A new effort to promote internet and media literacy by Microsoft has shown promising results in the fight against online misinformation

Mumbai fast bowler Akash Madhwal grabbed astonishing figures of 5-5 to help the Indians eliminate Lucknow Super Giants from the Indian Premier League with a thumping 81-run win

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.

Dairon Blanco tripled, doubled twice, singled and drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals overcame Spencer Torkelson’s two-homer night to outscore the Detroit Tigers 11-10 on Tuesday

EA FC 24 Web App release date is scheduled for Sept. 20 alongside the release of Team of the Week 1.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is relishing the dilemma of having to disappoint players as he attempts to negotiate a path through a season which could see his squad stretched to its limits. The 45-year-old left summer signings Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, as well as last season’s top scorer Callum Wilson, sitting on the bench for Saturday’s Premier League opener, but saw Wilson and Barnes come on and score in a 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa. Howe admitted in the run-up to the game that he had “five or six” difficult decisions to make in the light of a fresh £125million spending spree, Anthony Gordon’s pre-season form and the emergence of homegrown midfielder Elliot Anderson, but that is a problem he welcomes with a Champions League campaign looming. He said: “They’re dilemmas that are needed because we’re going to need the strongest squad possible, and the players who missed out today will play loads of games this season. “That’s just a fact because we’re in so many different competitions, we’re going to be stretched and we’ll also be needing their quality as well. “It’s going to be nice to be able to make those decisions. We need the strongest bench we can get this year with the amount of games we’re going to have, the amount of competitions we’re in. “It was certainly a difficult day yesterday to name the team. They weren’t easy decisions for me to make – decisions I had to make, of course, being in my position – and then you just hope the team performs and you get the benefit of that squad.” One of those decisions saw Howe hand a debut to £52m former AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, and it paid off handsomely as the 23-year-old not only opened the scoring within six minutes, but produced a commanding display on his first appearance in England’s top flight. Villa’s record signing Moussa Diaby cancelled out the Italian’s early strike in short order, but his response was to play a pivotal role as Newcastle overwhelmed the visitors, Alexander Isak helping himself to a double either side of the unfortunate Tyrone Mings’ departure on a stretcher before substitutes Wilson and Barnes added their names to the scoresheet late on. Howe was understandably delighted, but equally confident there is more to come. He said: “We didn’t defend perfectly, so there’s stuff for us to improve – but it was a weird situation. I thought they (Villa) played well, but we could have scored more goals.” Opposite number Unai Emery headed back to the midlands hoping the news on Mings is not as bad as that which saw midfielder Emiliano Buendia ruled out for an extended period with a knee injury last week, but taking comfort from Diaby’s impressive debut on Tyneside. Emery said: “We haven’t had all bad news and one of the good things was to watch Moussa playing feeling good and adapting to the position we’re trying to get with him. He was good, he scored and he played well. “We had some good moments in the 90 minutes, but there a lot of things we had to do to control the match that we didn’t do within our system.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Owen Farrell waits to learn fate following sending off against Wales The key questions ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final against Australia Sean Dyche hopes Everton are close to solving their goalscoring problems

Logan Paul, playfully teased Floyd Mayweather about his height during their promotional activities for their 2021 fight.

A January 6 fugitive had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested close to the home of former President Barack Obama this week, federal authorities said. Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested on Thursday outside the Obamas’ Washington DC home hours after he shared a social media post from former president Donald Trump which revealed his predecessor’s address. Taranto was arrested on charges stemming from his activities during the Capitol riot two years ago. Law enforcement also discovered materials for a Molotov cocktail in his vehicle. The matter is being reviewed by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr Taranto was detained by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement, and charged with being a fugitive from justice. “Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest,” MPD said in a statement, according to CNN. “There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation.” Mr Taranto reposted a Truth Social post by Mr Trump which included an article containing the address of the Obamas as well as a number of other Democrats. Mr Taranto added his own comment: “Got them surrounded!” The 2017 article shared by Mr Trump was a piece in The Phyllis Schlafly Report, named after the conservative activist who passed away in 2016. It included the home address of the Obamas. In a live stream, Mr Taranto told his audience that he also had a “detonator,” according to Mediaite. The shocking scene played out in the wealthy neighbourhood of Kalorama on Thursday. Mr Taranto was chased by police and Secret Service while he ran towards the home of the Obamas and warned authorities that he had an explosive device. CBS News reported that he fled after being spotted by Secret Service, who had apparently been alerted to his intentions after Mr Taranto made “threats during recent live streams on social media”. Mr Taranto had an active arrest warrant related to the attack on the Capitol when he was captured near the former president’s home, according to CBS. DC police confirmed to The Independent that Mr Taranto had been charged with being a fugitive from justice pursuant to another arrest warrant and that officers had conducted an explosives sweep of his vehicle. “This afternoon, MPD and our federal law enforcement partners arrested 37-year-old Taylor Taranto, of no fixed address, in the 2400 block of Kalorama Road, Northwest. He has been charged with Fugitive from Justice, pursuant to an arrest warrant. Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest. There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation,” wrote an MPD spokesperson. It wasn’t immediately clear if Mr Obama or any members of his family were home at the time of the incident. The former president was in DC earlier this week for lunch with his former VP, incumbent President Joe Biden, as the latter begins the long work of running for re-election. Read More Biden's Iran envoy placed on unpaid leave pending a review of his handling of classified documents Gun advocates challenge Biden administration rules on handgun braces at appeals court Biden is wrapping a campaign fundraising blitz aimed at making a bold early statement

Thailand’s army chief said there was “zero chance” of the Southeast Asian nation returning to a military rule

China Evergrande Group seeks to resume stock trading in Hong Kong on Tuesday following a halt last week

Newcastle host Borussia Dortmund at St. James’ Park this evening as they aim to win consecutive matches in the Champions League this season. The Magpies defeated Paris Saint-Germain at home last time out in what was their first European top-flight match at St James’ Park in 20 years. Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar all got on the scoresheet as Newcastle sent four past the French champions to take control of their group with four matches to play. Eddie Howe’s men are unbeaten in the group stages so far having also draw away at AC Milan in their opener but the face a difficult test against Dortmund tonight. The Bundesliga club have lost just one game in 11 matches all season - away at PSG in their Group F opener - and have scored eight goals in the last four games. They are bottom of the table as it stands and will see tonight’s fixture as a valuable opportunity to get themselves back in the race to reach the knockouts. Follow the action below plus get the latest odds and tips for Newcastle vs Borussia Dortmund right here: Read More Newcastle and Dortmund share same glaring hole in their team before Champions League clash Sandro Tonali is the latest victim of football’s double standards

RAPIDS CITY, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 1, 2023--