I told the players that they had tarnished the image of France. It is a morale disaster for French football. I told them they could no longer be heroes for our children. They have destroyed the dreams of our countrymen, their friends and supporters

French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot confronts the national soccer team

The plane of shame is ready to bring them home. Marcello Lippi's world champions are leaving South Africa to return home covered in sporting disgrace

Italian news agency ANSA on the shock exit of the title-defending Italian football team

It will further marginalise rural Ireland and it will criminalise people who don't need to be criminalised

Vintners Federation of Ireland chief Padraig Cribben reacts to new, stricter drink driving limits to be introduced in September

The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system

US President Barack Obama explains his reasons for firing General Stanley McChrystal who gave a frank interview to Rolling Stone ridiculing senior administration members

It is a sad day for politics in Ireland when the Labour Party decides to vote in support of the continuation of a blood sport. It appears that for the Labour party, no principle is too cherished to be abandoned if they think there are votes in it for them

Green Party leader John Gormley hits out at Labour over the ban of stag hunting

I've been stag hunting for 27 years. Georgina's hunted and little Michael will hunt when he's old enough

Protester Michael McMahon gives his view on the subject as the debate rages on

I'm totally shocked. This is the last thing we'd expect around here

A neighbour of Helen Donegan (30), who was living in Celbridge, after the discovery of her dead body in the boot of a car last week

It's just not good enough ... that these mistakes occur

A spokesman for the minister for education Mary Coughlan on the embarrassing blunders in this year's Leaving and Junior Cert exams

I am haunted by the events of that evening

Veronica McGrath, who claimed in the Central Criminal Court that she saw her mother and ex-husband beat her father Bernard McGrath to death in 1987