Britain under Boris Johnson will lack the status to lead in important global multilateral development efforts, argues former British Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown.

Sweden pulled off a shock 2-1 victory over Germany in Rennes to reach the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup.

While a hopeful start has already been made in providing such lanes here, we still have a long way to go to catch up with the Scandinavians.

Thinking about the long-term value of what we buy not only helps the environment but keeps essential skills in product making alive, and the micro economy thriving, writes Carol O’Callaghan.

Nicolo Barella and Moise Kean scored in either half as Italy launched their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Finland in Udine.

From the magic of tidying to classic English styling and the Guinness family’s great mansion, Carol O’Callaghan looks at some of the best recent publications.

Ireland 62 Norway 73

Salone del Moblile in Milan is the world’s interior forum and it’s emphasis on texture this year has placed fabrics to the fore in any new decorative scheme, writes Carol O’Callaghan.

Kya deLongchamps basks in the warmth of stoves that will help future-proof your home.

John Fallon breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Ireland’s potential opponents...

Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe underlined why they have had Europe's top sides chasing them all summer as they scored three goals between them in France's crushing 4-0 victory over Holland in a World Cup qualifier at the Stade de France.

Ashley Glover from Ashford in Wicklow was part of a four-strong Irish team at the axe throwing world championships in Germany last month. Glover reveals plans to expand the sport in Ireland and even host a world championships here.

A secret code language, the power to upgrade seats, off-the-menu dining... being a flight attendant is more interesting than you’d think, reveals Brandon Presser

Just about five minutes in, David Meyler had gone in hard on Joe Allen and over 51,000 sets of eyeballs zeroed in on the Italian dressed in black.

Would you trust a banker?

Barry Walsh backs up his support for retention and ‘reform’ of the Seanad by quoting the situation in Scandinavian countries [Letters, March 24].

It was a week in which the business news was dominated by the travails of dodgy German car salesmen and by the Flight of the Web Summit Earls to a less costly Lisbon.

 

Three respected political figures have combined to form Ireland’s first Social Democratic party but Kyran Fitzgerald wonders if they have a future.

Fota Island Resort is in the market to welcome back the Irish Open to Cork "in the not too distant future", as the city and county prepares to bid for a number of spectacular international sporting events on the back of a successful staging of the European Tour event.

Holland came from behind to beat Kazakhstan 3-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA and get their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign up and running.

Ireland eventing coach Nick Turner is hopeful the good times will continue this weekend as he leads his charges in the Eventing Nations Cup final in Boekelo, the Netherlands.

Showjumping Ireland (SJI) chairman Tony Hurley yesterday said the organisation is to correct a situation whereby imported horses are automatically given 70 points when first registered here, regardless of their actual performance history.

IF there’s anything that makes us universally smug, it’s the wonderful unbeatable quality of our education system. The best little education system in the world, isn’t it? Only the other night I saw young people on the 9 o’clock News, clutching their Junior Cert results, their faces awash with relief and happiness at their results. They were on track to get the points they needed for college.

The 97,000 fans who thronged the magnificent Fota Island Resort over the last four days had it all. The weather, the big names, the course looking better than an airbrushed postcard.

Ryanair has reported an 8% fall in profits for the first time in five years as lower fares, weaker sterling, and good weather resulted in a full-year profit of €523m.

This weekend thousands of re-enactors, that wonderful blend of the theatrical, the fantastic, the historical, the childish and the borderline weird, will imagine themselves heroic defenders of the fatherland as they mark the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf.

On a pleasant day, the view from the National Rowing Centre is picture postcard perfection.

IT WOULD have to come from Scandinavia, wouldn’t it? These days, the minute any discussion gets going about some social progress our nation or any other nation wants to achieve, up pops an expert to tell us the Scandinavians have already done it.

NELSON MANDELA will be remembered as the person who, more than any other, brought an end to apartheid, the heartless policy of “separate development” in which white, black, and South Asian South Africans were obliged to live apart.

It’s fully Christmas now and Esther N McCarthy rides to the rescue of the those who’ve left it a little late in the gift-getting stakes with some fab suggestions.

Kazakhstan 0 Sweden 1

IT makes me want to tear my hair out when I read reports such as those on this week’s Dublin conference — Scandinavian Childcare: making it happen — because it seems no-one asks: what is childcare?

Golfers from Germany and Scandinavia are the most likely to have taken an international golf holiday in the past 12 months, new research has found.

A defiant Giovanni Trapattoni insisted last night he had “no problem” if the FAI moved to fire him — but he may earn a stay of execution after bagging three crucial points against the Faroe Islands.

Germany rode their luck to beat Austria 2-1 and continue their perfect start to World Cup qualifying Group C in Vienna.

THE THOUGHTS of a package holiday in the Canaries have always filled me with dread.

All the talk after England’s uninspiring yet nevertheless, satisfactory, draw against France was that one victory over Sweden on Friday will leave them within touching distance of the quarter-finals and potentially kick-start a new era under manager Roy Hodgson.

DURING the winter of 2004, waxwings visited Dublin’s St. Stephen’s Green.

IRELAND’S legion of football fans will be left fuming after it emerged other countries heading to Euro 2012 have secured up to 50% more tickets than the Green Army.