
Who is Rochelle Lander? Cindy Birdsong's family alleges longtime caretaker kept them 'in the blind' about singer's worsening health
Cindy Birdsong gave Rochelle Lander power of attorney almost a decade ago and the two have lived together for six years
1970-01-01 08:00

What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile?
British defence minister Ben Wallace announced that the top-tier, air launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles lent to Ukraine were striking targets with precision as the country continued to fight off Russia’s full-scale invasion clocking nearly 500 days. “The Storm Shadow missile has had a significant impact on the battlefield,” Mr Wallace said in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday this week, marking the first public acknowledgement of the missile’s use in the continuing war. "Its accuracy and ability to deliver successfully the payload, as sent and designed by the Ukrainians, has been almost without fault,” the defence minister said. “It has had an effect on the Russian army, mainly around its logistics and command and control. That shows the importance of deep fires,” he said. Ukraine’s counter-offensive is evidently in its early stages with the country’s forces repulsing attacks using several western weapon systems to boost its defence operations to stand up against Russia. In its arsenal of striking targets alongside top-tier rocket launcher systems sent from the West, including the HIMARS, are the British Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Manufacturer MBDA has said that the missile, which is fired from an aircraft, carries a range exceeding 155 miles and is designed to evade detection despite flying low after being launched. By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles currently used by Ukraine only have a range of around 50 miles. The longer range means Ukrainian pilots will be able to remain further from the front lines. But is still short of the 185-mile range of the US built Army Tactical Missile System, which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s staff had reportedly asked for. Powered by a turbo-jet engine, the 1,300kg Storm Shadow travels at speeds of more than 600mph, is just over five metres long and has a wingspan of three metres. After launch, the weapon, equipped with its own navigation system, descends to a low altitude to avoid detection before locking on to its target using an infra-red seeker. On final approach the missile climbs to a higher altitude to maximise the chances of hitting the target. On impact, it penetrates the target before a delayed fuse detonates the main warhead. Storm Shadow missiles have been used by British and French air forces in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya. In May this year, the UK confirmed it will supply Ukraine with the long-range Storm Shadow missiles it requested for its fight against invading Russian forces. Mr Wallace had touted that the weapons will give Ukraine the “best chance” of defending itself. Read More Ukraine has an array of new Western weapons. What advantages could they offer in a counteroffensive? Russia-Ukraine – live: Putin may take ‘formal control’ of Wagner in wake of attempted coup Tanks, missiles and keeping Russia guessing: The week Ukraine’s counteroffensive truly began What are Storm Shadow cruise missiles and what other weapons has the UK sent to Ukraine?
1970-01-01 08:00

Trump, DeSantis allies drive a 2024 election spending spree
By Jason Lange and Nathan Layne WASHINGTON Two groups allied with former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor
1970-01-01 08:00

Dolly Parton announces plans to cut down on tours keeping her 'away from home' amid 'Rockstar' promotions
The 77-year-old 'Jolene' hitmaker admits that touring has grown to be too demanding for her, and plans to scale back her schedule
1970-01-01 08:00

Joan Collins, 90, claims Hollywood lost its spark due to cancel culture: 'Parties I go to are dull'
Joan Collins who spoke about cancel culture also showered praises on three specific stars in the industry
1970-01-01 08:00

Elon Musk reveals historic venue where Mark Zuckerberg fight could happen
After both Elon musk and and Mark Zuckerberg agreed for a cage fight, the Twitter CEO shared information about a potential venue to host the match. On Friday Morning, Musk tweeted "some chance fight happens in Colosseum". Last week it was leaked that Zuckerberg's Meta was planning to release a rival to Twitter, likely to be called Threads. The app was announced in a company meeting where Meta's chief product officer Chris Cox called "our response to Twitter." Cox went on to throw some shade towards Musk by saying that the company's goal for the app was have it "sanely run". Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter After hearing of the news, Musk responded to a tweet about the leaked information saying: "I'm sure Earth can't wait to be exclusively under Zuck's thumb with no other options. At least it will be "sane". Was worried there for a moment." A fan responded to Musk saying "Better be careful @elonmusk I heard he does jiu jitsu now" followed by laughing emojis. "I'm up for a cage match if he is lol," replied Musk. Zuckerberg then posted a screenshot of Musk's tweet to his Instagram story saying "send me location". TMZ Sports reported on Thursday that Italy's Minister of Culture had apparently reached out to both Musk and Zuckerberg to offer the Colosseum as a venue for their fight. TMZ were told that Zuckerberg forwarded the message to UFC chair president Dana White. Apparently, both tech giants are taking the fight seriously and have begun training for the match. UFC fighter Kevin Lee claims that Zuckerberg had reached out to him for training. 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.
1970-01-01 08:00

Olivia Rodrigo's 'vampire' video declares it's even more brutal out here
"Bloodsucker! Famefucker! Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire." Olivia Rodrigo's much-anticipated new single "vampire"
1970-01-01 08:00

Sarah Jessica Parker, 58, fears she may have missed out on having a facelift at 44: 'Is it too late?'
Sarah Jessica Parker said she understood why people did botox, pointing out the 'emphasis put on women about looks'
1970-01-01 08:00

Macron goes to Elton John gig as Paris burns in mass protests
Emmanuel Macron has sparked anger by attending an Elton John concert in Paris as riots raged in France over the police killing of a teenage delivery driver. Hundreds have been arrested so far over three nights of furious protests since the boy identified only as Nahel M, a 17-year-old of North African heritage, was fatally shot in the chest by police in the suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday after driving away from officers trying to pull him over. The following night, as more than 130 people were arrested and fires raged on French streets for a second evening, the president and his wife Brigitte attended the British singer’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the Accor Arena in Paris. Follow live coverage of the Paris riots in our live blog here. Footage showed him tapping his foot along to the 76-year-old pianist as he performed hits such as “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Burn Down the Mission”. Elton and his husband David Furnish also posted a photo on Instagram on Thursday showing them meeting with the Macrons. Thierry Mariani, an MEP with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, described Mr Macron as “totally irresponsible” and quoted Ecclesiastes as he said: “Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child”, adding: “While France was on fire, Macron preferred to applaud Elton John.” “Wrong timing,” one Instagram user wrote beneath Mr Furnish’s photograph, while another remarked: “Macron is below everything.” Another added: “At the same time a child was killed by police under his government, he's enjoying a show. Disgrace on Macron.” Following an EU summit at Brussels, Mr Macron was set to return to hold a fresh emergency meeting on Friday, after what interior minister Gerald Darminin called a night of “rare violence”, in which 40,000 police officers were deployed 667 people arrested as part of government efforts to be “extremely firm” with protesters. While Mr Macron initially struck a conciliatory tone, calling Nahel’s death “inexplicable and unforgivable”, his response has hardened as violence intensified, denouncing attacks on public buildings as “totally unjustifiable” and voicing his gratitude for riot police battling with protesters. On Thursday night, protesters erected barricades, lit fires and shot fireworks at police, while armoured police vehicles rammed through the charred remains of cars that had been flipped and set ablaze in Nanterre. On the other side of Paris, protesters lit a fire at the city hall of the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois and set a bus depot ablaze in Aubervilliers, while some shops were looted. Schools and police stations also were targeted by people setting fires, and police used tear gas, water cannons and dispersion grenades against rioters, a police spokesperson said. It followed a peaceful vigil on Thursday organised by Nahel’s mother Mounia, who led the procession from a flatbed lorry, holding a poster saying, “Police kill”, and raising a red flare as the march reached the local courthouse, while the crowds chanted her son’s name. The officer accused of pulling the trigger at 9am on Tuesday has been charged preliminarily with voluntary homicide, after prosecutor Pascal Prache said his initial investigations indicated “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met.” Mr Prache said officers tried to stop Nahel because he looked so young and was driving a Mercedes with Polish number plates in a bus lane. He allegedly drove through a red light to avoid being stopped before getting stuck in traffic, and the officer who fired the shot said he feared he, his colleague or a bystander could be hit by the car, Mr Prache said. While the teenager’s family and their lawyers are reported not to have said the police shooting was race-related, his death has intensified anger among activists about police misconduct. “We have to go beyond saying that things need to calm down,” said Dominique Sopo, head of the campaign group SOS Racisme. “The issue here is how do we make it so that we have a police force that when they see Blacks and Arabs, don’t tend to shout at them, use racist terms against them and in some cases, shoot them in the head.” Speaking to the news site Blast, Mounia said her only child had been “a respectful, kind boy”, adding: “My life, my heart was taken away from me. I miss him. It’s painful.” The Independent has approached the Elysee Palace for comment. Additional reporting by AP Read More Paris shooting: Where are the riots in France and why are they happening? Violence rocks Paris for third night over teen’s killing as police arrest nearly 700 people Who is Nahel M? The teen shot dead by police in France ‘This is war’: France burns amid angry protests after teenager shot dead by police in Paris suburb
1970-01-01 08:00

Dylan Mulvaney claims she was shunned by Bud Light following transphobic backlash
Influencer Dylan Mulvaney shared that Bud Light never reached out to her after facing transphobia from her ad with them. In a TikTok uploaded on Thursday, Mulvaney, a transgender woman who has used her platform to document her transition, spoke about her experience after doing an ad for Bud Light. Mulvaney had posted an Instagram video of her drinking Bud Light back in April. The ad led to an onslaught of transphobia and threats directed towards the 26-year-old as well as some conservatives and anti-trans campaigners boycotting Bud Light. Some even went so far as to destroy Bud Light products in stores. The TikTok, which currently has over 1.5 million likes and over 8 million views, started with Mulvaney drinking beer saying "one thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don't like beer," she smiles. "Because I love beer and I always have." She goes on to talk about the brand partnership with Bud Light saying: "I'm bringing it up because what transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "I was scared, I was scared of more backlash and I felt personally guilty for what transpired so I patiently waited for things to get better. But surprise, they haven't really," explaining why she was speaking about it now. "And I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me but they never did. And for months now, I've been scared to leave my house. I have been ridiculed in public. I've been followed. And I have felt a loneliness I wouldn't wish on anyone." @dylanmulvaney Trans people like beer too. ?️⚧️? The revelation that Bud Light had not reached out to Mulvaney after she faced bullying and harassment from their customers left many viewers shocked and appalled: "For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all," Mulvaney told viewers. "Because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want. And the hate doesn't end with me, it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community and you know we're customers too, I know a lot of trans and queer people who love beer and I have some lesbian friends who could drink some of those haters under the table." "And all this is to say bottom line is that if you follow me, if I've made you smile, if you care about me, I need you to care about every trans person and I need you to support us and I need you to stand by us." At the end of her video, she added: "It's still Pride month, I'm gonna celebrate being alive and I'm gonna celebrate the trans people in my life and the ones I haven't met yet. And I'm going to celebrate the fact that no matter how many thousands of horrible messages or news anchors misgendering me or companies going silent that I can look in the mirror and see the woman that I am and that I love being." Mulvaney's video comes after Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch's CEO Brendan Whitworth gave an exclusive interview to CBS Mornings on Wednesday. During the interview' he acknowledged it had been a "tough few weeks" for the company. "The conversation has become divisive," he said. "Bud Light has supported LGBTQ [people] since 1998, so that's 25 years, and as we've said from the beginning we'll continue to support the communities and organisations that we have supported for decades." 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.
1970-01-01 08:00

Is Lizzo shading Taylor Swift? Swifties accuse singer of saying she 'isn't even comparable to Beyonce'
Taylor Swift is currently captivating audiences with her enthralling Eras Tour while Beyonce is astounding fans with her awe-inspiring Renaissance Tour
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine says its forces advance in all directions of counteroffensive
KYIV Ukrainian troops are advancing in all directions of their counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces, a senior defence
1970-01-01 08:00