
Death of Andy Rourke highlights cross-generational love of The Smiths
Andy Rourke, best known for being the bassist of British band The Smiths, has passed away aged 59, from pancreatic cancer. The passing was announced this morning from former band member Johnny Marr. Marr, renounced as one of the best guitarists in music, wrote in a tweet: "Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Many have shared their respects and love of Rourke. John, who has been a fan of The Smiths since the beginning of the band’s career, shared how ‘awful’ and ‘tragic’ the passing of the bassist was. Others shared the first time they discovered The Smiths and Rourke’s incredible talent. But it’s not just those who grew up listening and attending concerts of The Smiths that are devastated. Rourke’s passing has beautifully highlighted how, despite the band breaking up in 1987, The Smiths continues to be loved by all ages. The use of The Smiths’ music in pop culture, from Ferris Buller’s Day Off to (500) Days of Summer means the band is perpetually being discovered by younger audiences. As well as those who knew of the band from growing up listening to their parent’s music, as some shared. Teenagers took to TikTok to mourn the loss of Rourke in the same way that fans in their 50s and 60s were. With some saying how they found out at school with their classmates, who were all shocked and saddened by the passing. @mollieluvscats rest in peace, thank you for your wonderful music, you were an incredible inspiration Those who knew and worked with Rourke also shared their memories and paid tributes to the bassist. New Order paid tribute to ‘one of the founder members of a great Manchester band.’ Billy Bragg also shared on Twitter that he has ‘great memories of him playing with Johnny Marr and myself on the Red Wedge tour.’ Mike Joyce, The Smiths’ drummer, also paid his respects. He wrote ‘not only the most talented bass player I’ve ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I’ve ever met.” He added, “his musical legacy is perpetual.” 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.
2023-05-19 22:17

Bizarre photo of 'Elon Musk kissing a robot' goes viral
A photo of Elon Musk kissing a female humanoid robot has gone viral, but everything is not as it seems. Billionaire Musk is known for being at the forefront of modern technology, with his ventures including industries such as space travel and electric vehicles. Following new footage that reveals Tesla’s integrated robot Optimus can walk, navigate and pick things up, AI-generated images of Musk kissing female-looking humanoids have gone viral. They emerged alongside a tweet by Twitter user Daniel Marven, in which he claimed the Tesla and Twitter CEO is designing a robot “that has been manufactured specifically designed with artificial intelligence with the personality and the characteristics of the female that he dreams of”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Accompanying the tweet were four AI-generated images of Musk kissing three different “wife” robots and dancing with one other. Unlike the real Tesla robots, the AI-generated ones have distinctive human-like facial features. The images possess some of the current tell-tale signs that an image has been created by AI – for example, the hand on one of the robots possess too many fingers, while the hands on other robots in the images are distorted. Some of the viral images appear to have been created by the same user who was behind the viral image of Pope Francis wearing a puffer jacket, Pablo Xavier. On Instagram, one user joked: “Elon finally found his soulmate(s).” Someone on Twitter said: “iRobot is about to be reality.” While the images are fake, many are impressed with the advancements that Tesla has made with its real robot, Optimus. 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.
2023-05-19 20:27

Andorra country profile
Provides an overview of Andorra, including key dates and facts about this European country.
2023-05-19 20:25

2023 WNBA: Here's all you need to know ahead of the new season and Brittney Griner's return
The WNBA is back for another edition and, following an off-season filled with drama and a superb women's March Madness to keep hoops fans entertained, it is set to be bigger and better than ever.
2023-05-19 20:19

London court throws out lawsuit against Google over medical records
LONDON Google on Friday defeated a lawsuit brought on behalf of 1.6 million people over medical records provided
2023-05-19 18:27

Britain's $1.3 billion semiconductor support plan gets cool response
By Alistair Smout and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will invest 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in its semiconductor sector
2023-05-19 17:56

Kendall Jenner quizzed about 'editing out' Bad Bunny from latest photo dump
Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny have sparked dating rumours after being photographed together at different events - but fans have noted the Puerto Rican rapper was absent from the model's recent Instagram post. The pair were recently spotted together on May 12 at the Western Conference Semifinal Playoff basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. In the snaps, Jenner and Bad Bunny could be seen chatting to each other, with one photo in particular becoming a mansplaining meme as the Grammy Award winner leaned over to tell the model and reality TV star something while she did her best to listen. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But now in a recent post to Instagram, Jenner posted a photo dump which included aerial snaps of herself in an all-black outfit with sunglasses, a mirror selfie, her 818 jeans, a foal and 818 airplane ad banner, a snap with a friend, a video riding a horse and pic of the sea. There was also a photo of Jenner at the basketball game with her friend Renell Medrano, as they both posed giving the camera the middle finger - but no sign of Bad Bunny who was sat on the other side of her. Bad Bunny fans were quick to comment how the rapper - whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio - didn't feature in any pictures that were posted by Jenner, and urged her to "post him." One person asked: "Where are the pictures with Beniittooo." "Y el conejo?," another person asked, which according to Instagram in English translates to "And the rabbit?" Someone else added: "Is this like the clues to a scavenger hunt." "Where the f* is @badbunnypr???!" a fourth person commented. Elsewhere, Kendall Jenner's transparent dress defended from 'disrespectful perverts'. 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.
2023-05-19 16:55

'Giving you 102 reasons to be excited for summer!' Jamie Lynn Spears shares Zoey 102 update
Jamie Lynn Spears has given fans "102 reasons to be excited" as she teases the 'Zoey 101' reunion movie as she shares an update to the reboot of her classic 00s TV show.
2023-05-19 15:17

UK targets grain theft and energy sector with new Russian sanctions
LONDON Britain announced a new wave of sanctions against Russia on Friday, targeting companies connected to the theft
2023-05-19 14:58

Taylor Swift fans write open letter criticising her 'relationship' with Matty Healy
Fans of Taylor Swift have written an open letter to the pop star asking her to distance herself from The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Titled #SpeakUpNow, a play on Swift’s album Speak Now, set to be re-released July 7th, has sparked conversation from both sides on Twitter. The letter, first posted by account @SpeakUpNow_13, expressed ‘disappointment’ with Swift’s recent sightings with Healy. Healy has been spotted at multiple of Taylor’s shows as she embarks on a US tour, igniting dating rumours after Swift’s recent split from her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Healy has faced multiple controversies for his actions in the past, accused of ‘engaging in racist remarks and making offensive jokes’ are some of the issues Swift’s fans, known as Swifties, have raised in the letter. They write: ‘your voice holds tremendous power and right now your silence is palpable,’ adding, ‘we urge you to reflect on the impact of your own and your associates’ behaviour.’ The original account has since be deleted following criticising from fans and others accusing the user of having a ‘parasocial relationship’ with the singer. A term often used to describe the relationship between fans and celebrities, who have no idea the fan exists. Some quoted previous statements made by Swift about having people ask invasive questions surrounding her personal life and accused the fan of crossing boundaries. Others said those sharing the hashtag are ‘chronically online’. Others rose to the defence of the letter, saying you’re allowed to hold someone accountable. One Taylor Swift fan account wrote it’s disappointing to see ‘a lot of hate and comments ridiculing this,’ adding, ‘it’s okay to love an artist and speak up when you are disappointed or disagree with them.’ Some fans announced they had cancelled their pre-orders of Swift’s latest re-release, saying they don’t feel comfortable giving her money whilst she supports Healy and remains silent on his controversies. People of colour have shared the hurt they feel from Swift’s association with Healy, who made comments on a podcast earlier in the year about watching porn that humiliated and dehumanised black women. Swift and Healy have not made any public comments on the letter. 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.
2023-05-19 14:56

3 Lakers most to blame for Game 2 loss to the Nuggets
The Lakers lost Game 2 to the Denver Nuggets after a very poor performance from Anthony Davis. Darvin Ham deserves some of the blame as well.The Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets, 108-103.They had a lead for a huge part of it but really str...
2023-05-19 12:53

Brazil's finance minister signals potential change to inflation target timeline
BRASILIA Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Thursday suggested that the country's new government is looking at adjusting
2023-05-19 12:46