President Donald Trump described a phone call about custom-made Sharpies at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting — but a spokesperson for the pen brand told The Washington Post the conversation he recounted didn’t happen.

“We don’t have any information about the conversation described. We’re proud to be a beloved brand trusted by so many globally,” a spokesperson for Newell Brands, which makes Sharpies, told the outlet.

The Independent has contacted the White House and Newell Brands for comment.

Trump launched into his Sharpie anecdote about an hour into his latest Cabinet meeting, where administration officials were discussing several pressing topics, including the Iran war and the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

“This pen is very inexpensive, but it writes well, I like it,” Trump said, holding up a marker. “But I can’t have the pen the way it was — you know what it is? I don’t want to give too much publicity, but they do treat me well, Sharpie.”

The president then complained about how he was handing out expensive pens after signing events.

“So, I came here, they have $1,000 pens. And you know, you hand pens out, you’re signing and you hand them out. You’re handing them to all these people, sometimes you have 30 or 40 people and they were $1,000 a piece,” he said.

Trump said he “felt guilty,” and wanted to find a way to save money.

“I want to save money, so I’m saying, ‘This is crazy.’ And I had another problem; they didn’t write well. So, I take it out and I sign it and there’s no ink and I’ve got all you people looking and you’re saying, ‘There must be something wrong with Trump.’ I’m signing and there’s no ink in the pen and it cost $1,000,” he explained.

“That’s when I called the guy. I said, ‘I’d like to use your pen, but I can’t have a gray thing with a big S on it saying ‘Sharpie’ as I’m signing a $1 trillion airplane contract to buy brand new fighter jets,’” he added.

After a brief aside about former President Joe Biden and his “autopen,” Trump continued: “He said, ‘Well, I can make it nicer.’”

“‘I said, ‘What can you do?’ He said, ‘I’ll paint it black.’ I said, ‘That’s nice.’ ‘And I can even paint the White House on it, sir, if you like, in gold.’ Almost real gold, not bad. ‘And I can even do your signature, sir.’”

Trump then briefly turned to other topics, including the Federal Reserve building, before returning to Sharpies.

The president said: “So the guy said to me, ‘You don’t have to pay me, sir, I’ll give them to you for nothing.’ I said, ‘No, I don’t want that. Let me pay you. I want to pay you.’ ‘No, sir, you don’t have to. You’re the president of the United States.’”

“He was shocked — the head of Sharpie gets a call, I don’t even know who the hell he is. He said, ‘Is this really the president?’ He said, ‘No, you don’t have to pay me, sir. This is such an honor.’ I said, ‘Nope, I want to pay you.’”

“He said, ‘What would you like to pay?’ I said, ‘How about five bucks a pen?’ He said, ‘That’s all right.’ Whatever the hell we agreed to, peanuts as opposed to $1,000.”

Trump called the anecdote a “business story.”

“So, for $5 — it could be zero — but for $5 I get a much better pen than for $1,000. And I can hand them out and actually they become hot as a pistol,” he said.

Social media users were quick to react to Trump’s anecdote.

“Ohhhhkaaayyy,” writer Tom Nichols posted on X.

“Wow. I’m going to be saying ‘WTF?’ all day long,” another user wrote.

Luis de la Fuente has suggested that the media are overlooking Arsenal’s David Raya in the debate about Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup.

Spain have a wealth of goalkeeping options ahead of this summer’s World Cup with Raya competing for a place alongside Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon, Barcelona’s Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro.

Simon, who was Spain’s goalkeeper for their successful Euro 2024 campaign, was given a full 90 minutes on Friday night as La Roja sealed a 3-0 friendly win against Serbia. Raya and Remiro were both on the bench, while Simon failed to make the squad.

Spain are due to play Egypt in their next friendly on Tuesday but De la Fuente has refused to confirm whether Raya, Remiro or Garcia will get a chance to impress.

Speaking after the victory against Serbia in Villarreal, De la Fuente made a point of highlighting how highly regarded Raya is in the Premier League and questioned why he has not received more calls from the media to start the Arsenal goalkeeper for the national side.

‘I can’t clear up any doubts for you. The best news is that I have no doubts at all. I have complete confidence in them. There’s something special about them,’ De la Fuente said when asked about his goalkeeping situation.

‘The best news is seeing that all four goalkeepers, regardless of who was left out, embraced each other and are encouraging one another.

‘Unai Simon is Unai Simon, Raya is a fantastic goalkeeper, and Alex Remiro is just as good.

‘We’ll see what happens between now and Tuesday, but I have no doubts. My only regret is leaving one out. Let’s wait and see, don’t be in such a hurry, and enjoy not only these four goalkeepers but also some of the others we have.’

When asked if the decision to give Simon a full game against Serbia reaffirms his position as Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper, De La Fuente replied: ‘I don’t have to reaffirm Unai’s place.

‘It would be unfair if we didn’t value Unai’s quality, class, career, and professional experience. It would be absurd for me to have to come here and reaffirm it, just because he’s Unai Simon. When a goalkeeper is at this level, you have to respect his standing and his career.

‘Besides, we have David Raya, who I’m eager for you to ask me about. In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world, and here nobody talks about him.

‘The same goes for Joan Garcia and Alex Remiro, let’s be fair. But Unai Simon is indisputable. The others have a lot of talent and class, but everything in its own time.

‘We haven’t changed the goalkeepers because we understand that they are special positions and need to be treated differently, but I insist that we have three other impressive goalkeepers besides Unai.’

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An Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia left at least 10 US service members injured and caused damage to multiple refuelling aircraft

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An Iranian missile attack on Friday has left at least 10 US military personnel wounded and inflicted damage on multiple aircraft at a base in Saudi Arabia, two US officials with knowledge of the matter have revealed.

Two of those injured suffered serious wounds, one of the officials has confirmed. The strike on Prince Sultan Air Base damaged several US refuelling planes, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the military intelligence.

The attack, which deployed an Iranian missile along with drones, comes just a day after President Donald Trump proclaimed Iran has been “obliterated” and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that “never in recorded history has a nation’s military been so quickly and so effectively neutralized.”

Earlier on Friday, US Central Command disclosed that more than 300 service personnel have been injured throughout the month-long confrontation. While the bulk of those hurt have made recoveries and returned to active duty, 30 remained unfit for service and 10 were classified as seriously wounded.

This isn’t the first time Prince Sultan Air Base has come under fire from Iran. Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, was injured in a 1 March strike on the facility and passed away days later.

He is among the 13 service members who have been killed in the conflict. Satellite imagery purportedly showing the extent of damage to the aircraft has circulated online. The strike was first disclosed by The Wall Street Journal. The Trump administration presented a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran, using Pakistan as a go-between.

Iran has dismissed suggestions that talks are taking place, while its control over the Strait of Hormuz has sent fuel costs spiralling and rattled the global economy. Tehran stated on Friday, though, that it had consented to allow humanitarian relief and agricultural goods passage through the strategic waterway.

Amidst speculation about negotiations, the Pentagon is readying the deployment of at least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division – a force specialising in parachuting into hostile or disputed zones to seize key territory and airfields – to the Middle East within days.

The military is additionally dispatching two Marine units that will contribute roughly 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region.

The Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement Secretariat told us the Government had “established a new returns and enforcement programme”, adding: “Returns and enforcement activity falls to various parts of the Home Office, and in particular to Immigration Enforcement, Visas, Passports, Citizenship and Resettlement Services, Asylum Group and the Border Security Command.

A study of 2,000 adults found 22 per cent said this was the moment they realised they were ‘officially a grown-up’, marking a shift from being looked after to fending for themselves.

Only 15 per cent of grown-ups are still gifted choccy treats at Easter from their parents or guardians – despite 72 per cent believing you’re never too old to celebrate Easter with a chocolate egg.

This particular Easter egg outrage actually has some validity. https://t.co/fjo4oQajCx

— Robert E Howard The Duck (@Mudkipstoat23) March 24, 2026

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However, 58 per cent weren’t warned about this abrupt change, saying ‘it just stopped’, while 22 per cent admitted they still buy an egg for themselves every year – simply because they can.

The research was commissioned by M&M’S , as part of their Great Easter Egg Debate, with Michael and Hilary Whitehall laying out both sides of the topic.

Michael said: “Frankly, once you’re an adult you should be self-sufficient and responsible for your own Easter chocolate – and I should know, my eldest son took far too long to fly the nest. But what do I know.”

Hilary, however, disagrees: “Oh, don’t be such a grump, Michael. I say just because you’re grown-up doesn’t mean you have to act like it. You’re never too old for a chocolate egg at Easter.”

The research also found that for those adults who still receive chocolate eggs, 57 per cent would be disappointed if they stopped getting them.

This includes 33 per cent who’d be annoyed in secret, whereas almost a quarter (24 per cent) would be happy to openly complain about it.

The average participant receives one and a half chocolate eggs per year but buys nearly four for other people.

Generally, the things people love most about Easter include getting together with family (25 per cent), the start of lighter evenings (24 per cent) and the bank holiday weekend (20 per cent).

However, as people get older, the things they miss most about the holidays are waking up to chocolate on Easter morning (15 per cent) and Easter egg hunts (14 per cent).

According to OnePoll.com figures, 27 per cent of those who have moved out do not bother with Easter eggs after leaving home.

Steve Waters, director of eggcellence at M&M’S, said: “Easter eggs are one of those little joys that quietly slip away as we move into adulthood, but who says they have to?

“This campaign is about reminding people that chocolate, fun and a bit of cheeky tradition don’t need to have an age limit.

“We’re here to stir the debate and give everyone a playful excuse to hold onto their Easter eggs, no matter how adult they are.”

Are you gutted about your last chocolate egg? Let us know in the comments

The company is not alone in its confidence about the appeal of more creative Easter treats. Bakery Lottie Shaw’s, which has been making treats in Yorkshire since 1912, says sales of its “hot cross tarts”, which combine spiced fruits with treacle in a shortcrust pastry paste, have surged by 800% since launching last year.

Postcodes from across the region were picked out this week for £1,000 prizes.

Players in Coxhoe (DH6 4SG) won £1,000 as did residents in Yarm (TS15 9EN). Further afield postcodes in Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle, Whitby and Malton also won shares of the prize pot.

The People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery which aims to raise money for charities while also bringing cash prizes to homes across the UK.

The People’s Postcode Lottery unveils daily prizes for postcodes across the UK, including £30,000 jackpots for every winning ticket in a postcode on weekends, and £1,000 prizes for 20 different postcodes every day.

A minimum of 33 per cent from each ticket goes to charity, and players have raised more than £950 million for over 9,000 charities and good causes since 2005.

The Postcode Lottery winners and prize amounts this week are:

• DH6 4SG – £1,000 – Coxhoe
• TS15 9EN – £1,000 – Yarm
• TS24 8NH – £1,000 – Hartlepool
• SR3 1AZ – £1,000 – Sunderland
• NE6 5UJ – £1,000 – Newcastle
• YO22 4JE – £1,000 – Whitby
• YO17 7JX – £1,000 – Malton

The line-up was packed with big Irish names from film, media and entertainment

Donald Trump was the main talking point as Friday night’s Late Late Show kicked off.

First up was BBC News Chief Presenter Caitríona Perry who joined host Patrick Kielty to talk about life in Washington DC and her role in covering all the major US news stories during President Trump’s second administration.

She also reflected on the US-Israel war with Iran, its impact on Trump’s approval rating, and how Taoiseach Micheál Martin fared in the Oval Office on St Patrick’s Day.

READ MORE: Mary Black opens Late Late Show with “stunning performance”READ MORE: Pádraig Harrington’s tribute to late dad and oesophageal cancer symptoms

Fresh from winning the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2026 IFTA ceremony actor Ciarán Hinds was live in studio too. Known for his roles in classics such as Belfast, Munich, Road to Perdition and There will be Blood, Hinds is regarded as one of Ireland’s most talented movie stars. As his career continues to go from strength to strength, he chatted about growing up in Belfast, his friendship with Liam Neeson and his latest projects.

For the first time since becoming the presenter of The Late Late Show in September 2023, Patrick interviewed one of his predecessors. Pat Kenny was on the couch to talk about his recent move from daily radio to the weekend slot with Newstalk. He reflected on his decades of experience in broadcasting as he confirmed that at 78 years of age, he has no plans to slow down.Comedian Kevin McGahern dropped by to talk about fronting the newest series of Cheap European Homes with Maggie Molloy and James Kavanagh and life as a father of two. He also recreated his viral opening monologue from the IFTA Awards 2026, complete with his trusty bodhrán.As she prepares to make her return to the airwaves 2FM presenter, new mum Doireann Garrihy chatted about the joys of motherhood since welcoming baby Rosie. She also revealed her plans to bring her hit podcast on the road and why she is excited to get back to work.

Plus, there was music from award-winning singer Freya Ridings who performed her new single “I Have Always Loved You.”

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Ipswich Town chairman, Mark Ashton, has issued an apology to supporters after Nigel Farage’s visit to Portman Road this week.

Farage visited the Championship club on Monday and images of the Reform UK leader holding up an Ipswich No.10 shirt with his name on the back was used by the political party on social media.

A Reform party campaign video starring Farage was also filmed at Ipswich’s stadium.

Farage’s visit sparked an angry response from some Ipswich supporters, while the club claimed that it was apolitical and did not ‘support or endorse any individual party’.

In a statement on Friday night, Aston said he was ‘immensely upset’ for ‘hurting’ Ipswich’s fanbase and admitted ‘mistakes have been made’.

Ashton said: ‘I’m fully aware that this has been a very difficult week for all of us.

‘The staff are hurting. Elements of the fanbase are hurting. So are elements of our local community. That upsets me immensely. Unreservedly, I want to apologise and say I’m sorry.

‘I understand that supporters and element of the community are angry. I also understand that there are a number of mistruths out there about what’s actually happened this week. And I also understand that we have lessons to learn. Because mistakes have been made which have caused harm and distress to parts of our local community.

‘And as the chairman of the club I take full responsibility for those mistakes. And full responsibility for making sure that those lessons are learned and learned quickly.

‘The full board of directors are now reviewing the policy regards how we engage with local politicians and political parties. We’ll decide how, if and when we do that moving forward. Because, again, lessons have to be learned.’

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