West Kelowna fires: 'We want to go home and find out what's still there'
Some of the hundreds of people displaced by wildfires in Canada have been sharing their stories.
1970-01-01 08:00
South Carolina's top court upholds state's 'heartbeat' abortion ban
By Brendan Pierson South Carolina's highest court on Wednesday upheld a new state law banning abortion after fetal
1970-01-01 08:00
Animal charity warns owners against Taylor Swift 'August' trend
As it is the month of August, it's no surprise that Taylor Swift's song August is a currently trending, as people on TikTok have been using the music in videos to channel their main character energy. But a new spin on the trend has seen people's pets take center stage as they are dramatically spun around as Swift sings in the song: "Back when we were still changin' for the better / Wanting was enough / For me, it was enough / To live for the hope of it all..." From dogs, cats, to a hamster, a goat, even a racoon and a hedgehog are some examples of the animals being spun around as part of the trend, with many looking bewildered at their owner's actions. Here are some viral examples that have racked up millions of views: @.naaaat HIS ARMS REACHING OUT I CANNOT @shaneequah_ safe to say indie loved it #fyp#lambs#petspinningchallange @lizzie3427 He tried to kill me after this #fyp #taylorswift #racoon #august #spintrend @sabz.i i don’t think i did this right @emmacchristie Sorry tilly While the owners may be having fun making these TikToks with their pets, animal charity Cats Protection warned that doing this action is not in the best interests for the welfare of pets. "At no point should an animal deliberately be put in a position to feel fear, anxiety, frustration or experience pain for the benefit of human entertainment," Central Behaviour Officer Daniel Warren-Cummings told Metro. "Cats in particular will experience extreme stress by being swung or spun around and it could even cause them physical harm." "In the videos highlighted, the cats are showing clear signs of distress. Even more disappointingly, these are being described as cute or funny in the comments section by people who appear to count themselves as cat lovers. Warren-Cummings added: "It’s clear from the language that the owners don’t understand that animals don’t feel and behave the same way humans do and this undercuts the distress that the cats are experiencing.’ He also noted that even if the actions in the video are brief, it is still "unethical and should not be encouraged.’ 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.
1970-01-01 08:00
Kiribati media guide
An overview of the media in Canada, as well as details of broadcasters and newspapers.
1970-01-01 08:00
Fiji country profile
Provides an overview of Fiji, including key dates and facts about this Pacific island nation.
1970-01-01 08:00
Terrifying moment Drew Barrymore's 'stalker' climbs on stage as she's speaking
Cameras have caught the moment a 'stalker' of Drew Barrymore rushed onto the stage at a talk she was doing and confronted her. "Oh my god, yes? Hi!," a very confused Barrymore says as the man approached. The man, who referred to himself as 'Chad Michael Busto' responded: "You know who I am. I need to see you at some point while you're in New York." Renee Rapp, who was presenting alongside her, quickly escorted Barrymore off the stage, after getting visibly concerned for her safety, as security tackled the stranger. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter
1970-01-01 08:00
Cook Islands country profile
Provides an overview of the Cook Islands, including key facts about this Pacific country.
1970-01-01 08:00
Wisconsin Republicans ask newly elected liberal justice to not hear redistricting case
Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature have asked that the newest Democratic-backed justice on the state Supreme Court recuse herself from lawsuits seeking to overturn GOP-drawn electoral district boundary maps, arguing that she has prejudged the cases
1970-01-01 08:00
North Dakota Gov. Burgum may miss GOP presidential debate after hurting himself playing basketball
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum may not be able to participate in the first Republican presidential debate after injuring himself playing basketball
1970-01-01 08:00
Republican debate: The US voters exhausted by their social media feeds
Americans tell the BBC how what they see online is changing their political views.
1970-01-01 08:00
Donald Trump seems inescapable but many Republicans embrace a campaign discussion without him
Going into Wednesday's Republican debate in Milwaukee, plenty of rank-and-file conservatives are happy that Donald Trump will not be there
1970-01-01 08:00
Home Office could force delays in tech security fixes under 'short-sighted’ proposals
When it’s not making disastrous decisions around the housing of migrants on barges found to contain Legionella, the Home Office is reviewing the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act and considering a proposal to require telecoms operators to notify the government of “technical changes” to their services before they are implemented – something which has been slammed as “catastrophically short-sighted”. Between 5 June and 31 July, the Home Office consulted on revising the legislation passed by Theresa May’s government, with one of the planned changes relating to “notification requirements” placed on businesses. The consultation document reads: “We propose to make changes that would support cooperation between government and industry by setting clear expectations about the circumstances in which operators might be expected to notify the Secretary of State of planned changes to their service that could have a negative impact on investigatory powers and, where necessary, mandating notification of planned changes. “This would be intended to facilitate early engagement between operators and the government so that, where necessary, appropriate steps can be taken in good time to ensure that any negative impact on investigatory powers is fully considered, and so that we can ensure continuity of lawful access to data against a background of changing technology.” However, it was a news article from Just Security on Tuesday which reignited concerns that the UK Government is about to do something “ultimately unsafe”. The piece explains: “While the proposal does not specify what technical changes would require notification, these may include changes in the architecture of software that would interfere with the UK’s current surveillance powers. “As a result, an operator of a messaging service wishing to introduce an advanced security feature would now have to first let the Home Office know in advance. “Accordingly, the Secretary of State, upon receiving such an advance notice, could now request operators to, for instance, abstain from patching security gaps to allow the government to maintain access for surveillance purposes.” If the idea of Suella Braverman being able to halt security fixes so the government can continue to spy on people doesn’t fill you with dread, we’re not sure what will. While the Home Office goes on to add in its consultation document that there is a proposed requirement for the home secretary to “consider the necessity and proportionality” of imposing such a duty on businesses, Twitter/X users remain fairly troubled by the prospect: The Investigatory Powers Act, which was dubbed “the snooper’s charter” by critics when it was first proposed, is separate to the Online Safety Bill, which the government is still trying to pass through parliament. 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.
1970-01-01 08:00
