Author: INDEPENDENT

RAF chief praises first Ukrainian pilots to complete training in UKFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsTwo Russian warships have been hit in attacks on the annexed Crimean peninsula on Sunday, Ukraine has said. Moscow said air defences had shot down more than 10 missiles over the port of Sevastopol during the incident in the early hours. “The defence forces of Ukraine successfully hit the Azov and Yamal large landing ships, a communications centre and also several infrastructure facilities of the…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Connor Roberts hopes the “power of the tash” can help Wales to Euro 2024 play-off glory against Poland.Roberts has embarked on long unbeaten Championship runs at Burnley and Leeds over the last two seasons after putting his razor away and growing a moustache.The 28-year-old wing-back is now determined to avoid a close shave on the international stage and show off his new look in Germany this summer as Wales host Poland on Tuesday for a place at…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailAs Donald Trump approaches his $464m bond payment deadline on Monday, social media users have come together to coin yet another nickname for the former president: “Don Poorleone.”The meme uses an image of the iconic Marlon Brando character, Vito Corleone, from “The Godfather“ and adapts his famous line. While Vito Corleone vowed to “make him an offer he can’t refuse”, the Trump meme states: “I made an offer everyone refused.”The hashtag also inspired posts about other members of…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Ivan Toney has played in the top four divisions and in League One for four different clubs. He has played nine minutes of international football and been suspended for eight months in the last year. A season that began with him banned could end him with as England’s Plan B in attack in Germany. A CV with a difference may soon require a new section to incorporate Euro 2024.Tuesday against Belgium will bring his second appearance for…

RAF chief praises first Ukrainian pilots to complete training in UKFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsTwo Russian warships have been hit in attacks on the annexed Crimean peninsula on Sunday, Ukraine has said. Moscow said air defences had shot down more than 10 missiles over the port of Sevastopol during the incident in the early hours. “The defence forces of Ukraine successfully hit the Azov and Yamal large landing ships, a communications centre and also several infrastructure facilities of the…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Trent Alexander-Arnold was at Wembley on Saturday, but he wasn’t on the pitch. Perhaps it is the story of his England career. The temptation is to call it stop-start, but the stops have outnumbered the starts, with a mere 23 caps in almost six years since his debut.If Gareth Southgate has been criticised for giving a generational player a watching brief, he was faultless at the weekend. Alexander-Arnold was injured. That he chose to travel south and…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailMarjorie Taylor Greene has defended her bid to oust Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson – after threatening to do so in January – and insisted that she was not seeking to throw the government into “chaos”.The Georgia representative and other far right members of the House opposed the $1.2trn federal spending package that passed Congress this past week, and claimed that it was full of wasteful spending.She denounced Mr Johnson as “willing to do the bidding of [Senate…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter England manager Gareth Southgate hopes Ivan Toney will grab his big chance to prove his Euro 2024 credentials against Belgium.The place as Harry Kane’s back-up in Germany is up for grabs after Dominic Calvert-Lewin filled that role at the last Euros and then Callum Wilson did at the World Cup 15 months ago.This time it looks a straight shootout between Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins and Brentford’s Toney, with the former playing the full 90 minutes as…

Related: Trump lawyer Alina Habba doesn’t rule out seeking $464m bond money from wealthy Russian or Saudi donorsSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailA day before the deadline to pay his 464m bond, Donald Trump has claimed that he has nearly $500m “in cash” despite his own attorneys telling a New York court that he can’t come up with the money.Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that he is worth several billions of dollars, with much of that value tied up in the Trump Organization…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Anthony Gordon is raring to go for England’s friendly against Belgium as the Newcastle forward looks to build on his senior international debut.The 23-year-old was a rare bright spark for England as they lost 1-0 to Brazil on Saturday night in the first of two final friendlies before Gareth Southgate names his squad for Euro 2024.Gordon, who was named player of the tournament as England won the Under-21 European Championship last year, impressed off the left at…