble and later filed for bankruptcy, the High Court heard.

The pain of Rio and the disappointment of Astana now seem like a distant memory for Katie Taylor after the Bray woman claimed her first world professional title in Cardiff last Saturday night.

Syria's foreign minister has told world leaders that his country is "marching steadily" toward the goal of rooting out terrorism and "victory is now within reach".

Brendan Rodgers claims complacency is not an issue as Celtic prepare to defend their healthy 5-0 Champions League play-off lead in Astana.

Boss Brendan Rodgers claims complacency is not an issue as Celtic prepare to defend their healthy 5-0 Champions League play-off lead in Astana.

Russian bombers have targeted the Islamic State group in Syria with cruise missiles, the military said.

At least eight people have been killed and 12 others injured in a series of car bomb explosions in the Syrian capital Damascus as officials claimed they had foiled a plot to target crowded areas.

Russia has proposed that a two-day round of Syrian peace talks should start on July 4.

A deal hammered out by Russia, Turkey and Iran to set up "de-escalation zones" in mostly opposition-held parts of Syria has gone into effect.

Peace talks in Kazakhstan between the Syrian government and rebel factions have concluded with Russia, Turkey and Iran striking a deal on a three-way mechanism to consolidate a ceasefire in the country.

A Syrian government envoy has denounced a speech by a rebel leader as "provocative" and "insolent" at peace talks in Kazakhstan.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is prepared "to negotiate everything" at talks set to begin in Kazakhstan, as he seeks to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces recaptured Aleppo last month.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey to end the nearly six-year conflict in Syria and jump-start peace negotiations.

Turkey and Russia have reached an agreement on a plan for a ceasefire comprising the whole of Syria, Turkey's state-run news agency said.

Lunacy, he said. That’s a strong word. An emotive word, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Celtic 2 Astana 1 (Celtic win 3-2 on agg)

Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon believes defender Eoghan O'Connell is ready for his first taste of European football in Astana tonight.

Kellie Harrington has vowed to strike gold next time out following her defeat to China’s Yang Wenlu is yesterday’s AIBA World Elite Championships 64kg final in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Katie Taylor has vowed to put everything on the line in Central Asia to edge a step closer to writing a chapter in the history of international women’s boxing that will probably never be surpassed.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Offaly welterweight Gráinne Walsh moved to within one win of becoming the only Irish boxer besides Katie Taylor to medal at the World Women’s Elite Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan yesterday.

Katie Taylor has eased herself back onto a winning track, after scoring an emphatic win at the Women's World Boxing Championships in Astana.

Darren O’Neill is no stranger to adversity and hardship. For years he was landed with the label of Irish boxing’s bridesmaid.

Team Ireland arrived home from European Olympic qualifiers in Samsun, Turkey via Dublin Airport yesterday with just a month to go before the World Women’s Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Kazakhstan.

Michael Conlan will know next month whether he intends to continue on his current road to Rio, or whether the frustrating vagaries of amateur boxing’s scoring system finally push him into the professional game.

Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan will both look to take another step towards qualification for next year’s Olympic Games in Brazil when they represent Italia Thunder in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) today. 

At least seven people are reported to have been killed when a city bus was hit by an artillery shell in a separatist stronghold in east Ukraine.

Diplomats from Russia and Ukraine agreed on a dividing line from where both sides should pull back their heavy weapons.

Irish lightweight David Oliver Joyce edged a step closer to qualifying for the Rio Olympics on Saturday and, along with Katie Taylor, scooped one of the top accolades at the Irish Amateur Boxing Association’s Awards Night in Dublin.

Ireland’s gold medal magnet Katie Taylor arrived home to a rapturous reception yesterday after winning her fifth World Elite lightweight title in Jeju, South Korea — and she is already targeting further success.

Leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have agreed to create the Eurasian Economic Union, an alliance intended to further boost economic and trade ties between the ex-Soviet neighbours.

Success in their Ireland jobs for Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane yesterday became a lot more than just about qualifying for Euro 2016 following confirmation by Uefa of a new Nations League from 2018.

A leading Irish academic has moved from Pana to Astana to train future politicians and public servants in one of the world’s most corrupt countries.

John O’Shea’s first international goal for 10 years helped the Republic of Ireland end a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign with a victory.

Austria 1 Republic of Ireland 0

In truth, the obituaries could have been written once the whistle went in Astana. The sombre atmosphere before kick-off in Vienna was unmistakable and the defeat was, in reality, merely an additional detail.

Kazakhstan 0 Sweden 1

Given that the obituaries have already been written, the essential challenge facing Giovanni Trapattoni and the Ireland team here in Vienna this evening might properly be said to belong to the realms of the paranormal: to somehow prove that, in football at least, there can be life after death.

The mood in the Sweden camp is serious ahead of tonight’s crucial clash with Kazakhstan, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic adding his voices to those demanding focus on the tie in Astana rather than speculating about likely play-off opponents.

Giovanni Trapattoni accepts that his days as manager of Ireland are numbered.