YouTuber The Hardest Geezer, who is attempting to run the entire length of Africa, has shared details of his terrifying experience after being kidnapped. The Hardest Geezer, real name Russ Cook, is attempting to become the first person ever to complete the feat as part of “Project Africa”, with money being raised for charity. Cook had already been dealt a serious blow after being robbed at gunpoint earlier in his journey. However, the newest development saw him share details of recent days, which he described as “the toughest of my life.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Posting on social media, Cook said he had recently become separated from his team after coming across impassable roads along the route. “In an attempt to find the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled into a rural settlement where the chief told me I must give him money. I had none,” he wrote, describing the ordeal. “So that went down well. Pretty soon I found myself surrounded by lots of game blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush. “Emptied my bag to show I had nothing but a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the next few hours bushwhacking through overgrown jungle paths. Trying to stay off any tracks until I was far away. “Made it to the village on the plan B route to find the road was also impassable for the support van again. Exhausted and dehydrated, I started heading back to the last known place with passable roads when two blokes pulled up on a bike. “They spoke no English but tried to communicate I must come with them to get back to my friends. Why I was forced to LEAVE Angola - I'm Running the Entire Length of Africa www.youtube.com “What happened next was a seven-hour motorbike ride deeper into the jungle. In my head I thought this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb and eaten.” He went on to say he had been driven to a village and taken into a hut. There, his captors decided what to do with him and decided how much money they owed him. Cook was able to contact his team, though, and over the next few days his team were able to reach him. Cook added: “We made it out. And travelled back to the start point of day 102, where I ran 60km today on our new route. “My head ain’t fully there right now. But we move the same way as always, forward.” 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.

MrBeast has smashed yet another YouTube record after racking up the most views for a non-music video in 24 hours. The hugely popular content creator had his most recent success with his ‘Stranded at Sea’ video, which was posted on August 6. The clip sees MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, spend a week out in the middle of the ocean with his pals, tasked with keeping themselves out of the elements and tackling tough conditions on an unprotected floating platform. It managed an incredible 46 million views in the space of just 23 hours, and he shared the news with his followers that it was a record-breaking clip. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “New video broke the world record for most views in 24 hours on a non music video! I’m living the life I would dream of every night when I was 13. I love all of you and thank you so much for watching our videos! I’ll never take you all for granted,” he wrote on Twitter. It’s not the first YouTube record MrBeast has set during his time posting on the site. He set the record for the fastest non-music video to reach 100 million views with his Squid Game video in 2021. 7 Days Stranded At Sea www.youtube.com Earlier this year he also overtook Pewdiepie for the most total channel views with a mind-boggling 29,077,461,841 hits. Meanwhile, Andrew Tate was upset recently that he didn’t win a MrBeast competition, and he’s claimed the YouTuber’s latest giveaway is a “lie” and is the work of “Satan”. It came after MrBeast previously announced that he’d be giving away his Twitter revenue for a month to the person who could achieve the most likes with their reply to his Tweet. 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.

Social media entertainers, the Voros Twins, known for their comedy videos on TikTok, have taken a swipe at the Island Boys following their kiss last month. In a clip shared online, the pair responded to a question asking whether they were the controversial Island Boys, who have recently caused backlash for kissing each other romantically. "We're not the Island Boys, we have zero tattoos, we don't rap, we don't live in Florida, we never swear and we're always positive," the Hungarian-Canadian duo said, before taking a long pause. "And we don't kiss each other," they joked. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The video was soon inundated with comments, with one person thanking the Voros Twins for "clearing this up for us." "Just hold out till the end, they really said that," another said, while a third humoured: "They saw what the Island Boys were doing and had to clear those allegations real quick" It comes after the Island Boys, Kodiyakredd (Franky Venegas) and Flyysoulja (Alex Venegas), shared a video of them kissing, and later defended their actions as "not that big of a deal." The twins, who went viral in 2021 for their catchy TikTok song, disturbed social media in July when they locked lips to mark the launch of their OnlyFans account. They later appeared on Adam22's No Jumper podcast where they told him: "We're twin brothers, we came out of the womb together, we grew up together. It's not really disgusting if it's twins." They continued: "We kind of just made out or whatever, we kissed and then we just like look the other way for a few minutes and couldn't like, look at each other, but it wasn't that big of a deal – just a kiss." 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.

Elon Musk is busy “lifting weights throughout the day” to prepare for his touted cage fight against Mark Zuckerberg – and he’s not the only one getting ready for action. In fact, his Chinese doppelgänger is also preparing himself in case, for some reason, he’s called upon to take his place in the bout. In case you missed it, Musk and Zuckerberg seemingly agreed to a cage match after it was leaked that Zuckerberg's Meta was planning to release a rival to Twitter called Threads. After Musk said he’d be up for a cage match if he is”, Zuckerberg then posted a screenshot of Musk's tweet to his Instagram story saying "send me location". Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It’s got a lot of people interested – not least Chinese TikToker Yilong Ma. @mayilong0 #zuckerberg #elonmusk I am X, challenge Zuckerberg. Yilong bears an uncanny resemblance to Musk, and he’s been posting videos of himself also preparing for a “fight” with Zuckerberg. One clip sees him pose in a pair of boxing gloves, next to a man wearing a cardboard box over his head with a picture of Zuckerberg taped to it. @mayilong0 #elonmusk #zuckerberg #tesla He also stands in front of a Tesla in the clip, shouting “come on” and “KO”. Who knows, perhaps if the real Musk and Zuckerberg don’t end up meeting in the ring they’ll get their lookalikes to go toe to toe instead. It comes after Musk previously shared information about a potential venue to host the match. He tweeted back in June that there’s "some chance fight happens in Colosseum". In a post on Sunday (August 6) in Meta’s recently launched social media platform Threads, Mr Zuckerberg said he had proposed 26 August for the bout with the Tesla titan. “I’m ready today. I suggested Aug 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn’t confirmed. Not holding my breath,” the Meta chief said in response to Mr Musk’s post on Twitter, which has been rebranded as X. 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.

Matt Hancock sent everyone a message over the weekend: He is Kenough. And people are divided by the performance. The track sung by Ryan Gosling featured in the record-breaking Barbie film, which has now grossed $1 billion at the box office. 'I'm Just Ken' has since soared in popularity. Not only has it hit the Billboard Hot 100 list, but it's also had many TikTok trends using the song as the new go-to audio. And now, Hancock has his hands on it with his very own rendition. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The viral clip was shared to TikTok on Sunday (6 August) and shows the former Health Secretary passionately miming Gosling's track lyrics while walking along the beach. Hancock's homemade music video view racked up a staggering 1.5 million views and over 16,000 comments from fellow TikTok users. Some people were quick to share they enjoyed the performance, with one writing: "Made my day Matt, cheers," while another added: "Really bringing the Kenergy right now." Meanwhile, a third commented: "This isn’t something I ever thought I would see. But cheers Matt. Cheered me right up!" @matthancock I am kenough!? #justken #barbenheimer #kenough Others believed it was "way too early for this" this Monday morning, as Hancock graced their FYPs at the crack of dawn. "I’ve officially had Kenough," one user chimed in, while another compared it to a "fever dream". "To think this man worked for the government is a joke," a third noted, while one described it as "iconic but also deeply, terribly unsettling." It comes after Boris Johnson was rumoured to be following in Hancock's I'm a Celeb foot steps. A spokesman for Johnson hit back at claims, telling The Sun: "Boris is not doing this programme and is not in talks to do so." 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.

People often share updates about their dating lives on social media, and one woman who went back to her date's house, couldn't believe what she saw. In fact, the scene in front of her left her warning to "fake a family emergency" as an excuse to leave. Jordan McNally (@missmcnallyyy) posted a TikTok where she looked concerned as she explained to viewers what was going on. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "I just got to his house and I'm in his bathroom, what the f*** is this?!!" she then proceeded to flip the camera around to show a large number of Herbal Essences bottles sitting on a wooden shower stool inside the shower. "SEVENTEEN!!" she exclaimed in text after counting up the bottles. "I'm about to fake a family emergency and dip," she added also using red flag emojis. @missmcnallyyy What does it mean?!?!? #herbalessences #sponsorhim #redflag Since sharing her bizarre discovery, Jordan's video has received a whopping 10m views, 1.3m likes, and over 15,000 comments from people who were just as baffled at why the guy had so many bottles, though some did also provide a possible explanation for the large quantities. One person wrote: "Can we get an update?? Cause I cannot come to a reasonable conclusion and I need answers." "Run, there is no logical explanation, no pro could outweigh this con," another person said. A third person added: "My dad does this and can confirm he went to Costco and got a stellar deal." "Uh uh idky [I don't know why] but that would send CHILLS down my spine like no I’m leaving," a fourth person commented. Someone else replied: "Maybe his mom extreme coupons." 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.

A mother accidentally hired a stripper to come to her daughter's fifth birthday party - how appropriate. Posting on TikTok the daughter, who is now an adult, recalled the incident that happened when her parents tried to organise her a Barbie themed party but accidentally called up a stripper from the phone book. "She played along," the woman said. "She did not take off her clothes. I followed her around, thrilled that Barbie came to my birthday party and all of the parents there had a really good laugh". @joolia_go0lia #barbie #barbiebirthday #comeonbarbieletsgoparty #momfail #momcomedy Reacting to her story, people thought it was hilarious. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "She was probably THRILLED to have that experience," one commented. Another said: "Amazing story, what a sweetheart she went along with it. We need photos!" A third said: "Barbie can be a doctor, a gymnast, or an adult entertainer! She's her own woman." And one person said they also had an inappropriate birthday when they were a child. "My mom accidentally served a rum cake at one of my parties when I was kid," they wrote. Parenting is no walk in the park. 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.

There's no denying that we're a nation full of moaners. Now, one person has dedicated an entire Reddit forum for people to voice their unpopular opinions on Britain – and it's as chaotic as it sounds. From Wetherspoons to transport, all the way to King Charles, the popular thread has already racked up almost six thousand complaints in a matter of days. Here are our favourite unpopular opinions, thanks to honest Redditors who certainly did not hold back: "The litter in this country is disgusting and people need to take personal responsibility for it instead of whining about a lack of bins. Take it home." "We're actually lucky to have the weather we do here, really, in the grand scheme of things." "'God Save the King' is probably one of the worst national anthems about. Not only is the tune an offensively dull, dirgy number, but the song doesn’t mention Britain at all, it’s all just banging on about some members of the German aristocracy." "Wetherspoons is fine." "British people are far too wedded to their cars and driving. I’m 30 and have never learned to drive. Never wanted to. When I tell people that, they look at me with either pity or contempt, as if it’s somehow embarrassing to use public transport. When really it’s the state of public transport that is the problem in many areas." "British cheese is better than French cheese." "I don't give a s*** about tea or proper breakfasts or any of the other superficial nonsense that people on Reddit seem to think makes you 'truly British'." "The mainstream tea culture is awfully bad. We can keep having fights about PG Tips vs Yorkshire while both are lowest-grade tea dust not much better than Lipton. An average post-Soviet supermarket will have a tea shop with stuff better than at Fortnum and Mason." "London is hideous. Too cramped, too noisy, everything is absurdly overpriced. The one good thing is the range of diversity from people to food, but other than that it is simply the worst place on earth." "The drinking culture is embarrassing." "The North's friendliness is greatly exaggerated and many of their residents have a chip on their shoulder about the South." "The UK is overall a very good place to live." "We have aligned too much with American culture and not enough with European. We are too damned lazy to learn another language." "Ban fast foods on trains. Nothing worse than getting on a Southern train from Victoria to Three Bridges, which is packed, and people are stinking up the carriages eating katsu curry and Burger King. Shameless." 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.

Homeware shop Wilko has warned that it is on the brink of collapse, putting some 12,000 jobs at risk, and people are besides themselves. The retailer, which has 400 stores across the UK, said it had filed a "notice of intention" to appoint administrators after failing to find enough emergency investment. Chief executive Mark Jackson said it would continue to talk with interested parties about options for the business. He said the company was left with "no choice but to take this action", but hopes to find a solution as quickly as possible to "preserve the business". Wilko added that it had received "significant interest" from investors and some offers, but none of them would have provided enough cash within the time needed. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Reacting to the news, some people were gutted: But at least they took solace in some funny memes: And others had never even gone to Wilko: If Wilko goes, it will be bad for people looking for tat to brighten up their lives. But at least the memes will be good. 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.

A TikTok-famous creator Chris Rooney has been found safe after going missing in Fredericksburg Virginia. Concerns grew for Rooney, famously known as the "Yeet Baby" creator, who was last seen on July 25 in his town of 30,000 people. In a since-deleted story on his Instagram account, they said: "He has been found safe. He is safe. Thank you for your prayers." The news of his disappearance soon hit social media, where fans frantically tried to piece together his whereabouts. Before he was found, one creator by the name of @joysparkleshine took to TikTok to explain the situation. She later followed up with an update, informing followers he had been found. The 35-year-old gained viral fame when he started posting on TikTok in January 2020. He is the man behind the "Yeet Baby" account that has since racked up 5.6 million followers. On the account, Rooney frequently posts clips with his niece Marleigh. Rooney is married to his wife, Emily, and the pair share Louie the cat together. Reports have suggested the pair are going through a divorce. Their separation was confirmed in one of his TikToks. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It comes after a Reddit post went viral which saw Rooney respond to a TikTok troll that said: "Alcohol is poison. You lost your beautiful wife because of it so that tells me you need to stop drinking 100 per cent. Have you tried naltrexone? Reddit - Dive into anything from tiktokgossip "If a man said something like this to my face, with such confidence and such inaccuracy… that it’s not even remotely true… Comments like this, they trigger me," he said. "They make me an angry person. So please don’t make me an angry person. Because if I’m around other angry people, you know… we’re going to have to get to fighting because too many stupid comments like this." Officials have not yet disclosed the circumstances behind Rooney's disappearance. 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.

A Lufthansa pilot left aviation watchers in hysterics after drawing a penis shape in the sky when it was forced to divert. The pilot was heading to Sicily from Frankfurt last week (28 July) but instead was diverted to Malta – and decided to have a bit of fun in the meantime. It's unclear whether the pilot's art was intentional, with some Italian reports claiming they did it out of frustration. Officials have claimed it was accidental, according to Euronews. SAC, the company that manages Catania's airport, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica: "Other planes also tried to land a first time but had failed so they had to go around and then they managed to do it." Lufthansa went on to tell Corriere della Sera that the wind meant "not possible to land safely in Catania". "For this reason, the pilot had to remain in a holding position before once again trying to land which was not successful." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The phallic shape was picked up on the plane tracking website Flightradar24. "If I was on the plane, I would like to have a pilot like this," one person joked on Twitter, while another humoured: "Justified use of company property." Meanwhile, a third added: "Looks more like pink panther face." This isn't the first time a flight has done this. Last year, an American KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft made a ballsy move by drawing a penis in the sky near a Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria according to history from FlightRadar24. Flight RAKE71 drew the "sky penis," but it's unclear whether the aircraft was refuelling fighter planes or just playing a prank. 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.

iShowSpeed has shared an update with fans and thanked them in an emotional message after reaching a huge milestone while in hospital. The YouTube star is currently recovering in Tokyo after suffering from a "deadly headache”. The influencer, real name Darren Watkins Jr, previously posted footage of himself with one eye closed and the other severely swollen after suffering a severe sinus infection. The most recent update saw iShowSpeed live stream the moment that he reached 19 million subscribers – only, things didn’t quite go to plan at the start. “I didn’t wanna miss this moment with y’all boys,” he said in the video. “I’m still hospitalized, as you can see, but I didn’t wanna miss this moment with y’all. I know I’m still sick, I know a lot is still going on. But chat, how could I miss this lovely moment with y’all boys?” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The YouTuber was watching his subscriber account tick up to the milestone when some of his followers began trolling him and unfollowing him en-mass. He was visibly frustrated and seeing the numbers initially dropping saw him in pain and saying the word “headache”. However, things eventually turned around and he was full of emotion after passing the 19 million mark. 19 million....... (hospital stream) www.youtube.com His fans previously arrived outside of his hospital in Tokyo to show him support. Crowds of people were filmed chanting his name and singing his ‘World Cup’ song. He previously told fans: "Right now, I have one of the worst experiences I am having right now. I can't even open up my eyes. I have this thing called a cluster headache. A deadly headache disease. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't do anything right now. "It hurts so bad, chat. It hurts so bad. I can't do anything. It hurts. Everything I do, like, something pounding my head every time and I'm so angry.” ? www.youtube.com Now, footage has been shared which shows that the YouTuber is receiving plenty of support from his fans outside the hospital. Crowds of people were filmed chanting his name and singing his ‘World Cup’ song. IShowSpeed previously told fans: "My eye's puffing up. It feels like a stab. It feels like somebody is stabbing my eye with a knife. Boom, boom, boom, boom. And, I have a headache right in this area (the streamer puts his hand on top of his right eye and the temple). It's literally exactly like this. He ended the one-minute video on an ominous note: "I wanted to give y'all boys (an) update because I don't know what's going to happen to me. You know what I'm saying? I want y'all boys to always be right there with me, until I die. It's... I don't know, man. But, when I get back home, I'm going to probably chill from travelling for a bit because... a lot is going on. Bye." 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.