The Republic of Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 were all but ended by the Netherlands for whom substitute Wout Weghorst’s goal secured a 2-1 win in Dublin. The hosts, in need of victory to put themselves in contention in Group B, took the lead on four minutes when Adam Idah scored from the penalty spot after Virgil van Dijk had been penalised for handball. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu brought down Denzel Dumfries as the Netherlands won a penalty of their own midway through the first half, with Cody Gakpo levelling from 12 yards. Weghorst ensured his side moved second with a game in hand behind leaders France when he scored from Dumfries’ cut-back after 56 minutes to leave the Republic requiring a Dutch collapse if they are to progress. Elsewhere in the group, Greece beat Gibraltar 5-0 in Athens to remain in the race for the second qualifying spot. Dimitrios Pelkas opened the scoring after nine minutes before Konstantinos Mavropanos followed up midway through the half with the first of two goals. Giorgos Masouras netted after the break, before both he and Mavropanos each grabbed another to seal the victory and put the hosts level with the Dutch on nine points, albeit having played a game more. Northern Ireland fell to a 1-0 defeat in Kazakhstan, their fourth by the same scoreline in a run of five straight losses, to leave their hopes of qualification virtually extinguished. Striker Maksim Samorodov drilled into the bottom corner from outside the box and beyond Bailey Peacock-Farrell after 32 minutes to keep the home side in with a realistic chance of reaching their first major tournament. They are one of four teams separated by a point at the top of Group H, with Denmark leading the way thanks to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s 86th-minute strike to seal a 1-0 win away in Finland. It meant the Danes briefly replaced their hosts at the top of the group, before being knocked back into second on goal difference after Slovenia romped to a 4-0 win in San Marino. Zan Vipotnik, Jan Mlakar, Sandi Lovric and Zan Karnicnik scored the goals against the section’s bottom side, who remain without a point. Poland’s hopes of reaching the finals received a serious knock as they lost for the third time in five games in Group E, this time going down to a 2-0 defeat in Albania. Jasir Asani and Mirlind Daku scored either side of half-time in Tirana to send Albania two points clear of the Czech Republic at the top of the group. Moldova are behind the Czechs on goal difference after they kept up their surprise bid to reach the finals with a 1-0 win in the Faroe Islands. Vadim Rata netted early in the second half in Torshavn to move his side onto eight points and leave the Faroes adrift at the bottom with a single point on the board. In Group G, Montenegro and Serbia kept up the pressure on leaders Hungary in a three-way fight to qualify. Montenegro needed a goal six minutes into added time from Stevan Jovetic to snatch a 2-1 win against Bulgaria in Podgorica despite having played more than 30 minutes with 10 players. Igor Vujacic was sent off just before the hour mark after Stefan Savic had given the hosts the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Preslav Borukov levelled in the 79th minute before Jovetic’s dramatic late intervention. Aleksandar Mitrovic score a first-half hat-trick as Serbia coasted to a 3-1 win in Lithuania, with Gytis Paulauskas’s goal not enough to rescue the home side’s faint hopes of qualification. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Manu Tuilagi laughs off adversity after 14-man England grind out win Liam Livingstone makes innings he was ‘crying out for’ as England level series Rob Page determined to see out Wales contract with Euro qualification in doubt

Conor McGregor reacted to Islam Makhachev’s stunning first-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 by suggesting the victory shouldn’t have stood due to illegal shots. The former UFC champion responded to Makhachev’s finish by saying Volkanovski had been put to sleep by strikes landing on the back of the Australian’s head. Midway through the first round of the main event, southpaw Makhachev skimmed his left shin off Volkanovski’s head, wobbling and dropping the featherweight king. Makhachev followed up with a fierce flurry of hammer fists to the grounded Aussie, whose brow split open amid the onslaught. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in, confirming an emphatic victory and title defence for Makhachev, the mentee and childhood friend of UFC lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov. The result extended Makhachev’s win streak to 13 fights, dating back to 2015, when he suffered the sole loss of his professional career. Meanwhile, Volkanovski was beaten for the third time as a pro, though he remains undefeated at his preferred weight of 145lbs. Watching along, McGregor posted on Twitter/X that Volkanovski was vulnerable: “He was always susceptible to that vs a southpaw,” McGregor wrote. However McGregor then responded to a fan pointing out that Volkanovski appeared to be hit on the back of his head, which is illegal. “A difficult sport to ref,” McGregor wrote, in comments that have since been deleted. “To stop that on a warning or a point deduction when volk was essentially out already is a tricky one. But there would be grounds for it, 100 per cent. Would have been nail biting stuff. “I’d have loved to see it happen. Back of the head shots are not good.” Read More Makhachev stuns Volkanovski with head-kick KO in first round at UFC 294 UFC 294 LIVE: Volkanovski vs Makhachev fight results after shock KO Islam Makhachev demands two words from Alexander Volkanovski ahead of UFC 294

Michael Pratt threw for 263 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as No. 22 Tulane held on to defeat Rice 30-28 Saturday for its sixth straight win

Denny Hamlin is doubling down on his declaration that this is his year to win the NASCAR championship

The EU announced probes Thursday into Facebook owner Meta and TikTok, seeking more details on the measures they have taken to stop the spread of "illegal content and disinformation"...

JAKARTA Short video app TikTok is in the process of obtaining an e-commerce permit from Indonesia's government, state

By Howard Schneider BOSTON Millions of "gig" workers may get missed every month in the U.S. government's employment

Ana Navarro said, 'I don’t want to give them another dime for her emasculating and embarrassing him to everyone in the world'

As well as being exciting, the start of a new school year can be very scary for some kids – as the toxic dynamic between bullies and the children they target could resume. The prospect of a new year of bullying, or the first experience of being a target for school bullies, can blight the lives of pupils and become something that terrifies both them and their parents, who are often unaware of the persecution of their child. Indeed, new research by the anti-bullying charity The Diana Award for its #BacktoBullying campaign has revealed 65% of children are scared of going back to school, with a third saying the thought of returning to school makes them want to cry. And it’s not just the kids who are scared – the study found half of parents dread sending their children back to school due to bullying. “When the new school year starts it can be an exciting and sometimes unsettling time for children,” points out Martha Evans, director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA). “There will be new pupils, new class groupings and, for some, new schools. It can be a worrying time and we’re often told friendships and bullying are high on the list of worries. “Parents should be aware of the signs that their child might be on the receiving end of bullying behaviour, and know how to respond.” Evans says research suggests being bullied can have serious implications for a child’s life chances, with the effects often lasting into adulthood. That’s why anti-bullying training and programmes for schools, including Anti-Bullying Week (November 13-17), are so vital for schools to help tackle the problem. Evans says it’s useful for parents who are concerned about bullying to understand exactly what bullying is, as “it’s not just ‘falling out’ or ‘banter’”. The ABA defines bullying as: “The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.” What are the signs of bullying? Children might not want to talk about what’s going on, but Evans says warning signs of bullying may include… Coming home with torn clothes or missing belongings. “This could show your child is being picked on physically,” says Evans. Unexpectedly not wanting to go to school. Evans points out that while most bullying starts face-to-face at school, it often then goes online, too. Complaining of unexplained illnesses or headaches. “The stress of bullying can create physical symptoms, or the child may make up illnesses to avoid being bullied at school,” warns Evans. Becoming quiet and withdrawn. Evans says worrying about hurtful behaviour can cause deep anxiety, and children may look upset when they use their electronic devices. “Online bullying is particularly hurtful,” explains Evans, “as it follows a child even after they’ve left the school gates and can continue 24/7.” Children who are being bullied may want to leave for school much earlier than necessary or come home late, says Evans. “Avoiding other children arriving or leaving school is a sure sign something is wrong,” she points out. What should you do if your child is being bullied? Stay calm Evans says it’s important to keep your cool, even though you’re probably feeling angry and upset that your child is being targeted. “You should focus on gently speaking to your child and listening carefully,” she explains. “Your job is to reassure them that it can be sorted out.” Get the facts Talk calmly to your child and establish what’s happened and who did what, and when. Evans advises parents and children to keep a diary of when the bullying happens, and explains: “It will be useful to see the pattern of bullying over time and to share with the school, if and when you speak to them.” Tell them not to retaliate Evans says parents shouldn’t encourage their child to retaliate to bullying, especially through violence, as it can have negative and unpredictable results. “They may be hurt even further, or be seen by those in authority as the problem,” she warns, and suggests instead that parents tell them to walk away and get help. Be aware of mental stress Don’t underestimate the effect bullying can have on a child’s mental health and keep an eye out for warning signs. “Bullying can have a considerable impact on a child’s mental health,” warns Evans, “so if your child is showing signs of serious distress, such as depression, anxiety and self-harm, always see a GP.” Find out what your child wants Parents should ask their child what they want to happen next, advises Evans, and help them to identify their choices, the potential next steps to take, and the skills they have to help stop the bullying. Speak to the school Ask to see the school’s anti-bullying policy, so both you and your child know the process for getting things sorted out, advises Evans. Don’t let them blame themselves Sometimes children can think they’re to blame in some way for being bullied, but Evans stresses: “Make it clear that bullying is never acceptable and if a child or young person is being bullied then it’s others who are to blame, not them.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live What women should do if they experience violence online Athlete who ran over 200km through the desert shares advice for running in a heatwave Women being invited to help shape the future of reproductive healthcare – from period pain to menopause

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Georgia prosecutors estimate a four-month trial with more than 150 witnesses for the 19 defendants in a sweeping racketeering indictment targeting an alleged criminal enterprise to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. Prosecutors offered an early glimpse of the courtroom arguments against Donald Trump and 18 of his co-defendants during the first-ever televised hearing connected to the case on 6 September. Fulton County prosecutors shot down arguments from attorneys for Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, who have sought to be tried separately from the 16 others wrapped up in the indictment, which charges the defendants under the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO statute, alleging 40 separate crimes and 161 different acts connected to an alleged criminal conspiracy to unlawfully reject election results. That four-month timeline does not include jury selection, prosecutors said. Attorneys for Mr Chesebro, among the chief architects of an allegedly fraudulent scheme to enlist Trump loyalists as presidential electors for the state won by Joe Biden, and Ms Powell, who is accused of leading an effort to unlawfully breach voting machines, have alleged that the allegations against them have nothing to do with dozens of other acts involved in the case. By comparison, in 2014, Ms Willis served as the chief prosecutor in a similarly sweeping RICO case targeting corruption within the Atlanta Public Schools system. Eleven of the 12 defendants were convicted in April 2015, roughly seven months after the beginning of the trial. One of the defendants died before the end of the trial. In arguments before Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Wednesday, attorneys for Mr Chesebro and Ms Powell argued that their clients would be wrapped up in hours, days or weeks of testimony and evidence presentation that would unfairly wrap them up with crimes they had nothing to do with. But Fulton County prosecutor Will Wooten argued that their involvement in those incidents showed that the criminal enterprise “existed, and “that the enterprise was working.” This is a developing story Read More Trump hearing underway in Georgia election case as lawsuit seeks to bar him from 2024 race - live

NEW YORK Digital Currency Group was sued on Wednesday by its bankrupt Genesis Global Capital cryptocurrency lending unit,