Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky
Ukraine's parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky's pleas for assistance against Vladimir Putin's forces from the West. Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine's defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year. Follow the latest in our live blog here Early on Monday, Musk posted a meme on his platform X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Zelensky and the caption: "When it's been 5 minutes and you haven't asked for a billion dollars in aid." The Ukrainian leader and his top lieutenants have appealed to their allies throughout the war to secure billions of pounds of military aid to weather and push back Russia's invasion. The speaker of Ukraine's parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, hit out at Musk's jibe with his own post on X. "The case when [Elon Musk] tried to conquer space, but something went wrong and in 5 minutes he was up to his eyeballs in s***," an apparent reference to SpaceX's failed rocket launch in April. Ukraine's parliament, on its official page on X, accused Musk of spreading Russian propaganda, posting its own version of the meme with a picture of Musk and the caption: "When it's been 5 minutes and you haven't spread Russian propaganda". A Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, who has criticised some of Musk's statements in the past, said in a post on X that being silent or ironic about Ukraine played into the hands of Russian propaganda. "Unfortunately, not everyone and not always, while being significant media figures, but being thousands of kilometres away from the war's epicentre, is able to realize what the daily bombardments and cries of children losing their parents are." Ukrainian officials criticised Musk earlier in the war for suggesting that they should consider giving up land for peace, a position that Kyiv has staunchly rejected. Zelensky visited the United States in September and met top officials in a bid to secure further aid. Over the weekend, aid for Ukraine was omitted from a stopgap funding measure passed by Congress in Washington to avert a US government shutdown. Washington has been the largest single donor to Ukraine since Russia's full invasion last year, giving tens of billions of dollars in military and financial aid. Although right-wing Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump have increasingly called for funding of Ukraine to be halted, President Joe Biden's administration says it expects the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to pass a measure to keep the aid flowing. On Sunday, Biden pressed congressional Republicans to back the aid, saying he was "sick and tired" of the political brinkmanship that had nearly closed the government down. Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Monday that Kyiv was still confident of US backing. "We don't feel that the US support has been shattered... because the United States understands that what is at stake in Ukraine is much bigger than just Ukraine," he said. He added that what happened in the US Congress at the weekend was just "an incident". "We have a very in-depth discussion with both parts of the Congress – Republicans and Democrats," he said. Reuters Read More Germany's government and Elon Musk spar on X over migrant rescue ships Elon Musk visits Texas border on X livestream ‘to see what is really going on’ Elon Musk’s visit to US border blighted by tech issues on his own platform X
2023-10-02 19:54
FTC proposes a ban on 'junk fees' and says hidden charges push up prices
The Federal Trade Commission is proposing a rule to ban any hidden and bogus “junk” fees, which can mask the total cost of concert tickets, hotel rooms and utility bills
2023-10-11 17:23
Israel Gaza: Biden's visit is a high-stakes gamble
The US president's trip was always going to be a diplomatic risk. Now the situation is even more volatile.
2023-10-18 09:15
'How would people like me know about sex?' Young people are losing judgment-free spaces to learn about sex and sexuality
Teenagers in India and across Asia-Pacific are turning to social media platforms for judgement-free, engaging information about sex, sexuality and pleasure. But content creators say their posts are falling foul of moderation guidelines that don't distinguish between edutainment and pornography.
2023-10-11 22:51
McCarthy Says US Shutdown Would Be Self-Defeating for GOP
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he wants to avoid a US government shutdown because it would undermine his
2023-09-18 02:25
This electric Gua Sha is only $60
TL;DR: As of September 8, get the SkinGear Electric Facial Gua Sha for just $59.99
2023-09-08 17:19
Indiana abortion clinics stop providing abortions ahead of near-total abortion ban taking effect
Indiana’s six abortion clinics have stopped providing abortions ahead of the state’s near-total abortion ban officially taking effect and as a petition is pending before the state’s high court asking it to keep the ban on hold while legal action continues
2023-08-02 02:48
UEFA says result of Belgium-Sweden soccer qualifier will stand after Brussels shooting
UEFA says the result of the European Championship qualifier between Belgium and Sweden will stand after the match was stopped this week when two Swedish fans were killed before kickoff
2023-10-20 01:16
Argentina Banks Load Up on Liquidity Before Weekend’s Election
Argentine banks, taking nothing for granted in the run-up to this weekend’s presidential election, are loading up on
2023-11-15 22:53
Rachel Morin’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s killing
The mother of Rachel Morin has broken her silence with a plea for compassion as the family takes time to grieve the “sudden and tragic” loss of the 37-year-old whose body was found after she vanished while going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air. “We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community,” the post read. “We just need time. . . I need time. It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this.” Morin was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail at around 6pm Saturday. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing that night after she failed to return home. Morin’s body was found the following day, and her death is being investigated as a homicide. The heartfelt letter, which was shared on Thursday in a post on the Facebook page of Rachel Morin’s sister Rebekah, thanked the community for its support and announced that a Celebration of Life service and a 5K run would be held in Morin’s honour thanks to the money raised. “Because of the tremendous outpouring of prayers, love and concern, our family is in the process of making arrangements for a Celebration of Life service to which friends and the community will be invited (more details to come),” the family wrote. “And because Rachel was an avid runner, we are in the early stages of planning a 5K walk/run in her honor with the hope of having a trail of flowers.” The GoFundMe goal amount was raised to $65,000 to help pay for the arrangements and it has raised $41,612 as of Thursday. “If you have experienced the loss of a dear loved one, then you know how hard it can be to express the pain that you feel in your heart. When it’s sudden and tragic, your mind looks for ways to cope,” the letter continued. “As a mom, I appreciate the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the worldwide community that grieves with me for my young daughter. Thank you for caring. Truly.” Morin’s family shared the letter with the update just a day after the Hartford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler vowed to bring the “heinous coward” who killed Morin to justice. He also confirmed police had yet to identify a “solid suspect” but said detectives have been working around the clock and that some of the “more than 100 tips” that have been submitted by the public “have been promising”. Read More Man who described grisly state of Rachel Morin’s body never actually saw it, sheriff says Rachel Morin’s chilling Facebook post before mother-of-five found dead on Maryland hiking trail Maryland sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin
2023-08-11 20:56
Israelis on a flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia return to Tel Aviv
A plane carrying Israelis home from the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles has made an emergency stop in Saudi Arabia before flying back to Tel Aviv
2023-08-29 22:29
Ugandan teenage cancer patient: How a bed saved my life
Many young Ugandan patients stop free treatment as their families cannot afford other hidden costs.
2023-10-25 07:24
You Might Like...
Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation over vote call
Black Florida mother killed by white neighbor remembered for faith, devotion to 4 kids
Weekly applications for US jobless benefits rises slightly
For many Southern Baptists, the only campaign question is which Republican candidate to support
Treat Williams was 'unable to avoid' deadly collision on the road with history of 5 previous crashes, reveals police report
Iceland suspends whale hunt on animal welfare concerns
Brewers promote bench coach Pat Murphy to take over as manager after Craig Counsell's departure
Arizona mom never stopped looking for her missing daughter. She showed up 4 years later in Montana
