Special Report-Inside the downfall of embattled property developer China Evergrande
By Engen Tham, Julie Zhu and Clare Jim SHANGHAI/HONG KONG - In the beginning, Hui Ka Yan followed a simple
2023-08-31 19:19
Fears for Afghans refugees on deadline to leave hotels
Thursday is the Home Office deadline for those who fled the Taliban takeover to leave temporary accommodation.
2023-08-31 19:16
Uvalde mayor calls on district attorney to resign, accusing her of a 'cover-up' in the Robb Elementary shooting investigation
The mayor of Uvalde, Texas, is calling on District Attorney Christina Mitchell to resign and filed a lawsuit accusing her of repeatedly blocking the city's investigation into last year's shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
2023-08-31 18:57
Mitch McConnell memes are another sign of the internet at its worst
You might detest his politics, but can cracking jokes at the expense of an 81-year-old having a very public health episode ever be a good look? In July Republican Senator Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze mid-sentence during a press conference, before being led away by his team, social media was quickly inundated with reaction. McConnell stopped speaking for 19 seconds before being escorted away by concerned colleagues, appearing to sway slightly and lose focus. An aide explained that McConnell had “felt lightheaded and stepped away for a moment”. They continued: “He came back to handle Q&A, which as everyone observed was sharp.” Sadly this happened again to McConnell on Wednesday when he was speaking at a press event in Covington, Kentucky and froze for around 30 seconds when he was asked about his intention to run for re-election in 2026. He was then assisted by an aide and answered two more questions before leaving without addressing the incident. "Leader McConnell felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today," McConnell's spokesperson said after the incident. The memes following both incidents were relentless, with people calling on him to retire. Again, much like the reaction to the Titan submersible tragedy and the riots in France earlier this summer, it shows the often cruel, reactionary nature of social media, with people quick to chip in on major incidents in the name of a few easy likes. Calling for younger leaders to represent Americans is perfectly valid, but outright mocking and joking about what appeared to be a serious health concern shows the internet at its least empathetic. Yes, it’s a buzzkill sentiment, and McConnell’s brand of politics has been completely oppositional to many over the years, but that shouldn’t excuse piling on an elderly public figure suffering an episode in the most public of spaces, should it? Some did express similar thoughts online, with one writing: “Oh also about this McConnell business. Y’all need to keep it cute with your insults! Not about McConnell (**** him) but because several people are making ableist and ageist jokes. You can talk about him without elderly and disabled people catching strays.” Another said: “All the people in the comments joking about this - i dont find it funny at all. I’m no Mitch McConnell girlie in the slightest but he’s had some serious health issues… Lets not joke about people’s health and scary situations like this.” It’s not the first time health concerns have been raised about McConnell. In March, the 81-year-old suffered a fall at a Washington DC hotel and was hospitalised due to concussion and a minor rib fracture. After undergoing rehab, he returned to Congress in April. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.
2023-08-31 18:56
Dan Walker responds to 'bonkers' backlash to Lee Anderson interview
Dan Walker has bit back after facing backlash for interviewing Lee Anderson. Walker used to work for BBC Breakfast but now covers news and current affairs at Channel 5. For his latest assignment he sat in a park to have tea and biscuits with the controversial deputy chair of the Conservative party. But when he posted an image on Twitter teasing the release of the interview, people got annoyed and suggested he wasn't an appropriate person to interview, given he has made a series of outlandish statements including saying asylum seekers should "f*** off back to France" and claiming that those who use food banks have issues managing their budgets. After a sustained Twitter backlash, Walker issued a response. He said: He added in a follow-up tweet: "I’ve never interviewed a politician who expects everyone to agree with them but they all know that their views & policies will be challenged" and said he had also interviewed Angela Rayner and Ed Davey. And Anderson said: The interview comes out today on Channel 5. But given the Twitter reaction, it doesn't seem that people will be desperate to tune in. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.
2023-08-31 18:56
Former Proud Boys leaders could face longest sentences yet for US Capitol attack
By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON A federal judge on Thursday will consider whether to impose the steepest sentences
2023-08-31 18:28
India's Adani Group stung by fresh controversy
A new report has alleged that the conglomerate used "opaque" funds in Mauritius to manipulate stock prices.
2023-08-31 18:20
Alex Murdaugh loses phone privileges in prison after media call
The disgraced lawyer and convicted murderer provided audio for an upcoming documentary, officials say.
2023-08-31 18:19
Student loan interest resumes Friday and payments restart in October. Here's what borrowers should know
For the first time in more than three years, federal student loan borrowers will be required to pay their monthly student loan bills starting in October. The pandemic-related pause, which went into effect in March 2020, provided relief to nearly 44 million borrowers by freezing their accounts.
2023-08-31 18:15
Australia mushroom deaths: Memorial for couple draws hundreds
Don and Gail Patterson died days after a beef Wellington lunch cooked by their former daughter-in-law.
2023-08-31 17:59
Why the UK is talking to China
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has been criticised for visiting China. This is why he went.
2023-08-31 17:57
A dead vampire star is firing out 'cosmic cannonballs'
A dead “vampire” star is feeding on a nearby companion and expelling cannonballs and its behaviour has left astronomers stunned. The dead star is located around 4,500 light-years away and, until now, has baffled astronomers with its unusual behaviour. It is a rapidly spinning neutron star, otherwise known as a pulsar, that has been given the name PSR J1023+0038, shortened to J1023. It emits radiation from both its poles that occasionally reach Earth and also appears to have two different “settings” of brightness. Initially, the behaviour of J1023 confused experts, but now they believe that the stark difference in brightness levels has to do with the star launching out matter over short spaces of time. Maria Cristina Baglio, leader of the research team and scientist at New York University, Abu Dhabi, said in a statement: “We have witnessed extraordinary cosmic events where enormous amounts of matter, similar to cosmic cannonballs, are launched into space within a very brief time span of tens of seconds from a small, dense celestial object rotating at incredibly high speeds.” In addition to the pulsar emitting matter, over the last 10 years, scientists have witnessed the star pulling material from its companion star. The material it is stealing forms a structure called an accretion disk that forms around the star itself. Since it began feeding, the star has been alternating between between “low” and “high” power modes. During moments of high power, the star shines brightly with a variation of X-rays, ultraviolet and visible light. During low power, it emits radio waves and appears much dimmer. In June 2021, experts witnessed a star shooting out hot, luminous matter that has been compared to a cosmic cannonball as the star continually switched modes. J1023 has fascinated experts, who have been able to explain the way the star behaves by observing it. Despite solving many of its mysteries, the scientists aren’t done with it yet. With the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in northern Chile currently under construction, it is hoped that when it is ready, scientists will once more be able to observe the pulsar. Sergio Campana, research co-author and Research Director at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics Brera Observatory, said: “The ELT will allow us to gain key insights into how the abundance, distribution, dynamics and energetics of the inflowing matter around the pulsar are affected by the mode switching behavior.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.
2023-08-31 17:27
