Kick streamer Adin Ross received a surprise birthday wish from fans who traced his location

Donald Trump is leading the field to become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee once again in 2024, his supporters apparently undeterred by his mounting legal problems – or the 24-hour circus of his first-term – and keen to give him another shot at the White House, such is their animosity to incumbent Joe Biden. None of Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Tim Scott or any of the other GOP stragglers are polling close to the former commander-in-chief as of summer 2023, despite the fact that Mr Trump has already been indicted twice this year and is staring down the barrel of a potential third and fourth. Having already stepped out to appeal not guilty at two arraignment hearings in New York and Miami over the alleged misrepresentation of his business records to conceal hush money payments and the alleged hoarding of classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago bathroom, the former reality TV star could now face charges over his role in inciting the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 and, potentially, for attempting to influence the 2020 vote count in Georgia by pressuring state officials. None of which appears to discourage his loyal fanbase, who have been prepared to overlook the myriad disappointments of Mr Trump’s first tenure in the Oval Office, his historic double impeachment and his disastrous midterms picks last November to cheer him on at rallies, splash out on merchandise and generously donate to his campaign. While more traditional conservatives are ready to move on, the MAGA movement remains significant and its members are all too ready to cheerily swallow their idol’s baseless claims that the Biden administration has “weaponised” the US justice system against an innocent man in order to thwart the “American comeback” he has promised. Just in case you feel tempted to look back on the years 2017 to 2021 through rose-tinted spectacles, here is a refresher on precisely what happened during that angry whirlwind of a presidency, which began with government-by-Twitter and ended with the unprecedented and disgraceful spectacle of a president impeached not once but twice. House speaker Nancy Pelosi first announced she was launching an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump on 24 September 2019 in response to a complaint raised against him by an anonymous CIA whistleblower. The issue related to a call the 45th US president had placed with Ukraine’s new president Volodymyr Zelensky (a great deal more famous now than he was then) on 25 July that year, in which the American appeared to proposition his counterpart in Eastern Europe with a quid pro quo. Mr Trump hinted that $400m in congressionally-approved US military aid to Kyiv to help fend off Russian aggression in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine would be withheld unless Mr Zelensky’s government launched a politically embarrassing anti-corruption probe into Mr Trump’s own domestic rival, one Joseph R Biden, who was then leading the Democratic field to challenge him in 2020. “I would like you to do us a favour though…” was how the president introduced his condition on the call, pressuring Mr Zelensky to pursue a conspiracy theory alleging that Mr Biden, while serving as US vice president to Barack Obama, had sought the dismissal of a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating a local gas company, Burisma, on whose board his troubled son Hunter Biden sat, a matter already pursued by Mr Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. Following Ms Pelosi’s bombshell announcement, the House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees began interviewing State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council (NSC) officials behind closed doors throughout October, peacing the truth together from their depositions before summoning several back to testify in public across a series of dramatic mid-November hearings. The inquiry’s public phase introduced a memorable cast of characters, including former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, Ukraine charge d’affaires Bill Taylor, displaced Durhamite and Russia expert Dr Fiona Hill, the nattily bowtied George Kent, vice presidential aide Jennifer Williams, decorated NSC director Lt Col Alexander Vindman in full dress uniform and ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, a smirking ex-hotelier who had donated $1m to the Trump campaign for the privilege of ending up in the mess. By and large, the witnesses proved themselves to be impressive and principled experts in their fields and made fools of the MAGA Republicans attempting to pick holes in their testimony – Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan, Doug Collins, Elise Stefanik and Louie Gohmert among them. Mr Trump, predictably, spent his time denouncing the proceedings on Twitter as a “scam” and a second “witch hunt” following on from Robert Mueller’s investigation of his alleged ties to Russia, even engaging in some live witness intimidation when he tweeted nastily about Ms Yovanovitch as she gave evidence. The House went on to formally accuse the president on two counts, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, on 10 December. Eight days later, representatives backed both articles, casting their votes largely along party lines and pushing the matter forward to a trial in the Republican-held Senate. The Democrats, led by California congressman Adam Schiff, made their case admirably but, in the end, only Mitt Romney dared to break ranks and vote for Mr Trump’s conviction in the upper chamber, despite some heavy signalling from “rebel” GOP senators Lamar Alexander, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins that they might join him, before hopelessly bottling it. Impeached but not convicted, Mr Trump was free to carry on regardless. Ms Collins’ excuse that she believed he had “learned his lesson” from the Zelensky affair would later prove to be an even more laughable contention than it had sounded when she first uttered it. The other side of his disastrous mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, a summer of Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the police murder of George Floyd and his comprehensive defeat in the 2020 presidential election to Mr Biden, Mr Trump was impeached for a history-making second time on 13 January 2021 when the House found that he had incited the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol a week earlier by leading his disappointed supporters on with the “Big Lie” that only (non-existent) mass voter fraud had stopped him securing a second term. The tragic events of 6 January – on which a mob of QAnon zealots, Proud Boys and Oath Keepers stormed the legislative complex to try to stop the certification of the election results, five people were killed, a gallows was erected to hang Mr Pence and Congress was attacked for the first time since it was set alight by British soldiers in 1814 – are well documented. In its aftermath, Mr Trump, who declined to call off his supporters, preferring instead to watch the “American carnage” he had predicted at his inauguration finally unfold on live TV, was booted off social media and the House moved quickly to impeach him for an unheard-of second time, passing an article accusing him of incitement to insurrection. Speaker Pelosi said as she cast her vote to impeach that the president represented “a clear and present danger” so long as he remained in the Oval Office and accused him of trying to “repeal reality” in challenging the election result. The vote passed 232-197 in the lower chamber but, again, the Senate granted him an acquittal on 13 February, with only seven Republicans crossing the aisle to join the 50 Democrats in demanding accountability – not enough to land the two-thirds majority needed. Had just 10 more listened to their consciences and joined the rebellion, the US Constitution would have barred Mr Trump from ever running for high office again, ruling as it does that “judgement in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, trust or profit under the United States”. Twice impeached but convicted on neither occasion, Mr Trump was entirely free to announce a fresh bid for the White House, as he did last November, seemingly as untroubled by burning shame as ever. Read More Trump news – live: Georgia grand jury could weigh conspiracy charge as ex-NYPD boss hands docs to Jan 6 probe Mark Meadows laughed off Trump’s claims of election fraud in text to White House attorney, says report Unanswered questions about Trump’s looming January 6 indictment What is an indictment? Donald Trump facing third of 2023 over Capitol riot Donald Trump is the first former president arrested on federal charges. Can he still run in 2024?

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Gabri Veiga, tipped to be the next young star of Spanish football, has a long list of skills and abilities, but if one thing sticks out about this supremely confident 21-year-old then it’s his ability to strike a ball. The secret to his ball-striking abilities, however, may surprise you. “I began playing football because of pumpkins,” he has explained. Playing at his uncle’s house when he was a toddler, he discovered a pumpkin on the kitchen floor and started to kick it “out of curiosity”. From then on, all he wanted to do was kick balls and he joined his first football club aged four. Later, as a 12-year-old, he was enrolled in the famed A Madroa academy of local Galician club RC Celta and now, in 2022/23, the attacking midfielder has emerged as one of the team’s key players, working up a profitable partnership with Iago Aspas, the team’s most senior and exceptional player and another who also came through the club’s academy many years ago. Fast forward to this term and Veiga scored the two crucial goals on the final day of the season to see Celta Vigo beat champions Barcelona and secure their top-flight status. That could yet turn out to be his last action at Balaidos, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United all being heavily linked with a move and the talented attacker sitting high on their list of priorities for this summer’s transfers. Veiga’s release clause is set at €40million (£34.4m) - though it’s perhaps worth noting that Celta have only sold one player for more than €15m since Nolito left for Man City in 2016. Eleven goals - top ten among Europe’s U21 players Between them, Aspas and Viega were responsible for scoring 23 of RC Celta’s 43 LaLiga Santander goals in 2022/23 and the veteran striker has done his part in making the youngster feel comfortable, personally setting up two of the midfielder’s 11 goals. Veiga’s goal count this campaign, his first full season in the first team, is nothing short of stunning. Nobody scored more goals from midfield in LaLiga this season. In his age category, Veiga is truly standing out. Of all the Under-21 players in Europe’s top five leagues, Veiga finished with the seventh-highest goal tally, only trailing the likes of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Also, he is the Under-21 player with the second-most goals produced in LaLiga 22/23 (11 goals and four assists), only one behind Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson (12 and four). Veiga is about much more than his goals, however. He has proved his versatility throughout his youth career, playing in every position aside from goalkeeper, centre-back and left-back. It is perhaps that rich variety of experience which has seen him to develop into the player he is today: a midfielder with remarkable vision and ability to make the final pass, with the courage and pace to take players on and the timing to run in behind defences and latch on to through balls. “In my career I’ve only seen one or two players who have the characteristics of Veiga,” said RC Celta coach Carlos Carvalhal, who has been in management for 25 years. “He is a very complete player. He has a different profile to all the other midfielders in Spain, who are usually about touch and possession. Gabri breaks games open.” A player who can score different types of goals As Carvalhal alluded to, Veiga’s qualities make him the ideal link between midfield and attack and his 11 goals this season showcased his various attributes. The two most eye-catching goals were his long-range rockets against Real Betis and UD Almería, with the former being his first goal in front of the home fans at Balaídos, when he rounded three defenders before pinging the ball into the far bottom corner, while the latter goal was a thumping drive from outside the area with hardly any back-lift, which cannoned in off the crossbar. His first goal had come against Atlético de Madrid, a first-time finish which crept in at the near post, while he produced an ice-cool shot to score against Sevilla FC after racing on to a through ball from Aspas. His best individual display yet, however, came in the thrilling 4-3 win at Real Betis earlier this month. He scored RC Celta’s second goal with a cheeky lob right in front of goalkeeper Rui Silva after creating the danger himself with two clever headers. He then gave his side the lead by appearing at just the right time to knock in Jorgen Strand Larsen’s cross from the byline. What next for Veiga? He was believed to be under consideration by Luis Enrique as a potentially surprise call-up for the World Cup and, even if he didn’t go to Qatar, his debut for Spain’s senior team cannot be far away. He is in the U21 squad for this month’s fixture against Mexico. An international debut is bound to further raise Veiga’s profile and confirm what everyone at RC Celta already knows: that he has what it takes to make it to the very top. Read More Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game

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Mauricio Pochettino claimed it is easier for new players to settle at Manchester City than at Chelsea due to the huge upheaval at Stamford Bridge during the last 18 months. Eight of the 11 that started Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Pochettino’s former side Tottenham on Monday have joined since owner Todd Boehly bought the club in May 2022, with a further nine named amongst the substitutes. Only three of the side that began Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over City in the 2021 Champions League final are still at the club – Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva – whilst all 12 of the substitutes from the game in Porto have departed, along with manager Thomas Tuchel. By contrast, Pep Guardiola can still call upon seven of the 11 that started in the final, with the group having formed the nucleus of the side that won the competition last season along with the Premier League title and FA Cup. Few of the players signed by Chelsea under Boehly have enjoyed an instant impact despite a combined total transfer outlay of over £1billion, whereas City have seamlessly incorporated new recruits into their side, most notably Erling Haaland who netted 52 times during his debut season. Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with the champions at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino said much of that contrast in fortunes is down to City already having in place the kind of settled culture that he is starting to build at Chelsea. “When you arrive at a club and in a team that is very confident and solid in how they operate and in their structure, always it’s easier,” he said. “If you arrive at a club that is in a process of building something – (City) are ahead (of Chelsea). “When a player arrives in a very consistent organisation, it’s only about performing. But the possibility of a player signed by City to perform is higher than if we sign a player here, at the moment. “We are trying to find the best organisation, the best way to operate, the best way to play, to know each other. At City, you arrive and Pep… doesn’t need to talk too much. The player knows everything they need to do and how they need to behave. “They know how it works, the club. But here we are all new. Too many players (are new) and the organisation is in a moment where it is evolving and developing, and trying to find the best way to work.” One player who has impressed since arriving at Stamford Bridge is Cole Palmer, who swapped the Etihad Stadium for west London on the final day of the transfer window. The 21-year-old has been a standout performer during the improved form that has seen Chelsea win three of their last five in the league and discover an attacking fluency that was conspicuously absent last season. “It’s not fair to say it surprised me (that City let Palmer go) because now he’s performing and he didn’t play too much at City,” said Pochettino. “We’re two different clubs with different visions and different objectives. “Maybe Chelsea fits really well for Cole, but maybe it would have happened with different players.” Asked if there was a player whom Palmer reminds him of, Pochettino added: “(Angel) Di Maria, no? It’s difficult find someone to compare.” The Argentina winger struggled after swapping Real Madrid for Manchester United in 2014 and never settled in England, a problem Manchester-born Palmer has not faced. “He’s from Manchester,” said Pochettino. “It’s not easy for a Manchester boy to come to London and to adapt and to settle here. “(But) he knows the Premier League. It’s easy for him to adapt a new club. When a player comes from outside of England, you don’t know if they’ll understand the language, culture, food, weather.”