
'Unreal scenes' as Sergio Ramos presents Shakira with award for her Pique diss track
The Latin Grammy's took place on Friday night and has been hailed for an epic piece on trolling as Shakira was awarded 'Best Song of the Year' for her diss track on ex Gerard Pique - which was presented to her by his former football rival Sergio Ramos. If you've been keeping track of the epic break-up between Shakira and Pique, you'll know that they separated in June last year after 11 years together, with the footballer being accused of cheating on the Colombian pop star. The break-up has hardly been peaceful with the former lovers using any opportunity they can to take very public digs at each other. The most notable of these digs is Shakira's record-breaking diss track about the former Barcelona and Spain defender 'BZRP Music Session #53.' The song, which is a collaboration with Karol G, also won Best Pop Song but it was the appearance of Ramos at the event in Seville, which really got people talking. Ramos, who played with Pique for the Spanish national team, winning both the World Cup and the Euros, would have been fierce rivals on the pitch too having clashed many times while playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Although the interaction between the pair wasn't awkward, people couldn't help but revel in the scenes that were unfolding before their eyes. During her acceptance speech, the 46-year-old singer spoke of "tough moments" adding: "I also want to share this with my Spanish audience, who has been there with me through the good and bad times." "In those hard and tough moments I've experienced here in this country, I have loved so much but at no moment has stopped giving me love and support." Pique retired from football in November 2022 having played more than 600 games for Barcelona. Ramos, meanwhile, is still playing having recently rejoined Sevilla having enjoyed a glittering spell at Real Madrid before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. Sign up to our new 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.
1970-01-01 08:00

Wirral family distraught as mother trapped in Gaza
Islam Alashi, 37, left her home in Wirral for Gaza to visit her sick father in September.
1970-01-01 08:00

Israel Strikes Lebanese Aluminum Factory, Says Lebanon Media
Israel’s military struck an aluminum factory located in southern Lebanon around 4 a.m. local time on Saturday, Lebanese
1970-01-01 08:00

US Says Hamas Must Release Hostages for Gaza to Get More Aid
Hamas must release more hostages in return for a significant increase in aid to Gaza and a pause
1970-01-01 08:00

Elon Musk says X to file 'thermonuclear' lawsuit against media watchdog
(Reuters) -X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, will file a lawsuit against Media Matters and those who attacked social media
1970-01-01 08:00

SNB Must Be Stubborn on Mandate, Flexible on Execution, Jordan Says
The Swiss National Bank must not go beyond its core mandate of ensuring price stability and contributing to
1970-01-01 08:00

Billlionaire Shipping Scion Warns of Difficult Time for Industry
Rodolphe Saade, the billionaire head of the world’s third-largest container line, warned the industry is entering a choppy
1970-01-01 08:00

England boss Gareth Southgate targets unbeaten run ahead of Euro 2024
Gareth Southgate wants England to go into next summer’s Euros with momentum and is targeting an unbeaten run all the way through to Germany. Having wrapped up progress to next year’s finals with two games to spare, Friday’s forgettable 2-0 victory against Malta all-but assured their place among the top seeds at the December 2 draw. England cruised to qualification from what had looked to be a potentially tricky pool and Southgate wants his side to end 2023 with a bang as they round off Group C away to North Macedonia on Monday. But with Euro 2024 glory their stated ambition, the former defender wants his players to keep their foot on the gas. “We’ve had a really good calendar year and we want to finish it well,” the England manager said ahead of the trip to Skopje. “Simple as that. “We should be aiming to go, if we can, into the tournament unbeaten. We’ve got some tough games coming ahead. “I mean, I’m a bit loathed to say that because then you start looking for draws when you want to go and win matches as well, so I want to get the messaging right on that. “But, you know, it’s good for us to be away from Wembley again, a challenging environment because that’s what we’re going to be in next summer.” England have not lost a match since last December’s galling 2-1 defeat to eventual runners-up France in their World Cup quarter-final clash in Qatar. Les Bleus are among their main rivals for silverware next summer, with Southgate’s side stepping up preparations for the Euros with challenging March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley. Both opponents will provide stern tests for a team that Southgate says cannot afford to fall short of the level “they need to be at” like they were against Mediterranean minnows Malta. “The teams we’ve got in March, we wouldn’t get away with it,” Southgate said. “And the players just would have a different level of motivation (compared to against Malta). “This week was always going to be difficult. We’ve already qualified, the players are in the middle of a load of matches. “We’re trying to look after a few physically with the team selection, so you’re making changes that, had we needed to win tonight to qualify, might be different. “So, yeah, the whole week has been a little bit like that – couldn’t really get the players on the pitch until Wednesday and as a consequence we were flat. I accept that. “That’s where we were but I’m not going to get into the players about that. I know why and they’ve won another game of football. “It could have been by more. Not quite sure why the third (from Declan Rice) was disallowed, but there we are.” As frustrating as Friday night was at Wembley, England remain well placed for silverware in Southgate’s fourth – and quite possibly final – major tournament at the helm. There is no time to waste with chances to work together limited, plus the fact Monday’s trip to Skopje looks likely to be their final match on foreign soil until the Euros get under way in June. North Macedonia are expected to be far better than in June’s 7-0 Old Trafford annihilation and Southgate has a number of things to consider before settling on his side for the Group C finale. “A lot of our decision-making is physical as much as anything at the moment, so it’s a strange thing,” he said. “Probably if you’ve still got to qualify there’s a different focus on the games and everybody’s happy and understands their players have got to play. “You’re not subconsciously thinking about ‘should we be pushing players out for another game?’ “So, we need to look at where we are after this game in terms of any knocks and bumps. “We’ve got some fresh players to come in. We want to get the balance of the team right and then assess whether there are certain things we want to see and learn from Monday night’s game as well.” Read More Pat Cummins urges Australia to ’embrace’ World Cup final pressure against India Liverpool fly Luis Diaz’s parents to UK for Christmas with son after kidnapping On this day in 2013 – Elena Baltacha announces retirement from tennis England display against Malta ‘not a worry’ ahead of Euros, Gareth Southgate insists Stephen Kenny insists ‘no pressure’ on Evan Ferguson against Netherlands England continue unbeaten Euro 2024 qualifying run with victory over Malta
1970-01-01 08:00

Disney and Apple suspend ads on Elon Musk’s X after he endorses antisemitic tweet
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter last year and converted it into X, critics have warned that his plans for the popular social network could lead to an explosion of hate on the platform. Now, blue-chip advertisers like Apple and Disney are reportedly fleeing X amid an outbreak of antisemitic content on the site — including posts from the billionaire owner himself. X’s content policy ostensibly forbids “targeting individuals or groups with content that references forms of violence or violent events where a protected category was the primary target or victims, where the intent is to harass” including “text that refers to or depicts…genocides, (e.g., the Holocaust),” but antisemitic and pro-Nazi content continues to appear on the network. Mr Musk attracted widespread condemnation on Wednesday when he responded to a tweet echoing claims of the racist and often antisemitic “great replacement” theory, including that Jewish people were “flooding” America with “hordes of minorities” to promote “dialectical hatred against whites, calling the claim “the actual truth.” That theory was among the hateful ideas directly referenced by the gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. Later, Mr Musk singled out the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights advocacy group that monitors antisemitism and forms of extremism, claiming the group promotes “de facto anti-white racism.” ADL CEO responded to the claims, calling them “dangerous.” “At a time when antisemitism is exploding in America and surging around the world, it is indisputably dangerous to use one’s influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories,” he wrote on X. The White House also weighed in, accusing the tech CEO of spreading “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate.” “It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” the White House said in a statement. But the controversy was only just beginning. The following day, Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, published an analysis showing advertisements from major brands like Apple, NBCUniversal, IBM, and Oracle appearing alongside openly pro-Nazi tweets on X. In one example, a post claiming Hitler and the Nazis represented a “spiritual awakening” appeared right above an ad for Apple’s Mac computers. Taken together, amid the already tense cultural backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, seemed to be a breaking point for major advertisers, who were already wary of what the new X/Twitter would look like. On Thursday, IBM told the Financial Times it had “suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation.” A source at Apple told Axios that the company was doing the same, and a Lions Gate Entertainment spokesperson confirmed that it too was joining the exodus. Disney has also paused spending on X, The New York Times reports. The Independent has contacted X for comment. Company leaders at X have appeared alternatively apologetic and nonchalant. “X’s point of view has always been very clear that discrimination by everyone should STOP across the board – I think that’s something we can and should all agree on,” CEO Linda Yaccarino wrote on Thursday on X. “When it comes to this platform – X has also been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination. There’s no place for it anywhere in the world – it’s ugly and wrong.” Mr Musk, for his part, alternated between jokes and explanations. He shared a clip of someone playing a video game level called “Echo of Hatred,” with the caption “defeating hatred is never easy,” while also endorsing a post about a book that claims IBM punch-card technology enabled the Nazis to carry out the Holocaust. “Clear calls for extreme violence are against our terms of service and will result in suspension,” he wrote elsewhere on X on Friday. Though this week has taken controversy on X to new heights, it’s not the first time the social network has been accused of enabling antisemitism. In September, Mr Musk threatened to sue the ADL, blaming the watchdog group for “trying to kill this platform” with accusations of antisemitism. “To be super clear, I’m pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind,” he added. At the time, the ADL told The Independent it wouldn’t comment on legal threats, but noted Mr Musk happened to be working on the same side as a “Ban the ADL” campaign created by self-described antisemites. “ADL is unsurprised yet undeterred that antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and other trolls have launched a coordinated attack on our organisation. This type of thing is nothing new,” the ADL spokesperson said. “Such insidious efforts don’t daunt us. Instead, they drive us to be unflinching in our commitment to fight hate in all its forms and ensure the safety of Jewish communities and other marginalised groups.” Elsewhere, the network has been accused in recent days of allowing neo-Nazis to profit from X’s creator revenue-sharing programme. This summer, a study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate alleged X failed to take down 99 per cent of a selection of hate content flagged by the group. The group alleged that “the platform is allowing them to break its rules with impunity and is even algorithmically boosting their toxic tweets.” X disputes the findings. Read More White House condemns Elon Musk’s ‘abhorrent’ promotion of antisemitism IBM pulls ads from Elon Musk's X after report says they appeared next to antisemitic posts IBM suspends advertising on X after appearing next to pro-Nazi posts Corporate, global leaders peer into a future expected to be reshaped by AI, for better or worse Elon Musk under fire for calling antisemitic conspiracy theory the ‘actual truth’ Starmer accuses Sunak of ‘fanboying’ over Elon Musk in heated exchange
1970-01-01 08:00

Liverpool fly Luis Diaz’s parents to UK for Christmas with son after kidnapping
Liverpool have flown Luis Diaz’s parents to Merseyside so they can spend Christmas with their son after their recent kidnapping ordeal. Cilenis Marulanda was freed almost immediately after being taken by guerrilla group the National Liberation Army earlier this month but father Luis Manuel was held captive for 12 days until being released late last week. Diaz was reunited with his parents when he returned to Colombia for international duty and the pair were in the crowd to see their son score both goals in an emotional 2-1 victory at home to Brazil on Thursday. The PA news agency understands that following the game Liverpool paid for a private jet, for security reasons and to help manage the family’s trauma, to bring Diaz’s parents and wider family to Merseyside so they could spend an extended period of time together. Their plane was scheduled to land at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport early on Saturday morning. Since Diaz’s parents were kidnapped, the club have endeavoured to provide the best possible support, with manager Jurgen Klopp allowing Diaz compassionate leave and leaving decisions about when he trained and was available for selection entirely up to the player, in keeping with the family values they believe are vital to the club’s ethos. Diaz will rejoin his family in Liverpool when he returns from international duty after their match in Paraguay on Tuesday. He will be on a flight with the club’s other South American players Alisson Becker, who was beaten twice by his club-mate in their game in Barranquilla in the far north of Colombia, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez – who faced each other in Argentina’s 2-1 defeat by Uruguay – in a plane jointly chartered by a number of Premier League clubs to return their players home as expediently as possible. Liverpool head to Manchester City in a top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad Stadium next Saturday lunchtime. Read More On this day in 2013 – Elena Baltacha announces retirement from tennis England display against Malta ‘not a worry’ ahead of Euros, Gareth Southgate insists Stephen Kenny insists ‘no pressure’ on Evan Ferguson against Netherlands
1970-01-01 08:00

Rich Americans Cancel Trips to Paris Following Middle East War
Wealthy Americans are holding off on booking trips to Paris as the war in the Middle East and
1970-01-01 08:00

Emeli Sande can 'understand' her songs much better now that she is older: 'I predicted my future!'
Emeli Sande thinks she has "predicted her own future" with her music as she has learned to "understand" what she was trying to say in her early hits.
1970-01-01 08:00