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Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has broken his silence over a betting scandal involving his interpreter by strongly denying any involvement.

The 29-year-old baseball player, who last year signed a record-breaking $700m (£557m) deal with the team, told a press conference he was never knowingly involved in gambling.

It comes after his translator and close friend Ippei Mizuhara was sacked last week following allegations he engaged in “massive theft” to pay off betting debts.

Addressing reporters at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, the two-time MVP (Most Valuable Player) also denied ever knowingly paying off any gambling debt accumulated by his interpreter, who was reported by the Los Angeles Times and ESPN to have racked up more than $1m (£790,200) in debts.

The Japanese hitter said: “I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this.”

Ohtani, whose comments were translated at the press conference by Will Ireton, the team’s manager of performance operations, added: “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies.

“I never bet on sports or have wilfully sent money to the bookmaker.”

The star added that “until a few days ago, I didn’t know this was happening” as he claimed he first learnt about Mr Mizuhara’s “gambling addiction” after he spoke about it during a team meeting last Wednesday.

Major League Baseball rules prohibit players and team employees from betting on baseball, while gambling on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers is also forbidden.

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Mr Mizuhara told ESPN on 19 March that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international football matches, as well as NBA, NFL and college American football events.

ESPN said Mr Mizuhara changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

Manager Dave Roberts said after the press conference he had received answers to “a lot of questions” and was keen to move on.

Mr Mizuhara and the alleged illegal bookmaker are both under criminal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), officials confirmed.

“I think Shohei was very honest in his take of what happened,” Mr Roberts said. “I know that for me, the organisation, we support him.

He added: “I got a lot of questions answered as far as what he knew, what he didn’t know, and I’m looking forward to kind of just moving forward, letting the authorities take care of it, and just focus on baseball.

“I was proud of him to sit up here and give his take on things.”

Mr Mizuhara is not thought to have made any public comment on the theft allegations.

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Donald Trump to name Marco Rubio as secretary of state – reports

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Donald Trump to name Marco Rubio as secretary of state - reports

Donald Trump is expected to name Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, according to US media reports.

Mr Trump, who will be inaugurated on 20 January 2025, could still change his mind about the appointment, three sources familiar with the selection process have told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.

The secretary of state serves as the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser and the country’s top diplomat.

The New York Times was the first to report that Mr Trump plans to select Mr Rubio for the position.

During Mr Trump’s first term in the White House between 2017 and 2021, Mr Rubio co-sponsored legislation that would make it harder for the then-president to withdraw from the NATO alliance.

Earlier this year he was one of 15 Republican senators to vote against a $95bn (£74bn) military aid package to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, which was eventually passed in April.

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How Trump won the election

Mr Rubio, who would be the first Latino to hold the role, was arguably the most hawkish option on Mr Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state.

In the past, the 53-year-old has advocated for muscular foreign policy with respect to the US’ geopolitical rivals, including China, Iran and Cuba.

However, over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Mr Trump’s views.

The president-elect accuses past White House administrations of leading America into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a more restrained foreign policy.

The new administration will confront a world more volatile and dangerous than it was when Mr Trump first took office in 2017, with wars now raging in Ukraine and the Middle East

The Ukraine crisis will be high on Mr Rubio’s agenda.

Mr Rubio has said in recent interviews that Ukraine needs to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia rather than focus on regaining all territory that Russia has taken in the last decade.

“I’m not on Russia’s side – but unfortunately the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement,” Mr Rubio said in September.

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What could Trump win mean for Ukraine?

Meanwhile, after it was reported Mr Rubio could be set to become secretary of state, a Trump ally told NBC News: “While Marco is a little more hawkish than the incoming president and vice president, he’s actually not as far away from them as many people might assume at first blush.

“He’s become far more aligned with the president on issues regarding tariffs. He has a similar stand on the China issue, and he even voted against the last round of Ukraine funding.”

Mr Rubio’s selection holds domestic as well as international significance.

Mr Trump beat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 5 November election in part by winning over large numbers of Latinos, who had voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in previous election cycles.

By selecting Mr Rubio for a key policy role, Mr Trump may help consolidate gains among Latinos and make clear that they have a place at the highest levels of his administration.

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Mr Rubio also was one of three final contenders for Mr Trump’s vice-presidential pick.

The president-elect ultimately chose US Senator JD Vance of Ohio, a hard-right figure who is known for his isolationist foreign policy positions.

Mr Rubio is not the first Trump administration appointment to be reported following the election.

The incoming president has announced Representative Mike Waltz as his national security adviser, while his presidential campaign manager Susie Wiles will become his chief of staff.

On Sunday, he named immigration hard-liner Tom Homan as his “border czar”.

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Kremlin denies Trump and Putin call discussing Ukraine – as Biden to urge president-elect ‘not to walk away’ from Kyiv

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Kremlin denies Trump and Putin call discussing Ukraine - as Biden to urge president-elect 'not to walk away' from Kyiv

The Kremlin has denied Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin in a phone call the day after the presidential election.

The US president-elect reportedly urged the Russian president not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of America’s sizeable military presence in Europe during the conversation on Thursday, according to The Washington Post and Reuters, citing sources familiar with the call.

According to several other sources, the pair went on to discuss the goal of peace on the continent, as well as the prospect of a further call soon to look into the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.

Follow live: Putin has no plans to speak to Trump

But on Monday, the Kremlin denied the reports and spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr Putin has no specific plans to speak to Mr Trump at present.

“This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just false information,” Mr Peskov said. “There was no conversation.”

Asked if Mr Putin had plans for any contact with Mr Trump, Mr Peskov said: “There are no concrete plans yet.”

On Friday, the Kremlin said Mr Putin was ready to discuss Ukraine with Mr Trump – but that did not mean he was willing to alter Moscow’s demands – namely that Ukraine drops its ambitions to join NATO and surrenders the four territories currently held by Russia.

The Washington Post said two sources indicated the Ukrainian government was informed of the call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin – and did not object to the conversation taking place.

We simply do not know what Trump’s policy on Ukraine will be

If the reports of this call are correct – that Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin not to escalate the conflict – it’s certainly not the pro-Russia rhetoric Ukraine feared it would be hearing.

But will it ease their concerns about a potential cut to US military aid and being forced into a peace deal? Unlikely.

That’s because, if true, it is contact between the Russian president and the US president-elect.

It will fuel anxiety in Kyiv and other European capitals over how the relationship between the two develops.

They got on well last time, too well in the eyes of many Western officials, and the fear is they will do so again.

The Kremlin has denied the reports of the call, insisting no conversation took place.

But it also said last week that Mr Putin had no plans to congratulate Mr Trump. And then he did.

In fact, he was highly complementary of the president-elect, praising his bravery during the attempt on his life.

The bottom line, I think, is that Moscow, Kyiv, London et al simply don’t know what Mr Trump’s policy on Ukraine will actually be.

Yes, he’s vowed to bring the war to a swift conclusion, but he hasn’t said how he’ll do that or what peace will look like.

So right now, there is a charm offensive going on, from both sides.

Kyiv and its allies, including the UK, are hoping to persuade Mr Trump not to abandon their cause, while Moscow is trying to appeal to his image as a dealmaker, advocating a peace agreement on its terms.

However, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it was “impossible” that Ukraine would have endorsed such a call and that reports otherwise were “false”.

When asked about the call, Mr Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung said: “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump waves as he walks with former first lady Melania Trump at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Trump at his election watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, who will hand over power on 20 January, will warn Mr Trump and Congress not to abandon Ukraine, according to one of the president’s top officials.

The president-elect and sitting president will meet on Wednesday in the Oval Office, a week after Mr Trump beat Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the election.

In an interview with CBS News, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said: “President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe.”

President Joe Biden walks to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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President Joe Biden walks to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Pic: AP

Under Mr Biden, Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars of military and economic aid to Ukraine – funding that Mr Trump, and some of his supporters, have repeatedly criticised and rallied against.

Mr Trump insisted last year that Mr Putin never would have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House at the time and has repeatedly said he could settle the war “in one day” if he was re-elected again.

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy when they met in September.
Pic: Reuters
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Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy when they met in September. Pic: Reuters

On Sunday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said strength and diplomacy must work together to bring the two-and-a-half-year war to an end.

“We understand very clearly that diplomacy has no prospects without strength,” he said.

“But without a clear understanding of diplomatic goals, weapons alone will not do the job. That’s why strength and diplomacy must work hand in hand.”

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How Trump won the election

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It comes as both Russia and Ukraine launched “record” drone attacks on each other overnight on Saturday, injuring a woman and temporarily halting air traffic at some of Russia’s busiest airports.

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Russia launched 145 drones overnight, according to Ukraine, 62 of which were shot down, as the two countries attacked each other.

Russia’s defence ministry said 70 drones were shot down in its territory, including 34 over the outskirts of the capital Moscow.

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Donald Trump’s top team: Who is in, who is out and who are the leading contenders?

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Donald Trump's top team: Who is in, who is out and who are the leading contenders?

As the dust settles on Donald Trump’s US election win, the president-elect has begun choosing who will be in his administration for his second stint in the White House.

During the campaign, Mr Trump avoided directly confirming any appointments but frequently dropped hints about who he would like in his top team.

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So who is in, who is out and who are the leading contenders for jobs?

Who is in?

Susie Wiles

Susie Wiles at Nashville International Airport in July. Pic: AP
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Susie Wiles at Nashville International Airport in July. Pic: AP

Susie Wiles is a veteran Republican campaign manager – having helped Ronald Reagan and Ron DeSantis get elected as well as Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024. She is the first member of his team to be announced – and becomes the first female chief-of-staff in American history.

The 67-year-old, who lives in Florida, has a political career that spans decades but has largely kept out of the limelight and rarely given interviews.

She is the daughter of late American footballer Pat Summerall and one of her first jobs in politics was as an assistant to one of his former New York Giants teammates when he became a Republican representative.

Outside politics, she has worked in the private sector as a lobbyist, for both Ballard Partners, whose clients include Amazon, Google, and the MLB (Major League Baseball), and then Mercury, which works with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Embassy of Qatar.

This time around, Mr Trump credited her with his “best-run” presidential campaign, describing her as “incredible” at a Milwaukee rally earlier this year, and an “ice maiden” in his victory speech.

Elise Stefanik

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., attends a news conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting with Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and the House Republican Conference on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Tom Williams/Pool via AP)
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Elise Stefanik. Pic: AP

According to US network CNN, Mr Trump has offered fierce ally Elise Stefanik the job as US ambassador to the UN.

Citing two anonymous sources, CNN confirms rumours the Republican – who represents New York in the House – was lined up for the role.

Ms Stefanik has built up a national profile as an unwavering ally of the president-elect, shedding her early reputation as a moderate – having worked on Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign – to become the highest-ranking woman in the House Republican leadership.

Sky News’ US partner network NBC News reported in January this year she was being considered as Mr Trump’s pick for vice president.

Mr Trump reportedly described her as a “killer”.

Tom Homan

Mr Trump said late on Sunday that Tom Homan will return to government to be in charge of the US’ borders and the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Announcing the news on Truth Social, the president-elect said “there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders” than his new “border czar”.

Mr Homan served as former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Mr Trump’s first term, and was an early backer of the president’s “zero tolerance” policy – which NBC News reported led to at least 5,500 families being separated at the southern border in 2018.

Earlier this year, he told a conservative conference he would “run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen,” per NBC.

Mr Homan was also a contributor to Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership book.

Who is out?

Nikki Haley

Former Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley takes the stage on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Segar
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Former Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley on day two of the Republican National Convention this summer.
Pic: Reuters

Ms Haley was once Mr Trump’s main rival during his run for the Republican presidential nomination.

Despite losing the contest, she proved her popularity with parts of the GOP and previously served in his first presidential cabinet as the US ambassador to the United Nations.

The 51-year-old also served as governor of South Carolina but news of her not being involved this time around was broken by the president-elect on his own social media platform, Truth Social.

In a short statement, Mr Trump said he would not be inviting either her nor former secretary of state Mike Pompeo back but thanked them for their service.

@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
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@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social

In response, Ms Haley, who eventually endorsed Mr Trump despite harshly criticising him in the party primaries, said: “I was proud to work with President Trump defending America at the United Nations.

“I wish him, and all who serve, great success in moving us forward to a stronger, safer America over the next four years.”

Mike Pompeo

Mr Pompeo also served as the director of the CIA under Mr Trump and had been mentioned in some reports as a possible defence secretary or in relation to another role linked to national security, intelligence or diplomacy.

Mr Trump confirmed Mr Pompeo would not be returning to his cabinet in the same post that he ruled out Ms Haley.

Former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the Republican National Convention on Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Pic: AP

Previously among Mr Trump’s closest allies, Mr Pompeo is one of the fiercest US defenders of Ukraine.

Mike Waltz, a congressman from Florida, and Tom Cotton, a Harvard College and Harvard Law School-educated Army officer-turned-senator from Arkansas, are also believed to be in the running for the defence role.

Who is yet to be decided?

Elon Musk

Elon Musk speaking at an event which was the site of the July assassination attempt against Trump. Pic: Carlos Barria/Reuters
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Elon Musk joined Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Pic: Reuters

Tech billionaire Elon Musk became one of Mr Trump’s staunchest supporters in the months leading up to the election and spent at least $119m (£92m) canvassing for him in the seven battleground states.

His loyalty looks set to be rewarded as Mr Trump has promised the X owner a role as the head of a new Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE for short, a reference to the Dogecoin cryptocurrency Mr Musk often promotes).

The department would be “tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government”, Mr Trump said at an event in September.

It could give the billionaire the power to slash through the US federal bureaucracy both he and Mr Trump say has long held America back.

Robert F Kennedy Jr

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as he endorses Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Robert F Kennedy Jr. Pic: AP

Robert F Kennedy Jr abandoned his independent presidential campaign to back Mr Trump in August.

It was a move that saw the prominent vaccine sceptic condemned by many members of his family, but as with Musk, his public support looks set to be rewarded by the president-elect.

Mr Trump has pledged to give him a role focusing on health policy and Mr Kennedy has hinted at one possible initiative, stating on X that “the Trump White House will advise all US​ water systems to remove fluoride from public water”, on inauguration day.

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Mr Kennedy – the son of politician Robert F Kennedy and the nephew of assassinated president John F Kennedy – made a name for himself as a vaccine sceptic during the COVID-19 pandemic and has frequently repeated debunked claims, including linking vaccines to autism in children.

Don Jr, Eric and Lara Trump

Donald Trump Jr. speaks to the news media, as Lara and Eric Trump stand nearby, across the street from former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Pic: AP
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Don Jr, flanked by Eric and Lara, defending his father outside his hush money trial in May. Pic: AP

Mr Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, were among his senior advisers during his first term. But will the businessman once again keep any family members close when he is in the Oval Office?

In June 2023, Mr Trump said he did not want his children to serve in a second administration, saying it was “too painful for the family”.

Nevertheless, while Ms Trump and Mr Kushner have stayed away from politics since, two of Mr Trump’s other sons – Don Jr and Eric – have played prominent roles on the campaign trail.

Eric’s wife, Lara Trump, already has a significant role in US politics, as she serves as co-chair of the Republican Party.

Richard Grenell

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Richard Grenell speaks during a ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Grenell receives the Order of the Serbian Flag from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
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Richard Grenell. Pic: AP

Among Mr Trump’s closest aides on foreign policy, Richard Grenell is thought to be a potential pick for national security adviser.

His private dealings with foreign leaders and often caustic personality have made him into a controversial figure, but he could well be part of Mr Trump’s second administration.

Mr Grenell has in the past supported establishing an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine to end the war, an idea that Kyiv rejected as unacceptable.

Larry Kudlow

White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow speaks before a television interview at the White House, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Washington. Pic: AP
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Larry Kudlow hosts shows on Fox News and Fox Business. Pic: AP

Fox News personality Larry Kudlow served as director of the National Economic Council for much of Mr Trump’s first term and is said to have an outside shot at becoming his treasury secretary this time around.

Other names being linked to the post include John Paulson – a billionaire hedge fund manager and donor, who hosted a fundraiser that raked in more than $50m (£38m) for the former president.

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio speaks during  Donald Trump's campaign rally at Trump's golf resort in Doral, Florida.
Pic: Reuters
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Marco Rubio has previously tried to land himself on the Republican presidential ticket. Pic: Reuters

Marco Rubio, a Florida senator who unsuccessfully ran against Mr Trump to be the Republican’s presidential candidate in 2016, is a potential candidate for secretary of state.

His policies are very much in line with Mr Trump’s and he was a contender to be his 2024 running mate before JD Vance landed the role.

Bill Hagerty – another of the running mate contenders – is also being linked to the position, as is Robert O’Brien, who served as Mr Trump’s fourth and final national security adviser during his first term.

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