Stephen Kenny has brushed off speculation over his future as Republic of Ireland manager amid a tide of criticism in the wake of a disastrous start to the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. Kenny woke on Sunday morning to reports he could be replaced following Friday night’s 2-1 defeat in Greece, which left his side without a point from the first two fixtures and with their hopes of making it to the finals fast receding. However, despite seeing England Under-21s manager and former Ireland international Lee Carsley, Ghana boss Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce linked with his job, Kenny remained bullish ahead of Monday night’s must-win fixture against lowly Gibraltar. Asked if he expected to be in charge for the remainder of the campaign, he said: “Yes, I definitely do. My contract is up to the end of the campaign and whether it’s renewed will depend on how people feel the campaign went overall, but certainly I fully expect to be. “We want a positive result tomorrow and that’s firmly what I’m focused on.” Anything other than a win over Gibraltar, ranked 201st by world governing body FIFA, some 152 places below Ireland, would simply fuel the fires of those who want a change of manager. Asked if anything less was unthinkable, Kenny replied: “In terms of European Championship qualification, yes, it is, yes.” It is not the first time during the three years since he replaced Mick McCarthy at the helm that Kenny has found himself in the firing line, and that clamour would increase significantly if his team did not come out on top – and handsomely so – on Monday evening. His background, unlike recent predecessors Giovanni Trapattoni, Martin O’Neill and McCarthy, is largely in the League of Ireland, and the success or otherwise of his attempts to play an enterprising brand of football has been a topic for debate throughout. Asked how he maintains his optimism in the face of such a backlash, Kenny said: “It’s irrelevant, to be honest, it’s irrelevant, I just really focus on developing the team and preparing the team for tomorrow. “There is a lot of criticism, some of it justified, and I have to accept that. Likewise some of it inaccurate, that’s the nature of it. From my point of view, I’m not fixated with it. I’m just firmly focused on what we have to do and just focused on the task at hand, which is managing this group of players. “We’re not perfect, but I really believe in the players. I know people have other viewpoints, but I believe in the players. “We wanted to win against Greece, we didn’t win. That’s a reality. If we had won the other night against Greece, everything would have been on track, we’d have been going into the Gibraltar game with everything great. “Now because we didn’t, it’s a catastrophe, and I do get that, but we’ve got to focus on tomorrow and Gibraltar, make sure we are ready.” Kenny has no fresh injuries, but has indicated he will make changes, one of which will see Wigan midfielder James McClean wear the captain’s armband as he wins his 100th cap.

By Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly The White House is stalling action on requests by Farm Belt states

Federal inspectors have twice found hundreds of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific was using at the world’s largest railyard in Nebraska, but none of those seem to explain why a shipping container filled with toxic acid exploded there this fall

NEW YORK A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Stephen Culp, financial markets columnist. Goodbye,

HILLIARD, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 29, 2023--

Lewis Dunk’s late equaliser earned Brighton a 2-2 Premier League draw with Liverpool at the Amex Stadium. Winger Simon Adingra took advantage of an error from Alisson in the visitors’ goal to give the Seagulls the lead midway through the first half. But the game turned on its head before the break, Mohamed Salah slotting home to level after being played in by Harvey Elliott, then firing the Reds in front with a penalty after Pascal Gross had hauled down Dominik Szoboszlai. Ryan Gravenberch spurned a golden chance to seal the win when he struck the bar with the goal at his mercy, before the final word went to the home side, Dunk volleying in 12 minutes from the end to keep Brighton sixth. Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi made six changes from the side that drew in Marseille, in keeping with the trend in the early weeks of their debut season in Europe. Yet in the first half they appeared to pick up where they left off in storming back from two down to draw in the Stade Velodrome on Thursday. The Seagulls’ first chance came after only four minutes. Dunk got free at the back post from a corner and nodded back across goal, the ball sitting up at a good height for Joao Pedro, whose shot deflected wide. The opening goal was a calamity of Liverpool’s own making. Alisson played a careless pass to the feet of Alexis Mac Allister, seemingly oblivious to the lurking Adingra. He stole in to nick the ball from the former Brighton player, and with quick thinking took the shot early and rolled it inside the post before goalkeeper Alisson could recover and set himself. Liverpool were shaken and Brighton began to take a hold of the game. Carlos Baleba exposed the visitors’ porous midfield when he collected inside his own half and drove through the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s side, carrying the ball to the edge of the box before checking back and dragging a left foot effort inches wide. Liverpool equalised against the run of play after 39 minutes. Dunk gave the ball away to Szoboszlai near halfway and the Hungarian fed it forward to Darwin Nunez. He moved it on to Luis Diaz, whose ball in to Elliott was perfectly weighted for him to set up Salah to slot home. Salah gave Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot in the 44th minute after Bart Verbruggen playing an awkward pass to Gross that put the midfielder under pressure. He was dispossessed by Szoboszlai and in a desperate attempt to recover the ball he yanked down the Liverpool midfielder, allowing Salah to step up and bag his second from the spot. The hosts almost restored parity in the first few minutes of the second half, Evan Ferguson finding Adingra with a reaching pass into the right channel. Adingra darted beyond Andy Robertson and feinted to shoot, instead cutting back inside and hitting a low effort that was well saved by Alisson. Gravenberch, on as a half-time substitute, wasted a glorious chance to extend the lead when he struck the crossbar with the goal gaping from Szoboszlai’s cross, before the Hungarian turned provider for Diaz who burst into the box and blasted wide. Karou Mitoma thought he had won Brighton a penalty after 69 minutes, cracking a shot at goal from six yards that appeared to ricochet onto the arm of Joel Matip. There was to be no spot-kick and furious De Zerbi was booked for remonstrating with the fourth official. Brighton’s equaliser was no more than their assured performance warranted. Solly March’s whipped free-kick from the left had pace and bend, and as Robertson missed it at the near post it was met first time by Dunk, who thumped home on the volley. Pedro should have won it when he was left unmarked from 10 yards out, instead the striker leaned back and ballooned a glorious chance over as an entertaining game finished level. Read More Wolves cling on to claim point against high-flying Aston Villa Sub Mohammed Kudus earns West Ham a point with late equaliser against Newcastle Jake Jarman takes vault gold at World Gymnastics Championships Stuart McCloskey banishes retirement thoughts to enjoy memorable World Cup debut It’s some turnaround – Leigh Wood relishing late career resurgence Diogo Dalot urges Man United to make Brentford fightback a ‘turning point’

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Last August, it was Darwin Nunez who lost his head. A year on, as Liverpool’s captain and vice-captain led by the wrong sort of example and as they threatened to unravel at Newcastle, Nunez served as rescuer. A man down, a goal down, almost two adrift, a first loss in 14 league games beckoned for Liverpool. Enter Nunez, the £64m afterthought, the player sent off on his Anfield debut for headbutting Joachim Andersen. Now the fifth-choice forward, he clinched an improbable comeback; a swift brace turned a damaging setback into a seminal victory. Suddenly, the more costly of two meltdowns was Newcastle’s. They contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They can reflect on two moments to transform the mood at St James’ Park and the feel of their start to the season. The first, when Diogo Jota’s pass bounced off Sven Botman and Nunez drilled a shot past Nick Pope. The second, when Bruno Guimaraes lost the ball, Mohamed Salah provided a slide-rule pass and Nunez again turned executioner. His finishing can be erratic but twice it was unerring: this was what Liverpool paid what could become a club-record fee for. As it is, their record buy had long since departed: Virgil van Dijk, often the cool cat of defending, turned into a raging bull when he saw red. His choice of words to referee John Brooks and fourth official Craig Pawson may add to his sanction. And yet, on the day, it was Newcastle who were punished. The scale of the missed opportunity was huge: they finished the game facing Liverpool’s fourth- and fifth-choice centre-backs, with Jarell Quansah making a debut in the final stages. He was not the most significant substitute – that mantle rested with Nunez – but Liverpool won 2-0 with the rookie on the pitch. Indeed, they triumphed 2-0 in the time after Van Dijk’s dismissal. Newcastle twice almost doubled their lead, Alisson making a superb save to turn Miguel Almiron’s volley against the crossbar and then the Paraguayan striking the upright again after a mesmeric solo run. And yet they lost their impetus in the second half; Liverpool had mislaid their composure before the break and regained it as the game went on, leading to a credibility defying climax. The early excellence of Anthony Gordon became in vain, an Evertonian suffering his latest defeat to Liverpool. For Newcastle, Klopp’s side remain the final frontier: they have had flagship results against virtually everyone else but they have now suffered five home league defeats under Eddie Howe: three of them to Liverpool. This was the most illogical triumph of them all. It had shaped up as a chastening afternoon for the men promoted to replace the departed Jordan Henderson and James Milner. The new skipper Van Dijk was sent off, though only after his deputy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, could have been. Instead, his enduring presence on the pitch benefited Newcastle when his error allowed Gordon to open the scoring. The centre-back had one tackle to rue – or seethe about, given his reaction when he saw red; the right-back had a different kind of torment, failing his trial by Gordon. Alexander-Arnold could have been dismissed after six minutes: unfortunate to be cautioned, he was then fortunate to avoid a second yellow card. A blatant check on Gordon was a bookable offence, but he had already had his name taken. Gordon was a waspish irritant but he is an irregular scorer. Just the ninth goal of his senior career came with an unlikely provider. Salah was to add to his surfeit of assists for Liverpool. He inadvertently provided a goal for Newcastle, overhitting a pass to Alexander-Arnold. The right-back should still have controlled it: instead, it rolled away from him, into the path of Gordon, who slotted a shot past Alisson. Kissing the Newcastle badge may have gone down badly with both halves of Merseyside. He may yet prove popular on Tyneside, however. The agent provocateur proved he can play. This was the best performance of his brief Newcastle career and he supplied the pass to Alexander Isak when the striker was challenged by Van Dijk. The Dutchman argued he got the ball; referee Brooks thought he went through the striker first, rendering it a goalscoring opportunity. Exit – eventually, after his protests – Van Dijk, and Liverpool’s chances seemingly disappeared with him. Yet a second half offered a second chance. Liverpool were reconfigured in a 4-4-1 formation. Klopp’s changes made an impact. Howe may regret his own substitutions, particularly removing Gordon. Freed from his clutches, Alexander-Arnold got a hint of redemption with a pass in the move that led to Nunez’s equaliser. And, after a chaotic game, Nunez, the agent of chaos, may have been a strangely fitting match-winner. Read More Matty Cash brace sees Aston Villa win at Burnley Rodri strikes late on to send Man City top and break Sheffield United hearts Man City assistant Juanma Lillo did not enjoy stepping in for Pep Guardiola Matty Cash brace sees Aston Villa win at Burnley Rodri strikes late on to send Man City top and break Sheffield United hearts Man City assistant Juanma Lillo did not enjoy stepping in for Pep Guardiola

A woman has given Andrew Tate a special shoutout in a new video, after the controversial influencer raised her profile and led to a surge in new OnlyFans subscribers. It comes after a story was posted about the Australian model Annie Knight was posted on social media in which she claimed she slept with 300 people in a year. Tate responded to the story on Twitter/X with the comment “haram”, meaning forbidden in Islamic law. You might think Tate should have kept his nose of the whole business, but his attention has resulted in a windfall for Knight. Thanking him for inadvertently lining her pockets, Knight posted a video saying: “Andrew Tate reposted me on his Twitter and I've made $56,000 this week because of him.” The 26-year-old previously stated that she was making around $30,000 per month at the start of the year, but thanks to Tate that number is now expected to be higher. The story Tate was responding to saw Knight open up about her sex life, saying that she uses dating apps to meet new people. @annieknight78 Thanks Mr Tate ❤️ She spoke about sleeping with both men and women in an interview with Unilad, saying: "I think they both offer different things. "I think women know a way around a woman’s body a lot better for obvious reasons, but there’s something about sleeping with a man that’s intense and passionate.” She added: ”So basically, they both have their pros and cons, I don’t think I could pick one over the other." It’s the most recent headline made by Tate, after he and his brother Tristan called out Jordan Peterson for encouraging war as the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues. In a recent stream, the controversial brothers, who consider themselves anti-war, smoked and played chess as they branded Peterson a 'hypocrite'. "I find it extremely asinine and quite childish, hypocritical, and also disingenuous that people like Peterson would call for the genocide and call for war, when truthfully he would hate to be anywhere near a war", the former kickboxer blasted. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

The acclaimed fashion designer Phoebe Philo, the former creative director of Celine, has returned with a much-anticipated collection of her own.