Jennifer Aniston wished her friend and former "Friends" costar Courteney Cox a happy birthday with a throwback message.

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New Burnley investor and ex-NFL player JJ Watt is determined to win over doubters still sceptical of Americans who buy into English football. The one-time Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and his footballer wife Kealia Watt were unveiled as the Premier League-bound club’s latest backers earlier this month, but the retired defensive end is no stranger to the game. Watt watched his first Premier League match over a decade ago, soon finding himself fully drawn in thanks to an affinity for Didier Drogba, and completely appreciates why some may be wary of an upswing in US interest. “I don’t blame them for having cynicism,” he told the PA news agency. “I would if I was in their shoes. Think about it. You’ve had the best league in the world, and it’s been around for over 100 years, and it’s kind of your national treasure. “I absolutely understand why you’d be sceptical of Americans coming in and wanting to be part of it, but having said that our experience has been unbelievable. We haven’t met one single person who hasn’t been incredibly welcoming, so we’re very thankful. “But we understand the situation and we want to continue to earn that trust and show that we are going to honour and respect that tradition and history.” Burnley’s majority shareholder and chairman Alan Pace, Watt’s compatriot, took over in December 2020 and has previously spoken about his own integration challenges. American businessman Todd Boehly and his consortium acquired Chelsea last May, while Creed actor Michael B Jordan became part-owner of Bournemouth after Bill Foley’s December 2022 takeover. The most immediate comparison to the Watts, however, might be with Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who are currently celebrating their own club’s promotion. The Welsh side’s rise under the Hollywood duo has largely been seen as an overwhelming success, though they too have detractors. Watt has already sought out the advice of dual Canadian-American citizen Reynolds. He said: “We talked a lot about the tribalism over here with the clubs and how much it means. Over in America we have the ability to watch every single match and it’s a little easier to have multiple teams. “You don’t do that here (in England). You’re born somewhere, you support that club and that is your club, ride or die forever. That’s very, very, important. “(Reynolds) talked a lot about honouring and respecting that coming in and knowing that this club has been here long, long before we got here and it’s going to be here long after we’re gone, so it’s just a matter of doing right by the supporters and doing what you can to help shepherd it into the next chapter in a better place than you found it.” If it was possible, I wanted to make sure I could speak properly about it. JJ Watt Watt has fully immersed himself into a self-taught Clarets curriculum to “learn what is important to these people so we can relate”. Most recently, that meant catching up with clips from May 1987’s ‘great escape’ encounter with Leyton Orient. Though Watt’s Wisconsin accent will always betray his nationality, he is also conscious of the nuances in vocabulary that might be perceived as shudderingly Yankee on these shores, like “locker room” instead of “dressing room”. Watt’s authentic appreciation of English football – he also speaks eloquently about the women’s game – was initially motivated by his ambition to one day invest in a club, “because someday, if it was possible, I wanted to make sure I could speak properly about it”. As a true student of the game, Watt “loves” listening to meetings about player business and says “just talking to Vince (Vincent Kompany), watching film with him and breaking down our strengths and weaknesses, where we can enhance even further, that’s been fascinating. That’s my favourite stuff.” He hopes to use his own background as an elite athlete to get involved in conversations around training, nutrition and players’ buy-in to the Burnley mission, but he is quite content to leave certain things to the experts. He added: “I’m never going to give my input on a player. I’m never going to be at the knowledge level to tell Vincent Kompany what I think.”

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee plans to vote next week on President Joe Biden's nominee

Eva Longoria was married to Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, with the fee set to be a British transfer record. On Sunday evening, Sky Sports reported that Chelsea will pay £115m for the Ecuador star, eclipsing the previous mark set when they bought Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106.8m in January. The report stated that Caicedo would sign an eight-year contract, with the Blues paying £100m plus £15m in add-ons. Chelsea had to increase their bid for Caicedo several times but eventually clinched a deal after Liverpool had also reached an agreement with Brighton at £111m pounds. The 21-year-old Caicedo still had four years to run on his Brighton contract but told the club he wished to leave and made it clear he wanted to go to Stamford Bridge rather than Anfield. He signed for Brighton in February 2021 for a reported fee of £4.5m and was loaned to Belgian club Beerschot in August that year. He was recalled by Brighton in January 2022 after 14 appearances in Belgium and, under coach Roberto De Zerbi, Caicedo blossomed in midfield last season. Chelsea are also looking to strengthen their forward line under new boss Mauricio Pochettino after suffering injuries and key departures including Kai Havertz who signed for Arsenal and Christian Pulisic who left for Serie A side AC Milan. The club’s new French striker Christopher Nkunku, brought in for around £60m, will be out for a “prolonged period” after having surgery on a knee injury, although another new signing Nicolas Jackson impressed in his absence during the Blues’ Premier League opener. Chelsea, who finished 12th last season, began their campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool on Sunday. Read More Chelsea and Liverpool serve up entertaining glimpse of football without defensive midfielders Last season is a long time ago – Mauricio Pochettino looks forward with Chelsea Chelsea-Liverpool chaos was the perfect result for one team: Brighton

The first double above-the-knee amputee to climb Mount Everest has returned from the mountain pledging to dedicate the rest of his life to helping people with disabilities

Travis Ikeguchi had been spewing anti-LGBT+ content on social media for quite some time. Behind his keyboard, the 27-year-old California man was posting images of burning Pride flags and lashing out at the LGBT+ community as well as law enforcement. Then, he came out from behind his online persona and murdered a mother-of-nine fashion entrepreneur over the Pride flag she had dared to hang outside her own store, according to authorities. On Friday, Ikeguchi went to the Mag.Pi store on Hook Creek Road owned by Laura “Lauri” Ann Carleton, according to police in San Bernardino. He confronted her about the rainbow flag, tearing it down while screaming homophobic slurs at her. Then he pulled out a gun, shooting the 66-year-old. Officers arrived on the scene to find Carleton suffering a single gunshot wound before she died in the street. By this time, Ikeguchi had fled the scene before he was tracked down by police. A standoff ensued and he opened fire on the officers before he was shot and killed by law enforcement. Carleton’s senseless murder has since led to an outpouring of grief and anger from her children and family members, Hollywood stars and the LGBT+ community members who have warned that her killing is a marker of the anti-LGBT+ hate currently being spread across the US. Now, officials have confirmed the killer’s history of anti-LGBT+ comments on social media. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said that Ikeguchi – from Cedar Glen, California – had made many posts online that were critical of the LGBT+ community and law enforcement. Public information officer Mara Rodriguez said that the posts were made on multiple different social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, and the far-right platform Gab. “The content of Ikeguchi’s social media posts contained posts critical to the LGBTQIA community,” said the officer. Accounts on X and Gab under Ikeguchi’s name, reviewed by The Independent, appear to match the hateful posts referred to by authorities. In one post, dated 13 June and pinned to the top of the X account, Ikeguchi appeared to post an image of a burning rainbow flag. “What to do with the LGBTQP flag?” the chilling post was captioned. In another post on 28 June, the user took aim at same-sex marriage and abortion. “Abortion and same-sex marriage are both immoral and are design to destroy humanity one by one,” the tweet read. “So if someone is pro-abortion and pro-LGBTQP, they are at war against the foundation of family values. –Travis Ikeguchi 6/23/2023 6:39am.” In a post the same day, he revealed a deep-rooted paranoia for law enforcement. “Do not follow their traps they want to know everything about you to catch you and used against you in court and lie about you. Watch out their sociopathic schemes,” the post read. Over on Gab – the site popular with extreme right-wing figures – the account believed to belong to Ikeguchi regularly shared anti-LGBT+ and anti-law enforcement rhetoric. One harrowing post shared on Friday – the day of Carleton’s murder – read: “America must repent for a lot of things we allow; abortion/baby killing, sexual immortality, pornography, same-sex marriages, LGBTQP/pedophilia, freemasonry, religiosity, politics, wars, colonialism, the federal reserve.” The anti-LGBT+ content went back as far as two years, with a 2021 post reading: “We need to STOP COMPROMISING on this LGBT dictatorship and not let them take over our lives!” In another violent post also from 2021, the user spoke of killing police officers. “I know it’s controversial for me to mention the option to kill a police officer, but these police officers are not the servants for the people they are the servants for the laws,” the post read. The Independent has reached out to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for comment on the accounts. A sheriff’s spokesperson told NBC News that Carleton’s murder is now being investigated as a hate crime. The Californian community has been left reeling from the mother-of-nine’s murder, which comes at a time of increased anti-LGBT+ right-wing rhetoric. Friends have said that Carleton had been faced with people ripping down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store ever since she opened the store two years ago. But, the well-known LGBT+ ally refused to be undeterred, and would simply get a new flag and hang it right back up. Never did anyone expect that her bravery in the face of hate would end with her brutal murder. Her daughters Ari and Kelsey released a statement on Instagram saying that their mother, who was married to husband Bort for 28 years, was “murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront”. They remembered her as a “fearless, cool and compassionate” human being. “Make no mistake, this was a hate crime,” they wrote. “We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate – always putting others first,” the post read. “We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that our family has received from loved ones and strangers alike, it has provided hope and light in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything that we do. Love will always triumph over hate.” Many other friends and Hollywood celebs echoed their sentiments. Hollywood Director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute on Sunday in memory of his very close “wonderful friend”. “We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally,” he wrote. “This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. “Let’s all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Let’s not let Lauri’s tragic death be in vain.” Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis, Star Trek actor George Takei and Jamie Lee Curtis also echoed these words. Meanwhile, outside the store where she was killed, loved ones, allies and community members showed their own defiance in the face of hate. As well as flowers, cards and photos of the popular store owner and mother-of-nine, multiple rainbow flags are now proudly on display. Read More Laura Carleton shooting – latest: Travis Ikeguchi named as gunman who killed mother-of-nine over Pride flag A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder

China will agree on another decades-long liquefied natural gas deal with Qatar in a further move to secure