No doubt about it, this World Cup has come down through the gears this last five days after what was a breakneck opening to the tournament.

The clichéd imagery of NASCAR racing is familiar to anyone who binges on American television programmes.

It's a sad day when Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro is proved right.

The EU-Mercosur trade deal is neither fair nor balanced for farmers.

Later this month, an Irish team, all living with diabetes, will travel to Ukraine to represent Ireland at the 2019 Diabetes Euro Futsal Championship. David Sneyd reports.

Mercosur (Southern Common Market) is the South American trade bloc. That’s Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela — although Venezuela is currently suspended.

Not long after she had dropped and stopped the previously undefeated Rose Volante in Philadelphia, dispossessing her of the WBO lightweight title in the process, Katie Taylor received a message from the 36-year-old Brazilian.

We parents can be annoying, writes Colm O'Regan

This week’s contribution to the contagion of populism comes from Austria, whose government has refused to sign up to the newly drafted UN Global Compact for Migration, the aim of which is to better manage legal population flows, as the number of people on the move, fleeing persecution or poverty, increases.

And then there was one. Well, two actually, but the World Cup third-place play-off is definitely one of those nominally competitive fixtures which presents a fairly robust challenge to my old friend Declan Lynch’s wise maxim that there’s never a good reason not to watch a football match.

Why is it always about him?

Brazil, already anxious and nervous after drawing their opening game against Switzerland, were given an almighty scare yesterday when Neymar limped off the training field with an ankle injury.

Brazil 1 Switzerland 1: Steven Zuber denied Brazil victory in their opening game of the World Cup last night, as Switzerland fought back to snatch a famous 1-1 Group E draw in Rostov-on-Don.

Manchester City haven’t become a bad team on the back of one bad night at the office, writes Liam Mackey

EU farmers opposed this week’s EU move to raise an offer on beef imports to 99,000 tonnes at low import tax rates, in trade talks with the Mercosur trade bloc.

More than half of the 94,978 foreign nationals who were allocated new PPS numbers last year had employment activity during 2016, while new data from the Central Statistics Office also shows 589 PPSNs have been issued in the past five years to people from ‘unknown’ countries.

Cristiano Ronaldo's superb free-kick gave Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Brazilian side Gremio as they retained their FIFA Club World Cup title in Abu Dhabi.

Farmers, although branded by some as part of the cause of global warming, may ultimately hold the key to turning around the world’s runaway greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

David Meyler is convinced the Republic of Ireland will be heading for the World Cup finals in Russia.

Paulo Fonseca admits his Shakhtar Donetsk side face a daunting task to contain Manchester City.

IMAGINE being a young holidaymaker arriving from abroad to spend a couple of months with people you met as an au pair two years ago.

For those who do get to live the dream, how much harder then must it be to have to let it go and wake up to grim reality, asks Liam Mackey.

Brazilian president Michel Temer has told the nation that an incriminating audio recording of him had been doctored as he fought to save his job.

Brazil's President Michel Temer is facing charges of corruption and obstruction of justice, according to an investigation released by the supreme court.

I’m not getting through this season mentally unscathed, by the looks of things.

The number of residency permits issued by Ireland to non-EU citizens increased by almost 5% last year, to over 38,400.

Donald Trump has not directed any tweets toward Bono and the ‘interview’ … well, not yet.

Such a pity events that have nothing to do with the great athletes of Team Ireland will cast a shadow over Irish Sport in 2016, writes Seán Kelly.

The afterparty has begun. The XV Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro opened with a feat to defy expectations in a carnival atmosphere at the Maracana Stadium.

Let’s not pretend that this, for the most part, is somehow different.

AFTER an interview extending over four hours on Thursday Rio police said Irish Olympic officials, Kevin Kilty and Stephen Martin, had co-operated fully and were very helpful.

Latest: Retired judge Mr Justice Carroll Moran has been appointed to lead the inquiry into the Olympics ticketing scandal.

Michael Clifford says with the Brazilian ‘cast the net wide’ process and the limited Irish probe, it will be a while before we have answers.

Concerns over lasting impact and cost of hosting the 2016 Games

Just two weeks ago Neymar’s commitment to the Olympic team was questioned by Brazil’s fans.

The last of the four American Olympic swimmers involved in a highly-publicised incident at a Rio petrol station is on his way back to the US.

US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has apologised for his behaviour surrounding a late-night incident at a Rio de Janeiro petrol station, saying he should have been more “careful and candid” about how he described what happened.