Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season as Jude Bellingham gets his first taste of one of the biggest games in world football. Barcelona won last season’s La Liga crown as they surged to their first league title since 2019 under Xavi. The champions are undefeated this season with seven wins and three draws but trail leaders Real Madrid by one point. Madrid’s new signing Bellingham has made an astonishing start to life in the Spanish capital with 11 goals in his first 12 games for the club since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. The 20-year-old England star will now take centre stage in El Clasico, which is not available on UK television, as Real Madrid look to get revenge on Barcelona for last year’s title win. Follow the latest updates from El Clasico and get the latest odds and tips here. Read More Ballon d’Or shortlist: Who are the nominees for 2023 award? Jude Bellingham once again proves he is the key for England’s Euro 2024 hopes

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reaffirmed June 1 as the hard deadline to raise the debt ceiling on Monday, saying she expects the US not to be able to pay all of its bills in early June.

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Players at Women’s Championship side London City Lionesses have sent an email to their owner, Diane Culligan, urging her to sell the club. Under Culligan’s leadership, the London City Lionesses broke away from the Millwall Lionesses in 2019 and formed as a fully professional club, earning a third-place finish in the 2022/23 second tier, just three points off Bristol City who earned promotion to the WSL. But a report from BBC Sport claims the players feel the club is in danger of ceasing to exist without improved funding and structure, leading the squad to plead for action. BBC’s Emma Sanders reports having obtained access to the email sent to Culligan by all 20 London City Lionesses players, with the team currently lacking a permanent manager and facing significant financial concerns. The players implored Culligan to make a change by way of either new investment or a new majority owner to demonstrate the same courage displayed a few years ago when she created the club. “With the increasing lack of staff in key roles, a small number of players contracted, the ongoing management of injured players, the question of a manager still to be addressed, and the financial instability with the last payday, the team is filled with much doubt and a shadow of uncertainty has been cast over the club,” part of the email from players to the owner read. “In these challenging times, we as a team want to respectfully plead with you to think of the future and explore alternative ways to run this club. “The harsh reality is that without immediate action due to pre-season looming, we risk undoing all the great work that you and London City Lionesses have achieved, and also put the future of players currently contracted to the club at risk. By seeking new owners and investors who can inject much-needed financial stability, we can secure the longevity of our team.” The Lionesses found themselves at the top of the table in January, but their manager, Melissa Phillips, departed to join WSL side Brighton. The season took a somewhat unfavorable turn for the club after Phillips’ departure, but the club still managed to secure a third-place finish. In their email, the Lionesses made it clear to Culligan that they value the dedication she has shown in bringing the club to this stage, but they believe it is now crucial to allow the club to thrive in its current state. In their email, they requested her to, “once again be bold, and consider all possible avenues for the survival and growth of our club.” The club issued a statement in response to the email written by the players, conveyed to BBC Sport, insisting it remains focused on running “the club in a sustainable manner.” “We continue to strive for excellence both on the pitch and in how we manage the club. As part of this we are in active discussions with globally recognised strategic investment partners to assist with our growth. We remain committed to providing the best possible environment for the players and staff as they navigate the highly competitive Women’s Championship and seek promotion to the Women’s Super League.” The BBC report further indicates that only four players will remain under contract from 1 July, while one player had to wait for over two months to receive confirmation that a severe injury would be addressed by the club. Regardless of the outcome of the situation, it is hoped that the London City Lionesses can regain some stability and in time for when the Women’s Championship resumes in August. Read More Millie Bright offers injury update ahead of Women’s World Cup England women’s star Alex Greenwood suffers injury scare in training Staniforth added to England’s World Cup standby list amid injury worry Millie Bright offers injury update ahead of Women’s World Cup England women’s star Alex Greenwood suffers injury scare in training Staniforth added to England’s World Cup standby list amid injury worry

Russell Brand’s downfall was never going to be a fall from grace because he was proudly ungraceful to begin with. The loud-mouthed comic has built a career on being uncouth, uncontrollable and unapologetic, and even though platforms are being torn from under his feet, he clearly won’t be silenced. This is thanks to the die-hard fanbase he’s assembled by becoming a “mainstream media”-basher and promoter of right-wing conspiracy theories. But whilst the likes of Andrew Tate and Tucker Carlson have been quick to offer Brand their support, other celebrities are admitting that the allegations against him confirm their long-held suspicions. Now, indy100 is here to keep you updated on all the high-profile figures who are pledging their allegiance to the disgraced 48-year-old, all of those who have spoken out against him in the past, and all of those who are shouting from the rooftops now. Katherine Ryan responds to Brand allegations Katherine Ryan has responded to the claims around Brand for the first time since they were made public. Recent news reports suggested that Brand left the series Roast Battle on Comedy Central after co-star Ryan kept mentioning sexual abuse claims on camera. On her podcast on Thursday, Ryan said: “I have nothing else to say about anything... apart from just a passing observation that when a woman says 'no, I don't want to engage in that conversation, no I have no comment on that story', 'no I won't be confirming or denying or participating at all about anything in the news right now', her consent is not valid.” She added that “no is a full sentence”. “Why is my consent totally unimportant when we are speaking a lot in the press right now about issues surrounding the importance of consent?” Right wing TV host Megyn Kelly blasts Brand supporters x.com Megyn Kelly says she’s “SICK of conservatives online trying to defend” Russell Brand. Megyn Kelly has slammed the "knee-jerk" response of some right wing commentators to support Brand. The former Fox News host said: "People need to take a pause before they resort to the knee jerk. "We cannot go from the absurdity of believe all women, which was never the right way, into the absurdity of believe no women. And that's what we're now doing." ‘Jimmy Savile police unit’ working with Met on Brand allegations A police team set up after the Jimmy Savile scandal, called the Hydrant Programme, is working with the Metropolitan Police to investigate the claims made against Brand. “We are working with the Metropolitan Police in support of their response to recent allegations and would urge any victim or survivor who feels ready to report any allegations of sexual assault to come forward and speak to officers,” a spokesperson for the Hydrant Programme said. Read more. Ed Miliband 'regrets 2015 Russell Brand interview' Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he regrets allowing Russell Brand to interview him during the 2015 general election campaign. Knowing what he does now, he “wouldn't have done that interview, and I regret doing it,” he told the BBC. Miliband, now Labour's shadow energy security and net zero secretary, said: “Russell Brand was rather notoriously going round saying people shouldn't vote because voting made no difference.” “That's why I did an interview with him, because I wanted to get to the people who he was influencing to say voting does make a difference.” Here's the clip. MPs' concern over Brand monetising content x.com The UK Parliament (Culture, Media and Sport Committee) letter to Rumble concerning Russell Brand. Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee writes to social media firm Rumble, asking it to prevent Brand monetising his content on its platform. The letter asked the firm to confirm “whether Mr Brand is able to monetise his content [on Rumble]” and, if so, “whether Rumble intends to join YouTube in suspending Mr Brand’s ability to earn money on the platform”. Rumble, which tends to attract people with right wing views, responded by rejecting the letter. “We regard it as deeply inappropriate and dangerous that the UK Parliament would attempt to control who is allowed to speak on our platform or to earn a living from doing so,” the statement from Rumble said. “We emphatically reject the UK Parliament’s demands." Read more. Elon Musk weighs in... Again Elon Musk, the X/Twitter owner, has jumped back into the debate. This time, he was responding to a UK Parliamentary committee letter that suggested companies cut Russell Brand's income in the wake of the allegations. Musk wrote: "There is more to this than meets the eye. "If the concern is actually sexual predation in the entertainment industry, that is a very long list. "Why @rustyrockets and why now?" Presumably, the answer is that it is because allegations of historic abuse have only just come to light. But Musk's post appears to have got conspiracy theorists excited. One person wrote beneath that it is a "psyop x distraction," while another said it is "targeted". Neither provided evidence or elaborated on their rationale. Here's the post. Brand was 'thrilled' with Katy Perry's chilling nickname for him, claims Piers Morgan Brand's ex-wife, popstar Katy Perry, referred to the comedian as Rasputin, according to Piers Morgan. The TV personality wrote in the Sun newspaper that Perry used the chilling nickname at an event in 2013. She allegedly told Morgan that British people are "so damn confident". "Trouble is, I find that irresistible. I love Brits ... Well, not all of them – not Rasputin, obviously." Grigori Rasputin was a monk during the final years of the Russian Empire, who was "infamous for his drunkenness and for womanising". Morgan continued that Brand was later "thrilled" with the name. He reportedly reacted by saying that Rasputin was a "pretty powerful bloke" who could "manipulate" people with his eyes, and who was "having it off with everyone, drinking and getting into fights". Read more. ‘Furious’ Russell Brand ‘left Roast Battle’ after Katherine Ryan ‘predator’ remarks Brand left the series Roast Battle on Comedy Central after co-star Katherine Ryan kept mentioning sexual abuse claims on camera, a new report by Deadline has claimed. Ryan starred in the first season of Roast Battle alongside Brand and Jimmy Carr in 2018. Brand departed after six episodes, with Jonathan Ross taking his spot as a judge. Read more here Vanessa Feltz ‘admired friend’ Russell Brand before his ‘deeply offensive comments’ on chat show Vanessa Feltz has revealed she went on Brand’s chat show as “his friend”, but admits she was horrified by his remarks asking if he could sleep with her and her daughters. Feltz told This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Dermot O’Leary that she and Brand were friends when she appeared on the show in 2006, and that she “admired his style”, but says she soon felt awkward when he made sexual remarks towards her and her young daughters. She said: “I was horrified, there has to be some boundaries but it is awkward when you are a guest on someone’s show. The genuine prevailing feeling was he was very funny.” Watch the interview here It's perhaps worth noting that Noel Fielding, Brand's longtime friend, has kept quiet on the whole scandal. Russell Brand’s prank call to rape helpline in 2008 Brand was widely condemned in 2008 after prank-calling an emergency rape phoneline during a stand-up routine. While onstage in Northampton in 2008, Brand phoned police in front of the audience, pretending to be a witness to numerous sexual assaults that had taken place in a local underpass. “I have got some information for you,” he told the call handler. “I’ve seen a gentleman who fits the description. He was wearing a lime green top and polka-dot trousers, and I thought, ‘Well, look at the state of him.’ I’ve had someone come near my underpass.” He continued: “He was dressed absolutely atrociously, he looked like Timmy Mallett.” Brand told the call handler that the audience laughter heard in the background was coming from an episode of The Bill he was watching on TV. He told them his name was Sarah. Read more here Follow the latest updates on Brand here. If you have information in relation to the allegations against Russell Brand which you would like to share with The Independent’s reporting team, please email newsdesk@independent.co.uk While onstage in Northampton in 2008, Brand phoned police in front of the audience, pretending to be a witness to numerous sexual assaults that had taken place in a local underpass. Accusations that Brand groomed and abused a 16-year-old have prompted important discussions about the age of consent in the UK and beyond x.com Completely agree that there should be a #Aliceslaw protecting teenage girls from predatory adults. The suggestion of making it illegal for anyone older than 21 to have sex with those 16-18 is an idea, but there are also working models in the US and Canada of raising the age of… Candace Owens is among the commentators questioning YouTube's decision to demonetise Brand's channel x.com I actually am struggling to comprehend how @YouTube can completely demonetize someone based on allegations— when there are actual drug dealers and convicts that currently have YouTube channels. How does that make sense? #RussellBrand Another interesting point about noughties 'lad culture' x.com Wonder if a lot of the defence re Russell Brand on social media stems from “lads” vindicated by the culture he promoted now being worried their past behaviour might not have been acceptable A number of commentators are pointing out that 'due process and the rule of law' must be respected in all cases x.com This is what worries me about Russell Brand case. Loathsome behaviour is not in question, but when was he convicted in a court of law on basis of being proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt? Due process and the rule of law does matter to all our freedoms @tfa4freedom 'Female Andrew Tate' gives the most toxic support to Russell Brand yet It’s a sad inevitability that the big names defending Brand are some of the most influential in the world. Elon Musk and Andrew Tate – two of the most Googled people on the planet – have already publicly backed the 48-year-old comedian, as have those great champions of right-wing and conservative conspiracy theories: Alex Jones, Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson. And so it comes as no surprise that Pearl Davis, the woman who proudly owns the nickname “the female Andrew Tate”, is the latest red pill ideologist to throw her support behind Brand, who vehemently denies all the allegations made against him. Read more here Buy now , But McPhee has insisted she's not a victim x.com Katherine McPhee criticizes Daily Mail for sharing clip of Russell Brand bouncing her on his lap at The Tonight Show in 2013: “I know nothing what you are trying to claim here but this specific incident was over 10 years ago and it was harmless. Please don't try and use me for… This clip has been doing the rounds x.com Russell Brand is told off by Jimmy Fallon after comedian bounces an uncomfortable Katharine McPhee on his lap Andrew Neil says public service broadcasters facilitated Brand's behaviour x.com "We have an ability in our culture where we elevate people of no talent to the status of national icons... I give you Jimmy Savile."Andrew Neil says the Russell Brand scandal is "another classic example" of "the power of celebrity" in the UK.@afneil | @piersmorgan | #PMU Fearne Cotton deletes Russell Brand podcast episodes after ‘unfollowing’ him on Instagram Fearne Cotton has appeared to delete two episodes of her podcast featuring Brand. The comedian is married to Cotton’s good friend, Laura Gallacher, and, in August 2019, he was a guest speaker at her wellness festival Happy Place. In a Facebook post, Brand described the festival as the “Woodstock of Wellness”. One year later, Cotton invited Brand to appear on her podcast, also titled Happy Place, for a second time. He had previously made a brief guest appearance after it was launched in 2018. Read more here Yet another reason why we love David Lynch x.com love how david lynch was sincerely asked if he would ever work with russell brand and he instantly said no right in front of him Interesting that this guy would urge fans to follow Brand's Rumble channel... x.com Join Rumble today. Russell is already there. (He's one of the biggest financial backers of the platform) What part has the "lads' mag" culture of the noughties played in all this? x.com "I was full of shame and self-hatred."Georgina Baillie speaks to @MinnieStephC4 about 'Sachs-gate' and her relationship with Russell Brand.Her grandfather, Andrew Sachs, was prank-called by Brand in 2008 and told his granddaughter had slept with the comic. More disturbing comments from Brand have emerged x.com More questions emerge for the BBC as @C4Dispatches uncovers more inappropriate comments made on Russell Brand’s Radio 2 show pre Sachsgate. In this clip from 2007, Brand suggests to a 15-year-old listener that she should have a sex themed 16th birthday party. #C4Dispatches An important discussion on BBC Radio 4's 'Women's Hour' earlier today: x.com 'The issue here is about age disparity'Following our interview with one of Russell Brand's alleged victims, we asked: Can a 16-year-old give meaningful consent to sex with a 30-year-old & should the age of consent rise?@HelenaKennedyKC & Gudrun Young KC joined @Emmabarnett⬇️ Commentators continue to point out that Brand has always been famous for the wrong reasons x.com What I wrote about Russell Brand in 2013: “a comedian who won fame by sexually humiliating a woman on the radio and thinks it normal to harass every woman in his vicinity is now treated as Che Guevara because he uses words like ‘pre-existing paradigm’ in conversations with… The BBC has now banned some content featuring Brand from its iPlayer and Sounds apps In a statement a spokesman for the corporation said: “The BBC does not ban or remove content when it is a matter of public record unless we have justification for doing so. “There is limited content featuring Russell Brand on iPlayer and Sounds. We’ve reviewed that content and made a considered decision to remove some of it, having assessed that it now falls below public expectations.” Russell Brand likes bizarre Phillip Schofield tweet following allegations Russell Brand has been silent on social media since allegations were made against him over the weekend, but he has liked one bizarre tweet featuring a GIF of Phillip Schofield. The post in question features the Dispatches hashtag and a GIF of Schofield. The only words in the post are 'If only.' Read more here Buy now , Donald Trump once asked Katy Perry why she married 'loser' Russell Brandeditsharetrending_up Donald Trump’s Twitter timeline was a mixture of ridiculous and unhinged before being banned in 2021, most of it not worth revisiting. However, people are now returning to one tweet about Russell Brand from way back in 2014 following allegations against the comedian. Trump tweeted Katy Perry before he announced his run for president, asking what she saw in “loser” Brand. "Katy, what the hell were you thinking when you married loser Russell Brand," he wrote. “There is a guy who has got nothing going, a waste!" Read more here Buy now , Comedian Sam Avery breaks down the appeal of brand Brand x.com People talking about Russell Brand like he’s the ONLY person to ever question the establishment, big pharma, etc.Nah, mate. He’s just the one with good cheekbones who uses long words that make YOU feel intelligent.The dude’s less authentic than astroturf. Speaking of right-wing presenters... x.com Julia blasts YouTube for the “outrageous” suspension of the monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel.“It’s not YouTube’s job to sit as judge and jury on Russell Brand! They’ve got no right to get involved in this.”@JuliaHB1 | @Tom_Slater_ Who knew GB News could tear itself apart over a single topic? x.com I’m afraid this is just not true. @bevturner was told in explicit terms I would challenge on air her deeply offensive defence of #russellbrand who she describes as her ‘hero’. I’ve been overwhelmed with supportive messages for calling her out Here's what his dear pal, that fountain of reliable information, Alex Jones has had to say: x.com Tucker Carlson, Andrew Tate, Elon Musk, and now Alex Jones come to the defense of Russell Brand who was credibly accused of rape and sexual harassment by 4 women.Hell of a bunch of character witnesses. Here's a list of Brand's big-name backers so far: x.com The roll call of people who have come to Russell Brand's defence reads like a Hall of Humanity's Shame- Elon Musk, Andrew Tate, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump Jr. If you have that lot in your corner you need a stern word with yourself. Emily Maitlis reflecting on her 2017 interview with Brand x.com “I went in preparing to loathe him, he was late, I thought ‘what a narcissist’… but in truth, he walked into the room and I was mesmerised.”@maitlis discusses her 2017 interview with Russell Brand.Coming to @GlobalPlayer@lewis_goodall x.com Megyn Kelly goes off on those reactively taking Russell Brand's side:"Can you please for a second stay open minded to the idea the women are telling the truth? I'm pissed cuz I've just seen a rash of guys saying 'it's bullshit!' Did you read the details?" Sean Lock said he ‘hates’ Russell Brand and ‘fears’ his daughters ‘will take someone like him home’ in resurfaced clip A clip of the late comedian Sean Lock discussing his contempt for Russell Brand has gone viral in the wake of criminal allegations being made against the 48-year-old comedian. The clip in question is taken from the Channel 4 comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, and originally aired in November 2014. In the footage, Lock says that he “hates” Brand because of his role as a father, and “fears” his daughters would “bring someone like that home”. Lock, who died in 2021 at the age of 58, is seen discussing Brand in the wake of the comedian’s controversial comments about voting. In October 2013, Brand had urged people not to vote during an interview with Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman. Read more here Dannii Minogue labelled Russell Brand ‘vile predator’ in resurfaced interview Dannii Minogue thought Russell Brand was a “vile predator” who “wouldn’t take no for an answer” when they met in 2006. The Australian singer’s comments after her MTV interview with the under-fire presenter have resurfaced following Brand being accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. “He is completely crazy and a bit of a vile predator,” Minogue told the Mirror after being interviewed by Brand on his MTV chatshow, 1 Leicester Square back in 2006. “I certainly don’t think he has cured his sex addiction, that’s for sure. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. [...] He always goes that step too far. Never quite far enough to slap his face, but usually too far.” Read more here x.com Extraordinary takedown of a co-presenter by @toryboypierce after she said #RussellBrand was her “hero.” I have never seen anything like this before. x.com Lot of nonsense spouted about “trial by media” re Russell Brand. The media has no power to try and/or convict. Rightly. But it has a responsibility to research, reveal and expose wrongdoing. Which it has in the Brand investigation by @Channel4 @thetimes — responsibly and… Vanessa Feltz shares ‘deeply offensive’ clip of Russell Brand asking to sleep with her and her daughters Vanessa Feltz shared a “deeply offensive” clip of Russell Brand asking to sleep with her and her daughters when she appeared on his chat show in 2006. Feltz shared the clip during her TalkTv Show on Monday night. Brand asks her: “Can I have it off with either you or your daughters?” Cringing, Feltz replies: “No, you may not.” Brand states: “Come on, some of them are adults.” Read more here Buy now , Kristen Bell and Russell Brand in a scene from 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' Kristen Bell comments about Russell Brand resurface after sex abuse allegations Shortly after the release of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Kristen Bell told interviewers that she had to "intimidate" her co-star Russell Brand to make sure he understood she was not interested in a sexual relationship with him during the shoot. Her recollections of her time with the British actor and comedian have resurfaced in the wake of allegations that he raped and sexually assaulted a number of women at the peak of his fame. During an interview with the Scottish Daily Record, Bell said she was aware of Brand's "womanising" and made it clear to him that she was not going to tolerate his advances. Read more here Buy now , x.com Ben Shapiro: Russell "Brand was 30 and she was apparently 16. Now, in the United States, crime. In the UK, not crime. The age of consent in the UK is 16 ... Scuzzy, scumbaggy behavior? Sure. Criminal behavior? No, if you're, again, in the UK" x.com Piers Morgan warns that describing Russell Brand's accusers as "victims" and "survivors" implies he has already been convicted of a crime. Piers Morgan is among the big names warning against the drawing of conclusions before legal and police investigations into Brand's behaviour are complete. Russell Brand's conspiracy theory YouTube channel proves his skill at influencing others Russell Brand has always prided himself on ruffling feathers. Indeed, the ruffle-haired, one-time-winklepicker-championing anti-establishment icon even uses a crow (farting), as the logo for his website and podcast. And yet, his preferred platforms have changed over the years: from London’s stand-up circuit to prime spots on British radio and terrestrial TV, to the Hollywood red carpet, and now to the favourite of every cash-hungry rebel – social media. Yes, the 48-year-old has become a darling of the self-styled “free-speakers” of the internet, with the likes of Andrew Tate, Alex Jones and Tucker Carlson name-checking him as a mainstream-fighting compadre. But really, it seems as though his great talent lies not in speaking truth to power, but in speaking so much and at such speed that you no longer remember what the truth was in the first place. Read more here Buy now , Daniel Sloss standup clip recirculates as he's praised for speaking out against Russell Brand Comedian Daniel Sloss is being praised by viewers after he spoke out against Russell Brand in a joint investigation from Channel 4 and The Times. During the 'Dispatches' programme, it was revealed that comedians who worked in the industry at the same time as Brand were contacted, but only one was willing to speak on camera. That comedian was Daniel Sloss. As Sloss, 33, sits down to talk to an off-screen interviewer, he says: "This is scary, this is intimidating, and if I'm scared of this, and there's almost no consequences to me, what do people who have suffered, and been subject to, his alleged behaviours, how must they feel?" Read more here Buy now , Andrew Tate supports Russell Brand as comedian denies ‘very serious allegations Andrew Tate knows a thing or two about being investigated for rape and sexual assault Andrew Tate has sent a message of support to Russell Brand after the comedian denied “very serious allegations” made against him in a recent YouTube video. Tate posted an image of a knight preparing for battle with the caption: “On my way to fight the crazy b**** allegations.” Read more here Buy now ,

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The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years