As difficult as defeat is to swallow for an Ireland side so used to being on the right side of the competitive ledger, the bruising loss to England must be digested very quickly.

A stirring second-half fightback from the Ireland Under-20s fell short as fortune favoured France in a 34-24 Six Nations win for the hosts in Bordeaux.

Tackling the twin challenges of sustainable development and climate change is vital for the UN but its founding principle was peace, the edifice upon which it was built, and it must now step up to the plate and find a way to end the slaughter in Syria, writes Barry Andrews

Tommy Seymour admits Scotland are fed-up of being written off as the RBS 6 Nations’ "valiant losers".

Wales prop Adam Jones has said "I feel like I’m more than just injury cover" after announcing his retirement from international rugby.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is demanding an end to the violence in Gaza “in the name of humanity”.

Barack Obama has warned Moscow “there will be costs” if Russia intervenes militarily in crisis-torn Ukraine.

Keith Earls became the latest frontline Ireland player to sign a new IRFU contract, but will face an anxious wait to see whether he will play any part in the upcoming RBS 6 Nations.

Jamie Heaslip will quickly put his Ireland responsibilities on the back burner and concentrate on getting his Leinster campaign up and running this weekend.

Wales 22 Ireland 30

Exploiting the US president’s Irish ancestry helped Ireland retain its influence on Capitol Hill, writes Ryle Dwyer

A rebel group believed to be backed by Rwanda advanced to within two miles of Goma, a crucial provincial capital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, marking the first time that rebels have come this close since 2008.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London seeking political asylum, sources told the Press Association.

I decided some time ago not to pay the €100 household charge.

A home game against a winless side trying to avoid a wooden spoon really should not have this much importance placed on it for Ireland.

Ulster have named Paddy Wallace and Dan Tuohy in their team to face Dragons in the RaboDirect PRO12 at Ravenhill on Friday (7.05pm), in the hope they will be released from the Irish 6 Nations squad.

The Ireland Under 20 team Coach Mike Ruddock has brought two new faces into the side for their clash against their French counterparts in the RBS 6 Under 20 Nations Championship.

An election that was supposed to solidify peace in Liberia has been marred by dismal turnout after the opposition went ahead with a boycott despite last-minute appeals from the US and the UN.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, claiming he has diplomatic immunity, has asked a New York court to dismiss a lawsuit by the hotel maid who says he sexually assaulted her.

JAMIE Oliver is taking his food campaigns to a global level by urging the secretary general of the United Nations to help end the world obesity crisis.

New Zealand have included two uncapped 20-year-olds in their 19-man squad for Friday’s Anzac Test against Australia.

NATIONS yesterday agreed to launch a UN-led investigation of Syria’s bloody crackdown on its uprising, demanding that its government immediately stop the violence, release political prisoners and lift restrictions on the news media and access to the internet.

Nations today agreed to launch a UN-led investigation of Syria's bloody crackdown on its uprising, demanding that its government immediately stop the violence, release political prisoners and lift restrictions on the news media and access to the internet.

The head of a grouping of Gulf Arab nations has presented a new proposal to Yemen's embattled president to resolve the country's crisis, calling on him to hand over power to a successor of his choice and leave within a month, according to a senior government official.

EOIN Reddan would rather have had a more comfortable afternoon at Murrayfield on Sunday but he’s more than ready to look to the positives of a second away win of this RBS 6 Nations campaign.

TOMMY BOWE will be more than happy to swap the commentary box for the pitch this Sunday after recovering from the knee injury that kept him out of the first two RBS Six Nations games of the campaign.

SHOWJUMPER Denis Lynch has quit the Irish team and is considering the possibility of declaring for Germany, his long-time home.

WALES’ record international try-scorer Shane Williams could be fit for the RBS 6 Nations opener against England in Cardiff on February 4.

A review of US government records found no information about BP seeking to secure the release of the Lockerbie bomber, a State Department official said today.

The IRFU has hit back in the furore regarding the effect of free-to-air television on the finances of the union.

Martin Johnson insists England should enter their autumn series undaunted by the prospect of facing the Tri Nations teams on successive weekends.

Israel today agreed to take part in a UN investigation of its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.

PRESIDENT Barack Obama vowed yesterday the United States will increase pressure on Iran in a unified global stand, as Tehran said it had persuaded Beijing sanctions were no longer necessary.

Mathieu Bastareaud has signed his first professional contract with Stade Francais, tying him to the Top 14 club for the next three years.

More horrific stories of the devastation caused by Chile’s earthquake emerged today as beach communities counted the cost of a double tragedy.

Kevin-Prince Boateng is determined to make Ghana’s loss Portsmouth’s gain.

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has confirmed he will target a centre-back in the January transfer window after losing Joleon Lescott for up to two months before last night’s defeat to Tottenham.

NINETEEN internationals in a calendar month involving 12 different countries provides a surfeit of information not only on the state of the game but also on the form lines of the main pretenders for honours with the 2011 World Cup now coming into sharp focus.

President Alvaro Uribe has swine flu and officials are contacting other South American governments whose leaders attended a summit last week with the Colombian leader, authorities said.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today vowed no effort would be spared in finding an Irish aid worker and her colleague taken hostage in war-torn Sudan.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits Ireland today for the first time since taking office.

ENGLISHMAN Wayne Barnes will referee a Heineken Cup match involving Munster for the fourth time when the defending champions take on Welsh side Ospreys at Thomond Park on Easter Sunday next, April 12.

Declan Kidney has urged lawmakers to reconsider the rule changes he claims are damaging rugby as a spectacle.