The airline will cut its flying capacity by at least 75% in April and May.

China have also penciled in a trip to Belfast for a four-game series against Ireland in April.

The disconnect between voters and those they are asked to vote for is growing all the time. And the arrogance of that political class has not helped, writes Andrés Velasco.

After Sean O’Brien singlehandedly flew the flag for the club during the past decade, Tullow RFC now have a new favourite son in the shape of Ireland U20s prop Charlie Ward.

Pope Francis staged a surprise visit to admonish the IMF chief and several finance ministers to help alleviate the debt burden of struggling countries, calling for “a new financial architecture” to ensure social justice.

Despite the gulf in class between the sides in last year’s table, Ireland U20s forward coach Colm Tucker expects Scotland to come out with all guns blazing at Musgrave Park on Friday evening (RTÉ Two, 7.15pm).

Tom Ahern is making the leaps and bounds you might expect from a long-striding 6ft 9ins lock but the Munster second row’s progress through Ireland’s age-grade ranks is just as impressive as his performance levels.

Stop, stop, stop. Halt the election campaign in its tracks. Climate change action: cease and desist. We have a far more pressing issue to hand, one which requires urgent action.

As 2019 ends, there is relief that political interference did not overly damage trade, but whereas we have escaped the bullet this time, we may not be so lucky in the new year.

I thought my days of accumulating caps finished a long time ago, but not so. Thirty-three years after featuring for the British and Irish Lions as part of the IRB’s centenary celebrations in Cardiff, test recognition yielded just that.

Hurling fans across the world were able to get their fix before settling down to the business of boarding planes home for Christmas as the Irish Examiner broadcast Limerick's win over Tipperary.

Ireland will start their Olympics campaign against South Africa.

A British tourist was killed and his stepson injured when they were shot during a robbery outside a luxury Buenos Aires hotel.

Non-federal US actors — from state governments to private businesses — have laid a strong foundation for effective climate action, says Jules Kortenhorst and Andrew Steer

It is the Barcelona players sixth time winning the award.

The mood is not positive around the Camp Nou ahead of tonight’s vital Champions League Group F game against Borussia Dortmund.

Mark McCall’s public confession that Saracens may have to sacrifice the Champions’ Cup in order to preserve their domestic status will have fallen on stony ground all over Europe.

Relentless innovation can future-fit Cork’s strong biopharma hub, writes Bernard Mallee

The sport’s governing body wanted to revamp rugby’s global calendar with the introduction of a new competition for the top 12 teams from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Ireland's most successful head coach has taken charge of his final match on the IRFU payroll and will hand the reins to current defence coach Andy Farrell.

Joe Schmidt couldn't explain it. The bad passes and the dropped balls and the missed kicks to touch.

Renault set a gloomy tone for the European car industry by slashing its outlook for revenue and profit, saying weakening economies are weighing on car sales and tougher rules on emissions have increased costs.

Featuring a battle of the airlines, X Factor, premature rumours of an international demise, and much more.

Some things don't change with the All Blacks. Though they can play rugby with a terrifying beauty, there is a robotic consistency to the way they put opponents to the sword.

Jim McManus, who has just competed in the World Tango Championships at the age of 99, tells Rowena Walsh why we should all put on our dancing shoes.

Find something you feel as passionate about as Andy Farrell when he talks about defence, and breaks it down into the intricacies of tackle height and technique and head positioning, and you’ll never work a day in your life.

It’s a long way from the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa to Tuam Stadium in the heartland of North Galway, especially if you go via The Twickenham Stoop, the Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, and a few laps of MacHale Park in Castlebar, but Gavin Duffy has played in them all, and in doing so, has rather silently compiled one the most compelling sporting CV’s of any Irish man or woman these last two decades.

Your round-up of the stories behind the headlines from Day 15 of #RWC2019

The underlying narrative behind the decision to stage the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan is that it is an opportunity to give a huge impetus to the game in a country where it is — relatively speaking — a marginal presence.

The eyes of future generations are on world leaders to take urgent action on climate change, teenage activist Greta Thunberg has told the UN.

Dylan Tighe’s overdubbing of a classic tale of depravity to give it an Irish context is one of the most interesting offerings at Dublin Theatre Festival, writes Alan O’Riordan.

Three Academy players will make their first Munster starts in Friday's friendly against London Irish.