Elon Musk warns that 'civilization is a stake' amid global conflicts
Elon Musk thinks we might be on the precipice of another world war, following a discussion on X/Twitter on 23 October. The billionaire owner of the social media platform warned that the United States is “sleepwalking into World War III” and that “civilization itself may be at stake”. Musk said US foreign policy right now should be preventing a situation of “a regional conflict rapidly becoming a global conflict”. The Tesla owner’s comments come amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, he was referring more specifically to the growing relationship between Russia and China. Should that continue to blossom, it could spell disaster for the US, and that Russia, with its “abundance in raw materials, and China, with its phenomenal industrial capacity” are a formidable duo. Musk added that US foreign policy has been about “forcing Russia to ally with Iran and China” for a number of years, and that it should “figure out” a road towards peace in Ukraine and “resume normal relations with Russia.” The discussion also featured Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has previously expressed isolationist, some argue pro-Russia, views on the Ukraine war. He argued last year that the US should force Ukraine to cede much of the territory taken by Russia in the eastern part of the country, in return for president Vladimir Putin cutting military ties with China. On 23 October, Musk appeared to echo that view, suggesting that the present lines of control should be established as a ceasefire line or permanent border. Musk came under fire in September, when excerpts of a new biography published in the Washington Post said he had denied Ukraine access to his starlink satellite service for an offensive against Russia in Crimea last year. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Starlink has provided internet to Ukrainian civilians and its military. Musk has since signed a contract with the Pentagon, which pays for Ukraine’s use of the service. He said of the cut in service: “If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.” Musk added: “Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes.” Days later, Putin praised Musk as a “talented businessman.” 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.
2023-10-24 17:50
Scientists think orcas might be getting smarter as they show frightening new behaviours
As if orcas weren’t frightening enough, experts think they are getting even smarter as they have started to learn some terrifying new behaviours. The whale species, commonly known as killer whales, is an apex predator that has learned to adapt its hunting methods to a variety of different prey. In March 2019, researchers were stunned when they witnessed the first documented case of a pod of orcas working as a team to kill one of the largest animals on the planet, a blue whale. The gruesome incident took place on the coast of southwestern Australia as experts watched as a dozen orcas bit chunks out of the adult blue whale, slowly wearing it down until it finally died an hour later. While it may have been the first recorded case, it has not been the last. Additionally, a small population of orcas on the coast of Spain and Portugal have become fans of ramming and damaging boats, sometimes causing enough destruction to sink them. Elsewhere, orcas have been seen abducting baby pilot whales and tearing the livers out of sharks that later wash up on shore. Deborah Giles, an orca researcher at the University of Washington and the nonprofit Wild Orca explained to Live Science: “These are animals with an incredibly complex and highly evolved brain. They've got parts of their brain that are associated with memory and emotion that are significantly more developed than even in the human brain.” But, while the actual anatomy of the animals’ brains hasn’t changed, their ability to learn is what is making orcas smarter than ever before. They implement what is known as social learning, where younger members of the pods observe and learn hunting methods from the adults, particularly the dominant matriarch, who themselves, are always learning. Josh McInnes, a marine ecologist at the University of British Columbia, explained: “This behaviour may be being shared between individuals, and that's maybe why we're seeing an increase in some of these mortality events.” But, while experts think they are getting smarter, they also think it may be leading to the breakup of large pods of orcas. Michael Weiss, a behavioural ecologist and research director at the Center for Whale Research in Washington state, said: “Their social bonds get weaker because you can't be in a big partying killer whale group if you're all hungry and trying to search for food.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel 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.
2023-10-24 17:48
A Hong Kong court upholds a ruling in favor of equal inheritance rights for same-sex couples
A Hong Kong court has upheld a ruling that favored the granting of equal inheritance rights to same-sex couples
2023-10-24 17:48
'Oh we are definitely going to keep on going': Scouting For Girls vow to never retire
Scouting For Girls frontman Roy Stride says it would be his "dream" to keep playing shows and making music to the day he dies.
2023-10-24 17:29
Trisha Paytas sparks debate after dressing as Ice Spice for Halloween
Internet star Trisha Paytas has stirred a debate online after dressing up as rapper Ice Spice for Halloween. The 35-year-old turned to Instagram on 17 October with a string of photos revealing her creative outfit choice. In the snap, she cosplays as the rapper with a curly red wig and an all-pink outfit almost identical to the one Ice Spice donned in 'Princess Diana' featuring Nicki Minaj. "I'm thick because I be eating oats," Paytas wrote as the caption, while crediting photographer Isaiah Mays, costume designer Eddy's Online, makeup artist Arianna Garcia and hairdresser Tony. Fans were quick to flood the post with praise, with some even having to take a second look. "I genuinely thought this WAS ice spice for a sec," one wrote. "It's Ice Spice putting your TikTok in her stories for meeeee. I'm her own words, YOU ATE," another added. Meanwhile, others accused the YouTuber of doing blackface, with one asking: "Is this blackface. If we compare the literal colour of their skin it is the same." A second penned: "White person to white person— Trisha you can’t be doing this…" The comments fuelled fans to hit back and defend the star. "Why are people trying to cancel this? she’s just wearing a ginger curly wig and the same outfit. there’s no way y’all are trying to cancel this. y’all need to touch some grass," one wrote on the post. "This isn’t racist lol she isn’t in blackface she is just dressed as Ice Spice smh. It’s more cosplay tbh," another said. A third added: "Y’all want this to be 'racist' and 'blackface' so bad…" Indy100 reached out to Trisha Paytas' representative for comment. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for 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.
2023-10-24 17:29
Joules Launches Spellbinding Harry Potter™ Childrenswear Collection
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 24, 2023--
2023-10-24 17:28
Barry Manilow to bid farewell to the UK with 2024 London Palladium residency
Barry Manilow has announced his last ever concerts in the UK.
2023-10-24 17:27
Stock market today: Global shares trade mixed after Treasury bond yields slip lower
Global shares are trading mixed after the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond fell back after creeping above 5%
2023-10-24 17:27
Heligoland: 'Several missing' after British ship sinks in North Sea
The British Verity has reportedly sunk after it crashed into the Bahamian Polesie on Tuesday morning.
2023-10-24 17:26
Britney Spears reveals story behind iconic matching double-denim moment with Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears has reflected on the iconic double-denim outfit she wore alongside her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in 2001. Spears and Timberlake – who were dating at the time – attended the American Music Awards together and quickly made headlines with their showstopping outfits. The pair wore matching head-to-toe denim looks, including a blue denim cowboy hat on Timberlake. The instantly recognisable double-denim moment has gone down in sartorial history, with many people replicating the look for Halloween couple costumes. Reflecting on the starry fashion moment, Spears writes in her new memoir The Woman In Me that she initially suggested the idea to Timberlake and their stylist as a joke. “I still can’t believe that Justin was going to wear denim and I said, ‘We should match! Let’s do denim-on-denim!’’” she explained. “At first, honestly, I thought it was a joke. I didn’t think my stylist was actually going to do it, and I never thought Justin was going to do it with me. But they both went all in.” Spears continued: “The stylist brought Justin’s all-denim outfit, including a denim hat to match his denim jacket and denim pants. When he put it on, I thought, Whoa! I guess we’re really doing this!” At the time, the pop star was a newly famous pop sensation and Timberlake was an international heartthrob as the frontman of boy band NSYNC. Together, they would attend multiple red carpet events in the years they dated, from 1998 to 2002. “Justin and I were always going to events together,” Spears said. “We had so much fun doing the Teen Choice Awards, and we often color-coordinated our outfits. But with the matching denim, we blew it up.” Spears explained that the denim corset she wore to the event was so tight that she thought she might fall over on the red carpet. “I get that it was tacky, but it was also pretty great in its way, and I am always happy to see it parodied as a Halloween costume,” she said. Spears went on to address the criticism that Timberlake faced for wearing the matching outfit. “I’ve heard Justin get flak for the look. On one podcast where they were teasing him about it, he said, ‘You do a lot of things when you’re young and in love.’ And that’s exactly right. We were giddy, and those outfits reflected that,” Spears wrote. The pair began dating after meeting on the set of the All-New Mickey Mouse Club in 1992. Elsewhere in the memoir, Spears wrote about her decision to get an abortion after she became pregnant while dating Timberlake. “It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated” she said of the pregnancy. “But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.” Spears appeared to imply that she decided to get an abortion because it was what Timberlake had wanted her to do. “I’m sure people will hate me for this, but I agreed not to have the baby. I don’t know if that was the right decision,” she wrote in the memoir. “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.” “To this day, it’s one of the most agonising things I have ever experienced in my life,” she said. The Independent has contacted representatives for Timberlake and Spears for comment. The Woman in Me is out now. You can read The Independent’s four-star review of the memoir here. Read More Britney Spears announces engagement to Sam Asghari Britney Spears’ fiance responds to fans calling for star to get prenup Britney Spears reassures fans after deactivating Instagram account Everything we know about Britney Spears and Sam Asghari divorce A timeline of Britney Spears and Sam Asghari’s relationship What is Sam Asghari’s net worth?
2023-10-24 17:25
Fighting 'Joe Biden's wars': False rumor of 'draft' spreads across social media as 'medicated' Gen Z slammed for not signing up
The Selective Service System mandates that almost all male US citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 register with the government
2023-10-24 17:24
Kamiyacho Neurosurgical Clinic in Japan Celebrates First Brain Tumor Patient Treated with the New ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery® Platform
SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 24, 2023--
2023-10-24 17:20
