When the EU launched an investigation into Chinese electric car subsidies, Brussels wanted the world to know that it will protect the automotive sector that is the jewel in Europe's...

By Davide Barbuscia NEW YORK A feared liquidity drainage in the U.S. banking system as the Treasury refills

Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro is appalled that Lena Dunham is set to direct a Polly Pocket movie after the success of Greta Gerwig's Barbie, already calling the film "feminist garbage". In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, titled "more feminist garbage coming to a theatre near you", the 39-year-old spent the latter part of the 10-minute video complaining about the newly announced movie, after he'd spent 40 minutes (plus another 40 in two more videos) criticising the Barbie movie which has gone on to make $500 million at the global box office in a week. It was announced this week that Lena Dunham was set to direct a 'Polly Pocket' movie starring Lily Collins. Not only was Polly Pocket announced but Mattel also said that Barney, Hot Wheels, American Girl Dolls, and more were also getting the movie star treatment. "Now we are getting the Polly Pocket movie that is going to be directed by Lena Dunham, who is a trash person," Shapiro exclaims as he discusses the announcement. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Not only does Shapiro seemingly not like Dunham as a person, but he also takes issue with Dunham, who he views as an "adult director", directing a children's film. "Lena Dunham is not a director of children's film, she became famous for the extraordinarily sexually graphic HBO show Girls." More Feminist Garbage Coming to a Theater Near You www.youtube.com "Mattel execs say that there's already a great script. I doubt that because they certainly did not have a great script for Barbie." Speaking of the other movies in the works from Mattel, Shapiro bizarrely accused them all of having an agenda to push progressive ideas such as feminism, LGBT+ rights, and climate change: "I assume that American Girl will actually be turned into a feminist icon who scorns America and believes that America was founded in 1619. "Thomas and Friends will be about a gay train or something. And Barney will be about a purple dinosaur railing against global climate change which is putting his friends and family in danger because people drive cars. I can only imagine this is where they're going with this." Since Shapiro's first rant about Barbie, Gerwig has responded to some of the right-wing criticism by saying: "Certainly, there’s a lot of passion. My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men." 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.

Jessica Hawkins has become the first woman in almost five years to test a Formula 1 car, completing 26 laps of the Hungaroring in Budapest for Aston Martin last Thursday. The former W Series racer, 28, alternated in the AMR21 car with test and reserve driver Felipe Drugovich. Hawkins, a former British Karting Champion, joined the Aston Martin F1 Team in 2021 as Driver Ambassador and her role within the team has since expanded. Before Hawkins, the most recent woman to test an F1 car was Colombia’s Tatiana Calderon with Sauber - now Alfa Romeo - at the Hermanos Rodriguez track in Mexico City in October 2018.

YouTuber Amelia Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date has produced some truly glorious viral moments so far,

Martha Stewart slammed remote work culture, saying in an interview with the magazine Footwear News, that people cannot "possibly get everything done working three days a week in the office and two days remotely."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with India's foreign minister amid a simmering row between New Delhi and Ottawa over allegations of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada

Kylie Jenner acknowledged having breast enhancement surgery when she was a teenager and expressed her regret over it

Negotiations between striking screenwriters and Hollywood studios resume Wednesday, the latest attempt to bring an end to pickets that have brought film and television productions to a halt

Donald Trump’s new lawyer will ask a judge to allow cameras in a federal courtroom if the one-term president is indicted with January 6 election fraud charges by the Department of Justice. Mr Trump has said that he received a target letter from special counsel Jack Smith who could be set to bring criminal charges against the GOP front-runner within days. “I would hope that the Department of Justice would join in that effort so that we can take the curtain away and all Americans can see what’s happening,” attorney John Lauro said in an appearance on Fox News. The problem for Mr Lauro is that courtroom photographing and broadcasting are banned in federal court under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. “Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom,” the rule states. Mr Lauro also explained to Fox News why Mr Trump declined Mr Smith’s invitation to appear before the grand jury investigating him. “There’s no need to appear in front of a grand jury right now. Because President Trump did nothing wrong. He’s done nothing criminal,” he insisted. Any indictment, Mr Trump’s third in four months, could be handed down as soon as this week, The Independent has learned. Mr Trump wrote in a lengthy statement delivered via his Truth Social platform that special counsel Jack Smith had notified him via letter on Sunday about the development. “On Sunday night, while I was with my family...HORRIFYING NEWS for our country was given to me by my attorneys,” said Mr Trump. “Deranged Jack Smith...sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment,” he stated. Read More Trump calls for ‘immediate’ death penalty for child traffickers after watching QAnon-linked movie What Donald Trump’s trial date means for the 2024 election Trump classified documents trial will be six months before 2024 election as Jan 6 cases close in - latest Trump and Michael Cohen reach settlement over $1.3m in unpaid legal bills What charges does Donald Trump face in the classified documents case?

A decapitated banana plant is almost useless, an inconvenience to the farmer who must uproot it and lay its dismembered parts as mulch

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said he no explanation for why James Harden skipped practice Wednesday but planned to proceed as if the disgruntled guard will play in the preseason finale