On a street corner of downtown Toronto in the wee hours of the morning is where the best conversations are bound to happen. I’ve spent my whole adult life in this city walking these streets and yelling my opinions — the good, the bad, and the shut-up-your-frontal-lobe-isn’t-even-formed-yet takes. I remember fighting with a friend just steps from Scotiabank Theatre after watching The Help about how Blackness should show up onscreen (spoiler: that was not it). They argued that, sure, maybe the movie was offensive, but parts of it were true. Why shouldn’t that story be told? (Their frontal lobe wasn’t fully formed either.) Over a decade later, during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), I found myself on those same streets debating the very same topic, except this time, the film in question wasn’t a trope-ridden, objectionable, white savior narrative; it was a ripe satire consumed with tackling the very conversations that Black media professionals have been having for decades. In American Fiction, it’s not about whether representation matters but rather what kind matters, and to whom?

While some fans found the new category hilarious, other were left fuming with a few asking if Alex Trebek would approve

Panasonic Corp. has agreed to sell part of its automotive systems unit to Apollo Global Management Inc. and

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea’s victory at Tottenham on Monday proved he has matured as a manager in the years since his first spell in England. A frenetic 4-1 win in north London came amid two red cards for the hosts as emotions threatened to spill over in a manner reminiscent of the so-called “Battle of Stamford Bridge”, when Pochettino’s Spurs lost their discipline and a two-goal lead to concede the 2015-16 Premier League title. After that game, which confirmed Leicester as champions, Pochettino was criticised for allowing his players to lose control of the match and let slip the chance of claiming a first league title since 1961. Yet on Monday, it was his former side whose discipline failed them.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley will participate in a live CNN presidential town hall next month in Iowa, the network announced Wednesday.

Teofimo Lopez captured a title in a second weight class, beating formerly unbeaten Josh Taylor by unanimous decision to win the WBO’s junior welterweight belt

Aaron Nola took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out 12, Trea Turner homered twice among his four hits to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to their third straight win, 8-3 over the Detroit Tigers

Violent protests have erupted between hundreds of Eritrean asylum seekers and Israeli police in Tel Aviv during a protest against an event organized by the Eritrea Embassy

Chelsea youngster Cesare Casadei has joined Leicester City on a season-long loan.

Lionel Messi is the only footballer whose shadow carries a gun. While he plays for Inter Miami, his bodyguard stalks the touchline: Yassine Cheuko is an ex-Navy Seal with a thick beard and a shaved head who treats his client like a president in a warzone, staring down giddy autograph-hunters and swatting away selfie-chasing children. During a recent match, a young pitch-invader in a Messi shirt made a dash towards his hero only to be walloped by Cheuko’s torso on arrival. Messi is like the sun: by all means enjoy his presence and bask in his glow, but by god do not look him in the eye – and if you touch him, you’re dead. It is just one of the more bizarre symptoms of Messi fever which has gripped Miami and Major League Soccer since his arrival in June. It began before he kicked a ball: Messi’s pink shirt outsold any sports jersey in history in its first 24 hours, generating $600m to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United and Tom Brady’s move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Miami’s Instagram account exploded from 1 million to 15 million followers, a bigger audience than every NFL team. Kim Kardashian bought tickets to his debut, while the list of special guests to watch him play at Los Angeles Galaxy was like Wimbledon’s Royal Box on steroids, featuring LeBron James, Selena Gomez, Owen Wilson, Gerard Butler, Leonardo DiCaprio and genuine royalty in Prince Harry, to name but a few. On the pitch Messi has been phenomenal, even at 36 years old and in the winter of his career: 11 goals and five assists in 11 games, and one trophy already. He has turned a terrible team into a good one, lifting Miami off the bottom of the table to be in with a chance of reaching US soccer’s Super Bowl equivalent, the MLS Cup, in December. He has brought with him from Barcelona two close allies: the left-back Jordi Alba, who built a career pretending to cross the ball only to cut back for Messi to score, and the great midfield conductor Sergio Busquets. It is a bit like a singer bringing along his sound and lighting technicians – not the full band but enough to put on a show. Perhaps his most memorable moment so far came in the final of the Leagues Cup against Nashville: as the ball bounced to Messi arriving on the edge of the box, the commentator let out a foreboding “uh oh” before he shuffled away from two defenders and curled the ball into the top corner. Major League Soccer is rightfully indulging in the moment. “The 🐐 plays here,” reads the Twitter bio these days. This is now an unprecedented window of opportunity: the US will host the Copa America in 2024, the Club World Cup in 2025, the men’s World Cup in 2026 and quite possibly the women’s World Cup in 2027 too. The football landscape is more competitive than ever amid the aggressive emergence of the Saudi Pro League and the greed of Europe’s superpowers, but if MLS cannot shed its image as a paid vacation for retirees and establish something serious now, it never will. That mission was part of Miami’s sales pitch to Messi. David Beckham and his fellow owners knew they couldn’t compete with the base salary being offered in Saudi Arabia, but they could offer other benefits which the Saudis couldn’t. They appealed to Messi’s family – he already owned a home in Miami, from where it is relatively easy to fly back to Argentina, and the Messis have enjoyed partying with the Beckhams behind the scenes. And they included huge commercial investments, like a share in sales of MLS broadcaster Apple, with whom Messi had an existing relationship, and a stake in Inter Miami which he can activate when he departs. Messi was convinced by the long-term opportunities for his brand and his legacy in North America. He was also wooed by some romantic history. Pele became a pioneer when he turned down offers across Europe to join the New York Cosmos in 1975. It had appealed to his ego to be the catalyst who made US soccer catch fire, and he was certainly that: the Cosmos played in front of 200 people before Pele, yet two years later they were filling the Giants Stadium with 77,000 converts. Beckham himself has had the greatest impact in America since Pele, and Messi is next in the dynasty. The problem for MLS is where to go next. Each new star since Beckham delivered another flurry of excitement – Thierry Henry, Kaka, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney – but there is no footballing high greater than watching Messi, no bigger dopamine hit than seeing his feet shuffle into life and create magic. Messi is football hedonism, and when he goes he cannot simply be replaced by a bigger, shinier star. The come down will hurt. How do you sell yourself as a serious sporting product when one player is that much better than the rest? So MLS has a plan to harness the hype and turn it into something that will last. Last year the league ditched long-term broadcast partner ESPN and signed with Messi’s friends at Apple, in what represented the tech company’s biggest step yet into the sports arena. Apple committed to a 10-year contract worth $250m per year for the right to show MLS on its platforms, and more lucrative media deals will follow. Long-time MLS commissioner Don Garber wants to invest in youth development, better stadiums and infrastructure for the long-term success of American soccer. But the league’s immediate need is to acquire talent, and here the clubs are met with restrictions. The MLS adheres to a strict salary cap designed to stop clubs overspending. It can be dodged via the designated player rule – or Beckham Rule – which allows each team to pay three star players more than the salary cap, but unless restrictions loosen further it will be impossible for the biggest teams in the league to sign more elite talent. Miami have certainly filled their quota and are in no position to sign more ex-Barcelona stars until those rules change. All the while, the danger is that Messi makes football look so easy, he undermines the league’s integrity. The drop-off from European football or the World Cup to MLS is a void – not just physically and technically, but in its tactical sophistication and defensive organisation. The worst MLS teams, of which Miami were one before Messi, match the upper echelons of England’s League Two, according to the models of consultancy Twenty First Group. That’s like dropping Messi into Gillingham’s first XI: how do you sell yourself as a serious sporting product when one player is that much better than the rest? It will be a hard journey to raise standards across the board, but Messi does at least provide the best possible platform from which to grow. Most European football fans have been devotees for a long time, but now the gospel of Messi is spreading throughout the United States. New followers are flocking to see him in the flesh. So enjoy watching Messi, America. Seize the moment. Just don’t try to touch him. Read More Every Lionel Messi goal, assist and key moment for Inter Miami Mbappe and Haaland begin new Champions League rivarly after Messi-Ronaldo era When does Lionel Messi play next? Inter Miami schedule and fixtures Cristiano Ronaldo declares rivalry with Lionel Messi ‘is over’ Messi favourite for men’s Ballon d’Or with four Lionesses on women’s list It turned out wrong – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man Utd return

Boxer and OnlyFans model Daniella Hemsley will not take part in this week’s Kingpyn Boxing final after being barred for her topless celebration. However, the 22-year-old has released a statement denying she had been banned and claiming that she stepped down voluntarily. Hemsley flashed the crowd after winning her first boxing match over the weekend and faced criticism for doing so. Now, The Sun reports that Hemsley will not take part in the next stage of the competition. Kingpyn Boxing reportedly faced a statement that reads: "As we strive to bring fans the best influencer boxing events possible, we accept that Saturday’s post-fight incident may have offended some viewers and appreciate that this incident didn’t meet the standards expected from Kingpyn fight nights. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “We apologize fully to anyone upset during the broadcast. The fighter involved in the incident will not be appearing in the Final event.” Hemsley fought Ms Danielka, also known as Aleksandra Ola Daniel, on Saturday (July 15). After securing the win, Hemsley exposed her breasts inside the ring during the live TV coverage. Speaking after the fight, Hemsley claimed she had permission to do so. Speaking to Alpha Plug, she said: “I got approval from the promoter, and I was only going to do it if I won, and I did and I got over-excited, and yeah, why not?” Hemsley later wrote on Instagram: "I DID IT! Ola definitely didn’t have a walk in the park (her words), but Big respect, that was true WAR! "I also apologies [sic] to anyone who may have felt offended by my excitement, I did actually have tassels on but the sweat stuck them to my bra lol." She has since denied that she has been banned, posting on Instagram: “I just want to personally address the current media speculation. I am NOT banned from Kingpyn, I have made a choice to step down from the Finals fight to take some time away from the heavy training camps, recover some [injuries] and work on my business. “This is only the beginning of my boxing journey and I plan to be back and fighting again in the Autumn/Winter. “I adore all of my fans and thank you for all of the support and love. I see you all x x.” Promoter Eddie Hearn was one of the figures to criticise Hemsley, claiming that her actions had set women’s sport back years. “Unfortunately, we now live in a world where role models, or influencers, are not necessarily doing things that the older generation, which I class myself as, or parents would want your kids to see or think is acceptable,” he told Boxing Social. "I F**KING HATE IT!" - Eddie Hearn GOES MENTAL on Kingpyn Incident, Baumgardner & Matchroom Schedule www.youtube.com Daniella says she was given permission before the bout to do her celebration. Speaking to Alpha Plug after the fight, she said: “I got approval from the promoter, and I was only going to do it if I won, and I did and I got over-excited, and yeah, why not?” 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.

Bezos is said to have proposed to his journalist girlfriend on his new $500 million superyacht, the Koru