Elon Musk Faces Backlash Over ‘Hotness’ Remark on Teen Facing Deportation

Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has come under renewed criticism following remarks he made about the physical appearance of a teenage girl who was facing possible deportation from Denmark.

The backlash followed a post by Musk, 54, on X (formerly Twitter), where he suggested that people who are physically attractive should be exempted from deportation. The comment was made in reference to Audrey Morris, a 19-year-old American student whose immigration status in Denmark recently became a public issue.

Reacting to the comment, Morris described Musk’s remark as demeaning, saying it reduced her case to her looks rather than her personal achievements and life circumstances.

“It’s definitely crazy,” Morris told the Daily Beast, adding that while she was not entirely shocked, she was floored that such a comment came from someone of Musk’s stature.

She said public attention quickly shifted from her academic achievements, volunteer work, and long-term residence in Denmark to her appearance.

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“It would’ve been really cool if he commented on my academic achievements or what I’ve accomplished,” she said. “That would have been helpful.”

Morris noted that although the attention was embarrassing, she hoped it would at least bring awareness to her situation.

The teenager has lived in Denmark since the age of nine after her family relocated from the United States in 2015 for her mother’s doctoral studies. She remained in the country under a temporary residency permit as an accompanying child, which expired in June 2024.

Her immigration troubles reportedly began after she moved into a boarding facility at her high school in another city and changed her address—an action that violated the conditions of her residency permit. At one point, the threat of deportation became serious enough for her to prepare to return to the United States, leaving behind her family and boyfriend.

In a later development, Danish authorities granted Morris a 10-year residency permit, sparing her immediate deportation. However, she was denied citizenship, even as her American mother and 15-year-old brother were granted the status.

“Denmark is my home—one hundred percent,” Morris said in an earlier interview. “I am as Danish as a foreigner can possibly be.”

Musk’s comment, in which he wrote that “8 or above level hotness should get an exemption,” has since drawn criticism from social media users and commentators who accused him of objectifying women and trivialising a serious immigration issue.

Elon Musk Faces Backlash Over ‘Hotness’ Remark on Teen Facing Deportation

Israel to Revoke Licences of 37 Aid Groups in Gaza, West Bank, Sparks International Outcry

Israel has announced plans to revoke the licences of 37 humanitarian aid organisations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from several Western governments and international humanitarian bodies.

The affected organisations include major international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, whose licences are set to be suspended from January 1, with their operations expected to wind down within 60 days.

According to Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which oversees the registration of aid groups, the decision followed the organisations’ failure to comply with new registration requirements, including the submission of what it described as “complete and verifiable personal details” of staff members.

The announcement triggered condemnation from the foreign ministers of 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Japan, Norway and Sweden, who described the new rules as “restrictive” and “unacceptable.” In a joint statement, they warned that shutting down INGO operations would have a severe impact on access to essential services, particularly healthcare, in Gaza.

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The ministers stressed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and urged the Israeli government to ensure aid organisations can operate in a sustained and predictable manner.

Israel, however, insisted that the move would not disrupt the flow of humanitarian assistance. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said aid continues to reach Gaza through approved and vetted channels, including United Nations agencies, bilateral partners and selected humanitarian organisations.

The ministry argued that the licence revocations were necessary to prevent the infiltration of terrorist operatives into humanitarian structures, adding that fewer than 15% of aid organisations were found to be in violation of the new regulatory framework.

Israel’s military coordination body, Cogat, also claimed that the suspended organisations did not deliver aid to Gaza during the current ceasefire, and that their combined contribution previously accounted for about 1% of total aid volumes.

The new framework allows for licence denial on grounds including denying Israel’s existence, denying the Holocaust or the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, supporting armed struggle against Israel, promoting delegitimisation campaigns, or calling for a boycott of Israel.

In contrast, the Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which represents UN agencies and over 200 local and international organisations, warned that the registration system “fundamentally jeopardises” humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank. The group said the criteria were vague, arbitrary and politicised, making compliance difficult without breaching international humanitarian principles.

The forum noted that INGOs currently support most of Gaza’s field hospitals, primary healthcare centres, emergency shelters, water and sanitation services, and nutrition centres for malnourished children.

Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, defended the policy, stating: “Humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not.”

Other organisations facing suspension include CARE, Medico International, and Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Israel to Revoke Licences of 37 Aid Groups in Gaza, West Bank, Sparks International Outcry

BBC

Zelenskyy Rejects Russia’s Claim of Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence, Warns of Escalation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Russia’s claim that Ukraine launched a drone attack on a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing the allegation as a fabrication that could be used to justify further military escalation.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that 91 long-range drones were launched overnight on Sunday at Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region, northwest Russia. According to Moscow, all the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were intercepted by Russian air defences, with no casualties or damage recorded. The Kremlin did not clarify whether Putin was present at the location at the time.

Responding on Monday, Zelenskyy described the accusation as “typical Russian lies,” warning that it could serve as a pretext for intensified attacks on Ukraine and a hardening of Russia’s stance in ongoing peace negotiations.

“Everyone must be vigilant now. Absolutely everyone. A strike may be launched on the capital,” Zelenskyy told journalists, calling Russia’s statement a “threat” and accusing Moscow of seeking excuses to prolong the war.

In a post on X, the Ukrainian leader urged the international community not to remain silent, warning that Russia must not be allowed to sabotage efforts toward a lasting ceasefire.

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Lavrov, in a statement published on Telegram, said Moscow would reconsider its negotiating position, citing what he termed the “final degeneration” of Ukraine’s leadership. However, he said Russia would not withdraw from talks with the United States, according to Russian news agency Tass.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it would not provide evidence to support its claim, with a spokesperson confirming that Russia would now “toughen” its negotiating stance.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected the allegation, insisting that Russia had failed to present any credible proof.

“Almost a day has passed, and Russia still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence to its accusations of Ukraine’s alleged attack on Putin’s residence. And they won’t — because there is none,” Sybiha wrote on X.

The controversy follows US-Ukraine talks in Florida on Sunday, where US President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy discussed a revised peace plan. Zelenskyy later told Fox News that there was a “possibility to end the war in 2026,” stressing that Ukraine would require continued US support.

He disclosed that Washington had proposed 15-year security guarantees, with Trump saying negotiations were “95 per cent complete.” Zelenskyy identified territorial disputes, the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and unresolved issues in the Donbas region as major sticking points.

The White House confirmed that Trump held what it described as a “positive call” with Putin following the US-Ukraine talks. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin raised the alleged drone incident during the conversation, claiming it occurred shortly after what Washington viewed as a successful diplomatic engagement.

Trump later told reporters he was informed of the incident by Putin and was “very angry,” though he acknowledged that it was also possible the attack had not occurred.

Zelenskyy Rejects Russia’s Claim of Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence, Warns of Escalation