We're used to wild plot twists when it comes to Donald Trump and his brood, but no one could have seen this one coming. The MAGA commander-in-chief is dead and his son, Donald Jr, is running for president in his place – that is, at least, according to the latter's X/Twitter account. A tweet posted at 1:25pm UK time (8:25am ET) from his verified page read: "I'm sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024." The apparent bombshell was followed by a string of further outlandish, offensive and down-right dangerous comments, including jibes at North Korea, Logan Paul and an expletive-filled attack on Joe Biden. It was half an hour before the jaw-dropping thread was removed and, at the time of writing, no official explanation had been given. The safe assumption is that the account was hacked but with no word from the horse's mouth, who can say for sure... Naturally, eagle-eyed social media scrollers seized on the unexpected outburst, with many capturing screenshots to immortalise the embarrassing mishap. And anyone concerned that there was any truth in the announcements needed only turn to Trump Sr's favourite online stomping ground. The former world leader was busy ranting on Truth Social right when things were kicking off. So yes, he's very much still alive. Indy100 has contacted X/Twitter and the Trump Organization for comment. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall in New York City on Tuesday night.

Let’s be real: LeBron James is the GOAT and we could be witnessing history once again.If the Lakers are going to win the NBA Finals, it’s going to be because LeBron put the team on his back. And what better way to back LeBron to win Finals MVP than with the new-user promotion at Caes...

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called Max Verstappen’s drive into the Formula One record books at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix “completely irrelevant”. Verstappen went behind enemy lines in Ferrari’s backyard to fight his way past Carlos Sainz’s scarlet car and become the first driver in the sport’s 73-year history to win 10 consecutive races. The Dutchman, now a victor at 12 of the 14 rounds so far, bettered the record he had shared with Sebastian Vettel. Verstappen has not lost a race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30, 126 days ago. Sergio Perez finished runner-up as Red Bull – who remain unbeaten this season – claimed a one-two finish, with pole-sitter Sainz third ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth for Mercedes. Hamilton’s Mercedes machinery carried him to six world championships in seven seasons, but the British driver was never able to win more than five successive races. The best Michael Schumacher, so dominant in his Ferrari at the turn of the century, could manage was seven. Yet, despite Verstappen’s historic streak, Wolff found it difficult to express praise for Red Bull’s star man. “For me, these kinds of records are completely irrelevant,” he said. “They were irrelevant in our good days in Mercedes. “I don’t know how many races we won in a row. I didn’t even know that there was a count of how many wins in a row, so if you are asking me to comment on the achievement it is difficult, because it never played a role in my own life until I heard about it yesterday. “The result itself shows a great driver in a great car, who are competing on an extremely high level.” Wolff’s lacklustre appraisal came after Hamilton devalued the strength of Verstappen’s team-mates in an interview on Italian television on Thursday. Verstappen responded in the Dutch media by suggesting Hamilton was “jealous” of his current success. Hamilton was then asked about Verstappen’s record-breaking run after Sunday’s 51-lap race. “I had strong team-mates,” he replied. “Valtteri (Bottas) was quick a lot of times. I don’t care about statistics in general. Good for him.” Since he claimed his maiden title at the controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi race in 2021 – denying Hamilton a record eighth championship – Verstappen has won 27 of the 36 races staged. In his last 25 appearances, Verstappen has failed to win just four times. “What Max is doing is breaking records and driving at an unbelievable level,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “I don’t think there is anybody in the world at the moment that can beat Max Verstappen in this car, that’s for sure. “You have to recognise and applaud what Max is doing. It is very special to achieve what he has achieved and we shouldn’t detract from that in any way. “In sport it is very rare that something like this happens and it is a golden moment for him and certainly a golden moment for the team.” Verstappen was made to wait 14 laps and a handful of corners before he assumed the lead of Sunday’s race at the Variante della Roggia. From there, he never looked back to seal another crushing win and move 145 points clear in the standings. There remains an outside chance he could be crowned champion of the world for a third time as early as the Japanese Grand Prix in three weeks with half-a-dozen rounds still remaining. “I never would have believed that it was possible,” said Verstappen after his record triumph. “But we had to work for it today and that definitely made it a lot more fun.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz’s pace in practice gives Ferrari fans hope for Italian Grand Prix How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins

England’s players have expressed their disappointment at talks with the Football Association over their bonus and commercial structures not being resolved before the start of the World Cup. In a statement from the team posted on social media by captain Millie Bright, the Lionesses said they would “pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament”. The European champions’ campaign at the showpiece in Australia and New Zealand gets under way on Saturday when they face Haiti in Brisbane. The statement said: “Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures. The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of our World Cup. “We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved. “We view the successful conclusion of these discussions, through player input and a transparent long term plan, as key for the growth of women’s football in England. “With our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament. “We collectively feel a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game. And while our focus now switches fully to the tournament ahead, we believe every tackle, pass and goal will contribute to the work we are committed to doing off the pitch. “We look forward to playing for our country (at) this World Cup, with pride, passion and perseverance.” With our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament England players' statement Last month FIFA announced a new financial distribution model to apply to this summer’s tournament. Under that model, players will be guaranteed performance-related remuneration directly from FIFA, with amounts increasing the deeper teams go in the tournament, ranging from 30,000 US dollars (£23,000) per athlete for the group stage to USD 270,000 (£206,000) allotted to each champion. Previously, it was up to individual national governing bodies to decide how money was allocated, with some still agreeing to fund additional payments in 2023 beyond the new deal. England players were understood to have been left disappointed by the fact the FA was not following the lead of the Australian and American federations – where collective bargaining agreements are in place – in paying bonuses on top of the prize money being paid to players direct by FIFA. Players were also understood to be frustrated over a lack of clarity over what their cut from any commercial deals done by the FA linked to the Lionesses will be, as well as the restrictions around their personal sponsorships. The Professional Footballers’ Association released a statement from its chief executive Maheta Molango, who said: “Although the issues the Lionesses have highlighted are specific to the negotiations with the FA, they join players from a number of countries at the World Cup who are prepared to make a stand when they don’t think they are being listened to. “It’s a massive mistake to underestimate the genuine strength of player feeling on these issues. “It’s no coincidence that this is a particular issue for nations where there is no proper collective bargaining agreement in place between players and governing bodies. “These longer-term agreements require negotiation and will nearly always involve difficult conversations. But when they are completed, they ensure a far higher degree of stability and security. “They mean that everyone knows where they stand, and that’s obviously a massive advantage going into major tournaments when players just want to be focused on the football. “The PFA’s view has always been that player rights and conditions should be addressed proactively and viewed as a partnership. “There will always be consequences when players feel they are having to come back issue by issue to push for parity and progress. It doesn’t need to be like this.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Confident Rory McIlroy ‘could not ask for better preparation’ ahead of the Open Bethany England eager to shine at World Cup having felt ‘wasted’ at Chelsea ICEC: Recommendations ‘too important to be put on back burner for lack of money’

Newcastle host Borussia Dortmund at St. James’ Park this evening as they aim to win consecutive matches in the Champions League this season. The Magpies defeated Paris Saint-Germain at home last time out in what was their first European top-flight match at St James’ Park in 20 years. Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar all got on the scoresheet as Newcastle sent four past the French champions to take control of their group with four matches to play. Eddie Howe’s men are unbeaten in the group stages so far having also draw away at AC Milan in their opener but the face a difficult test against Dortmund tonight. The Bundesliga club have lost just one game in 11 matches all season - away at PSG in their Group F opener - and have scored eight goals in the last four games. They are bottom of the table as it stands and will see tonight’s fixture as a valuable opportunity to get themselves back in the race to reach the knockouts. Follow the action below plus get the latest odds and tips for Newcastle vs Borussia Dortmund right here: Read More Newcastle and Dortmund share same glaring hole in their team before Champions League clash Sandro Tonali is the latest victim of football’s double standards

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