Newcastle will take on Qarabag of Azerbaijan over two legs for a place in the Champions League last 16. The Magpies finished 12th in the league phase to miss out on an automatic last-16 berth, but will fancy their chances of beating Qarabag in the knockout play-off round. The play-off round draw also included an instant rematch between Real Madrid and Benfica, who met in a dramatic league-phase match on Wednesday. Bodo/Glimt of Norway, who beat Manchester City 3-1 in the penultimate league phase round, were drawn against Inter Milan. Champions League playoff:Borussia Dortmund v AtalantaOlympiakos v Bayer LeverkusenGalatasaray v JuventusClub Brugge v Atletico MadridMonaco v PSGQarabag v NewcastleBenfica v Real MadridBodo/Glimt v InterThe draw that will determine the last-16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will take place on February 27.

Almost 17,000 people homeless in December, figures revealBy Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press AssociationThere were almost 17,000 people homeless in December, including over 5,000 children, according to official figures. Homeless charities said that the slight drop is likely part of a seasonal trend where families and friends offer help to families at Christmas. Ber Grogan, executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said the 1.5 per cent drop in homelessness must be sustained. “Lower figures at this time often reflect people being temporarily offered respite by friends or family. The State has the resources to solve this housing emergency, but it lacks the political will to do so, and until that changes these numbers will continue to rise.”

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While UK officials continued reset talks to the European Union in London and Brussels, Starmer spent the week schmoozing president Xi Jinping in China. Starmer must be nimble as he seeks to deepen ties in Brussels and Beijing, while keeping Washington onside. That might require concessions to the EU from Starmer on the movement of EU workers. China's president, Xi Jinping, and British prime minister Keir Starmer at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing earlier this week. Starmer, however, has his eyes on the upside: “Businesses have been crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China.

Israel has said it will reopen Gaza's border crossing with Egypt in both directions over the weekend, allowing Palestinians to enter and leave the territory after nearly two years of closure. Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said in a statement on Friday that “limited movement of people only” would be allowed.

Mr Russell also explains the club's plans to build extensive new practice facilities for its 920 members, and what's on the cards following last year's boom in junior members at East Ren. The greens are what a lot of golfers comment on when they are playing, and we have switched our strategy on that. At about 6,100 yards you say it's a "fun course" – what's your favourite hole? There are some stunning holes but there is also a lot of strategy because the holes are very different. There’s no side-to-side up-and-down, it’s very much a strategy course.

Prisoner dies after being 'attacked by fellow inmate' at UK prisonA 28-year-old prisoner has died after he was allegedly attacked by a fellow inmate at a UK prison. The injured inmate, from HMP Highpoint Prison, had been admitted to hospital due to his injures before passing away. The man was allegedly attacked by another prisoner on January 23. Suffolk Police confirmed the victim was taken to hospital and received treatment before returning to prison. A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre.

Isabel HayesA woman who was allegedly sexually abused by seven of her family members has been told her allegations against one brother are “hard to believe” because they are not true. Mr Finnegan put it to the woman that she told “one story to gardaí about what (Accused C) did to you” and then “told a different story to the jury”. “What you have told the jury about Accused C is hard to believe because it is not the truth, do you agree or disagree with that?” Mr Finnegan asked. Earlier this week, the court heard the woman told gardaí that, among other allegations, she was raped by Accused C when she was seven years old. He is also charged with two counts of rape and one of anal rape of this woman on dates between 2016 and 2019.

Photograph: Sergei Gapon/AFP/GettyVolodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Europeans of leaving Ukraine’s air defences empty as Russian ballistic missiles crippled the country’s energy infrastructure and pushed it “to the brink of a blackout”. Mr Zelenskiy’s remarks came a day after Donald Trump said that Russia’s Vladimir Putin had agreed to cease firing on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure “for a week during this ... extraordinary cold”. Ukraine’s air force reported no missile or drone strikes in much of the country, including the capital. Russian ballistic missiles have crippled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure often leaving Kyiv without powerHe added: “That is the situation I am in. “I know the ballistic missiles have been launched, and partners know that my air defence units are empty.

Oral health is not the responsibility of any single profession or department. If reform is to be meaningful and sustainable, oral health promotion and prevention must sit at the centre of our dental system, not at its margins. Yet prevention and a public health approach is how people retain their natural teeth for life, reduce inequalities, and avoid costly and complex treatment later on. At the Dental Health Foundation, our focus is on promoting prevention and better oral health across the life course. Healthy teeth, gums and mouth are the most functional outcomes, often the most attractive, and they remain the true foundation of sustainable oral health reform.

A yellow rainfall warning is in place for Louth, Carlow, Kilkenny, Dublin, Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford until midnight. Gerry Murphy, a meteorologist with Met Éireann, has said places not covered by today’s rainfall warning are also at risk of flooding. Wexford County Council warned that there is a “very significant risk of flooding” in Enniscorthy town again tonight and over the next 24 hours. This, combined with high river levels, will lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions in several areas. He said this will continue to be the case tomorrow, after a yellow rainfall warning is due to elapse.

Photograph: Jim Watson/AFPUS President Donald Trump said he is nominating Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, backing a well-known policymaker to run the US central bank at a time when it is facing one of the most severe tests of its independence. Mr Trump’s decision to nominate Mr Warsh caps the most contentious race to head the world’s most important central bank in recent memory. Long-term US borrowing costs ticked up after reports on Thursday evening that Trump was preparing to choose Warsh for Fed chair. However, officials at the central bank kept borrowing costs on hold this week and have offered starkly differing assessments on the path of monetary policy in 2026. The Supreme Court’s looming decision on whether to allow Mr Trump to fire governor Lisa Cook will also be a crucial moment in shaping the future of the central bank.

Two men have been arrested following a garda operation on Thursday, January 29, in connection with a near fatal stabbing that left the victim in hospital for the past six months. The stabbing took place in the early hours of the morning, on August 31, 2025. It is believed that the victim was coming home from a night out with a family member, who continued walking while he entered a Chinese takeaway. The victim has since been transferred to the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, where he is still undergoing physio and rehabilitation. The victim described the whole incident as “tough and long,” thanking the “mental fortitude” he has gained through his journey to recovery.

With both trainers’ big team of jockeys employed at Leopardstown, Harry Cobden rides Kitzbuhel and James Bowen is on Kala Conti. Bowen was the lucky beneficiary when Cobden was stood down from Jonbon ahead of the Clarence House and could find himself in the right place at the right time once again. “She’s definitely improved for going over a fence and her jumping has been very good since day one. He beat some nice horses last time at Cheltenham and he was carrying a penalty, so we were very happy with him. “He’s been a good servant to us already, so long may that last.”Another Prestbury Park winner, Stuart Edmunds’ Miami Magic, completes a select field of four heading to post.

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