Ronan O'Gara's Crusaders powered past NZ rivals the Highlanders 38-14 Friday to storm into the Super Rugby semi-finals and continue their drive to a third consecutive title.

Vodafone’s dividend has cracked under the strain of falling revenue, soaring spectrum costs, and an €18.5bn acquisition, in a grim reality check for Europe’s struggling phone industry.

A series of buyout funds including US firms Advent and Blackstone are in talks with advertising group WPP to explore bids for a majority stake in its data analytics unit Kantar.

Ireland have beaten the All Blacks for the second time in three years.

Vodafone revenue growth in Ireland in the latest quarter outpaced many of its other areas in Europe even as it posted sharp falls in much larger markets in Italy and Spain.

Watching New Zealand and South Africa there was that very rare feeling - it lasted only a few minutes, like viewing the aurora borealis, where you are mouthing quietly to yourself: this is unbelievable, writes Ronan O’Gara.

A weak share price, a massive debt-fuelled acquisition, and an impending switch to an unproven chief executive.

Sam Whitelock does not want to emulate family history when he captains New Zealand against Wales today.

Doctors have created a nose drop containing a type of “friendly” bacteria which they hope could help prevent meningitis and other infections.

Kieran Read insists the British and Irish Lions’ future is not in doubt — no matter the result in this Test series with New Zealand.

Glandular fever is far more common than you might think, says Abi Jackson.

New Zealand 29 Ireland 40

This New Zealand team don’t want to be that team that loses the first one to Ireland, writes Simon Lewis. 

How does New Zealand remain at such an imperious level from season to season, asks Ronan O'Gara.

It’s a new phase of a business cycle: a surge in cycling activity in Irish cities, fuelled by schemes such as Bike to Work and bike sharing City Bikes with multiple docking stations has prompted a four-year old Cork city cycles business to relocate, and expand.

Ireland’s tax regime may again face the international spotlight, at an uncomfortable time for the country, after two of the world’s pharmaceutical giants yesterday confirmed they are in talks over a mega billion dollar merger that appears to be driven by Irish tax considerations.

New Zealand 43 Georgia 10: New Zealand moved into the World Cup quarter-finals by predictably beating Georgia in bonus-point fashion – but it was a performance laced with errors.

New Zealand 26 Argentina 16: World champions New Zealand got the defence of their crown off to a winning start, but not until shaking off a terrible opening period in front of a Rugby World Cup record crowd at Wembley yesterday.

Two former British soldiers who travelled to Syria to fight against Islamic State say they made plans to kill themselves if they were captured by the militants.

Wales lock Alun-Wyn Jones believes New Zealand are "probably 20 minutes ahead of everybody else" after signing off in Europe before next year’s world title defence by serving emphatic notice that they remain a class apart.

New Zealand back-row colossus Kieran Read has targeted an improvement from the All Blacks at next year’s World Cup.

Taulupe Faletau admits "there are no obvious weaknesses" presented by his prospective opposite number ahead of Saturday’s Millennium Stadium clash between Wales and New Zealand.

Former British Radio 1 DJ Mike Read today apologised for “unintentionally causing offence” with his Ukip Calypso, sung with a mock Caribbean accent, adding that he has asked his record company to withdraw the song from sale.

USA: A woman has spent a night in jail — because she did not mow her lawn.

British royal couple Kate Middleton and Prince William are "very pleased to announce" that they are expecting their second child.

A new way that vaccines could be used to combat the spread of bacterial meningitis has been demonstrated by scientists. Research suggests that even after they stop fighting the bugs in the bloodstream, vaccines can prevent them being carried in the nose and throat.

Jerome Kaino will replace Kieran Read in New Zealand’s team to face England in the first Test at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday.

Kieran Read has been ruled out of the series opener at Eden Park against England on Saturday.

Pfizer said it would ringfence the development of important drugs if it acquired AstraZeneca — rejecting a charge from the British firm that a takeover would disrupt important research and put lives at risk.

The boss of US drug giant Pfizer has said the firm’s proposed takeover of British-based AstraZeneca is a “win-win for society”.

Britain’s AstraZeneca has urged its shareholders to take no action over the approach by US drugmaker Pfizer and said, yesterday, it remained confident in its independent strategy.

Pfizer may come back to bid for British drug company AstraZeneca after its reported £60bn (€73bn) takeover approach was rejected, since a deal could make sense for the US pharmaceuticals giant as it seeks to build up its cancer franchise.

New Zealand’s talismanic number 8 Kieran Read was yesterday named the IRB Player of the Year, the third Kiwi to win the prestigious award.

New Zealand have dominated the International Rugby Board awards with Kieran Read being crowned player of the year.

New Zealand must make big improvements to stand any chance of repeating their perfect year next season, according to Kieran Read.

With five minutes to play in Dublin, I was blaming last week’s loss to Australia for what seemed certain to be an historic Irish victory.

Ireland 22 New Zealand 24

Those looking for clues as to how Kieran Read went from being a promising but skinny kid to one of the best rugby players in the world should start at his modest secondary school at Papakura, a working class suburb south of Auckland.

Fifty years after President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, thousands will mark the day with a solemn ceremony in Dealey Plaza, through which the president’s motorcade passed when shots rang out.