News – Radio Free

Armed, masked ICE agents KIDNAP CA father in broad daylight: ‘They beat him really badly’

The Real News Network — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 21:57:51 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

UN News Today 01 August 2025

Dianne Penn — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:36:43 +0000

Gaza: People continue to be killed seeking food as starvation deepens First UN aid mission arrives in Sweida, Syria Support mums and babies during World Breastfeeding Week

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

Mayor Karen Bass’s advice for the NEXT MAYOR #CA #WildFires #losangeles #ViceNews #sshq

VICE News — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:00:05 +0000

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The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 31, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 31, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

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The Quantum Chip That Might Change Everything ft. Julian Kelly | Shane Smith Has Questions

VICE News — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:00:07 +0000

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UN News Today 31 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 15:20:22 +0000

Starving Gazans reduced to picking up spilled lentils from aid convoysIOM sounds Somalia alert amid deepening climate and displacement crisisHaitians in ‘despair’ following abrupt suspension of US aid support - OCHA

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Man who shouted ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ & ‘Death to Trump’ on UK flight is a Hindu

Prantik Ali — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:08:54 +0000

A video, around 24 seconds in length, is viral on social media, which shows a man onboard an airplane shouting ‘Allah Hu Akbar’, ‘Death to America’, and ‘Death to Trump.’ Towards the end of the clip, he is tackled to the ground by two co-passengers.

Several users on social media have claimed that he is a Muslim person who was on a flight to Glasgow. Some users have alleged that he is a Pakistani.

X user Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) shared the video with these claims. At the time of this article being written, the post has garnered more than 10 lakh views. (Archive)

Video footage of the Muslim on a flight to Glasgow screaming “allahu akbar”, threatening to bomb the plane and ranting about Trump.

He was arrested upon arrival.

No mention from the legacy media what he was doing. https://t.co/RL0xJJCfRc pic.twitter.com/3msqIXkT3A

— Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) July 27, 2025

X user Megh Updates also posted the video with the same claim — that the man i a Muslim. The post had around 43,000 views at the time of this article being written. Readers should note that this user frequently shares misinformation and communal propaganda on X. (Archive)

Video footage of the Muslim on a flight to Glasgow screaming “allahu akbar”, threatening to bomb the plane and ranting about Trump.

He was arrested upon arrival. A Pakistani ? pic.twitter.com/deGaMYKAgt

— Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) July 27, 2025

Other X users, like (@ocjain4), (@Basil_TGMD) and (@Incognito_qfs) also amplified the viral claims. (Archives: 1, 2, 3)

Screenshots below:

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the viral claims, we ran a relevant keyword search on Google to find out more about the incident. A BBC report identified the person shouting the slogans in a Luton to Glasgow flight on July 27 as 41-year-old Abhay Nayak, a resident of Luton.

We found several other reports in the incident in prominent media outlets, including The Times of India, The Telegraph, Deccan Herald, and Sky News. In every report, the individual was identified as Abhay Devdas Nayak, a man of Indian origin. He has not been charged with terrorism, but has been remanded in custody, and is due in court next week, according to the reports.

Some witnesses said Nayak had claimed he wanted to “send a message” to Trump he latter was visiting Scotland. the US President was on a trip to Scotland from July 27 to 29.

Click to view slideshow.

In conclusion, the video has been amplified with the suggestion that a Muslim man was threatening to bomb a plane, while shouting ‘Allah Hu Akbar’. On investigating, Alt News found that the man was a Hindu resident of Luton, named Abhay Nayak.

The post Man who shouted ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ & ‘Death to Trump’ on UK flight is a Hindu appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 30, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 30, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 30 July 2025

United Nations — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:55:44 +0000

In Gaza, a ‘man-made drought’ is causing more misery: UNICEFTsunami early warning system kicks in across Pacific after Russia quake: UNDRRCholera alert could impact 80,000 children across Central and Western Africa

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by United Nations.

Mayor Karen Bass on working with Rick Caruso #CA #WildFires #losangeles #ViceNews #sshq

VICE News — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:00:28 +0000

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John Filax and Otto The Watchdog discuss new cop watcher documentary ‘I Am But the Mirror’

The Real News Network — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:41:57 +0000

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John Filax and Otto The Watchdog discuss new cop watcher documentary ‘I Am But the Mirror’

The Real News Network — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:41:57 +0000

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Chris Smalls BEATEN by Israeli forces after #Gaza Freedom Flotilla captured

The Real News Network — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 21:37:07 +0000

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Common Cause blasts TX, CA redistricting proposals, “you can’t fight gerrymandering with more gerrymandering”; Deported Palestinian filmmaker killed by settler in Occupied West Bank – July 29, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Common Cause blasts Texas, California congressional redistricting plans, saying “you can’t fight gerrymandering with more gerrymandering“;
Deported Palestinian peace activist and filmmaker killed by Israeli settler in Occupied West Bank;
Fresno activists hold “Unheard Echoes, Silencing Due Process” on immigration policies in central valley;
Britain will recognize Palestinian State unless Israel addresses Gaza humanitarian crisis;
EPA to repeal “endangerment finding” that underpins federal climate regulations

The post Common Cause blasts TX, CA redistricting proposals, “you can’t fight gerrymandering with more gerrymandering”; Deported Palestinian filmmaker killed by settler in Occupied West Bank – July 29, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 29 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 16:11:33 +0000

In Gaza, mounting evidence of famine and widespread starvation: WFP, IPCA Russian strike on a Ukrainian prison ‘kills at least 16’: OHCHRViolence in Somalia displaces 100,000: OCHA

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

How the Israeli flag became the symbol of Brazil’s far right

The Real News Network — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:06:42 +0000

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Mayor Karen Bass’s BIGGEST REGRETS about LA Fires #CA #WildFires #losangeles #ViceNews #sshq

VICE News — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:01:10 +0000

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Incident of cheating in PWD exam in Chhattisgarh given false communal narrative

Pawan Kumar — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:25:17 +0000

A video purportedly from Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur is being widely circulated with claims that a woman in a burqa was caught with devices used for cheating during the entrance exam for Public Works Department (PWD) jobs.

The first part of the video shows a girl wearing a black headscarf in an auto rickshaw with a tablet, mobile phone, walkie-talkie and two bags. Some people are seen recording a video of her and accuse her of cheating in the PWD exam at the Ramdalai Exam Centre. Towards the end of the video, the same people show a mic and camera taped to a black garment, claiming it was used for cheating.

X user Ocean Jain shared the video and claimed, “A girl wearing a burqa/hijab has a camera and mic taped on her head outside a government job exam centre in Chhattisgarh, while a girl sitting on a rickshaw with a tablet and walkie-talkie is getting ready to go inside for the exam. Meanwhile, Hindu candidates were made to remove even their kalawa, janeu, and mangalsutra. Now do you understand why they create so much ruckus over the hijab?”

छत्तीसगढ़ में एक सरकारी नौकरी परीक्षा केंद्र के बाहर बुर्का/हिजाब पहने आई एक लड़की के सिर पर कैमरा और माइक टेप किया गया है ।
साथ ही टैबलेट और वॉकी-टॉकी के साथ रिक्शे पर बैठी एक लड़की अंदर परीक्षा देने जाने की तैयारी में है ।

जबकि हिंदू उम्मीदवारों से कलावा, जनेऊ, मंगलसूत्र तक… pic.twitter.com/7JWUsqcMh1

— Ocean Jain (@ocjain4) July 14, 2025

Other X users, such as Sunanda Roy, Megh Updates, Frontal Force, Saffron Chargers, Pakistan Untold, Hindu Post, along with journalist Rakesh Krishna Sinha as well as X handles @JIX5A, @Vini__007, @Warlock_Shubh, @TeamJhaat__, @TheTreeni and @TimesAlgebraIND also amplified the video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

BJP worker Priti Gandhi and X handles @SouleFacts, @jpsin1, and @erbmjha also shared the video with similar captions. These X accounts are followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Click to view slideshow.

Meanwhile, some social media users shared the video, claiming it was during PWD recruitment exams in Uttarakhand. These users wrote that the insistence on wearing hijabs was so that they could hide devices in these scarves and cheat. They demanded a ban on hijabs and burqas in the country.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News performed a keyword search of the viral claim, which led us to a report published by Dainik Bhaskar on July 14, 2025, with this video. According to the report, during the PWD sub-engineer recruitment exam held in the Sarkanda police station area of the Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh on July 13, a female candidate named Anusurya had a spy camera and earphones hidden in her undergarments inside the Ram Dulare Swami Atmanand School examination centre. Her sister Anuradha, sitting in an auto rickshaw parked at a short distance from the school, was giving her answers to the questions with the help of a walkie-talkie and wireless mic.

News outlets Patrika and ABP News also reported the same on the incident. The NSUI (National Student Union of India) leaders caught them red-handed and made a video, which is now going viral on social media.

According to the report, both sisters were arrested after a case of cheating was registered against them. Also, there is no mention of hijabs in the reports. However, the name of the candidate who cheated (Anusurya) and her sister (Anuradha) make it clear that they were from the Hindu community.

To sum up, the viral video shows Anuradha, the sister of an applicant who was caught sharing answers outside an examination centre in Bilaspur. Anusurya, the candidate writing the exam, had a spy camera and device hidden in her innerwear. These devices are seen towards the end of the viral clip. The applicant and her sister both have Hindu names; the communal claims are, thus, baseless.

The post Incident of cheating in PWD exam in Chhattisgarh given false communal narrative appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Video of wife ‘cheating’ on husband viral with communal claims that lover hid Muslim identity is actually scripted

Pawan Kumar — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:18:22 +0000

A video in which a woman is allegedly caught cheating by her husband is viral on social media with communal claims. Social media users claim that a married Muslim man lured the woman, a Hindu, by hiding his identity and marital status.

In the viral clip, the husband along with two policemen, catch the wife with the lover. The husband informs the cops that the two have been conspiring to kill him and shows them evidence. The man tells the police that his name is Gaurav, but while checking his phone and investigating, they discover that his name is actually Salim and that he is married. The wife seems unaware of this.

On July 15, 2025, X user @KreatelyMedia, which has spread misinformation in the past, shared this video and wrote, “Gaurav turned out to be Salim”.

गौरव निकला सलीम pic.twitter.com/wIayCHjTRd

— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) July 15, 2025

A YouTube channel called The Star Network News shared the video on July 16, 2025. The video’s Hindi title roughly translates to: “Husband catches wife with lover, wife threatens to kill, Gaurav turned out to be a married man named Salim”. It is worth noting that this is not the official Star Network account, but the channel uses the Star News logo.

Numerous other X users shared the video and claimed that Salim had changed his name and was living with a married woman named Gaurav.

Click to view slideshow.

Facebook users, including a page titled Bundel Khand Live, also shared the video. Apart from this, this footage was also shared on Instagram with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Upon taking a closer look at the viral video, Alt News noticed that one of the men posing as a policeman is actually a content creator named Deepak Sharma, who makes entertainment videos. We have previously written about scripted videos made by Sharma, featuring him, that have been shared with false claims.

We found the source video posted on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of “Monty Deepak Sharma” as well as the Facebook page “Actor Monty Sharma”. The original video is about 10 minutes long. It is worth noting that the creator has not added any disclaimer here that this is a scripted video.

Upon further investigation, we also found a video of the same skit shot from a different angle on Deepak Sharma’s Instagram account “Monty Deepak Sharma” and a Facebook page named “Actor Monty Sharma“.

In this, a disclaimer appears at the 00:03-minute mark in the video. It states that this is a work of fiction and made for entertainment purposes. However, the disclaimer appears for less than a second, which means the audience will barely be able to read it or notice it.

The actors seen in the viral video also appear in many other scripted videos.

In other words, the viral video is scripted and the saga of Gaurav or Salim’s so-called affair is fictional. Several social media users fell for the misleading nature of the content, which does not carry apt disclaimers, making it . seem like a real incident. Alt News has seen several instances in the past wherein scripted videos have been misused to target a particular community.

The post Video of wife ‘cheating’ on husband viral with communal claims that lover hid Muslim identity is actually scripted appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Video of Chinese solar power plant viral as BJP govt’s feat in Gujarat

Oishani Bhattacharya — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:59:37 +0000

A 19-second clip showing a floating solar panel plant apparently from Gujarat is viral on social media. Several users on social media have praised the BJP government in Gujarat for setting up the same.

X user இந்துத்துவம் (@VVR_Krish) shared the above-mentioned clip on July 23 with a caption in Tamil which hailed the development under ‘Gujarat Model’ and praised the BJP government in the state.

This post has received around 3.5 Lakh views and has been retweeted more than 200 times. (Archive)

வளர்ச்சி நோக்கி குஜராத் மாடல்!!

குஜராத்தில் பாஜக அரசு ஏற்ப்படுத்தி இருக்கும் Floating Solar plant…!!

வருடம் தோறும் மின் கட்டணத்தை உயர்த்தினால் அது திராவிட மாடல்..! pic.twitter.com/8nlEc1ywBc

— இந்துத்துவம் (@VVR_Krish) July 23, 2025

In another case, Instagram user @sundar jani posted the same video on June 19, claiming that the clip showed a solar power plant in Bhuj in Gujarat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by sundar jani (@surendar_bishnoi_0129)

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of this claim, we broke down the viral clip into multiple keyframes and ran a reverse image search on some of them. This led us to an Instagram post from June 16, which featured the viral clip. This post was made by the page @shanghai_views, and the caption mentioned, “Solar panels meet the sea, rice paddies climb the mountains —China’s innovative farming & energy solutions are changing the game!”

This indicates that the viral clip showing the solar plant is actually footage from China.

We found another Instagram post made by the Chinese media outlet China Youth Daily on July 7, which also featured the same viral clip and the caption accompanying the video indicated that the clip was from China.

Further, while checking if any official Chinese sources had shared this video, we came across a Facebook post from Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dated July 3, 2025. She mentioned in the caption, “From city grids to coastal waters, China is tapping the sun to power a greener future”.

We also checked if there were any news reports about a floating solar power plant in Gujarat, and found a 2023 report by the Times of India about floating solar panels being installed on the Narmada Canal. We looked for the visuals of the plant and found a video on CNBC Bajar’s YouTube channel, posted in September 2024. The visuals are not in any way similar to those seen in the viral clip.

Below is a comparison where it can be clearly seen that while the floating solar power plant in Gujarat is over a canal, the one in China is clearly on a larger water body and is of much bigger scale.

The post Video of Chinese solar power plant viral as BJP govt’s feat in Gujarat appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Brazil’s far right embraces the Israeli flag

The Real News Network — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 19:58:15 +0000

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America is built on prison labor. When will the labor movement defend prisoners?

The Real News Network — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 19:07:20 +0000

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3 DRC journalists beaten, detained for trying to question provincial minister

CPJ Staff — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:42:09 +0000

Kinshasa, July 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to immediately drop legal proceedings against three journalists who were beaten and detained overnight while seeking to interview a provincial minister in the north-eastern city of Kisangani.

On July 23, KIS24 Info’s Steves Paluku, ElectionNet’s Paul Beyokobana, and Kisangani News newspaper’s Sébastien Mulamba visited the offices of Tshopo province’s Minister of Finance Patrick Valencio to ask him to respond to media criticism about his appearance in and alleged funding of a television series, Paluku and Beyokobana told CPJ.

The journalists said ministry officials beat them and injured Paul Peyokobana’s hand, shown here, on July 23, 2025, at the Ministry of Finance office for Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Photo: Steves Paluku)

Ministry officials beat the three journalists, who all work for privately owned outlets, with sticks and their fists, injuring Beyokobana’s hand, before armed police took them to a local police station and the Kisangani prosecutor’s office, where they spent the night, the journalists told CPJ.

The journalists’ lawyer, Andy Muzaliwa, told CPJ that they were released on July 24 and ordered to appear at the prosecutor’s office on Monday, July 28, to meet Valencio and his deputy chief of staff, Jacques Lomamisa.

Paluku told CPJ that the journalists did not appear in court on Monday because Muzaliwa was not available but were expected to do so in the coming days. Paluka added that on Monday he separately filed a complaint against Valencio at the Supreme Court of Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, over his detention.

“The Congolese officials and police who attacked and detained journalists Steve Paluku, Paul Beyokobana, and Sébastien Mulamba must be held accountable and the legal proceedings against the journalists should be dropped,” said CPJ Regional Director Angela Quintal. “Authorities in the DRC should focus on ensuring the safety of journalists working to report the news, not violently silencing them for asking questions.”

Valencio’s office defended the minister, saying that Congolese law did not prohibit his participation in a film at a time when he was not a minister, the online outlet Boyoma Revolution reported.

CPJ’s calls to request comment from Valencio and Lomamisa rang unanswered.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 28, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 28, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Gaza journalist’s URGENT MESSAGE: ‘We need to eat! We need this war to stop!’

The Real News Network — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:10:09 +0000

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MODERNIZE Our Infrastructure Now! #CA #LosAngles #innovation #privateenterprise

VICE News — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:01:36 +0000

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UN News Today 28 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:25:09 +0000

Gaza: as starvation worsens, UN aid teams push to flood enclave with foodIran: UN rights chief Volker Türk condemns proposed extension of espionage lawTedros pays tribute to David Nabarro, a ‘great champion’ of global health

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Intense FLAMES & FLAMES in Los Angeles Hillside #CA #WildFires #losangeles #ViceNews #SSHQ

VICE News — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:01:17 +0000

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CONTROVESIAL Private FIRE Team Saves the Day #CA #WildFires #losangeles #ViceNews #SSHQ

VICE News — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 16:00:33 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Hospital nurses STRIKE for FIRST TIME in Baltimore history at Ascension St. Agnes

The Real News Network — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 00:25:44 +0000

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Baltimore joins GLOBAL PROTEST to end Israel’s genocidal Gaza blockade

The Real News Network — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 18:03:09 +0000

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The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 25, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 25, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 25, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 25, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

CPJ, 35 others urge Israel to allow free movement of journalists in and out of Gaza

CPJ Staff — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 16:19:12 +0000

CPJ joined 35 members of the International News Safety Institute in a July 25 letter calling for Israel to respect the freedom of movement of journalists.

The joint letter called for Israeli authorities to allow Gazan journalists and their families – many of whom, like the rest of the population, are starving and facing extraordinary challenges to their health and ability to report – to leave Gaza, and allow other journalists to enter Gaza to continue their work. Nearly two years into the war, no international journalists have independently been able to access Gaza.

“Protecting those who report from conflict is a duty shared by all,” the letter said. “Our local journalists have done their jobs with unimaginable resilience and bravery. Letting them leave Gaza if they wish to do so and allowing others in to offer respite and continue their work is a humanitarian obligation we cannot ignore.”

Read the full letter here.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

UN News Today 25 July 2025

Dianne Penn — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 16:12:32 +0000

Syria: WHO confirms five attacks on healthcare in SweidaUN agencies urge more support for Sudan returneesWorld marks first International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

Is There a SOLUTION To LA’s Homelessness? #CA #homelessness #losangeles #ViceNews #SSHQ

VICE News — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 16:01:44 +0000

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‘Poor should remain poor’: Bengal BJP shares clipped video distorting context of Mamata’s 2024 Martyrs’ Day remarks

Prantik Ali — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 15:44:36 +0000

A couple of days after Trinamool Congress’s annual July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata, Bengal BJP’s official X handle shared a video claiming that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said that the poor should remain poor.

The clip, around 8 seconds in length, shows Banerjee saying. “Ami chai apnara gorib thakun – maaney ja ache ghore, sheta kheye beche thakun” (Translation: I want you to remain poor, that is, be satisfied with whatever you have).

The tweet by the official X handle of BJP’s Bengal unit (@BJP4Bengal) said, “Mamata Banerjee wants to keep the people of Bengal trapped in poverty. She has no vision left for the state’s future. The time has come to uproot the Bangla-Birodhi TMC government.” (Archive)

Mamata Banerjee wants to keep the people of Bengal trapped in poverty. She has no vision left for the state’s future. The time has come to uproot the Bangla-Birodhi TMC government.#BanglaBirodhiMamata pic.twitter.com/Ks0PlGcXJP

— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) July 23, 2025

Several BJP-supporting X handles like Befitting Facts (@BefittingFacts), Keya Ghosh (@keyakahe), @vinushareddyb, @SouleFacts amplified the claim. (Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Screenshots below:

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To begin with, we compared the video to photos of this year’s July 21 event taken from Mamata Banerjee’s official Facebook page, and found that the video was not from this year’s Shaheed Diwas programme. The difference in the saree worn by the CM confirms this. Besides, this year, there was no rain during the meeting, while the video shows Banerjee speaking amidst steady rain.

Thereafter, we broke down the viral video into keyframes. A reverse image search on one of them led us to the original video on Trinamool Congress’s YouTube channel, which is from last year’s rally.

At the 2:57:54-hour mark in the video, Banerjee issues a warning to her party leaders and workers against engaging in corrupt means to amass wealth. She says: “Ami all municipality, Panchayat, MLA, MP der shokolke bolbo, ekhon theke kono obhijog jeno karur biruddhe dol na paay. Jodi kono obhijog karur biruddhe paay, amra kintu upojukto action nebo. Eta mathay rakhben. Ami chai apnara gorib thakun. – maaney ja ache ghore, sheta kheye beche thakun.”(Translation: I am saying this to all municipality (members), Panchayat (members), MLAs, and MPs, that the party should not receive any complaints against any of you. If there is a complaint, we will take necessary actions. Keep this in mind. If you are poor, remain poor, that is, be content with whatever you have).

The lines in bold have been left out of the viral video to distort the context of what the Bengal CM said.

To sum up, it is evident that Mamata Banerjee had made the “remain poor” remarks in a different context. At last year’s Martyrs’ Day rally, she had warning her party members against indulging in corruption, which prompted her to say that they should remain content with whatever little they had. The 8-second video shared by Bengal BJP is clipped and it distorts the contest of the statement made by the chief minister.

The post ‘Poor should remain poor’: Bengal BJP shares clipped video distorting context of Mamata’s 2024 Martyrs’ Day remarks appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Assamese film shoot video falsely shared as gangrape-murder in Jharkhand

Abhishek Kumar — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:04:12 +0000

A video in which a woman is seen lying in the bushes with a crowd gathered around her is doing the rounds on social media. A group of policemen are also seen at the scene. It is claimed that the woman, supposedly a resident of Jharkhand, was raped by six men and then killed, after which the body was thrown in the bushes.

An Instagram user made this claim while sharing the footage and called it an incident from Jharkhand.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lines (@heart_touching_lines_ss)

Numerous other users also shared this video on Instagram with the same claim.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

A reverse image search using frames taken from the viral video led us to the source video on the Instagram profile of Mg Prodip Panging Taye, a user from Assam. The caption of this post states that this is a behind-the-scenes video from the shooting of a forthcoming film titled Lujeg.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mg Prodip Panging (@__prodip__panging__)

We looked for further details about the film on YouTube, and came across a related video uploaded by a YouTube channel named Biraz And Raz on May 16, 2025. In these visuals, the woman whose video is widespread on social media is seen wearing the same clothes. It shows the preparations carried out before the shooting of the rape scene. It is clear from this that the viral video is not of the actual incident, but of a film shoot.

Hence, it is clear that many social media users falsely shared visuals from a film shoot with the false claim that the woman seen in the video was had been raped and killed in Jharkhand.

The post Assamese film shoot video falsely shared as gangrape-murder in Jharkhand appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Muslim family murdered by Bajrang Dal in UP? Video from Pakistan viral with false claim

Pawan Kumar — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:29:26 +0000

Trigger Warning: Disturbing Details, Mention of Dead Bodies

The story uses only screenshots and not the actual video in question in view of the extremely graphic nature of the footage.

A video is being widely shared on WhatsApp in which the bodies of seven children and a middle-aged woman can be seen lying on the floor of a room soaked in blood. A living person is also seen lying near the body of a child on a cot. Women can be heard wailing. It is being claimed that in some area of Uttar Pradesh, members of RSS and Bajrang Dal entered Muslim homes and slaughtered people.

Alt News has received at least 30 requests on its WhatsApp helpline (+917600011160) to verify the footage and the accompanying claim. In some cases, an audio clip is also viral along with the video where it is claimed that, “Bajrang Dal workers are killing Muslims in UP’s Manshurpur area. They have killed everyone, young or old, of the entire family. Before that, 50 people were killed in Adampur, Rasoolpur, Budanpur and Mamoonpur. There is mourning in homes and people have lost their sleep.”

X User Urooj Fatima shared the viral video and linked it to a theft incident taking place in Amroha district of UP.

Fact Check

A reverse image search of the frames of the viral video led us to a website named livegore.com on April 11, 2024. It was reported that in a gruesome incident in Pakistan’s Punjab province, a poverty-stricken man killed his wife and seven children with an axe because he could not feed them.

Apart from this, X user Mahjabeen shared a video on April 12, 2024, and wrote that a tragic incident happened in Alipur, where a man killed his wife and seven children with an axe.

On performing a keyword search based on the above information, we found news reports from paliwalwani.com and NDTV World. According to the reports, Sajjad Khokhar, a labourer in Alipur in Pakistan’s Muzaffargarh district, killed his 42-year-old wife and his seven children, including four daughters and three sons aged between eight months and 10 years. Sajjad had reportedly confessed to his crime and was arrested.

In the reports, police are quoted as saying that the accused said that he had killed his family because he could not feed his children. It was also told that the accused was ‘mentally disturbed’ due to financial constraints and often quarreled with his wife.

During our investigation, we also found a tweet by UP police from July 21, 2025, in which they termed as misleading the claim that ‘Bajrang Dal men were entering homes Muslims and killing them’.

UP police also said that the video was of an incident in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, in the year 2024. Three individuals had been arrested for spreading rumours.

Zero Tolerance Against Crime –

जनपद मुजफ्फरनगर में, पाकिस्तान के मुजफ्फरगढ़ में वर्ष 2024 में घटित घटना के वीडियो, जिसमें एक व्यक्ति ने अपनी पत्नी व अपने 07 बच्चों की कुल्हाड़ी से काटकर हत्या कर दी थी, को भ्रामक रूप से मुरादाबाद का बताकर इस कथन के साथ विभिन्न व्हाट्सएप ग्रुपों… pic.twitter.com/9hwWgQsHij

— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) July 21, 2025

So, to sum up, the viral video is from Pakistan where a man suffering from a financial crisis reportedly killed his entire family in April, 2024. The claims of this being an incident from UP and Bajrang Dal workers being involved are also entirely false.

The post Muslim family murdered by Bajrang Dal in UP? Video from Pakistan viral with false claim appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Viral photos show Assam couple from 2017, not Muslim man from UP marrying his daughter-in-law after son’s death

Pawan Kumar — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:26:41 +0000

Photographs of an old man with a younger woman are circulating on social media with communal claims that the man in the image, a Muslim named Mohammad Shakeel, married his daughter-in-law less than a week after his son passed away. Calling it an ‘unbelievable secular reality,’ social media users claimed that the incident is from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh.

On July 12, X user @SouleFacts shared the images—one showing the two wearing garlands and another of them posing—and wrote that instead of mourning his son, who died five days ago, Shakeel chose to marry his daughter-in-law.

X users @SanataniMuslim_, @Vini__007, @Uday_Yadavji, @Warlock_Shubh and others shared the images with similar claims. The images and claims were also viral on Facebook.

Click to view slideshow.

It is worth noting that the same pictures were viral between 2019 and 2021 as well. At the time, the photographs were shared by several Bangladesh-based news outlets, such as Dhaka Post, Bangla TV, amadershomoy.com, news24bd.tv and dailynewstimesbd.com. These outlets had reported that Noor Islam (45) of Cheprajhar village in the Atwari Upazila of Panchagarh district, Bangladesh, married his 22-year-old daughter-in-law, Belal Hossai.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News did a reverse image search of the viral images, which led us to a news report in Dainik Bhaskar’s Divya Marathi from November 8, 2017. According to the report, the man in the picture is Rajesh Kumar Himatsingka, a 70-year-old businessman from Assam, who was the managing director of Himatsingka Auto Enterprises Ltd. since 1987.

The report featured the same images that were doing the rounds on social media recently. The report said that Himatsingka was lonely after the death of his wife and remarried. The woman was much younger than him.

The Malayalam edition of The Times of India and Swadesh News also published a report on the same incident in 2017, along with the viral images. These articles also mention that Himatsingka faced much criticism online for marrying the woman, who was 45 years younger than him.

In May 2018, News18 Assam (North East) reported that Himatsingka was hospitalised after he tried to kill himself owing to a property-related dispute.

Thus, we were certain that the images were not of a Muslim man named Mohammad Shakeel from Uttar Pradesh but of someone named Rajesh Kumar Himatsingka.

However, a keyword search with Shakeel’s name and the viral claim led us to a case from the Bansangli village in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, from June 2025. According to reports by NDTV India and Times of India, a 55-year-old man named Shakeel allegedly eloped with his son’s fiancée and married her.

To sum up, the man and woman seen in the viral images are Rajesh Kumar Himatsingka and his younger wife from Assam, not Mohammad Shakeel. The images have been online since 2017 and werencirculated before with different claims. A man named Md Shakeel from Uttar Pradesh did marry his son’s fiancee, according to some media reports, but they are not the ones seen in the viral photos. Also, claims that Shakeel married his daughter-in-law five days after his son passed away are baseless.

The post Viral photos show Assam couple from 2017, not Muslim man from UP marrying his daughter-in-law after son’s death appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

"Supporting AMAZON is supporting GENOCIDE": Chris Smalls speaks from #Gaza Freedom Flotilla

The Real News Network — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:02:57 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Senators Sanders, Markey introduce bills to hike teachers’ pay; SF settles lawsuit over homeless encampment sweeps – July 24, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Democrats propose bills to make childcare affordable, in response to GOP funding cuts;
Rep Tlaib, coalition call for removal of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as Palestinians killed seeking aid;
Senators Sanders, Markey introduce bills to hike pay of teachers and school support staff;
SF to pay $3 million, change policies after lawsuit over homeless encampment sweeps;
Theologian criticizes right-wing Catholic policy agenda like Project 2025, opposition to gay marriage;
July 24 is Earth Overshoot Day, when human consumption exceeds planet’s production – a sign that we are pushing well past nature’s limits

The post Senators Sanders, Markey introduce bills to hike teachers’ pay; SF settles lawsuit over homeless encampment sweeps – July 24, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Ghanaian police, masked man attack journalists covering local election

CPJ Staff — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:38:32 +0000

Abuja, July 24, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ghanaian authorities to ensure the safety of journalists reporting on elections, after three incidents during a local election on the outskirts of the capital, Accra.

On July 11, a group of men overran a polling station in Ablekuma North constituency and assaulted a candidate, forcing voting to be temporarily suspended.

Kwabena Agyekum Banahene, a reporter with GHOne TV, told CPJ that amid the turmoil, a police officer asked him to leave the area and slapped and pushed him. Banahene’s mouth was injured, according to GhanaWeb.

At the same polling station, ATV Ghana reporter Vida Wiafe was hit with pepper spray deployed by police, according to a video posted by Metro TV Ghana. CPJ could not confirm whether the journalist was deliberately targeted.

In a third incident at the polling station, a partially masked man struck with his hand and shoved Joy News reporter Sally Martey from behind, a video posted by the outlet showed.

“The July 11 assaults on journalists Kwabena Agyekum Banahene and Sally Martey, as well as the tear-gassing of reporter Vida Wiafe, are just the latest examples of the threats regularly faced by journalists in Ghana,” said CPJ Regional Director Angela Quintal. “There has not been enough accountability for attacks on the press — it should be a top priority for authorities.”

In a July 12 statement, police promised to arrest anyone found to have engaged in acts of violence during the Ablekuma North elections. Banahene told CPJ that he reported his attack to the police and the officer involved was suspended and charged.

In April, CPJ wrote to President John Dramani Mahama — on his 100^th day in office— to call for swift investigations into cases of attacks against the press.

CPJ’s calls and text messages seeking comment from police spokesperson Grace Ansah-Akrofi received no response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Inside the WILD World of Independent Journalism ft. Andrew Callaghan | Shane Smith Has Questions

VICE News — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 16:00:04 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

UN News Today 24 July 2025

Dianne Penn — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:53:23 +0000

UNRWA warns of ‘walking corpses’ in Gaza Afghan returnees face serious rights abuses: UN report UN rights chief welcomes landmark climate change ruling

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

Dhaka tragedy: AI images circulated by media as actual footage of jet crash into Uttara school

Ankita Mahalanobish — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 11:56:17 +0000

While reporting on the aviation disaster in Dhaka in which a military jet crashed into a school building killing at least 31 people, some media outlets used photos of an aircraft engulfed in flames stranded in the middle of what appears to be a playground. Some others carried a photograph of the wreckage of a large aircraft near a partially damaged L-shaped building.

An F7 jet of Bangladesh Air Force crashed into the Milestone School and College, in Uttara, Dhaka minutes after taking off for a training exercise on July 21. Among the deceased, at least 17 were children.

Image I

This image, showing the wreckage of an aircraft in the middle of a playground with one end of it covered in a blaze was used, among others, by The Mirror, a British media outlet, in its report on the tragedy in Dhaka. The caption says, “A massive explosion saw flames and smoke pouring from the aircraft.” Credit for the photo was given to X handle @MdNasir1123365. The photo also shows an ambulance, some emergency workers and some onlookers. The article was later updated and the image removed.

Daily Star, another United Kingdom-based media outlet, used the same image. Here, the caption read, “Monday’s disaster saw multiple fatalities”, and the credit for the image was given to the same X user, @MdNasir1123365.

Image II

This image is similar to the earlier one. It shows an aircraft up in flames in the middle of a field, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Some buildings can be seen in the background and emergency workers and onlookers are also present near the plane.

OpIndia Gujarat shared a news update about the crash from its X handle, where they used this image. (Archive)

હવે એક શાળામાં પર ક્રેશલેન્ડ થયું એરફોર્સ પ્લેન…: બાંગ્લાદેશના ઢાકાનો વિડીયો વાયરલ, 1નું મોત

Dhaka Plane Crash | Bangladesh Air Forcehttps://t.co/gY3rJnEqbO pic.twitter.com/BXcdGcxy5p

— ઑપઇન્ડિયા (@OpIndia_G) July 21, 2025

Several other media outlets like Sylhet Times News (Bangladesh-based), Life News (China-based), and Biziday (Romania-based), used the same photograph. This image, too, had been shared by the X user, @MdNasir1123365.

Click to view slideshow.

Image III

The third image shows a large plane in front of a partly damaged two-storeyed L-shaped building. The aircraft bears the number 417A, along with markings like BGI and the Bangladesh Air Force logo. The front of the aircraft appears to be intact.

Republic, Punjab Kesari, and State Times used this picture in their report covering the tragedy.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

There are several inconsistencies in all the three images mentioned above, which raise doubts about their authenticity.

To begin with, we noticed that the emergency vehicle seen in Image I above had some illegiblee words written on it (See below). This is one of the common anomalies found in AI-generated content. The unusual clarity of all the three images, too, raises questions about their authenticity. Also, the condition of the aircraft post-impact does not align with the severity of the accident.

In fact, none of the images matches the footage of the accident available in public domain. According to news reports, the fighter jet F7 rammed into a two-storeyed building of the Milestone School and College in Dhaka, 10 km from the air base from where the flight had taken off. However, the photographs mentioned above either show an aircraft in the middle of a field or stranded next to a building. Moreover, each of the three photos shows a different aircraft.

To find out more, we went through reports published by Reuters and BBC, which showed the remains of the aircraft and the building into which it had crashed. The aircraft, as seen in the Reuters photo below, had been damaged almost beyond recognition. These are in stark contrast to the images carried by the media outlets mentioned above.

Next, we noted that the Reuters report and other local reports had mentioned that the ill-fated military aircraft was a F7 BGI, bearing tail number 701. We checked photos of these Chinese-made jets and matched them with the viral images. It is clear from the comparisons below that none of the three photos carried by the media houses mentioned earlier in the story shows an F7 BGI. Hence, these are not actual photos of the accident.

Click to view slideshow.

To corroborate our findings further, we contacted a fact-checker from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a photojournalist who had covered the crash. The former, Shohanur Rahman, told Alt News that these pictures did not depict the real incident. The latter, AP photojournalist Mahmud Hossain Opu, confirmed the same. “The images appear to be AI-generated and not from the actual aircraft crash in Bangladesh,” he told Alt News.

We also used a few AI image detection tools to check the authenticity of the photos, and all of them showed a high probability of the images being AI-generated.

Click to view slideshow.

Therefore, we can conclude that multiple media outlets used AI-generated images and passed them off as actual photographs of the July 21 plane crash in Dhaka.

The post Dhaka tragedy: AI images circulated by media as actual footage of jet crash into Uttara school appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Chris Smalls: Gaza Freedom Flotilla faces sabotage attempts, death threats, but presses on

The Real News Network — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 20:40:23 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

World Court rules countries failing to act on climate may be violating human rights law; UN Security council debates Gaza war, humanitarian crisis – July 23, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

World Court rules countries that don’t act on climate crisis may be liable for violating human rights law;
UN Security Council debates Gaza crisis amid questions over role of UN, humanitarian law;
Civil disobedience at Wells Fargo offices in SF, NYC protest bank dropping DEI, climate goals;
California AG asks judge to put LA juvenile detention facilities into receivership over poor conditions, abuse of power;
Florida AG investigating restaurant that held LGBTQ pride event;
UN says food deprivation, shattered health system leading to catastrophic birth outcomes for pregnant women and newborns

The post World Court rules countries failing to act on climate may be violating human rights law; UN Security council debates Gaza war, humanitarian crisis – July 23, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Rebuilding Los Angeles: A Message of STRENGTH & HOPE #CA #homelessness #losangeles #ViceNews #SSHQ

VICE News — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 16:01:19 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

UN News Today 23 July 2025

Dianne Penn — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:56:40 +0000

UNFPA warns of ‘catastrophic birth outcomes’ in Gaza Nigeria: WFP aid for 1.3 million at risk of ending$10 million allocation to support Afghans returning from Iran

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

Screenshots from scripted video shared with claims that 72-year-old man married 21-year old woman

Pawan Kumar — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:35:21 +0000

A set of photographs of an elderly man and a young woman dressed in wedding attire and wearing garlands is viral on social media. Those sharing these images claimed that a 72-year-old man married a 21-year-old girl. While some claimed that the incident is from Delhi and the adopted young girl had been living and working at the old man’s house since childhood, others said that this happened in Chhattisgarh and the two are actually father and daughter.

On July 4, a website named UP Aaj Tak shared the image and said that the “shocking incident” was from Delhi’s Lakshmi Nagar area. The accompanying text said that 72-year-old Bharat Singh had adopted a young girl 17 years ago, but after she grew up, he “took advantage of her helplessness and married her.” Readers must note that this site is not related to the Hindi news outlet Aaj Tak.

Bhim Army and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) supporter Gulshan Kumar made a similar claim on Instagram. Meanwhile, on X, Minu Meena, Mriganka Singh, Mandeep Rajbhar and Asjad Ali shared the images with similar claims. On Facebook, Arman Mirza, Tania Lal and Speed News were among those amplifying such claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Some social media users, however, shared the same pictures and claimed that a Chhattisgarh resident, Ramkhiladi Mahato, married his daughter to “save her honour”. Instagram users Suresh Pachwala, Aryan Yadav, Ramkesh Meena, Mahendra Suman, along with Facebook users Manraj Jagsara and Akash Jareda also promoted the image with the same claim.

Click to view slideshow.

Alt News also received multiple requests on its WhatsApp helpline number [+91 76000 11160] to verify the viral image. According to one of the requests, the incident took place in Uttar Pradesh. The message said that 65-year-old Rambabu married his daughter to save his family’s honour because young boys in the neighborhood were eyeing her.

Fact Check

A reverse image search of the viral photos led us to a video from a Facebook page named Vikas Singh on October 26, 2024. The photos are screengrabs taken from this video. We watched the full seven-minute long video, in which the girl pretends to marry the old man to help him reclaim his own house.

We found several clues that indicate this is not a real incident but a scripted video. For one, the Facebook page describes Vikas Singh as a digital creator who makes scripted videos in which he features too.

Secondly, the page had uploaded several similar scripted videos in which the same actors seen in the viral image were also featured.

We found several such scripted videos on Vikas Singh’s Instagram page and YouTube channel.

Lastly, Alt News also managed to reach out to Vikas Singh to get clarity on the viral photos and claims. He rubbished the viral claims and confirmed that the video was scripted and made by him. He also identified the woman in the video and the viral images as Gurpreet Kaur, adding that she and her family were quite upset with the false claims.

Singh also told Alt News that the old man in the viral images and video was Amar, who was no longer alive. He passed away recently. He also shared a picture of the old man’s death and the link to the scripted video. On July 6, 2025, he had posted about this on Facebook.

Singh also clarified the rumours in an Instagram post.

To sum up, the viral pictures circulating on social media are actually screenshots from a scripted video made by a digital content creator; they do not depict a real incident. Social media claims that this “shocking incident” is from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh or Chhattisgarh are baseless.

The post Screenshots from scripted video shared with claims that 72-year-old man married 21-year old woman appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

UN News Today 22 July 2025

United Nations — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:37:22 +0000

Gaza crisis: Babies have to use plastic bags for nappies, UNRWA reports South Sudan South Sudan’s hunger crisis worsens amid ongoing conflict, climate shocks Chikungunya: Urgent action needed as global cases surge, says WHO

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by United Nations.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 22, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 22, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

ECI and Patna admin’s rebuttal of Ajit Anjum’s SIR ‘exposé’ has several loopholes

Abhishek Kumar — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:26:27 +0000

With the Election Commission’s special intensive revision (SIR) of voter list underway in poll-bound Bihar, several reports have emerged highlighting irregularities and flaws in the said exercise. Employees at multiple levels are reportedly under significant pressure to expedite the process. The Block Development Officer (BDO) of Barsoi block in Katihar district recently submitted his resignation to the district magistrate alleging mental harassment by the sub-divisional officer. The BDO also accused the officer of pressuring him to work 24 hours a day.

In a related development, senior journalist Ajit Anjum released a video report from a block office in the Phulwari assembly constituency of Patna, showing a BLO engaged in an SIR work. In his report, Anjum alleged that BLOs were forging signatures on voter forms.

Subsequently, the Patna district administration ‘fact-checked’ Anjum’s claims, calling them misleading and baseless. The Election Commission also shared this fact-check on X.

Claim I by Patna District Administration

In a press note, the Patna district administration stated that it had taken cognisance of the matter flagged by Anjum, and the district election officer-cum-district magistrate, Patna, had constituted a district-level investigation committee under the chairmanship of the deputy development commissioner, Patna. During the investigation, it was discovered that all the BLOs present in the video had been preparing a list of deceased/shifted voters of the respective assembly constituency. In addition, the press note claimed that the investigation confirmed that the enumeration form of deceased/shifteds voters was being verified by the BLO by writing ‘Death’ or ‘Shifted’ along with putting his signature.

The district administration also shared two such documents in which the signature of BLO Rani Kumari with the words ‘Death’ and ‘Shifted’ can be seen on the back of the voter enumeration form.

What We Found

Upon taking a closer look at the video uploaded by journalist Ajit Anjum on his YouTube channel, we observed that the BLO was not signing as herself. In fact, the male BLO was signing in the name of Shanti Devi. Furthermore, the female BLO was signing in the name of Chandra Prakash Sah. Therefore, the claim of the Patna administration that the BLO was verifying the enumeration form of dead/shifted voters by writing ‘Death’ or ‘Shifted’ and signing the forms seems to be misleading.

Claim II

After the first claim was proven wrong, the Patna district administration issued a new statement. In this response, they cited the death certificate of the deceased Chandra Prakash Sah and stated that it had also verified the information about the voter named Shanti Devi being deceased. It claimed that the BLO had verified that both of these individuals were dead by writing ‘Death’ on their forms and putting their names (the deceased person’s) in the signature column.

What We Found

It is worth noting that in the first document issued, the Patna district administration showed that in the deceased/shifted voters’ enumeration form, the BLO’s signature was below the ‘Death’ or ‘Shifted’ remark. However, in the second statement issued by the district administration, it was claimed that the BLO verified that both the individuals in question were deceased by marking ‘Death’ and writing the deceased person’s name (read signature) in place of the voter’s signature. Two different formats for filling the enumeration forms of deceased voters in the same block seems suspicious and creates confusion. The two different statements by the administration seem to be hastily prepared, and are contradictory.

Along with this glaring discrepancy in the two statements, the other question that this response by Patna district administration raises is whether there is any legally accepted procedure where the signature of a deceased individual can be replaced by someone else writing the deceased person’s name in the signature box. In addition, it raises the question of whether a deceased person can even have a signature. Indian law considers the use of a signature of another individual in place of the concerned person in a document as forgery and treats it as a crime.

Claim III

In both its first and subsequent press notes, the Patna district administration claimed that all the BLOs seen in journalist Ajit Anjum’s video were preparing the list of deceased/shifted voters of their respective polling stations.

The Patna district administration also released a video of a female BLO speaking on the matter. In the footage, she can be heard saying that she was making a list of dead/shifted voters from the block.

What We Found

Another name appears in journalist Ajit Anjum’s video, that of Sanjay Kumar, son of Ramayan Yadav. It is seen in the video that Sanjay Kumar’s signature was being done on his form by the female BLO.

Alt News verified Sanjay Yadav’s details on the Election Commission website and found his name in the voter roll released by the body.

(For privacy reasons, we have redacted the address details of Sanjay Kumar and his father.)

Apart from this, journalist Meera Rajput from a YouTube channel named National Pillar and journalist Jyotish Chauhan from a YouTube channel named NUBT NEWS reached the scene and reported that Sanjay Kumar was, in fact, not deceased. They also shared a picture of Kumar and his father Ramayan Yadav with us.

Journalist Meera Rajput, who reached the scene to conduct a ground report, also shared with us the voter ID and Aadhaar cards of Sanjay Kumar and his father Ramayan Yadav. Kumar’s photo on his voter ID card and his EPIC number match the one seen in Ajit Anjum’s video. In addition to this, Alt News also independently verified that Sanjay Kumar is a resident of the same place, and has not shifted somewhere else.

To sum up, the claim made by the Patna district administration in its press note and alleged investigation stating all the BLOs present in journalist Ajit Anjum’s video were preparing the list of dead/shifted voters of their respective polling booths and adding their own signatures does not seem to be completely factual. This is because neither is Sanjay Kumar dead, nor has he shifted, whereas in the video it can be seen that BLO is signing Sanjay Kumar’s enumeration form on his behalf.

Change in Status of Sanjay Kumar’s Enumeration Form

On the night of July 18, Anjum posted some pictures raising questions on the Patna district administration. These pictures included the enumeration form of a voter named Sanjay Kumar on the BLO’s table and a screenshot of the status of his form, which showed that it had been submitted.

मेरी रिपोर्ट का खंडन करने वाले पटना DM के दावे की हकीकत जानिए.
DM के हिसाब से मेरे वीडियो में दिख रही BLO डेड वोटर की लिस्ट बना रही हैं . अब उसी वीडियो के शुरुआती हिस्से से कुछ स्क्रीन शॉट दे रहा हूं. संजय कुमार नाम से महिला BLO दस्तखत कर रही हैं . बगल में वोटर लिस्ट है .संजय… https://t.co/uDHV49c4lc pic.twitter.com/RbguJxiJ2h

— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) July 18, 2025

Alt News checked the status of Sanjay Kumar’s enumeration form through EPIC on July 18 itself. The result was as follows, “Your enumeration form has been submitted. Your name will appear in the draft electoral list to be published on 01.08.2025. If you have not yet submitted your document, please contact your BLO.”

When we checked the status of Sanjay Kumar’s enumeration form again through the same EPIC number before publishing this report, we noticed the status has now changed. The result shows, “Please contact your BLO”. This also confirms that after Kumar’s case was pointed out on social media, the district administration changed the status of the enumeration form of the said voter. The difference in the status of Sanjay Kumar’s enumeration form before and after can be seen in the graphic given below.

The post ECI and Patna admin’s rebuttal of Ajit Anjum’s SIR ‘exposé’ has several loopholes appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

UAE’s ‘new policy’ for Golden Visas leaves Indian media red-faced: How it all started

Ankita Mahalanobish — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:08:34 +0000

In the first week of July, several media outlets misreported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was introducing a new nomination-based Golden Visa. According to these reports, Indians could enjoy long-term residency in the UAE by paying a fee of AED 100,000 or Rs 23 lakh.

The Golden Visa programme was launched in 2019 and allows foreigners the right to live and work in the UAE for long periods (five or 10 years) with renewal options. Designed for investors, entrepreneurs, and highly skilled individuals, this visa requires sizeable investments into the country. In 2022, the UAE reduced the minimum property investment requirement to AED 2 million, broadening access to more applicants.

On July 7, 2025, multiple media outlets, including PTI, Indian Express, The Hindu, Times of India, Republic, India Today, Business Standard, Hindustan Times, Outlook Business, Moneycontrol, Zee Business, Times of Oman, CNBCTV18, Moneylife, Mint, India TV News, Gulf News and others, published reports on this new policy. The reports claimed the UAE government launched a new nomination-based Golden Visa and India and Bangladesh were selected for the first phase of ‘testing’ this visa. The report alleged that a UAE-based consultancy, the Rayad group, was “chosen to test the initial nomination-based golden visa in India”.

What unfolded the next day was embarrassing.

On July 8, 2025, the UAE government’s federal authority for identity, citizenship, customs, and port security (ICP) refuted these media reports. Calling it a “rumour,” the ICP clarified that there is no new policy that confers citizenship upon paying a fee. The government also urged “individuals wishing to visit, live, or invest in the UAE not to respond to inaccurate rumours and false news” and advised referring only to “official sources” for such procedures.

UAE’s ambassador to India, Dr Abdulnasser Jamal Hussain Mohammed Alshaali, also shared this clarification on his Instagram account on July 8.

So how did so many media outlets get it wrong? Where did this “rumour” originate from, and could it have been avoided?

Tracing the Trail

The first report on this was by news wire agency Press Trust of India (PTI) on July 6, subsequently republished by other outlets. While the report claimed that the UAE government had launched the new visa, it attributed much of the information in it to a single source—Rayad Kamal Ayub, the managing director (MD) of Rayad Group, a consultancy firm that also handles immigration applications. The visa allows family sponsorship, domestic staff, and business freedom, and, unlike property-based visas, it remains valid permanently, Rayad Kamal Ayub was quoted as saying.

These reports, citing the Rayad group’s MD, said that applicants for the nomination-based Golden Visa would undergo thorough background checks, including for money laundering and criminal history. They would also undergo social media screening carried out by the Rayad group. The ‘assessment’ would evaluate the applicants’ potential contributions to sectors such as culture, trade, or startups. However, it said, after these thorough screenings, the UAE government would take the final call.

Citing “beneficiaries and people involved in the process”, PTI reported that the new nomination-based visa policy would allow some Indians to enjoy the UAE’s Golden Visa for life by paying a fee of AED 1,00,000 (roughly Rs 23.3 lakh).

However, it wasn’t clear who the people involved in the process were. While these reports all hinted that the UAE government was introducing the new policy, there was no mention of an official statement by the concerned UAE ministry, nor were any government officials quoted. It seemed like the report was published based on the Rayad group’s claims without any verification from official authorities.

A quick keyword search on Google confirmed this. We located a press release that likely sparked the ‘news’ reports.

However, this release, issued by VFS Global—an agency that handles passport and visa applications—was deleted. We found an archived version of this. The PDF can be accessed here.

View Fullscreen

Several points from this release have been mentioned in the PTI report. PTI’s report, however, went into more detail but quoted unnamed beneficiaries and the Rayad group’s MD. Conversations with a Dubai-based journalist revealed that while VFS Global is a well-known visa and passport agency, the Rayad group isn’t. Their website too does not give much detail about the company, its founders or others in the leadership besides the MD. The copyright on the website indicates that it was made recently, and we also found some language-related issues and typos in it. All in all, besides its tie-up with VFS Global, there’s little on the Rayad group that makes it a credible source of information.

On July 9, the group took “full responsibility” for the confusion and told the Khaleej Times that “the initiative in question was part of an exploratory collaboration between the Rayad group and licensed partners specialising in immigration services.” It also said that the effort was aimed at assessing the feasibility of providing advisory support for Golden Visa applications to eligible individuals.

“We take full responsibility and remain committed to ensuring that all future communications are clear, accurate, and fully aligned with the UAE’s stringent regulatory framework,” it added

Further, it said that public comments made by Rayad group’s MD “were misplaced and have contributed to the misinterpretation of our role and the nature of the initiative in question. These statements did not accurately reflect our intent, our scope of services, or the limitations of our authority in relation to the UAE Golden Visa programme. To reiterate with full clarity: no guaranteed visa, fixed-price programme, or lifetime UAE residency product currently exists, and the Rayad group does not offer, support, participate, or endorse any such arrangement.”

“Due to the confusion caused, the Rayad group is discontinuing private advisory services for Golden Visas,” the publication reported citing the the group’s statement.

Meanwhile, VFS Global group released a separate statement to Khaleej Times on Wednesday, clarifying that its role was “strictly limited to informing interested individuals about the services.”

The company explained that it had entered into a non-exclusive referral agreement with Rayad group, under which it was authorised solely to receive enquiries from individuals interested in the UAE Golden Visa scheme.

“Our involvement was limited to sharing information about Rayad group’s services and referring interested individuals to them,” the statement read. “It was solely Rayad group’s responsibility to assess these profiles and forward them to the relevant UAE authorities for eligibility determination.”

Could This Have Been Avoided?

Yes. By simply verifying or cross-checking with official authorities or waiting for a government statement on it. A press release of an initiative by a not-so-credible business entity about whom little is known was published by credible Indian news agencies without making additional checks. Worse, even those who did not publish this initially republished based on other outlets’ reports.

Also, at first glance or mention, the visa policy should have set some alarm bells ringing because with the growing influx of Indians migrating to UAE, the offer sounded too good to be true. It does not pass a basic logical evaluation test.

The widespread misreporting shows a striking lack of due diligence by media outlets, many of which have still not corrected these stories or issued clarifications.

The post UAE’s ‘new policy’ for Golden Visas leaves Indian media red-faced: How it all started appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

High TAXES, Low Returns: Where’s the VALUE? #CA #WildFires #losangeles #ViceNews #SSHQ

VICE News — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:01:24 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Viral images of Ajay Devgn and Shahid Afridi are from 2024 legends’ cricket tournament

Ankita Mahalanobish — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:15:55 +0000

Even as a veterans’ cricket match scheduled on Sunday between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) was cancelled, images of actor Ajay Devgn engaged in a seemingly light-hearted conversation with former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi went viral on social media with the Bollywood actor facing a lot of flak. Devgn is one of the main promoters of the tournament. The match was cancelled in view of “current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan”.

X handle Voice of Hindus (@Warlock_Shubh) posted the picture on July 20, 2025, slamming Devgn for talking to “terrorist Shahid Afridi”. (Archive)

You can’t trust on any Bollywood celebrities, Now Ajay Devgan is talking with Pakistani terrorist Shahid Afridi.

Any words for these celebrities! pic.twitter.com/QACPFZ6t7g

— Voice of Hindus (@Warlock_Shubh) July 20, 2025

The post has garnered over 2 Lakh views.

Another verified user, Roshan Rai, shared the same set of photos, and wondered why ‘sanghis’ were silent on “IT Cell Fav Ajay Devgan enjoying” with Afridi.

Devesh Pandey (@iamdevvoffical), who claims to be a journalist, shared the images on X and called for boycotting Devgn’s new movie.

Several other X-users have made similar claims while sharing the images. A few of them can be seen in the gallery below. Many of them are verified users.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

A simple keyword search on X led us to several posts from July 2024.

Click to view slideshow.

X handle Saif Ali Moon, for example, uploaded one of the now-viral images on July 6, 2024 and used #WCL2024 in the caption.

ajay devgn is meeting shahid khan afridi in Birmingham England before the start of play between pak vs ind #WCL2024 #WCL #PakistanCricket #PakvsInd #PAKCvsINDC #INDCvsPAKC pic.twitter.com/mazJoSJGVC

— SAIF ALI MOON (@cric_info_saif) July 6, 2024

To corroborate this further, we looked for news reports from July 2024 covering the match. We found several reports confirming the brief interaction between Ajay Devgn and Shahid Afridi before the India-Pakistan match in WCL 2024.

The News International, a Pakistani media outlet, reported on July 7, 2024, that videos and pictures of Ajay Devgn and Shahid Afridi having a pleasant conversation prior to the match at Edgbaston Stadium were heavily shared on social media. Fans had shown excitement over a “rare occurrence” of camaraderie between prominent figures of “neighbouring countries in one frame”.

The report has a video embedded in it, which has the same visuals that are currently viral. A comparison is shown below for a better understanding.

On July 6, 2024, ANI also reported that Ajay Devgn had been seen having a brief interaction with former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi.

To sum up, the images of Ajay Devgn and Shahid Afridi that are currently viral on social media date back to July 2024, during the WCL match in Birmingham, England, between India and Pakistan.

The post Viral images of Ajay Devgn and Shahid Afridi are from 2024 legends’ cricket tournament appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 21, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 21, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Leadership Failures COST LIVES #CA #WildFires #DWP #infrastructure #losangeles #ViceNews #SSHQ

VICE News — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:00:38 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

UN News Today 21 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:53:48 +0000

Terror and chaos for Gaza’s people now entering the ‘death phase’ Syria crisis: Aid reaches Sweida’s displaced for first time DR Congo moves a step closer to peace as agreement is signed

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

AI doesn’t have it’s own POINT OF VIEW #ai #artists #art

VICE News — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 13:00:21 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

“ICE out of Dena!”: CA community FIGHTS BACK against #ICE terror

The Real News Network — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 20:47:40 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Alt News finds Punjab police’s X account shared & deleted contentious post alluding to George Floyd’s killing; police deny

Oishani Bhattacharya — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 15:34:41 +0000

The Punjab Police has drawn flak on social media over a controversial post allegedly shared on its X account (@PunjabPoliceInd). The post (reportedly made on July 18, 2025) had an animated image of a light-skinned cop with the Indian tricolour over his face pinning down a dark-skinned man with the Pakistani flag. The police officer’s knee is seen on the neck of the man on the ground. The caption reads, “If you are caught with this flag, be prepared to suffer the consequences”. Social media users shared screenshots of the post, claiming the Punjab Police deleted it after it came under fire:

While sharing similar screenshots, many X users expressed anger that an Indian law enforcement authority was endorsing something so controversial and brutal to intimidate. The image bears an uncanny resemblance to George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis, United States.

On May 20, 2020, 46-year-old African-American George Floyd, unarmed and handcuffed, was pinned to the ground by three officers for using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a convenience store. One of the officers, Derek Chauvin, a White man, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, resulting in his death. Floyd’s killing triggered large-scale protests against racial injustice and police brutality against Black people in the United States. These protests snowballed into the Black Lives Matter movement. After the incident, four former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty of charges including murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

On July 18, X user Joy (@Joydas) posted the screenshot and wrote: “This is an actual tweet by Punjab Police India. They chose an image which depicts the worst racism and police brutality in the US to score a point…” (Archive)

This is an actual tweet by Punjab Police India. They chose an image which depicts the worst racism and police brutality in US to score a point. This image was viral worldwide to represent Police Atrocity but Punjab Police thought this is what they stand for pic.twitter.com/o8pBtliDPJ

— Joy (@Joydas) July 17, 2025

Meanwhile, some users, whose X posts show a clear alignment with the Right-wing, made light of it and praised the Punjab police.

Another X user ,@BeingPolitical1, whose profile activity shows that they often promote pro-Right content, shared the same screenshot with a caption saying that the Punjab police has given “woke” people and Leftists something to rant about. (Archive)

This user has been called out by Alt News for spreading misinformation several times in the past.

Kal pure din Woke, leftist aur LKFC ko rr krne ka content de diya hai punjab police ne pic.twitter.com/lctpsncRgX

— Being Political (@BeingPolitical1) July 17, 2025

We also came across a post from X account Gianna Floyd (@GFloyddd12), which is also the name of George Floyd’s daughter. This account had posted the viral screenshot with the caption, “Appalled to see this vile post from the official handle of the Indian police. It’s deeply disrespecting to my late father, his family, and the millions of Americans who stood in solidarity with him. The Floyd family is at loss for words”.

However, Alt News found little evidence to support that this account is actually related to George Floyd’s family. The account was created in December 2024 and there are only three posts—all made on July 18. Besides the above X post, the other was a tribute to George Floyd by a now 17-year-old Keedon Bryant and the most recent post thanked Pakistani handles for being supportive about “her father”. We also noticed that the user @GFloyddd12 follows no one but is followed by 183, many of these followers seemed to be Pakistan-based accounts.

Many other X users also shared the screenshot of the post, claiming that the Punjab police shared and later deleted the controversial post.

Click to view slideshow.

So, did the Punjab Police share this?

‘Post Deleted’

To confirm whether @PunjabPoliceInd actually made this post, we first checked all posts made by the account between July 16 and 18. According to the viral screenshot, the post was made at 1:36 am on July 18, 2025. There were 12 posts shared by the page within that timeframe, but none of them included the viral graphic.

This meant that either no such post was made or that it was made and later deleted.

To check if any such post was deleted, we looked at all replies to @PunjabPoliceInd posts between 1:30 am and 2:00 am on July 18, since most accounts that reshared or responded to the alleged post had done so in this time frame.

Note that even if an X post is deleted, replies to it are visible unless users delete these responses themselves.

We noticed that within this window, several users had commented on one deleted post by the Punjab Police. Majority of the comments mentioned Pakistan, while some mentioned George Floyd. Many social media users had expressed displeasure with the content of the post. This allowed us to find the URL of the deleted X post, but since it was not archived before deleting, we could not immediately check whether this was the contentious post.

Click to view slideshow.

While looking at those who replied and shared screenshots, we came across X user Gul Khan (@ilaqaghair), who had also shared a screen recording accessing the post by the Punjab Police’s X account when it was live. In the video, the user can be seen clicking on the @PunjabPoliceInd handle directly from the post, which leads to their official handle.

Here is the screen recording for you. The first tweet isn’t made up, they posted it from the official Punjab Police India account, but later deleted it. https://t.co/XCUoefArPT pic.twitter.com/t2naTBIm79

— Gul Khan (@ilaqaghair) July 18, 2025

Alt News reached out to @ilaqaghair to verify the authenticity of the screen recording. We also accessed the video’s metadata and were able to ascertain that the video was recorded on the user’s device.

We asked them to capture another video showing the metadata of the screen recording, which has been added below. At the 00:14-minute mark, the date and time are visible: July 18, 12:22 pm Gulf Standard Time (GST)—1:52 pm IST.

Alt News also contacted X user @Joydas, who had posted a screenshot of the Punjab Police post on July 18 at 2:03 am. He shared several screenshots of this post captured at different times from the Punjab Police’s timeline. One of the screenshots showed the Punjab Police responding with a red cross emoji to a user who had commented under the viral graphic using the Pakistani flag emoji. We also examined the metadata of these screenshots and were able to verify that the screenshots were genuine and that such a post was made.

These findings indicate that the Punjab Police account posted the graphic with references to George Floyd’s murder and deleted it later. We found many quote-shares of the deleted post.

Click to view slideshow.

Police Deny Sharing Post

Alt News reached out to the Punjab Police to verify whether such a post was made and deleted. A source close to the state police’s social media team denied making any such post on X. However, this person, who requested anonymity, was unable to give us information on the X post deleted on July 18.

We then reached out to Amit Prasad, the Additional Director General of Police (counter intelligence), who is the nodal officer for the Punjab Police’s social media. Prasad also said they made no such post. “Why would we do such a thing?” he said. On being told that there are several screenshots and that we have procured a verified screen recording that shows otherwise, he said that they are examining the issue. While he reiterated that the post was not made by the police, he made no mention of the X account being hacked or compromised.

Violent AI-Generated Imagery

While investigating the screenshot, we noticed a ‘Grok’ watermark in the bottom-right corner. So, the image was created using X’s AI tools.

To investigate further, we tagged Grok under one of the screenshots and asked if the graphic was generated by it. The X chatbot responded with: “The watermark indicates the image was generated using my AI image tools, accessible to users on X Premium. Anyone could have prompted it — I didn’t create or provide it to Punjab Police, and I don’t endorse its insensitive use.”

Grok’s terms prohibit generating content on illegal, harmful, or abusive activities, including—critically harming or promoting critical harm to human life, including pro-terrorist activities; violating copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property law; violating a person’s privacy or their right to publicity; the sexualization or exploitation of children; espionage, hacking, defrauding, defamation, scamming, spamming, or phishing.

So, while Grok’s response aligns with its content policies, its AI tool seems to be capable of generating violent and controversial imagery resembling real incidents if prompted, potentially contradicting its own guidelines.

Based on these findings, Alt News was able to confirm that the contentious post was shared by the Punjab Police’s X handle and later deleted. We also now know that the imagery was generated using Grok’s AI tools. However, the police’s denial and the odd timing of the post raise questions on whether the account was compromised or the post was made erroneously. No statement has been issued by the state police so far.

The post Alt News finds Punjab police’s X account shared & deleted contentious post alluding to George Floyd’s killing; police deny appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Rick Rubin’s view on the SOURCE and SPIRITUALITY #spirituality #religion

VICE News — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:01:17 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Justice Department seeks to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts at Trump’s direction – July 18, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The post Justice Department seeks to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts at Trump’s direction – July 18, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 18 July 2025

daniel — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:49:58 +0000

Syria crisis: ‘Bloodshed and violence must stop’, urges UN human rights chief Volker Türk Aid cuts leave millions of vulnerable people without assistance: UN refugee agency Afghanistan returnees face a lack of food, work and discrimination, UN agencies warn

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by daniel.

MEDITATION opens your range of SENSITIVITY to what is around you #meditation #psychology

VICE News — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:01:01 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Claim that India has invented a ‘self-sustaining’ generator that runs for 700 years without power/ fuel is fabricated

Prantik Ali — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:01:56 +0000

On social media as well as messaging platform WhatsApp, many shared a video of a ‘self-sustaining’ magnetic power generator with claims that it can run for 700 years without any power supply or fuel. Hailing this as one of the biggest achievements of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, those sharing this claim also said that the invention has thrown global superpowers, such as the US, China, and Russia, into disarray.

X user @mRupeshVerma posted the video with the viral claim on July 8, 2025, highlighting remarkable inventions under Modi’s tenure as Prime Minister. (Archive)

#विपक्ष_की_बौखलाहट
यह है मोदी सरकार के 11 वर्ष के कार्यकाल की एक और सबसे महत्वपूर्ण उपलब्धि अब आप अपने जीवन मे कभी भी अंधेरा नही देख सकेंगे अब कभी लाइट बंद नही होगी और ना ही लाइट जायेगी मोदीजी है तो सबकुछ मुमकिन है pic.twitter.com/dHDrxLEdvM

— RV || The Engineer || 𝕏 (@mRupeshVerma) July 8, 2025

The video was also viral on Facebook with similar claims. Screenshots below:

Click to view slideshow.

Alt News also received multiple requests on its WhatsApp helpline (+91 76000 11160) to verify the video and the claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To check the authenticity of the claims, we ran a keyword search to look for any verified media reports on the invention, but found none.

Thereafter, we ran a reverse image search on one of the key frames from the viral video, which led us to this YouTube video, uploaded in March 2007.

According to the caption, the video demonstrates the ‘Searl effect’.

Taking cue from this, we ran a relevant keyword search and found that the device seen in the video, developed by John Searl, is a Searl Effect Generator (SEG). It uses rotating magnets arranged in a ring to generate energy by harnessing electrostatic charges from the atmosphere. This was developed in the 1940s.

Notably, this invention was critiqued for its use of ‘fraudulent science’. Many allege that the SEG’s magnetic phenomenon has not been constructively demonstrated or tested.

Thus, claims that India invented a magnetic generator under the Modi government are baseless and fabricated. No credible media outlets have reported this. Besides, the device shown in the video shared with the viral claim is a Searl Effect Generator (SEG), a controversial invention by John Searl in the mid-20th century.

The post Claim that India has invented a ‘self-sustaining’ generator that runs for 700 years without power/ fuel is fabricated appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

ICE ripped their mom from their arms and took her in an unmarked car

The Real News Network — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 05:29:42 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 17, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 17, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Inside LA’s Wildfire Crisis & Political Fallout ft. Karen Bass | Shane Has Questions | Vice News

VICE News — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 16:00:07 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

UN News Today 17 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:25:40 +0000

DR Congo sees dramatic increase in sexual violence linked to conflict Ukraine: With no end to war in sight, UN launches $277 million winter appeal Peru amnesty for atrocity crimes ‘violates international standards’, claim top rights experts

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

After Cong leader Pappu Yadav stopped from entering Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi’s car in Bihar, old video of him crying viral

Prantik Ali — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:51:40 +0000

A video of Lok Sabha member Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav, breaking into tears is being widely shared on social media. In the video, a crying Yadav, sitting in a car, says, “Humpe hamla kiya gaya hai” (I have been attacked). At this point, a reporter asks what happened, to which Yadav replies, “Sir ye ladne ke liye jaa rahe thhe. Jis tareeke se maara main bata nahi sakta…” (These people were going there to fight. The way they have beaten, I can’t describe it.).

The video went viral after many claimed that Congress leaders Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar were snubbed at a rally in Bihar on July 9. The two were reportedly stopped by security personnel from joining Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav in his vehicle. Yadav later clarified that it was not an ‘insult’ but part of security protocols.

X user @Bitt2DA posted the viral clip on July 9. (Archive)

पप्पू यादव की आँखों में आँसू क्यों है ??

किसने इसकी बेइज्जती की है ? कोई बताएगा pic.twitter.com/MbXLASHUIg

— Hardik Bhavsar (@Bitt2DA) July 9, 2025

The video was also shared by X user @ajeetbharti. At the time this article was written, the post had gathered more than 375,000 views. (Archive)

किस तरीके से ‘मारा’ कि बता नहीं सकते! बाघ का करेजा का ये हाल है बिहार में? pic.twitter.com/a5DZ7F6guZ

— Ajeet Bharti (@ajeetbharti) July 9, 2025

The video was also shared by BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla. (Archive)

Bahut Bura hua Vro https://t.co/d29UJaigbU

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) July 9, 2025

Several other users on X, such as @krazyxuser, @voice_of_hindu2 and @PNRai1, among others, also shared the video with similar comments. (Archives: 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the narratives amplified on social media, we broke down the viral video into key frames and did a reverse image search on some of them. This led us to an article published by Zee News on September 6, 2018.

On September 6, 2018, Congress leader Pappu Yadav was attacked by Bharat Bandh supporters in the Sadar area of Khabra village, in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. He alleged that a group of demonstrators stopped his car, questioned him and the others in his vehicle, enquiring about their caste, and then went on to abuse and physically assault them. At the time, too, the video of Yadav in tears over the incident was viral.

Yadav had also posted about the incident on X in 2018. The translated text reads: “During the #SaveWomenMarch in Madhubani, our convoy was attacked by goons in the name of #BharatBandh, and workers were brutally beaten while being asked about their caste. Is there any governance in Bihar, or not!”

#महाजंगलराज का नंगा नाच#नारी_बचाओ_पदयात्रा में मधुबनी जाने के दौरान हमारे काफिले पर #BharatBandh के नाम पर गुंडों ने हमला किया,कार्यकर्ताओं को बुरी तरह जाति पूछ-पूछकर पीटा है। आखिर बिहार में कोई शासन-प्रशासन है, या, नहीं!CM @NitishKumar आप किस कुम्भकर्णी नींद में सोये हैं।

— Pappu Yadav (@pappuyadavjapl) September 6, 2018

Several news articles from that time by NDTV, ABP News, Aaj Tak, The Telegraph, and others also corroborated the incident.

Click to view slideshow.

We also found a longer version from which the now-viral clip was extracted. It was uploaded on September 6, 2018.

In this video, Pappu Yadav says that he was abused by the attackers, who may have even killed him if the guards weren’t around. He also claims that his phone calls to the police and chief minister went unanswered. After that, he breaks down in front of the cameras. The portion that is now viral begins around the 0:31-minute mark.

Thus, the video showing Pappu Yadav in tears while speaking to reporters is not recent, but from 2018.

The post After Cong leader Pappu Yadav stopped from entering Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi’s car in Bihar, old video of him crying viral appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Understanding Opposing POVs in a DIVIDED world #psychology #worldview

VICE News — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:01:23 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 16, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 16, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 16 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:30:16 +0000

UNICEF condemns mass killings in Sudan’s North KordofanGaza: Tens of thousands affected by latest Israeli displacement orderBelarus: Top rights experts call for investigations into prison deaths

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Iraqi Kurdish authorities arrest, severely beat 3 journalists, assault another

Lauren Wolfe — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:37:41 +0000

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, July 16, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iraqi authorities to investigate and hold to account the officers who arrested and severely assaulted four journalists in Iraq’s Kurdish region over the past week.

“The arrest, abuse, and intimidation of journalists in Iraq’s Kurdish region are deeply concerning and reflect a broader pattern of hostility toward press freedom,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director. “Authorities must investigate these incidents transparently and ensure that journalists can report safely and without fear of retaliation or violence.”

In the early hours of July 9, Kurdish security forces, known as Asayish, arrested three journalists in Rovia, a subdistrict of the northern city of Duhok’s Bardarash area. The journalists — Taif Goran, a reporter for opposition-linked NRT TV; his camera operator, Rayan Sidqi; and Rizgar Kamil, a reporter for Westga News — had traveled to Erbil’s Khabat district to cover clashes between security forces and tribal fighters. After all journalists were blocked from entering the area, they returned to Rovia to broadcast live and were detained. They were released the afternoon of July 10, after more than 25 hours in custody.

Taif Goran told CPJ that at around midnight, during a live broadcast, five Asayish vehicles arrived and officers beat and blindfolded the journalists. “We were tortured and beaten as much as they could and pressured to quit journalism,” he said. “Later, we were moved to Bardarash and held in solitary cells that had been used as toilets, in 35-degree (95 F) heat with no ventilation or water for hours.”

Goran said they were forced to unlock their phones, which were returned on July 15 with all their data erased.

Kamil told CPJ that officers beat the men during the arrest and again at the Asayish office in the city of Rovia. “They called us traitors and chaotic,” he said. “My phone was reformatted, and my back still hurts from the beating.”

On July 14, three security personnel assaulted Hersh Qadir, head of NRT’s Erbil office, while he was covering a protest in Erbil’s Ainkawa district. He told CPJ that a man in plainclothes identifying himself as an Asayish officer ordered him not to broadcast.

CPJ contacted the Bardarash Asayish by phone, where officials confirmed the arrests but denied any assault or torture, offering no further explanation.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Lauren Wolfe.

Man seen with Rahul Gandhi in viral selfie is not the judge who granted him bail but a lawyer

Oishani Bhattacharya — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:33:22 +0000

On July 15, 2025, a special magistrate court for members of Parliament (MPs) and Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) in Lucknow granted bail to Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi in a 2022 defamation case. Soon after this, a photo of him with a man in a black robe and white shirt with a collar—worn by those associated with the legal fraternity—began circulating on social media. The image was shared with claims that the judge who granted Gandhi bail was taking a selfie with him. While some raised concerns about fairness and whether judges should endorse politicians or fraternise with them, others (supporting the Congress) claimed that the judge took a selfie with Gandhi because he was convinced of his innocence.

Gandhi was booked for his comments about the Indian army during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022 that were allegedly derogatory. After missing the last five hearings in the case, he surrendered in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Alok Verma, who approved his bail. The Congress MP was also told to furnish two personal bail bonds of Rs 20,000 each and provide two sureties of the same amount for being absent in previous hearings.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell head, Amit Malviya, who has spread misinformation on several occasions in the past, was among those who shared the image on social media, claiming the man in black robes seen in the image was a judge. In his post on X, Malviya wrote, “This is the judge who is supposed to be hearing the case against Rahul Gandhi for insulting our Army and brave soldiers. He should immediately recuse himself.” Malviya later deleted his post.

National media panellist of the Congress, Surendra Rajput (@ssrajputINC), also posted the same image with a caption in Hindi that translates to: “This lone selfie of Shri Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi is enough to answer the countless allegations against him. Even the judge would only take a selfie if he truly believed in Rahul Ji’s innocence.” (Archive)

However, Rajput later updated the caption and removed the word “Judge”.

Several other X users such as @ravibhadoria, @MrSinha_, @JaipurDialogues, @arvindgunasekar, @ActivistSandeep, Congress spokesperson @priyanka81_INC, advocate and former AICC member @ashokbasoya, Congress Amroha district social media chairman @Afsarali190, journalist @arvindchotia, Congress UP state co-ordinator @akram_premiar, @AvkushSingh (who has often amplified pro-BJP content on X), were among those who posted the aforementioned image saying that it shows Gandhi with the judge who granted him bail in the defamation case. We also noticed that journalist Rohini Singh had reshared one of these posts.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

The same day, we found a post with the same image shared by X user @Delhiite_ claiming that the individual in the image with Gandhi is an advocate, not a judge, and that his name is Syed Mahmood Hasan.

He is a lawyer/Advocate not a Judge.
His name is Syed Mahmood Hasan. pic.twitter.com/JYQQoMjdX3

— زماں (@Delhiite_) July 15, 2025

We then did a Google search for Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma, who was the judge in the MP/MLA special magistrate court in Lucknow that granted the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha bail. We found his details and image on the Allahabad High Court’s website. As is clear from the screenshot of the web page attached below, Justice Verma is not the man seen in the viral photo with Gandhi.

Taking a cue from @Delhiite_’s post, we looked for a Syed Mahmood Hasan to verify whether he was the one in the photo with Gandhi.

We found Hasan’s X account, where his bio reads: “Syed Mahmood Hasan (Advocate), civil court, Lucknow high court, Lucknow bench, Lucknow”. However, the last post by Hasan on X was from May 25, 2020, wishing his followers for Eid.. The post also included a screenshot where he had shared his contact information.

Alt News reached out to Hasan, who confirmed that he was no judge but an advocate.

We also verified that the number we called was actually Hasan’s by double-checking his contact information on his advocate profile on the website soolegal.com. The last four digits of his contact number on the website matched the number we contacted.

Hasan’s pictures on his X profile also match the man seen with Rahul Gandhi in the viral image.

Additionally, if he were a judge, then there would be a record of judgments he passed. However, all records found under Syed Mahmood Hasan pointed to him being an advocate/lawyer.

We also came across a Facebook post made by Hasan where he clarified that he is not a judge, but an advocate.

Thus, claims that LoP Rahul Gandhi clicked a selfie with a judge are completely false. The man in the viral image is Syed Mahmood Hasan, an advocate.

The post Man seen with Rahul Gandhi in viral selfie is not the judge who granted him bail but a lawyer appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Think TWICE before having surgery #medicalnorms #surgery #health

VICE News — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:02:02 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Glass shards on Kanwar Yatra route: Delhi Police rubbishes sabotage, communal conspiracy claims

Oishani Bhattacharya — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:36:56 +0000

Glass shards strewn on a stretch of road in Dilshad Garden area in Delhi’s Shahdara district through which Kanwariyas were to travel on foot — footage of this took the social media space recently by storm with some BJP leaders and Right-wing handles smelling a conspiracy in this to disrupt a Hindu religious festival.

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of the Hindu deity Shiva in the month of Sawan, during which they walk barefoot to the Ganges carrying pitchers, fill them with water and visit a temple to pour the holy water on a Shiva lingam. The entire journey often takes several days.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena shard his concern over this on X and stated an FIR had been filed and the Delhi Police crime branch was looking into the matter. He also noted that “the road was cleaned within 2 hours by PWD.”

BJP Delhi vice president and cabinet minister Kapil Mishra, who has often been found making hateful and communal remarks against the Muslim community, posted about this on X claiming “some mischievous elements scattered glass pieces along the Kanwar Yatra route for nearly a kilometre.” (Archive)

दिल्ली के शाहदरा में कुछ शरारती तत्वों में कंवर यात्रा के मार्ग पर कांच के टुकड़े लगभग एक किलोमीटर तक के मार्ग पर बिखेर दिए

PWD और निगम के कर्मचारी मार्ग को साफ कर रहें हैं

स्थानीय विधायक संजय गोयल जी वहां मौजूद हैं

CM @gupta_rekha जी ने स्वयं घटना का संज्ञान लिया है

PWD…

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) July 12, 2025

PTI reported that BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva had said that the glass shards scattered on the road was a “pre-planned conspiracy” to disrupt communal harmony and that it appeared to be the work of “anti-social elements”. (Archive)

X user Raushan Sinha (@MrSinha_), who as been found amplifying misinformation and communal propaganda several times in the past. shared the viral clip on July 13 with a caption that indicated that someone had done this deliberately to disrupt the journey of the Kanwars. The mention of “Brotherhood, anyone?” in the tweet hints at the alleged involvement of members of the Muslim community, as the term “bhaichara” is frequently used by the Right Wing to mock secular beliefs. At the time of writing this report, the post has over 72,000 views and has been retweeted over 3,000 times. (Archive)

In Delhi, broken glass shards were found scattered along the Kanwar route.

A local Hindu leader claims this has been happening for the past two days…

Hindu devotees walk barefoot during the Kanwar Yatra…

Bhaichara, anyone..?? pic.twitter.com/ZQCQA35pHN

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) July 13, 2025

Several other users on social media, such as @KumaarSaagar, @ssaratht and propaganda handles such as @SudarshanNewsDL, @OpIndia_com, made the same claim — that the glass shards had been deliberately scattered across the route of the Kanwariyas to sabotage their pilgrimage. Below are a few instances. (Archives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the facts, we ran a relevant keyword search and found several relevant news reports. According to a report by the Hindu published on July 14, Delhi police had already made an arrest in this case based on an FIR filed by a junior PWD engineer at the Seemapuri police station on July 13. The person detained is an e-rickshaw driver who was seen on CCTV crossing the same route and carrying glass panels on his vehicle.

The report quoted a police officer saying that the driver was transporting 19 glass panels in his e-rickshaw from Shalimar Garden, Uttar Pradesh, to north-east Delhi’s Seelampur. The glasses fell and broke while he was on the way.

On X, ANI directly addressed Kapil Sharma’s tweet and posted a response by Delhi Police, which said that glass panels had broken when an e-rickshaw was carrying 19 of them from Shalimar Garden to Seelampur. The driver, identified as Kusum Pal, had been detained.

Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra posted on ‘X’ that broken glass pieces were found on a road in Dilshad Garden on the Kanwar Yatra route.

Delhi Police say, “A case was registered on July 12 based on a complaint by a junior engineer (JE) of the Public Works Department (PWD). The…

— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2025

Alt News reached out to a senior police officer at Seemapuri police station to confirm whether their investigation had revealed any angle of sabotage or conspiracy, and the police officer categorically denied the same. “There is no communal or sabotage angle in this case. The glass panels accidentally fell and broke into pieces while he (the driver) was transporting them,” the police officer said.

We also came across a news report by the Indian Express which, too, had identified the e-rickshaw driver as Kusum Pal.

Hence, the assertion that the glass shards found on the road in Delhi’s Shahdara were deliberately scattered to cause harm to the Kanwariyas or that it was a communal conspiracy is completely false.

The post Glass shards on Kanwar Yatra route: Delhi Police rubbishes sabotage, communal conspiracy claims appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

‘Overstepping threshold of freedom of speech’: Cartoonist under fire over edited toon gets interim relief

Oishani Bhattacharya — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 08:17:50 +0000

On July 15, the Supreme Court granted Indore-based cartoonist Hemant Malviya interim relief from arrest. The top court’s direction comes a day after it reproached the cartoonist over an “inflammatory” caricature by him of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Malviya had approached SC after the Madhya Pradesh High Court denied him anticipatory bail in the case.

The relief came after Malviya submitted an apology and deleted his social media post featuring the toon.

Malviya has been charged after a cartoon by him on COVID-19 vaccines featuring PM Modi and the BJP’s parent organisation, RSS, was edited by a social media user with allegedly objectionable commentary on the caste census. Malviya had reshared the post on May 1, 2025, after which a case against him was registered at Indore’s Lasudiya police station by an RSS worker under several sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The First Information Report (FIR) names him under sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 302 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace), 353(3) (with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000—punishment for publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts in electronic form. Except BNS section 352, the others are non-bailable offences.

The ‘Inflammatory’ Edited Cartoon

The cartoon that has landed Malviya in trouble shows a man dressed in a white shirt and khaki shorts, similar to the RSS uniform, pulling down his shorts and a bearded elderly man, bearing resemblance to PM Modi, gives him an injection on his backside.

The Hindi text on the toon translates to, “Oh, incarnation of Lord Shiva! Here’s my backside is here, give me such a strong dose of caste census that I forget all about Pahalgam, Waqf board”.

But here’s the twist. Malviya sketched the two characters in 2021 in an entirely different context. The Hindi text with references to Hindu god Shiva, the Pahalgam massacre, the Waqf amendments or the caste census were not part of his creation.

According to popular political cartoonist Manjul (@MANJULtoons), whose satirical, tongue-in-cheek political sketches have also been flagged by Indian law enforcement authorities on X, the toon that has landed Hemant Malviya in trouble wasn’t exactly created by him.

“He created the sketch in 2021 in a different context, and someone else altered the text and posted it in the comments, and the same was brought to Hemant’s notice by a friend. Hemant found it funny, so he simply reposted that image,” Manjul told Alt News.

Hemant Malviya’s original cartoon, posted on Facebook on January 6, 2021, actually carried very different text next to the sketch. In English, it translates to: “Hey, why are you scared? Serum’s Poonawalla has said that the vaccine is basically water. You won’t die due to side effects of water”.

Published when the government had approved COVID-19 vaccines while the pandemic was raging, the cartoon pertains to a comment made by Serum Institute of India’s CEO, Adar Poonawalla. In a TV interview on January 3, 2021, Poonawalla had said that there were only three vaccines with proven efficacy—Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s— and the rest were “safe, like water”. The Serum Institute of India makes Covishield, based on the Oxford-AstraZeneca formula. Many believed that Poonawalla was targeting Covaxin, manufactured by rival Bharat Biotech.

Notably, this toon had Malviya’s signature, which was removed from the recently edited version that landed him in trouble.

Alt News also accessed screenshots of Facebook comments where users shared the original cartoon with edited text, referring to Pahalgam, Waqf amendment and the caste census and attributing it to a “Shiva avatar”. We were unable to determine the exact date of the comment, but it was likely posted on or the day after April 30, considering that’s when the government announced the inclusion of caste in the upcoming decennial Census.

Who is to Blame?

On May 1, 2025, Malviya reposted the edited cartoon (made by someone else and shared in his post’s comments), adding, “Everyone is free to use my cartoons with their name and commentary. My work is for the people, by the people and dedicated to the people. Whoever wrote this did a good job…”

So, while little is known about what action was taken against whoever edited Malviya’s work with their own text and interpretation, several serious offences have been slapped against the cartoonist for endorsing the edited cartoon. Note that this edited version of Malviya’s cartoon was publicly available even before he reposted it on Facebook.

Sources close to Malviya said that he was just tagged in a Facebook comment and reshared it. Thousands of his cartoons are on social media often reused by readers with their own captions, they said. They added that he was an amateur cartoonist, following in the footsteps of his father who was among the first cartoonists in Indore. The character in khaki shorts had been Malviya’s ‘common man’ figure since 2017. They added that this wasn’t the first time Malviya’s work came under fire.

In 2022, Malviya was summoned to the Kankhal police station in Haridwar after an associate of Yoga guru Baba Ramdev filed a report against his friend, who had shared his sketch featuring Ramdev and PM Modi.

‘Misuse of Freedom of Speech and Expression’

Interestingly, while denying him anticipatory bail on July 3, Justice Subodh Abhyankar of MP HC, who was hearing the case said that Malviya “clearly overstepped the threshold of freedom of speech and expression, and does not appear to know his limits”.

“In the considered opinion of this court, on the face of it, the conduct of the applicant in depicting the RSS, which is a Hindu organisation, along with the Prime Minister of this country in the aforesaid caricature, couplled with his endorsement of a rather demeaning remark, dragging unnecessarily the name of lord Shiva in the comments tagged to it, is nothing but the sheer misuse of the freedom of speech and expression as enshrined under Art.19(1)(a) of the Constitution, and falls under the definition of offence as contended by the complainant,” the order reads [sic].

It added, “In the considered opinion of this Court, the post becomes more unsettling when the aforesaid derogatory lines involving Lord Shiva are also added to it… the applicant ought to have used his discretion while drawing the aforesaid caricature, and he has clearly overstepped the threshold of freedom of speech and expression, and does not appear to know his limits.”

Malviya then moved the Supreme Court. On July 14, a two-judge bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi took up his plea and asked his counsel, Vrinda Grover, if he was willing to delete the post. Agreeing to this, the counsel sought interim protection since the matter pertained to personal liberty and did not amount to an offence. She also argued that Malviya was over 50 and should be granted relief, to which the bench replied, “Still no maturity. We agree that it is inflammatory”.

The following day, a two-judge bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar granted the cartoonist interim relief after he submitted an apology and directed both parties to complete the pleading till the next date, August 15. During the hearing, Justice Dhulia remarked, “One of these posts is very, very offensive. What is happening today, this is all kinds of statements are being made. The language they use. There are some among the lawyer community also doing this”. He was reviewing social media posts made by Malviya, submitted by Additional Solicitor General, KM Nataraj.

Ire Against Satirists

The case against Malviya comes amid a seemingly growing intolerance for satire and political cartoons against the ruling party, its allies and associates. Historically, editorial cartoons have both attracted and evaded censorship owing to their cryptic nature, but serve as a powerful, critical tool to look at political regimes and current affairs, holding a mirror to society.

A prominent case was the arrest of cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who was booked under sedition charges for his sketches, which allegedly mocked the Indian constitution. Trivedi was arrested on September 8, 2012, under sedition charges for displaying sketches by him during the Anna Hazare movement in November 2011. The case was registered based on an FIR filed by Amit Katarnayea, a legal advisor for a Mumbai-based NGO, in December 2011, who said that the cartoons displayed by Trivedi were “derogatory” and depicted the National Emblem and the Parliament in a bad light. In protest, Trivedi refused to get himself a lawyer or even apply for bail. Later, the charges against the cartoonist were dropped after Advocate General Darius Khambata told the court that on taking a “closer look, it can be seen that there is clearly no case under section 124(a) of the Indian Penal Code for sedition”.

In 2021, editorial cartoonist Manjul, who has been actively talking about the case against Malviya on X, also received notices from X for his satirical, tongue-in-cheek political sketches, which had been flagged by Indian law enforcement authorities.

In February this year, the government at the Centre blocked Tamil news outlet Vikatan’s website for a political cartoon after BJP leader Annamalai lodged a complaint with the Union ministry of information & broadcasting and the Press Council of India, claiming that the cartoon was offensive. The cartoon showed PM Modi, shackled in chains, sitting next to US President Donald Trump. However, on March 6, a single-judge bench of Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madras High Court directed the I&B ministry to unblock Vikatan’s website once the ‘offensive’ cartoon was temporarily taken down. Justice Chakravarthy said, “…It is evident that the only issue in dispute is the offending caricature, and the entire website need not be blocked. The journal can remain accessible to the public and its subscribers. Therefore, the petitioner shall remove the offending page containing the cartoon, and the website shall be made operational immediately thereupon”.

Recently, comedian Kunal Kamra also came under fire for his satirical comedy that allegedly mocked Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde for switching sides. In 2022, Shinde, along with several other Sena MPs, left the party and allied with the BJP, throwing the then-coalition government into crisis and eventually leading to its downfall. Kamra was issued threats by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation workers, while Shinde’s supporters also vandalised the venue where he performed months ago.

The post ‘Overstepping threshold of freedom of speech’: Cartoonist under fire over edited toon gets interim relief appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Deadline looms for bill clawing back funds for foreign aid and public media; UC Berkeley chancellor defends free speech at House antisemitism hearing – July 15, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Clock ticking for Trump bill clawing back funds for foreign aid and public media;
House hearing on campus antisemitism targets UC Berkeley, Dem Ilhan Omar compares hearing to McCarthy witch-hunts;
UN reports child nutrition in Gaza doubled under Israeli restrictions;
UN says civilians in Ukraine coming under fire in record numbers as Russian strikes surge;
Tariff-driven inflation begins to show in rising costs for furniture, clothing, large appliances

The post Deadline looms for bill clawing back funds for foreign aid and public media; UC Berkeley chancellor defends free speech at House antisemitism hearing – July 15, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Kyrgyzstan tightens control over media with new false news laws

Lauren Wolfe — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:03:57 +0000

New York, July 15, 2025—President Sadyr Japarov signed amendments to the Kyrgyz Code of Offenses on July 8, introducing administrative penalties for spreading “false or unreliable” information via mass media or the internet — another in a series of ongoing moves toward cracking down on the country’s independent press. The law, whose signing was announced July 11, will go into effect in the third week of July.

The new regulations establish fines of 20,000 soms (US$230) for individuals, and 65,000 soms (US$740) against outlets found to have violated the law.

“The new law on so-called fake news is just one element of a broader legislative campaign under President Japarov aimed at restricting media, civil society, and public discourse in Kyrgyzstan,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Kyrgyz authorities should repeal the law and reverse their escalating legal assault on the independent press.”

The new false news legislation follows similar amendments that went into force in February. These introduced identical administrative fines for defamation and insult. In both cases, complaints are handled by the police and adjudicated in brief administrative court hearings, which journalists fear will allow authorities to swiftly fine media and avoid a thorough judicial review.

Since Japarov came to power in 2020, Kyrgyz authorities have dramatically expanded their arsenal of laws targeting the press while shuttering critical outlets and jailing journalists. A 2021 law empowers the government to extrajudicially block news websites for what it deems false news, and in 2024, Japarov enacted a Russian-style foreign agent law.

On June 25, parliament passed a controversial mass media that allows the government to determine which individuals and organizations are permitted to publish news. The law has sparked criticism from journalists and international organizations such as CPJ, which urged Japarov to veto the bill.

The president stated earlier this month that he has not yet reviewed the mass media law and will decide whether to sign or return it after careful consideration.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Lauren Wolfe.

‘Involved with a Muslim man?’ Radhika Yadav’s killing by father sparks flurry of misleading communal claims

Shinjinee Majumder — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:57:46 +0000

On July 10, 2025, 25-year-old Radhika Yadav was allegedly shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, in her own home in Gurugram. Yadav shot at her three times with his licensed revolver. The case has drawn national attention over the brutality of the alleged crime. However, following the incident, several social media users claimed that the ‘real reason’ behind Radhika’s death was her involvement with a Muslim man.

In 2024, Radhika, a promising state-level tennis player, featured in a music video alongside a Muslim singer. Many X accounts were quick to point this out with speculative claims that Radhika’s father killed her because he was unhappy that his daughter starred in a video with a Muslim. Some conjectured that her ‘relationship’ with a Muslim man made her father unhappy.

Among those who made such statements was X account @HPhobiaWatch. On July 11, a day after she was killed, the user posted, “Radhika father killed her because he was angry over she making reels with insta influencer Inamul Haq”. The user insinuated that Deepak Yadav should have killed the Muslim man instead. (Archive)

Radhika father killed her because he was angry over she making reels with insta influencer Inamul Haq

Still what purpose it will serve? Itna hi gussa tha to bulle ko jaake udaate. Usko koi aur mil jayegi reel banaane ke liye aur ye jail me sadegapic.twitter.com/XsGJI0lqvF https://t.co/tG2fiQkUGu

— Hindutva Knight (@HPhobiaWatch) July 11, 2025

Media outlet News24 also claimed that Radhika’s father was unhappy that she appeared in a video produced by a Zeeshan Ahmed. (Archive)

राधिका मर्डर केस : म्यूजिक वीडियो से गुस्से में था पिता

◆ ज़ीशान अहमद द्वारा प्रोड्यूस वीडियो में राधिका आई थी नजर #RadhikaYadav | Tennis Player Dead in Gurugram | Radhika Yadav pic.twitter.com/vsh6qKioX8

— News24 (@news24tvchannel) July 11, 2025

Another X user, @iiamkrshn, posted a ‘meme’ showing Deepak Yadav’s picture with the text “Bulle se shadi karke vaise hi marne wali thi, Pahle hi maar dia toh kya galat kiaa”. (“She was going to die anyway after marrying a Muslim, what’s wrong with killing her first?”)

Note that ‘Bulla’ is an alternative term to refer to Muslims in place of the derogatory slur ‘Mulla‘, which is more prone to getting flagged under X’s community guidelines. (Archive)

Chad Deepak Yadav pic.twitter.com/74zwiy6cY7

— कृष्णा (@iiamkrshn) July 11, 2025

X account @KreatelyMedia and @SaffronSunanda, both of which have been flagged by Alt News for misinformation and posts inciting communal hatred several times (see here and here), also shared similar claims. (Archives 1, 2)

Click to view slideshow.

X user @dudeitsokay urged his followers to be like Deepak Yadav, who, the user claims, ‘did the right thing’ after he found out his daughter was ‘nachaniya‘ (dancer) and a ‘honda sherni‘. The latter term is possibly a crude distortion of Hindu sherni or lioness and could refer to women who seemingly conform to Hinduism but are actually secular and indulge in interfaith relationships. (Archive)

> be deepak yadav
> provided education to his daughter
> gave her freedom & evrything
> found out she was a nachaniya + honda sherni
> did the right thing pic.twitter.com/KEBZ67USqC

— Idc. (@dudeitsokay) July 11, 2025

Several other X accounts shared similar claims that the reason for Radhika’s killing was her involvement with a Muslim. (Archives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Several news outlets reported that Deepak Yadav disapproved of Radhika’s tennis training career and could not stand his daughter’s success “as she gradually climbed the ranks internationally in the doubles category”.

The Gurugram police said that Radhika used to train aspirants by booking tennis courts at different places, which her father objected to. According to an Indian Express report, she was coaching many high-profile clients. During questioning, the father claimed that locals taunted him for being dependent on his daughter whenever he stepped out. It was later revealed that Deepak was financially well off with good rental income from various properties and was not dependent on his daughter’s earnings. However, he was upset with the taunts.

Another Indian Express report, citing the police, said that a dispute over this issue led Yadav to shoot his daughter. “He had asked her several times to stop running her academy,” a police spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Taking cue from the viral claims, Alt News found the full music video in which Radhika featured on Facebook. It was released by a production company called Little Lion Films on June 20, 2024, and the song was titled Karwaan, sung by Inaam Ul Haq. We also found Inaam Ul Haq’s Facebook profile, where he posted a statement clarifying the misleading rumours.

“…Yes, I had worked with Radhika. I had shared my music with her the Karwaan song, two Krishna bhajans, and Saware. Just like I’ve shared my songs with so many other artists — men, women, Hindu, Muslim, everyone. That’s the truth. That’s the only truth. But today, people are twisting that. They’re turning music into motive. They’re calling it love jihad. They’re giving it angles and meanings that break my soul… But today… it’s my own people who are questioning me without knowing anything about me,” the Facebook post read.

Even now… it still feels like I’m living in a dream.
Like all of this is just a nightmare.
That I’ll suddenly wake up……

Posted by Inam Ul Haq on Saturday 12 July 2025

In an interview with media outlet News18 India, Haq said that when he shared the final video with Radhika, she said her father loved the song. He also said that the shoot of the music video happened in the presence of Radhika’s mother. He said Radhika had deactivated her Instagram account after the song was released because she was busy with work.

On Instagram, too, Haq maintained that he had “only done a music video with her”, like he had with many others.

On July 13, Radhika’s friend Himaanshika Singh Rajput also addressed the viral claims regarding this being a case of ‘love jihad’ and said, “It was a normal music video that she had shot a year or 1.5 years ago, and her father himself used to drop her at the shoot location. She had done many other shoots too, but all that stopped because her parents were worried about judgment from others. There was always societal pressure, and her parents were very orthodox…”, Himaanshika said in a video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NDTV (@ndtv)

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the police are looking into the music video in which Radhika Yadav had played a part, but so far, they have found no link between the murder and the clip. In a video statement, Gurugram police’s public relations officer, Sandeep Kumar, said that the claims related to the music video were “rumours” and that nothing of this sort has been confirmed in the ongoing probe so far.

Alt News also reached out to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Sector 56 police station in Gurugram (where the case is registered) for further clarification on these claims. The SHO, Vinod Kumar, rubbished the communal claims that Radhika’s ‘involvement’ with a Muslim man was the reason for her killing. “Nothing of this sort is true… What is going on in their house, they would know. Others have no business saying such nonsense. No such thing (communal angle) has come to the fore. Whatever has come forth has been filed, and we have informed the PRO…” Kumar told Alt News.

Thus, the murder of tennis player Radhika Yadav has been given a misleading communal spin by several social media users. These users claimed that Deepak Yadav was unhappy with his daughter’s involvement with a Muslim man and therefore killed her. Some of them also went to the extent of justifying his actions. However, Alt News found these were unsubstantiated theories. So far, no such communal narrative has emerged in police investigation.

The post ‘Involved with a Muslim man?’ Radhika Yadav’s killing by father sparks flurry of misleading communal claims appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

UN News Today 15 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:52:26 +0000

Gaza: 875 people confirmed dead trying to source food in recent weeksNo let-up in occupied West Bank killings linked to settlers and Israeli militaryUkraine: Civilians under fire in record numbers as attacks surge

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Man stoned to death in Dhaka streets: Indian media misidentifies victim as Hindu

Ankita Mahalanobish — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:43:19 +0000

This story uses only screenshots and not the actual video in view of the graphic nature of the footage.

Multiple Indian media outlets, including PTI, NDTV, Republic, India Today, News 24, Live Hindustan, News24 NDTV World, Dainik Bhaskar, and WION reported on a disturbing video showing the lynching of a man in Bangladesh, identifying the victim as a Hindu trader named Lal Chand Sohag.

In the disturbing footage of the said incident, an individual is seen assaulting the victim with a stone slab, while another person is seen stomping and jumping over the body. All this takes place in broad daylight with a crowd of onlookers present. According to reports, the gruesome incident took place on July 9 in Rojoni Ghosh Lane near Mitford hospital in the old Dhaka. The barbarity of the attack, captured on video, triggered massive outrage in the neighbouring country with students from several universities staging protests in Dhaka.

On July 13, Republic published an article headlined, “Shocking! Hindu scrap dealer lynched with concrete slabs in Bangladesh; attackers dance on his body after death.” The report identified the victim as Lal Chand Sohag, a scrap vendor. Citing a report by Prothom Alo, it noted that the victim’s sister had filed a murder case with Kotwali police on Thursday.

India Today ran a PTI wire story stating that a Hindu trader was bludgeoned to death with a concrete slab, and that the attackers danced on his body after confirming he was dead.

Similar claims were made by several other Indian outlets. Screenshots of these reports are available in the gallery below.

It is worth noting that NDTV has since deleted both its tweet and the original article. Meanwhile, NDTV World, PTI, and WION have updated their reports, removing the term “Hindu” from the description of the deceased.

The claim that the victim was a Hindu was also amplified by social media users. Raushan Sinha (@MrSinha_), a far-Right influencer, shared the purported video on July 13 on X, claiming that “Atrocities against Hindus continue in Bangladesh”, as a Hindu trader was lynched by Islamists in broad daylight.

Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus (VHindus71) shared the video on X, urging world leaders to save Bangladeshi citizens from the “Jammat-backed government of Mohammed Yunus”.

Another X-account, MeghUpdates (@MeghUpdates), shared the video claiming that Islamists had killed and danced over the corpse of a Hindu trader in Bangladesh.

Sinha later deleted his post, whereas the post by the other two handles are still live.

Fact Check

A simple keyword search led us to several Bangladeshi news reports that identified the slain to be a 39-year-old scrap dealer, Mohammed Sohag, alias Lal Chand. This indicates that the victim is not a Hindu.

According to a report by Prothom Alo from July 12, Sohag was brutally beaten up and bludgeoned with bricks and stones before he was killed. After the assault, his clothes were stripped, and a few assailants were seen jumping over his corpse. Investigators and local sources indicated that the killing was a result of an extortion-related dispute.

The report names Lal Chand’s sister as Manjuara Begum, who filed the FIR with Kotwali police, naming 19 individuals as accused and listing an additional 15 to 20 unidentified suspects in connection with the lynching.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police, in a press release issued on July 11 evening, confirmed the arrests of two suspects — Mahmudul and Tariq — in the capital, whereas the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained two suspects from near the Ibn Sina Hospital in Keraniganj, involved in the murder of Md Sohag.

Alt News also located a fact-check report by a Bangladeshi government page, Chief Advisor’s Press Wing Facts. The page debunked the communal narratives shared by the Indian media outlets and clearly mentioned that the deceased man was named Mohammed Sohag, also known as Lal Chand, and he was a Muslim businessman. He was the son of Md Aiyub Ali and Aleya Begum. He was married to Lucky Begum and had a son named Sohan.

On Friday, Sohag was laid to rest beside his mother’s grave in his ancestral village of Bandargachhia, Ward 7, Dhalua Union, Barguna Sadar Upazila, following the funeral prayers (Salat al-Janazah).

Indian media outlets including NDTV, India Today, WION have falsely identified businessman Lal Chand, also known as…

Posted by CA Press Wing Facts on Sunday 13 July 2025

To sum up, the Indian media falsely reported that the man who was stoned to death on the streets of Dhaka was a Hindu trader. The slain man is a Muslim businessman named Mohammed Sohag, who was allegedly killed for not paying extortion money. There is no communal angle to the murder.

The post Man stoned to death in Dhaka streets: Indian media misidentifies victim as Hindu appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Breaking barriers with EXPERIENCE instead of just communication #communication #experience

VICE News — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:00:39 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Don’t go to Kashmir & Muslim majority areas, says Bengal LoP Suvendu amid new state BJP chief’s minority outreach

Shinjinee Majumder — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:21:58 +0000

BJP leader and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on July 10 urged Bengalis not to visit Kashmir owing to the northern state’s majority Muslim population. Adhikari’s comments came in response to Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s invitation to the people of West Bengal to visit Kashmir while speaking at the inauguration of a travel and tourism fair in Kolkata on the same day.

Adhikari said, “Koi Bangali Kashmir nahi jayega. Jahan Musalman abaadi zyada hai, main party affiliation mein nahi bolta hu, mai BJP ke MLA (hokar) nahi (bolta hu)… main jiss tareekein se Bitan Adhikary ji ka wife, Samir Guha ji ka wife ka aasun dekha na… mai unko sujhaav de diya. Bhai jahaan musalmaan abaadi hai, usmein mat jao… Kashmir jana hai toh Jammu jao. Kashmir jaana hai toh Jammu mein jao, jahaan musalmaan abaadi zyada hai, mat jao. Mat jao. Apne kapda khulke, aur sindoor dekh ke chunchun ke maara hai. Humara Himachal Pradesh hai jaiye na, Devbhoomi hai. Uttarakhand jaiyena, Jaiye Orissa jaiye…Pura desh ghumna chahiye humlogo ko… lekin Bangal mein mai personal mera mai ek sensible citizen hu, mai airport mein Bitan Adhikari ji ka wife aur Sameer Guha ji ka wife jo mujhe bataya aplogo ka saamne, aur unka jitna bhi aansu dekha hai na… Main Bangali logon (ko) bata raha hu, aap musalmaan jahaan hai zyada, mat jaiye. Jaan pehle. Apne jaan ko raksha kijiye, chhota chhota bachha ko rakhsa kijiye. Didi behen ko raksha (kijiye)…”

(Translation: No Bengali will go to Kashmir. I am not saying this from my party affiliation or as a BJP MLA… The way I saw the tears of Bitan Adhikari’s wife, Samir Guha’s wife… I suggested to them. Don’t go where there is a majority Muslim population… If you want to go to Kashmir, go to Jammu… If you want to go to Kashmir, go to Jammu, but don’t go to a place where there is a majority of Muslims. Don’t go. (They) took off clothes, and checked the vermilion (on the women’s foreheads), and killed selectively. We have Himachal Pradesh, go there, it is our Devbhoomi. Go to Uttarakhand, go to Odisha… We should travel the whole country.. I am a sensible citizen… I saw Bitan Adhikari’s wife and Sameer Guha’s wife at the airport, whatever they told me in front of you people… I have seen their tears. I am telling the Bengali people — do not go to a place which has a majority Muslim population. Life first. Protect your life, protect your children. Protect your sisters.)

#WATCH | Kolkata | On J&K CM Omar Abdullah inviting people of West Bengal to visit J&K, WB LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, “… No Bengali will visit Kashmir. I am saying this out of party affiliation, don’t visit places where Muslims are in the majority. Go to Jammu if… pic.twitter.com/Fn0IZ3KEQK

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2025

Hours before Adhikari’s comments, Abdullah had assured potential tourists from West Bengal that the J&K government had taken sufficient security-related steps after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. He also urged people to trust those who had been to Kashmir after the attack rather than believing “those sitting outside and making judgments without even knowing the place.” It is worth noting that on an average, 25-30% of Kashmir tourists are reportedly from Bengal.

In his remarks, Adhikari used the attack in Pahalgam to ‘warn’ Bengalis against visiting Muslim majority areas. Adhikari had met the families of two victims of the attack, Bitan Adhikari and Sameer Guha — both of whom were Bengali. The implications of Adhikari’s remarks are layered. In a statement after India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said that the terrorists “didn’t just want to traumatise victims and families to ‘send a message’, but targeted the economy in Jammu Kashmir, and attempted to provoke ‘communal discord’ in India, which failed.”

However, when the Leader of Opposition of West Bengal, a state that provides a significant fraction of tourism to Kashmir, urges the residents of his state to refrain from visiting due to the majority of Muslims, it furthers the communal narrative while also implicitly calling for an economic boycott of Muslims. This clearly amounts to religious discrimination and hate speech.

New Bengal BJP Chief’s ‘Muslim Outreach’

Interestingly, Adhikari’s comments come days after newly elected Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya spoke about the BJP’s outreach to the minority community in West Bengal. “Even if the Muslims do not vote for us, our development must and will reach their homes,” Bhattacharya said in an interview with India Today’s Insight. Before this, in a seeming departure from the party’s erstwhile political stance, Bhattacharya stated that his party was not against Muslims, and envisaged a West Bengal where Muharram and Durga puja immersion could be held side by side without communal clashes. This remark came at the very event where he was formally introduced as the state unit chief and in the presence of Adhikari.

In stark contrast to this, Adhikari has clearly said in the past the Bengal BJP MLAs had been elected by Hindus, while the Mamata Banerjee government was “a govt of Mollahs”. Addressing media persons outside the state assembly on February 17, 2025, Adhikari had said, “I, along with Agnimitra Pal, Biswanath Karak, and Bankim Ghosh, take pride in the fact that we won with Hindu votes — not with Muslim votes. BJP MLAs and MPs hold their positions today because of Hindu and ST votes… this government — a government of Mollahs, a government for Muslims… has targeted me. The chief minister is an appeaser of Muslims, an enemy of Hindus, leading a government that is nothing less than Muslim League 2.0…”

Again, in July 2024, while claiming that Muslims of West Bengal had not voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election, Adhikari called for putting an end to the party’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas’. Speaking to journalists after the party’s first working committee meeting following the poll results, he also called for doing away with BJP’s ‘minority morchas’.

When asked to comment on Suvendu’s remarks on Kashmir, Bhattacharya said, “I don’t know in what context our Leader of Opposition is saying this. The stone pelting in Kashmir has stopped, and after the Pahalgam incident, there is panic in the minds of the people. I don’t know under what situation he (Adhikari) has said this now, and I haven’t heard (what he said). Maybe he said it because he thinks Himachal Pradesh is more beautiful. There is no dispute in the party about this (the remarks).”

Bhattacharya has also called Adhikari’s controversial remarks on Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas a ‘personal stance’. One wonders whether it is the new state unit chief’s minority outreach agenda that made Suvendu sound the disclaimer on July 10 that he was not speaking from party affiliation.

Adhikari, once Mamata Banerjee’s protege, beat Banerjee from the Nandigram seat in the 2021 assembly polls by a margin of 1,956 votes. According to the 2011 census, Nandigram has a Muslim population of 40.32%, second to the Hindu population of 59.37%.

The post Don’t go to Kashmir & Muslim majority areas, says Bengal LoP Suvendu amid new state BJP chief’s minority outreach appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

Violence in the name of cows: The ‘animal welfare’ groups that beat up truck drivers in India

Pooja Chaudhuri — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:54:03 +0000

This story was originally published on Bellingcat and has been republished by Alt News as part of an editorial collaboration between the two organisations.

They describe themselves as “cow protectors” or “gau rakshaks” in Hindi. On social media, they often post about carrying out charitable work such as operating ambulances for sick or injured cows, feeding stray animals and distributing food to people.

But in the dark of the night, their work takes on a more violent edge. Multiple photos and videos show members of “cow protection” groups chasing, shooting at and beating up truck drivers they claim are “smuggling” cows for slaughter.

Stills from videos of a car chase (left), shooting at a truck (centre) and assaulting truck drivers (right). Source: Instagram/ @shivadahiya92, @gau_raksha_dalmathura and @parveenvashisth1414/

Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, the dominant religion in India. Many states in the country prohibit the slaughter of cows and have strict laws on the transportation, sale and purchase of cattle. These laws have become more stringent since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power in 2014.

The vigilantes attacking truck drivers tend to be closely aligned with hardline Hindu nationalist organisations, and a majority of their victims are Muslims. And while they claim to be doing this for the sake of the cows, in some of the videos, the animals can also be seen injured from vehicles overturning during aggressive chases.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told Bellingcat that cow protection has become part of the political agenda of leaders of the BJP and, in some cases, they have backed the alleged actions of the suspects “while the police have failed to take action against them”.

Alt News and Bellingcat found videos on social media showing violent assaults by members of five self-described animal welfare groups, mainly operating in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, where incidents involving cow-related violence have frequently been reported.

(Editor’s note: We are not sharing links to these videos to avoid amplifying content depicting violent attacks seemingly targeting minority groups. However, if you are a journalist or researcher interested in obtaining this dataset, please email inquiries@bellingcat.com.)

Some of the leaders of these vigilante groups, when we reached out to them, claimed that they were working closely with the local police. One even received an award for “cow and social service” from a cabinet minister, alongside police officers. Senior police officers from the districts that these groups operate in did not answer questions about alleged police support for the cow vigilantes when we could reach them.

While these groups most likely only represent a small fraction of the “cow vigilantes” in India, who have been reported on by the media and human rights groups in the country for years, our investigation sheds more light on how they informally work together to carry out mob violence against truck drivers.

Akhil Bharatiya Gau Seva Samiti (ABGS)

In a video uploaded in February this year, several men in cars are seen chasing a truck down a highway at night. A man from one of the cars pulls out a shotgun and fires at the truck. Police sirens can be heard in the background but law enforcement does not appear to interfere.

Still from the video of cars chasing a truck. Source: akhil_bharatiya_gauseva_samiti / Instagram

Akhil Bharatiya Gau Seva Samiti (ABGS), which uploaded the car chase video, is a trust – a non-profit organisation (NPO) formed to promote charitable activities. It was established in 2022, according to the Indian government’s non-profit database. ABGS is based in Vrindavan, Mathura district in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

While its day job may seem to be “animal welfare”, videos of its members terrorising truck drivers at night are routine and oftentimes, promoted by the trust itself.

ABGS’s president Bharat Gautam shared a post in November 2024 that shows a smashed-up car, with a sign for “Akhil Bhrataiya Gau Seva Samiti” on top of it, after what he described in Hindi as a “heavy encounter with cow smugglers”.

Bharat Gautam’s Instagram post describing a car chase that damaged an ABGS car; “Akhil Bhrataiya Gau Seva Samiti” written on the car in Hindi highlighted in red. Source: Instagram/ @team_bharat_gautam

Alt News spoke to Gautam, who said that cows are “not an animal”, but a mother figure in Hinduism.

Gautam claimed that his team works closely with Vrindavan police to save cows from being slaughtered for meat. “We either pass on the information we receive [about trucks transporting cattle] to the police and they accompany us in our pursuit or we patrol areas we know are frequented by cow smugglers,” he said, adding that the police register cases against the drivers based on complaints filed by his team once the vehicle is caught. Multiple calls by Alt News to the Vrindavan police station’s general line, as well as to the direct lines of senior police officials from the district, to request for comment on ABGS’s claims went unanswered.

“We help the administration but they can’t do everything so it’s also our duty to protect our religion, our mother,” said Gautam.

However, videos shared by his team reveal that the cows they claim to rescue are also frequently injured during their car chases. For example, a video from February last year shows a pick-up truck that had overturned apparently as a result of being pursued, causing the cattle inside to fall onto the road. The video shows three men sitting on the ground, looking gravely injured, and several people hitting them while posing for photos. Meanwhile, the cows can be seen sprawled on the side of the road, also apparently injured.

Click to view slideshow.

Gautam’s team operates in Uttar Pradesh, which is one of at least 20 out of 28 states in India that either partially or completely bans the slaughter of cows and the sale of beef. When Alt News asked Gautam about his team’s use of violence, he shifted the blame onto the truck drivers. “Cow smugglers collide with our cars … shoot at us,” he said.

ABGS’s headquarters are located in Vrindavan city’s Venkatesh Temple. When Alt News contacted the temple, they claimed to have no connection with the group. “We only rent out a space,” a temple staff member said.

Gautam told Alt News that the temple does offer some support to his team, including manpower and financial assistance. But he maintained that most of their work was self-funded and denied receiving any government aid or donations, despite the trust having appealed for donations on social media.

His “cow protection” activities have also won him recognition from the Uttar Pradesh government. In January last year, he received an award for “cow and social service” from a cabinet minister in the state. For this, he was congratulated in the presence of the district magistrate of Mathura city, who is responsible for maintaining law and order in the district, and Mathura police.

Bharat Gautam posing with the police with his award. Blurring by Bellingcat. Source: Facebook/ @bharat.gautam.3388

Multiple calls made to senior police officers in Mathura district went either unanswered or the officers did not comment when asked about the Mathura police’s relationship with Gautam and whether they supported cow vigilantism.

Team Sonu Hindu Palwal

While ABGS’s vigilante activities have been particularly visible on social media, our investigations found it is part of a network of local groups based in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. In a video uploaded on June 27, Gautam says that cow vigilantes have been working under the guidance of one “Sonu Hindu Palwal” the past five years.

In March, videos shared by ABGS and several related cow vigilante groups show cars chasing a truck, and two men being brutally beaten and kicked.

Bellingcat geolocated the incident to a location outside a police station in Beri in the state of Haryana based on the trees, lamp posts and a temple seen in one of these videos, posted by a member of “Team Sonu Hindu Palwal”.

Click to view slideshow.

Left: Screenshot from Instagram video by the account robin_singh_chattha, with Sonu shown in black; Right: Location on Google Maps in Beri, Haryana

This location matches reports of an attack that took place in Beri on March 9, where eight men were arrested after a police officer on the scene filed a complaint. The officer’s complaint stated that the mob shouted “we will not leave you Muslims alive today” while beating up the two men from the truck.

A man who goes only by one name, Sonu – his official name listed on court documents – was among the eight arrested. He operates a team named after himself called “Team Sonu Hindu Palwal”. Palwal is the district in Haryana state where his team primarily operates.

Sonu told Bellingcat that he is the Palwal district president of Gau Raksha Dal (GRD) – literally “cow protection” unit – an NPO established in 2012. The GRD is one of the largest cow protection networks in India, and its leader told Human Rights Watch in 2017 that the network’s volunteers have a presence in nearly every state.

When asked about the incident in Beri, Sonu said that while they were chasing the truck drivers, the truck collided with another car, and the passengers of that car beat up the truck drivers. “We were blamed”, he said – even though videos of the assault were shared by members of his own team.

Bellingcat also showed Sonu several videos posted by cow vigilante groups including Team Bharat Gautam that either tagged Team Sonu Hindu or mentioned them in their captions. These videos showed men surrounded by members of the cow vigilante groups, who were hitting them or otherwise treating them roughly. Sonu was personally seen posing for a group photo in one of these videos, even though he wasn’t shown assaulting anyone. When shown these videos, Sonu denied that his team beat people up.

The cow vigilante leader did not directly respond to our questions about what he thought about violence committed by members of his team, but said: “Do whatever you want. Our job is to save cows and we will continue to do so.”

The day after his arrest in Beri, videos of Sonu’s supporters celebrating his release began circulating on Instagram. He and others from his team were paraded in a car with garlands around their necks and a procession followed them while dancing to “Hindutva pop”, a genre of music associated with the Hindu far-Right which carries lyrics with anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Still from a video of celebrations after the release of Sonu (centre with garlands around the neck). Blurring by Bellingcat. Source: Instagram/robin_singh_chattha

The men beaten up by Sonu and his team in March were arrested after a counter-complaint under animal cruelty and cow protection laws was filed against them.

When Alt News called the police station’s number, the police personnel who answered did not seem to know whether the two men seen being attacked in the video were still in jail. One of them said that the case has been transferred to the crime unit but was unable to provide any details of the investigating officers.

However, bail orders for the two men who were beaten up, which Bellingcat found on the district court website of Palwal, indicated that they each spent at least two months in custody before being released on bail.

Alt News spoke to Sonu who said that his team is tipped off by “informants” whenever cows are being transported, receiving details such as the vehicle’s route and licence plate number.

According to Sonu, the rescued cows are taken to shelters, while the people transporting them are handed over to the police. He said that the police sometimes show up after a vehicle is intercepted, but at other times the police are with the gau rakshaks during these incidents.

Alt News’s questions to the Additional Superintendent of Police, Palwal about Sonu’s claim that the police accompanies his team in their pursuits of truck drivers went unanswered.

Bellingcat also found links between Team Sonu and a Mumbai-registered charitable trust, through a photo Sonu posted showing a large truck which he described as an “ambulance for sick or injured cows in Palwal”. There is a Google Pay number shown on the vehicle for receiving donations.

A photo of a large truck, described as an ambulance for cows, with a Google Pay number for donations (blurred by Bellingcat). Source: Facebook/ @Sonu Hindu

The signage on the ambulance says the service is “courtesy of” an organisation called “Shri Mahesh Chand Dalmia Charitable Trust”, which appears to be a misspelling of “Shri Mahesh Chandra Dalmia Charitable Trust”, a registered trust based in Mumbai.

Sonu told Alt News that Shri Mahesh Chandra Dalmia Charitable Trust supported his team’s ambulance after local priests in Vrindavan introduced the organisation to his work.

According to the government’s NPO database, the trust works in the sectors of “Education & Literacy, Any Other, Health & Family Welfare”. The trustee, or person who manages the trust, is listed as Satyadeo Banka.

Banka is regularly tagged on Facebook in videos of Team Sonu’s attacks on truck drivers. His posts on the platform also frequently promote ideas in line with Hindutva, a nationalist ideology that advocates for establishing India as a Hindu nation-state.

Satyadeo Bank’s post on a Facebook group

We attempted to contact Banka on social media but did not receive any response. Alt News contacted the trust’s president, Rahul Dalmia, on the phone and emailed him about his organisation’s relationship with Team Sonu Hindu Palwal, asking whether he was aware of the group’s violent activities and Banka being tagged in their “cow protection” videos. Dalmia declined to be quoted when asked about the trust’s work over the phone, and did not respond, as of the time of publication, to further questions over email about whether the trust supported cow vigilantes in any way

Live For Nation

In 2021, Sonu congratulated someone he referred to as “LFN’s Parveen” for joining the Haryana government’s cow protection force, in a post on Facebook. LFN is the abbreviation of “Live For Nation”, a registered NPO in Haryana’s Faridabad which aims to “save cows”. This group was also involved in a car chase last year that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old man.

On Aug. 23, 2024, Aryan Mishra, 20, was out with his friends on a drive when five cow vigilantes – all LFN members – allegedly “mistook” them to be cattle smugglers and began chasing their car before firing at them. Mishra was killed in the incident.

One of the accused who was arrested, Anil Kaushik, reportedly told Mishra’s father that he thought the boy was Muslim and regretted killing a Brahmin, the highest ranking caste in the Hindu caste system. Kaushik identified himself as a member of Haryana government’s special cow protection task force, which Parveen is also a part of.

In a Facebook post, Sonu (right, in yellow) congratulated Parveen Vashisth (second from left, indicated by the arrow in the original post) for becoming a member of Haryana govt’s cow protection task force. Govind Singh, the leader of Gau Seva Mission – another group linked to cow vigilantism – is also in the same picture (left). Source: Facebook/ @Sonu Hindu

His full name is Parveen Vashisth and his Facebook bio says that he is a member of the Haryana government’s “special cow protection task force”. Vashisth also names the task force while sharing videos on Instagram of cow vigilantes from Team Sonu Hindu chasing trucks.

Alt News reached out to the “Haryana Gau Seva Aayog”, the government body responsible for overseeing the task force. Its chairman, Sharwan Garg, said that anyone can engage in cow protection work independently, provided they stay “within the limits of the law and coordinate with the authorities”.

However, Vashisth’s videos on Instagram showing Team Sonu Hindu chasing after trucks, shooting at them and assaulting drivers appear to show that these “limits” are often breached.

Gau Seva Mission

Another organisation that claims to work for cow welfare and operates in the same network uploaded a video on Jan. 9, 2025, showing vigilantes capturing a man they claimed was a “cow smuggler”. In multiple videos, the man looks gravely injured and bloody. His vehicle is also badly damaged.

Click to view slideshow.

The organisation, “Gau Seva Mission”, is based in Vrindavan, like ABGS. Its leader, Govind Singh, is frequently tagged in videos of attacks on alleged “cow smugglers” along with Bharat Gautam, Sonu and Parveen Vashisth.

Singh told Alt News that he is a veterinary doctor by profession and bears most of Gau Seva Mission’s expenses through his private work.

Gau Seva Mission appears to be known to the Uttar Pradesh government. In November last year, Singh uploaded photos and videos of the chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh government’s cow service commission visiting his office.

Singh told Alt News he used to be a member of the GRD – the NPO that Sonu is a member of – but left the organisation to start his own group, although he did not say when this was. One of Singh’s Facebook posts from three years ago gives the helpline number of GRD’s Vrindavan branch – the same number is now the helpline number of Gau Seva Mission. Its office also used to be at the same address as the office of the Vrindavan branch of GRD at least until March 2022, according to older images of the location on Singh’s Facebook account.

Gau Vansh Sewa Dham

Another organisation that claims to be involved in animal welfare but whose leader has been involved in cow-related violence is “Gau Vansh Sewa Dham”, in Haryana’s Faridabad. It is run by Shiva Dahiya, who told Alt News that the group runs a hospital for cows.

Videos of injured cows being treated are all over the Facebook page of the organisation, and Gau Vansh Sewa Dham makes regular appeals for donations to support their rescue and relief efforts. Dahiya said that the money for his organisation’s work is raised from the community.

Posts on Instagram that tag Dahiya show him seemingly participating in or being present at the scene of vigilante attacks targeting those transporting cattle. For example, one post from February shows him holding tire puncture spikes to stop a truck. In another, he is seen pulling an injured man, who was slumped over, up by his hair so his face was visible as a group of vigilantes – also including Sonu – posed for a picture with several captured men.

Shiva Dahiya (extreme right) and Sonu (sitting down) posing with men that were shown being assaulted by cow vigilantes in a video posted on social media. Blurring by Bellingcat. Source: team_bharat_gautam / Instagram

However, when Alt News asked if the car chases ever got violent, Dahiya said, “We don’t want to do any wrong by our hands”. And when asked if he had ever done anything wrong, he replied, “By the grace of God, never.”

Dahiya denied there was any violence committed by “cow protectors”.

“We never beat anyone,” he told Alt News.

(Shalaka Shinde contributed research to this piece.)

(Story featured image from Canva.)

The post Violence in the name of cows: The ‘animal welfare’ groups that beat up truck drivers in India appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pooja Chaudhuri.

Viral video of Jaishankar ‘admitting’ that India lost 3 Rafales in clash with Pakistan is digitally manipulated

Prantik Ali — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:35:48 +0000

A video of India’s Union minister of external affairs (EAM) S Jaishankar admitting that India lost three Rafale fighter jets during the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 is viral on social media. The 22-second-long clip shows Jaishankar seated on a chair, mic in hand, addressing a gathering. “…the Pakistanis did attack us massively that night. We had already lost three Rafales to Pakistan two days ago, so it was very unfair of them to attack, but they did it anyway. We responded very quickly thereafter…” he is heard saying.

X user @iUdhoke shared the viral video on July 3 and said that the EAM finally admitted to the loss of multiple fighter jets to Pakistan. (Archive)

India’s EAM Jaishankar has finally admitted the loss of multiple fighter jets to Pakistan, including three Rafales.

“It was very unfair of Pakistan to target Indian jets” said Dr Jaishankar. pic.twitter.com/Wkl4faLyoK

— ਜਸਪਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਉਦੋਕੇ (@iUdhoke) July 3, 2025

Another X user, @TacticalTribun, also posted the video with similar claims. However, the post was later deleted. (Archive)

Another user, @MSBaig12, also shared the viral video with similar claims. (Archive)

The video was also widely shared on Facebook. Screenshots below:

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We were doubtful about the video’s authenticity because Indian military officials have so far not given any numbers regarding the number of fighter jets lost in the conflict after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. While they neither confirmed nor denied the loss of Rafale jets, they did not give out any specific information. Also, the loss of three Rafale jets is a major blow to the country and its defence forces. If the EAM had made such a statement, it would have received much national and global attention and coverage by news outlets, which was not the case.

To verify the authenticity of the viral video, we broke it down into several key frames. A reverse image search on one of them led us to a video uploaded by Newsweek on July 1. We went through the entire video to check if Jaishankar had indeed made the admission.

At the 43:05-minute mark, Jaishankar can be heard saying “…the Pakistanis did attack us massively that night. We responded very quickly thereafter. And the next morning, Mr Rubio called me up and said that the Pakistanis were ready to talk.” Jaishankar was referring to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio. Notably, he made no mention of India losing Rafale jets to Pakistan’s offensive.

Then, we went through the viral clip thoroughly to check if it was manipulated. We noticed that the lip movements were not in sync with the audio at times, confirming that the viral video was manipulated with audio likely overlaid. The manipulated clip adds the sentence: “We had already lost three Rafales to Pakistan two days ago, so it was very unfair of them to attack; but they did it anyway.”

To sum up, the viral video of S Jaishankar, where he says that India lost three Rafale jets to Pakistan, in the recent clashes following the Pahalgam terror attack, is digitally altered. The EAM did not make any such statement.

The post Viral video of Jaishankar ‘admitting’ that India lost 3 Rafales in clash with Pakistan is digitally manipulated appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 14, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 14, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Bill Moyers’ Legacy, Censored News, and Civil Liberties at Risk

Kate Horgan — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:50:35 +0000

In the first part of the program, Mickey sits down with Jeff Cohen, founder of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, founding director of the Park Center for Independent Media and author to talk about the passing of independent media great Bill Moyers. Jeff shares stories of Moyers intrepid reporting and his behind-the-scenes organizing and fundraising that allowed truly independent media to flourish. His death is a loss for the alternative independent media world, and a sobering reminder of the need for outspoken voices such as Bill’s in times like these. In the second part of the show, co hosts Mickey Huff and Eleanor Goldfield dig into some of the news that didn’t make the news, and why, as well as asking, is this the best we can do? They kick off with what corporate media won’t tell you about the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and then dig into some historical context of the insidious Project Esther, the latest in a long line of threats to our civil liberties, going back to COINTELPRO. Sprinkle in some investigative comedy, defense of metal heads, and more - coming up now on Project Censored.

The post Bill Moyers’ Legacy, Censored News, and Civil Liberties at Risk appeared first on Project Censored.

This content originally appeared on Project Censored and was authored by Kate Horgan.

UN News Today 14 July 2025

Anna O'Donnell — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 16:43:54 +0000

UNICEF mourns the killing of seven children killed queuing up for aid in Gaza Syria: Senior UN envoy speaks out against rising intercommunal violence UN human rights chief underscores the importance of advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples at high-level forum

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Anna O'Donnell.

ARTISTS have an extra layer of SENSITIVITY #psychology #art #artists

VICE News — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:01:49 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

The POWER of Admitting "I Don’t Know" #psychology #physics

VICE News — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 13:00:19 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Is the universe CONSPIRING on our BEHALF? #universe #psychology

VICE News — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 13:00:49 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Did Sonia, Rahul Gandhi ‘disrespect’ ex-PM Manmohan Singh in meetings with foreign leaders?

Abhishek Kumar — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 12:24:31 +0000

Old pictures showing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi meeting heads of other countries’ foreign representatives have resurfaced on social media. The pictures show Sonia and Rahul Gandhi seated next to foreign leaders while ex-PM Manmohan Singh sits on the side. A collage of such pictures is being shared with suggestive claims that the Gandhi family disrespected the former Indian PM for 10 years. Several social media users also called it a “mockery of Indian democracy”.

X user ‘Squint Neon’ (@TheSquind) made similar claims while sharing these images, calling it an insult to the then-PM Manmohan Singh. (Archived link)

Another X user, Lolflix (@Lolflix), also shared the pictures with the caption, “Guess who was India’s Prime Minister?” (Archived link)

X user Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree), who often shares posts promoting the BJP, also shared the pictures. “The man in the blue turban was India’s Prime Minister for 10 years,” this person wrote in the caption. (Archived link)

Fact Check

There were a total of four images in the posts by social media users. We looked at each separately.

Image 1: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi

A reverse image search of this picture led us to a post by news agency ANI from April 26, 2017. The accompanying caption said that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met former PM Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi pic.twitter.com/N5x7OzEeku

— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2017

Note that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was elected to power for a five-year term in 2004 and then again in 2009. So, Manmohan Singh served two terms as Prime Minister—between 2004 and 2014. In other words, this picture is from after Manmohan Singh’s term as PM. At the time, Sonia Gandhi was the Congress president.

Image 2: Sri Lankan PM Wickremesinghe with Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi

A reverse search of this image led us to an article on The New Indian Express site from November 24, 2017. The report says that Sonia Gandhi and other Congress leaders met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The report added that she was accompanied by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma.

Thus, this picture is not from Manmohan Singh’s time as Prime Minister. At the time, Sonia Gandhi was the president of Congress.

Image 3: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh

We found the third picture in a National Herald report from January 26, 2019. The image was credited to senior Congress leader Anand Sharma. The report says that Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met South African President Ramaphosa.

Anand Sharma’s X post from 2019 said that a Congress delegation led by then president Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Ramaphosa. In 2019, Manmohan Singh was neither the PM nor heading the Congress. At the time, Rahul Gandhi was the president of the Opposition party.

Image 4: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with Sonia Gandhi, Anand Sharma and Manmohan Singh

After a reverse image search, we found the same image used in a WION report from October 5, 2019. The report states that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders, including Anand Sharma and former PM Manmohan Singh. At this time, Sonia Gandhi was the interim Congress president.

Thus, photos of meetings between foreign delegates and Congress leaders have resurfaced with misleading claims that Manmohan Singh was ignored by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. These images were after Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM and were led, on the Congress’s side, by whoever was the party president. Singh was not meeting them as the Indian PM but as a Congress leader.

Since these meetings were between foreign leaders and the Opposition party, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi were seated in the centre as they were the Congress presidents at the time.

The post Did Sonia, Rahul Gandhi ‘disrespect’ ex-PM Manmohan Singh in meetings with foreign leaders? appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Prayagraj arson: Old, unrelated videos shared as ‘deserving treatment’ meted out to Chandrashekhar Azad supporters

Pawan Kumar — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:30:40 +0000

Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad was on June 29 detained in Prayagraj Circuit House in Uttar Pradesh while on his way to meet two families — one in Isota village in Karchana police station area of Prayagraj district where an individual from the scheduled caste community had been allegedly murdered on April 13, and another in Kokhraj police station area of Kaushambi district where a minor girl had been allegedly kidnapped and gangraped some time between April 24 and 27.

In protest against the detention, supporters of Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army — both founded by Azad — started a protest in Bhadewara market area in Karchana town, which soon turned violent. As many as 85 people were arrested for stone-pelting, arson and damaging public property.

Against this backdrop, two videos went viral on social media in which police personnel can be seen walking with some men. In the first video, the hands and heads of these men are bandaged and they are limping. The other video shows a group of youths with shaved heads. Users are sharing this video and claiming that the rioting supporters of Chandrashekhar Azad received the treatment they deserved from UP Police.

Video I

X user Megh Updates, who has been found sharing misinformation and communal propaganda on several occasions, shared the video and wrote, “Chandrashekhar Ravan’s supporters who rioted in Prayaggraj are getting the treatment they deserve from Yogi’s UP police.”

Chandrashekhar Ravan supporters who RIOTED in Prayagraj are getting the TREATMENT they truly deserve from Yogi’s UP Police pic.twitter.com/QLj6EKL2Tb

— Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) July 2, 2025

X users Naveen Kumar Jindal, Bhiku Mhatre, Apoorva Singh, Om Prakash Pandey, Vini, Rajesh Singh along with other handles like @TheBahubali_IND, @FrontalForce, and @Incognito_qfs also shared the footage with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

A reverse image search with frames taken from the viral video led us to the source video posted on a Facebook page named Khabar Padampur and Gramin on June 5, 2025. The post mentions that four members of an extortion gang were nabbed red-handed in Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. The group was demanding a sum of Rs 5 lakh from a businessman while posing as gangsters. The businessman’s accountant and his nephew were also found to be involved in the conspiracy.

A Facebook user named NAYAK YODHA also posted this video on June 6, claiming it to be from Sri Ganganagar.

श्रीगंगानगर में रंगदारी गैंग पकड़ी गई, 4 बदमाश रंगे हाथों गिरफ्तार!
गैंगस्टरों के नाम पर व्यापारी से मांगी जा रही थी 5 लाख की रंगदारी
पुलिस ने लग्जरी फॉर्च्यूनर गाड़ी में आए बदमाशों को किया गिरफ्तार
व्यापारी का मुनीम और उसका भतीजा भी निकले साजिश में शामिल
पुलिस ने रकम बरामद की, अन्य आरोपियों की तलाश जारी
डीआईजी गौरव यादव के निर्देश में बड़ी कार्रवाई
श्रीगंगानगर पुलिस की बड़ी कामयाबी – शहर में अपराधियों में हड़कंप!
#highlightseveryonefollowers2025 #hilights #CrimeNews

Posted by खबर पदमपुर एवं ग्रामीण on Thursday 5 June 2025

Apart from this, Alt News also found a tweet by Ganganagar Police from June 5, containing a newspaper cutting related to this case. The four accused seen in the video were also seen in the newspaper clipping. The report states that four miscreants had been caught red-handed under a well-planned operation while extorting a reputed businessman from Sri Ganganagar and threatening to kill him. A ransom amount of Rs 5 lakh was recovered from the accused. The arrested miscreants included a employee of the businessman, and his nephew.

pic.twitter.com/8Xcqc35SF9

— Ganganagar Police (@sgnrpolice) June 5, 2025

News18 Rajasthan also covered the incident.

To sum up, the viral video is not related in any way to the Prayagraj violence or the men accused of rioting.

Video II

The second video, as mentioned earlier, shows some men with tonsured heads being paraded publicly by police.

X user Ocean Jain shared the video and wrote, “Look at what Baba’s police did to the hooligans of Prayagraj”. Alt News has fact-checked this user several times in the past.

प्रयागराज के हुड़दंगियों का बाबा की पुलिस ने क्या हाल कर दिया है, अब सबका इंजन सेट है pic.twitter.com/w7QHXcY5UK

— Ocean Jain (@ocjain4) July 3, 2025

Several other X users, including Deepak Sharma, Sunanda Roy, Megh Updates and @FrontalForce also shared the footage and made similar claims while linking it to the Prayagraj violence.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We noticed ‘@VIRENDRASINGH6513’ written on the frame of the viral video. On searching the username, we found an Instagram profile named ‘Virendra Singh’ where we found the original video posted on June 2. According to the information provided with the post, Baran Police in Rajasthan had arrested 12 people for planning to loot a petrol pump.

NDTV Rajasthan covered the incident and reported that the Baran Police in Rajasthan arrested 12 accused planning to loot petrol pumps in two different police station areas, shaved their heads, and paraded them in a crowded market to teach them a lesson.

In addition, we came across two tweets by the official handle of the Baran Police which mentioned that weapons were also seized from the accused.

Apart from this, the official X handle of the Prayagraj Police Commissionerate also denied the viral claim calling it misleading. They clarified that the video was from Baran.

To sum up, the second viral video is also not related to the Prayagraj violence. It is from Baran district of Rajasthan where 12 people were arrested in early June for allegedly planning to loot a petrol pump in two different police station areas.

The post Prayagraj arson: Old, unrelated videos shared as ‘deserving treatment’ meted out to Chandrashekhar Azad supporters appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

State Department fired more than 1,300 in sweeping Trump administration reorganization – July 11, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

A man hugs former Foreign Service employee Bob Gilchrist, of Washington, left, outside the State Department headquarters, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein).

State Department fires more than 1,300 in sweeping Trump administration reorganization.
Senate Democrats clash with Forest Service chief over Trump’s proposed firefighting budget cuts.
House Democrats kick off campaign to hold Republicans accountable for Medicaid cuts in GOP budget bill.
California leaders warn of severe fallout from federal workforce and program cuts.
Los Angeles officials condemn ICE raids staged from historic Terminal Island site.
Los Angeles mayor signs an executive directive to protect immigrant residents of the city.
Federal immigration raid at Camarillo cannabis farm sparks protest, 200 arrests.

The post State Department fired more than 1,300 in sweeping Trump administration reorganization – July 11, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

How the ‘war on drugs’ set the stage for Trump’s authoritarianism today

The Real News Network — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:55:30 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

UN News Today 11 July 2025

Matt Wells — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 15:54:58 +0000

Gaza: Deadly choice for civilians between getting shot, or getting fedGang violence is escalating across HaitiRenewed fighting leads to surge in Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Matt Wells.

How BENZOS affected my health and mood #benzos #benzodiazepine

VICE News — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:04 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Dozens arrested in Odisha after 2 Dalit men tortured on false charges of cow smuggling

Pawan Kumar — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:46:59 +0000

Incidents of violence by so-called cow protection groups affiliated to Hindutva outfits have been on the rise in several north Indian states. Now, one such incident has come to light from the Ganjam district of Odisha where two Dalit men were brutally tortured on false charges of cow smuggling. They were allegedly beaten up, half tonsured, and forced to eat grass and drink sewer water.

According to a report by the Indian Express, victims Bulu Nayak (52) and Babul Nayak (43), residents of Singipur village in Sanakhemundi Tehsil in Ganjam District, had bought a cow and two calves from Haripur to be given as dowry in a family wedding. While they were taking the cattle to their village in a tempo rickshaw, a group of locals stopped them.

The group accused them of illegally transporting the cows, and snatched their mobile phones and money. They allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 to release the animals. When the duo refused, the group tied their hands and legs and brutally assaulted them. Next, they were taken to a local salon where parts of their heads were shaved. They were then made to walk on their knees for about two kilometres to Jahada village where they were allegedly forced to eat grass and drink water from a drain.

The incident took place in broad daylight on June 22, 2025 at Kharigumma village under Dharakot block in Ganjam district. Both the victims somehow managed to escape from the spot and were provided first aid at a local hospital, after which they lodged a complaint with the Dharakote Police.

After photos and videos of the incident went viral on social media, several social media users, including social activists and politicians, started sharing the visuals and demanding the arrest of the accused and that appropriate action be taken against them.

On June 23, the official X handle of the Ganjam SP reported that eight accused had been arrested and one minor boy apprehended after a case had been registered under the relevant sections of the BNS and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of BNS and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

During investigation, 8 accused persons have been arrested and one CICL apprehended. All were forwarded to the Hon’ble court. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/LxUFlKkrSX

— SP Ganjam (@sp_ganjam) June 24, 2025

On June 26, the police reported that the main accused in the incident had been arrested A local news portal carried the names of the accused arrested in the case in a report dated June 25. They were identified as Sibashankar Mohanty, Satya Sahu, Bainath Bisoi, Om Gowda, Ganapati Palei, Santosh Dakua, Shankar Das, and Narayan Dakua and a minor.

Another report published on July 3 stated that a total of 16 people had been arrested in the case so far.

Alarming Increase in Cow-Vigilantism Violence

It is pertinent to note that cases of violence related to cow-vigilantism have skyrocketed in the recent past. From 2016 to 2020, lynching or mob violence following suspected cow slaughter or trade has claimed at least 50 lives, according to a report by ACLED, an independent non-profit organisation that tracks and analyses data on violent conflict and protest across all countries and regions.

ACLED recorded a sharp increase in the number of incidents of political violence related to the protection of cows in India in 2018. Compared to 2016, incidents of political violence related to cow protection increased by more than 40% in 2017 and almost doubled in 2018, with this increase in violence coinciding with the establishment of BJP-led governments in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Jharkhand.

The report further revealed that more than 80% of reported incidents of cow protection-related violence were carried out against civilians. The victims of these attacks were usually those involved in the cattle trade and individuals belonging to minority groups, including Muslims, Dalits or Adivasi communities.

The post Dozens arrested in Odisha after 2 Dalit men tortured on false charges of cow smuggling appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Police brutality video from Jaunpur, UP, falsely viral as Tamil Nadu incident

Abhishek Kumar — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:37:50 +0000

Following the alleged custodial death of a temple security guard in Tamil Nadu, a video depicting an alleged incident of police brutality has been gathering traction on social media. In the footage, two men can be seen restraining a man while a policeman beats him up with a belt. Users are sharing this video and claiming that the incident is from Tamil Nadu.

A user named Arjun tweeted the viral clip with the same claim, adding that the police department should be renamed as the brutality department of Tamil Nadu government. (Archived link)

A user named Selvakumar also made a similar claim while sharing the video. (Archived link)

Another user named Kumaran tweeted the video and wrote that people were being beaten up and tortured by the police in the name of interrogation. Kumaran used the hashtag ‘DMKFailsTN’ linking this video to Tamil Nadu. He later deleted this tweet.

Fact Check

Alt News performed a reverse image search using frames taken from the viral video. This led us to a report by UP Tak dated April 25, 2025 related to this video. The video report states that this case is from Mungra Badshahpur police station of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, where SHO Vinod Mishra had assaulted a man with a belt.

The report states that the young man had given some money to the police officer for some work, but when it was not done, the young man went to ask for his money back. At this time, the SHO beat him up with a belt while some policemen pinned him against a pillar. Speaking on this matter, SSP Rural, Shailendra Singh stated that they had taken cognizance of the matter, and launched a departmental inquiry to investigate what had transpired. Along with this, he mentioned that the SHO had been shunted with immediate effect. This makes it evident that the viral video is not from Tamil Nadu, but from Uttar Pradesh.

A report by India TV from April 24, 2025, also states that the incident is from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and identifies the individual beating up the man in the video as Mungra Badshahpur police station-in-charge Vinod Mishra. This report, too, makes the point that the victim had given money to Mishra for some work, but when the work was not done, the youth asked for the money back from him, which was when the station in-charge started thrashing him.

Amar Ujala, too, reported on the incident of alleged police brutality. However, their report said it was a matter of domestic dispute in a family residing in Hemapur-Tarhathi area in Mungra Badshahpur Block in Jaunpur District. One of the parties involved in the dispute had allegedly given Rs. 26,000 to police, upon which police picked up the youth seen in the video from his house, tied him to a pillar in the police station and beat hm up severely. Although Alt News cannot confirm these allegations, it is clear that this video is not from Tamil Nadu, but from an incident in Uttar Pradesh.

To sum up, several users shared a video of a man being brutally beaten up by policemen inside a police station in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, with the false claim that it was an incident from Tamil Nadu.

The post Police brutality video from Jaunpur, UP, falsely viral as Tamil Nadu incident appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

No, Pakistan Zindabad slogans were not raised at Muharram rally in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh

Pawan Kumar — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:19:58 +0000

Social media users recently shared a video claiming that slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were raised by Muslims participating in a Muharram procession in Uttar Pradesh. The viral posts also contain derogatory words against the Muslim community.

X user Deepak Sharma, who regularly shares disinformation and promotes communal propaganda, shared the video tagging the Deoria Police and wrote, “Do you hear what I am hearing? This crowd raising slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ is not in Pakistan but in India, that too in India’s Uttar Pradesh. Betrayal is in their blood.”

पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद

जी हाँ ये पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद क़े नारे लगाती ये भीड़ पाकिस्तान में नहीं भारत में है और भारत क़े
भी उत्तर प्रदेश में है

खून में ही गद्दारी इन BSD वाले लोगों क़े…

Hello @DeoriaPolice
क्या आप वो सुन पा रहे हैं जो मैं सुन रहा हूँ ?

इन्हे ऐसा सबक सिखाएं कि… pic.twitter.com/IDKdnM7jW3

— Deepak Sharma (@SonOfBharat7) July 7, 2025

Right-wing X user Sandeep Mishra and several others on other platforms like Instagram and Facebook shared the same footage with claims that ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans had been raised during a Muharram procession.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News found that the official X handle of the Deoria Police had tweeted about this and refuted the claim about ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans being raised. According to police, in the video recorded during a Muharram procession by the Five Star Club, slogans of ‘Five Star Zindabad’, and not ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ could be heard.

The police also mentioned that the procession was carried out peacefully in police presence.

मोहर्रम त्यौहार के दिनांक 06/07.07.2025 के जुलूस के दौरान सोशल मीडिया पर एक भ्रामक तरीके से प्रसारित किए जा रहे वीडियो के सम्बन्ध में देवरिया पुलिस का खण्डन।#UPPolice @diggorakhpur @AdgGkr @dgpup @UPPViralCheck pic.twitter.com/7uo0AajvLe

— DEORIA POLICE (@DeoriaPolice) July 7, 2025

Alt News examined the video by playing it in slow motion. On listening carefully to the slogans being raised in the procession, it became clear that the chants were not that of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, but ‘Five Star Zindabad’. However, due to the background noise, the slogans are not that clear.

Apart from this, we noticed that many people participating in the procession wore green T-shirts with ‘5 STAR CLUB’ and ‘5 star’ printed on them.

Upon further investigation, we also came across the Instagram page of 5 star club. Many videos taken during Muharram can be found on this page. Apart from these, in a post by Instagram user Israfil Ansari, too, members of the 5 Star Club can be seen participating in Muharram observation wearing the same green T-shirts in the presence of police personnel.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Smart Israfil Ansari (@smart_israfil_2000)

To sum it up, slogans of “Five Star Zindabad” were raised in the video in question. However, some users falsely claimed that Muslims were raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans during Muharram.

The post No, Pakistan Zindabad slogans were not raised at Muharram rally in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Video of Hindu woman kneeling at Rath Yatra in Puri viral with false claims that she was offering namaz

Ankita Mahalanobish — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 06:52:15 +0000

A video showing a female police volunteer pulling away a woman kneeling underneath a large wooden chariot is viral on social media with communal claims that she was offering namaz or Islamic prayers during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. While the clip does not clearly show namaz being offered, someone in the background can be heard asking, “Namaz porche naki?” (Are they offering the namaz?)

The Rath Yatra or Chariot festival is a major Hindu festival in which thousands of devotees of the Hindu god Jagannath (believed to be a form of another deity, Krishna) come to Puri. In Hindu mythology, the deity travels in a chariot to visit his aunt along with his siblings and offers blessings to all on the way. The city usually witnesses a massive surge in visitors around this time. A glimpse of this scale is also visible in the viral video.

Social media users claim the video shows two individuals offering namaz under the holy chariot of Jagannath, and this is done to deliberately disrespect the religious sentiments of Hindus and malign the sanctity of the festival.

On July 2, X user BALA (@erbmjha) shared the footage, calling it blasphemous. They also tagged the Odisha police, demanding her arrest.

Blasphemy during Rath Yatra!!

Woman caught doing Namaz under the Jagannath Rath in Puri.

Enough of testing the patience of Hindus. Why isn’t she arrested yet @odisha_police ? pic.twitter.com/oBwhP5p15u

— BALA (@erbmjha) July 2, 2025

At the time of writing this, the post had over 164,000 views. Note that Alt News has fact-checked misinformation shared by this user several times.

The same day, on X, Sagar Kumar (@KumaarSaagar), a journalist at Sudarshan News, a pro-Right outlet, shared the same video, suggesting that offering namaz during a Hindu festival signalled a larger conspiracy at play.

ये एक बहुत बड़ी साज़िश है।

अपना शक्ति प्रदर्शन किया गया है।
हिंदुओं की सबसे बड़ी और पवित्र रथ यात्रा भगवान जगन्नाथ जी के रथ के नीचे “नमाज़” पढ़ी गई। pic.twitter.com/UCgiSJhUXm

— Sagar Kumar “Sudarshan News” (@KumaarSaagar) July 2, 2025

The post had over 573,000 views at the time this was written.

Another X user, Sameer (@BesuraTaansane), also shared the video with a provocative caption that those who hate Hindus should go to their “promised land”.

If you hate Hindus so much why don’t you just GTFOH & go to your promised land

Shameless beach was caught offering under the Rath at the Jagannath Rath Yatra pic.twitter.com/3FWer1vLgv

— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) July 2, 2025

At the time of writing this, the post had over 781,000 views.

Several other social media users, whom Alt News has previously called out for amplifying misinformation, also shared the video with similar claims. These include MeghUpdates (@MeghUpdates), Squint Neon (@TheSquind), Jitendra Pratap Singh (@jpsin1), Ocean Jain (@ocjain4), and Kalpana Srivastava (@Lawyer_Kalpana).

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

On looking closely, we found that the viral video had a “Khabardar Live” watermark. We then found Khabardar Live’s Facebook page, which identifies itself as a local news and media website based in Odisha. On this page, we found a longer version of the viral video posted on June 28, 2025. The caption, in Odia, reads, “Why did police bring women under Jagannath’s chariot?”

ଜଗନ୍ନାଥଙ୍କ ରଥ ତଳୁ ମହିଳାଙ୍କୁ ଘୋଷାରି ଆଣିଲେ ପୋଲିସ କାହିଁକି ? #PuriRathayatra #puri #jagannathratha #rathayatra2025

Posted by Khabardar Live on Friday 27 June 2025

In this video, at the 1:22-minute mark, the woman who was seen being dragged by the police volunteer can be heard protesting, “Yeh kya tareeka hai?” she says (“What kind of behaviour is this?”). To this, a man nearby responds that the idol of the Jagannath deity would soon be carried up the chariot stairs, and for that, people were not allowed to sit under the chariot. The woman then replies, “Lekin humko yahaan par bitha ke gaye the, bhaiyya..” (“But I was asked to sit here”). Pointing at the others still kneeling under the chariot, she says, “Wo bhi toh wahin khade hai” (“They are also standing there”).

This made it clear that the woman was not sitting there defiantly, but there seemed to be some miscommunication regarding her presence there.

Also, usually, during prayers, Muslims cover their head and use a prayer mat, which was not the case here, making us doubt that she was offering namaz. To be sure, we ran this by someone familiar with how Islamic prayers are done, and they too told us that covering the head is a customary requirement for women during namaz, and her sitting posture—with feet crossed—does not align with the posture prescribed for Salah. They added that no janamaz or prayer mat was visible, making it unlikely that she was offering namaz.

Alt News also contacted a senior journalist from Puri who was familiar with the incident. Refuting the communal narrative being circulated, she said that the individuals were kneeling and sitting there just to get a glimpse of Jagannath’s idol.

To corroborate this, Alt News also reached out to Odisha Police’s officer in charge of temple security, Kaushik Nayak. When asked about the alleged video, Nayak said, “No such instance was reported.”

Alt News also independently identified the woman in the video, but will not be divulging her name to protect her privacy. We managed to reach out to her family and acquaintances, who confirmed that she is, in fact, Hindu and a Jagannath devotee.

These findings, put together, make it clear that the viral video shows a Hindu woman sitting under the chariot during the crowded Rath Yatra festival and not offering namaz as social media users wrongly claimed.

The post Video of Hindu woman kneeling at Rath Yatra in Puri viral with false claims that she was offering namaz appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

US sanctions top UN human rights official on Occupied Palestinian Territory; Judge pauses Trump order ending birthright citizenship – July 10, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Judge orders pause for Trump executive order ending birthright citizenship;
Secretary of State Rubio describes Trump disappointment with Russia over Ukraine;
Palestinians describe indiscriminate killings at aid distribution sites after Israel kicked UN aid program out of Gaza;
US sanctions top UN human rights official on Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN calls it “dangerous precedent”;
Conspiracy theories about Epstein sex trafficking come back to haunt Trump administration;
Mahmoud Khalil files $20 million lawsuit after release from immigration jail, will share any settlement with other targeted activists

The post US sanctions top UN human rights official on Occupied Palestinian Territory; Judge pauses Trump order ending birthright citizenship – July 10, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

X accuses India of press censorship after it blocks news outlets’ accounts

Committee to Protect Journalists — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:56:22 +0000

New Delhi, July 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for greater transparency and due process in how Indian authorities handle social media restrictions, following reports of the temporary block of multiple international news organizations’ X accounts over the weekend. X accused the Indian government of censoring the press.

“This incident once again underscores the serious lack of transparency and accountability in how the Indian government issues and enforces orders for the removal of social media content and the blocking of accounts,” said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ’s India representative. “Any action affecting journalists or news organizations must be based on clear legal grounds, be subject to independent judicial oversight, and not infringe on press freedom. India still lacks a credible mechanism to review or challenge these opaque and arbitrary orders.”

On July 5, two of Reuters’ handles, @Reuters and @ReutersWorld, were blocked, with X saying the accounts were obstructed “due to legal demands.” Several reports also suggest that accounts of Turkish broadcaster TRT World and the Chinese state media outlet Global Times were censored. The accounts were restored the next day. A government official speaking on condition of anonymity told CPJ that the authorities had not issued any orders to block the accounts and that they were engaging with X to get them restored.

However, in a July 8 post, X countered the Indian claim and said that on July 3, the Indian authorities had ordered the platform to block 2,355 accounts. X also expressed concerns about “ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders.” X has already sued the Indian government over a new official portal that it says grants “countless” government officials expanded powers to issue takedown orders.

The Indian government denied issuing any recent blocking order against Reuters and others and said the accounts were unintentionally restricted due to a previously issued directive that was part of broader digital enforcement measuresimplemented in the wake of heightened national security concerns.

Authorities said they’d asked X to restore access immediately and blamed a 21-hour delay on the platform for the continued impediment.

In May 2025, X expressed concern about the Indian government’s demand to block over 8,000 accounts, and asked for such executive orders to made public.

X and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not reply to CPJ’s emails seeking comment.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

UN News Today 10 July 2025

Dianne Penn — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:37:27 +0000

Funding cuts to HIV services put millions of lives at riskUkraine recovery ‘more than just returning home’: IOM chiefUkraine civilian casualties at a three-year high: UN rights experts

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

ABC News correspondent pushed by police on live TV while covering LA protest

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:30:05 +0000

ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman was pushed and berated by a police officer on live TV while covering a protest against the Trump administration in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 14, 2025.

The protest was one of more than 2,000 “No Kings” demonstrations held nationwide to counter a military parade attended by President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. It also followed days of protests in the city and nearby towns against recent federal raids, part of the Trump administration’s larger immigration crackdown.

Gutman was reporting live June 14 as the Los Angeles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began aggressively clearing the streets of protesters.

An ABC News Live video posted by multiple social media users showed an LAPD officer — wearing a gas mask and other riot gear standing in a line of other officers — pushing Gutman and yelling at him for allegedly touching another officer.

“Now you’re pushing me on live television,” Gutman said to the officer. “We didn’t touch anybody, you know that’s true.”

“Tensions are extremely high here,” Gutman continued. “Yes, because you touched the officer,” the officer shouted.

Whoa! Hats off to ABC News reporter Matt Gutman for keeping his cool yesterday.

This LAPD officer needs to be relieved of duty if he can’t handle an alleged “touch” without snapping. pic.twitter.com/cqwVqpaHzD
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) June 15, 2025

“That was a moment that we haven’t experienced very often here,” Gutman added as the officer moved away. “I think that there has been respect between the media and law enforcement here. We have kept our distance.”

Another video from the ABC News Live feed posted on social media shows an officer forcefully pushing Gutman out of the way of a police line and the reporter’s hand appearing to grab the officer’s arm in response, seemingly to maintain his balance. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker could not confirm the timing of that incident.

The LAPD did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. In a statement on the social platform X, the department warned members of the media not to position themselves between a crowd and a police skirmish line, saying they could get caught between “rocks, bottles, thrown items, fireworks, and less-lethal munitions.”

Gutman and ABC News did not respond to requests for comment.

This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

Inside LA’s Fire Disaster & Political Chaos ft. Rick Caruso | Shane Smith Has Questions | Vice News

VICE News — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:00:05 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

PIB’s claim that India is fourth most equal country citing World Bank data is misleading

Shinjinee Majumder — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:15:48 +0000

On July 5, 2025, the Press Information Bureau (PIB)—the official media and public relations arm of the Indian government—published a press release titled “World Bank Places India Among World’s Most Equal Societies.” Citing a World Bank report, PIB published a misleading claim that “India ranks fourth globally in income equality with a Gini score of 25.5,” after the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Belarus.

Click to view slideshow.

After PIB’s release, several media outlets, including Times of India, Moneycontrol, The Hindu, Mint, Deccan Herald, Indian Express and Republic published reports that India ranked fourth in terms of income equality, with some directly attributing it to the World Bank. Among them, The Hindu and Deccan Herald had PTI copies while Mint had an ANI copy. Largely, they all parroted the PIB release.

Also Read | Op Sindoor: As Indian media made false, outrageous claims, PIB looked the other way

Click to view slideshow.

Why PIB’s Claim Is Misleading

Comparing India’s Gini score (25.2) with the United Kingdom (32.4), the United States (41.8) and China (35.7), PIB said that India’s income equality outshone major economies.

Source: PIB press release

The World Bank defines the Gini as an index that measures the “extent to which the distribution of income or consumption among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution”. A Gini score or coefficient is expressed as a percentage. The number 0 denotes a perfectly equal society (where everyone has the same level of income or consumption), while a score of 100 denotes extreme inequality (where some have nothing and the rest have all).

Also Read | India is not the fourth-largest or a $4-trillion economy yet; NITI Aayog CEO’s claim citing IMF data misleading

However, the PIB seems to have cherry picked some information from the World Bank report and misrepresented it.

Here’s what the World Bank’s April 2025 Poverty & Equity Brief for India says:

“…India’s consumption-based Gini index improved from 28.8 in 2011-12 to 25.5 in 2022-23, though inequality may be underestimated due to data limitations. In contrast, the World Inequality Database shows income inequality rising from a Gini of 52 in 2004 to 62 in 2023. Wage disparity remains high, with the median earnings of the top 10 percent being 13 times higher than the bottom 10 percent in 2023-24…”

So, there are two Ginis—one based on consumption and the other on income. Clearly, the World Bank says that India has improved in one and done worse in the other.

But PIB has compared the consumption-based Gini score of India (where India fares slightly better in 2022-23 than 2011-12) with the income-based Gini scores of UK, US, Slovenia and Slovak Republic (where India is worse off now than before).

The World Bank itself warns against comparing Gini coefficients of different countries for this very reason, because the underlying data used in surveys for these calculations varies. Note that the World Bank does not collect data itself; it measures inequality based on household survey data provided by governments. From the World Bank glossary:

“Because the underlying household surveys differ in methods and types of welfare measures collected, data are not strictly comparable across countries or even across years within a country.”

The reason such a comparison is problematic follows:

“… Surveys can differ in many respects, including whether they use income or consumption expenditure as the living standard indicator. The distribution of income is typically more unequal than the distribution of consumption.”

So, in comparing India’s consumption inequality with more developed countries’ income inequality, we are essentially comparing two different units. And inequality based on consumption data will, by default, appear more equal.

Let’s understand why this is so.

Inequality Based on Consumption vs Income

Most developed, wealthy or high-income countries use income-based household surveys because their economies are formalised and tracking incomes is not a challenge. Developing, middle and lower-income groups use consumption-based household surveys owing to challenges with collecting data on incomes (some reasons could be a sizeable proportion of the labour force being deployed in informal sectors, more cash transactions, less access to banking, etc).

But when we track inequality based on the two different surveys, the results are different. Countries that use income-based surveys appear to be more unequal. There are three main reasons for this:

First, income-based surveys include all means through which one earns (such as salary, capital gains, additional earnings) whereas consumption-based surveys take account only of households’ expenditure. To put it another way, one measures a household’s potential purchasing power while the other only measures how much is actually used or spent. While those with higher incomes may consume more, they also have a greater propensity to save. So, just looking at households’ consumption data cannot give us a clear picture of their potential purchasing power.

Let’s take an oversimplified example. A poor household spends around Rs 15,000 a month or 75% of its income, while a wealthy household spends Rs 50,000, which is 10% of its monthly income. At a glance, just based on their expenditure or consumption, it is hard to gauge the level of inequality between the two, even when there is a significant difference in their spending. But if we conflate their monthly incomes—Rs 20,000 and Rs 5 lakh, respectively—the level of inequality is stark.

Two, according to a 2024 paper on the Gini coefficient titled “The World Bank’s New Inequality Indicator: The Number of Countries with High Inequality” (Haddad et al.) households’ incomes can sometimes be extremely low or even negative, due to unemployment, loss in business, or other temporary shocks but they would still need to maintain a basic level of consumption for sustenance. This keeps consumption levels from falling sharply.

Three, wealthier households have a greater propensity to save. As incomes grow, the proportion of what is spent on essentials diminishes and the proportion devoted to savings rises. For instance, a household might receive a large one-time income from investments but won’t necessarily spend all of it right away. Instead, they may save most of it for future needs or emergencies.

Because of these differences, income and consumption inequality are not directly comparable—income can fluctuate sharply, while consumption tends to be smoother since everyone depends on at least a minimum level of subsistence.

What PIB Got Wrong

The Press Information Bureau took the 25.5 figure, which is the consumption-based Gini and compared it with the income-based Gini of the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It also claimed that India stands fourth globally in income equality, after the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Belarus.

As established earlier, income inequality is typically higher than consumption inequality. This means that when the Gini for a country is calculated using income data, it will appear more unequal and thus have a higher score than when it is calculated using consumption data.

For example, the United Kingdom’s score on the Gini index (calculated in 2021) is 32.40, which makes it seemingly more unequal than India’s consumption-based Gini index score of 25.5. The footnote in the World Bank data clearly states that the UK’s Gini score is based on income data.

Click to view slideshow.

Similarly, the United States of America’s latest score on the Gini index (calculated in 2023) is 41.80, which is higher (and hence more unequal) than India’s consumption-based Gini index score of 25.5. US’s Gini coefficient is also based on income data.

Click to view slideshow.

Like we mentioned before, this is similar to comparing absolute numbers of different units. For instance, it’s like saying 100 grams is more than 50 ounces. What is comparable, however, is India’s income-based Gini, which is 62, much higher than those of the UK and the USA.

Similarly, the Slovak Republic, in 2022, had an income-based Gini of 24.10. When compared with India’s income-based Gini of 62, the Slovak Republic is far ahead in terms of equality.

Click to view slideshow.

Slovenia, as of 2022, had an income-based Gini of 24.30. Again, income equality there is far less than in India, with a Gini of 62.

Click to view slideshow.

As of 2020, Belarus had a consumption-based Gini Index of 24.40. This is comparable to India’s consumption-based Gini of 25.5. Belarus fares better than India.

Click to view slideshow.

China’s Gini Index of 35.70 is comparable to that of India’s 25.5, since China also has a consumption-based Gini.

Click to view slideshow.

We’ve ranked the countries mentioned in the PIB press release below, distinguishing their most recent available consumption-based and income-based scores on the Gini index.

To put things in perspective, India’s income inequality has actually risen from 2004 to 2023. The World Bank brief clearly says this. Even the improvement in consumption inequality is very marginal—from 28.8 in 2011-12 to 25.5 in 2022-23. This is hardly celebratory; it rather shows that India’s consumption is facing strain.

Economist Surbhi Kesar, who was the first to point out PIB’s misrepresentation of World Bank data on X, writes that we might even be underestimating India’s consumption inequality due to data limitations. The 2022–23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey introduced several changes in methodology compared to the earlier 2011–12 survey, making direct comparisons on poverty reduction unreliable.

Also, the Gini index is one inequality indicator, just like income and consumption are a few metrics to measure inequality. Like economist Santosh Mehrotra points out in The Wire, inequality manifests in various ways such as social inequality (owing to caste, ethnicity, class, etc) and wealth-based inequality (when wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few over the years and then passed down as inheritence), which are often beyond the scope of the Gini index but crucial for developing economies like India to take into account.

Importantly, these surveys and numbers do not highlight enough just how stark inequality is in India, in terms of wealth concentration. These issues have been widely flagged by economists and statisticians on several occasions.

(With inputs from Diti Pujara)

The post PIB’s claim that India is fourth most equal country citing World Bank data is misleading appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

Media misreport: Islamic flag waved at Muharram rally falsely described as Pakistani national flag

Ankita Mahalanobish — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:36:00 +0000

After the observance of Muharram on July 6, 2025, a video showing a man seated atop what appeared to be a stack of loudspeakers caught the attention of some news channels. The man held a large flag bearing a crescent and star motif. The footage was aired in news bulletins with the claim that the Pakistani national flag had been carried in a Muharram procession in Jamui, Bihar.

News18 Bihar aired the video on July 6, with anchors highlighting the incident and identifying the flag as Pakistan’s national flag. Remarking that the Pakistani flag drew inspiration from the Islamic flag, News18 clarified that the video had not been independently verified by the channel. The location of the incident, was, however, identified as Pairamatihana village in Sono block of Jamui district in Bihar.

During the bulletin, the anchors described the act as potentially problematic and turned to an on-ground reporter for an update. The reporter stated that a formal complaint had been lodged, and police had initiated an investigation. Authorities were currently reviewing the footage, and efforts were underway to identify the individual seen waving the flag, he further reported, adding, once the person was identified, appropriate legal action would be taken.

It is worth noting that News18 Bihar has since deleted both the video and the corresponding post on X. One can watch the relevant part of the bulletin below. An archived version of the X post by the media outlet can be seen here.

Dainik Bhaskar, on July 7, published a report on this in which the headline described the flag as an Islamic flag, but the photo caption and the story itself said it was a Pakistani flag. The story stated that on the evening of Sunday, July 6, during a Muharram procession in Sono, a man was seen waving a flag of Pakistan while being seated over the sound system. The report further claimed that Sono police station-in-charge Dharmendra Kumar acknowledged that the flag had not been noticed by officers at the time. However, he assured that efforts were underway to identify the individual, and appropriate legal action would be taken.

Bhaskar also made a voice-over video report on this which is embedded in the above-mentioned article. At the 5-second mark, the reporter can be heard saying, “Ek yuvak Pakistani Jhandda lehrate huye dikh rahe hai” (A young man is seen waving a Pakistani flag). Again, at the 20-second mark in the video, the reporter alleges the flag in question was the Pakistani national flag. Watch it here:

Right-wing propaganda website OpIndia published an article detailing instances of violence reported during several Muharram processions in Bihar. The article referenced the incident and claimed that the Pakistani national flag had been waved in Jamui. Although police were present at the location, they did not take any action, the article added.

Fact Check

Upon closer examination of the video, it becomes evident that the flag held by the man is an Islamic flag, not the national flag of Pakistan. The flag in question appears black in colour, featuring a crescent and a star, common Islamic symbols. In contrast, Pakistan’s national flag is bright green with a white vertical stripe towards the mast, also bearing a white crescent and a star.

A visual comparison has been done below for clarity.

Alt News reached out to the Sono police station-in-charge Dharmendra Singh, who clarified that the flag seen in the viral video was not the national flag of Pakistan, but an Islamic flag. He further stated that no formal complaint or FIR had been registered in connection with the incident. Singh also noted that the authenticity of the video’s location — whether it was indeed filmed in Sono — was still under investigation.

To sum up, the flag waved by a man at a Muharram procession reportedly in Bihar’s Jamui was not Pakistan’s national flag; it was the Islamic flag. Several media outlets and propaganda website OpIndia misreported the incident and falsely claimed that the Pakistani national flag had been waved.

The post Media misreport: Islamic flag waved at Muharram rally falsely described as Pakistani national flag appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Reporter charged for refusing to unpublish police blotter entry on NJ news site

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:16:04 +0000

Brian Donohue, reporter and editor for hyperlocal news website Redbankgreen, was issued a summons by a municipal court in Red Bank, New Jersey, on June 27, 2025, after he refused to unpublish details about an arrest obtained from a local police blotter.

According to the complaint and summons, Red Bank resident Kyle Pietila was arrested in August 2024, details of which were published by Redbankgreen on Sept. 18, alongside other crime and arrest reports provided by the Red Bank Police Department.

The outlet updated its article after the arrest was expunged in March 2025, noting that Municipal Court Judge Frank LaRocca ordered that the arrest “shall be deemed to have not occurred.”

In an email shared with the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, publisher Kenny Katzgrau wrote that it is a long-held Redbankgreen policy “to never erase the record of events that actually took place — but to add a note of dismissal or expungement on request (which we did for the current case).”

“We also request de-listing from search indexes after two years so that nobody is searchable in Google — but the archive/record of events remains intact,” he added.

The news site specifies this policy at the bottom of each police blotter report, along with the disclaimer, “An arrest is not a finding of guilt: that’s something for a court to decide. redbankgreen publishes this information in continuation of a great American newspaper tradition because we believe it has community value.”

In a complaint dated June 13, Pietila wrote that he provided Redbankgreen with his “dismissal/expungement paperwork” multiple times and that the outlet had refused to remove the content from the site.

LaRocca ruled on June 26 that there was probable cause to charge Donohue and Katzgrau with disclosing the existence of an arrest that has been expunged or sealed. According to the criminal code, both face a maximum fine of $200.

Katzgrau wrote that they intend to fight the charges, arguing that “legislation cannot force the deletion of facts that were known, wholly truthful, and obtained lawfully when published by news outlets.”

Freedom of the Press Foundation, of which the Tracker is a project, condemned the arrest and called it the “latest in a string of egregious press freedom violations by local police and prosecutors across the country.”

“Prosecuting journalists for declining to censor themselves is alarming and blatantly unconstitutional, as is ordering the press to unpublish news reports,” FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern said. “Any prosecutors who would even think to bring such charges either don’t know the first thing about the constitution they’re sworn to uphold, or don’t care.”

This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

Publisher charged for refusing to unpublish police blotter entry on NJ news site

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:15:50 +0000

Kenny Katzgrau, publisher and co-owner of hyperlocal news website Redbankgreen, was issued a summons by a municipal court in Red Bank, New Jersey, on June 27, 2025, after he refused to unpublish details about an arrest obtained from a local police blotter.

The outlet updated its article after the arrest was expunged in March 2025, noting that Municipal Court Judge Frank LaRocca ordered that the arrest “shall be deemed to have not occurred.”

In an email shared with the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, Katzgrau wrote that it is a long-held Redbankgreen policy “to never erase the record of events that actually took place — but to add a note of dismissal or expungement on request (which we did for the current case).”

“We also request de-listing from search indexes after two years so that nobody is searchable in Google — but the archive/record of events remains intact,” he added.

LaRocca ruled on June 26 that there was probable cause to charge Katzgrau and reporter Brian Donohue with disclosing the existence of an arrest that has been expunged or sealed. According to the criminal code, both face a maximum fine of $200.

This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on

APR editor — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 05:32:59 +0000

SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News

Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.

People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.

The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.

The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.

Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.

Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.

She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.

“Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.

Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News

A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand
“The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.

He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.

Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News

In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.

This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.

Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.

The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.

The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira

The legacy of Operation Exodus
Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.

For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.

Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.

“The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.

He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.

Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace

Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.

What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues?
“Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.

A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.

Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.

Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace

Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.

“They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.

Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Dawn service held 40 years on from Rainbow Warrior bombing

Pacific Media Watch — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:52:06 +0000

TVNZ 1News

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior has sailed into Auckland to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior in 1985.

Greenpeace’s vessel, which had been protesting nuclear testing in the Pacific, sank after French government agents planted explosives on its hull, killing Portuguese-Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira.

Today, 40 years on from the events on July 10 1985, a dawn ceremony was held in Auckland.

Author Margaret Mills was a cook on board the ship at the time, and has written about her experience in a book entitled Anecdotage.

Author Margaret Mills tells TVNZ Breakfast about the night of the Rainbow Warrior bombing 40 years ago. Image: TVNZ

The 95-year-old told TVNZ Breakfast the experience on board “changed her life”.

“I was sound asleep, and I heard this sort of bang and turned the light on, but it wouldn’t go on.

She said when she left her cabin, a crew member told her “we’ve been bombed”.

‘I laughed at him’
“I laughed at him, I said ‘we don’t get bombs in New Zealand, that’s ridiculous’.”

She said they were taken to the police station after a “big boom when the second bomb came through”.

“I realised immediately, I was part of a historical event,” she said.

TVNZ reporter Corazon Miller talks to Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman (centre) and journalist David Robie after the Rainbow Warrior memorial dawn service today. Image: TVNZ

Journalist David Robie. who travelled on the Rainbow Warrior and wrote the book Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior published today, told Breakfast it was a “really shocking, shocking night”.

“We were so overwhelmed by the grief and absolute shock of what had happened. But for me, there was no doubt it was France behind this.”

“But we were absolutely flabbergasted that a country could do this.”

He said it was a “very emotional moment” and was hard to believe it had been 40 years since that time.

‘Momentous occasion’
“It stands out in my life as being the most momentous occasion as a journalist covering that whole event.”

Executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa Russel Norman said the legacy of the ship was about “people who really stood up for something important”.

“I mean, ending nuclear testing in the Pacific, imagine if they were still exploding bombs in the Pacific. We would have to live with that.

“And those people back then they stood up and beat the French government to end nuclear testing.

“It’s pretty inspirational.”

He said the group were still campaigning on some key environmental issues today.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 9, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 9, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

America, ‘nation of immigrants,’ turns on immigrants w/ Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Real News Network — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:50:18 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Tunisia sentences sister in absentia for advocating for jailed journalist Sonia Dahmani

CPJ Staff — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:58:25 +0000

New York, July 9, 2025—CPJ urges Tunisian authorities to cease the prosecution of family members of journalists advocating for their release after a Tunis court on July 1 sentenced in absentia Ramla Dahmani, the sister of imprisoned lawyer and political commentator Sonia Dahmani, to two years in prison on false news charges.

“Tunisian authorities are not only jailing journalists but are now targeting their families in a clear effort to intimidate and isolate them even further,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s chief program officer. “The July 1 sentencing of Ramla Dahmani in absentia for defending her sister, jailed commentator Sonia Dahmani, is cruel and shows the extent to which Kais Saied’s government is willing to go to punish journalists.”

Ramla Dahmani, who lives in an undisclosed location due to security fears, has become a public voice for her jailed sister. The charges stem from her public advocacy for her sister’s freedom on social media, including her Facebook page, which has more than 13,000 followers. Ramla Dahmani’s lawyers discovered the verdict on Tuesday, July 8, while reviewing court records, as no formal notice was issued, she told CPJ.

Sonia Dahmani is currently serving nearly five years in prison after being convicted of false news charges in three different cases, and she faces two more cases pending trial. One case, scheduled for a hearing on July 11, carries criminal charges that could lead to a 10-year sentence.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

UN News Today 09 July 2025

Anna O’Donnell — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:23:00 +0000

Lifesaving medical supplies reach Gaza, but much more neededAnaemia risks for women and girls grow in South AsiaUN continues response to deadly floods in DR Congo

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Anna O’Donnell.

ANGER is an ENERGY #anger #energy

VICE News — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:00:16 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Rahul Gandhi’s photo on sanitary pads distributed in Bihar? Congress files FIR over ‘fake’ video

Oishani Bhattacharya — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:26:32 +0000

Days after the Bihar state unit of Congress launched a campaign to distribute around 5 Lakh sanitary napkins to women in the state, a video showing a pack of napkins with images of Rahul Gandhi printed on its outer cover as well as on the pads went viral on social media.

On X, the official handle of BJP Goa shared the clip and claimed that in its desperation ahead of the Bihar elections, Congress had attached Gandhi’s image “at unwanted locations”. (Archive)

Heights of Desperation

Bihar Congress distributing Sanitary pads attached with Rahul Gandhi’s photos at unwanted locations ahead of Bihar Elections pic.twitter.com/HK5mDxouTW

— BJP Goa (@BJP4Goa) July 5, 2025

X user Raushan Sinha (@MrSinha_), who amplifies pro-BJP propaganda and misinformation on a regular basis, on July 5 shared a video where a man wearing a saree shows a sanitary napkin with Rahul Gandhi’s image on it. Sinha identified the person who appeared in the video as @RatanRanjan_, and praised his ‘creativity’. (Archive)

Top level creativity by @RatanRanjan_ pic.twitter.com/JxcqwCFgb6

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) July 5, 2025

Another pro-BJP X user, Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree), had also posted the viral video on X on July 5 with the caption: “Their hereditary habit of sucking blood”. Bagree later deleted his post.

Several other social media users have shared these videos with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Ratan Ranjan, who had originally shared the videos, has since deleted them. We noted that on his X bio, he described himself as a comedian. (Archive 1, 2)

‘Fake’, Says Congress, Files FIR

Upon running a relevant keyword search, we found several news reports related to the viral clip. According to a report by the Times of India from July 6, Congress had filed an FIR regarding the circulation of the video with Rahul Gandhi’s image on the sanitary pad, and had called it fake.

The report, however, mentions that the boxes in which the pads were distributed in Bihar did have images of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

Supriya Shrinate, who is in charge of Congress’s social media and digital platforms, too, clarified that the video was fake. She also shared on X a copy of the FIR that the party had filed against Ratan Ranjan and Arun Kosil in Bengaluru.

राहुल गांधी जी की तस्वीर का गलत इस्तेमाल करके Fake वीडियो बनाने के खिलाफ FIR दर्ज करा दी गई है

अभी औरों के ख़िलाफ़ भी एक्शन लिया जा रहा है pic.twitter.com/up42Z3GqJK

— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) July 6, 2025

Further, we came across a tweet by Pawan Khera, chief of Congress’s media and publicity department, where he posted a video comparison, showing the fake viral video and the actual pack of sanitary pads distributed by the party. The latter do not have any image on the surface of the pad.

चोर चोरी से जाए हेराफेरी से ना जाए, प्रचारमंत्री जी खुद तो फेक वीडियो बनाने को लेकर ज्ञान देते है और उनकी ट्रोल आर्मी इस तरह के घिनौने फेक वीडियो बना कर बिहार में गंदा प्रोपगेंडा चला रही है! pic.twitter.com/Rs6NImE0x6

— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) July 5, 2025

Glaring Discrepancies & Admission of ‘Fakery’

The readers should also note that while Bihar Congress distributed pads in cardboard boxes, the viral video shows packets. If one notices carefully, it becomes apparent that the Rahul Gandhi image from the side of the boxes was cut and pasted on the orange-coloured packet of a popular brand of sanitary napkins that is available in the market. See comparison below: On the left side is a screengrab showing the packet from the viral video. On the right side is the box that was actually distributed (Photo taken from TOI report).

Also, the packet from which the pad with the Congress leader’s image is taken out in the viral video is not sealed, hence, it can be surmised that the content of the packet was possibly tampered with before the video was made.

We also found an interview of Ratan Ranjan on a YouTube channel named A2Z News TV, where he admits that the video he made was ‘fake’. At the 00.15-minute mark in the video the interviewer tells him that the video he made was ‘fake’. To this, Ranjan replies, “When did I claim it was factual!”.

Later in the interview, the anchor shows how a photo cut out of the Rahul Gandhi had been placed on a sanitary napkin so that the viral video could be made.

To sum up, sanitary napkins distributed by Bihar Congress to women in the state did not have Rahul Gandhi’s photo on them. The boxes, in which they were distributed, did, however, have Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi’s photos. The viral video does not show the actual box or the actual sanitary pads that were distributed.

The post Rahul Gandhi’s photo on sanitary pads distributed in Bihar? Congress files FIR over ‘fake’ video appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 8, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 8, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 08 July 2025

Emma Trager-Lewis — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:04:41 +0000

Thirty years on, the UN urges the world to remember the victims of the Srebrenica genocide and amplify the voices of survivors At least 10 people killed as violent protests erupt in Nairobi and across Kenya World leaders push for the safe and human rights-conscious use of artificial intelligence at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Emma Trager-Lewis.

Peterson believes ALL these ENTREPRENEURS aren’t conservatives #rfk #joerogan #donaldtrumpnews

VICE News — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:00:11 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Kolkata rape case: Did TMC turn a blind eye to key accused Monojit Mishra’s past?

Shinjinee Majumder — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:55:45 +0000

Trigger Warning: Details of sexual assault, reader’s discretion advised.

After the alleged rape of a student in Kolkata’s South Calcutta Law College came to light, leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) have tried to distance themselves from Monojit Mishra, the key accused in the case. The party had come under fire after social media posts hinted at Mishra’s connections with TMC’s top brass.

On June 25, Mishra (31), allegedly raped a 24-year-old student, in the security guard’s room in the college premises in the presence of two students, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20). Alt News has accessed the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the Kasba police station on June 26. The three have been charged under sections 127 (2), which deals with wrongful confinement; 70(1), gang rape; and 3 (5), dealing with joint criminal liability, of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

In her statement to the police, the survivor said that the key accused was an ex-student, a college official and “unofficially” the head of the college’s TMC-affiliated student wing–Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP). She said that he was “giving everyone a post for TMCP unit” and she was given the post of the Girls’ Secretary and asked about her ‘loyalty’ to Mishra and the TMCP unit before she was raped. She also alleged that Mishra and the others recorded videos of the incident and threatened to leak them if she refused to ‘co-operate’. She wrote that she had a panic attack when the ordeal was ongoing and was given an inhaler, but they did not let her go. Mishra also tried to hit her with a hockey stick. The two other students accused in the case had locked the main campus gate while the guard stood there helpless, she wrote.

Alt News’ findings reveal that Mishra is a history sheeter, who, despite his troubling record of violence and harassment, was given an official position with the party’s student wing (Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad). Even when he was not an office bearer, Mishra allegedly flexed his power on campus with repeated acts of vandalism and harassment.

‘Failed to Predict in 2019 that Mishra would Commit such a Crime’

From ruling out the accused’s association with the party entirely to claiming that they could not have possibly foretold what happened, TMC leaders have made public statements and held press conferences to keep the prime accused at arm’s length. However, Alt News found that Mishra was assigned leadership positions in the party’s student wing despite several police complaints in his name before the latest case, including for allegedly molesting a woman.

On June 27, after the FIR in the case was filed, senior TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja, along with TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya, held a press conference where they repeatedly insisted that the TMC and its student wing, the TMCP, were being made scapegoats.

“Various quarters are softly targeting the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad. Why? …I have never claimed that the accused was not part of the TMCP… Whether or not he is involved with the Trinamool or its student wing should never be the basis for judgment,” he said. Bhattacharya, a TMCP president for six years, sarcastically remarked that party members were no experts in astrology and thus “failed to predict in 2019 that Mishra would commit such an act” six years later. Bhattacharya also emphasised that since 2022, Mishra had no official TMCP position.

But despite having no position, Monojit Mishra seems to have wielded more power on campus than the party leaders let on. Going by the survivor’s statement, he was appointing people in TMCP positions at the college level. “Unofficially, he is the TMCP head of the college and holds much power in the college. Everyone listens to him. He was giving everyone a post for TMCP unit,” her statement reads.

Meanwhile, The Hindu quoted Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim as saying that Mishra was in no way associated with the TMC. “They might be supporters, but they had no relation to the TMC. Anyone who does support TMC based on ideals can never commit such crimes.”

However, Mishra was not just a supporter. Graffiti bearing his name and initials, along with TMCP slogans, was prominently on display in South Calcutta Law College alongside posters of Abhishek Banerjee, which were later taken down.

Source: Alt News

Mishra was also named an ‘organising secretary’ of TMCP’s South Kolkata district committee in 2021. Active in several districts in West Bengal, the TMCP has around 100 district committees, according to TMCP state president Bhattacharya. Mishra was part of one such district committee, but not after 2022.

So, it’s unclear whether Hakim was suggesting that TMC and its student wing (TMCP) had no association with each other.

Two senior TMCP leaders confirmed to Alt News that the district committee list in 2021 did include Monojit Mishra’s name, but was reconstituted in 2022 and Mishra’s name was dropped. Alt News also accessed a 2022 document with names of the members of the south Kolkata district TMCP committee, where Mishra’s name no longer appeared. When asked about the reason for his removal, one of these leaders said that similar allegations of sexual misconduct had surfaced against him at the time. In response to a question about how often district committees are reshuffled, we were told that changes are made according to “party needs.”

Why TMC Leaders’ Claims are Misleading

During its investigation, Alt News found that even before he was named an organising secretary of a TMCP district committee in 2021, Mishra had several allegations of misconduct levelled against him and was named in FIRs and police chargesheets. As the timeline below will show, he had a troubling history of violence and assault before he was given a position with TMCP in 2021 and later, in 2024, employed as temporary staff at the college by the institute’s governing body that was headed by a TMC leader.

2012-2025

2012: Monojit Mishra joined South Calcutta Law College as a student.
2013: He was expelled, reportedly for stabbing a youth. A case is filed at the Kalighat police station. SCLC ex-student, Titas Manna, told India Today that in 2013, an attempt to murder case had been filed against Mishra for “stabbing a catering worker and cutting off their finger”.
2016: Mishra returned to campus. He led a mob of outsiders to the campus and vandalised college property.

2017: He is re-admitted to South Calcutta Law College. The same year, in November, he allegedly ransacked the campus while holding demonstrations against the college’s then-principal. According to an ABP Ananda report from the time, Mishra and a mob with him allegedly destroyed the principal’s nameplate, windows and CCTV cameras. At the time, Mishra had told the press that the reason for the demonstration was the high fees at SCLC. Mishra was reportedly barred from the campus for a while after this incident.

In December 2017, Mishra, along with a group of 30-40 boys, allegedly beat up students of the college, including women. An ex-student, Titas Manna, told news outlets ABP Ananda and India Today that Mishra attacked student union members after he was barred from joining. According to The Telegraph’s report, citing a senior police official at the Lalbazar Police Station, Mishra was arrested twice in 2017–once by the Kalighat police in April and then in August. The charges included causing grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and mischief. Alt News was unable to get a statement from the Kolkata police independently on these arrests. The story will be updated if and when we have more details.

2019: In a Facebook post from July of that year, TMCP’s South Calcutta Law College unit denounced links to Mishra. Calling him “an antisocial,” the unit said that he provoked and threatened students to support “his antisocial works… inside and outside the college premises”. The post also said he did this by misusing the name of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee.

“He was not a member of the unit; whatever he has told to the students (of) this college it was vague and defamtory to the Unit. So the students are requested not get indulged in any such provocation or activities by Monojit Mishra…[sic]” the post read.

The page also shared copies of two FIRs filed against him in July at the Gariahat and Tollygunge police stations.

The FIR filed at the Gariahat police station includes section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty). Note that the contents of the FIR are illegible, but we could figure out the phrase “outrage her modesty”. Other IPC sections invoked include 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt). He was also charged under these sections in the FIR filed at the Tollygunge police station.

Click to view slideshow.

From this Facebook page, we also found an ABP Ananda report from July 23, 2019, showing SCLC students protesting against Monojit Mishra for allegedly harassing female students. In the video, a student demonstrator says, “Monojit Mishra took admission in the college in 2012. At the time, he was rusticated for indecent activities on campus. In 2016, he vandalised the college with the help of outsiders. After that, he re-entered the college illegally. He repeatedly harassed female students to keep them on his team and would make those videos go viral. If any girl were seen outside the college, he would physically assault her there. If any male student went out to celebrate a birthday or attend a family event, he would try to heckle them, too. We have one clear demand–Monojit Mishra must be rusticated. If he is not, then all students should be transferred from SCLC to another college.”

Agami 7 diner modhea kortipokkho sidhanto na nilea ,brihottoro andoloner pothea namtea chleachi amra…sokol chatra chatri der anurodh andolon santi purno vabea cholbea,kono bohiragoto prolochonaea porea andolon kea bivranto na korar anurodh.clg r sokol chatro chatrider safety nd security sobar agea ,kortipkhho ta ditea bertho.kono chatro ,chatri jodi Monojit mishra dara hackeld hoea sorari Garihat p.s ea cntct kro.amder keo jnio,sadharon chatro chtrider pasea amra sobsomea achi…
#jai bangla
#jai hind
#sclc tmcp unit jindabad
#sclc

Posted by South Calcutta Law College TMCP unit on Wednesday 24 July 2019

The channel re-aired this clip on July 1, 2025, identifying the speaker in the video as then-TMCP student leader Sufal Kundu. It is worth noting that even in the recent incident, the survivor alleged that Mishra filmed the ordeal and threatened to leak the video.

2021: Despite these charges and a troubling history with college authorities, Mishra is named an organising secretary of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad’s south Kolkata district committee in an official document dated February 2021 (added earlier in the story). Thereafter, Mishra is seen participating in programmes by the West Bengal Trinamool Chhatra Parishad as well as going door-to-door distributing pamphlets for the TMC.

Click to view slideshow.

2022: As mentioned earlier, the district committee of the south Kolkata TMCP was “reconstituted” in February 2022. Mishra was no longer part of this. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also graduated from college in 2022. According to a Telegraph report, citing sources, he was named in a chargesheet filed by the Kasba police in March 2022 for allegedly molesting a woman.
2023: In 2023, during a student picnic at Budge Budge, Mishra allegedly groped and bit a second-year student. The student’s account was reported in The Times of India. “He pinned me down and held my hands so tightly that I was not in a position to move. He took that chance and tore my innerwear’s strap,” she said. According to the report, when she decided to lodge a formal complaint, “Monojit’s gang” threatened to throw acid on her and “finish off” her family. The student said she left the city for a month-and-a-half.
2024: On August 30, 2024, Mishra was appointed by the governing body as “temporary office staff” at the South Calcutta Law College. It is worth noting that the governing body is led by TMC MLA from Budge Budge, Ashok Kumar Deb, with whom Mishra has uploaded several images and videos, referring to him as ‘Jethu’ or uncle.

2025: On July 1, 2025, after the rape allegations surfaced, the college’s governing body terminated him from his position, which means that the alleged incident took place when Mishra was serving as “office staff” on campus.

Political ‘Linkages’

While the party and its student wing have sought to distance themselves from Monojit Mishra, his Facebook profile paints a different picture. On several occasions, he has shared images with TMC bigwigs, including Abhishek Banerjee and mayor Firhad Hakim.

In 2024 (when he had no official position with the college or the TMCP) he was seen with TMCP South Kolkata district president Sarthak Banerjee at a blood donation camp in the college. The same year, he was also seen speaking at preparation day meetings ahead of the TMCP’s foundation day and photographed sharing the stage with senior TMC and TMCP leaders, including MLA Debashish Kumar and Sarthak Banerjee. As recently as April this year, he was felicitating Banerjee at a blood donation camp in the institute.

Click to view slideshow.

His Facebook timeline is also replete with tributes to Trinamool Congress, the student wing and the party’s leaders. Photographs also indicate that he was very involved in college activities and a devoted worker.

After the latest rape allegations surfaced against him, multiple students have claimed that they too were harassed, assaulted, or threatened by Mishra, and silenced by fear. These accounts, combined with the rape survivor’s statement, the above instances—including the graffiti in college bearing his name—make it clear that he not only had a troubling record but was appointed to TMCP and the college despite these allegations. It seems as though he was not just accommodated in the shadows, but in full public view, giving the impression that he had tacit support.

Mishra’s troubled record also raises important systemic questions about student leaders associated with TMC wielding authority in campus to this extent when they are no longer students at the institute or in leadership positions. Also, little is known about what happened to the FIRs against him, some of which had named him for non-bailable offences.

The post Kolkata rape case: Did TMC turn a blind eye to key accused Monojit Mishra’s past? appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

Hindu teacher garlanded with shoes in Bangladesh? No, video viral with false communal claims

Pawan Kumar — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:31:30 +0000

A video showing a man wearing a garland of shoes around his neck and surrounded by a group of people, who appear to be Muslims, is viral on social media. The video is being shared with claims that this is how a Hindu teacher who taught for 4 decades was treated by Muslims in Bangladesh.

Vaishali Poddar, the state general secretary of Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) and claimed, “A Hindu teacher served the country for 40 years. And in return, a group of fundamentalists in Bangladesh insulted him by garlanding him with slippers. This is an insult, not just of a teacher, but of the entire Hindu society.”

एक हिंदू शिक्षक ने 40 साल तक देश की सेवा की और बदले में बांग्लादेश में कुछ कट्टरपंथियों ने उन्हें चप्पलों की माला पहनाकर अपमानित किया।
यह सिर्फ एक शिक्षक का नहीं, पूरे हिंदू समाज का अपमान है।@Yunus_Centre तुम्हारी चुप्पी भी गुनाह है।
शर्म करो! pic.twitter.com/WGHS2P6eB5

— Vaishali Poddar (@PoddarVaishali) June 28, 2025

X users @MithilaWaala, @KreatelyMedia, @ocjain4 and @Vini__007 also shared the video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Note that these users have been called out by Alt News for amplifying misinformation on several occasions in the past.

Other X users, such as @SouleFacts, @Sudhanshuz and @IRinitiPandey, also shared the video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the claims, Alt News performed a reverse image search of key frames from the viral video. This led us to a report by Dhaka Times, which had screenshots of the viral video. The report said that the victim, Ahmed Ali, a retired community medical officer in Baliakandi, Rajbari, was beaten up by an angry mob for insulting Prophet Mohammed.

“On June 15, locals alleged that Ahmed Ali made derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed at a tea stall in Beruli Bazaar in the morning. When the news spread in the area, an agitated mob caught hold of him and beat him up in the afternoon,” Baliakandi police station in-charge Mohammad Jamal Uddin told the publication.

We also came across the same incident reported in another Bangladesh-based news outlet, bbarta24. Its report said that Ahmed Ali was tied to a tree and beaten up by an angry mob for making derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed and was later garlanded with shoes. Apart from this, Baliakandi police station in-charge Mohammad Jamal Uddin said that the situation was brought under control with the intervention of the police and army and the injured individual was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

So, unlike the viral claims, the man garlanded with footwear is not a Hindu teacher but a retired Muslim community medical officer from Bangladesh. He was thrashed by a mob and made to wear a garland of shoes for making derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed. Social media users have shared his video with false communal claims.

The post Hindu teacher garlanded with shoes in Bangladesh? No, video viral with false communal claims appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Senegalese commentator detained under ‘false news’ claims

Committee to Protect Journalists — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:25:38 +0000

Dakar, July 7, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to immediately release news commentator Bachir Fofana after a judge ordered on July 2 that Fofana remain in detention until July 9, pending the continuation of his trial. Fofana is charged with publishing false news about the recipient of a vehicle purchase contract for the National Assembly. The government has a recent history of prosecuting journalists for spreading false news.

On June 25, the Senegalese special cybersecurity division took Fofana into custody, according to his lawyer, Aboubacry Barro, and news reports. Barro told local media that Fofana is being prosecuted over allegations the journalist made on TV news programs about the allocation of the National Assembly contract. Fofana said the beneficiary of the contract was a businessman involved in a corruption case related to a former minister. During the trial, which began on July 2, the prosecutor requested a three-month prison sentence and a fine of 200,000 CFA francs (US$359).

The offense of spreading false news is punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of 1,500,000 CFA francs (US$2,680).

“It is alarming that the Senegalese state is once again resorting to the criminalization of journalism,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. Fofana is the second commentator to have been detained in the past three months on false news charges, with Abdou Nguer having been taken into custody in April. “Senegalese authorities must release both journalists immediately and ensure that media professionals do not have to fear reprisals for their work.”

CPJ has previously called for the release and the dropping of charges against Nguer, who has been held since April 14, pending a judicial investigation into whether he spread false news about the death of a local official. New charges of causing offense to the head of state and undermining the functioning of public institutions were added on May 20.

CPJ’s calls to Senegal’s ministry of justice and to Malick Ndiaye, president of the National Assembly, went unanswered.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

UN News Today 07 July 2025

Emma Trager-Lewis — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:18:00 +0000

One in three people going without food for days in Gaza, warns WFPUN airdrops food supplies in South Sudan’s remote areasTop official calls for inclusive and rights-friendly digital technologies

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Emma Trager-Lewis.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 7, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 7, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

EXCLUSIVE: Lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil reveals how he won his freedom

The Real News Network — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:50:08 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Dainik Bhaskar, OpIndia misreport that 300 illegal firearms & 50,000 cartridges seized from Lucknow man

Abhishek Kumar — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:29:13 +0000

On June 26, Lucknow police arrested a man named Salahuddin and recovered some weapons, cartridges and equipment used to make illegal weapons. Soon after that, news outlets published reports that 300 illegal firearms and 20 sacks of a total of 50,000 cartridges were recovered from the house of the accused just before Muharram. This was also amplified by social media users, some of whom claimed that the police recovered as many as 3,000 guns.

On its English website, Dainik Bhaskar reported that Lucknow police raided an illegal arms factory ahead of Muharram and seized 300 illegal weapons and 50,000 cartridges. (Archive)

OpIndia, which has been called for publishing misinformation and propaganda as news, also reported that a day before Muharram, the police recovered 300 firearms and 50,000 cartridges from the home of a man named Hakim Salahuddin in Lucknow. (Archive)

X user @MrSinha_, whose posts have been fact checked by Alt News several times, posted a picture, allegedly showing the accused standing with cops and recovered arms. “3000+ guns isn’t a small number, it’s enough to arm a small army and capture an entire city… Why did Md. Salauddin have them? What was he up to? Planning something big?” he posted. (Archived link)

Other X users, such as @SaffronChargers, @JaipurDialogues and Sudarshan News’ @KumaarSaagar also shared similar claims of 3,000 guns and 50,000 cartridges being recovered from Hakim Salahuddin’s house in Lucknow with with an image of a large cache of guns. “Were they preparing for Ghazwa-e-Hind (war against India)?” the users wrote. The image and claim was also shared by Harshvardhan Singh, state general secretary of BJP’s youth wing from Uttar Pradesh.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News perused through posts on the Lucknow police’s X handle for more information and found a police statement on this case shared on June 27. In a video, police officer Gopal Krishna Chaudhary says that on June 26 joint team of the Malihabad and Rahimabad police stations of Lucknow arrested 68-year-old Salahuddin alias Lala for making and selling illegal weapons in the Mirzaganj area of Malihabad.

He briefed that they recovered three .32 bore pistols, one .315 bore country pistol, two .22 bore country pistols, one .22 bore rifle, seven air guns, about 140 cartridges of different bore sizes, some empty shells, other weapons including knives, hooks and saws, and deer hide from the accused.

थाना मलिहाबाद पुलिस टीम की सफलता – अवैध असलहा/तंमचा बनाने वाला 01 नफर अभियुक्त को अवैध असलहा, कारतूस तथा असलहा बनाने वाले उपकरणों व प्रतिबंधित हिरन की खाल के साथ किया गया गिरफ्तार। @Uppolice #Lkopolice_On_Duty pic.twitter.com/yX4b2cquzU

— LUCKNOW POLICE (@lkopolice) June 27, 2025

Thus number of firearms recovered is nowhere close to 300 or 3,000 guns and 50,000 cartridges. The number of pistols, rifles and air guns seized by the police was altogether 14 and the number of cartridges recovered was around 140.

To sum up, news outlets Dainik Bhaskar and OpIndia as well as many social media users spread misleading and exaggerated claims about the number of actual arms recovered in this case and tried to add a communal angle to the incident by linking it to Muharram.

The post Dainik Bhaskar, OpIndia misreport that 300 illegal firearms & 50,000 cartridges seized from Lucknow man appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Ambedkar supporters thrashed by police? No, viral video shows making of a Kannada film

Pawan Kumar — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:03:02 +0000

A video, in which policemen are seen beating up half-naked men in public, is doing the rounds of social media. Users are sharing the video while claiming that police beat up Ambedkar supporters in public to teach them a lesson for allegedly threatening ‘Manuvadis’ on social media.

X user Vikash Kumar Sinha shared the video with the same claim.

इंस्टाग्राम पर मनुवादियों को धमकी देने बाली भीमटा गैंग की आज सेवा की गई टोचन जिंदाबाद pic.twitter.com/JKpTe6peM5

— Vikash Kumar Sinha (@vikashaps) June 30, 2025

Other X users like Neela Zeher, and numerous Facebook and Instagram users including the handle @Modified_Hindu9 promoted the footage with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

When we took a closer look at the viral video, we noticed that a logo was visible in it. When we searched for this logo with the help of Google Lens, we found that it was the logo of “Kannada Pichhar”, a social media handle that posts content related to Kannada cinema.

Next, we performed a reverse image search with frames taken from the video in question. This time, we found the same footage uploaded on the YouTube channel of “Kannada Pichhar” on April 15, 2025. In the accompanying caption, the video was described as the making of the film ‘Deadly Soma 2’.

Apart from this, we also discovered that the same video had also been uploaded on the Instagram page of “Kannada Pichhar”.

Along with this, there are many other videos from the shooting of the film “Deadly Soma 2” on the YouTube channel and Instagram page of “Kannada Pichhar”, in which a cameraman can also be seen.

News 26 Kannada aired some of the above-mentioned footage in a report and noted that the film was being shot in Bengaluru. “Deadly Soma 2” is the sequel of the 2005 Kannada film “Deadly Soma”, which was directed by Ravi Srivatsa.

In other words, the viral video does not show police actually beating up youths on the streets, but is a scene from the shooting of a Kannada film. The claims of Ambedkar-supporters being thrashed are entirely baseless.

The post Ambedkar supporters thrashed by police? No, viral video shows making of a Kannada film appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Carbon PANIC Makes Things WORSE #carbonemissions #energy #environmentalism

VICE News — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:00:07 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

RBI has not asked banks to stop disbursing ₹500 notes; viral claim is false

Pawan Kumar — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:58:53 +0000

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu recently called for the demonetisation of Rs. 500 notes and further promotion of digital payments. He said that such a step would help curb corruption and increase transparency in financial transactions.

Against this backdrop, in a video report by YouTube channel Capital TV, its editor-in-chief Manish Kumar praised the BJP government and accused the Opposition of having links with corrupt individuals. He claimed that bundles of Rs. 500 notes had been recovered from the homes of corrupt politicians. The report further mentioned that following Chandrababu Naidu’s demand to ban Rs. 500 notes, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had issued a notification directing 75% of all ATMs to reduce their stock of Rs. 100 and Rs. 200 notes and those of smaller denominations by September 2025, and 90% of all ATMs to do so by March 2026.

In another report by Capital TV, Kumar claimed that the RBI had stopped the printing of Rs. 500 notes. He stated that by March 2026, the Rs. 500 note would be abolished like the Rs. 2,000 rupee note.

Verified X User CA Anupam Sharma along with other users such as AK Mandhan and CA Paaras Gangwal also claimed that the RBI had planned to remove Rs. 500 notes from ATMs by September 2025 and going forward, only Rs. 200 and Rs. 100 notes would be dispensed from ATMs.

Click to view slideshow.

We received multiple requests to verify this claim on the Alt News WhatsApp helpline.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, Alt News reviewed all recent press releases and notifications issued by RBI on its official website. We did not find any information to support the claim that it had directed banks not to dispense Rs. 500 notes through ATMs.

However, during our investigation, we came across a notification issued by the RBI on April 28, 2025, which stated that in an effort to increase public access to banknotes of most used denominations, the Reserve Bank of India had directed banks and White Label ATM Operators (WLAO) to ensure that ATMs dispensed Rs. 100 or Rs. 200 denomination notes. In the first phase, by September 30, 2025, 75% of all ATMs would dispense bank notes of Rs. 100 or Rs. 200 denomination from at least one cassette, while in the second phase, i.e. by March 31, 2026, the target has been set to increase this figure to 90%.

It is worth noting that a ‘cassette’ in an ATM is a box or container in which currency notes of only a specific denomination (such as Rs 100, 200, 500) are kept.

The Economic Times reported on April 28, 2025 that the Reserve Bank of India had asked banks and WLAOs to ensure that Rs. 100 or 200 notes were dispensed from ATMs, to increase the availability of these notes to the public. In other words, the RBI has not directed all banks to stop dispensing Rs. 500 notes from ATMs by September 30, 2025. It has only directed banks and WLAOs to increase dispensation of Rs. 100 and Rs. 200 notes.

Apart from this, the claim made by Capital TV editor-in-chief Manish Kumar regarding the RBI issuing a notification asking ATM machines to stock Rs. 100 and Rs. 200 notes following Chandrababu Naidu’s demand to ban Rs. 500 notes is also false. This is because the RBI issued the notification on April 28, while Naidu had spoken about this at the annual Mahanadu Sabha held from May 27 to May 29.

PIB Fact Check also posted on X and clarified that the viral claim regarding the RBI banning Rs. 500 notes by March 2026 was false. It clarified that the RBI had not made any such announcement and Rs. 500 notes had not been banned. It also advised the public to avoid such false and misleading news updates.

Is the ₹500 note set to be phased out by 2026?

A #YouTube video on the YT Channel ‘CAPITAL TV’ (capitaltvind) falsely claims that the RBI will discontinue the circulation of ₹500 notes by March 2026.#PIBFactCheck

@RBI has made NO such announcement.

₹500 notes have… pic.twitter.com/NeJdcc72z2

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 3, 2025

To sum up, many users including a YouTube channel named Capital TV made false claims on social media about the RBI banning Rs. 500 notes.

The post RBI has not asked banks to stop disbursing ₹500 notes; viral claim is false appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Can ENVIRONMENTALISTS be taken at face value? #environmentalism #globalenergy

VICE News — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:00:19 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Jordan Peterson on getting CANCELLED at Cambridge University

VICE News — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 13:00:23 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

CNN Anchor BOTCHES progressive candidate takedown, MSM has ‘knives out’ for Zohran Mamdani!

The Real News Network — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 11:01:15 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Chicagoans tell #Trump "Go to hell!" on #independenceday

The Real News Network — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:37:07 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 4, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 4, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

How Censorship AFFECTS Public Image and Marketing #censorship #publicimage

VICE News — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:00:47 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

They told him his sign was illegal. What happened next shows cops don’t know the law.

The Real News Network — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 20:38:12 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Trump’s Big Bill to be signed Friday after marathon vote; Advocates fear state cannabis tax bills could unravel funding and hurt programs for children – July 3, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Trump’s Big Bill to be signed Friday after marathon vote and marathon speech by Dem leader Hakeem Jeffries;
Democratic and labor leaders say Big Budget Bill will hurt workers and destroy the middle class;
SF sues Trump over EPA termination of Environment Climate Justice grants;
Advocates fear state cannabis tax proposals could unravel and hurt programs for children
MALDEF planning million dollar lawsuit over US citizen arrested for filming ICE raid

The post Trump’s Big Bill to be signed Friday after marathon vote; Advocates fear state cannabis tax bills could unravel funding and hurt programs for children – July 3, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 03 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 16:31:44 +0000

’Somalia is on fire’ and development investment can put it out, Sevilla financing conference hearsUkraine crisis: heavy weapons still causing death and destructionGaza: Fear of starvation still looms, warns UN emergency food relief agency

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

The UNWINNABLE Political War and the Path to Unity #energy #globaleconomy #economy

VICE News — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 13:00:54 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

After SCO defence ministers’ meet, false claims of India being left out and Russia signing joint statement go viral

Prantik Ali — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:29:03 +0000

After defence ministers representing their countries at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) were unable to adopt a joint statement at the end of their talks on June 26, several rumours regarding the meeting were viral on social media. One of the viral claims is that Russia signed a joint SCO statement supporting Pakistan. Another claim suggested that a closed-door meeting was carried out without India.

Formed in 2001, the SCO is a grouping of 10 countries including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. The defence ministers’ meeting took place in China’s Qingdao ahead of the upcoming annual summit.

On June 29, X user @TheDailyCPEC claimed that Russia had signed the joint SCO statement. At the time of this article being written, the post had a million views. (Archive)

BREAKING: Russia has officially signed the joint SCO statement, supporting Pakistan’s position over India. pic.twitter.com/GHGxmH5cA4

— The Daily CPEC (@TheDailyCPEC) June 29, 2025

X user @NavCom24 had also shared the viral claim that Russia signed the SCO statement. However, it was later deleted. (Archive)

Meanwhile, X user @thinking_panda claimed that China, Iran, Russia and Pakistan agreed to a closed-door SCO meeting without inviting India. (Archive)

If we tell India, India will tell the US and Israel. So we have to keep India out of the door. pic.twitter.com/FOSqIGC5Mj

— ShanghaiPanda (@thinking_panda) June 29, 2025

Several other X users, including @DefenseDiplomat, @BigWayneConley and @qazafi197476, shared similar claims. (Archives: 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

We also found an Instagram post, which made similar claims. The caption reads, “A high-level NSA meeting is scheduled among China, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan under the SCO framework, but India has not been invited.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Corporate Wire (@corpwire)

Fact Check

According to several media reports, the SCO joint statement was not adopted because Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh refused to endorse it as it did not mention the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were shot dead by terrorists. India has blamed Pakistan for sheltering terrorist factions responsible for the attack. Pakistan has denied the allegations.

According to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson from the Ministry of External Affairs, a joint statement was not adopted at the SCO. “Certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues, and hence, the document could not be finalised… India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country.”

We found no news reports mentioning any other country, such as Russia, signing the SCO document.

We then looked at the SCO charter available on the site of India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Article 16 on the procedures on taking decisions says that SCO decisions are taken by agreement without voting as long as no member objects. It says:

“The SCO bodies shall take decisions by agreement without vote and their decisions shall be considered adopted if no member State has raised objections during its consideration (consensus), except for the decisions on suspension of membership or expulsion from the Organization that shall be taken by “consensus minus one vote of the member State concerned.”

This meant that SCO statements are adopted by unanimous consensus. But to be sure, we also reached out to a journalist who has covered diplomatic and strategic affairs for over a decade to understand how countries adopt statements at the SCO. This journalist, who did not wish to be identified, clarified that the “signing” on the draft statement is only if all members agree to adopt it, which was not the case in this SCO defence ministers’ meeting. So, if one member state does not agree, there is no way that some member states sign the document and others do not. It is either adopted as a whole by all or it’s not, he reiterated.

So, the claim that Russia ‘signed’ the joint SCO statement supporting Pakistan’s position over India is not true.

Also, the SCO published a report on the defence ministers’ meet on June 26 in which Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh can also be seen among the representatives of the invited nations. This debunks the claim that there was a closed-door SCO meeting at which India was not invited.

Also, one of the claims, which uses an image of the leaders of China, Pakistan, Russia and Iran is actually from a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2023 and not the recent SCO meet in China.

To sum up, the viral claims that India was not invited to a closed-door SCO meeting or that Russia signed a joint SCO statement favouring Pakistan are baseless.

The post After SCO defence ministers’ meet, false claims of India being left out and Russia signing joint statement go viral appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

STRIKE ALERT: 9k #philadelphia City workers walk off the job, Mayor’s office ‘scrambling"

The Real News Network — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 19:05:12 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

‘Really Bad News’: Kyiv Residents React To US Decision To Halt Some Weapons Shipments

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:32:49 +0000

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 2, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 2, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 02 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 16:22:49 +0000

Investing in communities beats border spending, says IOM in SevillaGaza: People now fainting in the streets from hunger, warns UNRWASyria: Aid teams provide vital assistance, but massive needs remain: OCHA

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Gaza watches Iran bomb Israel: ‘The missiles represented hope’

The Real News Network — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:30:17 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Identifying an impostor: ‘Verified’ X account not of Iranian journalist whose show was interrupted by Israeli attacks

Ankita Mahalanobish — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:35:32 +0000

On June 16, amid the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, Iranian state TV journalist Sahar Emami’s live broadcast had to be cut short. Israel had attacked the studio of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran, where Emami was hosting her show. However, within minutes, she returned to complete her programme despite the adversities. The moment cemented her popularity and resilience on social media. Soon after, her X account @iamSaharEmami became very active. Many on social media began flocking to it for updates on the ground situation in Iran.

The account, with her image, identified her as a journalist and the “Iranian voice for truth,” “sharing real stories from the ground”. Created in October 2023, the account gathered nearly 200,000 followers after the video of her TV appearance amid the bombing in Tehran went viral. Below is a screenshot of her account when her follower count was steadily increasing.

However, Alt News found that this account, which appears authentic, impersonates the Iranian state TV anchor.

After an Alt News journalist called this out on X on June 22, the account changed its bio to a “commentary account” that was “not affiliated with Sahar Emami”.

Note that on June 21, IRIB news shared a video on X and Instagram in which Sahar Emami clarifies that she has no X account.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by خبرگزاری صداوسيما (@iribnews.ir1)

But even before Emami’s video statement, several things about the user made us suspect that this was an impostor. Here’s how we identified it.

Identifying an Impersonator

Below are some pointers that raised doubts:

Old posts deleted: The account was created in October 2023, yet the first post by this account visible right now is as recent as June 18, 2025. This seemed highly unlikely. Since we had tracked the user for some time, we knew that there were older posts that were deleted. Fortunately, we took screenshots of the deleted posts with their original publication dates.
Click to view slideshow.
Abusive language: We found some posts in which abusive language was used, that too in Hindi.
Posts: The first post from this account, available now, is from June 18. Here, the user draws parallels between Israel and the Nazi regime. Again, it seemed like content shared by troll accounts, not journalists.

Israel is a Nazi style regime. pic.twitter.com/rtSBbaT5x3

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 18, 2025

4. Location: Before the account had as many followers, we noticed that the location was mentioned as Georgia, USA. It was later changed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

5. Misinformation: In several posts, the user had shared and amplified false, AI-generated, and misleading information, unlikely to be done by a journalist. We have embedded some examples below. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

Wait for it pic.twitter.com/KW2cn0srxs

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 19, 2025

Israel pic.twitter.com/yxTF9Ycb9n

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 20, 2025

Iran ➝ Jordan ➝ Israel
The route is open.
The message is clear.
This is just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/PUrPHEhXhQ

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 20, 2025

On June 22, 2025, the account had also amplified misinformation that the US used Indian airspace to strike Iran during operation Midnight Hammer. (Archive)

CONFIRMED: Indian airspace was used by U.S. forces to strike Iran.
New Delhi’s quiet complicity now places it on the wrong side of history.
Iran will not forget. pic.twitter.com/cuuIeKKjXw

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 22, 2025

The account had shared posts quoting Pakistani media channels, which had also alleged that the US used Indian airspace to strike down Iranian nuclear plants.

One of the posts claiming the US used India’s airspace to strike was further amplified by Hamid Mir, a journalist from Pakistan who has also shared misinformation in the past.

The joint chief of staff for the US military, General Dan Caine, said during a press briefing on June 22 that the jets used in the operation, which included B-2 Spirit bombers, required refueling as they crossed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The below map shows the route used and nowhere includes the Indian airspace.

The same day, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) also refuted claims that India’s airspace was used by the US for operation Midnight Hammer.

Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer #PIBFactCheck

This claim is FAKE

Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation… pic.twitter.com/x28NSkUzEh

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 22, 2025

Watch | Were Indian or Pakistani airspace used for Op Midnight Hammer?

6. Attempt at establishing credibility with the same image: We noticed that the user shared images of Sahar Emami from her viral video with compelling captions to establish credibility. No other images or videos from other broadcasts were used. (Archive)

We’re not afraid of death.
We’re afraid of dishonor.
You can’t break us —
We’ll stand tall till the end. pic.twitter.com/JYF07lA09X

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 20, 2025

7. Pakistan-related posts: The account had also amplified some pro-Pakistan posts, especially those in favour of jailed leader Imran Khan. For instance, in one post dated June 18, 2025, the account advocates for former Pakistan PM Khan’s release. “A great leader is unjustly in jail, the caption of the post says. The video in the post has a woman lauding Iran for standing up to Israel and urging fellow Pakistani citizens bring back Imran Khan. Referring to Khan as a “charismatic leader,” she calls his leadership “the need of the hour” and condemns Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir.

ایک عظیم لیڈر ناحق جیل میں ہے، جبکہ ایک نااہل اور کمزور شخص 24 کروڑ عوام پر مسلط ہے۔ ہم ہر روز نئے بہانے تلاش کرتے ہیں۔

اگر آپ گھروں سے باہر نہ آئے تو نہ خان کی جدوجہد کامیاب ہوگی، نہ پاکستان حقیقی آزادی پائے گا۔ pic.twitter.com/u6Up0tLQzj

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 18, 2025

The account also shared a video by Pakistani senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri.

آج دنیا میں جو جنگ چھڑی ہے، وہ صرف زمین، وسائل یا اقتدار کی لڑائی نہیں، بلکہ یہ حق اور باطل کے دو متضاد نظاموں کا تصادم ہے۔ مغرب اور سامراجی قوتیں اس نظام سے لرزہ براندام ہیں جو ظلم کے آگے جھکنے سے انکار کرتا ہے، جو مظلوم کا ساتھ دیتا ہے، اور جو استعماری غلبے کو للکارتا ہے۔ حقیقت… pic.twitter.com/Pf0V1543zj

— Sahar Emami (@iamSaharEmami) June 18, 2025

These indicators helped us identify this as an impersonator account. However, to a lay social media user, these clues may not occur immediately. To make matters worse, the profile also has a blue tick or a verified badge. The badge, was once a marker of authenticity, now offers little assurance that an account truly represents a public figure or credible source, since it can be paid for.

Such “verified” impersonator and troll accounts also signal a larger problem with X’s policy, which states that a verified badge serves as an indicator that an account is in “public interest” and is “authentic.” In practice, however, it has helped dubious accounts amplify misinformation and blurred the line between credible and non-credible sources of information.

The post Identifying an impostor: ‘Verified’ X account not of Iranian journalist whose show was interrupted by Israeli attacks appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Climate change’s effect on OVERPOPULATION #climatechange #overpopulation

VICE News — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:00:51 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Dalit man tortured in Jhansi? Old video resurfaces; police says victim, assailants from same community

Oishani Bhattacharya — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:41:14 +0000

A 55-second-long clip, purportedly showing a Dalit labourer with his hands tied and his head being shaved against his will as a crowd laughs at his plight, is viral on social media. In the second half of the clip, the man is seen speaking to the media, narrating the ordeal he was subjected to. He says his head was forcibly shaved as an act of humiliation because he refused a job, and he was then paraded in that state.

X user Navratn Lal Yadav (@NavrtnYadav) shared the clip on June 29 with a caption in Hindi that translates to: “Now if a Yadav, Lodhi, or Dalit refuses to work as a labourer, their head is shaved, they are hung upside down and made to drink water, paraded through the entire village—this is the Taliban-like punishment of the BJP government. There is no definition for what happened in Jhansi; under the protection of the government of the dominant people, their courage is emboldened. PDA will change the government in 2027”. So far, this post has received over 163,000 views and has been retweeted nearly 2,000 times. (Archive)

यादव , लोधी अब दलित अगर मजदूरी से मना कर देगा तो उसका सर गंजा कर दिया उल्टा लटका के पानी पिलाया पूरे गाँव मे घुमाया ये तालिबानी सजा है भाजपा सरकार की कोई नहीं परिभाषा झाँसी में जो क्रत्य हुईं प्रभुत्ववादी लोगों के सरकार के संरक्षण में जो होसले बुंलन्द है PDA 2027 में सरकार बदलेगा pic.twitter.com/mMyMFKKyCb

— Navratn Lal Yadav (@NavrtnYadav) June 29, 2025

Several other users shared the same clip, claiming that the victim belongs to the Dalit community and the perpetrators are from a dominant caste. Below are a few instances.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We noticed that the Jhansi police clarified, under some of the recent posts carrying the viral clip, that the video is eight months old and that both parties are from the same community.

pic.twitter.com/35KMLHul0X

— Jhansi Police (@jhansipolice) June 30, 2025

To know more about the incident, we broke down the viral video into several keyframes and ran a reverse image search on a few of them. This led us to a report by Aaj Tak from October 25, 2024, which carried a screengrab from the viral clip. The headline of the article said: ‘A young man was punished for not preparing fodder for the buffalo, his head was shaved and he was hung from a tree with his hands and legs tied’.

The report mentioned that the victim, 45-year-old Baba Kabutra, was tortured by four men, who have been referred to as bullies, from the Takori village in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. According to the report, one of the assailants was pressuring the victim to move from the Padri village to Takori to prepare fodder and clean dung of his cattle. When the victim declined the job, four men—Vijay, Nakul, Shatrughan and Kallu—dragged him from his workplace, shoved him into a car and took him to Takori village where they shaved his head, paraded him through the village, beat him up with his hands and feet tied and hung him upside down from a tree.

A case had been registered at the Sipri Bazar police station after the video of the victim’s head being shaven went viral on social media. The report, however, made no mention of the victim or the assailant’s castes.

We then came across a report by Hindustan Times, also from October 25, 2024. Quoting the station officer of Sipri Bazar police station, the report mentioned that both the accused and the victim belonged to the same caste.

A video statement by superintendent of police, Gyanendra Kumar Singh, shared on Jhansi Police’s official X account on October 26, 2024 made it clear that the victim was “Baba Kabutra”, a resident of Padri village, and the assailants, three of whom had been arrested, were also from the Kabutra community.

सोशल मीडिया के माध्यम से प्राप्त वीडियो के सम्बन्ध में थाना सीपरी बाजार पर सुसगंत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत कर घटना से सम्बन्धित तीन अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार कर अग्रेतर कार्यवाही की जा रही है । इस सम्बन्ध में पुलिस अधीक्षक नगर की बाइट pic.twitter.com/ETmqBsufaf

— Jhansi Police (@jhansipolice) October 25, 2024

To sum up, the viral clip is from October 2024, and is not an instance of caste-based violence. The victim and the assailants are from the same community.

The post Dalit man tortured in Jhansi? Old video resurfaces; police says victim, assailants from same community appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

‘These cuts are death sentences’: Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ passes Senate

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:56:00 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

‘These cuts are death sentences’: Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ passes Senate

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:56:00 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

‘Congress doesn’t eat ’til Gaza eats!’ Faith leaders shut down Capitol Hill cafeteria in protest

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:07:19 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

‘Congress doesn’t eat ’til Gaza eats!’ Faith leaders shut down Capitol Hill cafeteria in protest

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:07:19 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

“Congress doesn’t eat ’til Gaza eats.”

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 20:51:27 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

“Congress doesn’t eat ’til Gaza eats.”

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 20:51:27 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 1, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – July 1, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Breaking: Popular cop watcher arrested for holding a sign—these words put him in jail

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:10:10 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

UN News Today 01 July 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:53:34 +0000

Gaza: aid teams report more essential services are shutting downIran crisis: top UNOCHA official in Tehran highlights scale of needsNorthern hemisphere heatwave underscores value of early-warning alerts

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Will we slip farther toward TOTAL SURVEILLANCE? #ViceNews #eyeofthestate #totalsurveillance

VICE News — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:01:02 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Video from 2023 pro-Palestine protest viral with misleading claims that Muslims are ripping US flags in NYC

Prantik Ali — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:52:06 +0000

A video showing a man climbing a street lamp and removing American flags is being widely circulated on social media. Shared after Zohran Mamdani’s win in the mayoral primary for New York City, the footage is being shared with claims that Muslims in the city are taking down US flags.

On June 26, 2025, X user @iAnonPatriot shared the video with the claim. (Archive)

Muslims in New York TEAR DOWN American flags..

pic.twitter.com/DxFVIYXSus

— American AF (@iAnonPatriot) June 26, 2025

Another X user, @RadioGenoa, also posted the video claiming that Muslims hated America. (Archive)

The video was further amplified by other X users such as @nicksortor, @coolfunnytshirt and @AlexDuncanTX. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

The video was also viral on Facebook with the same claim. Screenshots below:

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To check the authenticity of the video and claims, we ran a reverse image search on one of the keyframes from the clip and landed on a YouTube video. This video, which is the same as the viral clip, was uploaded on November 12, 2023, and the caption reads, “DISGUSTING! Pro Palestine protester ripping down American flags in NYC.”

We also came across the same video in an X post from November 11, 2023. The caption said that a Palestinian activist ‘desecrated’ the American flag on Veterans Day.

WATCH: Palestinian activist desecrates American flags on Veterans Day

Replaces US flags with Palestinian flags in New York City pic.twitter.com/hUN5IIWCRc

— Katie Daviscourt (@KatieDaviscourt) November 11, 2023

We also found some news articles from around that time on protests by pro-Palestine demonstrators in which access to the Grand Central terminal was temporarily blocked. A report by Fox News from November 11, 2023, featured a similar video of someone taking down flags from a lamppost. The caption of the video said, “Pro-Palestinian protester arrested after tearing down American flags in New York City”.

Thus, the viral video has been shared with misleading communal claims after Zohran Mamdani’s win as the Democratic nominee for New York City’s mayoral race. It is from a 2023 pro-Palestine demonstration.

The post Video from 2023 pro-Palestine protest viral with misleading claims that Muslims are ripping US flags in NYC appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

BREAKING: Over 9k City workers STRIKE in #philadelphia at midnight, July 1

The Real News Network — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 03:43:09 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 30, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 30, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 30 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:44:12 +0000

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

UN News Today 30 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:44:12 +0000

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

UN News Today 30 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:44:12 +0000

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

2021 video from Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar viral with misleading claims of communal disharmony

Prantik Ali — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:56:52 +0000

A video, little more than a minute long, is viral on social media. It shows at least five injured men, their clothes stained with blood. Voices in the background suggest the presence of more people in the room. Children are also visible – among them, a wounded, dazed girl being attended to by a woman, and two children whose dresses are soaked in blood.

Users on social media have alleged that the viral video shows an influential Muslim family from Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar. Allegedly, the men in the video had protested the use of loudspeakers that were being used on the occasion of a religious program by a Hindu family in their lane. Users have suggested that this culminated in them being brutally beaten up by the Hindu family.

X user (@SanataniMuslim_) posted the video with the viral claim. (Archive)

यह हाजी का परिवार यमुना विहार में मस्जिद के पास में रहता है घर में सब लोग पहलवान रहे है अच्छी खासी दबंगई इनकी इलाके में है इनकी गली में एक हिन्दू के घर कुछ धार्मिक कार्यक्रम चल रहा था जनाब वहां Loudspeaker बंद करवाने पहुंच गए और फिर हिन्दुओ ने बहुत शांति से इन शांतिदूतो को समझाया… pic.twitter.com/c8G3PfHwuJ

— Nadeem Shaikh (@SanataniMuslim_) June 22, 2025

X user (@geetappoo) also posted the video. At the time of this article being written, the post has garnered more than 8 lakh views. (Archive)

यह हाजी का परिवार यमुना विहार में मस्जिद के पास में रहता है घर में सब लोग पहलवान हैं अच्छी खासी दबंगई इनकी इलाके में है इनकी गली में एक हिन्दू के घर कुछ धार्मिक कार्यक्रम चल रहा था जनाब वहां लाउडस्पीकर बंद करवाने पहुंच गए और फिर हिन्दुओ ने बहुत शांति से इन शांतिदूतो को समझाया…… pic.twitter.com/4GGOpRi44X

— Geeta Patel (@geetappoo) June 22, 2025

Another X user (@Vini__007) posted the video with similar claims. However, the tweet was later deleted. (Archive)

The video was also viral on Facebook with similar claims. Screenshots below:

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the claims, we broke down the video into several keyframes. A reverse image search on one of these led us to a video on Instagram – which is the same as the one that recently went viral. We noticed that the video was uploaded on June 14, 2021.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Unbiased media (@theunbiasedmedia_)

The caption states: “Armed Hindutva mob, led by Vipin, attacked Muslim family at midnight in Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar injuring 14 people including 3 females. They called them Pakistanis and used other anti-Muslim slurs. This is second time family faced violence since Feb 2020.”

Taking cue from this, we ran a keyword search on Google, and came across a news report by The Indian Express, from June 15, 2021. The report states that ‘local residents from different communities’, in Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar area, had gotten into a heated clash over the opening of a gate in the area, on June 14.

According to the report, a resident from a nearby area, named Vipin Kumar, had tried accessing the gate late at night. Having found it locked, Kumar broke into an altercation with the security guard. At this juncture, another local resident, identified as Mohd. Yasin, along with some family members, intervened and reportedly rebuked Kumar. They allegedly assaulted him as well. In response, Kumar called his relatives to the spot, leading to a scuffle between the two groups. Several individuals from both sides sustained injuries during the altercation.

Moreover, we found an X post, from the official handle of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, of North East Delhi (@DCPNEastDelhi).

A criminal case has been registered regarding Yamuna Vihar incident and legal action initiated.

We request people to neither share nor promote inflammatory posts with twisted facts being circulated on social media with an intention to disturb our communal harmony.

— DCP North East Delhi (@DCPNEastDelhi) June 13, 2021

From this, it is evident that the incident was not communal in nature. The viral video, which is actually from 2021, has been amplified on social media with misleading claims, alleging that a Muslim family has been beaten up by a Hindu family for protesting the use of loudspeakers in a religious ceremony. On investigating, Alt News found that such claims are baseless.

The post 2021 video from Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar viral with misleading claims of communal disharmony appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Why a Hong Kong law that is eroding press freedom is also bad for business

CPJ's Asia-Pacific program staff — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:31:23 +0000

New York, June 30, 2025—Hong Kong, an international financial hub and once a beacon of free media, is now in the grip of a rapid decline in press freedom that threatens the city’s status as a global financial information center.

Three journalists told CPJ that investigative reporting on major economic events, a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s financial transparency, has nearly disappeared amid government pressure and the departure of major outlets.

The sharp decline in press freedom, the journalists said, is a direct result of the National Security Law. This law, enacted on June 30, 2020, was imposed directly by Beijing, bypassing Hong Kong’s local legislature, and included offenses for secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces, with penalties ranging from a three years to life imprisonment.

In the five years since it was enacted, authorities have shut down media outlets and arrested several journalists, including Jimmy Lai, the founder of one of Hong Kong’s largest newspapers, the pro-democracy Apple Daily. Several major international news organizations have either relocated or downsized their operations in Hong Kong, leading to a decline in reporting on the city and its financial hub.

“Hong Kong’s economic boom happened because journalists could work without interference,” said a veteran reporter with 11 years’ experience in television, newspapers, and digital platforms in Hong Kong, who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

While markets still function, at least three media professionals told CPJ that the erosion of press freedom — often overlooked — is a key factor behind Hong Kong’s fading financial appeal to market participants. One reporter described the media as “paralyzed.”

Another hastily passed security law enacted in March 2024 in Hong Kong further deepened fears that it would be used to suppress press freedom and prosecute journalists.

Jimmy Lai walks through the Stanley prison in Hong Kong in 2023. (Photo: AP/Louise Delmotte)

“There has never been an international financial center in history that operates with restrictions on information,” Simon Lee, an economic commentator and former assistant CEO of Next Digital Group, the parent company of Apple Daily, told CPJ.

Hong Kong long served as a base for reporting on China’s economy and power structures, said a former financial journalist on the condition of anonymity, citing safety concerns.

“Most Hong Kong-listed companies come from the mainland [China]. Foreign media used Hong Kong to observe China’s economic operations or wealth transfers,” the former financial journalist told CPJ. “Now the risks feel similar to reporting from inside China.”

Crackdowns, shutdowns, and an exodus of major media

Since the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020, at least eight media outlets have shut. These included Apple Daily, news and lifestyle magazine Next Magazine, both published by Lai’s Next Digital group, and the online outlet Stand News, after they were raided by authorities.

At least four other media organizations — Post852, DB channel, Citizen News, and FactWire — ceased operations voluntarily, citing concerns over the deteriorating political environment.

Reporting was also criminalized in several cases, with journalists prosecuted for “inciting subversion” or “colluding with foreign forces.”

China had the world’s highest number of imprisoned journalists in CPJ’s latest prison census — 50 in total, including eight in Hong Kong.

The New York Times moved part of its newsroom to Seoul in 2020. In March 2024, Radio Free Asia closed its Hong Kong office, and in May, The Wall Street Journal relocated its Asia headquarters to Singapore.

“With fewer foreign correspondents based in the city, there’s simply less reporting on Hong Kong,” the former financial journalist told CPJ. “As a result, the city’s economy may receive less objective attention on the global stage.”

The former financial journalist said that one of the biggest losses after the security law was the disappearance of Apple Daily. Unlike most local media, which focused on routine market updates, Apple Daily connected business to politics and mapped interest networks — an increasingly rare practice.

Copies of the last issue of Apple Daily arrive at a newspaper booth in Hong Kong on June 24, 2021. (Photo: AP/Vincent Yu)

Next Digital, through Apple Daily, built a reputation for investigative financial reporting. A former staff member told the BBC that the company once spent over 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) tracing dozens of property owners to uncover a developer’s hidden ties with a bank.

“From a financial news perspective, one of our biggest problems is losing Apple Daily,” the former financial journalist told CPJ.

Local business reporting also fades away

As Hong Kong’s financial hub reputation comes under question, stories on high unemployment rates, struggling small businesses, and store closures are increasingly out of sight.

“One direct effect is feeling increasingly unable to grasp what’s happening in the city; important information no longer seems easy to access,” Lee said. “Previously, competition among professional outlets encouraged source sharing and helped maintain a power balance. Now, one-way government-controlled information faces little resistance.”

Lee told CPJ that changes in Hong Kong’s media landscape are particularly evident in major financial events, pointing to the coverage of the 2024 sale of Li Ka-shing’s port assets, in which local outlets failed to question the deal’s structure, rationale, or political implications.

“Beijing called it a national security matter, and the other side of the story disappeared,” Lee told CPJ. “Many focus on the judicial system when discussing fairness, but true fairness also depends on the free flow of information … Without information freedom, public oversight fades, and the market’s system of checks and balances collapses.”

Lee also cited the case of Alvin Chau, a casino tycoon in Macao who was sentenced in 2023 to 18 years for illegal gambling. While foreign media uncovered his alleged links to oil smuggling operations to North Korea, local media offered little follow-up.

“These investigations and reports simply no longer exist,” Lee said.

Sources can’t speak freely

Two journalists told CPJ they have noticed increasing reluctance from interviewees.

During previous years of the Annual Budget Speech, Hong Kong’s yearly announcement of its public spending and economic plans, the media would host analysis shows with economists debating government spending and policies.

“We would ask about the fiscal surplus, support for the poor, and whether measures were targeted,” the veteran reporter told CPJ, adding that now, “only one professor is willing to speak openly.”

Lee told CPJ that the atmosphere of “not being allowed to criticize” the broader structure or government policy has also extended to the reporting on how financial markets operate.

Market participants should be free to take either optimistic or pessimistic views of the economic outlook, Lee told CPJ, adding that today in Hong Kong, it is discouraged to express pessimism, and even silently shifting toward defensive investment strategies or risk-averse behavior may be interpreted as making a political statement.

“It’s hard for any place with such high information costs to remain a global financial hub,” Lee said. “Because even pulling back on investment can send a signal. If investors are accused of intentionally dragging down the market just because they try to hedge or take a cautious view, they may decide it’s safer to avoid the market altogether.”

In response to CPJ’s request for comment, a Hong Kong government spokesperson referred CPJ to a statement that said the security law has enabled the city to “make a major transition from chaos to order” and “the business environment has continuously improved,” while press freedom is protected under the law.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ's Asia-Pacific program staff.

Why Venetians want Jeff Bezos to choke on his wedding cake…

The Real News Network — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 15:03:26 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Video of husband assaulting wife in UP viral with false communal claims that Muslim man beat up Hindu woman

Prantik Ali — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 11:53:45 +0000

Trigger Warning: The story has visuals and descriptions of violence & domestic abuse. Reader’s discretion advised.

A video of a man physically assaulting a woman—kicking, slapping, and even hitting her with a rolling pin—is viral on social media. The video is being shared with communal claims that this is the fate of Hindu wives married to Muslim men.

X user @Lawyer_Kalpana posted the viral video with a Hindi caption, which translates to: “Look, secular Hindu girls, the same will happen to you; there is still time, go back home.” (Archive)

देख लो सेक्युलर हिन्दू लड़कियों तुम्हारे साथ भी ऐसा ही होगा अभी भी समय है घर वापसी करलो।

इस विडियो को ज्यादा से ज्यादा रिपोस्ट करें ताकि हर हिन्दू लड़कियों तक यह विडियो पहुँचे। pic.twitter.com/MZkYTlljo3

— कल्पना श्रीवास्तव (@Lawyer_Kalpana) June 25, 2025

Another X user, @SonOfBharat7, also shared the video with similar claims. He identified the woman in the clip as 25-year-old Nandini Rao and the man as Aryan Khan. The caption, which is in Hindi, goes into details about how the woman was lured into marriage, and then tortured and sexually harassed by Khan and his family members:

“… Nandini was held captive in a flat in Domjur, Howrah, where she faced unimaginable torture and sexual harassment by Aryan Khan, his mother Shweta Khan, and a minor family member, Zoya Khan. The tortures were systematic and relentless. Nandini was beaten with iron rods, her body was burned with cigarette butts, and her hair was forcibly cut as a form of humiliation. She was repeatedly raped, with reports revealing that rods were inserted into her private parts, a level of cruelty beyond comprehension. The accused allegedly pressured her to participate in shooting obscene videos and work as a bar dancer, and when she refused, the violence escalated.”

The user also alleges that Khan has been arrested in Kolkata, and that the police are examining “potential links to a larger pornographic racket.” At the time this article was written, this post had over 2.4 million views. (Archive)

जिस मुँह को चूमता था अब्दुल
उसी मुँह पर मारी जोरदार लात….

नंदिनी और इस्लामिक मोहोब्बत की सच्चाई

31 दिसंबर, 2024 को पश्चिम बंगाल के सोदपुर की 25 वर्षीय हिंदू महिला नंदिनी राव को आर्यन खान ने इवेंट मैनेजमेंट में आकर्षक नौकरी का वादा करके धोखा दिया ।

इसके बाद जो हुआ वह एक… pic.twitter.com/CuIiopbLB4

— Deepak Sharma (@SonOfBharat7) June 26, 2025

X user @ocjain4 had also posted the viral claim. However, it was later deleted. (Archive)

Several other X users, such as @BHUPENDER_HRD and @JIX5A, also shared the video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To check the authenticity of the claims circulating on social media, we ran a reverse image search on one of the key frames from the viral video. This led us to an Instagram post, uploaded on June 21, 2025, featuring the same video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by AbduL Amin BarkaTi (@abdulamin_barkati)

In the caption, the user claims the video is from the Sikandar Gate area in Moti Colony, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.

Taking cue from this, we ran a relevant keyword search in Hindi and came across the same video shared on X on June 19. The caption said that the incident was from the Sikander Gate police outpost area, Moti Colony, under the Hapur city police station jurisdiction. We also found that the official X handle of Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur Police had commented below this post, clarifying that the video is over a month old: “The aforementioned viral video is about one and a half months old, in which the man beating the woman is her husband, regarding whom a case has been registered earlier at the Hapur Nagar police station under relevant sections, and the process of evidence collection has been completed, with the charge sheet already sent to the honorable court.”

उक्त वायरल वीडियो करीब डेढ़ माह पुराना है, जिसमें महिला को पीटने वाला व्यक्ति उसका पति है, जिसके संबंध में पूर्व में थाना हापुड नगर पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत है, साक्ष्य संकलन की कार्यवाही कर आरोप पत्र मा0 न्यायालय प्रेषित किया जा चुका है।

— HAPUR POLICE (@hapurpolice) June 19, 2025

We found another post from June 26, made by the official handle of the Hapur Police, refuting the communal angle in the viral claims. It said that the person beating the woman was her husband and that both of them are Muslim. A case was registered at Hapur Nagar police station for physical assault.

#भ्रामक_खबर_का_खण्डन
सोशल मीडिया पर कुछ शरारती तत्वों द्वारा मुस्लिम दंपती के आपसी झगड़े को हिन्दू-मुस्लिम का रूप देकर भ्रामक खबर पोस्ट की जा रही है।#HapurPolice द्वारा भ्रामक खबर पोस्ट करने वालो के विरूद्ध अभियोग पंजीकृत कर विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।@UPPViralCheck @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/zgiuk6DuBJ

— HAPUR POLICE (@hapurpolice) June 26, 2025

Thus, as clarified by the police, there is no communal angle in the case of the assault. The viral video, depicts an incident from over a month ago in which a man is beating his wife. Both the husband and wife are Muslims and the incident is from Uttar Pradesh, unlike what the viral claims suggest.

The post Video of husband assaulting wife in UP viral with false communal claims that Muslim man beat up Hindu woman appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Democrat elites try to destroy Zohran Mamdani’s chance at NYC mayor—will they succeed?

The Real News Network — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:47:33 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 27, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 27, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 27 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:25:48 +0000

Gaza’s health system crumbles amid ongoing aid relief denials: WHOMyanmar generals' ‘corruption’ has left people in poverty: UN rights chiefViet Nam urged to continue on path to complete death penalty abolition: OHCHR

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

‘News’ about two-wheelers having to pay toll is not true; TV9 Bharatvarsh, India Today, others misreport

Pawan Kumar — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:13:25 +0000

On June 26, several news outlets reported that under new rules by the Indian government, two-wheelers will be required to pay a tax at toll plazas from July 15, 2025.

Media outlets TV9 Bharatvarsh, TV9 Hindi and TV9 Assam in their video reports and stories on June 26 said that July 15 onwards, two-wheelers using the national highway will have to pay toll to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Although TV9 Bharatvarsh has now removed this video, it was shared on YouTube by Opposition party, Congress. The party’s national spokesperson, Ritu Chaudhary, and party member, Priyamvada, also shared TV9 Bharatvarsh’s video on X to claim that the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party was making life harder for middle-class Indians by imposing toll tax on two-wheelers, which is often dubbed a lifeline for many who cannot afford cars.

Click to view slideshow.

Besides TV9, many other media organisations such Zee News Telugu, ETV Bharat, Punjab Kesari, IBC24, Lalluram.com, IRIA Gujarat, BBN 24 and DB Live published similar reports that two-wheelers will have to pay toll tax from July 15. India Today also published a report, which was subsequently taken down from its website. However, social media users shared screenshots of the story. Panchajanya, a Hindi language weekly magazine published by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), also posted the update on X but deleted it later.

Click to view slideshow.

The Karnataka Congress also shared a similar report on its official X handle, calling it another blow to the common man. Other social media users on X also posted about the government levying a toll tax, based on media reports.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Considering some news outlets deleted their reports, we began checking whether the information was true.

While investigating, we came across an X post by Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways, shipping and water resources. His post said that media outlets were spreading misleading news that the government was levying toll on two-wheelers. Condemning those for spreading misinformation without verifying, he clarified that no such decision was made and two-wheelers remain exempt from toll tax. He even tagged TV9Bharatvarsh in his post.

The X handle of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also said that reports by media outlets on toll being levied on bikes and scooters was baseless and that no such proposal was being considered.

The fact-checking unit of the government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) also debunked the claims that two-wheelers would soon have to pay toll. However, it is worth noting that PIB did not call out any news outlet’s reports in its post, even though the misinformation was amplified because of misreporting by news outlets.

Even during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, PIB’s fact-check unit debunked many false claims spread on social media, but did not name or call out any media houses that blatantly spread misinformation.

Read: PIB ignores false claims by Indian media about Operation Sindoor & The fictional strikes on the Karachi port and what it says about Indian media

On June 26, TV9 Bharatvarsh issued a clarification: “TV9 Bharatvarsh had run the news some time ago that now two-wheelers will have to pay toll tax on NHAI, refuting this news, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has tweeted and informed that this news is false.”

दो पहिया वाहनों को नहीं देना होगा टोल टैक्स

TV9 भारतवर्ष ने कुछ देर पहले ये खबर चलाई थी कि अब NHAI पर टू व्हीलर्स को टोल टैक्स देना होगा, इस खबर का खंडन करते हुए केंद्रीय मंत्री नितिन गडकरी ने ट्वीट कर जानकारी दी है कि ये खबर गलत है. यानी टू व्हीलर्स पर कोई भी टोल टैक्स नहीं… pic.twitter.com/RSP1mkFC3w

— TV9 Bharatvarsh (@TV9Bharatvarsh) June 26, 2025

To sum up, many Indian news outlets misreported that two-wheelers would soon have to pay toll tax, resulting in many amplifying it. The NHAI and Union minister Gadkari clarified that no such proposal was on the cards.

The post ‘News’ about two-wheelers having to pay toll is not true; TV9 Bharatvarsh, India Today, others misreport appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Digitally manipulated clip of ABP debate shared with claims that Iranian lawmakers burnt Indian flag

Prantik Ali — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:50:18 +0000

Visuals of the Indian flag being burnt in the Iranian Parliament are viral on social media and a clip showing a television debate on this image by a Hindi news channel is being widely circulated. Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13, India has maintained a cautious diplomatic stance without criticising the move by Israel, prompting some criticism.

X user @haidar5s posted the viral clip, alleging that the Indian flag had been burnt in the Iranian Parliament. When this article was written, the post had managed to accumulate more than 300,000 views and was reshared over 2,500 times. (Archive)

Another user, @summandar01, also posted the video with similar claims. However, this post was later withheld in India. (Archive)

The viral video was also amplified by several other Pakistani users on X. (Archives 1, 2, 3, 4)

Fact Check

To authenticate the viral image and video. We carefully looked at the visual of the TV debate. The top left corner had the name of the segment: सीधा सवाल (‘Seedha Sawaal’).

Taking cue from this, we ran a relevant keyword search on YouTube and came across the original video uploaded on June 16 by ABP News. The episode of ‘Seedha Sawaal’ features news anchor Sandeep Chaudhary and guest seen on the right in the viral video is retired Major General Bishamber Dayal.

We noticed that the viral section begins at the 24:39-minute timestamp. When the show’s host and Dayal converse, the visuals do not show the Indian flag being burnt but generic footage of conflict. Below is an example:

The part about the treatment meted out to the Indian flag in the Iranian Parliament seems to have been edited into the viral footage. Nowhere does the TV debate make any such mention or report that something like this happened. The episode remained focused on the conflict between Iran and Israel, as on June 16, and went into discussions about the conflict’s geopolitical consequences for India.

We also ran relevant keyword searches to check if anything of the sort had transpired at the Iranian Parliament, but found no reports. This raised doubts that the visual may have been generated using artificial intelligence.

To be sure, we looked at what the Iranian Parliament looks like based on images used by Iran’s Tasnim news agency. This did not bear a resemblance to the image used in the viral video. Below are comparisons:

On looking closely, we also found several disparities in the viral image. For instance, in the first image, there was no smoke from the fire where one supposed lawmaker is holding the Indian flag on fire; the way his palms hold the flag is also unnatural. The computer placement seemed odd as well. In the second image, we noticed that two chairs placed next to one another and a show plant kept nearby were distorted. The angle at which the flag is shown burning also seemed unnatural. We have highlighted these below:

Based on these findings, we believe the image is likely AI-generated.

To sum up, the viral video of a TV debate showing the Indian flag being burnt in the Iranian Parliament is digitally manipulated. The image of the burning flag was likely generated using AI and added to a clip of an actual ABP debate from June 16 with different audio to mislead viewers.

The post Digitally manipulated clip of ABP debate shared with claims that Iranian lawmakers burnt Indian flag appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 26, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 26, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 26 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 16:34:50 +0000

UN Human Rights condemns latest killings in occupied West BankMore than two billion people lack access to safe drinking waterInvestment in AI is triple that spent on climate adaptation

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

The Spiritual Journey Behind Creativity & Art ft. Rick Rubin | Shane Smith Has Questions | Vice News

VICE News — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 16:00:05 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

News18, social media users share 2-month old visuals of blast in Iranian city as footage from June conflict with Israel

Oishani Bhattacharya — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:37:28 +0000

A 17-second clip showing a cloud of smoke emanating from an explosion in an urban area is viral on social media with claims that it shows Iran being bombarded by Israel. Some claim the video of the explosion is from Ahvaz in Iran, while others claim it shows an explosion at the Bushehr airport.

The conflict between the two escalated after Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear and military structures from warplanes and drones on June 13; Iran soon retaliated with strikes. Since then, several unverified visuals have been circulating on social media platforms with claims they are from either of the two countries .

A June 22 report by News18 titled, “Bushehr Airport Hit By Israel As Explosion Rocks Iran Province Housing Nuclear Site,” featured a screengrab from the above clip. (Archive)

X user Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) also posted the same video on June 22, claiming that the visual depicted an explosion in Ahvaz. (Archive)

Several other users on X, such as @mog_russEN, @World_At_War_6, @thecsrjournal, and news outlet EurAsia Daily, used the viral clip claiming it showed footage of an explosion in Iran amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

After breaking down the clip into multiple keyframes, we ran a reverse image search on a few of them. This led us to an Instagram carousel post by an account @qatarday from April 26, 2025. The fourth slide in the carousel, has the now-viral clip.

The caption of the post reads, “Four dead, over 500 injured as ‘massive’ explosion hits Iran’s Bandar Abbas”. Bandar Abbas is a port city on the southern coast of Iran.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Qatar Day (@qatarday)

We also found the video shared by X account, @JasonMBrodsky, on April 26, which also said the explosion was from Iran’s Bandar Abbas.

The more I read about this explosion today in Bandar Abbas, the more I think about the reports about those #Iran cargo ships docking in Bandar Abbas after departing #China with missile components. pic.twitter.com/X0Rxrx51Na

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) April 26, 2025

Taking a cue from the above posts, we checked for news reports with relevant keywords from that time and found that several outlets had covered it.

According to an April 27 report by the BBC, nearly 28 individuals were killed and 800 injured in the explosion in Shahid Rajaee in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. The report carried a video captured by an individual who recorded it from his car when the explosion took place. It has the same smoke pattern as is seen in the viral clip.

Al Jazeera also used a clip from the same location, recorded at a different angle. Here, too, the smoke pattern is the same.

Below is a comparison of the visuals aired by BBC and Al Jazeera with the viral clip. As can be seen, in all three screenshots, the smoke pattern is similar.

Thus it was clear that the viral clip of the explosion is neither from Ahvaz nor from Bushehr but an explosion that happened in Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas city in Iran two months before the June conflict.

However, it should be noted that Iranian cities Ahvaz and Bushehr did suffer from Israeli strikes.

The post News18, social media users share 2-month old visuals of blast in Iranian city as footage from June conflict with Israel appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Viral image does not show 70-year-old Muslim man from Rajasthan married to his teen granddaughter

Ankita Mahalanobish — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:41:11 +0000

Images of a young woman with an elderly man are being shared widely with claims that a 70-year-old Muslim man from Churu, Rajasthan, married his 19-year-old granddaughter.

On June 18, 2025, a Facebook page named Khabri TV shared a collage of images of the two, claiming that Liaquat Ali was a 70-year-old resident of Churu who married his teen granddaughter. The post alleged that following the death of her parents, Liaquat Ali raised the child himself and ultimately went on to marry her. (Archive)

राजस्थान के चूरू में 70 साल के लियाकत अली ने अपनी 19 साल की पोती के साथ में शादी कर ली है। माता-पिता के गुजरने के बाद…

Posted by Khabri Tv on Sunday 15 June 2025

An X user, Gopal Sanatani (@GopalSa22721269), shared the same collage along with a similar caption on June 18. (Archive)

राजस्थान के चूरू में 70 साल के लियाकत ने अपनी 19साल की पोती के साथ में शादी कर ली है। माता-पिता के गुजरने के बाद लियाकत ने हीं अपनी पोती की परवरिश की थी। लेकिन जवान होने के बाद उनकी पोती खूबसूरत लगने लगी। जिसके बाद लियाकत अली का मन मचल गया और उन्होंने अपनी पोती के साथ शादी कर ली। pic.twitter.com/bg1SeK1K0V

— गोपाल सनातनी (@GopalSa22721269) June 18, 2025

Similarly, on Instagram, user Rakesh Singh shared the collage with a similar caption.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Md Mokhtaz (@cricket_facts_2.7)

Several social media users also shared the collage, claiming that the incident was from Churu, Rajasthan, and the two individuals were related.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the viral claims, we did a keyword search and found a YouTube video by Syed Basit Ali on June 14, 2022. The video is an interview with the same people shown in the collage. The couple is from Lahore, Pakistan, and had a unique story about how they got married.

According to the interview, the man (70) is Liaquat Ali and the woman (19) is his wife, Shumaila Ali. They told the interviewer that they fell in love during their daily morning walk routine. The woman goes to say that her parents were initially against their marriage, but eventually she managed to convince them.

“One doesn’t see age in love, it just happens. People should refrain from commenting on others who marry with a vast age difference. They should be respected for their decision. It is their life, and they can live it the way they want,” she adds.

We also found a few news reports regarding this from 2022. The Economic Times had reported this. However, the outlet featured it under its Spotlight section, which is for paid or branded content. The Tribune also published a report based on the YouTube video.

From just the video by Syed Basit Ali, Alt News was unable to verify whether the interview depicted was a real incident or a scripted video made for entertainment. We reached out to him for clarification and the story will be updated based on his response. But we found that the YouTuber frequently features content from Pakistan, capturing unorthodox stories. So, even if it is a scripted video, the couple featured in the viral image shared recently—reportedly Liaquat Ali and Shumaila Ali—are not from Churu, Rajasthan, but Pakistan. Also, going by their accounts in the interview, the two are not related.

Thus, the widely circulated claim suggesting that a 70-year-old from Churu, Rajasthan, married his granddaughter is baseless. Also, the viral images of them are at least three years old.

The post Viral image does not show 70-year-old Muslim man from Rajasthan married to his teen granddaughter appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Clip of Air India crash survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh going back to look for brother viral with conspiracy theories

Prantik Ali — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:14:07 +0000

Following the devastating crash of Gatwick-bound Air India flight 171, a new video purportedly of Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the tragic accident, is viral on social media. The footage shows him walking towards the crash site, which is engulfed in flames. Ramesh was among the 242 aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed into the BJ Medical College in the densely populated area of Meghani Nagar in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad within 30 seconds of take-off. The accident, among the worst tragedies in recent aviation history, claimed the lives of 241, including crew, and many others residing in the premises of the medical college.

The survival of Ramesh, who was seated in an emergency exit in the aircraft, has been nothing short of miraculous. Earlier, a video, shared by many news outlets, showed Ramesh walking out of a building gate as plumes of smoke could be seen in the background. This was different from the now-viral video, which shows him walking towards the site of the crash.

Social media users have widely circulated the video questioning why he walked towards the site of the crash and emerged afterwards. Wondering what unfolded, many insinuated it was fishy that a man “shown as a survivor” was walking into the accident and coming out later. Some even said that this was the “reality” that was not being broadcast by media outlets. Below are some claims from X and Instagram. (Archives 1, 2)

Seriously?! is this for real? pic.twitter.com/PJimpwlJdl

— Lord Shiv (@lordshivom) June 18, 2025

Bit confused by seeing this viral video. The person who was shown as a survivor was found walking inside the accident zone area and then again he came out how’s that possible? I can’t believe this.#planecrash #ViralVideos #Accident #AirIndiaPlaneCrash #IranIsraelConflict… pic.twitter.com/eOIBysIAtN

— Amit Kumar Singh (@AmitSingh0208) June 18, 2025

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mahadev ke deewane Hain ham (@sanju_bob_thakor_mahadev_)

Users on Facebook also shared the viral clip. Screenshots below:

Fact Check

Since information on passengers in the flight and Vishwas Kumar Ramesh’s boarding pass were published by many media outlets, we were certain that he was on the flight.

But to understand what was being shown in the viral video, we broke it down into key frames, and ran reverse image searches on some of them. This led us to several short videos where a man bearing a close resemblance to Vishwas Kumar Ramesh is seen entering the crash site more than once and exiting. Alt News went through many such videos generated by those at the site and tried to piece together the chain of events.

Our research found that Ramesh first exited the crash site when there were very few people around and tried to go back in twice to look for his brother, who was on the same flight. The new viral video, shared with conspiracy theories, shows him re-entering the crash site for the first time. He tried entering it a second time, too when there were more people at the site, who beckoned to him and called him back. When he emerged from the site this time, he was guided by these people to an ambulance. A video of his emergence and being taken to an ambulance was the same one shared by news outlets.

Here’s a breakdown of how we arrived at this:

We found one Instagram reel uploaded by user @ravibarthuniya on June 12, showing a man in a white t-shirt, standing across from the crash site, making his way across the street and entering the premises. His clothing and the fact that he was limping matched the description and visuals of Vishwas Kumar Ramesh seen emerging from the site.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ravi Barthuniya (@ravibarthuniya)

We compared visuals in the viral video and this reel and found they were the same. Below is a comparison.

Thus, the viral clip does show Vishwas Kumar Ramesh entering the crash site. We also noticed that there was a scooter parked by the compound wall he entered and only few people around.

However, when this reel is compared with the video shared by news outlets showing him emerging from the site and being guided towards an ambulance, some things appear different.

For instance, the scooter against the wall seen in the first comparison image was removed. Also, there were a lot more people present at the site. This suggests that some time had passed between the two videos, and the clip of him emerging was taken later.

We also found another video on Instagram of Ramesh using his phone and entering the crash site. However, this is different from the previous video of him entering.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amit kumar jain (@amitalwin)

We also noticed that the scooter was removed and, unlike in the previous instance, the dog is absent. There are also more people. Multiple videos we watched confirmed that he entered the crash site not once, but twice.

In the second instance, the people present at the site call out to him after he goes in. When he comes out, a man in a pink shirt and blue turban is visible. Based on the video shared by news outlets, we know that he is the same person who guides Ramesh to an ambulance.

A video report by BBC India, posted on Instagram on June 18, identifies the man in the turban as Satinder Singh Sandhu. Sandhu, who supervises a fleet of ambulances, was the first emergency responder at the crash site.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BBC News India (@bbcnewsindia)

We then reached out to Sandhu, who told us that when he arrived at the spot, he saw Ramesh going back into the premises. “I was just done shifting a victim to the ambulance. Then I saw him (Ramesh) near the gate. He went in and then came out again, after which I intervened and moved him to an ambulance,” he told us in Hindi.

Sandhu told the BBC that Ramesh, even after his rescue, “kept trying to go back to the site of the crash.”

“He had no idea what he was doing. He kept going in and out of the complex. We told him to stop, and dragged him away to an ambulance so that he could receive medical care… That’s when he said to me that his relative was trapped inside and he wanted to go save him. We did not speak a word after that,” he told the publication. At the time, Sandhu had no idea the man was the lone plane crash survivor. The emergency responder gave similar accounts to news outlets PTI, NDTV and UK-based DailyMail.

Thus, we were able to conclude that Vishwas Kumar Ramesh emerged from the crash site and tried going back near the burning wreckage at least twice to look for his brother. Piecemeal footage on social media from different angles and at different times has led to confusion regarding the chain of events. Alt News was unable to find footage that shows him walking away from the crash site the very first time. But we were able to establish that the now-viral video shows him trying to re-enter the first time, most likely to look for and save his brother.

The post Clip of Air India crash survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh going back to look for brother viral with conspiracy theories appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 25, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 25, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 25 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:16:39 +0000

Funding urgently needed to reach 666 million people without electricity: WHOGaza food aid remains drastically insufficient, warns OCHANiger’s cancer care services get a boost from IAEA initiative

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Journalist SHOT IN THE HEAD by LA police while covering protests

The Real News Network — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 15:40:32 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Language Row: News outlets take down stories on Amit Shah’s controversial English remark

Ankita Mahalanobish — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:47:48 +0000

Recent remarks by Union home minister Amit Shah on the English language have sparked a controversy. Speaking at a book launch on June 19, Shah said that India is not too far from becoming a society where English speakers would “feel ashamed”. His statement led many Opposition members to question the Bharatiya Janata Party’s selective language politics. However, what stands out in this case is that many news outlets, including news agency ANI, took down their stories on Shah’s contentious statement without issuing a clarification.

Speaking on the concerns regarding the state of the Hindi language in India, Shah said, “Remember what I say and listen to me carefully. In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed—the creation of such a society is not far away.” “Only those who resolve to act can accomplish things,” he said on the government’s resolve to build an Indian society based on Indian languages and not a foreign one. Shah was addressing a gathering at the launch of Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon, authored by former IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri.

“I believe that the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. Without our languages, we cease to be truly Indian… With pride in our languages, we will run our country, ideate, research, make decisions, and lead the world, too. There is no need for anyone to doubt this…Our languages will greatly contribute to us being at the top of the world in 2047,” he added.

ANI, Others Take Down Story

On June 19, news agency Asian News International (ANI) shared a video of Shah’s speech on X and posted a story on its website. However, within hours, both the social media post and the article were taken down. ANI has issued no clarification on why these were removed.

Since ANI is a wire agency whose stories go to the syndicated feed of subscribing news outlets, we found the now-deleted ANI article on WION. At least prima facie, the piece has no factual inaccuracies or misinformation and seems like routine coverage of the event with Shah’s remarks, largely verbatim.

We found a similar pattern across news outlets. Times of India, NDTV, Times Now and ABP News retracted their reports. These articles and their headlines and image thumbnails still appear on search engines but they lead to a 404 error page on clicking. Note that none of these outlets issued public clarifications on why these stories were taken down. Since archives of these were not available, we could not verify whether these were wire copies by ANI, published by them and later taken down.

We also found another intriguing pattern. News outlets such as The Indian Express, The Hindu and Republic TV, which still have their articles with Shah’s statement available on their website, did not amplify the story on social media platforms, especially X. This is unusual because news outlets routinely promote most of their articles on these platforms, as standard practice.

Debate on Language Politics

Shah’s statement has ruffled many feathers. Opposition leaders believe that in shunting English to promote native languages, the BJP government is actually pushing for Hindi. Though Shah mentions embracing ‘Indian languages’ and nativity, his discourse and statement at the event followed a question by another speaker on the weakened status of Hindi as a language. Shah’s remarks almost seem to use Indian languages and Hindi interchangeably.

Such preoccupation with Hindi has also been a flashpoint between the centre and states, especially on education. The indirect imposition of Hindi as part of the National Education Policy’s (NEP) three-language policy has been opposed by many states, most vehemently Tamil Nadu. Note that while the NEP does not mandate learning Hindi, experts believe that the Centre has left states with little choice but to adopt it as the most plausible third optional language. Tamil Nadu largely follows a two-language system where students are taught in Tamil and English. Most states in the southern region, in the North East or those lying in tribal belts believe that the Central push for Indian languages comes with the obvious subsuming of dialects, regional languages and local traditions by Hindi and Hindi speakers. The push for Hindi is also reflected in the obvious tilt in NCERT textbooks used across states.

In a country where language has often been a flashpoint for regional and communal tensions, Shah’s statement could appeal to many, especially those in the Hindi-speaking belt where the BJP already has a stronghold. However, the removal of his controversial remarks by news outlets must be seen in view of the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal in 2026, where the BJP’s communal and language politics have failed to land the party a win.

Besides the underlying Hindi push, Shah’s remarks have also come under fire for their “restrictive and narrow-minded” approach towards English, a language that, despite its colonial roots, still acts as a bridge for many within the country and abroad. English has evolved into a global lingua franca and has been used for international engagement. Arguably, English has also allowed many to subvert caste and class hierarchies predominant within the society and culture.

“English is not a barrier; it is a bridge… BJP-RSS don’t want India’s poor children to learn English—because they don’t want you to ask questions, move forward, or stand equal… English is as essential as your mother tongue—because it will secure jobs, boost confidence,” Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said on Shah snubbing English.

Disappearing Articles

It’s not exactly clear why the reports were removed or what prompted it. Alt News has tried to contact some people to understand what may have caused this. The story will be updated if and when we receive responses.

But the question remains that even if removed, why was there no clarification? Was there implicit pressure from authorities owing to the contentious nature of Shah’s speech? Was there an inaccuracy? The incident poses serious doubts on the integrity and autonomy of India’s media ecosystem and independent decision-making in editorial policies. ANI has a fairly wide reach and when a major news agency, a video partner to most news outlets, takes a crucial video down, it is bound to limit reach, thus cushioning the impact from criticism. Alt News also reached out to ANI for comment, the editor refused to speak to us.

In March 2025, at least three major media outlets took down their stories on a South African wildlife organisation, raising concerns over the functioning of the Reliance-owned Vantara Animal and Rehabilitation Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Read our story to know what the investigation revealed. In 2018, Doordarshan had similarly deleted its X post in an attempt to cover up Amit Shah’s flag-hoisting blooper.

The post Language Row: News outlets take down stories on Amit Shah’s controversial English remark appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

TV9 Kannada amplified AI video as Iranian missile hitting Israeli target

Pawan Kumar — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:37:06 +0000

A video of a massive explosion is doing the rounds on social media platforms. The footage shows an explosion causing a huge fireball followed by a thick cloud of fire and smoke that rises high into the sky. Several media outlets as well as social media users are sharing this video claiming that it is related to the ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran.

TV9 Kannada published the video with the caption, “Iran missile hits a building in Haifa, Israel.” (Archived link 1, Archived link 2)

The outlet’s X handle and Facebook page also posted the video with the claim that the visuals showed an Iranian missile strike on Israeli territory.

Click to view slideshow.

An Iranian Instagram page called akhbar.fouri and Indian Instagram handle geopolitics.ig also amplified the viral video as a recent attack by Iran on Israel.

Click to view slideshow.

Other X handles, including @iamSaharEmami, @truck2047, @Qlbi_3la_Gaza and @mustafaaleem, promoted the visuals and accompanying claim.

This video has also gained widespread traction on YouTube as an Iranian strike on Israel.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News examined the viral video in question and observed that in addition to the fire and smoke from the explosion, lightning flashes were visible in the sky, which is not typical of real-life footage of explosions caused by military attacks. This suggests that the video may have been artificially generated.

We performed a reverse image search using frames taken from the viral video. This led us to a YouTube video uploaded on June 18 by a channel named cemilacıyangallery. The caption provided explicitly states that it is an AI-generated visual.

In addition, when a user asked for the location of the blast, the creator responded that it had been generated using artificial intelligence.

When we examined the YouTube channel further, it became evident that the creator consistently uploaded AI generated videos. The channel’s description also clearly states that all videos on the channel have been produced with artificial intelligence.

To sum up, several individuals and media outlets, including TV9 Kannada, circulated an AI-generated video on social media as real, falsely presenting it as scenes from the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

The post TV9 Kannada amplified AI video as Iranian missile hitting Israeli target appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Viral photo of Rahul Gandhi attending George Soros son’s wedding is AI-generated

Kinjal — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:36:02 +0000

A photo of Rahul Gandhi is being widely shared on social media. In the picture, he is apparently seen greeting Alexander Soros, son of American investor George Soros, and his partner Huma Abedin on their wedding.

The caption accompanying the viral image reads, “For the last four days, everyone was worried about whoch foreign country Rahul Gandhi had travelled to. No one knew his whereabouts. Now see this highly condemnable and extremely shameful act by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. He attended the wedding of the son of India’s biggest enemy George Soros. Although friendship with the enemies of our country is his profession. Foolish Hindus who vote for Congress will never understand this.”

A verified X user named Naveen Chauhan posted a collage of some pictures of Alex Soros’ wedding, which also contained the picture in question, with the same viral message.

The image is widespread on X with the same claim.

Click to view slideshow.

It also made the rounds on Facebook.

We also noticed the image was also being circulated on Instagram. (Link 1, Link 2)

Click to view slideshow.

It had also made its way to messaging platform WhatsApp, along with the accompanying claim.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

First, we noticed that the hands and fingers of the three individuals seen in the photo were deformed and unrealistic, which is an error typical of AI-generated images. We have indicated these in the picture provided below. The viral image also features a watermark of the artificial intelligence platform Grok in the bottom right corner.

Grok is the AI chatbot of X. Images created by Grok have the same symbol as the one seen in the viral image.

This confirms that the viral image is not real, but has been created with the help of AI chatbot Grok. Alt News could not find the picture of Rahul Gandhi anywhere in the collection of images from Alex Soros’ wedding available online. (Link 1,Link 2) Moreover, there is no official confirmation of Rahul Gandhi having attended Soros’ wedding.

Vogue magazine published a compilation of Huma Abedin and Alexander Soros’ wedding photos which included 83 images from their wedding ceremony. None of these photos include Rahul Gandhi. Moreover, Huma wore two different dresses at the ceremony, but neither of these match the dress she is seen wearing in the viral photo.

Click to view slideshow.

Although Alt News cannot independently confirm whether Rahul Gandhi attended Alexander Soros’ wedding or not, it is clear that the photo in question was created with the help of AI.

The post Viral photo of Rahul Gandhi attending George Soros son’s wedding is AI-generated appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

‘Definition of fascism’: Masked #ICE agents terrorizing #LosAngeles immigrant communities

The Real News Network — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:50:40 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 24, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 24, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 24 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 16:59:54 +0000

Iran-Israel crisis: concerns over political prisoners in Tehran's Evin prisonGaza: At least 410 Palestinians killed by IDF at private aid hubs2.5 million refugees need resettlement, says UNHCR

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Viral image does not show Xi Jinping’s daughter; news outlets, photo agencies Getty & Alamy misidentify Xi Mingze

Diti Pujara — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 10:54:58 +0000

Between May 30 and June 2, several news outlets published reports on American activists demanding the deportation of Xi Mingze, the daughter of Chinese President Xi Jinping, from the United States.

This follows a May 28 announcement by United States’ secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that the US would “aggressively” start revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with “connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields”. “We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” the statement read. The move aligns with US President Donald Trump’s hardline crackdown on immigration. His administration has deported foreign students, revoked their visas, suspended Harvard University from enrolling them and is widening social media vetting for university admissions.

After Rubio’s statement, far-Right American political activist Laura Loomer called for the deportation of the Chinese President’s daughter. Loomer, often referred to as a Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist, claimed that Mingze, who went to Harvard University, lives in Massachusetts under the guard of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). She had made these claims in April as well

Click to view slideshow.

Alt News found reports by several news organisations, both Indian and international, on this, which used a photograph of a woman in white apparel, identifying her as the daughter of the Chinese President. NDTV, Dainik Jagran, News9, Eenadu, Asianet Hindi, Loksatta, Mathrubhumi and Times Now were some Indian news outlets that published reports using this image. The Times and Newsweek were among international outlets that used the same photo.

Pro-Right American outlet America First Post (AF Post) also wrote on this with the same image. (Archive)

Laura Loomer called for the deportation of Xi Jinping’s daughter, Xi Mingze, who attended Harvard and lives in Massachusetts.

Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/KUfP0XbzEM

— AF Post (@AFpost) May 29, 2025

In a video report, Reliance-owned media outlet Firstpost also used the same image to refer to Jinping’s daughter. However, the image has now been edited from the segment uploaded on YouTube. The full segment where the image was used can be accessed here.

Fact Check

A quick Google search with Mingze’s name showed the same image as highlighted above. But many reports that used the image had sourced it from social media posts or platforms. A Washington Post report from May 2012 said that Mingze enrolled in Harvard in 2010. A New Yorker article from April 2015 said that she graduated from the Ivy League university and moved back to Beijing in 2014. We also found a Daily Mail report on her elusive presence on campus from 2012, but the report used a different image of hers, sourced from Facebook.

Mingze has made few public appearances. Little is known about her and her time in the US and Chinese authorities have kept information about her under wraps. The Washington Post’s report hints that Chinese Communist leaders may be maintaining a low profile regarding their children’s foreign education to avert criticism regarding their undisclosed wealth. In 2019, a man named Niu Tengyu was arrested and later sentenced to 14 years in prison for disclosing personal information regarding Xi Jinping’s family online.

A reverse image search of the photo also led us to similar pictures on Getty, Alamy and Shutterstock. They show her at an event held by Fashion for Development in New York in September 2018. Getty had identified her as Xi Mingze. The Alamy image featured her with an older lady clad in pink. The caption said Peng Liyuan and Xi Mingze had arrived for Fashion 4 Development’s Annual First Ladies Luncheon. Meanwhile, the Shutterstock image’s description said it showed Noelle Xie and Fi (Catherine) Chen.

On checking further, we found that the woman in pink (seen on Alamy and Shutterstock) is indeed Noelle Xie, a Chinese-born American art curator who works with the United Nations and the US Department of State. This made us certain that the Alamy caption was incorrect. We then wrote to Getty and the photographer to cross-check whether the woman in the image is indeed Xi Mingze or has been misidentified, considering Shutterstock had used a different name.

Alt News wrote to Getty on June 4 and found that a few days later, the photo agency had changed the caption and identified her as Fi Catherine Chen. Since they did not issue a public correction, it was hard to tell when exactly the caption was changed. Below is a screenshot of the new caption with the image.

Thus, the viral image does not depict Xi Mingze, the daughter of Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Fi (Catherine) Chen, about whom little is known publicly. It’s possible that news outlets relied on images on social media or Getty and Alamy to identify Xi Mingze, where she was misidentified.

The post Viral image does not show Xi Jinping’s daughter; news outlets, photo agencies Getty & Alamy misidentify Xi Mingze appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Diti Pujara.

Did Trump make a ‘u-turn’ on his role in the India‑Pakistan ceasefire, as news outlets claimed?

Oishani Bhattacharya — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:53:15 +0000

Since June 18, several news outlets in India reported that US President Donald Trump did a ‘u-turn’ on his earlier claims that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan. NDTV, Times of India, Business Standard and PTI, among others, reported that the US President had “changed his tune”, giving Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi due credit for the cessation of the conflict.

The four-day long armed clash between India and Pakistan, after India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, came to a close after both countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10. Interestingly, Trump announced that ceasefire even before the Indian and Pakistani sides issued statements. In his post and remarks afterwards, he emphatically took credit for maintaining peace between the two countries and even wrote that the United States mediated talks between India and Pakistan.

This claim by the US President led to several questions from the Opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on whether India “opened the doors to third-party mediation“. India downplayed the US’s role in brokering the deal. According to a Hindu report from May 13, Trump, in an in-person meeting at the White House, claimed that the US did not just ‘broker’ the ceasefire deal but averted a major nuclear conflict. The US president reportedly ‘threatened’ to stop trade with both countries if they refused to de-escalate. But those within the government, privy to the discussions, told the news outlet that there had been “no reference to trade” during de-escalation talks.

On a June 18 NDTV broadcast, senior journalist and the channel’s managing editor, Shiv Aroor, did a segment on United States President Donald Trump’s ‘u-turn’.

“Trump has changed his tune. After speaking to Prime Minister Modi for 35 minutes on the phone today, a big ‘u-turn’ by the US President, who last month had tried to take complete credit for the ceasefire after Operation Sindoor. Trump has said it was Modi who stopped the war on the Indian side, but he still says that he was the one who stopped the war on the Pakistan side. That [latter] part could actually be true because it was after all Pakistan that went running to the United States, and then the US had told Pakistan to get on the hotline and ask for a ceasefire from India. This is Trump taking the biggest u-turn of the season and saying, it was India, it was the Indian Prime Minister that caused the ceasefire from the Indian side and stopped the war…” Aroor said.

After showing Trump’s statement on this issue, he goes on to say, “Trump changes his stance after all and it took a 35 minute conversation with the Indian Prime Mister where he was very mildly told that this is credit that you cannot take, this was something that India imposed on Pakistan, not giving them a choice. And there is Trump giving that credit to the Indian Prime Minister”.

News agency Press Trust of India (PTI) was among the first to report that US President Trump backtracked from his initial claim that he brokered the ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan. They cited him as saying that “two ‘very smart’ leaders of India and Pakistan ‘decided’ not to continue a war that could have turned nuclear”. The report was later updated with more information, where it was mentioned that this comment could be “seen at variance with his claims over a dozen times in the last few weeks” where he took credit for the ceasefire between the neighbouring nuclear-armed nations. (Archives 1, 2)

Click to view slideshow.

Several other news outlets, such as The Hindu, NDTV, Indian Express, National Herald, Vartha Bharati, published the same PTI wire. (Archives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Click to view slideshow.

Other outlets such as the Times of India, Hindustan Times, India TV, Firstpost and Business Standard also reported that Trump did a ‘u-turn’ by saying that the leaders of India and Pakistan were ‘very smart’ and ‘decided’ to stop the war. (Archives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Click to view slideshow.

Is it a U-Turn?

We carefully heard Trump’s statement, which was referenced by the above media outlets, and found that this was from a flagpole installation event at the White House’s South Lawn on June 18. A reporter asked him what the US President wished to achieve diplomatically from his upcoming lunch with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir and that’s when Trump talks about the conflict. Here’s his statement verbatim:

“Well, I stopped a war… between Pakistan… I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India [sic]. This man (Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping it, from the Pakistan side. Modi, from the India side, and others. And they were going at it. And they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped. I don’t think I had one story… did I have one story written about? I stopped a war between two major nations, major nuclear nations. I don’t think I had a story written about it… but that’s okay. You know why? The people know”.

Evidently, Trump’s words can hardly be called a u-turn. The American President reiterates 4 times that it was he who stopped the war. He gives the Indian PM the same credit as Pakistan’s army chief for being ‘influential’ in stopping the war. But he emphasises his own role in ghis. A mere mention of the two leaders does not imply that he went back on his word, especially when he leaves no room for doubt that he had a huge role to play in it.

Note that his June 18 statement is not too different from his May 10 statement on the ceasefire wherein he congratulated the two countries for using “common sense and great intelligence”.

It would be fair to say that Indian news outlets may have read too much into Trump’s latest statement. Nowhere does he go back on his stance nor can this be seen as a softening of his earlier approach. He is still very much of the opinion that he “got it stopped” and repeats it more than once.

It would be misleading to say that Trump mentioning Modi in the same vein as Munir is akin to him doing a u-turn on his earlier approach.

The post Did Trump make a ‘u-turn’ on his role in the India‑Pakistan ceasefire, as news outlets claimed? appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Video of Iranian women protesting Mahsa Amini’s custodial killing in 2022 linked to June conflict with Israel

Prantik Ali — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:18:15 +0000

As the conflict between Iran and Israel rages on, social media users have amplified a 35-second-long video, which appears to show a large gathering of female students taking off their headscarves and sloganeering. Users have suggested that the video is from Iran and symbolises a defiance of the rigid codes that restrict women’s agency under the country’s theocratic regime, implying that Iran is undergoing internal turmoil even as it fights attacks from Israel.

X user @realMaalouf posted the viral video on June 18, claiming the women were chanting “Death to the dictator and the Islamic regime”. At the time this article was written, the post had gathered over 7 million views. (Archive)

Iranian girls remove their hijabs, take over their school, and chant “Death to the dictator and the Islamic regime”.

pic.twitter.com/K72zlBMSOv

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) June 18, 2025

Another X user, @sumit45678901, also posted the video with the same claim. It had over 750,000 views at the time this article was written. (Archive)

Iranian girls remove their hijabs, take over their school, and chant “Death to the dictator and the Islamic regime”.

Fuck Khamenei Regimi

Iran in 1970s . Do you want them back ? #IranVsIsrael #Khamenei #IranIsraelConflict #TelAviv pic.twitter.com/GsnAbWYohn

— sumit (@sumit45678901) June 18, 2025

Several other X users, including @debajits3110, @PankajTiwarri, @journorai, @EliAfriatISR and @LibTearCreator1, among others, shared the video with the same claim.

(Archived links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the claims, we ran a reverse image search on one of the key frames from the viral video. This led us to an X post, from October 5, 2022, which features the same clip that has recently gone viral. The caption, translated from Spanish, reads: “Learn and see… THIS IS REVOLUTION. Iranian students take off their headscarves and protest furiously against their country’s authorities. ‘NO MORE’ was the cry for independence from a servile yoke that dehumanized them. I repeat: THIS IS REVOLUTION!” (Archive)

Aprende ve… ESTO ES REVOLUCIÓN. Estudiantes iraníes se quitan el velo y protestan con furor contra las autoridades de su País. NO VA MÁS era el grito de independencia de un yugo servil que las deshumanizaba. Repito: ¡ESTO ES REVOLUCIÓN! pic.twitter.com/hOnCA73dCP

— Luis Antonio Ruiz (@luisantonio_r) October 5, 2022

Taking cue from this, we ran a relevant keyword search and found that this particular incident was among several others that took place across Iran in the aftermath of the custodial killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September, 2022, She was arrested by Iran’s morality police for having allegedly violated strict Islamic rules that require women to cover their heads.

We also came across news reports that corroborated this. News outlets such as Koha, and Social News XYZ, published reports on the protest, featuring visuals from the viral video. Both these reports are dated October 4, 2022.

Click to view slideshow.

Thus, the viral video, which is being shared with claims that it shows female Iranian students defying the Islamic regime by flinging off their headscarves, is actually from 2022. Students in various schools and universities across Iran flouted the strict moral codes by refusing to cover their heads, to protest the custodial killing of Mahsa Amini. It is unrelated to the June conflict with Israel and the claims are misleading.

The post Video of Iranian women protesting Mahsa Amini’s custodial killing in 2022 linked to June conflict with Israel appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Angola prison ‘purposefully simulating chattel slavery’ with ‘inhumane’ Farm Line

The Real News Network — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 18:03:17 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 23, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 23, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 23 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:42:07 +0000

Iran-Israel crisis: Nuclear watchdog chief urges access to damaged sitesRisk of genocide in Sudan still very high, warns top UN official tells HR CouncilDR Congo crisis must not be forgotten, insists OCHA chief

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

NBDSA orders Times Now Navbharat to take down misleading thumbnail from video on Shimla mosque controversy

Shinjinee Majumder — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:19:54 +0000

The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has pulled up Times Now Navbharat (TNN) for using a “misleading” thumbnail on one of its broadcast videos from 2024 that was “not in the interest of communal harmony”. In an order dated June 6, 2025, NBDSA directed the news channel to take down or edit the thumbnail within seven days.

The NBDSA’s order was on a segment aired by TNN on September 6, 2024. It took note of the matter based on a complaint filed by activist Indrajeet Ghorpade. While several concerns were raised by Ghorpade, the NBDSA’s action was limited to the misleading thumbnail. After the order, the news outlet took down the video from its YouTube channel altogether.

In the now-deleted video where the thumbnail has been used, a TNN correspondent interviewed women from Himachal Pradesh on a matter related to a disputed mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli. In the video, the correspondent speaks to the women on “safety concerns” they experience while living close to an “illegal mosque”. In the thumbnail of this video, the channel makes it seem like the women made some strong remarks against Muslims. Thumbnails are the first things that viewers see before they decide whether or not to watch a video and often give the viewer a ‘teaser’ of the content that is to follow.

Below is a screenshot of the thumbnail and a downloaded version of the TNN video report that has been taken down.

Source: YouTube/ @timesnownavbharat

The Disputed Sanjauli Mosque

For context, the mosque regarding which the women were interviewed is disputed for two reasons.

One, the mosque committee has been accused of constructing additional floors that are not compliant with construction laws. Cases related to this ‘illegal construction’ have been pending in the Shimla municipal court since 2010.

Two, the mosque was allegedly the place where members of a minority community sought ‘refuge’ after a brawl in which a Hindu shopkeeper was assaulted. While the altercation was a local incident in the Malyana area of Shimla on August 31, 2024, it soon snowballed into a major communal issue. The incident sparked protests against unauthorised mosques in Shimla and other regions of Himachal Pradesh. On September 11, 2024, Hindu outfits staged a major demonstration demanding the mosque’s demolition. The protest turned violent and eventually resulted in demonstrators clashing with the police. Both sides sustained injuries.

On October 5, 2024, the Shimla municipal commissioner ordered the removal of three unauthorised floors of the five-storied place of worship. Seven months later, on May 3, 2025, the same municipal commissioner ruled that the first two floors of the mosque were also ‘illegal’ and ordered for the whole structure to be demolished.

‘Insinuating’ Thumbnail

In the TNN video report, the women tell the channel’s correspondent that they felt threatened by the growth in the number of Muslim residents in the locality. However, their responses were fairly different from what was shown in the thumbnail.

In his complaint, Indrajeet Ghorpade highlighted this along with the “prejudiced” line of questioning by the TNN reporter. Before we get into the issues raised by him, let’s look at the statements by the women interviewees whose images are used in the thumbnail.

When asked to talk about her concerns, the woman on the right in the image above, who runs a shop next to the mosque, says she had no issues with older residents but fears the newer ones. “You know, we hear that they, people from one community commit rapes. That’s when we feel scared, thinking, what if something like that happens to our children?” she said. “These people need to be verified. Those who pass the verification can stay; others should leave. When we go out at night and see these people also out, we feel scared. We don’t know where they’re from or what they’re doing—there’s no verification.” She also claimed that the locality had become crowded and many Muslim residents were now bringing their families.

It is pertinent to note here that the interviewee did not say she was harassed by Muslim residents of Sanjauli. She said she feared something like that could happen. However, her image was used in the thumbnail with a speech bubble that said “Musalmaan ladke humein…” (Muslim boys do…), making it seem as though some wrongdoing already took place.

The second interviewee, the woman seen on the left in the thumbnail, said that her problem was that movement across the city was becoming a problem with the rising number of residents in the area. “When they offer namaz, there’s a lot of noise and commotion,” she said. After being asked about women’s safety twice by the TNN journalist, the interviewee responded that when there’s a large crowd or movement, “everyone gets scared, thinking someone might say something to us”.

This woman’s image was used in the thumbnail with a speech bubble that said, “Jumme ke din toh…” (On Friday prayers, it’s so…). This quote, too, is misattributed. During her one-minute interview with TNN, the woman does not mention Jumma or Friday prayers.

Also, the legality of the mosque was still subjudice when the video was uploaded, but the TNN journalist used the phrase ‘Avaidh Masjid’ or ‘illegal mosque’ while asking questions. The title of the video report and the thumbnail, too, had the same phrase in single quotes.

Issues Raised with NBDSA

Misleading Thumbnail: In his complaint, Ghorpade said that the thumbnail violated several NBDSA rules, including “accuracy, neutrality, objectivity, guidelines for prevention of hate speech, guidelines to prevent communal colour in reporting crime, riots, rumours and such related incidents, guidelines on broadcast of potentially defamatory content, section on racial & religious harmony under specific guidelines covering reportage and guidelines for the telecast of news affecting public order.”

He questioned what the channel was trying to imply by using text such as “Avaidh Masjid ko lekar Shimla ke Hinduon ne Musalmano par kya kaha” (Regarding the ‘illegal mosque, what Shimla’s Hindus had to say about Muslims) in the thumbnail.

He also said that the channel seemed to “insinuate” something to the viewers with the incorrect and misleading text in the speech bubbles. He emphatically said that the text in the speech bubbles mentioned issues “none of the women interviewed by the reporter had flagged”.

Leading Questions: Ghorpade also pointed out that the TNN reporter asked leading questions such as, “Has the number of Muslims visiting the mosque increased?”; “Do women feel safer compared to to earlier?” and “What is the change in the mahaul with the rise in the population of Muslim persons in Shimla?”

He also added that the interviewees’ responses “seemed to stem from deep-rooted Islamophobia” and the channel was not helping by using phrases such as “Kya dar ka mahaul hai?” (Is fear clouding the atmosphere?) in their reportage.

“While women’s safety is undoubtedly a matter of grave concern and not an issue that must be downplayed, asked in the report, in the report by Times Now Navbharat, the reporter, in an attempt to highlight local concerns, asks leading and prejudiced questions to portray that the Muslim the presence must be feared and that women’s safety, particularly, is at a risk due to and rise of Muslim people in a particular area,” his complaint said.

Judgment on Subjudice Matter? Ghorpade emphasised that the semantics used by Times Now Navbharat in their reportage made it seem like the broadcaster had already declared the mosque illegal even while its status was being determined legally.

“Writing the word illegal in single or double quotation marks does not change the impact that such inaccurate and malicious reporting has on viewers. A regular viewer does not fully understand the meaning of writing words in single or double quotation marks,” he said on the words ‘illegal mosque’ being used widely by the channel.

TNN’s Response and NBDSA’s Order

While responding to the complaint, TNN said that the thumbnail should be “read in its entirety to understand the context. Further, no motive could be attributed to it. In the thumbnail, the full statement cannot be carried.”

The channel also contended that Ghorpade’s arguments “had no merit” and alleged that it stemmed from viewing “the programming in a piecemeal manner instead of looking at it as a whole.” It also argued that the press had the right to provide “fair commentary on matters affecting the public at large” and the editorial discretion regarding the mode and manner of presentation.

TNN emphasised that its video report did not target a community. The women were interviewed independently and while they raised concerns about unknown newcomers and suggested verification of men entering Shimla, no specific community was named, it said.

Meanwhile, the NBDSA, in its order, only tackled the issue of the thumbnail without getting into the demerits of the content and manner of the broadcast. The body said that the thumbnail texts were “inconsistent with the statements made by the women interviewed during the broadcast” and gave the impression that the women were harassed by Muslims, which was not stated by the women interviewed. “Thus, this was not only misleading but also not in the interest of communal harmony,” it said.

Consequently, the body ordered TNN to edit or remove the thumbnail from the video on its site and YouTube within seven days. NBDSA also issued an advisory to all broadcasters, highlighting that the tickers and thumbnails should conform to the actual version of the discussions/interviews.

Not A First

Last year, the NBDSA slapped a Rs 1 lakh fine on Times Now Navbharat for its malicious reportage on the murder of Shraddha Walkar in November 2022. Walkar was killed by her Muslim boyfriend, Aftaab Poonawalla, and her dismembered body was found in the fridge. Following this, several news channels, including TNN, went on a rampage. In its reportage, TNN turned the incident into a larger communal issue, portraying all Muslims as barbaric and guilty of organised crimes against Hindu women.

NBDSA fined Times Now Navbharat Rs 1 lakh, News 18 India Rs 50,000 in cases I filed against painting the entire Muslim community as barbaric & guilty of conducting organised crimes against Hindu women, by malicious linking Shraddha Walker’s murder to the ‘love jihad’ conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/RO5jJR0iLN

— Jeet (@jeetxg) February 29, 2024

The post NBDSA orders Times Now Navbharat to take down misleading thumbnail from video on Shimla mosque controversy appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

CHINA learned from OUR MISTAKES #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #China #leverage #bribery #raremetals

VICE News — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:00:19 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Waterlogged Kolkata street did turn red after Eid qurbani: Alt News ground report rebuts police cyber cell’s denial

Ankita Mahalanobish — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:52:55 +0000

After Bakri Eid was celebrated in India on Saturday, June 7, a video went viral on Facebook claiming to show a blood-filled road in Kolkata following the Qurbani (sacrificial) ritual.

Several users shared visuals of a blood-filled road and remarked sarcastically, “This isn’t Bangladesh or Pakistan…” Some stated that parts of Kolkata resembled “scenes from Bangladesh”. The posts also claimed that the visuals were from Ward 44 in Kolkata. (Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4)

BJP leader Sajal Ghosh who represents Ward No. 50 in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), also shared the video on Facebook and claimed that it was from the Bhawani Dutta Lane and Neel Madhab Sen Lane areas of Bowbazar. In the post, He also urged ‘urban, smart, ultramodern seculars’ to wake up unless they wanted the same picture to emerge from their localities within four-five years.

খুশির ঈদে খুশির বন্যা l

না এটা বাংলাদেশ না পাকিস্তান, এ আমার সাধের মধ্য কলকাতার বউবাজার অঞ্চলের ভবানী দত্ত লেন ও নীল মধব সেন লেন অঞ্চলের ছবি l

ঈদ কুরবানী একটি সম্প্রদায়ের নিজস্ব বিষয়, সে নিয়ে আমি কিছু বলবো না, কিন্তু যে প্রাণীকে আমরা পূজা করি, তার এই পরিণতি আমাদের ভাবাবেগকেও আঘাত দেয় l
অদ্ভুতভাবে প্রশাসন এবং পুরসভা চোখে ঠুলি পড়ে আছেন‌ l
তাই সমস্ত শহুরে স্মার্ট অত্যাধুনিক সেকুলার মানুষজনকে আমার অনুরোধ নিজে জাগুন অন্যকেও জাগান l

নয়তো আর ৪-৫ বছর বাদেই ঈদের দিনের এটাই আপনার পাড়ার ছবি হবে।
Sajal Ghosh BJP West Bengal Kolkata Municipal Corporation

Posted by Sajal Ghosh on Sunday 8 June 2025

On the same day, the X handle of the West Bengal Police Cyber Crime Wing shared a related fact check. It picked up a Facebook post from a user named Nepal Saha, which contained six photos of purported Eid celebrations in Kolkata, and labelled them as fake. One of these photos is a screenshot from the viral video. The fact check claimed that the photos originated in Bangladesh, with a 2016 post from Dhaka cited as the source. However, the viral video screengrab is not part of the 2016 post, and only two of the five others flagged as fake can actually be traced back to it. (Archive)

A disturbing image falsely linked to Kolkata post-Eid is actually from Dhaka, 2016, after Eid-ul-Adha and heavy rain. It has no connection to West Bengal.#factcheckthetruth #factcheck #Bangladesh #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/SVSPwxr748

— Fact Check : The Truth (@t20274) June 8, 2025

We found a website (https://factcheck.wb.gov.in/) bearing the same logo which published the same fact check. The website describes itself as “the Fact Check Portal of the West Bengal Cyber Crime Wing (which) is ready to tackle the menace by presenting verified, accurate, reliable information…”. Note that it uses a gov.in domain.

We tried reaching out to the cyber cell of Bengal Police. When we called on their number, they asked us to speak to the social media cell. The officer who spoke to us from the social media cell confirmed that the fact check had indeed been done by West Bengal Police’s cyber cell. However, he said the concerned person was on leave and only he could enlighten us about it. When we called up again the next day, we were met with the same response — that the person in the know of things was not available.

Alt News Visited the Spot

Taking a cue from Sajal Ghosh’s Facebook post, Alt News was able to precisely identify the spot featured in the viral clip. Bhawani Dutta Lane and Neel Madhab Sen Lane are two narrow streets near the College Street — Mahatma Gandhi Road crossing, stones throw from the Presidency University. We visited the site and shot a video that shows the same area that is seen in the viral clip.

The business establishments visible toward the end of the footage all carry Kolkata addresses. (Outlined in red in the screengrabs below)

Click to view slideshow.

Key landmarks visible in the viral video — including a distinct red-coloured house, a grey coloured building with light blue stripes, and a black car — can be seen in the Alt News video as well. The grey building houses the historical and current sections of the West Bengal state archives and bears the address: 6, Bhawani Dutta Lane.

These elements have also been highlighted below:

Click to view slideshow.

Have Never Seen Streets Turn Red Like this Before: Locals

To understand what transpired, we spoke to several locals. They recounted that on the intervening night of June 6 and June 7, the area experienced heavy rainfall resulting in severe waterlogging. On Saturday, June 7, morning, the ritual of qurbani (animal sacrifice) was carried out in keeping with religious tradition, local residents observed.

With the lanes being already waterlogged from the overnight rain, blood from the animal sacrifices mixed with the stagnant rainwater. Locals themselves came forward to manually clear the drains before the intervention of the civic body.

Alt News spoke to a local shop owner, Rajesh, who said he had lived and worked in the neighbourhood for over four decades. He told us that he had never witnessed anything like this before.

“I’ve been living and working in this neighbourhood for over 40 years, and I’ve never witnessed anything like this. The area indeed gets waterlogged whenever it rains, and the ritual of qurbani is performed here every year. But this is the first time I’ve seen such a scene — it was truly unprecedented.” Rajesh also confirmed that the video shows his locality and is from last Saturday.

The same information was corroborated by another shop owner from the area who told us that he had been in business there for around five to seven years and “had never seen anything like it.” “The water was red and there was a pungent smell”, he told us.

To further corroborate the events, we spoke to another family that had been residing there for over 60 years. They told us that in all their time living there, they had never witnessed such a disturbing sight. According to them, waterlogging is a recurring issue whenever it rains — and Friday was no exception. That evening, the area experienced heavy rainfall, which led to water accumulation due to clogged drains. “I was born and brought up here. In my lifetime, this was the first time I had witnessed something like this. Yes, the streets get waterlogged after a heavy shower. And on Friday, we experienced a heavy rainfall, which led to the accumulation of water.”

“Even at around 7 am, the water was clear, and likely after an hour, it turned red. Yes, it was accompanied by foul odour,” members of the household told Alt News. they did not want to be named. The time of the water turning red was corroborated by two other witnesses.

When asked whether the ritual of qurbani is practised every year on Eid al-adah, the family said, “Yes, but it has never affected the neighbours in any manner.” They also observed that a few local residents took the initiative to clear the clogged drains using sticks in an attempt to improve the situation. Shortly after these efforts, municipal workers arrived, cleaned the affected area, and restored normalcy. “We saw a few locals trying to unclog the drains with sticks. And later the municipality intervened and cleared it up.”

Kamal Pandit, a priest at a nearby temple, repeated the same point — that this was unprecedented. “I have been working here for the past six years. In this span, I have never seen a filthy sight like this. Whenever it rains, the area gets waterlogged, but I have never seen it turn red. It was cleared up in the afternoon.”

To sum up, Alt News’ on-ground investigation confirmed that the viral video was indeed authentic and were filmed in Kolkata. On the night of June 6 (Friday), the city witnessed heavy rain in certain areas, including Bhawani Dutta Lane in central Kolkata. As a result, following the Qurbani (sacrificial) ritual on Bakri Eid the next day, the already waterlogged lanes turned red, possibly due to contamination with animal blood. However, the X handle of Bengal police’s cyber crime wing issued an inaccurate fact-check of a Facebook post carrying a screenshot from the same video, incorrectly claiming that it was from Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2016.

This story will be updated if we receive a response from the cyber cell of police.

The post Waterlogged Kolkata street did turn red after Eid qurbani: Alt News ground report rebuts police cyber cell’s denial appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

‘Stop bombing Iran now!’: Baltimoreans protest #trump war on Iran

The Real News Network — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 02:34:53 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

We need immigrants TO REPORT CRIME #SSHQ #ViceNews #asylum #immigration #Biden #Obama

VICE News — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:01:03 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Recruiting Tactics NEVER CHANGE – Money, Power, S*x #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #training #NSA

VICE News — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:00:38 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

2009 photo of Israeli shell exploding over Gaza Strip viral with claims that it shows Iran’s strikes on Tel Aviv

Prantik Ali — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:49:19 +0000

As the conflict between Iran and Israel rages on, leaving a large number of casualties in its wake, an image of a missile exploding in the air has gone viral. Those sharing it on social media claim it shows Iran attacking Israel.

X user @TheIranianNews posted the image on June 19, with the caption, “We’re back, Tel Aviv.” At the time of this article being written, the post had 6 million views. (Archive)

Another X user, @thjournalisteye, also shared the image with similar claims. At the time we wrote this, the post had 28,000 views. (Archive)

The same image was amplified by several other users on X. (Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Click to view slideshow.

The image was also viral on Facebook with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To check the veracity of the claims, we ran a reverse image search on the viral image.

This led us to a report by German magazine Der Spiegel, from January 5, 2009, on Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, an operation which lasted three weeks, leaving over a thousand Palestinians dead. The report had used the same image, crediting it to news agency Reuters.

We found the same image on Reuters, published on January 4, 2009, photographed by Baz Ratner. The caption says, “A shell fired by Israeli forces explodes over the northern Gaza Strip.”

Thus, a Reuters image of an Israeli ballistic shell exploding mid-air in the Gaza Strip has been shared on social media with wrong claims that it shows an Iranian missile fired into Israeli territories. The image is from 2009 and completely unrelated to the recent conflict between Iran and Israel.

The post 2009 photo of Israeli shell exploding over Gaza Strip viral with claims that it shows Iran’s strikes on Tel Aviv appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Chicago Jewish activists HUNGER STRIKE for Gaza

The Real News Network — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:44:51 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Angry accusations, calls for peace at UN meetings on wars in Ukraine, Israel-Iran; Grocery workers authorize what could become largest grocery strike in modern history – June 20, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

UN Security Council meetings on Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Iran wars bring calls for peace, angry accusations
SF officials, Jewish Community Relations Council discuss anti-Semitic attacks, role of Jewish people in social justice movements
Health advocates say republican budget bill would devastate health in CA and nationally
UCFW workers in Long Beach authorize what could become largest grocery strike in modern US history
June 20^th is World Refugee Day
ICE arrests of migrants with no criminal record jump 807% since beginning of 2025

The post Angry accusations, calls for peace at UN meetings on wars in Ukraine, Israel-Iran; Grocery workers authorize what could become largest grocery strike in modern history – June 20, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

She took her fight against prison sexual violence to the Supreme Court—and won

The Real News Network — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 17:19:32 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

UN News Today 20 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 17:03:01 +0000

Iran-Israel crisis: Diplomatic push for peace shifts up a gearGazans are dying from lack of food and medicine: UNICEFWHO warns of a health financing emergency

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Churu: FIR slapped on local journalist who recorded DSP hitting lady constable on the back

Abhishek Kumar — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 16:36:01 +0000

After the video of the Churu DSP slapping a woman constable on the back to catch her attention went viral, an FIR has now been lodged against journalist Akhter Mugal who recorded the incident.

Mugal had gone live on Facebook from the collectorate gate during Congress’s ‘Halla Bol’ rally on June 9, and recorded DSP Sunil Jhajharia slapping a woman constable on her back as she could not hear him the first time. After the video went viral, the SP’s act drew sharp criticism from various quarters with Nagaur BJP MP Hanuman Beniwal demanding his suspension. Several major news outlets ran the story, questioning the DSP’s behaviour and demanding an explanation from the police department.

The FIR against Mugal was lodged on the basis of a complaint by the woman constable who alleged that the journalist had edited and distorted the video and made it go viral without her permission. The FIR (139/2025) against Mughal and others in Kotwali Churu mentions Section 352 and 79 of BNS and Section 72 of IT Act. These people were accused of sharing the edited video with the intention of defaming Rajasthan Police.

The claim by Churu Police that the video had been edited has already been debunked by Alt News. Readers should note that videos broadcast live on Facebook can not be edited.

Mugal released a video on June 17 narrating his ordeal after the FIR was registered. He says in the video that he was called to the police station by inspector Sukh Ram Chotiya on June 14, where his mobile phone was confiscated. During this, he was forced to sign on four blank papers, his mother and sister were abused and he was also threatened with imprisonment.

Mugal, the readers should note, is a journalist with limited resources. He delivers newspapers from door to door in the mornings and spends the rest of his day reporting for local newspapers. His mobile phone is an essential tool for his work, helping him connect with sources and stay informed about local events. With his phone confiscated, Mugal has not only found it difficult to connect with his friends and other contacts, but has also been left without work.

Senior local journalist from Churu, J P Joshi, told Alt News that Akhter Mugal was just doing his job when he recorded the SP’s act on Facebook Live. Noting that he had been treated unfairly, Joshi sated that it was not the job of the police to abuse someone and make them sign on a blank papers. The entire journalist community should unite against such hooliganism and demand action, he added.

Another local journalist told Alt News that notices had been served on two channels through a lawyer for playing the concerned video. He further noted that an attempt was being made to curb the freedom of journalists, which was unprecedented in Churu. The administration wanted the media to follow their diktats, but that cannot happen; the media will have to be impartial, he observed.

Alt News contacted Churu SP Jai Yadav over phone. As soon as we mentioned the case of journalist Akhtar Mughal, the SP disconnected the call and blocked our number.

The post Churu: FIR slapped on local journalist who recorded DSP hitting lady constable on the back appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Media outlets link visuals of Chinese fire drill from 2015 to Iranian strikes on Israeli power station

Prantik Ali — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:43:28 +0000

Amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, which began after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, in which several civilians were killed, a video of a huge explosion in what looks like a power plant has gone viral. Social media users sharing the video claimed it is from Israel and that oil refineries in the port city of Haifa were blown up Iranian missiles.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1935271992120258560/pu/vid/avc1/720x1280/MUxmqkk70u69zb68.mp4

News outlets ABP News Hindi and InKhabar used screengrabs from the viral video in their reports on Iran firing hypersonic missiles on Israel’s power station. (Archived links: 1, 2)

Click to view slideshow.

X user @Niharik43914213 posted the viral video on June 18, with a Hindi caption that Iran blew up an oil refinery. When this article was written, the post had accumulated more than 200,000 views and was amplified widely. (Archive)

Another X user, @SilentlySirs. posted the viral video, claiming it showed the destruction of the Bazan Oil Refinery in Israel’s Haifa. This has also seen massive traction, with close to 500,000 views at the time of this article being written. (Archive)

The same video was shared with similar claims across X by several other users, such as @AuctionMirza, @AAPka_Manojk, @AhsanPti786, and others. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

First, we checked to see if the Bazan oil refinery had been destroyed by Iranian missiles in the ongoing conflict, as claims on social media suggested.

A Reuters report from June 17 said that the Bazan group shut down all refineries after one of its power stations was hit in Iranian attacks on June 16.

To verify whether the viral video corresponds to the same attack, we broke it down into key frames, and ran a reverse image search on some of them. This led us to a YouTube video uploaded on November 19, 2015. The viral clip appears around the 00:25-minute timestamp.

Taking cue from the caption of the YouTube video, which said “Chinese chemical plant explosion,” keyword search led us to a post on Weibo—a Chinese social media platform—by the Sichuan Fire Department, from November 13, 2015.

Based on this, we gathered that the visuals are from a drill carried out by the Sichuan fire department on November 12, 2015, and they match the structures seen in the viral video. Below is a comparison.

This was also reported by a Chinese news website on November 12, 2015. Below are screenshots translated in English.

In conclusion, a video from 2015, showing a fire drill in the Sichuan province of China, has been amplified by social media users with false claims that it shows oil refineries in Israel being hit by Iranian missiles. Even ABP Hindi and InKhabar used visuals from the Chinese drill in their stories on an Israeli power station being hit by Iranian strikes. While a power station attached to an oil refining group (Bazan) was hit in the strikes, the video is unrelated to the incident.

The post Media outlets link visuals of Chinese fire drill from 2015 to Iranian strikes on Israeli power station appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Obama had a DIFFERENT BORDER than Biden #SSHQ #ViceNews #asylum #immigration #Biden #Obama

VICE News — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:00:48 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 19, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 19, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 19 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:25:33 +0000

Gaza: As last fuel supplies run out, aid teams warn of catastropheUNHCR gravely alarmed at Iran-Israel escalationGlobal investment fell 11 per cent to $1.5 trillion in 2024: UNCTAD

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Iran-Israel conflict: Old video of woman dancing in rain viral as Iranian women ‘sending message’ to Islamic regime

Prantik Ali — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:33:46 +0000

A video, around 12 seconds long, showing a woman dancing in the rain in a dress is viral on social media. Those sharing it have claimed the video is from Iran and shows Iranian women breaking free of the conservative chokehold of the regime, which imposes strict rules on women, in a strong message to the authorities.

https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1935035240105525248/vid/avc1/720x1280/jVTToCrRGGa7t1D4.mp4

The video has emerged amid the recent escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13 with Israel attacking nuclear and military sites in Iran, resulting in the death of 585 people across the country, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights organisation. Iran soon retaliated with a spate of ballistic missile attacks on several key cities of Israel, which continued through the following days, resulting in the death of 24 people.

On June 17, X user @realMaalouf posted the video of the woman dancing in the rain, labelling it as a ‘message’ to the Islamic regime. The user posited the video as an act of defiance by Iranian women against the regime, which is also under attack by Israel. At the time of this article being written, the post had been viewed over 600,000 times and reshared over 14,000 times. (Archive)

The video was also shared by X user @mkeshari. It has also seen significant traction, with more than 1.7 lakh views. (Archive)

Another X user, @NagarJitendra, also posted the video with the same claim but deleted it later. An archived version of the post can be accessed here.

The video was also viral on Facebook with the same claim.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To check the authenticity of the claims on the viral video, we broke down the video into key frames and ran a reverse image search on some of them.

This led us to an Instagram reel, uploaded on August 5, 2023. It is the same clip that has recently gone viral.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bir Kadın bir Adam (@birkadinbiradamdans)

On probing further, we came across another video uploaded by the same Instagram user. It shows the same woman seen dancing in the viral video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bir Kadın bir Adam (@birkadinbiradamdans)

We tried more reverse image searches on this video and were found a TikTok account with the username @wildprincess9.

We found the viral video uploaded by this user on July 16, 2023.

Taking cue from her TikTok account we searched and found this person’s Instagram profile. In her bio, she identifies herself as Tamta Sabelashvili, a personal trainer based in Strasbourg, a city in northeastern France.

We came across the viral video on her Instagram profile as well. It was uploaded in June 2024.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamta Sabelashvili (@tatasb_9)

Thus, the viral video of a woman dancing in the rain, which has been available online since 2023, has been falsely linked to the recent clashes between Iran and Israel. The woman in the video is not Iranian but a personal trainer based in France. The claims being circulated with the video are baseless.

The post Iran-Israel conflict: Old video of woman dancing in rain viral as Iranian women ‘sending message’ to Islamic regime appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Did ANI share & delete X post on Modi being ignored in G7 photo? No, viral screenshot is doctored

Oishani Bhattacharya — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:59:33 +0000

Since the three-day Group of Seven (G7) Summit concluded in Canada on June 17, a purported screenshot of an X post by news agency ANI has been circulating on social media. The screenshot has an image of global leaders, and says, “#WATCH | PM Modi Invited to G7 summit, only to be not invited on stage? #BoycottG7Summit.”

According to the screenshot, the image was posted at 1425 hours IST (2:25 pm) on June 17.

The 51st G7 Summit, held in Kananaskis, Alberta, in Canada, this year, was carefully scrutinised by the Indian media because of the last-minute invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The late invitation was seen as a sign of strained India-Canada relations.

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States form the Group of Seven, or G7. However, the European Union and several non-G7 countries, including India, are also invited to the summit. Invitation to non-G7 members is the prerogative of the host country.

An X user, گلویندر (@rebelliousdogra), posted the screenshot at 1429 hours on June 17 shortly after the time stamp in ANI’s post, claiming that ANI had deleted the post. (Archive)

What is this behaviour @ANI?

Why did you delete this tweet? pic.twitter.com/QdjbOdNJSU

— گلویندر (@rebelliousdogra) June 17, 2025

Soon after, another user, @yasarshah_SP, shared the same screenshot, claiming the news agency had taken down the post. (Archive)

ANI Posted
ANI Deleted. pic.twitter.com/LmRjUINZLE

— Yasar Shah (@yasarshah_SP) June 17, 2025

Several other users posted the same screenshot, claiming that the news agency had first posted and later deleted the tweet with the contentious caption. Below are a few instances.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To begin with, the controversial caption and hashtag #BoycottG7Summit made us doubt the authenticity of the screenshot.

We checked all X posts made by ANI on June 17 between 1420 and 1440 hours IST. Within those 20 minutes, the news agency had posted five times, but none of the posts were related to the G7 Summit. Further, we checked all posts made by the news agency between June 16 and 18 related to the G7, and none of them used the image in the viral screenshot showing the G7 leaders.

Then, to check whether ANI deleted any post between 1420 and 1440 hours, we checked all replies to ANI during that window. Note that even if an X post is deleted, the replies to it do not get deleted unless users do so themselves. We found no replies to any deleted post during that time.

Also, for much of its G7 coverage, ANI had used the hashtag #PMModiAtG7. News agencies with such a wide reach are unlikely to use hashtags such as #BoycottG7Summit.

Click to view slideshow.

Alt News also reached out to ANI for comment. The news agency’s editor, Smita Prakash, categorically told Alt News that the screenshot was a fake image and that ANI had not posted any such tweet. Also, while investigating, one of the X users who shared the screenshot told Alt News that the image was created by them and not an actual ANI tweet. However, we were unable to corroborate this with metadata.

Based on these findings, we can conclude that the viral screenshot on Modi being left out at G7 bearing ANI’s signage is doctored. The news agency did not make any such post.

(With inputs from Mohammed Zubair and Diti Pujara)

The post Did ANI share & delete X post on Modi being ignored in G7 photo? No, viral screenshot is doctored appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Modern Day Slaver – ECONOMIC SHACKLES #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #modernslaver #leverage #loans #IMF

VICE News — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:00:11 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

“Everything is death”: Israel’s starving of Gaza

The Real News Network — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:00:03 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Video showing Churu DSP slapping lady cop to catch her attention is not doctored

Abhishek Kumar — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:34:25 +0000

After a video showing a male police officer slapping a female colleague on the back during a Congress rally in Rajasthan’s Churu went viral, police have claimed that the clip was edited.

The Congress held a Halla Bol march from the party’s block office to the collectorate in Churu on June 9 over various demands. A video of the rally, in which Congress MP from Churu Rahul Kaswan was present, soon went viral on social media. In the clip, DSP Sunil Jhajharia is seen slapping a female police officer hard on the back while seemingly asking her to follow him.

The viral video caused a lot of outrage on social media with BJP MP from Nagaur, Hanuman Beniwal, calling it an insult to women power. He demanded the chief minister immediately suspend the errant police officer.

चुरू जिले में कार्यरत एक RPS अधिकारी द्वारा अपने अधीनस्थ कार्यरत महिला पुलिस कार्मिक पर हाथ उठाना निंदनीय व अशोभनीय कृत्य है तथा यह नारी शक्ति का अपमान है,एक तरफ महिला शिक्षा को बढ़ावा देने व सरकारी क्षेत्र में महिलाओं की भूमिका बढ़ाने की बातें सरकारें करती है मगर दूसरी तरह जब… pic.twitter.com/i6RUmOZHHN

— HANUMAN BENIWAL (@hanumanbeniwal) June 9, 2025

Edited Video, Claims Churu Police

Churu police immediately reacted to the controversy and tweeted that the video had been edited and made viral. They also pledged action against those who shared the video.

चुरू जिले में कार्यरत एक RPS अधिकारी द्वारा अपने अधीनस्थ कार्यरत महिला पुलिस कार्मिक पर हाथ उठाना निंदनीय व अशोभनीय कृत्य है तथा यह नारी शक्ति का अपमान है,एक तरफ महिला शिक्षा को बढ़ावा देने व सरकारी क्षेत्र में महिलाओं की भूमिका बढ़ाने की बातें सरकारें करती है मगर दूसरी तरह जब… pic.twitter.com/i6RUmOZHHN

— HANUMAN BENIWAL (@hanumanbeniwal) June 9, 2025

According to media reports, DSP Sunil Jhajharia claimed that what was being shown in the video was not true. He stated that since the woman constable was looking in the other direction, he called out to her and asked her to go to the front of the rally. When the woman constable did not hear him, he went close to her and asked her to go to the head of the rally. The DSP clarified that there was no incident of misbehaving.

A Navbharat Times report further stated that the policewoman had herself rejected the allegation against the DSP. Stating that the DSP had only asked her to go to the head of the rally, she refuted the claims that she had been misbehaved with. “A conspiracy is being hatched to malign me and the department’s image by distorting the video,” she told the media. The report also stated that the lady constable had filed a case against six people for sharing the video, many of whom were Congress workers.

Was the Video Tampered with?

We found the full video of the incident on the Facebook profile of local journalist Akhtar Mughal. Akhtar had gone to cover the Congress’ Halla Bol rally, and he was live on Facebook at the time of the incident. The act of DSP Sunil Jhajharia slapping the lady constable was captured on Akhtar’s Facebook live. The Live video is 8-minute–46-second long, capturing the sequence of events from the Congress rally reaching the collectorate gate to submitting the memorandum. And there is no cut in this video. And since this is a live video, it is clear that there ae nom edits or tampering.

#चूरू: कांग्रेस हल्ला बोल…….
#इस लाइफ वीडियो में कुछ खास पूरा देखें।

Posted by Akther Mugal on Sunday 8 June 2025

It can be seen in the above video that as the rally reached the collectorate, several police personnel were present in the vicinity. Police stopped the protesters at the gate itself, but after a brief conversation, they opened the gate to let some people in. As some rally participants barged into the gated premises, policemen tried to close the gate and control the crowd. This is when DSP Sunil Jhajharia asked the lady constable to do something. And since she was looking in the other direction, she seemingly did not hear the DSP’s words. At this point, DSP Sunil Jhajharia slapped the female police officer hard on the back and asked her to go to the other side. The intensity of the slap can be gauged from the fact that it is actually heard in the video and the woman is seen pushed forward in its effect.

The entire video was broadcast on Facebook live, and the incident of DSP Sunil Jhajharia hitting the woman comes at 2 minutes 47 seconds. Therefore, Rajasthan Police’s claim that the viral video is edited was false.

Churu MP Refutes ‘Edited Video’ Claim

Reacting to the whole incident, Churu MP Rahul Kaswan slammed Churu police for lodging FIR against Congress workers. “In this digital age, it is common for Facebook live stream videos to be shared by the public. During one such live stream, a video of a Churu police officer slapping a female constable was seen; which was shared on social media by the media and the public. Since this was an internal matter of the police administration, we did not want to politicize the issue, but filing an FIR against Congress workers by the Churu police administration by calling the Facebook live video edited is completely against democratic values,” he tweeted.

कल के चूरू में कांग्रेस द्वारा आयोजित ‘हल्ला बोल प्रदर्शन एवं रैली’ के दौरान एक घटनाक्रम को लेकर कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं पर की गई झूठी और बेबुनियाद FIR चूरू पुलिस द्वारा अपनी नाकामी छूपाने का प्रयास है।

इस डिजिटल युग में फेसबुक लाईव स्ट्रीम विडियो आमजन द्वारा चलाना आम बात है। इसी… pic.twitter.com/vSyDSfCvw7

— Rahul Kaswan (@RahulKaswanMP) June 10, 2025

In February 2025, a controversy had erupted over Rajasthan Police escorting YouTuber Elvish Yadav. After the video went viral, Jaipur Police took to X to clear the air. They claimed that several videos were edited using artificial intelligence to spread misleading information. This, however, was an entirely baseless claim. Our detailed report in this regard can be read here.

The post Video showing Churu DSP slapping lady cop to catch her attention is not doctored appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

News18, TOI, India Today among others misreport that Pak army chief Asim Munir was invited for US Army parade

Ankita Mahalanobish — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 05:47:47 +0000

Amid geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, several prominent Indian news outlets, including CNN News18, India Today, CNBC TV18, Times of India, Financial Express, Deccan Herald and Economic Times among others reported that Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir was invitated to participate in the celebrations marking the 250-th anniversary of the US Army. The celebrations, which took place on June 14, 2025 coincided with the 79th birthday of US President Donald Trump.

The Pakistan Army promoted Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal after the recent conflict between the two countries, which intensified after India launched Operation Sindoor (on May 7) targeting terror bases in Pakistan, a fortnight after the dastardly terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 civilians.

On June 11, News18 published a story titled “Pakistan COAS Asim Munir Invited to US Army Day Celebrations on June 14: Sources | Exclusive”. According to the report, Pakistan’s chief of army staff (COAS), Asim Munir, was invited by the US administration to attend the commemorative event. Citing ‘top intelligence sources’, News18 said that Munir would arrive in the United States by June 12.

On June 12, India Today also reported, citing ‘top sources’ that Munir confirmed his attendance at the ceremonial military parade on June 14 after Washington extended an invitation.

Deccan Herald also reported that the Trump administration invited Asim Munir to attend the US Army Day celebration on June 14.

Other news outlets, including the Times of India, Economic Times, and Financial Express, reported the same.

Click to view slideshow.

Munir being invited to the US celebrations sparked outrage in India, with Opposition leaders calling it a major diplomatic setback for the country on a global scale. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticized the United States for extending an invitation to Munir, considering his incendiary rhetoric (calling Kashmir India’s jugular vein) before the Pahalgam attack.

This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to?

This is another huge diplomatic setback for India.https://t.co/bLD2gF5dcK pic.twitter.com/coJ5xnArhz

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 11, 2025

Fact Check

Firstly, Munir was nowhere to be seen in the June 14 parade, which was largely an affair limited to the US administration.

Click to view slideshow.

Secondly, right before the parade, the White House categorically told some news publications that it had not invited any foreign military leaders, including Munir, to participate in the June 14 US Army parade.

The Quint cited an unnamed White House official as saying: “We never invited a foreign official… this is a celebration of 250 years of our Army and the United States of America.”

Responding to widespread speculation—particularly reports originating from India—regarding Asim Munir’s purported attendance, the official added:

“If a foreign military leader of that stature were to visit, established diplomatic protocols would be followed and public announcements made in advance. This appears to be a product of rumor-mongering, amplified by certain media circles. Just observe the timing.”

Note that the unsubstantiated claims surfaced shortly after US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) commander general Michael Kurilla, testified before the US House Armed Services Committee, where he commended Pakistan’s ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

By June 14, several of the publications that reported on Munir being invited to the US Army parade have updated or revised these reports to say that the White House issued a denial of these reports. News18 was among the few that added a correction in its updated report.

To sum up, reports claiming Pakistan army chief Asim Munir was invited to the US Army’s 250th anniversary parade are not true and have been denied by the US. Many Indian media news outlets seem to have misreported this owing to incorrect “source-based information”.

The post News18, TOI, India Today among others misreport that Pak army chief Asim Munir was invited for US Army parade appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Viral video of Israeli soldier pleading Iran for mercy is AI-generated

Prantik Ali — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 05:40:13 +0000

With tensions escalating in the Iran-Israel conflict, which has claimed many civilian lives since it began on June 13, a video of an Israeli soldier in tears, begging for mercy, has gone viral. In the video, the soldier looks at the camera and urges the Iranian army to stop the destruction, while injured soldiers are seen lying in the rubble of destroyed buildings in the background. “Iran, we beg you. Please stop the attacks. Half of Israel is gone. We surrender. Just stop this destruction,” he says.

The conflict between the two, which is threatening to turn into an all-out war, started with Israel attacking nuclear and military sites in Iran on June 13. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack ‘Operation Rising Lion‘ – supposedly launched to disconcert Iran’s nuclear program. However, the strikes resulted in the deaths of many ordinary citizens, after which Iran, too, resorted to retaliatory missile strikes.

X user (@Skylar_Soul_) posted the viral video on June 16. When this article was written, the post had accumulated more than 100,000 views and was reshared over 1,000 times. (Archive)

इज़राइल के सैनिक ईरान से रो रो कर रहम की भीख मांग रहे हैं…! pic.twitter.com/CoGwu8Fv3d

— Minal Sultan (@Skylar_Soul_) June 16, 2025

Another X user, @dpsingh1313, posted the same video, which was viewed over 160,000 times at the time this article was written. (Archive)

अंड भक्तों, pic.twitter.com/HHEcHPuSUw

— Davinder Pal Singh 幸王 دیویندر سنگھ ਦਵਿੰਦਰ ਪਾਲ ਸਿੰ (@dpsingh1313) June 16, 2025

The viral video was also shared by several other X users, including @Deb_livnletliv, @SanjeevCrime, @Ayesha786Majid, @armanofficial00 and @hammehaiindia62. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Click to view slideshow.

The same video was viral on Facebook with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

A reverse image search on one of the key frames from the clip led us to the same video on YouTube posted around the same time, but with better resolution.

We noticed that the YouTube version had a clear watermark ‘Veo’ on the bottom right corner. The same watermark can be seen in the viral video as well, but owing to lower resolution, it is faint and not very apparent.

Veo is an artificial intelligence-based video generation tool, launched by Google this year. It allows users to create 8-second-long realistic videos without anatomical abnormalities.

Note that the viral video is precisely 8 seconds long. Moreover, what makes Veo stand out from other video generation models is its ability to integrate audio and dialogue without distortions, which is evident in the viral video.

To be sure, we also ran the video through HIVE’s AI detection tool. According to this, there is an 88% likelihood that the viral video was AI-generated.

Based on these findings, we were able to conclude that the viral video showing an Israeli soldier crying and pleading with Iran to stop the retaliatory strikes against Israel is artificially generated through Google Veo, and not real.

The post Viral video of Israeli soldier pleading Iran for mercy is AI-generated appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

New York Daily News reporter banned by mayor from future news conferences

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 21:25:53 +0000

New York Daily News reporter Chris Sommerfeldt was barred by Mayor Eric Adams from attending future press conferences after Sommerfeldt called out a question to the mayor during a news briefing.

In a video posted by the mayor’s office of an announcement on housing, Adams is seen opening the floor and taking questions from other reporters.

After Sommerfeldt attempts to ask a question, Adams responds in a mocking tone, “You’re calling out a lot, Chris. Stop calling out. You must have done that in school.”

The mayor then turns gruff, saying, “You’re not going to be disruptive in our conferences. You’re going to stop at the gate. You do that again, you’re going to stop at the gate. You’re not going to come into this conference off topic, be disrespectful, and call out and think you’re going to do what you want.”

After Sommerfeldt calls out again, Adams responds, turning aside to staff and saying, “He did it again, make sure security knows he’s not allowed back into this room.”

Daily News Executive Editor Andrew Julien, in a statement issued via email to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, said, “Our reporters have the right to ask questions, and taxpayers aren’t funding the police to keep reporters out of City Hall press conferences.”

The union that represents Daily News reporters and staff later wrote the mayor demanding that he reverse the restriction. “To ban a reporter from future press conferences for doing the very thing a press conference is designed to facilitate—asking a question—shows a flagrant disregard for the role of the press and for our colleagues’ professionalism,” the union wrote.

The union’s letter also noted that Adams had not called on Sommerfeldt during press conferences for the past three months.

The mayor’s press secretary, Kayla Mamelak Altus, told The New York Times that she didn’t know Sommerfeldt hadn’t been called on for that long. But Katie Honan, a reporter at The City, said on social media, “This is a blatant lie.”

Other journalists took to social media to criticize the mayor.

Craig McCarthy, City Hall bureau chief at the New York Post, said that Sommerfeldt was not interrupting: “He injected a follow-up question during a pause, actually furthering the line of questioning from Politico.”

Joe Anuta, who covers City Hall for Politico NY, also confirmed that the mayor’s teams hadn’t called on Sommerfeldt for months. “Chris does not interrupt other reporters. Let him ask his Qs like the rest of us,” he added.

The New York Press Club responded to the ban, saying, “We are reaching the height of absurdity when the Mayor of New York City is applying a hostile tactic seen in the White House.”

The Tracker reached out to Adams’ press office for comment but did not receive a response.

“Chris was doing his job,” the union wrote the mayor. “The only person being disrespectful is you.”

This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

Why authoritarians hate LGBTQ people

The Real News Network — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 21:22:00 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Defense Secretary Hegseth grilled over military in US cities; Muni to cut 5 bus lines Saturday – June 18, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

June 18^th is “International Day for Countering Hate Speech”
Defense Secretary Hegseth grilled by democratic senators over military in US cities
SFMTA to cut 5 Muni bus lines Saturday, critics see risks for riders and SF climate goals
Pentagon authorizes mobilization of 700 troops to aid ICE in Florida, Louisiana and Texas
Democratic senators propose “Insurrection Act of 2025” to limit presidents’ use of troops domestically
Supreme Court upholds Tennesee ban on gender-affirming care for children, 26 states have similar laws

The post Defense Secretary Hegseth grilled over military in US cities; Muni to cut 5 bus lines Saturday – June 18, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 18 June 2025

Anna O’Donnell — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:51:27 +0000

Iran-Israel crisis: UN rights office issues appeal for urgent de-escalationNearly one in two Yemenis facing acute hungerGlobal support for refugees holding firm

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Anna O’Donnell.

Good guys are easy to find THE BAD ONES know you’re looking for them #SSHQ #ViceNews #immigration

VICE News — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:00:22 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Indian media picked up Apple user’s satiric tweet, ‘reported’ team behind newly launched UI had been fired

Pawan Kumar — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:33:00 +0000

A day after Apple introducing new user interface (UI) feature Liquid Glass at its worldwide developers conference in California, an X user by the name Jon Yongfook (@yongfook) shared a tweet on June 10 stating he and his entire team had been fired by Apple even though they worked tirelessly for 18 months.

Several Indian media outlets picked up the story and began reporting on it. Republic Bharat, News24, IndiaTV, and Ahmedabad Mirror published reports claiming that Apple had fired the chief designer behind the Liquid Glass UI and his entire design team, and that this termination happened just a few hours after the official announcement of iOS 26. However, after the story began receiving scrutiny, all the outlets either updated their articles to correct the information or deleted them altogether.

Click to view slideshow.

NDTV Profit and Gadget 360 Hindi, both owned by the Adani Group, also published similar stories amplifying the same claims. The report published by NDTV was also republished by MSN.com.

Click to view slideshow.

‘Intended as Satire’

Alt News conducted a search of Jon Yongfook’s profiles on X as well as LinkedIn. Upon examining his professional history, we found no confirmation indicating he had ever been employed by Apple. His X profile bio however, clearly states that he is the founder of BannerBear, which is a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform for the automatic generation of images, social media visuals, ecommerce banners and more. Furthermore, according to the job history listed on his LinkedIn profile, Yongfook is a former employee of Aviva.

In addition, Yongfook later posted a clarification on his X account in a follow-up tweet. He explained that his original post had been intended as satire. He wrote, “I have been an Apple user for more than 20 years, this is the worst UI I have seen, I hope Apple will make some changes to it.”

Bless all of you who recognized this as satire. I’ve been enjoying the puns. I’ve been an Apple user for 20+ years, this is the worst UI I’ve seen, I hope they tweak it.

To be perfectly transparent, this is overwhelming my notifications now, so I’m putting the thread on mute

— Jon Yongfook (@yongfook) June 10, 2025

To sum up, X user Jon Yongfook is not an Apple employee but rather an Apple user who posted a satirical comment on social media. The post was amplified as ‘news’ by several media outlets including Republic Bharat, NDTV Group, and News24 seemingly without any verification. These outlets falsely reported that Apple had fired the lead designer and the team behind Liquid Glass UI.

The post Indian media picked up Apple user’s satiric tweet, ‘reported’ team behind newly launched UI had been fired appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Did Trump ban production of Tesla in US after fallout with Musk? No, viral video is AI-generated

Pawan Kumar — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:43:26 +0000

Days after the public fallout between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump over the latter’s Big Beautiful Bill, a video of Trump announcing a ban on the production of Tesla in the United States has gone viral.

In the video, added below, he says: “Today, I am here to announce that I will be banning the production of all Teslas in the United States of America, effective immediately. As everyone knows, Elon stabbed me in the back a few days ago, and lied about my involvement in the Epstein files, so I can’t have that snake Elon making money in the country while I’m president. No one likes Tesla anyway unless you’re a nerd. They catch fire and break down easily, so it’s definitely not the best electric car out there.” He also adds that he bought a Tesla to get Elon Musk’s support for the election, but he now plans to sell for $69, because that’s what it’s worth.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1931624443551297536/pu/vid/avc1/480x852/2R35pkA-5q7awz9e.mp4

The dramatic feud between Musk and Trump had led to a full-blown war of words on social media in the first week of June. A few days after his exit from the White House on May 28, Musk called the bill a ‘disgusting abomination’ and claimed it would significantly add to the country’s debt. He even called for the President’s impeachment and linked him to the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on X, which he later deleted. Meanwhile, Trump maintains that Musk’s opposition is primarily owing to the proposed elimination of tax credits for electric vehicles in the bill, which would impact Tesla’s business.

X users @Shamsher__Ali, @ExSecular and @zakayonoel37, among others, shared the video between June 8 and 9.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News found no credible news reports on any such announcement by Trump, which raised doubts regarding the authenticity of the video.

A closer look at the viral video also revealed discrepancies between the audio and Trump’s lip movements. Besides that, we also noticed the American national flag pin on Trump’s suit was inverted and a watermark of “@DANGEROUSAIRETURNS” on the right.

A quick search for @DANGEROUSAIRETURNS led us to an Instagram account with the same username. We found the viral video uploaded by this account on June 8, 2025. A closer look at content uploaded by this account indicates that it often shares AI-generated parody content.

We also found a YouTube channel by the same username. The channel’s description clearly says it creates parody content using AI voice-overs.

We also ran the video through HIVE’s AI detection tool. According to this, there is a 99.8% likelihood that the audio in the viral video was AI-generated.

To sum up, an AI-generated video of Donald Trump, in which he sounds a ban on the production of Tesla cars, is being shared as an actual announcement by the US President. At the time of writing this, no such ban has been announced.

The post Did Trump ban production of Tesla in US after fallout with Musk? No, viral video is AI-generated appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

UN News Today 17 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 19:59:49 +0000

Gaza health system close to disaster: WHOUkrainians suffer another night of heavy Russian bombingAfghanistan and Yemen are worst in world for gender, says UN Women

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Appeals court hears Trump vs Newsom challenge to National Guard in LA; CA lawmakers consider bill banning toxic chemicals in firefighters’ equipment – June 17, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Appeals court hears Trump vs Newsom challenge to National Guard in Los Angeles
Union workers arrested while protesting SF budget cuts at Board of Supervisors meeting
CA Senate committee takes up bill to ban toxic PFAS chemicals in firefighters’ equipment
NYC democratic mayoral candidate arrested by at immigration court
Prominent Spanish-language journalist turned over to ICE after arrest covering No Kings protests in Atlanta area
60 killed, 280 injured while seeking food aid at aid distribution sites in Gaza

The post Appeals court hears Trump vs Newsom challenge to National Guard in LA; CA lawmakers consider bill banning toxic chemicals in firefighters’ equipment – June 17, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

‘A dictatorship run by an idiot!’ Baltimoreans say #NoKings in USA

The Real News Network — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:50:45 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

We judge Law Enforcement on QUALITY we judge ICE on VOLUME #SSHQ #ViceNews #asylum #immigration

VICE News — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:00:52 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Videos of Iran’s October 2024 strikes on Israel resurface as visuals of June conflict

Shinjinee Majumder — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:47:20 +0000

A video showing missiles being fired into a city was widely linked to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. Some users shared the video claiming that it showed missiles being fired into Tehran by Israel, while others shared it with ambiguous captions that it was “Iran’s ‘warning’ to Israel.”

https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1933348083125137409/vid/avc1/720x1266/QYxbwqAQU86WOj8J.mp4

This video is among a stream of visuals that have emerged amid escalating tensions between the two countries, after Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facility and military structures on June 13, killing at least 78 people, including generals, scientists and civilians. Soon afterwards, Iran retaliated with long-range missiles targeting Tel Aviv.

X user Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) shared the video on June 13 and claimed it showed bombs and missiles streaming into Tehran and hitting targets. He called Israel’s strikes #OperationRisingLion”. The social media user identifies as a journalist in his bio, but has been found amplifying misinformation on several occasions.

X handle @World_At_War_6 also shared the same video. However, this account claimed it was Iran’s ‘warning’ to Israel. At the time of writing this, the post had over 2.6 million views. (Archive)

Several other accounts shared the video with similar claims. (Archives- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We noticed that yhe viral video is a compilation of two different videos.

Video 1: Some keyframes from the first visual are attached below.

Click to view slideshow.

Upon a reverse image search, Alt News was able to trace the video back to 2024. On October 1, 2024, Beirut-based media outlet Al Mayadeen shared the same video with the caption, “Scenes documenting the moment rockets fell in #Occupied_Palestine” in Arabic.

مشاهد توثق لحظة سقوط الصواريخ في #فلسطين_المحتلة #الميادين pic.twitter.com/V99vk97IwS

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) October 1, 2024

Video 2: Keyframes from the second video are attached below.

Click to view slideshow.

A reverse image search of these keyframes led to to a Facebook post by Mexican journalist Carlos Zúñiga Pérez from October 2024. According to the caption, the video shows Iran launching a missile attack on Israel.

Continúan los ataques entre Irán e Israel

#ASÍ: #Iran lanza un ataque con misiles hacia #Israel. Sonaron sirenas en todo el país. Se puso en operación el escudo de hierro.

#LasNoticiasAsí #AsíPasó

Posted by Carlos Zúñiga Pérez on Tuesday 1 October 2024

A keyframe from the video was also used in Indian news outlet OneIndia’s report on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launching a missile attack against Israel on October 1, 2024. At the time, Iran had said the missile launches were in retaliation for the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.

Screengrab of OneIndia’s report

As it stands, a compilation of videos from Iran’s missile attack on Israel from October 2024 is being linked to the recent hostilities between the two countries.

The post Videos of Iran’s October 2024 strikes on Israel resurface as visuals of June conflict appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

Why was Maria Ressa and the news site Rappler targeted by Duterte’s government? | Podcast Trailer

Human Rights Watch — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:35:30 +0000

This content originally appeared on Human Rights Watch and was authored by Human Rights Watch.

Man accused of indecency, harassing school girl in viral clip not Muslim; video shared with false communal claims

Abhishek Kumar — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:15:21 +0000

A video, of CCTV footage, in which a man behaves indecently with a school girl, is viral on social media. Those sharing the video claim that the person in the clip, who is seen lifting the girl’s school uniform and recording it on his phone, is Muslim and was arrested by the Assam Police after the incident. They also claimed that the man confessed to the wrongdoing during police interrogation and admitted that he intended to use the footage to blackmail the girl.

X user Jitendra Pratap Singh (@jpsin1), who has amplified communal misinformation on several occasions, shared the video with these claims. (Archive)

X user Riniti Chatterjee Pandey (@IRinitiPandey) also shared the video with claims that the accused youth is Muslim. (Archive)

X account Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaala) also posted the video calling the accused a “jihadi” for lifting a woman’s skirt and taking inappropriate photos. (Archive)

Fact Check

Alt News tried to find news reports on the incident to verify the claims. A keyword search using terms related to the video led us to an X post by Doordarshan News Shillong from May 29, 2025. The caption made it clear that the incident happened on May 21 in Shillong, Meghalaya, and the local police apprehended a man named Himan Gogoi from Assam for assaulting the school girl. In the video attached to the post, East Khasi Hills’ superintendent of police (SP) Vivek Syiem says that the incident the CCTV footage, which was viral, helped them trace the victim, who otherwise may not have reported the harassment.

A special team of East Khasi Hills police today apprehended one Himan Gogoi, a 24-yr-old man hailing from Jorhat in Assam, for allegedly sexually assaulting a school girl by lifting her apparel taking photographs through his mobile phone on May 21. pic.twitter.com/LWcYowibY8

— DD News Meghalaya (@ddnewsshillong) May 29, 2025

A Times of India report dated May 30, 2025 on the case also identifies the accused as Himan Gogoi, a 24-year-old man from Jorhat, Assam. Citing the East Khasi Hills SP, it said that a team of state police team led by a female sub-inspector travelled to Assam and took Gogoi into custody and confiscated the mobile phone he used for taking the pictures.

The name makes it clear that he is not a Muslim and that social media users amplified the incident with a false communal angle.

The post Man accused of indecency, harassing school girl in viral clip not Muslim; video shared with false communal claims appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

School teacher kidnapped in Bihar’s Begusarai for ‘forced marriage’? No; viral video is from a film shooting

Abhishek Kumar — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:24:54 +0000

A video showing a group of men armed with guns dragging an individual from a school while students look on as bystanders is viral on social media. Those sharing this video claimed that the incident happened at a government school in Bihar’s Begusarai district and that it shows a teacher being kidnapped for marriage.

It is worth noting that Bihar is infamous for such ‘forced’ marriages, also known as ‘Pakadwa Vivah’, in which eligible grooms with secure government jobs are often kidnapped and forced to marry women related to the perpetrators. Over the past few decades, several such cases from Bihar have come to light.

X account @thenewsbasket shared the video of the man being dragged in front of students on June 6, 2025, with the claim that a government school teacher was taken away for ‘forced marriage’ at gunpoint. At the time this was written, the post had over 800,000 views. (Archive)

बेगूसराय के एक सरकारी स्कूल टीचर को बंदूक की नोक पर पकड़वा कर शादी करवाने के लिए ले जाया जा रहा pic.twitter.com/z1jmyoSGOu

— The News Basket (@thenewsbasket) June 6, 2025

X handle @BasavanIndia also shared the video, questioning the state of law and order in Bihar. (Archive)

The video was also shared by X user @iamharunkhan who claimed this was the ‘ground reality’ in Bihar and not a ‘movie plot’. (Archive)

Fact Check

A quick search using keywords related to the video and claims led us to a March 23, 2025, report published on TV9 Bharatvarsh that had the same video. According to the report, the video was recorded at the Dularpur Math Middle School in the Teghra subdivision of Begusarai and depicts the shooting of a film named ‘Pakadwah Byaah’. The video simply shows a movie scene being shot where a teacher is forcibly dragged away. However, some had raised concerns on whether the film was shot during school hours and the District Education Officer even ordered an inquiry. The principal, cited in the report, had clarified that the filming happened on a Sunday.

We also found a video of the same scene recorded from a different angle in a March 12, 2025, Instagram post uploaded by user @rajanrddfilms, a filmmaker and actor associated with the film ‘Pakadwah Byaah’. The post’s caption also makes it clear that the video is from the shooting of the film.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rajan Rock (@rajanrddfilms)

To sum up, social media users shared a video of a movie scene being filmed in a school in Bihar with misleading claims that a teacher of a government school in Begusarai was actually kidnapped for marriage.

The post School teacher kidnapped in Bihar’s Begusarai for ‘forced marriage’? No; viral video is from a film shooting appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Iranian missile attack on Israeli airbase in 2024 falsely linked to current conflict

Abhishek Kumar — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:07:48 +0000

With the Iran-Israel military conflict entering the fourth day, Iran on Monday, June 16, launched a slew of missile attacks killing at least eight Israelis. Israel, on the other hand, claimed it had achieved air superiority over the Iranian capital and could fly over the city without facing major threats. It also warned residents of part of Tehran to evacuate, reported AP.

Against this backdrop, a video which appears to be captured from the rooftop of a building, and shows numerous missiles being fired simultaneously, has gone viral on social media platforms. A large number of users are sharing this video online, claiming that it is connected to the current escalations between Iran and Israel.

BJP supporter Roshan Sinha, who amplifies propaganda and misinformation on a regular basis, shared the video on X connecting it to the ongoing conflict. He later deleted the tweet. (Archived link)

X user Major Surendra Poonia also shared the same video through a tweet. In his post, he claimed that Israel was conducting targeted strikes on the residential addresses of top political and military leaders in Tehran, as well as on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. This post was also later deleted. (Archived link)

Journalist Sachin Gupta also amplified the video linking it to the ongoing Iran-Israel hostility. He, too, deleted the tweet later. (Archived link)

Fact Check

We performed a reverse image search using several frames taken from the viral footage. This led us to a match with a video previously uploaded to the official YouTube channel of India’s state-run broadcaster, Doordarshan, on October 2, 2024. The caption of that video mentions that it shows a missile attack by Iran targeting the Nevatim airbase, located in Israel’s Negev desert. This confirms the viral video being circulated is not from the current Iran-Israel conflict.

In addition, a news article dated October 2024 by Dantri, a state-run news outlet in Vietnam, attributes the viral footage to an incident that occurred between October 1 and 2, 2024, during which Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israeli targets.

To sum up, a number of social media users circulated an old video showing Iran’s missile attack on Israel, falsely linking it to the ongoing military conflict between the two countries. The same video was also previously shared online in connection with the tensions between India and Pakistan in May 2025, and had been fact-checked by Alt News.

The post Iranian missile attack on Israeli airbase in 2024 falsely linked to current conflict appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Attack on Iran’s state media – Israel bombs IRIB building in new war crime

Pacific Media Watch — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:24:52 +0000

Pacific Media Watch

Israel targeted one of the buildings of the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran on the fourth day of attacks on Iran, interrupting a live news broadcast, reports Press TV.

The attack, involving at least four bombs, struck the central building housing IRIB’s news department, while a live news broadcast was underway.

The transmission was briefly interrupted before Hassan Abedini, IRIB’s news director and deputy for political affairs, appeared on air to condemn the “terrorist crime”.

At the time of the attack, news anchor Sahar Emami was presenting the news. Despite the building trembling under the first strike, she stood her ground and continued the broadcast.

“Allah o Akbar” (God is Great), she proclaimed, drawing global attention to the war crime committed by Israel against Iran’s national broadcaster.

Moments later, another blast filled the studio with smoke and dust, forcing her to evacuate. She returned shortly after to join Abedini and share her harrowing experience.

“If I die, others will take my place and expose your crimes to the world,” she declared, looking straight into the camera with courage and composure.

Casualties unconfirmed
While the number of casualties remains unconfirmed, insiders reported that several journalists inside the building had been injured in the bombing.

Israel’s war ministry promptly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the aggression on the state broadcaster as a “war crime” and called on the United Nations to take immediate action against the regime.

. . . But after a brief interruption on screen as debris fell from a bomb strike, Sahar Emami was back courageously presenting the news and denouncing the attack. Image: AJ screenshot APR

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denounced the attack and urged the international community to hold the regime accountable for its assault on the media.

“The world is watching: targeting Iran’s news agency #IRIB’s office during a live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,” Baghaei wrote on X.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also condemned the bombing of the IRIB news building, labeling it an “inhuman, criminal, and a terrorist act.”

CPJ ‘appalled’ by Israeli attack
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “appalled by Israel’s bombing of Iran’s state TV channel while live on air.”

“Israel’s killing, with impunity, of almost 200 journalists in Gaza has emboldened it to target media elsewhere in the region,” Sara Qudah, the West Asia representative for CPJ, said in a statement after the attack on an IRIB building.

The Israeli regime has a documented history of targeting journalists globally. Since October 2023, it has killed more than 250 Palestinian journalists in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The regime launched its aggression against the Islamic Republic, including Tehran, early on Friday, leading to the assassination of several high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children.

In response, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones late Friday night, followed by more retaliatory operations on Saturday and Sunday as part of Operation True Promise III.

In Israel, 24 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since hostilities began. In Iran, 224 people have been killed.

Plumes of black smoke billowing after an Israeli attack against Iran’s state broadcaster yesterday. Image: PressTV

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.

‘My family’s at risk’: Baltimore man speaks up for immigrant relatives at #NoKings protest

The Real News Network — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:24:27 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Short Term Maximixation – The ROOT of Our GLOBAL PROBLEMS #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #sustainability

VICE News — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:00:07 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 16, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 16, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Their county voted for Trump, but they don’t want a king

The Real News Network — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:19:05 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

UN News Today 16 June 2025

Dianne Penn — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:59:58 +0000

UN nuclear watchdog stands ready amid Iran-Israel crisisUNRWA chief appeals for peace in Gaza and the regionHumanitarian aid appeal slashed due to ‘brutal funding cuts’

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

Did Anjana Om Kashyap apologize for her brand of journalism? No, viral video is doctored

Kinjal — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 14:36:46 +0000

A video of Aaj Tak anchor and managing editor Anjana Om Kashyap has been gathering a lot of traction on social media. In the footage, she is heard apologizing for speaking the language of politicians.

She is heard saying in Hindi, “There was a time when journalism was called the fourth pillar of democracy. Today, journalism has been sold off and is sitting on the lap of power. Hello, I am Anjana Om Kashyap and today, I am standing in front of the camera, not as a journalist, but as a human being. Today, I have come to apologize to all of you. For years you have trusted me. You have seen me, heard me. But what did I do with that trust? Instead of becoming your voice, I started speaking the language of politicians.”

Further, she purportedly remarks, “Yes, I accept that I kept quiet when I should have spoken. I closed my eyes when the truth was out in the open. And yes, I also flattered the government…those debates, that shouting. Everything was just for the TRPs. But enough is enough. I am tired of donning that fake persona. Now, I will only speak the truth. Now, I will only talk about the public’s rights. If you want to witness the rebirth of journalism, subscribe to this channel. This is a revolution, a question of your rights, and I need your support because revolutions cannot be done alone.”

X handle @indian_armada posted this 1 minute 36 second clip and wrote, “I can’t believe this!”. At the time of this article being written, the post has received more than 2 lakh views. (Archived version of the post)

मुझे तो भरोसा ही नहीं हो रहा है इसपे! pic.twitter.com/o836L207Fd

— Baba MaChuvera Parody of Parody (@indian_armada) June 13, 2025

X account @putin_pundit also posted the viral video and wrote, “Is this really Anjana Om Kashyap? I can’t believe it.” The post had garnered around 1.8 lakh views at the time of writing.

क्या सच मे ये अंजना ओम कश्यप ही है.?

मुझे तो विश्वास नहीं हो रहा.!!pic.twitter.com/StgCeiSaO7

— पुतिन पंडित (रशिया वाले) (@putin_pandit) June 13, 2025

Another X user named Chirag Patel posted the video and wrote, “The punishment for this should at least be life imprisonment, isn’t it?” (Archived link)

This video has been shared widely on X and Facebook with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News took a closer look at the viral video and found that at many points there was no lip-sync. This suggested that the clip might be tampered with or doctored.

We noticed that the words ‘indian armada’ were embedded on the frame f the video. It is worth noting that the first tweet mentioned above is by the same handle. When we took a closer look at the ‘@indian_armada’ handle, we found that it is a parody account. The bio of this X account states that it uses Photoshop and creates memes.

When we dug deeper, we found that Anjana Om Kashyap had posted a video on Instagram on December 26, 2023 in which she is seen wearing clothes similar to the one in the viral video. However, in this video, Kashyap praises Bihar. She did not make any comment regarding her journalism.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anjana Om Kashyap (@anjanaomkashyap_aok)

Anjana Om Kashyap also posted the full video of her speech on YouTube on October 17, 2023. According to the information provided here, a group called the Indian People Forum in UAE had organized a ‘Bihar Meet’. During this occasion, Om Kashyap delivered a speech. However, did not mention anything that is heard in the viral video.

Alt News compared the viral clip and the video posted by the journalist on YouTube (first 44 seconds) side by side and found that the movement of Kashyap’s hands and body were identical in both of these videos. However, the original video has been mirrored, edited and replaced with a different audio.

To sum it up, the viral video of Anjana Om Kashyap in which she is heard apologizing for her brand of journalism is doctored.

The post Did Anjana Om Kashyap apologize for her brand of journalism? No, viral video is doctored appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

Late Rajiv Dixit’s false claims that ‘Satsada Island,’ near Kutch, was sold to a US company by ex-Gujarat CM viral

Kinjal — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 14:32:06 +0000

Videos of speeches by the late Indian social activist Rajiv Dixit continue to do the rounds on social media. Recently, a video of one of his old speeches, where he talks about an island called ‘Satsada Bet’ near Gujarat’s Gandhidham in the Kutch district, went viral. In this, Dixit claims that under Chimanbhai Patel, then chief minister of Gujarat, the island, spread over 60,000 square kilometres, was sold to an American company named Cargill.

We broke down the claims in Dixit’s video as follows:

Satsada Bet is a massive island located in the sea near Gandhidham, Gujarat.
The area of the island is about 60,000 square kilometres.
The island was sold by former Gujarat CM Chimanbhai Patel to Cargill.

Instagram handle ‘kutch_first’ posted this video on May 25, 2025. At the time of writing, this post had over 323,000 views. It has now been deleted. (Archive)

This video was also posted on YouTube, where it garnered more than 5.5 million views and over 80,000 likes.

Truth Contrary to Claims

Alt News first checked whether there was any island named Satsada Bet near Gandhidham in the Kutch district of Gujarat and found nothing on Google Maps. We also checked for this island on Data Web’s site, which provides information about islands in India and found no island by this name in Gujarat or anywhere else in India. Moreover, no island in Gujarat has an area of 60,000 square kilometres.

In fact, the entire Kutch district in Gujarat, which is the largest in the country, is spread across an area of 45,674 square kilometres. So, it is unlikely that an island that is part of it to be bigger than the district itself.

We also did not find any credible news reports corroborating the claim that former Gujarat Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel sold an island to an American company.

We then tried to locate the island shown in the viral video with claims that this was the Satsada Bet or Islands.

Click to view slideshow.

A reverse image search made it clear that the place shown is actually the INS Khukri memorial located in Diu Island, near Gujarat and not Satsada Bet. It has been used in media reports and images found on the official website of the Diu government.

Click to view slideshow.

Thus, late Rajiv Dixit’s claims, now viral, that an island named Satsada with an area of 60,000 square kilometres in Gujarat’s Kutch district was sold off to an American company by a former Gujarat CM are baseless.

The post Late Rajiv Dixit’s false claims that ‘Satsada Island,’ near Kutch, was sold to a US company by ex-Gujarat CM viral appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

Thousands defy #Trump at Baltimore #NoKings rally

The Real News Network — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 03:13:04 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Video available online since October 2024 falsely linked to current Israel-Iran conflict

Abhishek Kumar — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 05:18:56 +0000

A video of an airstrike is going viral on social media with the claim that it is related to the current conflict between Iran and Israel.

Israel on June 13 launched blistering attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military structures from warplanes and drones killing at least 78 people including generals, scientists and civilians. Iran retaliated with long-range missiles targeting Tel Aviv, wounding at least 34 people, according to Israel’s paramedic services.

The official X handle of the Israel Defense Forces posted the video and claimed that this was the raw footage of a missile being fired on Israel. ( Archive link )

NDTV managing editor Shiv Aroor tweeted this video describing it as footage of Iranian missiles over Israel. He later deleted the post.

An account named Jat Association, which is often found spreading misinformation, also shared the video and made the same claim. ( Archive link )

A user named Mukhtar also shared the video and linked it to the ongoing conflict between the two countries and said that Iran retaliated by attacking Tel Aviv. ( Archive link )

Several other users also shared the video with the same claim.

Fact Check

We did a reverse image search of the frames of the viral video. We found this video in a tweet dated November 10, 2024. This makes it clear that this video is old and it is not from the current conflict between Iran and Israel.

ما اجمل هذا المشهد pic.twitter.com/wwuQ9SqSz1

— فدائي السيد عبد الملك الحوثي (@kkllspek) November 10, 2024

Furthermore, we found this video posted by a user named Brane Oblak Sedy on October 2, 2024, claiming it to be from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Alt News could not trace the source of this video but the dates of the above uploads make it clear that it is not from the current conflict between Iran and Israel.

Several unrelated videos are currently viral as footage from the ongoing military conflict between the two central Asian countries. Our fact checks of these videos can be read here.

The post Video available online since October 2024 falsely linked to current Israel-Iran conflict appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

‘No Kings! No Cages!’ Maryland protesters direct righteous anger at #Trump White House

The Real News Network — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 01:07:18 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Video of arms seized in Myanmar viral as Indian Army’s recovery of ammunition from militants in Manipur

Oishani Bhattacharya — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 16:26:23 +0000

A video showing a collection of arms, ammunition and cash laid out on the ground has been circulating on social media over the past few weeks. Those sharing the video claim the arms were recovered in the Indian army’s raid against militants in Manipur.

X user @TIgerNS3 posted the video on June 10, claiming that an armed forces raid led to the recovery of “big stocks of guns, arms and amunication with huge money from anti libration social elements of Manipur. #kuki terrorist”. (Archive)

BIG BREAKING NEWS:

Armed forces Raid reveals In Manipur that Army has recovered a big stocks of guns, arms and amunication with huge money from anti libration social elements of Manipur. #kuki terrorist #kukiTerrorists मणिपुर#Manipur #ManipurViolence pic.twitter.com/Ai3acEM09f

— TIger NS (@TIgerNS3) June 9, 2025

Nearly a month ago, X user Jitendra Pratap Singh (@jpsin1) had shared the video with a similar claim. The caption accompanying the video said, “Big Breaking. In Manipur, the Indian Army has recovered a huge cache of weapons and cash from militants. Take a look”. (Archive)

Several other users shared the viral video with similar claims. Below are a few instances.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

In the viral clip, we noticed that the army camouflage uniform worn by the men had a BNRA logo. BNRA stands for Burma National Revolutionary Army, a relatively new military organisation in Myanmar established on September 9, 2023.

We found images of the BNRA insignia on the official Facebook page of the BNRA and compared these with the signage attached to the sleeves of the soldiers in the viral video. The two matched, confirming that it depicts the Burma National Revolutionary Army.

Additionally, towards the end of the video, we noticed a blue, red and green coloured flag with a white circle in the centre, with some figure drawn within it, in the frame. On running a reverse image search, we found that the flag belongs to the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF)—the armed wing of the Chin National Organisation. It is a rebel group that operates out of the Chin state in Myanmar, which shares borders with the Indian state of Manipur.

We also broke down the video into multiple keyframes and ran a reverse image search on some of them. This led us to a Facebook post from April 24, which carried the same video. The caption has been written in the Mizo language and translates to, “CB group and their ancestors defeated 268 people in Falam village and seized weapons and money”. CB group here likely refers to the Chin Brotherhood.

On probing further, we came across an April 10 Facebook post by a Myanmar-based media outlet, Khit Thit Media. The post carried the viral video and the caption in Burmese translates to: “Hundreds of thousands of weapons and ammunition seized in battle for Falam township… After the final attack and capture of the entire Falam township in Chin State on April 9, the Chin Nyinaung group has seized hundreds of thousands of weapons and ammunition from the Military Council…”

ဖလမ်းမြို့သိမ်းတိုက်ပွဲမှ လက်နက်ခဲယမ်း ရာထောင်ချီ ရရှိ (ရုပ်/သံ)

ဖလမ်းမြို့သိမ်းတိုက်ပွဲမှ လက်နက်ခဲယမ်း ရာထောင်ချီ ရရှိ (ရုပ်/သံ)

ရန်ကုန်၊ ဧပြီ ၁၀

ချင်းပြည်နယ်၊ ဖလမ်းမြို့နယ်တစ်ခုလုံးကို ဧပြီလ ၉ ရက်နေ့ အပြီးသတ်တိုက်ခိုက် သိမ်းပိုက်ရရှိပြီးနောက် စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ လက်နက်ခဲယမ်းရာထောင်ချီကို ချင်းညီနောင်အဖွဲ့က ရရှိသွားသည်။

ချင်းညီနောင်စစ်ဆင်ရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့က ဧပြီလ ၉ ရက်နေ့တွင် စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ နောက် ဆုံးလက်ကျန် တပ်ရင်း ခလရ ၂၆၈ ကို အပြီးသတ်သိမ်းပိုက်ကာ ဖလမ်းမြို့နယ် တစ်ခုလုံး စစ်ကောင်စီကင်း စင် သော နယ်မြေအဖြစ် ဖော်ဆောင်နိုင်ခဲ့ပြီဖြစ်ကြောင်း၊ တီးတိန်မြို့သို့ ဆက်လက်ချီတက်မည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း သိရှိရသည်။

ချင်းအမျိုးသားကာကွယ်ရေးတပ် (CNO/CNDF) အထွေထွေအတွင်းရေးမှူး ဆလိုင်းဝီလီယံချင်းက “ချင်းညီနောင် စစ်ဆင်ရေး ဖလမ်းမြို့ သိမ်းတိုက်ပွဲက မင်းတပ်နဲ့အတူ ၂၀၂၄ ခုနှစ်နိုဝင်ဘာလကနေ စခဲ့တာဖြစ်တယ်။ တပ်ရင်းတစ်ရင်းတည်းမဟုတ်ဘူး။ ၃ ရင်းနဲ့ တိုက်နေရတဲ့ပုံစံဖြစ်တယ်။ အချိန်တွေ ပိုပြီးကြာသွားတယ်။ ကုန်ကျစရိတ်လည်း စစ်ဆင်ရေးမှာ အများကြီးကုန်တာရှိတယ်။ ဘာပဲပြောပြော ကျနော်တို့ရဲ တော်လှန်ရေးမှာ ပေးဆပ်မှုတွေ လွတ် မြောက်မှုအတွက် ကိုယ့်ကံကြမ္မာကိုယ်ဖန်တီးဖို့ ပေးဆပ်ရတာဖြစ်တယ်။ ချင်းပြည်ထဲမှာ တီးတိန်မြို့ကိုလည်း ထပ်ပြီးမှ ဝင်ရောက်ဖို့ရှိတယ်။ ပိုပြီးတော့ ကြိုး စားအားထုတ်ဖို့လိုတယ်။ မြို့သိမ်းရတာထက် ထိန်းရတာလည်း ခက်ခက်ခဲခဲ လုပ်ရတာဖြစ်တယ်။ စစ်ပုံကျတဲ့ အမိန့်နာခံဖို့ရှိတဲ့ Professional Army ဖြစ်အောင် ကြိုးစားရမယ်။ ဒီအောင်မြင်မှု ဖလမ်းပြည်သူလူထုတင်မဟုတ်ဘူး။ အဖိနှိပ်ခံပြည်သူလူထုအားလုံးရဲ့ အောင်မြင်မှုဖြစ်တယ်။ ၂၀၂၄ မှာ စစ်ကောင် စီ ကင်းစင်ဖို့ ရည်ရွယ်ခဲ့ပေမယ့် ၆၀ ရာခိုင်နှုန်းပဲပြီးခဲ့တယ် ။ ၄ နေရာရခဲ့တယ်။ ” ဟု တိုက်ရိုက် Live မှတစ်ဆင့် ပြောဆိုသည်။

ဖလမ်းမြို့သိမ်းတိုက်ပွဲတွင် စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ လက်နက်ကြီးများ အပါအဝင် လက် နက် ယမ်း အမြောက်အမြားနှင့် ငွေကြေးများစွာကိုလည်း သိမ်းပိုက်ရရှိခဲ့သည်။

၂၀၂၄ ခုနှစ်၊ နိုဝင်ဘာလ ၉ ရက်နေ့က ဖလမ်းမြို့သိမ်းတိုက်ပွဲကို ချင်းညီနောင်စစ်ဆင်ရေး (Operation CB) အဖြစ် ထိုးစစ်ဆင်တိုက်ခိုက်ခဲ့ရာ စစ်ကောင်စီတပ်က ဖလမ်းမြို့ မကျစေရေး အ တွက် ရှိရင်း ခလရ ၂၆၈ တပ်ရင်း အင်အားအပြင် ၂၀၂၄ ဒီဇင်ဘာလတွင် ခလရ ၈၉ မှ စစ်ကူ အင် အား ၁ဝဝ ဝန်းကျင်နှင့် ၂၀၂၅ မတ်လတွင် တပ်မ ၇၇ လက်အောက်ခံ ခလရ ၃၉၁ မှ စစ်ကူအင်အား ၁၀ဝ ခန့်ဖြင့် အင်အားအကြိမ်ကြိမ် ထပ်မံဖြည့်တင်းခဲ့ကြောင်း၊ ထို့အပြင် လေကြောင်းတိုက်ခိုက်မှု အကြိမ်ပေါင်း ၁ဝဝဝ ကျော် ဖြင့် အပြင်းအထန် ခုခံခဲ့ကြောင်း သိရသည်။

ချင်းညီနောင်စစ်ဆင်ရေး (Operation CB) ဖလမ်းမြို့ သိမ်းတိုက်ပွဲတွင် 96 Soldiers PDF ၊ Anti-Fascist Internationalist Front (AIF) ၊ Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA) ၊ Burmese Revolutionary Technical Front (BRTF) ၊ Generation Z Army (GZA) ၊ Giant Revolution Force (GRF) ၊ Harmonious Northern Brothers (HNB) ၊ Kalay Revolution Force (KRF) ၊ Kalay Urban Guerrilla (Kalay UG) ၊ Myingyan Black Tiger (MBT) ၊ National Liberation Army (NLA) ၊ Revolution Ambulance Wolf (RAW Medical Team) ၊ Sagaing Federal Troop (SFT-Sol) ၊ Yaw Defense Force (YDF) ၊ Zo Army (ZA) ၊ ကလေးခရိုင် ပကဖနှင့် Drone အဖွဲ့တို့ ပါဝင်ခဲ့ကြောင်း သိရသည်။

ဖလမ်းမြို့ နယ်တစ်ခုလုံး စစ်ကောင်စီကင်းစင်သော နယ်မြေအဖြစ် ဖော်ဆောင်နိုင်ခဲ့ခြင်းမှာ ချင်းညီနောင် နှင့် မဟာမိတ်အင်အားစုများ၏ မဆုတ်မနစ်သော စိတ်ဓာတ်ဖြင့် ကြံ့ကြံ့ခံထိုးစစ်ဆင် တိုက်ခိုက်မှု၊ အာရက္ခ တပ်တော်မှ ခဲယမ်းစစ်လက်နက်များအပြင် စစ်ရေးဆိုင်ရာ အကြံဉာဏ်များ ပံ့ပိုးကူညီမှုနှင့် မိဘပြည်သူများ၏ တက်ညီလက်ညီ တစိုက်မတ်မတ် ထောက်ပို့ပါဝင်မှုများ ကြောင့် သာ ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ကြေညာထားသည်။

Posted by Khit Thit Media on Wednesday 9 April 2025

Several other Myanmar-based news outlets also reported on this. These reports can be found here and here.

From the above findings, it is clear that the viral clip is from Myanmar. It has nothing to do with Manipur; social media claims linking it to the Indian state are false and baseless.

The post Video of arms seized in Myanmar viral as Indian Army’s recovery of ammunition from militants in Manipur appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Video of missile attack on Sevastopol, Crimea, in 2024 viral as recent Iranian offensive on Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, Israel

Shinjinee Majumder — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:46:46 +0000

A video showing two massive explosions is being widely circulated on social media amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Tensions between the two countries have escalated since Friday, June 13, following Israel’s military strike against its long-standing rival. Soon, Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes against Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the largest cities there.

Amid this, several images and videos are viral on social media, allegedly showing destruction on both sides.

An X user who shared the video of the two explosions suggested that this was happening in Jaffa, Israel. The caption, in Arabic, said “Breaking – Hebrew media: “Iran has gone mad on us, they are bombing us mercilessly. — Video: Jaffa is burning”. (Archive)

عاجل إعلام عبري | جن جنون ايران علينا، يقصفونا بدون رحمة.

— بالفيديو: يافا تحترق pic.twitter.com/RoN3D2pBqt

— همام شعلان || H . Shaalan (@osSWSso) June 13, 2025

Several other X users shared the same video with the same claim. (Archives- 1, 2, 3, 4)

Fact Check

Upon a reverse image search of the keyframes of the viral video, we found several instances of the same video online, going as far back as March 2024.

A March 24, 2024, report by Daily Mail featured the same video titled “Major alert as Putin fires Russian cruise missile over NATO territory for 39 seconds sparking growing concern over escalation of the Ukraine war”. The report also used a screenshot from the viral video with the caption, “Meanwhile Ukraine subjected Russian-annexed Sevastopol in Crimea to one of the heaviest bombardments of the 25-month war (pictured above: Sevastopol under missile attack)”

Click to view slideshow.

The attack on Sevastopol in Crimea was also reported by The Telegraph on March 24, 2024. The publication used the same video in its report, stating that the Ukranian military struck two Russian warships and other facilities in Sevastopol. The attack reportedly involved Storm Shadow missiles, which were supplied to Ukraine by the United Kingdom. Ukraine further claimed that Russian landing ships Yamal and Azov were hit during the mission.

Thus, the viral video being shared with claims that it shows Iran’s attack on Jaffa near Tel Aviv, Israel, is from last year and unrelated. Alt News was able to trace the purported visuals back to March 24, 2024, and found that it showed Ukraine’s attack on Sevastopol, Crimea.

The post Video of missile attack on Sevastopol, Crimea, in 2024 viral as recent Iranian offensive on Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, Israel appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

Video showing aftermath of a plane crash in Philadelphia linked to Israel-Iran clash

Ankita Mahalanobish — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:40:27 +0000

With tensions between Iran and Israel escalating, a 37-second-long video showing debris strewn across an open area and flames in the distance, suggesting the impact of a possible explosion has gone viral. Some social media users claim the video is from Tel Aviv after Iran’s retaliatory strikes while others shared it saying that it shows destruction by Israel in Tehran.

Iran and Israel targeted each other with missiles and airstrikes early on Saturday, June 14, 2025, a day after Israel launched its biggest aerial assault in an alleged bid to stop Tehran’s pursuit of developing nuclear weaponry.

Turkey-based X account, Gündem Analizi (@GndemAnalizi), shared the video depicting the aftermath of strikes on June 14, claiming it was footage showing Iranian missiles’ strikes on Israel. (Archive)

At the time of writing this, the post had garnered over 360,000 views.

Another X account, Islamic Invitation Turkey (@islamic_turkey), shared the same video, claiming it shows the impact of ‘Iranian revenge’ in Tel Aviv. (Archive)

At the time this article was written, the post had over 420,000 views.

Bharat TV (@bharattvusa), which claims to be a media outlet on X, shared the video with a caption that there was an explosion at the army headquarters in Tehran, Iran. (Archive)

Several social media accounts have shared the same video, either claiming it to be from Tel Aviv or Tehran.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the viral clip, we extracted several key frames and conducted a reverse image search on a few stills. This led us to a post on Instagram Threads dated February 1, 2025, with strikingly similar frames as the viral video. It was also accompanied by a caption that read, “Another crash… Reports suggest a medical transport Learjet twin-engine jet has crashed in a populated area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Three buildings in the vicinity are reportedly damaged.”

Taking cue from this, we checked with specific keywords and landed on a YouTube short uploaded in February. At the 00:25-minute mark, the exact visuals seen in the viral video appear. The video’s description says these are scenes from the aftermath of a plane crash in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the viral clip, the individual recording the footage appears to be entering a Dunkin’ Donuts outlet. While the video is somewhat grainy, a Dunkin’ Donuts signboard is briefly visible. Despite the lack of clarity, the distinct shape, color scheme, and branding elements of the signage make the identification conclusive.

We geolocated the Dunkin’ Donuts outlet and confirmed that the location of the viral clip is indeed from Philadelphia.

We also found several news reports from February 1, 2025, confirming that an air ambulance (a Learjet 55) went down just after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia airport, on a busy Philadelphia street. Seven people were killed and 19 were injured in this accident.

Thus, the video shared with claims that it shows the aftermath of Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv and the destruction after Israel struck Tehran are both false. It is a 4-month-old video from Philadelphia.

Note that the same video was also shared during the recent clashes between India and Pakistan, claiming it depicts the destruction of Karachi port in Pakistan by INS Vikrant’s military actions. Even at that time, Alt News had debunked this.

The post Video showing aftermath of a plane crash in Philadelphia linked to Israel-Iran clash appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Video showing aftermath of a plane crash in Philadelphia linked to Israel-Iran clash

Ankita Mahalanobish — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:40:27 +0000

At the time of writing this, the post had garnered over 360,000 views.

Another X account, Islamic Invitation Turkey (@islamic_turkey), shared the same video, claiming it shows the impact of ‘Iranian revenge’ in Tel Aviv. (Archive)

At the time this article was written, the post had over 420,000 views.

Bharat TV (@bharattvusa), which claims to be a media outlet on X, shared the video with a caption that there was an explosion at the army headquarters in Tehran, Iran. (Archive)

Several social media accounts have shared the same video, either claiming it to be from Tel Aviv or Tehran.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We geolocated the Dunkin’ Donuts outlet and confirmed that the location of the viral clip is indeed from Philadelphia.

The post Video showing aftermath of a plane crash in Philadelphia linked to Israel-Iran clash appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Video shared in January 2025 as fireworks in Berlin now viral as visuals from Israel-Iran airstrikes

Oishani Bhattacharya — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 14:45:05 +0000

A seven-second-long clip showing an explosion near a building is viral on social media in the context of the recent escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel.

X user @RoyalIntel_ shared the video in question on June 14 with the following caption: “UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL FROM IRAN”, seemingly stating that the clip depicts Iran’s strikes on Israel. At the time of writing this report, the post has received close to 1 Lakh views. (Archive)

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL FROM IRAN pic.twitter.com/SVsKJC6MZK

— Royal Intel (@RoyalIntel_) June 13, 2025

An Instagram user, @haitham_alwakeel, posted the same video on June 14, claiming that the visuals were from Israel’s Tel Aviv.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Haitham AlWakeel | هيثم الوكيل (@haitham_alwakeel)

Several other users shared the same video, claiming that it showed Iran’s attack on Israel. Below are a few instances.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

After breaking down the video into several keyframes, we ran a reverse image search on a few of them. This led us to an Instagram post from January 2 by the page @inner.journey.diaries. The post, or a reel, shared by this page consisted of the same video clip, which is now viral as visuals from Israel. The caption of the post further mentions, “Average fireworks in Berlin”, indicating that the visuals are from Berlin, Germany.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyond The Inner Journey (@inner.journey.diaries)

Taking a cue from here, we ran a relevant keyword search and found several other posts from the first week of January which carried the viral clip and mentioned that the visuals were from Berlin.

Another Instagram page, @berlindeyiz.de, also posted the viral clip on January 1 and mentioned in the caption, “Here are some very unusual scenes from Berlin.. New Year’s celebrations are one of the most eagerly anticipated times in Berlin. However, with each passing year, these celebrations open the door to greater problems and cause serious damage in many areas. Buses, buildings, garbage containers, and many other things are affected by fireworks. We hope that the coming years will bring fewer problems.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Berlindeyiz (@berlindeyiz.de)

We also came across a report on the website etemadonline.com from January 3, which carried the viral video, and the headline said that a suspicious package exploded in front of one of the police stations in Berlin. The report further mentioned that the Berlin Police Department has issued a statement saying that two officers were injured as a result of an explosion that happened in front of one of the police stations.

We found a statement posted by Berlin police on their official X handle at 3:26 am IST on January 3. The statement in German could be translated as, “This evening, around 8:20 PM, a serious security incident occurred at the fence of our Police Precinct 12 in #Wittenau, during which a female and a male colleague were partially seriously injured while on a routine security patrol. According to initial investigations, an as-yet unidentified object detonated, causing the male officer to suffer serious injuries to his face and eye. His female colleague sustained acoustic trauma. Both are currently receiving medical treatment. Our #CriminalPolice are investigating, and the crime scene is currently being examined”.

Heute Abend gegen 20:20 Uhr kam es an der Umzäunung unseres Polizeiabschnitts 12 in #Wittenau zu einem schweren Sicherheitsvorfall, bei dem eine Kollegin und ein Kollege während eines routinemäßigen Sicherheitsgangs zum Teil schwer verletzt wurden.

Nach ersten Ermittlungen… pic.twitter.com/kDAxdO1SCA

— Polizei Berlin (@polizeiberlin) January 2, 2025

Further, we found several news reports which state that this time the New Year’s celebrations in Berlin went too far, the use of fireworks turned violent, injuring several.

We have reached out to the Berlin police via email requesting confirmation from them about the location of the viral video. This report will be updated if and when we receive a response.

To sum up, the claims connecting the viral clip with the present military escalation between Iran and Israel are false. According to multiple social media posts and some reports, the incident is from January 2025 in Berlin.

The post Video shared in January 2025 as fireworks in Berlin now viral as visuals from Israel-Iran airstrikes appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Times Now, Republic, others published reports based on fake ‘confidential’ letter that Pakistan PM was hospitalised

Ankita Mahalanobish — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 08:15:33 +0000

A “confidential” hospital document dated April 27, 2025, with the emblem of the Pakistan prime minister’s office saying that the PM has been hospitalised in Rawalpindi, made it to several news reports and was widely shared on social media. According to this ‘letter’, the Pakistan PM was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital for medical evaluation of haemorrhoids (piles).

On May 1, Times Now World published a report titled, “Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif hospitalized with piles? ‘Confidential’ hospital note surfaces.” In the report, they claim that the alleged was “leaked” but, later, also mention that there was no official confirmation from PM Sharif’s office. However, despite this, the outlet went on to speculate whether “rising stress levels” were to blame in the aftermath of diplomatic unrest between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025.

Republic also published a detailed article on the purported letter, even though they refer to it as a “rumour”. While the report mentions that the rumour has not received official confirmation, ut gives reactions of social media users.

Several other news outlets, such as NewsX, News24 Hindi, and News18 Bangla, also published reportson Sharif’s health citing this letter.

On April 28, 2025, social media users Shuvankar Biswas (@manamuntu), Jamin (@JaminrpP), (@SinghPramod2784) and @Amolk1985 also shared the alleged letter.

Click to view slideshow.

Similar claims were made by users across social media platforms.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

First, we tried several keyword searches but found no credible reportage from Pakistan-based news outlets that reported on PM Shehbaz Sharif being hospitalised in April 2025.

Instead, we found several updates that indicate he was fairly active and meeting delegations throughout the last week of April. For instance, on April 26, Sharif presented awards at a ceremony in PMA, Kakul, Abbottabad.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif giving awards to the high achievers of 151st Long Course at the passing out Ceremony held at PMA Kakul, Abbottabad.
April 26, 2025. pic.twitter.com/PFM4X5SiWl

— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) April 27, 2025

On April 27, Sharif along with other Pakistani government officials, met a delegation of the American World Liberty Financial in Islamabad.

On April 28, he attended a ceremony acknowledging the success of the PM Ramzan relief package.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses a ceremony to acknowledge the success of the PM Ramzan Relief Package.
April 28, 2025. pic.twitter.com/FWiQj1TbVB

— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) April 28, 2025

On April 29, the Pakistan leader addressed an investment forum in Islamabad and the following day, he chaired a meeting with investors in Islamabad.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses the Digital Foreign Direct Investment Forum in Islamabad.
April 29, 2025. pic.twitter.com/hiBDA3sZcq

— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) April 30, 2025

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting with investors on investment opportunities in the digitisation process of FBR in Islamabad.
April 30, 2025. pic.twitter.com/XghZHtNCHy

— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) May 2, 2025

On May 1, Chinese ambassador Jiang Zaidong met Sharif and exchanged views on the current India-Pakistan situation. This was also reported on CNN News18 bulletin.

#Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong met with #Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday local time and exchanged views on the current #Pakistan–#India situation, according to a press release published by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan on its WeChat account on Friday.… pic.twitter.com/Hjb9Itsf1G

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 2, 2025

Thus it was clear that he was not in the hospital.

We then found that Asad Rehman Gilani, the alleged principal secretary to the prime minister (PSPM), whose signature is visible on the letter, was removed from his position on March 17, 2025, and transferred to the National Heritage and culture divison as secretary, according to a report by Pakistan-based outlet, Dawn.

Dawn’s report also said that the position of PSPM has been abolished and a Dr Tauqir Shah would serve the PM as an adviser in place of PSPM.

An official at the Pakistan PMO also told Dawn that the viral “confidential” letter and claims that Sharif was getting medical treatment were fake.

To sum up, the Pakistan Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, was not hospitalised during the last week of April 2025. The alleged “confidential” letter bearing the stamp of the Pakistan PMO is fake. Despite disclaimers, news outlets reported on this based on social media posts and reactions, resulting in unverified information being amplified

The post Times Now, Republic, others published reports based on fake ‘confidential’ letter that Pakistan PM was hospitalised appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

‘Get ready’: LA journalists warn of potential violence against press ahead of nationwide protests

Katherine Jacobsen — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:49:47 +0000

As protests over U.S. immigration enforcement raids began throughout the country last week, journalists rushed to cover the rapidly evolving story. Focus turned to Los Angeles, California, as President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines, notably without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent.

Journalists on the ground in LA quickly became part of the story as they faced an onslaught of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and other forms of “less lethal” munitions.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, of which CPJ is a founding member, is investigating at least seven detainments or arrests of journalists, over 35 assaults, reports of multiple news vehicles damaged, and other incidents, including tear gassing and harassment. The majority of these attacks were from a mix of both state and federal law enforcement, though some of the vehicles were damaged by members of the crowd.

In anticipation of further demonstrations, which are planned in hundreds of cities across the United States on Saturday, June 14, to protest President Donald Trump’s administration, and to better understand the conditions for the press on the ground, CPJ spoke with four journalists reporting on the protests in LA. Their interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

5 tips for staying safe while covering US protests

CPJ/Esha Sarai

CPJ: Other resources for journalists covering protests

Ben Camacho, freelance reporter for LA nonprofit The Southlander

You were injured while covering protests on June 7 at the Paramount Home Depot, the site where one of the initial immigration raids that spurred the protests occurred. What happened in the lead-up to your injury?

Pretty much the whole day, pepper balls were being shot by the sheriffs towards the protesters. I was keeping an eye out for those all day. But they were also throwing stingers, which is like a flashbang. They were definitely being thrown directly at people at some point, which is extremely dangerous. And rubber bullets, of course, were kind of flying as well. Some protesters were throwing their plastic water bottles or maybe fist-sized pieces of concrete. It seemed like most of them just kind of fell short of their target.

I had on a gas mask and half-face, ballistic-rated goggles, and a press pass. Mind you, the National Guard, like the military, had not been deployed yet.

Before I was shot, I was in an area where people were peacefully protesting. I was keeping an eye on my co-reporter, who was getting video. That’s when I saw a projectile go straight into the area where he was, and that’s when I saw Nick Stern [a British photojournalist] get shot.

I ended up going over and helping him get away. As I went back toward the protest area, pain hit me in the kneecap. I started screaming. I had never felt that type of pain before. I started to turn around to try to walk away, and the pain got worse.

Someone came up to me and helped me walk away. Then I was shot again, this time in my right elbow. It was excruciating at this point. I was yelling at the top of my lungs. I was in such a weird, shocked state of mind.

The next day, I went to Urgent Care to get checked out. Thankfully, my injuries are just serious, nasty bruises and a nasty cut. I’ve been home since, making sure these minor injuries don’t become worse.

Could you have imagined this happening in Los Angeles?

The police violence this time around feels much, much higher than any protests in the past few years. I also covered the 2020 uprising [the Black Lives Matter protests] and, yes, there was extreme police violence back then too.

This time, police action feels a lot more indiscriminate and a lot stronger, and that’s just from [what I experienced with] the Los Angeles authorities.

How has being a person of color shaped your reporting experience?

I am from these communities that people are being taken from. My hometown, just outside of LA, is also rising up against this. And I have a significant audience on my reporting platforms. And because I’m not out there, that’s a voice lost.

Protesters help news photographer Nick Stern after an injury during a protest in Compton, California, on June 7, 2025. (Photo: AP/Ethan Swope)

Abraham Márquez, investigative journalist for The Southlander

While covering protests, you were hit by less lethal munitions fired by law enforcement on June 6, and then by what seemed to have been the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department on June 7. Could you have expected this in your hometown?

You know, it’s not my first rodeo. I’ve never seen them [law enforcement in Los Angeles] be careful with the press in the years that I’ve been documenting protests here. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced them telling the press, “Hey, go on this side, you’ll be safe here,” or them holding back from not attacking.

I think at this point, Los Angeles’ law enforcement feels somewhat empowered because their actions will be backed up by the federal government, if they do something wrong.LA is heavily policed right now — we’ve got sheriffs out; we’ve got CHP [California Highway Patrol] out; cops from other cities are here; we’re going to have the Marines and the National Guard. It feels like they can do whatever they want and get away with it.

What’s at stake when journalists are attacked?

Reporters are on the front lines trying to document the reality of what it is to live in this country. We’re trying to document that people are being arrested and deported without due process. Police officers are brutalizing people who are exercising their First Amendment right to protest and to assemble peacefully.

What has it been like emotionally covering this?

I haven’t had a chance to really sit back, zoom out, and really let this process. My phone’s been blowing up this whole week with alerts of potential ICE raids, or information about where people are, where they’re getting arrested. I’m just trying to prepare and get ready, and make sure that I’m ready for the next day.

Mekahlo Medina, anchor and reporter for NBC4 News

What has surprised you most about the nature of the recent protests and the response from law enforcement?

LA is the epicenter of immigration. We have the most undocumented people in the entire country — I think just under a million in LA County, a population of 10 million. Immigration is a national issue, and I think we fully expected some sort of reaction once it came to our doorstep. We just didn’t know what that was going to be.

What has surprised me the most has been the federal response. I thought, maybe, we would see them as part of ICE operations, but not at the protests in the way that we have.

You and your news crew were fired on with pellet projectiles by federal agents while covering June 7 protests. Did you ever think this would happen in Los Angeles?

I’ve covered many protests in the 20 years I’ve been here, and we have a very good relationship with LAPD [Los Angeles Police Department] around our coverage of the protests, and what we’re supposed to do and not supposed to do.

I felt going into protest situations last weekend [June 6- 8] that we would be fine. And then when we got shot by federal agents, I think we were all taken aback. I can’t say it was targeted toward me. But what I can say is, most of the protesters had already left. We had large cameras; I had “Press” on my vest. We were all clearly identified.

What worries you about the situation in Los Angeles going forward?

I’m concerned that the non-lethal munitions might actually hurt somebody to a degree where they could lose an eye or something else along those lines. That worries me a lot.

Television crews have had some of our equipment and trucks attacked or destroyed — without anyone in them — by protesters, but I would say most journalists are concerned about all the agents and what they’re firing.

In this country, for the most part, journalism and journalists have been respected. It’s part of our constitution — freedom of press. It’s embedded in who we are every day from day one. The government is trying to keep us [journalists] from doing our job. I think it should be a red flag for a lot of people.

NYPD officers carry a detained demonstrator during a protest against deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York, on June 9, 2025. (Photo: AP/Yuki Iwamura)

Ryanne Mena, crime and public safety reporter for the Southern California News Group

You were hit twice with less-lethal munitions on June 6 and then again on June 7, resulting in a concussion. Could you have imagined this happening in your home community?

After Trump was elected, I was really nervous for what would come in Los Angeles, because I know Los Angeles, and people show up for protests. But I didn’t think that I would be doing a job that would involve federal agents shooting at me.

Do you plan to continue covering this story?

Yes. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I have a very deep connection to the city and immigrant rights. I think it is so important to document why people are taking to the streets, and also to document the community that has been forming with all this anger.

It is an honor to be one of the reporters out there recording the first draft of history. This is history that we’re living through.

What do you want people outside of Los Angeles to understand about what’s happening now?

Seemingly, journalists are being targeted. There have been many of us who have been injured in the last several days, at least once on live TV with an Australian reporter. There are so many of us who have been injured by federal agents, by local law enforcement, and it’s all unacceptable. Every single agency that has been involved in harming journalists should be condemned and should be investigated, I believe.

Other journalists should get ready to get ready because I feel like Los Angeles is just the first place where this kind of violence against journalists, or similar things, might happen. This is only the beginning.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Katherine Jacobsen.

‘Piece of crap!’: VA nurse blasts #trump administration’s attacks on veterans

The Real News Network — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:48:28 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 13, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 13, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 13 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:17:33 +0000

Israel-Iran crisis: UN chief urges calm after overnight strikesVictims of DRC violence start to rebuild shattered lives and livelihoodsEastern Chad ‘reaching a breaking point’ as Sudan war refugees continue to arrive

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Operation Sindoor: Grief on the ground, glory on TV screens

Oishani Bhattacharya — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:31:02 +0000

Trigger Warning: The story has details of deaths, including those of minors; reader’s discretion advised.

“National media showed what they had to. Our endeavour is to give you our version of the truth, as those who suffered and survived. Even if 5% of the ground reality reaches the people with every small, local news outlet’s report, eventually, when these narratives add up, at least some truth will trickle down to the people of this country who live in faraway cities and clamour for war.” These were Jamrodh Singh’s words to Alt News days after his uncle, Amrik Singh (54), was killed in Pakistani shelling in Kashmir’s Poonch.

Over a month has passed since India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire (May 10), but civilians residing near border areas are still grappling with the magnitude of their losses. Amrik Singh was among the 21 Indian civilians killed in the conflict between India and Pakistan that went on for four days. On the intervening night of May 6 and 7, shortly after India launched a military strike targeting terror bases in Pakistan, the neighbouring country retaliated with cross-border firing, hitting many civilian areas. The Indian strikes, labelled Operation Sindoor, followed the April 22 Pahalgam massacre in which 26 civilians were shot dead by terrorists with alleged links to Pakistan.

Caught unaware when the strikes happened, families of those who lost their loved ones recount how blindsided and helpless they felt. Their stories were not covered by several mainstream television channels in India that were too busy celebrating the operation’s success as a befitting revenge for Pahalgam. Even in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation after the conflict, there was no mention of the civilian casualties, which included five children.

Alt News spoke to five bereaved families who debunked some of the falsehoods spread by media outlets and shed light on the on-ground realities of such operations, forcing us to look beyond headlines that only celebrate the military wins in the conflict.

Deaths Marred by Misinformation

On May 9, while the conflict was at its peak, a family living in Khai Pheme Ki village in Punjab’s Ferozpur had no idea their lives were about to change forever. A drone fired by the Pakistan army hit a car stationed in their garage at around 8:40 pm. Within minutes, the whole house, about 10 kilometres away from the International Border, was engulfed in flames. Sukhwinder Kaur, a woman in her late forties, who was in the kitchen at the time this happened, suffered third-degree burns. Three days later, on May 12, she succumbed to her injuries. Kaur’s husband and son, who were also present inside the house when the drone fell, also suffered serious injuries and are still recovering.

Sukhwinder Kaur

Part of the Pakistani drone that fell over Sukhwinder Kaur’s house in Ferozepur, Punjab, on May 9, 2025.

But adding to the pain of her grieving family were misreports around her death that seemed to blame the family for what happened.

“Shells were being fired, and media claimed that they were sitting with their lights on; that’s why it [the drone] hit their home. Isn’t that stupid? They are sitting elsewhere.. How do they know whether or not their lights were on at the time?” Kaur’s relative Ramandeep Singh told Alt News, the rage in his voice palpable.

“Some reported their home lights were on, some said their car lights were on [after the blackout was announced], some locals even spread the word that they were making spurious liquor, and the drone struck that cylinder, and that is how their house caught fire. They are an Amartayi parivaar [a colloquial expression to describe a family of Amritdhari Sikhs—those committed to the Khalsa code of conduct which prohibits consumption of tobacco, alcohol, or meat]. These are rumours,” he said. “Ask those who have suffered the loss, you’ll get goosebumps,” Singh added.

In fact, relatives of the family even clarified to some media outlets that the lights of their home were not on and that the drone hit the house in spite of that. Even then, the channels that broadcast this have not corrected their reports.

Kaur was among the first civilian casualties in the conflict outside of Jammu and Kashmir after Pakistan retaliated against Operation Sindoor.

Two days before Kaur’s home was struck by mortar shells, a family in Kashmir’s Poonch was similarly seething in anger.

Mohammed Iqbal was among those killed in retaliatory shelling by Pakistan in the early hours of May 7. However, the 47-year-old Qari, an honorific title given to those who specialise in recitation of Quranic verses, was labelled a terrorist by many news outlets.

“My uncle, Qari Mohammed Iqbal, was martyred in shelling by Pakistan, and news channels ran bulletins that India killed a Lashkar terrorist, the Pulwama mastermind, who was hiding in Kotli. He was a well-respected teacher and religious figure in our community. They showed an image of him in his last moments, bleeding… celebrating it as a triumph. Media is supposed be the fourth pillar of democracy, and they ran such horrific fake news regarding a martyr who is a well-respected man and a kattar Hindustani (a staunch Indian). We were already heartbroken, what they were broadcasting was like rubbing salt in our wounds,” Tariq Manzoor told Alt News from Poonch. “We really hope those channels pay the price for the hurt they have caused us. I hope these channels are shut down, actually…”

Read: His name was Qari Mohammad Iqbal. He was not a terrorist.

Manzoor also told us that Mohammed Iqbal, who taught at the local school, Zia-Ul-Uloom, for over 20 years, was trying to shift the children who showed up in school to a safer spot on a lower floor when a splinter pierced through the classroom wall and hit him. He added that it was unfortunate that a man who died doing something noble was plastered across channels as a ‘most-wanted terrorist’.

Qari Md. Iqbal

Close to where Qari Mohammed Iqbal breathed his last was a Gurudwara. When the conflict escalated, media outlets ran suggestive shows that Pakistan was targeting Sikhs’ place of worship in Poonch.

On May 7, at least two segments by the news channel Republic claimed that Pakistan killed three innocent civilians by striking the Gurudwara in Poonch. “Cowardly Pakistan is now targeting civilians and Gurudwaras… India is in complete solidarity with the families of the Gur-Sikhs and the Ragis who lost their lives… Pakistan will have to be punished,” said the show’s host.

On May 8, senior journalist and Aaj Tak’s managing editor, Anjana Om Kashyap’s segment “Halla Bol” also reiterated the same. Note that in her programmes between May 7 and May 10, Kashyap did not pose any questions to the administration regarding evacuation efforts and whether civilians could have been saved by timely intervention. Also, it’s worth noting that during the Pahalgam massacre, Kashyap dubbed the incident “Kashmir Files Part 2”.

“Look, Pakistan is exposing itself. If it attacks Amritsar, if it attacks a Gurudwara in Poonch and three people are killed, then we can understand their intentions and where they are headed,” she remarked in her show on May 8.

But these assertions stand on shaky ground. Two local journalists Alt News spoke to dismissed claims that these attacks ‘targeted’ a Gurudwara. Late Amrik Singh’s nephew, Jamrodh Singh, also countered the claim shared by news outlets. Jamrodh Singh told us that his uncle worked closely with the Gurudwara and recited verses from the holy text there.

“Yes, a shell did fall on the Gurudwara, but a shell also fell on a mosque. It hit so many homes. It’s wrong to say that communities were targeted. How is it possible? They can’t fire shells based on which community they want to target… Sardars died, Muslims died, Hindus died, children died, people everywhere died,” he said. Explaining that he comes from an army background, Jamrodh Singh said that artillery guns narrow down on the location and target, wherever the firing is coming from. This time, India likely used some advanced weaponry that was similar to a moving gun; this made it hard for Pakistan to determine the exact location, and so they fired mercilessly and hit whatever they could, he added.

Amrik Singh

Recounting his uncle’s last moments, he said that Amrik Singh went to the Gurudwara early on the morning of May 7, where he made an announcement, asking everyone to stay indoors because he had an inkling that the situation could worsen. Amrik Singh then tried to move his own family to safety in a bunker on the ground floor of his house. The street-facing side of the ground floor had a shop front. The bunker doubled up as storage.

Here, Amrik Singh breathed his last.

“He must have come to the shop to get a broom when a shell perforated through the shuttered shop and hit him,” he said, adding, “Can you imagine? The shutters were made of strong metal, it pierced through that… it was hard to believe… my uncle’s body just lay there, slumped on a chair.” Amrik Singh passed away around 7:30 am on May 7.

Jamrodh Singh shared with us more visuals that display the extent of the damage caused to the shop/bunker due to shelling by Pakistan.

Click to view slideshow.

Amrik Singh’s elder brother, Harjeet Singh, was also seriously injured in the shelling on May 7. His shop too suffered sizeable damage due to the strikes.

Jamrodh Singh and the rest of Amrik Singh’s family, like the other victims’ kin Alt News spoke with, are deeply upset with the administration. They all told Alt News that had they received some notice regarding what was about to unfold, perhaps some lives could have been saved.

But these questions were seldom raised by TV journalists of mainstream media channels. Worse, they blatantly misreported on the ground situation. On May 7, for instance, when Pakistan was retaliating with broad-range attacks, ABP’s Chitra Tripathi hosted a segment in which other anchors and the channel’s correspondents joined in to offer updates. At the 1:57-minute mark of the segment, Tripathi says that schools were closed in Poonch and Jammu because of Pakistan’s continued provocation. “We must ensure the safety of our citizens and children,” she said.

However, each of the four families from Poonch we spoke to, separately told Alt News that until the morning of May 7, schools had issued no notice of closure. Manzoor said that people in Poonch had no clue that India was going to strike and there would be retaliatory fire, so children came to the school where his uncle taught as usual that morning. Jamrodh Singh also said that many children were on their way to school early in the morning when firing intensified.

Families of three children who were killed in shelling told Alt News that the schools were preparing for a mock drill on May 7.

Among the children who breathed their last that day were 12-year-old twins Zain and Urwa. Their aunt, Maria Khan, told us that the family was planning to visit the kids’ maternal grandparents on May 6, but chose to stay in Poonch because of the mock drills that were supposed to be held in school and by the military in their area. Zain and Urwa’s parents, originally residents of Chandak, had moved to Poonch just two months ago to be closer to the school both children attended.

Zain and Urwa.

“They [Zain and Urwa’s parents] thought the kids would learn what to do in such situations in school, and they would also know how to approach such a scenario. If not for the drill, they would have left the previous day for their maternal grandparents’ home,” she told Alt News, her voice choking. “They had said it [the drill] would take place on May 7… If instead of saying a mock drill would happen, they had said that a war-like situation might take place, then may be our family wouldn’t be in this state. May be the kids would still be with us, and none of this would have happened.”

A video report by Mojo Story on the twins’ death claimed that they had “stepped out for school but never returned”. However, Maria told us that the twins died while trying to evacuate from their homes on the morning of May 7.

Shelling started around 1:30-2 am at night and seemed to intensify, which is when the twins’ mother reached out to her family, and they decided that the twins’ maternal uncle would come pick them up after 5:30 am. “The street on which they lived is congested, so he [the maternal uncle] could not get the car in. They just stepped out of the home to walk towards the car when a shell fell behind them and exploded. The splinters of the shell hit them from the back… Zoya (Urwa’s nickname), who was holding her mother’s hand, bled out and died on the spot. Zain also died right there; he had a cut the size of a palm, his intestines had fallen out of his body,” she said, adding that the father, who was also severely injured, did not know about the kids’ deaths for days.

Alt News also reached out to the family of 14-year-old Vihaan Bhargav, who attended the same school as Zain and Urwa. Vihaan was killed on May 7 at around 11:30 am after splinters from a shell fired by Pakistan struck him in the head. His father, Sanjeev Kumar, a government employee in the education department, confirmed that on May 6, authorities had announced there would be a mock drill the following day; however, he said, they launched Operation Sindoor. “It’s a fact that no mock drill was conducted. Maybe these lives could have been saved if a mock drill had happened”.

Vihaan Bhargav

Recounting what happened the day Vihaan’s life was tragically cut short, Kumar told us, “There was heavy shelling throughout the night, and nearly 70–80% of the population had started relocating to safe zones. We also decided to leave for safer areas such as Rajouri and Jammu. We were travelling in our private car and had covered three to four kilometres when a shell fell near us, causing a huge explosion. Our car was moving at a speed of 60–70 kilometres per hour when the splinters from the shell hit Vihaan on the head, and he died on the spot”. Apart from Vihaan and his parents, Sanjeev Kumar’s sister and her family were also in the car. “My brother-in-law is admitted to a hospital in Amritsar, his condition is also quite critical”, he added.

In our analysis of over eight major news channels across English and Hindi, we found that between May 7 and 10, most aired visuals of drones, shells, and artillery. But there was little or no emphasis on what happens when these shells hit the ground and damage homes, shattering the lives of those who did not see it coming. NDTV was an exception and Shiv Aroor’s ground reports from civilian areas across sectors in Kashmir and Punjab were among the few that went beyond defence gains.

Besides the misinformation clarified by the families above, news channels also went all out, launching fictional strikes on the Karachi port and Islamabad and sharing unrelated visuals from Gaza and even from video games as footage from the conflict.

READ: The fictional strikes on the Karachi port and what it says about Indian media

We also wrote about how the government’s own fact-checking unit, PIB, refrained from calling out the falsehoods spread by news channels.

READ: Op Sindoor: As Indian media made false, outrageous claims, PIB looked the other way

Misplaced Focus

Much of the coverage on the ground situation remained focused on the operation and India’s defence wins, conveniently downplaying the human cost.

For instance, ABP News’ broadcast from May 7 has anchor Megha Prasad claiming, “… Pakistan had to respond in some way. Chitra, you must understand, on our side of the border, there are many homes where people were advised to evacuate. But some families chose to stay, perhaps due to personal reasons. So when there is shelling on the border, these kinds of tragedies and casualties do happen [sic].”

Prasad’s comment here is not just inconsiderate but a blatant misrepresentation of what happened. Two journalists from Kashmir and families of five victims explicitly told Alt News that many of the casualties happened in towns with high civilian populations and that it appeared as though the government or the administration was unprepared for the scale of attacks by Pakistan.

“We did not expect shelling to take place in the town, neither were we alerted that something like this could happen….We have not seen shelling of this scale… drones reached all the way to Jammu city, imagine if you witnessed drones and shelling in Delhi-NCR, that will be unexpected, right? That’s how it was for us… This was not meant to be a war; it was an operation…” said Jamrodh Singh. “Nobody from the administration arrived to help us. There were no evacuation orders, no sirens, no warnings.”

“I am 45, in my whole life here [in Jammu and Kashmir], we have not witnessed civilians being attacked. Both sides would attack military posts, and that was it, for the first time we saw war so closely. They [Pakistan] fired without any hesitation. So much of the Poonch town has been damaged, it’s never happened before,” Tariq Manzoor explained. He added that even if the administration had announced that morning or in the middle of the night and asked people to take shelter, many could have been saved.

Vihaan’s father Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Poonch for decades now, also reiterated that he had never seen anything of this scale before. “Before this, whenever such a [conflict or war-like] situation happened, the exchange of fire was only between the [defence] forces on both sides. I am almost 46 years old and I have never seen anything like this. In 1992 [referring to the Siachen conflict], when I was younger, I remember about three or four shells fell near our area, but nothing of this scale”.

Like the families of Zain, Urwa and Vihaan, others too tried to leave town on their own. Jamrodh Singh said that when the rest of his family tried to reach Poonch after his uncle’s passing, they saw most people desperately trying to leave. “So many were labourers who did not have their vehicles, they were willing to pay anything to just save their lives.”

An India Today report from Poonch by Kamaljit Sandhu corroborates this. One family told her that they sold their motorcycle for Rs 3,500 and cut down on food expenses to afford evacuation, yet it wasn’t enough for all members to secure a spot on the bus. They ended up stranded on the roadside, helpless. The channel also reported on a similar situation in Punjab’s Ferozepur, where people residing in the Kaluwala village were shoring up their means to find a way out.

However, apart from this, much of India Today’s coverage remained focused on India’s military capabilities. Even when civilian deaths were reported, which, anyway, received very little screentime, the conversation remained centred on Pakistan instead of urging accountability on why Indian authorities did not make rescue efforts when the situation worsened, and whether these losses could have been prevented.

Click to view slideshow.

The families we mentioned above all told Alt News that coverage by mainstream media outlets, often selective, seemed to disregard their grief, painting an altogether different picture of the ground reality.

“Even the A of administration was nowhere to be seen. Nobody was guiding anyone to safety. Each was left to their own.” He later told Alt News that officials from the administration only arrived after the ceasefire. “Nobody came when the shelling was happening to help us out. Why they were not there, we don’t know. We heard about the plane crash in Ahmedabad. You must have seen that immediately after the crash, emergency responders reached the location. However, that was not the case for people in Poonch when shelling took place.”

But the focus of news channels remained elsewhere.

Take the programme aired by Times Now Navbharat on May 7, where anchor Sushant Sinha and former army personnel Gaurav Arya were discussing Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s next steps. During the episode, Arya said he prays that Pakistan attacks India so the country can give a befitting response. “Meri prarthana hai ki ek baar Munir [Pakistan’s army chief] attack kar de, bas mazza aa jayega”. Once they [Pakistan] attack something strategic, India will have a reason, a justification to hit back or “thoko”. While Arya’s statement was in poor taste, the channel egged him on. At one point in the show, the two even lauded India’s deception tactics. Instead of actually sounding the siren for war, they straight up did the job, Sinha said with pride. “Siren nahi baja, band baja. Bajna kahiin aur tha, baj kahiin aur gaya,” he said with a grin.

Not only are such comments on national television in poor taste, but they also show just how divorced the media is from reality. For families that lost their loved ones that morning in Poonch, any siren sounded by the government could have been a lifeline.

“There was no indication from the administration’s end that would help us understand the extent of the situation. No sirens, no security officials, no local police. Nobody alerted us or told us to stay indoors while shelling was happening or that we would be moved to safe zones. What happened due to this is that people started to evacuate since 3 am,” Vihaan’s father told Alt News.

“They told us it would be a mock drill and then declared war. Common people were under the impression that there would be a drill, and for no fault of theirs, innocent children died,” said Maria Khan, the aunt of the twins who passed away. “It’s easy to sit in other states and wish for a war, come to the border areas, stay here and see for yourself what war is like in reality.”

Families of Qari Mohammed Iqbal and Amrik Singh also blamed the administration.

“I understand the limitations that sensitive operations pose. Some things cannot be said out loud, some information cannot be divulged to all, but since there was going to be a drill, you could have called it a mock drill and gotten people to move out… Why would you let your own people die?” said an anguished Jamrodh Singh.

“If they told the public even an hour or two ahead that save yourself, find shelter, find your safe points to hide, because we are going to strike and they may hit back, the damage could have been limited. The children and older men who died could have been saved… People lay waiting for the mock drill and overnight everything changed, we were suddenly in a war zone,” Tariq Manzoor said.

Jamrodh Singh also blamed the media for the excessive but misplaced coverage on the mock drill in some parts. “In Bihar, they called photographers to shoot how they made children do the mock drills. [On news] they showed children being evacuated, sirens were played, they all hid in bunkers, they publicised this, they showed it on TV. But on the ground, in the area where this was absolutely crucial, none of this was done and nobody is questioning it,” said Jamrodh Singh.

Majority of Times Now Navbharat’s segments around that time used similar language and remained focused on damage India caused Pakistan. Likewise, throughout their panels and debates on Operation Sindoor, Republic called politicians, defence experts and former military personnel who all lauded the military win, using hypermasculine language. A lot of screen time was used to shame Pakistan with a passing mention of civilian casualties in bulletins.

Click to view slideshow.

Overall, it would be fair to say that several news channels owned by legacy media houses skipped questions on accountability by the Indian side. However, as we said before, NDTV was among the select few who raised these issues in their shows. It’s a different matter that these reports were often eclipsed by discussions on India’s defence moves. Reportage by the channel’s Hindi counterpart, however, was very different with tickers bordering on jingoism.

Click to view slideshow.

Rhetoric of Revenge

In its segments, Republic also kept reiterating how Operation Sindoor was “revenge” for Pahalgam. Even before the Indian strikes, the channel had begun using the hashtag revenge is coming. But such coverage overshadows the resentment of survivors who felt their losses were dubbed as collateral damage.

Click to view slideshow.

But Republic alone cannot be blamed for setting such a narrative when the Prime Minister’s 22-minute address to the nation also skimmed over the casualties from Operation Sindoor.

“The terrorists wiped off the sindoor of our sisters, that is why India wiped off the headquarters of terror…” Modi said in his address on May 13. While he did say Pakistan attacked civilian homes, there was no mention of how many lives were lost in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

“We are deeply sorry about the innocent lives lost in Pahalgam. This is why they launched Operation Sindoor, right? If this operation was to avenge them, what about the Indians who died in Pakistani shelling? What operation will be launched for the innocent children who died?” quipped Maria Khan, her voice breaking. She added that in her interviews with news channels, she clearly asked these questions, but her bytes were edited and conveniently not aired.

“People from Kashmir, Poonch, and almost everyone are highlighting that the PM did not even mention the area, district or even J&K in his speech, think about how we felt, our kids died. Three innocent kids died, and there was no mention of that,” she continued.

“We already lost 26 lives, and in order to avenge that, we suffered more losses. It could have been avoided,” said Manzoor.

On X, too, there has been anger about the disregard for the lives of those living near the borders. On May 13, Nasir Khuehami (@NasirKhuehami), national convenor of the J&K students association, wrote on the social media platform: “It is deeply disheartening that in the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s 22-minute address, there was not a single word about the innocent lives lost in Poonch, Rajouri, and Uri… Over 15 coffins were lowered into the ground, including that of a 12-year-old child, yet there was no word of condolence, no acknowledgement, no empathy. Are the lives on the border invisible? Do the cries from Poonch, Rajouri, and Uri not reach the corridors of power?”

With grief welling in their hearts, the victims’ families are trying to live on.

“My appeal to the government is that they create a war memorial in Poonch for those who died due to this conflict, and they should be declared as martyrs,” said Sanjeev Kumar, who is still trying to come to terms with his son’s demise. “Family members who have lost a loved one have received appointment letters [for a government job], and a relief amount has also been announced. I still haven’t had the mental bandwidth to check these things; my only child is gone,” said the grieving father.

“A few minutes before he died, my uncle recited a Punjabi line from our holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, telling my aunt that when death comes to find you, it will. That’s what happened,” Jamrodh Singh said, adding they wished it didn’t have to be this way.

The bereaved families said they have been offered financial compensation and jobs but also that official visits followed much after the incident.

Punjab victim Sukhwinder Kaur’s relative, Ramandeep Singh, told us that the family was given Rs 15 lakh as compensation, adding that several politicians paid them a visit. “The main thing is, when the blast happened at their house, nobody came. When they were being rushed to the hospital, even then, no one came. The military force visited the home only to pick up the drone debris that had fallen on their house”.

“The administration is now offering us Rs 30 lakh and a fourth-class [government] job, but can a kid’s death be compensated with money? When we were trying to arrange an ambulance and an oxygen cylinder to move Zain and Urwa’s father from Poonch to a different location, we couldn’t get hold of anything. This incident happened at 6:30 am, and we could get an ambulance only by 4:30 pm,” said Maria Khan.

“The governor announced a compensation of Rs 15 lakh and a job for those who lost their family in the conflict. This money has reached those affected. But those whose houses were majorly damaged were offered a sum of Rs 1.3 lakh; those with partially damaged homes were offered just Rs 4,000. Reconstructing some of these houses will cost several times more. In one of the houses, just fixing the damage alone will cost Rs 30 lakh; where will they get this money from? What is Rs 1.3 lakh or Rs 4,000 in comparison? Even insurance companies are washing their hands off the damage to cars because of shelling,” said Tariq Manzoor.

“Our local media [in J&K] and small news outlets have really been our strength; many came despite the circumstances and did really good coverage of what happened. This was a major miss by big TV channels… they were on a different tangent,” he added.

Editor’s Note: Images of victims, including minors, were provided by their families, who have given Alt News exclusive permission to use them for this story.

The post Operation Sindoor: Grief on the ground, glory on TV screens appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Editor calls for NZ to immediately expel Israeli envoy for unprovoked attack on Iran

Pacific Media Watch — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 02:51:17 +0000

EDITORIAL: By Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog

The madness has begun.

We should have suspected something when the cloud strike shut down occurred.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to continue war so that he is never held to account.

This madness is the last straw.

NZ must immediately expel the Israeli Ambassador for this unprovoked attack on Iran.

As moral and ethical people, we must turn away from Israel’s new war crime, they have started a war, we must as righteous people condemn Israel and their enabler America.

This is the beginning of madness.

We cannot be party to it.

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan, said the Israeli army radio was reporting that in addition to the air strikes, Israel’s external intelligence service Mossad had carried out some sabotage activities and attacks inside Iran.

“There are also several reports and leaks in the Israeli media talking not only about the assassination of the top chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard but rather a very large number of senior military commanders in addition to prominent academics and nuclear scientists,” she said.

“This is a very large-scale attack, not just on military installations, but also on the people who could potentially be making decisions about what Iran can do next, how Iran can respond to this attack that continues as we speak.”

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.

‘We’re holding those dead babies with our hands’

The Real News Network — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 19:39:06 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

TV news van vandalized at LA immigration protest

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 19:29:19 +0000

A news van shared by KNBC and KVEA was defaced and vandalized during an immigration enforcement protest on June 9, 2025, in Los Angeles, California, according to videos posted on social media by multiple accounts.

The protests began June 6 in response to federal raids in and around Los Angeles of workplaces and areas where immigrant day laborers gathered, amid the Trump administration’s larger immigration crackdown. After demonstrators clashed with Los Angeles law enforcement officers and federal agents, President Donald Trump called in the California National Guard and later the U.S. Marines over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

In a video posted to Instagram, a person is seen attempting to smash the van’s passenger-side window with a skateboard as a car alarm beeps in the background. The van, covered in graffiti, has a shattered front windshield.

In a separate video posted to YouTube by FreedomNewsTV on June 10, one of the defaced van’s tires is shown slashed, hissing loudly as it rapidly deflates.

KNBC and KVEA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

Billy Long’s Confirmation as IRS Commissioner is Good News Only For Tax Cheats

Newswire Editor — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:11:16 +0000

Today, Senate Republicans voted to confirm Billy Long as IRS Commissioner. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, released the following statement:

“Tax cheats just received a huge gift. Billy Long has a clear history of working to make it easier for corporations and the wealthy to skirt paying their fair share of taxes. He has even supported abolishing the very agency he has now been tasked to lead – the agency meant to take the lead in cracking down on tax evasion and ensuring that government is sufficiently resourced to serve the public interest. Wall Street may celebrate his confirmation as IRS Commissioner, but it is bad news for everyday people.”

This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.

CA senator Padilla dragged from immigration news conference when he tried to ask a question; House committee grills 3 Dem governors over “sanctuary state” policies – June 12, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

CA senator Padilla dragged from news conference when he tried to ask Homeland Security Secretary Noem a question
Activists planning “No Kings” rallies across country during Saturday military parade on Trump’s birthday
TX governor Abbot ordering 5,000 national guard and 2,000 state police to manage protests
UN says complete collapse of internet and data services in Gaza paralyzing aid operations
UN marks World Day against Child Labor, as millions of children denied fair chance

The post CA senator Padilla dragged from immigration news conference when he tried to ask a question; House committee grills 3 Dem governors over “sanctuary state” policies – June 12, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 12 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:55:49 +0000

Oceans summit biodiversity czar warns over lack of ambitionDisplacement doubles while funding shrinks, warns refugee agency Atomic watchdog says Iran not complying with nuclear safeguards

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Jordan Peterson on Academia, the New Right, & Saving the West | Shane Has Questions | Vice News

VICE News — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:00:04 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

‘Draft dodger’ Trump plans giant military parade while cutting veteran benefits, jobs, & healthcare

The Real News Network — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:35:49 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Video from 2023 Nepal plane crash viral as last moments from inside Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad

Oishani Bhattacharya — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:42:19 +0000

A 30-second-long video showing scenes from inside an aircraft is viral on social media and is being shared as footage showing last moments before the London-bound Air India flight, AI171, crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The Air India flight, with 242 passengers and crew onboard, took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 1:39 pm and crashed into a residential area (Meghaninagar) of the city within minutes of takeoff.

The Hindu reported that flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick gave a ‘Mayday’ call to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) before getting disconnected. A ‘Mayday’ call or alert is an internationally recognised SOS or distress emergency call. A Moneycontrol report citing someone from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that the flight “departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It gave a ‘Mayday’ call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. Immediately after departure from runway 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site”. Several casualties are feared, but so far, there has been no official statement from Air India or the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The viral video, taken by a passenger shows scenes outside from the window seat before there is sudden chaos and screaming. X user @Honest_Cric_fan shared the video with claims that it was a Facebook Live that captured the plane crash in Ahmedabad. At the time of writing this, the post has received over 280,000 views. It was later deleted. (Archive)

Several other users, such as @kootpench, @thesumittewari, @Telugufeedsite, @bharatsmachar2, also shared the viral clip, claiming it shows the recent plane crash in Ahmedabad.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the viral claim that the clip is of the recent crash in Ahmedabad, we did a reverse image search on some key frames. This led us to a news report by the South China Morning Post from January 19, 2023, titled “Final moments of deadly Nepal plane crash caught on passenger’s Facebook live stream” and carried a screengrab from the now-viral clip.

The screengrab showed a man in a yellow sweatshirt with the caption, “Sonu Jaiswal smiles at his smartphone camera moments before the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu crashed near Pokhara, Nepal, killing all 72 passengers on board. Photo: Facebook”.

We also found that the same viral video shared by news outket Mid Day on January 16, 2023.

A sudden fire engulfs the plane as the heart-wrenching and horrifying Facebook live video of a Nepal plane crash by one of the flyers goes viral.

#watch: A sudden fire engulfs the plane as the heart-wrenching and horrifying Facebook live video of a Nepal plane crash by one of the flyers goes viral.

#MidDayNews #NepalPlaneCrash #planecrash #viralvideo #viral2023 #viral #newsupdate #news

Posted by MiD DAY on Monday 16 January 2023

On June 12, the fact-checking unit of the government’s Press Information Bureau also said that the viral video is from the plane crash in Nepal in January 2023 and has been wrongly linked to the accident in Ahmedabad.

सोशल मीडिया पर एक पुरानी वीडियो को अहमदाबाद विमान हादसे से जोड़कर साझा किया जा रहा है। #PIBFactCheck

वीडियो नेपाल में जनवरी 2023 में हुए विमान हादसे की है।

आधिकारिक स्त्रोतों से प्राप्त सूचनाओं पर ही भरोसा करें।

अहमदाबाद विमान हादसे से जुड़ी प्रामाणिक जानकारी के… pic.twitter.com/5YUtbGbsa7

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 12, 2025

Hence, the claim that the viral video shows a Facebook Live captured by a passenger on board the Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight that crashed on June 12 is false. The video shows a livestream by a flyer from 2023 and depicts moments before a Yeti Airlines flight crashed in Nepal in January 2023.

The post Video from 2023 Nepal plane crash viral as last moments from inside Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

TV news vehicle vandalized during LA immigration protest

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:34:01 +0000

At least one news van belonging to KTLA was seen being tagged with graffiti live on air during a news broadcast of an immigration enforcement protest on June 8, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles, California, the outlet reported.

The protests began June 6 in response to federal raids in and around Los Angeles of workplaces and areas where immigrant day laborers gathered, amid the Trump administration’s larger immigration crackdown. After demonstrators clashed with Los Angeles law enforcement officers and federal agents, President Donald Trump called in the California National Guard and then the U.S. Marines over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

During the live broadcast, reporter Rachel Menitoff addresses viewers while someone spray paints the KTLA news van behind her.

“Discouraging to see this, people painting over our van,” Menitoff said. She then detailed the fear and anger felt by protesters over the immigration raids that sparked the public demonstrations.

“This is the reason for these protests, but over the last couple of hours it’s kind of devolved into violence and chaos, and people have shared with us that their message is kind of getting lost as a result,” she said.

As KTLA 5 reporter @RachelMenitoff reported on the unrest near the federal building amid the ICE raids, our cameras caught a vandal spray painting our news van. This is among the many vehicles and property being damaged: https://t.co/PS0jAlUPdC pic.twitter.com/nCdCSUt0jK
— KTLA (@KTLA) June 9, 2025

Neither Menitoff nor KTLA immediately responded to requests for comment.

This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 11, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 11, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

The SHOCKING methods of Economic Hitmen #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #globaleconomy #leverage #IMF

VICE News — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:01:26 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

UN News Today 11 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:58:48 +0000

At least eight migrants are dead after smugglers force passengers off Red Sea boat: IOMGaza aid obstacles remain, say UN aid teams in shattered enclaveThe world pledged to ban child labour – so why are 138 million kids still working?

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

2022 video of Patna High Court judge reprimanding cop linked to Sharmishta Panoli case

Oishani Bhattacharya — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:34:18 +0000

Days after social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested over a controversial post, a clip of court proceedings where a judge schools a police officer about misusing power has gone viral.

Panoli, a 22-year-old law student, was arrested by the Kolkata police from her Gurugram residence on May 30. She was booked for promoting enmity between different groups, outraging religious feelings, insulting with intent to provoke breach of peace, and inciting public mischief after she made hateful comments against Islam and Muslims in a video. Her arrest sparked much debate on whether the legal action against her was excessive, considering she deleted her post and apologised publicly. Currently, Panoli is out on bail.

In the over 1-minute long clip that is now viral, the judge is heard saying, “This uniform that has been given to you, is it just for the sake of exercising power? People are in jail for such minor things. The sections [criminal law code or the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita] that you attach are also a matter of discussion. It’s not like before, when no one would find out what you are doing in the police station. What was the need to put handcuffs on them and to make them sit inside the car? If the same thing is done to you, if you make a mistake or if someone alleges that you have done something, and you are picked up from your house and shoved inside a car while those wearing the same uniform as you surround you, how will you feel? You are also a citizen of this country. After the age of 60, when you retire and those wearing the same uniform as you do what you are doing, then you will think about what you have given to the system. You have caused harm to [their/its] dignity, now tell me how to deal with you. If you want to get a lawyer separately to argue for you, then you can hire one. Don’t be upset later thinking that you couldn’t argue properly”.

X user Ajeet Bharti (@ajeetbharti), who identifies as a ‘journalist’ and has amplified misinformation in the past, shared the above-mentioned clip on June 9 with a Hindi caption that translates to: “Every unruly police officer needs to be reprimanded in this manner. Also, the police commissioner or SP should be kept in jail for the same number of days as others are kept, and the entire fee for fighting the case should be recovered from the state and returned. These b**tards openly indulge in hooliganism.” At the time of writing this, the post had over 235,000 views and was reshared over 4,700 times. (Archive)

Other users, such as @wokeflix_, @S_CRana_ji, @ArunKosli, @KreatelyMedia, also posted the viral video claiming that it shows the judge reprimanding Kolkata police for the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

After breaking down the viral clip into multiple keyframes, we ran a reverse image search on a few. This led us to a longer YouTube video from December 26, 2022 titled ‘Patna High Court Judge Motivational Video’. The viral bit was a part of what he said.

Taking cue from this, we located the full hearing on the Patna High Court’s YouTube channel, posted on November 22, 2022. At the 4:47:14-minute mark of the video, Justice Ranjan can be heard saying, “…What was the need to put handcuffs on them and to make them sit inside the car? If the same thing is done to you, if you make a mistake or if someone alleges that you have done something, and you are picked up from your house and shoved inside a car while those wearing the same uniform as you surround you, how will you feel?…” Further, at the 4:48:25-minute mark, he says, “This uniform that has been given to you, is it just for the sake of exercising power? People are in jail for such minor things… You are also a citizen of this country. After the age of 60, when you retire and those wearing the same uniform as you do what you are doing, then you will think about what you have given to the system…”

The case being heard was Nibha Sinha vs The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Home Department, Govt.

We also identified the judge as Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad of the Patna High Court.

Thus, it is clear that the viral video is completely unrelated to the recent arrest of Sharmishta Panoli. The clip, featuring Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, is from three years ago during a hearing in the Patna High Court.

The post 2022 video of Patna High Court judge reprimanding cop linked to Sharmishta Panoli case appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

‘Ya Allah. This was a fighter jet!!!!’: Pak X user’s tweet could be first ‘report’ on Operation Sindoor

Abhishek Kumar — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:30:39 +0000

Gone are the times when people waited for a news bulletin on TV or the morning newspaper the next day to know about an important event. With mobile phones with internet connectivity in almost everyone’s hands, major incidents, or even minor ones, are these days almost always live-reported by social media users.

The following tweet about the US raid on the Abbottabad compound housing Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011 is the most celebrated example of such social media reporting.

Shoaib Akhtar, an IT professional working late at night in Abbottabad, heard the sound of helicopters and shared this information on X, then Twitter, barely knowing what he was talking about. Later, when the Operation Neptune Spear by US Navy SEAL Team Six killing the Al Qaeda leader became known worldwide, his tweet also received global attention as the first public user-generated information about the raid.

India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, 2025, targeting nine terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At 1:44 am on that day, the Union government’s Press Information Bureau issued a statement informing the public of the same. later in the day, the Indian Armed Forces held a press conference in which Colonel Sophia Qureshi mentioned the exact timing of the operation. It took place between 1:05 am and 1:30 am.

Armed with this information, and using specific keywords and time filters we tried to find out who first tweeted and in a sense reported about Operation Sindoor.

Use of the Epoch Time Filter

Usually, Twitter advanced search only has a date filter, in which tweets between two particular days, or months or years can be searched. But to look for tweets between two different times on the same day, epoch time filter is useful. In simple language, epoch time is a single numerical format to represent any year, month, day and time. To filter tweets based on the time of the event, we have to convert the date and time of Operation Sindoor to epoch time.

For example, Operation Sindoor occurred on May 7, 2025 between 1:05 am and 1:30 am. The epoch time for this date and time can be calculated using various online epoch converters. We are using a website called vk2zay.net .

With the help of this tool, we found the epoch time of 1:05 am and 1:30 am on May 7, 2025.

The epoch time of 1:05 am on 7 May 2025 is 1746560100, while the epoch time of 1:30 am on 7 May 2025 is 1746561600.

Advanced Search

To search different keywords in a single search, they are separated by ‘OR’, while to search tweets between two moments, one has to use ‘SINCE:’ and ‘UNTIL:’ filters. In this case, our advanced search terms were: Fighter jet OR aircraft OR blast OR explosion OR Pakistan OR loud OR sound since:1746560100 until:1746561600

On searching these keywords with time filter, we found many tweets by Pakistani users which mentioned explosions and fighter jets flying.

The oldest tweet among all these was found by a user named Tahreem (X handle: @Fedfacforever), who tweeted at 1:09 am and mentioned spotting a fighter jet.

The same user went on to share more tweets on the same topic. One minute later, at 1.10 am, the user wrote, “There was light!!! This was a fighter jet Oh God People are sleeping what the hell!!! More tweets followed. At 1.14 am, they wrote, “This was a fighter jet! I can’t decide if it was Thunder or F-16”.

Readers should note that both JF-17 Thunder and F-16 are combat aircraft used by Pakistan Air Force.

To sum up, according to our findings, the 1.09am IST tweet by Pakistani X user Tehreem (@Fedfanforever) could be the first public mention of Operation Sindoor, (not by that name though). The airstrikes were thus reported on social media at least 35 minutes before the Indian government informed the public about the operation.

The post ‘Ya Allah. This was a fighter jet!!!!’: Pak X user’s tweet could be first ‘report’ on Operation Sindoor appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Baltimore stands with LA protestors, immigrants: "ICE out of Baltimore!"

The Real News Network — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 01:32:53 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Doctors returning from Gaza beg humanity to stop the carnage

The Real News Network — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 19:11:36 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 10, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 10, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 10 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 17:25:21 +0000

We’re nearly at point of no return to save our oceans: UN chiefSudan emergency: We need more help to prevent famine, says WFPAt least three dead in new Russian drone assault on Ukrainian cities

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

UN News Today 10 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 17:25:21 +0000

We’re nearly at point of no return to save our oceans: UN chiefSudan emergency: We need more help to prevent famine, says WFPAt least three dead in new Russian drone assault on Ukrainian cities

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

2006 image from Odisha linked to recent anti-naxal operation in Chhattisgarh

Pawan Kumar — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:07:59 +0000

The central government, along with the administration in Chhattisgarh, has intensified its crackdown against Naxalism with its latest ‘Operation Kagar’. In the first four months of 2025, 197 Maoists have been killed, according to government data. This follows Union home minister Amit Shah‘s pledge last year to make India Naxalism-free by March 31, 2026.

Amidst this, on social media, a picture showing a row of women sitting next to burnt pyres covered in white was widely shared with claims that it is from Chhattisgarh. Those sharing it said it was sad that despite having Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, as the country’s President, over 400 innocent tribals in Chhattisgarh were labelled as Naxals (Maoists) and killed over the last six months. Additionally, they also questioned why India could not have peace talks with its own citizens when it can do so with terror groups and Pakistan.

Chhattisgarh has a fraught history with Naxalism and state action. Tribals in Chhattisgarh have, on several occasions, accused security forces of killing innocent villagers in fake encounters. (Examples here, here, here, here and here.)

Coming back to the viral image. Many shared the photo on Facebook with similar claims. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

On X, users Deepak Babu, Chandra Prakash Saini and Chhattisgarh Congress Sevadal shared the picture with similarly worded claims. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

The image was viral on LinkedIn and Instagram as well.

Note that the picture emerges after a major operation against Naxalites was carried out in the Abujhmad area of the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on May 21. 27 Maoists, including the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basava Raju, were killed in this. However, readers must note that

Fact Check

Alt News did a reverse image search and found that the viral photo is actually several years old. We found a post from June 23, 2022, by social activist and Tribal Army founder Hansraj Meena, which said that 13 tribals were killed while protesting against their displacement owing to Tata Steel’s new factory in Kalinga Nagar in the Jajpur district of Odisha. They died in police firing, the post said.

The same image was also circulated on social media around October 9, 2024, by several writers and social activists following the death of Tata scion Ratan Tata, criticising the company’s actions.

Around that time, the image also resurfaced across several magazines and websites. An article from Pakshi magazine said that the photo showed funerals of 13 villagers who were killed in police firing during a protest against the Tata Steel plant in Kalinganagar on January 2, 2006.

Alt News also reached out to a senior journalist and activist from Odisha, who confirmed that the image was indeed from Kalinganagar.

Reports by BBC Hindi and The Hindu’s Frontline say that on January 2, 2006, police in Odisha opened fire on male and female tribals armed with traditional weapons (bows and arrows and axes), who were protesting the construction of a boundary wall for Tata Steel’s proposed steel plant in the state’s Kalinganagar. In less than an hour, paddy fields near the site of the incident were stained with blood and 12 people, including a 13-year-old student and three women, were killed. Demonstrators also killed a policeman.

In other words, the viral picture is not from Chhattisgarh and is unrelated to the recent anti-Naxal operation underway in the state. The image is from Odisha and shows the funerals of tribals who were killed in police firing in 2006.

The post 2006 image from Odisha linked to recent anti-naxal operation in Chhattisgarh appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Immigrant going to JAIL? We 100% DEPORT you AFTER the sentence #SSHQ #ViceNews #Justice #immigration

VICE News — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:01:05 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Fan filming chat with Canadian cop in viral video is not Indian

Abhishek Kumar — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:00:08 +0000

After reports emerged that an Indian blogger was detained in Turkey for performing obscene acts, a video went viral on social media in which a man is seen recording his chat with a female police officer from Canada while praising her smile and physical appearance. It is written on the video that the police officer looks like an ‘OnlyFans’ model. Social media users are sharing the video criticizing the behaviour of the man, who, according to them, is an Indian.

It is worth noting that OnlyFans is an internet content subscription platform where models and creators upload their videos and in turn, their followers pay a subscription fee to get access to this content. A large number of creators often use the platform to monetise sexually explicit content.

A handle named Crime Reports India described the man recording the video as an Indian. (Archived link)

Quote-tweeting the viral video posted by another user, journalist and CEO of Rift TV Elijah Schaffer criticized Indian culture. (Archived link)

pic.twitter.com/Yoodyj1Jk0

— I,Hypocrite (@lporiginalg) June 1, 2025

Another user amplified the video and wrote that the Indian man compared a Toronto police officer to an OnlyFans model. Along with this, he also questioned why such miscreants had not been deported to their native country of India. (Archived link)

Fact Check

Alt News found the Instagram handle of the creator of this video, and the same individual who had first uploaded it. When we examined Jacojaki21’s Instagram account, we found that the user had posted several videos criticising Indians and making racist comments about them. This raises doubts about the claim that the man is an Indian.

Continuing our investigation further, we discovered that the videos uploaded by Jacojaki on Instagram also featured the username of the YouTube channel run by him named Monkey Donkey Brain. When we examined the content posted by this channel, we found that the user had uploaded several videos related to Sri Lankans living in Canada, including a Sri Lankan Fest, videos of Sri Lankans playing cricket, and videos related to a Sri Lankan Tamil mall in Canada, among others. In the video made in front of a Sri Lankan mall in Canada, Jacojaki said, “The Sri Lanka Festival is held every year in August, it is really great. I like it very much, I feel like I am in my own country.”

In addition, we also found a video uploaded on this channel on August 16, 2024. The description of the video stated, “I am a guy from Sri Lanka living in Toronto, Canada for the last 26 years.” He added that while he was aware of the potential consequences and dangers of talking to strangers, he liked the outcome of social experiments and seeing how people reacted in odd situations like his ‘monkey donkey’ behaviour.

So to sum up, many users shared a video of a man of Sri Lankan origin and falsely labeled him as Indian, using the footage to criticise Indians and question Indian culture.

The post Fan filming chat with Canadian cop in viral video is not Indian appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Fan filming chat with Canadian cop in viral video is not Indian

Abhishek Kumar — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:00:08 +0000

A handle named Crime Reports India described the man recording the video as an Indian. (Archived link)

Quote-tweeting the viral video posted by another user, journalist and CEO of Rift TV Elijah Schaffer criticized Indian culture. (Archived link)

pic.twitter.com/Yoodyj1Jk0

— I,Hypocrite (@lporiginalg) June 1, 2025

Fact Check

So to sum up, many users shared a video of a man of Sri Lankan origin and falsely labeled him as Indian, using the footage to criticise Indians and question Indian culture.

The post Fan filming chat with Canadian cop in viral video is not Indian appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Old video of police brutality from UP viral again. Action was taken against cops in 2017

Kinjal — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:55:47 +0000

A video depicting police brutality has surfaced on social media. In the video, two cops are seen torturing a man by placing a stick on his legs and standing on it, even as he screams in pain. The video is being shared as scenes from Uttar Pradesh and it is claimed that police under chief minister Yogi Adityanath are committing such atrocities on the public. X handle ‘Samajwadi Prahari’ posted this video with the same claim. (Archived link)

ये योगी जी का उत्तर प्रदेश है @Uppolice
और योगी जी की पुलिस है
जो जनता पर कर रही है अत्याचार https://t.co/z1wThqejhE

— Samajwadi Prahari (@SP_Prahari) June 4, 2025

X user ‘@parmanandyadavv’, who claims to be the national secretary of the student Council of the Samajwadi Party, posted this video as footage of ‘atrocities carried out by the Uttar Pradesh Police.’ (Archived link to the post)

Another X user posted this video with the claim that atrocities on the public had gone up under the BJP’s leadership.

ये योगी जी सरकार का उत्तर प्रदेश है
और योगी जी सरकार की पुलिस हैं
जो जनता पर कर रही है अत्याचार

बीजेपी सरकार में जनता पर दिन प्रतिदिन अत्याचार बढ़ता चला जा रहा है। pic.twitter.com/dPnDmHd8Q5

— DRx.Naved Raza (@NaveedR95475805) June 4, 2025

This video has also been shared on YouTube with the same claim. (Link)

Several users recently amplified the video on X as well.

Fact Check

Alt News had previously fact-checked this video back in August 2019. At the time, this footage was viral with the false claim that the ‘Gahmar Police beat up a boy for not serving them tea’.

According to a report by NDTV India dated November 19, 2017, the police had brutally beaten up the young man on charges of theft based on a woman’s complaint. After a video of the incident surfaced, the station in-charge of Paniyara police station was suspended.

Refuting the information in the viral post on June 5, 2025, the fact-checking wing of the Uttar Pradesh Police clarified that the video was actually of an incident that occurred in Maharajganj in 2017, in which appropriate action had been taken. According to a rebuttal letter by Maharajganj Police, in 2017, a woman had accused the alleged person of theft in the Paniyara district, after which he was called for questioning at the Paniyara station, with the video emerging later on. Action was taken against the sub-inspector and constable seen in the video. The police also urged people not to circulate the video of this old incident as recent.

#Maharajganjpolice
वर्ष 2017 की घटना को वर्तमान में सोशल मीडिया पर पोस्ट कर अफवाह फैलाने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है। उक्त वीडियो का वर्तमान से कोई संबंध नहीं है। https://t.co/XdrtBwF0xH
कृपया बिना सत्यापन भ्रामक पोस्ट न करें।@Uppolice @UPPViralCheck pic.twitter.com/S4y2lO1hwA

— MAHARAJGANJ POLICE (@maharajganjpol) June 5, 2025

To sum up, a video of police personnel beating up a boy on charges of theft in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj is viral again with different claims. However, the incident is from 2017. The readers should note that in 2017 too, Yogi Adityanath was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The post Old video of police brutality from UP viral again. Action was taken against cops in 2017 appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

Old video of police brutality from UP viral again. Action was taken against cops in 2017

Kinjal — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:55:47 +0000

ये योगी जी का उत्तर प्रदेश है @Uppolice
और योगी जी की पुलिस है
जो जनता पर कर रही है अत्याचार https://t.co/z1wThqejhE

— Samajwadi Prahari (@SP_Prahari) June 4, 2025

Another X user posted this video with the claim that atrocities on the public had gone up under the BJP’s leadership.

ये योगी जी सरकार का उत्तर प्रदेश है
और योगी जी सरकार की पुलिस हैं
जो जनता पर कर रही है अत्याचार

बीजेपी सरकार में जनता पर दिन प्रतिदिन अत्याचार बढ़ता चला जा रहा है। pic.twitter.com/dPnDmHd8Q5

— DRx.Naved Raza (@NaveedR95475805) June 4, 2025

This video has also been shared on YouTube with the same claim. (Link)

Several users recently amplified the video on X as well.

Fact Check

Alt News had previously fact-checked this video back in August 2019. At the time, this footage was viral with the false claim that the ‘Gahmar Police beat up a boy for not serving them tea’.

#Maharajganjpolice
वर्ष 2017 की घटना को वर्तमान में सोशल मीडिया पर पोस्ट कर अफवाह फैलाने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है। उक्त वीडियो का वर्तमान से कोई संबंध नहीं है। https://t.co/XdrtBwF0xH
कृपया बिना सत्यापन भ्रामक पोस्ट न करें।@Uppolice @UPPViralCheck pic.twitter.com/S4y2lO1hwA

— MAHARAJGANJ POLICE (@maharajganjpol) June 5, 2025

The post Old video of police brutality from UP viral again. Action was taken against cops in 2017 appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 9, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 9, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 09 June 2025

Dianne Penn — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:50:10 +0000

From the Mediterranean coast, Guterres calls for action to save our oceansIran urged to ‘cooperate fully and effectively’ with the IAEAUN allocates $6 million to tackle Nigeria malnutrition crisis

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

Give me screen time, I’ll give you fodder for communal debates: Shahabuddin Razvi’s give & take with news channels

Abhishek Kumar — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:34:42 +0000

Of late, ‘Maulana’ Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, who claims to be the president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, has emerged as a favourite of several mainstream media channels, by dint of his consistency in making controversial statements. Keen to establish himself as a representative voice of Muslims, Shahabuddin often makes comments about the community which suit a particular political narrative. These statements are amplified on social media by news agencies, and lapped up by the TRP-hungry TV anchors. Prime-time ‘debates’ are then conducted on those bizarre and controversial topics. Once the uproar about one comment dies down, this cycle repeats itself.

Alt News ran a deep-dive investigation tracking Razvi’s comments and uncovered a pattern in how news channels used his statements to manufacture news, drive news cycles and spur communal debates. The chronology is as follows:

Initial contact: News agencies cover Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s controversial remarks. This makes it a topic of discussion.
Sensationalization through tweets: News agencies then tweet Bareilvi’s statement to ensure it gets circulated quickly. This leads to social media users resharing and reacting to it.
Reaction by politicians: News agencies approach religious leaders and members of various political parties to cover their reactions to Bareilvi’s statement and further sensationalize the issue.
Syndicated feed gets used by media outlets: The statement is then distributed to syndicated media partners, further increasing its reach across various platforms. This makes it a trending topic of discussion and guarantees wide circulation.
Prime-time programmes/debates: The remarks become a hot topic in prime-time TV debates/programmes, where news channels invite so-called religious experts and politicians to discuss Bareilvi’s comments. This often fuels further polarization.

Once, the debates and ‘news’ cycles born out of contentious remarks by the self-proclaimed ‘Maulana’ acquire a life of their own, they shape newer narratives around the Muslim community, often presenting them in a poor light. The media, as readers can see, plays a key role in this process of creating public opinion through sensational and communally charged stories.

Here are a few cases in example from the several instances that Alt News tracked:

Case 1: Maha Kumbh Held on Waqf Land

In a controversial statement to the media, Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi claimed that the Maha Kumbh, a religious festival and gathering of Hindus in Prayagraj, was being held on Waqf land. The media amplified Shahabuddin’s statement by tweeting it. The claim sparked a lot of debate and reactions on social media, with many people generalising Muslims and criticising an alleged divisive ploy behind of Shahabuddin’s statement.

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi says, “Muslims have always shown a big heart and there are many examples to prove it. In the context of Kumbh, when Akhara Parishad, Nagari sanyasis, and Swami Babas imposed… pic.twitter.com/rDu1cKJSBr

— IANS (@ians_india) January 5, 2025

News agency ANI then sought reactions from various religious Hindutva outfit leaders and politicians, including VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal, Durga Vahini chief Sadhvi Ritambara, BJP MP Giriraj Singh, Hindu religious leader Rambhadracharya. Their reactions fueled further debates, and the media used these leaders’ comments to disseminate Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s narrative. The media’s role in this entire news cycle was crucial, that of a catalyst and amplifier.

#WATCH | On All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi reportedly supporting the claim that the Maha Kumbh is being organised on Waqf land, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal says, “…The ‘Namazwadi Party’ and the ‘Namazwadi Gang’ – one is saying… pic.twitter.com/rtnyqwtIK1

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi reportedly supporting the claim that the Maha Kumbh is being organised on Waqf land, Sadhvi Rithambara says, ” Everybody should attend the Maha Kumbh. After 12 Kumbhs, such… pic.twitter.com/GiT9iO40ZJ

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: On All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi reportedly supporting the claim that the Maha Kumbh is being organised on Waqf land, Union Minister Giriraj Singh says, “Some extremist Muslims want to disrupt the environment… The… pic.twitter.com/4gyrj3CpAn

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2025

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP | On All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi reportedly supporting the claim that the Maha Kumbh is being organised on Waqf land, Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya says, “… They are lying, Prayagraj belongs to us… Only… pic.twitter.com/qswIkLtyx1

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2025

Eventually, the topic reached prime-time bulletins leading media channels where absurd communal debates are the order of the day. Some of the big names among them included the state-run DD News, Zee News, News18, Times Now, and India Today.

#DoTook | Muslim Cleric Claims Maha Kumbh Being Held On Waqf Land!

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Bhuvan Bhaskar Joshi speaks regarding this type of comments regarding Maha Kumbh

Catch Debate Live: https://t.co/E1LIVacofD @AshokShrivasta6 | @BhuvanProf | #WaqfBoard |… pic.twitter.com/pa4Rtu3fCK

— DD News (@DDNewslive) January 6, 2025

Case 2: Cricketer Mohammed Shami Sipping Energy Drink

In another statement to a media outlet, Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi called cricketer Mohammed Shami a ‘criminal’ for consuming an energy drink during a match during the month of Ramzan. The comment attracted a lot of attention when the agency tweeted it, following which social media was flooded with reactions. Many people shared their views on social media and criticised it, including several Islamic scholars who termed Shahabuddin’s statement absurd.

#WATCH | Bareilly, UP: President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi says, “…One of the compulsory duties is ‘Roza’ (fasting)…If any healthy man or woman doesn’t observe ‘Roza’, they will be a big criminal…A famous cricket personality of India,… pic.twitter.com/RE9C93Izl2

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2025

The media agency also sought reactions from various religious leaders and politicians, including UP minister Danish Azad Ansari, Deobandi cleric Maulana Qari Ishaque Gora, BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP leader R Ashok, JDS MLC SL Bhojegowda, Karnataka Congress MLA Sharath Bachegowda, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, and Jama Masjid Imam Shahban Bukhari. These reactions contributed significantly to the ongoing debate. Once again, the media played a key role in amplifying Razvi’s comments.

#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: On President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, BJP leader Mohsin Raza says, ” This is a matter between the person and Allah and Mulla has no right to say in between. He (Mohammed Shami)… pic.twitter.com/Jwu6JzCSNu

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2025

#WATCH | Lucknow | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari says, “The whole of India and Muslims are with Mohammed Shami. Islam is a beautiful religion, and we should definitely think before saying… https://t.co/mPd1Mgbws6 pic.twitter.com/NO0KA8SAkA

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2025

#WATCH | Saharanpur, UP | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, Patron of Jamiat Dawat Ul Muslimeen and Deobandi ulema, Maulana Qari Ishaq Gora says, “…It is a rubbish and bogus statement. People have their own situations. If a person is… pic.twitter.com/UfSLOAqSig

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2025

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, LoP in Legislative Council and BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy says, “I condemn the statements made by the Maulvis. Practising Islamism is different from sports. Shami is an… pic.twitter.com/yX5xBJ01ey

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2025

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, Karnataka Assembly LoP and BJP leader R Ashok says, “He is representing India, not any community. He needs strength to play against another country, so I condemn the statement… pic.twitter.com/8t33S8Dyew

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2025

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, JDS MLC S. L. Bhojegowda says, “Shami is an international sportsman. He has to go to other countries and his diet is also important… There are a lot of patients in the hospitals… pic.twitter.com/gi2vDlZ2Xr

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2025

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, Karnataka MLA Sharath Bachegowda says, “The exact details of how the fast (Roza) was broken has not come out. As someone who is representing our country and helped us gain vistory… pic.twitter.com/Es7cA6509T

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2025

#WATCH | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad says, “Shami is fulfilling dreams of millions of people and his primary duty is to play for the country. In Islam, when people are travelling or are unwell, they do… pic.twitter.com/xFo5Fmkp6L

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2025

#WATCH | Delhi | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi’s statement on cricketer Mohammed Shami, Imam Shahban Bukhari of Jama Masjid says, “…He (Mohammed Shami) should not be trolled. Shariat allows us both ways – if he (Mohammed Shami) is on a journey, he can keep Roza (fast) or… pic.twitter.com/JXrmY4NXx1

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2025

As expected, the issue was widely covered by various media outlets through the news agency’s syndicated feed, increasing its reach. As the controversy gained momentum, it eventually made it to TV shows, where media coverage turned one person’s comments into a larger social issue. Two anchors from the news channel Times Now, Pratibha and Navika Kumar, mentioned Shahabuddin’s absurd statement in separate programmes. Two anchors from News24 also aired Shahabuddin’s statement in two separate TV programs. IBC24 also published a special report on Shahabuddin’s statement. News18 followed up with a program on Shahabuddin’s subsequent comment on the issue within a few days.

Indian pacer #MohammedShami targeted for ‘not keeping roza’

In Islam, fasting is a duty… If someone deliberately skips the fast, they are sinners. Cricketer Mohammed Shami also didn’t observe a fast; he has committed a sin…: Maulana Shahabuddin Barelvi, President, All India… pic.twitter.com/cogpYk5yOR

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 6, 2025

Case 3: Controversy over Salman Khan’s Ram Janmabhoomi Edition watch

Bareilvi, in another controversial comment to a news agency, criticised Bollywood actor Salman Khan for wearing a Ram Janmabhoomi Edition watch and called it ‘haram’ and un-Islamic. This comment, like his earlier statements, was amplified by the agency on X (Twitter), which led to a public reaction.

#WATCH | Bareilly, UP: On Actor Salman Khan, President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi says, “Salman Khan is a very famous personality in India… Salman Khan has been seen wearing a Ram edition watch to promote Ram Mandir… If any Muslim, even if… pic.twitter.com/nCGSGhddLM

— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2025

Like in the earlier instances, the news agency then sought comments from politicians like Uttar Pradesh minister Danish Azad Ansari and Jaiveer Singh on Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on Salman Khan, manufacturing a communal debate.

#WATCH | Lucknow | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on Salman Khan, Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari says, “India is moving towards Viksit Bharat 2047 and every community has an important role to play in this… We should focus on permissible things and… pic.twitter.com/o4M7i3FKxj

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2025

#WATCH | Lucknow | On Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi’s statement on Salman Khan, Uttar Pradesh Minister Jaiveer Singh says, “Radicalism is dangerous, whether from Muslim or from Hindu… What someone wears or eats is one’s personal matter and imposing religion on this is not… pic.twitter.com/ZYa2eXKLtH

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2025

As this piece of ‘news’ acquired a life of its own on social media and started getting viral, it helped create a public perception of Muslims in general as fanatics who are against individual expression.

Eventually, this matter, too, found coverage in prime-time TV programs, in which channels like News18, India Today, and News Nation played an important role in turning the remarks of a person known for controversial opinions into a wider social debate. News18 went a step further. They not only ran programs on it through Hindi channel News18 India, English channel CNN News18, News18 MP-Chhattisgarh, News18 UP Uttarakhand, News18 Bihar Jharkhand, and many other units, but also sought the reaction of everyday Muslims, as well as organising TV debates featuring politicians.

Case 4: Mohammed Shami’s Daughter Playing Holi

In another controversial statement reported by news agency PTI, Shahabuddin Razvi called the celebration of Holi by Indian bowler Mohammed Shami’s daughter ‘illegal’ and ‘against Sharia law’.

News agencies IANS and ANI recorded reactions on it from Madhya Pradesh minister Vishwas Sarang.

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: On National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi criticizing the daughter of Cricketer Mohammed Shami for playing Holi, Minister Vishvas Sarang says, “The way Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi has threatened Mohammad Shami’s daughter is… pic.twitter.com/y2VTIkKQbK

— IANS (@ians_india) March 17, 2025

#WATCH | Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh minister Vishwas Sarang says, “The way Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi has threatened Mohammed Shami’s daughter is objectionable… How far will he go in his extremism? First, he targeted Mohammed Shami for drinking water during the match. Every religion… pic.twitter.com/YrbS0UIscz

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2025

Following this, Shahabuddin’s controversial statement was aired on various media outlets through PTI’s syndicate feed. And as usual, this statement eventually found space in the prime-time programmes of major news outlets including Aaj Tak, Times Now Navbhart, Republic Bharat, India Today, CNN News18, Zee News, ABP Ganga, NDTV, and Bharat 24. Times Now sensationalized it more than any other channel with at least three of its anchors, Swati, Pratibha and Priya Bahal conducting separate programmes on this issue.

Flurry of Fatwas

There are many other instances in which Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi has made bizarre statements and issued fatwas (a formal ruling or interpretation on a point of Islamic law given by a qualified legal scholar known as a mufti) that have not only fueled communal debates, but also contributed to a stereotyped portrayal of Islam and freedom of expression under it. These incidents again show how the media gives screen space to the self-proclaimed Maulana, amplifies such statements, and thereby generates a news cycle based on reactions from prominent figures. Here are some examples of fatwas that have influenced the public perception of this community.

In a statement to the media, Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi issued a fatwa against Muslims celebrating New Year on January 1, saying that it was for Christians and it was strictly forbidden for Muslims to observe any un-Islamic ritual.

#WATCH | Bareilly | National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi says, “Chashme Darfta Bareilly has issued a fatwa regarding the celebration of New Year… The young men and women who celebrate New Year have been instructed in this fatwa that… pic.twitter.com/jAiDdD4w6r

— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2024

Issuing another fatwa for Muslim women, Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi told the media that after marrying non-Muslim men, they should not wear sindoor, kalawa and bindi as these were against the principles of Islam.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, president of All India Muslim Jamaat (#AIMJ) and well-known Islamic scholar, has issued a fatwa that says Muslim women who wear ‘sindoor’, ‘kalava’ and ‘bindi’ after marrying non-Muslim youth, are going against the tenets of Islam. pic.twitter.com/kAKFOuqlSz

— IANS (@ians_india) March 5, 2023

He also issued a fatwa against SP MLA Naseem Solanki for worshipping in a Shiva temple and lighting diyas during Diwali, saying that idol worship was considered haram in Islam. Apart from this, he advised Solanki that if he had done so unknowingly, he was guilty in the eyes of Shariat and should undergo repentance, adding that strict rules applied to those who knowingly engaged in such worship.

Kanpur: A fatwa was issued by Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, the national president of All India Muslim Jamaat, against SP candidate Naseem Solanki, who performed worship and lit diyas in a Shiva temple during Diwali.

He says, “Idol worship is forbidden in Islam. If… pic.twitter.com/CIfOU7CkE7

— IANS (@ians_india) November 2, 2024

Note that all these statements were covered by news agencies.

Social media also plays a key role in orchestrating news cycles around these statements. News agencies use X or Twitter to amplify Shahabuddin’s statements quickly, ensuring that they reached a large section of the audience. The tweets serve as the initial spark, generating reactions and reshares from social media users, which then turn into a full-blown blaze through syndicated feeds of various media platforms and prime-time programmes/debates.

Muslim Religious Leaders Reject Razvi’s Comments

During a press conference, Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza remarked in March 2025 that Shahabuddin, who hailed from Bahraich, falsely described himself as a Bareilvi ulema. Raza said that Shahabuddin had no connection with Bareilly Markaz and accused him of trying to tarnish the reputation of Bareilly. He also accused the ‘Maulana’ of dragging Shariat into every big or small issue, adding that he should refrain from making statements that fueled unnecessary controversy. In response to Shahabuddin’s comments on Salman Khan’s Ram Mandir watch, Maulana Tauqeer Raza said that it was nit right to link such matters to Sharia and unnecessarily create controversies.

Speaking to Alt News, S M Yasin, joint secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee, which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque, said that Razvi had no connection with Bareilly, yet wrote his name as Bareilvi (from Bareilly). He added, “He has nothing to do with the dargah of Bareilly. He is a very controversial man. He said that the Maha Kumbh which was happening recently, was on Waqf land, which I responded to, saying it was false. Similarly, he keeps giving some or the other statement every day which becomes news.”

Building Pro-BJP Narratives

Critics of Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi point to numerous instances in which Razvi’s comments, often interpreted as attempting to delegitimize dissenting voices, help bolster pro-BJP narratives, directly or indirectly.

Speaking about Bareilvi, Shaukat Ali, the Uttar Pradesh president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, pointed out that Razvi’s comments often benefitted the BJP. Ali stated, “He works at the behest of the BJP, that is why he keeps making absurd statements every day. The BJP gets an opportunity to defame the image of Islam and Muslims, and the party easily succeeds in creating a Hindu-Muslim divide. In this way, the BJP gets benefited during the elections. Shahabuddin Razvi is not a resident of Bareilly, he was expelled from Dargah Aala Hazrat because of these absurd statements. He has also written letters to Yogi Adityanath several times requesting that he is made a member of the state Madrasa Board.”

In some instances, Razvi has openly supported the agenda of the BJP government. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shahabuddin Razvi had appealed to the Muslims of India not to oppose Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections.

‘Do not oppose PM Narendra Modi in elections’ – calls for self-reflection amid shifting political landscape: Mufti Shahabuddin to Muslims pic.twitter.com/oN1wZnbjKh

— IANS (@ians_india) February 25, 2024

He told Muslims that it was not the time to go for a clash with Narendra Modi, and urged them to extend a hand of friendship as he (Modi) wanted to ‘connect’ with Muslims.

Bareilly: National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi says, “Muslims should stop opposing Prime Minister Modi, he wants to connect with Muslims, now is not the time for conflict, extend the hand of friendship” pic.twitter.com/8IOeO348vE

— IANS (@ians_india) May 15, 2024

He also issued a statement in September 2024 on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill opposed by Muslims across the country and said that if the Bill was passed in the upcoming session, Muslims would welcome it. Not only this, Maulana Shahabuddin spoke against the appeal made by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to all Muslims to wear a black band on Jumu’atul-Wida in protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in March 2025, and told Muslims not to do so.

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi on AIMPLB’s appeal to all Muslims to wear black bands on Jumu’atul-Wida in protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill says, “…These religious leaders should understand that the… pic.twitter.com/qXnmUuqx9L

— IANS (@ians_india) March 28, 2025

He also commented on the results of by-elections held in Uttar Pradesh and elections held in Maharashtra, saying, Indian Muslims liked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is why they had openly supported the BJP in the polls.

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, says, “…The Muslims of India prefer Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is why in this election, Muslims have openly supported the Bharatiya Janata Party…” pic.twitter.com/kFEQBLliZ2

— IANS (@ians_india) November 23, 2024

Welcoming the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he had said that protests against this legislation from previous years occurred due to the misinformation spread by political entities among Muslims. He added that every Muslim of India should welcome the CAA. It is worth noting that nationwide protests were held by Muslims and civil society organizations against this law.

#WATCH | Bareilly, UP: On CAA notification, All India Muslim Jamaat President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi says, “The Govt of India has implemented the CAA law. I welcome this law. This should have been done much earlier… There are a lot of misunderstandings among the… pic.twitter.com/6FSfPeTivR

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2024

Commenting on the distribution of ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ kits on Eid, Shahabuddin praised the Prime Minister and said that his aim was to develop positive relations with the Muslim community.

Bareilly: On the ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ Eid kits, All India Muslim Jamat’s chief, Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi Barelvi, says, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to maintain good relations with Muslims, and since becoming Prime Minister, he has visited Muslim-majority countries and Arab… pic.twitter.com/kt5A28GHdX

— IANS (@ians_india) March 26, 2025

While giving a statement on Jammu and Kashmir elections, he promoted the agenda of the BJP and praised Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, saying that both these personalities were capable of fulfilling the dream of an ‘Akhand Bharat’.

Uttar Pradesh: Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, says, “Elections are currently underway in Jammu and Kashmir. During this time, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a strong statement, asserting that “India… pic.twitter.com/emvQCTPtmY

— IANS (@ians_india) September 28, 2024

Taken together, it is clear that Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi and his statements are a good example of how ‘news’ and communal debates are manufactured by the Indian media. When his controversial statements are amplified and a news cycle is generated, it not only leads to polarization in society, but often portrays the Muslim community in a negative light, and plays a role in shaping people’s perception of the community overall. It surely points to a nexus between him and these news outlets.

However, Razvi’s bizarre statements, which often align with the ruling party’s agenda, also raise questions about the motives behind his self-aggrandizement. Is he merely a part of a news manufacturing business run by media companies, or is he being used as a tool with political purposes? If at the end of the day, his remarks almost always benefit the ruling dispensation, one can’t help wondering how deep the nexus runs.

Alt News Spoke to the ‘Maulana’

Alt News spoke to ‘Maulana’ Shahabuddin over phone. Here are a few excerpts from the conversation:

Question: Your statements are constantly making headlines in the media. Does the media approach you or do you inform the media that you want to issue a statement?

Answer: There are many issues on which I have my own viewpoint which I want to present, so I record the statement myself and send it to the media, or in some cases I call up media persons. Sometimes it also happens that on many issues, people from the media come to me and ask for my views and reactions, which I then respond to. I present my views on whatever I feel is right and in the interest of my society and country.

Question: In many cases, a pattern has been observed that when the media obtains a statement from you on an issue, it also approaches different leaders to get their reactions on your statement, and your statement is coloured in such a way that it appears as the view of the entire Muslim community.

Answer: These are the responsibilities, likes and dislikes of these people. I cannot stop anyone. People are free, and every person has the right to state their opinion as per their wish. Whatever the media persons do is their choice, I cannot say anything to them.

Question: Don’t you think you are being used as a medium, where the reactions of others are sought on your statement and it is then converted into a controversy so the topic can become a prime-time debate? For example, when you issued a statement on Salman Khan’s Ram Mandir edition watch, the media sought the reactions of different people on it…

Answer: Getting statements and reactions is the media’s job, its responsibility. They fulfill their responsibility, and everyone should fulfill their responsibility. I do not compromise with anyone in the matter of Shariat, whether someone is powerful or not, even if it is myself. If someone questions me on it, I will answer. Shariat is not dependent on whether someone is powerful or not. Kings and rickshaw drivers are equal before it. I do not compromise with anyone when it comes to the matter of Shariat. I will say whatever I feel is right and true openly.

Question: In your statements that get covered by the media, you have issued multiple appeals to support Narendra Modi. Even during the Lok Sabha elections, you said that Muslims should not oppose Narendra Modi. Many people keep accusing you regarding this, like AIMIM Uttar Pradesh chief Shaukat Ali, who stated that you worked at the behest of the BJP and you wanted to become a member of the Madrasa Board. Apart from this, he also alleged that you are not a resident of Bareilly.

Answer: I have also opposed the BJP, Mr. Yogi and Mr. Modi on many occasions. I affirm that since my birth, I have been living in Bareilly, and it has been some 40 years. No person can prove that I have ever appealed to the people to support the BJP. May Allah curse those who lie. It is very easy to accuse others, but when proof is demanded, people start looking here and there. I hope Allah gives them wisdom and understanding and brings them salvation.

Question: S M Yasin of the Gyanvapi Mosque stated that your remarks create controversy and they ae meant for making headlines. For example, you spoke about the Kumbh Mela being held on Waqf land.

Answer: The Kumbh Mela was being held on thousands of bighas of land, out of which 55 bighas of land is Waqf land. The context behind that statement was that when the Akhada Parishad had announced that shops belonging Muslims would not be set up there. I had responded that while Muslims were showing their big hearts and generosity, members of the Akhada Parishad were demonstrating lack thereof. They should have also shown their generosity. The area which forms part of the 55 bighas of Waqf land in the Kumbh Mela is called Jhunsi. There is a Sufi scholar there, a dargah, and a tomb which has a Waqf in its name, and 189 is its Waqf number. I had said this then, and even today I stand by my statement.

Question: There are many statements of yours which are used to paint all Muslims in the same colour. While your statements are your personal opinion, the media presents them in a way that suggests that those are the opinions of all Muslims in general. What do you have to say about such geenralization?

Answer: Shariat has its own rules. If any Muslim, young or old, speaks against Shariat, works against it, or breaks its rules, he will be punished. It is my responsibility to warn him, tell him that he has done something that violates the Shariat. I did the same with Mr. Shami who, in the month of Ramzan in broad daylight, drank a cold drink in front of thousands of people on the cricket ground. Fasting is compulsory, it has an important place in Islam. First, he did not fast. Then, despite being in front of everyone, whether it was a need or a compulsion, Mr. Shami drank the cold drink in broad daylight. This was an insult to fasting, so I spoke out on that issue. I did not say anything about his marital affairs, that he was on the verge of divorce from his wife, or what he eats at home. Neither did I comment on what he wears, be that underwear or a half-shirt, or suggest that he does not read Namaz. I did not say anything else about what he practices, I only spoke on the issue of Shariat. I am a religious leader, a scholar, and it is my responsibility to stop a Muslim from going down the wrong path. No one should feel bad about this. Similarly, Salman Khan and Mr. Shami being public figures does not mean they do not come under the purview of Shariat. In Shariat, there is no one big or small, its order applies equally to everyone. If anyone acts against Shariat, they will be caught, and informing them is my responsibility.

Question: Religion is a personal matter, including how one prays and connects with Allah. The way your statement was aired in the media, don’t you think it constitutes an attack on someone’s personal freedom, because the relationship between God and an individual is personal? This relationship is considered very pure or sacred. The way your statement was peddled in the media to create a public debate out of this, was it not an attempt to publicly embarrass him?

Answer: What can I do to the media within my rights? I cannot do anything, I cannot tie the hands and feet of the media. I do not have any such authority. All I can do is that if someone asks me about an issue, I will tell them, as this is my responsibility. I studied in a Madrasa for 12 years for this very reason. If I had not studied in a Madrasa for 12 years, I would have worn pants and a shirt and I would have gone somewhere to start a business or do a job, and my responsibility would have ended. Allah has made me aalim-e-deen, so I will keep talking about these issues. You can object as much as you want or do whatever you want, write against me or write in my support, I do not care. I will keep talking about Shariat, this is my responsibility.

The post Give me screen time, I’ll give you fodder for communal debates: Shahabuddin Razvi’s give & take with news channels appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.

Law enforcement injure at least 4 journalists covering protests in California amid federal crackdown

CPJ Staff — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:29:03 +0000

Washington, D.C., June 9, 2025—Law enforcement in Los Angeles, California, shot non-lethal rounds that struck at least four reporters while they covered protests that began on Friday, June 6, and escalated over the weekend following immigration raids.

President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the state, against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s and LA Mayor Karen Bass’s wishes.

“We are greatly concerned by the reports of law enforcement officers’ shooting non-lethal rounds at reporters covering protests in Los Angeles. Any attempt to discourage or silence media coverage by intimidating or injuring journalists should not be tolerated,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “It is incumbent upon authorities to respect the media’s role of documenting issues of public interest.”

Officers shot Ryanne Mena, a crime reporter with the LA Daily News, and freelance reporter Sean Beckner-Carmitchel with pepper balls and tear-gassed them on Friday and Saturday while they reported.

Nick Stern, a British freelance photojournalist based in LA, had emergency surgery after a three-inch plastic bullet struck his leg on Sunday. Stern told the BBC that he was wearing a press card around his neck and carrying his camera when he was shot.

Officers shot Lauren Tomasi, a reporter for Australia’s 9News, in the leg with a rubber bullet as she reported on air Sunday.

Adam Rose, secretary of the Los Angeles Press Club, has documented more than 20 incidents of obstruction and attacks against members of the media since protests began on June 6. CPJ has not independently verified all the incidents listed.

CPJ’s emails to the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and the California National Guard did not receive an immediate reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Law enforcement injure at least 4 journalists covering protests in California amid federal crackdown

CPJ Staff — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:29:03 +0000

President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the state, against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s and LA Mayor Karen Bass’s wishes.

Officers shot Ryanne Mena, a crime reporter with the LA Daily News, and freelance reporter Sean Beckner-Carmitchel with pepper balls and tear-gassed them on Friday and Saturday while they reported.

Officers shot Lauren Tomasi, a reporter for Australia’s 9News, in the leg with a rubber bullet as she reported on air Sunday.

CPJ’s emails to the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and the California National Guard did not receive an immediate reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Law enforcement injure at least 4 journalists covering protests in California amid federal crackdown

CPJ Staff — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:29:03 +0000

President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the state, against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s and LA Mayor Karen Bass’s wishes.

Officers shot Ryanne Mena, a crime reporter with the LA Daily News, and freelance reporter Sean Beckner-Carmitchel with pepper balls and tear-gassed them on Friday and Saturday while they reported.

Officers shot Lauren Tomasi, a reporter for Australia’s 9News, in the leg with a rubber bullet as she reported on air Sunday.

CPJ’s emails to the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and the California National Guard did not receive an immediate reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Trans inmates face rape & death with Trump’s Executive Order | Rattling the Bars

The Real News Network — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:15:58 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

AI clip of man’s narrow escape from lioness viral as real incident; Republic, News18 misreport, later tweak story

Ankita Mahalanobish — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:13:39 +0000

Late-night CCTV footage showing a lioness walking on the streets and sniffing a man sleeping on the road before walking away from him has shocked internet users. The video was widely shared on social media, leaving many stunned at the man’s narrow escape. A few news outlets also published reports based on the viral clip, suggesting this happened somewhere in India.

On June 7, 2025, Republic published an article titled ‘Lion Roams On Street, Sniffs Man And…: Terrifying Video Is Not A Movie Scene‘. “A chilling video has surfaced on social media, showing a fully grown wild lion walking on the streets and sniffing a man sleeping on the footpath,” it said. “While the location of the incident remains unclear, the video surely leaves us with goosebumps. The viral video also shows the thin line between survival and danger when faced with nature’s most fearsome predators,” the report added.

On the same day, News18 also published a report titled ‘Lion Spared Sleeping Man’s Life In Bizarre Street Encounter‘.

Local news outlet MaharashtraTV24 also shared the video on its YouTube channel.

X users SilencedSirs (@SilentlySirs) and Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) also shared the purported video, claiming that a man sleeping by the road had a narrow escape. At the time of writing this, @SilentlySirs X post had over 2.5 million views.

X account Update News (@UpdateNews724), which claims in its bio that it serves global news and real-time updates, also shared and amplified the video, claiming an Indian man sleeping on the street survived a lion attack. The post had over 22.5 million views at the time of writing this.

Several other social media users shared the video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the video, we watched it a few times. This revealed several discrepancies that raise doubts about whether the footage is of an actual incident. For instance, we noticed that the words appearing on the banner of the storefront near the sleeping man are gibberish; they look similar to the Devanagari script but do not form a word in Hindi or Gujarati. Also, the posture of the man lying on the ground seems unnatural; the placement of the leg is odd, and it folds near the thigh instead of the knee. We have highlighted these below.

We then did a reverse image search on a few key frames from the video. This led us to a YouTube short, uploaded by a Brazilian channel named ‘The world of beasts’. The video caption roughly translates to, ‘Lion finds a man sleeping on the street in Gujarat’.

The video’s description explicitly says that the content is altered or synthetic. It reads: “Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.”

The description of the YouTube channel also says that it shares content and designs that are generated using artificial intelligence.

We then analysed the video using an AI-detection tool, which claimed that it was 90% likely that the footage was generated using AI.

Also, note that both Republic and News18 later updated their articles. Republic updated its report to: ‘Lion Roams On Street, Sniffs Man And…: Chilling Video Surfaced On Social Media Is AI Generated?’ while the revised headline of the News18 report reads: ‘Lion Spared Sleeping Man’s Life In Bizarre Street Encounter? Video Goes Viral.‘ The latter also added that they were unable to verify the authenticity of the video independently.

To sum up, the widely circulated video of a lioness roaming the streets at night and sniffing a man sleeping on the roadside before walking away is AI-generated. It does not depict an actual incident that happened in India.

The post AI clip of man’s narrow escape from lioness viral as real incident; Republic, News18 misreport, later tweak story appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Economic Assasination in the DEATH ECONOMY #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #globaleconomy

VICE News — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:00:13 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Misa Bharti’s luxurious house? Alt News traces viral video to Turkmenistan-based realtor’s TikTok account

Shinjinee Majumder — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:57:12 +0000

In the run-up to the Bihar assembly elections scheduled later this year, a video of a hijab-clad woman showcasing a luxury house has gone viral on social media with claims that the house belongs to Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Misa Bharti, daughter of former Bihar chief minister and veteran RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav.

X user @abhi_tripati tweeted the viral video, sarcastically remarking that the viral video was of Yadav’s “exploited, backward, utterly poor daughter showing her broken, dilapidated hut”. The tweet garnered over 6.5 Lakh views at the time of this report being written. (Archive)

लालू की अति शोषित, अती पिछड़ी , अत्यंत गरीब पुत्री अपनी टूटी फूटी झोपडी दिखाते हुए
pic.twitter.com/eR6STwW916

— अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhi_tripati) June 5, 2025

Another X user, @rose_k01, tweeted the viral video with the same claim. The tweet, which was later deleted, garnered over 6 Lakh views. Here is an archive.

Several other users also made the same claim while sharing the video. (Archives- 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

The video is also viral on Facebook with the same claim.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We ran the viral video through Google reverse image search and found the same video uploaded by a Nigerian Facebook user. We also reviewed other videos on his profile and found two more clips featuring the same woman taking viewers around two different houses in a similar fashion. Here and here are the links to those videos.

We performed a reverse image search using keyframes from one of the other videos. We were subsequently led to a TikTok account with the username @musa_realtor. One of the pinned videos of the TikTok profile was the viral video with 11 million views. The video had been posted on June 1, the earliest instance of this particular video.

We noticed that several videos on this particular TikTok account featured the woman seen in the viral video. The profile was also filled with house-tour videos, indicating that it belonged to a real estate-focused social media account. We ran the phone number listed on the account through Truecaller and found that it was based in Turkmenistan. The Truecaller ID also included the word ‘realtor’.

In one of the videos, the woman seen in the viral clip is shown celebrating with a cake. This video offers a closer look at her, allowing us to confidently ascertain that she is not Misa Bharti.

Moreover, Bharti took to Twitter to deny the claims made about her. In a sarcastic response to X user @rose_k01, she asked them to share the address of the house so that she could visit it herself.

As it stands, several X users shared a video of a woman showing a luxurious house claiming that the house belonged to RJD MP Misa Bharti. In reality, we were able to trace the video to a Turkemnitsan-based real estate TikTok account.

The post Misa Bharti’s luxurious house? Alt News traces viral video to Turkmenistan-based realtor’s TikTok account appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

Veterans BLAST Trump for attacking VA in DC rally

The Real News Network — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 17:11:09 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

There’s no BORDER GATE that people flood through #SSHQ #ViceNews #immigration #illegal #border

VICE News — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 16:01:32 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

$2 BILLION in one hand, A GUN in the Other #SSHQ #ViceNews #WorldBank #ecnomoy #financialdiplomacy

VICE News — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 16:00:03 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Dem says Trump/Musk feud has Republicans hiding from the Big Beautiful Bill, dodging constituents

The Real News Network — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:48:50 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Prison labor is slave labor, not “job training”

The Real News Network — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 13:00:12 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Zambian court blocks film investigating Chinese businesses

CPJ Staff — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:19:36 +0000

Lusaka, June 6, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by a Zambian court’s issuance of an interim injunction to prevent the airing of a documentary on Chinese investment in the southern Africa country, pending a June 12 hearing.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia sued privately owned News Diggers after the outlet shared a May 20 teaser on Facebook for its film, “Chinese Investment in Zambia: The Good, The Bad and The Dangerous,” according to a copy of the court order, reviewed by CPJ, and News Diggers Editor-in-Chief Joseph Mwenda, who spoke to CPJ.

“The prior censorship of News Diggers’ documentary is a stark reminder that press freedom is imperiled in Zambia,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo. “Zambian authorities should stand vigilant against efforts to silence the media and should support, rather than undermine, public interest journalism.”

The Lusaka High Court issued the gag order on May 22, the day before the film was due to be broadcast. The film’s trailer included images of alleged labor abuses and violence.

In a letter to News Diggers, reviewed by CPJ, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce said the teaser was aimed at “disparaging, demeaning and tainting” the image of Chinese investments and asked to have its formal response included in the film.

The court said the outlet could be guilty of contempt of court if it aired the documentary in breach of the injunction, which carries a penalty of a six-month jail term or a fine of up to 300 kwacha (US$12).

CPJ’s calls to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia’s president Tie Li and an email requesting comment did not receive any replies.

CPJ has documented numerous attacks and arrests of journalists in Zambia and April’s new cyber laws further threaten press freedom.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 6, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 6, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Restoring SANITY to Immigration discourse #SSHQ #ViceNews #immigration #migrants #illegal #border

VICE News — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:00:20 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Kangana Ranaut was not shown the middle finger at a performance; viral video is from an event in Pakistan

Ankita Mahalanobish — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 05:21:36 +0000

A video, seemingly taken by someone in the audience during a public performance, in which event attendees are showing the middle finger to someone on stage has gone viral. Those sharing the video on social media claim that these gestures were made at Bollywood actor and filmmaker Kangana Ranaut during a concert. Ranaut is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party and represents Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district in the lower house of the Parliament.

On June 3, X user Amit Yadav (@Amityad6389) shared the viral video and claimed that members affiliated with Hindu organisations, upset with her over something, showed her the middle finger in public. (Archive)

बड़ी खबर

खबर रोमांचक है बीजेपी से कंगना रनौत किसी शो में गई हुई थी।

उन्हें किसी बात को लेकर हिंदू संगठन के लोगो ने मिडिल फिंगर दिखा कर विरोध किया।

कंगना रनौत ने ये सब देखते ही कहा कि कैमरा मैंन अच्छे से दिखाइए और इन लोगों को वायरल कर दीजिए।

फिर क्या था वायरल तो होना ही… pic.twitter.com/Ft9H1iBOhn

— Amit Yadav (@Amityad6389) June 3, 2025

On June 4, media outlet LocalTak (@localtak) also shared the purported video alleging that members of a Hindu organisation protested against Ranaut during a show by showing her the middle finger. (Archive)

was attending a show when members of a Hindu group showed her the middle finger in protest!

Instead of reacting with anger, Kangana calmly turned to the cameraman and said, “Zoom in properly and make them viral.”
Well… viral it definitely went!#kanganaranaut #middlefinger… pic.twitter.com/mDVZmbdaPz

— LocalTak (@localtak) June 4, 2025

Another X user, Amock (@amock2029), also shared the clip, claiming that the actor-turned-politician was disrespected. (Archive)

Kangana Ranaut Itni beijjati pic.twitter.com/iee8GCQQPq

— Amock (@amock2029) June 3, 2025

Several other social media users have shared the same video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We watched the video closely several times and noticed the words ‘Q High Street’ displayed on the stage in the video. Q High Street is a commercial property in Lahore, Pakistan.

During our investigation, we also found that Q High Street had organised an automotive event, Pak Wheels Auto Show, on May 25. The event featured a performance by Young Stunners, a popular hip-hop duo in Pakistan.

We found several posts on Q High Street’s Instagram page, featuring Young Stunner’s performance. Noticeably, the backdrop of the videos here was identical to the one that went viral.

Click to view slideshow.

Taking cue from this, we looked for full videos of the performance and found one on YouTube uploaded on May 29, 2025. At the 3:15-minute mark of the video, the same woman who is seen in the viral clip appears as the event’s emcee. It’s fairly clear that she is not Kangana Ranaut.

Here’s the video:

To sum up, the viral video is from an event in Lahore, Pakistan. It does not depict members of a Hindu organisation showing the middle finger to Kangana Ranaut. The woman appearing in the video is not the Bollywood actor.

(With inputs from Diti Pujara)

The post Kangana Ranaut was not shown the middle finger at a performance; viral video is from an event in Pakistan appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Israeli strike on Gaza hospital courtyard kills 2 journalists, injures 4 others

CPJ Staff — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:24:06 +0000

New York, June 5, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces Israel’s strike on a hospital courtyard in central Gaza, which killed two journalists and a media worker and critically injured four other journalists, and calls for international action to stop Israel targeting journalists based on unsubstantiated terrorism claims.

“These are not isolated incidents, but systematic attacks by Israel on the media. This disturbing and deliberate pattern must end,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “The killing of journalists in a hospital courtyard on the holy day of Yawm Al-Arafah — preceding Eid al-Adha — underscores the relentless dangers facing the media in Gaza.”

The drone strike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital courtyard killed correspondent Suleiman Hajjaj and camera operator Ismail Baddah of Palestine Today TV, a channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group, and Samir al-Rifai, an administrator for the local, privately owned Shams News Agency.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Telegram that they had “precisely struck an Islamic Jihad terrorist who was operating in a command and control center in the yard of the Al-Ahli Hospital.”

Palestine Today TV described the killings as a “double war crime” for “direct targeting” its journalists and a hospital, both protected under international law.

Palestine Today TV correspondent Emad Daloul was also injured, as well as three journalists with Qatari-funded Al-Araby TV: reporter Islam Badr and camera operators Imam Badr and Ahmed Qulaja.

“The strike happened at around 10:20 a.m. with a single missile fired by an Israeli drone directly at a group of journalists who were sitting in the courtyard, working on their laptops,” Islam Badr, who started filming minutes after his right leg was hit, told CPJ.

“Qulaja was critically injured by shrapnel,” added Islam Badr, brother to Imam Badr.

Al-Mayadeen TV journalist Akram Daloul, a relative of injured Emad Daloul, told CPJ that the correspondent’s condition was serious because he had previously undergone a kidney transplant.

CPJ emailed the Israel Defense Forces’ North America Media Desk to ask if the military was aware of the presence of journalists in the area and if they were deliberately targeted but did not immediately receive a response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Prison labor today is ‘akin to chattel slavery’

The Real News Network — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 18:02:07 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 5, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 5, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 05 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:19:18 +0000

Gazans’ daily food intake set to fall well below survival level: FAO33 million children suffer from 'wasting' in 15 countries: WFPBelarus: UN experts alarmed by persisting violations of trade unionists’ rights

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

From PEACE CORE to Economic HITMAN #economy #SSHQ #ViceNews #NSA #recruitment #consulting

VICE News — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:00:16 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Can a ‘liberal Joe Rogan’ save the Democrats? Dems are betting $20 million he can!

The Real News Network — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 21:56:30 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 4, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 4, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 4, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 4, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 04 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:45:54 +0000

Libya: UN Human Rights condemns detention centre killingsIn Gaza, another school comes under attack Oceans conference highlights lack of investment in clean seas

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

🔴LIVE! Shane Has Questions Season 1 | Full Episodes | Vice News

VICE News — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:11:16 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Why and How BIDEN FAILED at the Border #SSHQ #ViceNews #immigration #migrants #illegal #border

VICE News — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:01:24 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

‘Jihadis’ pelting stone at paramilitary convoy in Kashmir after India-Pak ceasefire? Old video, false claim

Pawan Kumar — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 05:04:27 +0000

A video in which a group of people are seen throwing stones at vehicles passing through a valley has been doing the rounds on social media. Sounds of gunshots are also heard in the background amidst cries of ‘मारो-मारो’ (Hit them). Social media users are sharing the video and claiming that following the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, CRPF and CISF convoys were returning to Jammu & Kashmir when ‘jihadis’ started pelting stones at them. It has also been claimed that security forces were forced to to fire in the air, during which a stampede occurred and nine stone pelters purportedly died after slipping and falling down the slopes.

X handle @maheshyagyasain, which identifies itself as a ‘fan of Godse’, made a similar claim while sharing the video. (Archived link)

X User @sanatani_6, who has been found sharing misinformation on several occasions in the past, and numerous other X users also shared the videos with similar claims. (Archived link 1, link 2)

Same Video, Different Claims

We found that a Facebook page named Utishtha Bharata had shared the same footage targeting the Muslim community. The caption says, “Jihadis pelted stones on a convoy going to visit Vaishno Devi”. (Archived link)

X users Amitabh Chaudhary, who have been known to amplify communal propaganda and misinformation, and BJP supporter KV Iyyar also shared the video claiming it showed people in PoK ‘welcoming’ Pakistan army personnel. (Archived link 2, link 3)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We performed a reverse image search on a few frames taken from the viral video. We found the source video uploaded on a Facebook page named Indian Military Updates – IMU on May 15, 2024. In other words, this video is more than a year old. The caption states that it shows Kashmiris pelting stones at a convoy of Pakistani security forces in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Along with this, we came across another similar video on the same Facebook page, which stated that Kashmiris pelted stones at vehicles carrying Pakistani security forces (Rangers) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad.

Using this information as a clue, Alt News performed a keyword search. This led us to a report by Al Jazeera published on May 14, 2024, which talks about a protest rally by a group called Jammu Kashmir Joint Awaami Action Committee (JAAC), which had been marching towards Muzaffarabad in PoK since May 11, demanding subsidised flour and electricity, among other things.

“Our protesters were completely peaceful but the government’s decision to call in rangers meant that they wanted to use force against us, and now we see that three people were killed,” JAAC Chairman Shaukat Nawaz Mir told Al Jazeera.

India Today and The Free Press Journal also reported that protests against the rising prices of food, fuel, and electricity in PoK intensified and slogans of azadi (freedom) were raised.

We also found a report on the official YouTube channel of Pakistani media outlet Dawn News titled, “Video of stone pelting on Rangers from hills in Azad Kashmir.”

In May 2024, a user on reddit.com shared the same video identifying Lohar Gali as the location where the stone-pelting occurred.

We searched for Lohar Gali, Muzaffarabad on Google Maps to verify the location. This led us to a view of a winding road similar to the one seen in the viral video as well as a Street View snapshot near a bridge constructed over flowing waters. This makes it clear that the incident is indeed from Lohar Gali, Muzaffarabad in PoK.

To sum it up, a one-year-old video of stone pelting on vehicles belonging to Pakistani security forces (Rangers) by protesters in Muzaffarabad, PoK, was falsely circulated with several misleading claims.

The post ‘Jihadis’ pelting stone at paramilitary convoy in Kashmir after India-Pak ceasefire? Old video, false claim appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Alarming escalation in attacks on journalists amid political crisis in Serbia

Attila Mong/CPJ Europe Representative — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:25:48 +0000

Berlin, June 3, 2025—What journalists called a “witch hunt” atmosphere against government critics in Serbia one year ago has since escalated into a rise in attacks and threats against the press, following a deadly railway station collapse in November 2024 that triggered a widespread anti-corruption movement.

Initial protests demanding accountability for the tragedy have turned into a widespread movement against corruption and President Aleksandar Vučić’s increasingly authoritarian rule, and as a result, journalists have faced a surge in physical attacks, threats, online harassment, smear campaigns, and even spyware — often driven by Vučić’s supporters, government officials, and pro-government media.

Since the beginning of November, the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (IJAS) has recorded 23 physical assaults. There have been 18 assaults so far this year, already surpassing the 17 in all of 2024. The IJAS has tallied a total of 128 of various types of attacks and threats so far this year, suggesting the overall number may soon exceed last year’s 166 cases.

“In the political crisis Serbia is going through since November, we are witnessing a sort of open warfare against independent media,” Jelena L. Petković, a freelance journalist specializing in covering media safety in the Western Balkans, told CPJ. “2025 might turn out to be the worst year on record for journalist safety in the country.”

Petković said U.S. President Donald Trump’s reelection, the rise of populist leaders like Viktor Orbán in neighboring EU states, and the crisis the USAID funding freeze has caused for Serbia’s independent media have emboldened Vučić to intensify his pressure on the press — frequently accusing journalists and civil society groups of being foreign agents and traitors. She noted that none of the attacks on journalists since last November have led to prosecutions, underscoring a broader pattern of impunity.

“This surge of attacks on independent journalists who hold the power to account in Serbia reflects a broader attempt to silence critical reporting amid a deepening political crisis,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Serbian authorities must end the impunity for these attacks, take urgent steps to protect journalists, and put a stop to the hostile climate that emboldens those who seek to intimidate journalists.”

CPJ emailed questions to the press office of the presidency and to the Serbian Ministry of the Interior, which oversees the police, but did not receive any replies.

Below is a breakdown of the most serious attacks since November 1, 2024, based on CPJ’s review of cases documented by local press freedom groups:

Physical attacks

CPJ’s review of 15 physical attacks, affecting at least 23 journalists, found that the incidents mostly occurred during protests and ranged from attempts to snatch journalists’ phones to assaults that caused injuries. Some attackers were politicians or public officials, and several journalists reported that police failed to protect them.

On May 17, 2025, an unidentified individual attempted to knock the phone of Južne Vesti journalist Tamara Radovanović from her hand while she was documenting a rally by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the southern city of Niš. Instead of protecting her, police removed her from the scene to “reduce tension,” without taking action against her attacker, according to the journalist.

On May 16, while filming an SNS event attended by party officials in the eastern village of Makovište, N1 TV camera operator Marjan Vučetić was attacked from behind by unknown individuals, who struck his back and neck, causing light injuries. Others insulted him, calling him a “traitor” and “foreign mercenary.”

On April 12, during an SNS rally in the capital Belgrade, pro-government supporters attacked a five-member KTV crew. Milorad Malešev, a technician, had three teeth knocked out, while others sustained scrapes and bruises. Police intervened only after camera operator Siniša Nikšić was assaulted, at which point they surrounded the journalists and told them to stop reporting, saying they couldn’t guarantee their safety.

On March 23, Saša Dragojlo, a journalist for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), was beaten while covering a protest by a man later identified by Serbian media as a former boxer and SNS activist in Belgrade. Despite Dragojlo identifying himself as press and requesting help, police intervened only to prevent further escalation, but failed to take action against the attacker.

On November 27, 2024, during a pro-government demonstration in Belgrade, supporters insulted an N1 news crew and attacked journalist Jelena Mirković, hitting her shoulder and knocking the microphone from her hand. Reporter Aleksandar Cvrkutić’s camera was also struck as he filmed the scene.

On November 22, Nova TV reporter Ana Marković was lightly injured when demonstrators struck her phone from her hand while she was reporting in Belgrade.

On November 6, while live streaming a municipal assembly session in the northerntown of Kovin, journalist Miloš Ljiljanić of Kovinske Info was physically attacked by an SNS councilor, who shoved him, tried to grab his phone, and twisted his arm.

On November 5, in the northern city of Novi Sad, a group of masked individuals insulted an N1 TV crew and struck cameraperson Nikola Popović’s hand, causing him to drop and damage his camera. They also assaulted Euronews camera operator Mirko Todorović, knocking him to the ground. Police at the scene did not intervene.

Police violence, obstruction, detention

On May 17, 2025, police in Niš detained Nikola Doderović, a correspondent for Australian radio broadcaster SBS, as well as a journalism student accompanying him, for over an hour during a pro-government rally. After demanding their IDs, officers questioned them about their presence and activities, which Doderović said was unnecessary and arbitrary. Local press freedom groups called the detention a “clear form of intimidation.”

On May 16, police in Novi Sad briefly detained freelance photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić for “identification,” even though his helmet was marked as “press.” Earlier, officers had beaten him along with some protesters while he was documenting a blockade of the court and prosecutor’s office.

On April 28, police pepper-sprayed and beat journalist Žarko Bogosavljević of Razglas News while he was covering a protest, despite his wearing a press vest.

On April 10, prosecutors in Belgrade detained Dejan Ilić, a columnist for news site Peščanik, for a day on criminal charges of “causing panic and disorder.” The charges stem from comments he made during a March 29 Nova TV talk show, where he discussed political alternatives for Serbia, including a transitional government.

On March 14, several journalist crews traveling from neighboring Croatia and Slovenia to cover anti-corruption protests in Belgrade were briefly detained at the border and denied entry, before being sent back.

On February 25, police raided the premises of the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability, an NGO operating the fact-checking platform Istinomer, for 28 hours as part of a corruption probe tied to USAID funding — allegations that local press freedom groups have denounced as politically motivated.

On January 17, police forcibly removed five journalists — with N1 TV, Nova TV, Radio 021, and the daily newspaper Danas — from Novi Sad City Hall, preventing them from covering an opposition-led protest.

Surveillance, spyware

On March 27, BIRN reported that two of its journalists had been targeted with Pegasus spyware in February. The attempted “one-click” attack failed, as the journalists did not open the malicious link.

Other threats, smears

In April 2025, a 60-minute video, produced by a pro-government NGO, aired on six national channels and circulated on social media, portraying journalists from N1 TV, Nova TV, and other outlets of publishing house United Group as foreign agents, extremists, and enemies of the state allegedly operating illegally in Serbia.

In February and March 2025, National Assembly President Ana Brnabić accused N1, Nova S, and Danas of spreading hatred and lies. Facing critical questions, Vučić asked a reporter from investigative outlet KRiK how much money he had received from USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy. The president also blamed N1 TV and its Brussels correspondent Nikola Radišić of contributing to a “color revolution,” a reference to pro-democracy movements that have emerged in various Eastern European countries, which Vučić has portrayed as a Western attempt to undermine Serbia’s sovereignty. Radišić was excluded from a press conference in Brussels as well.

Since November 2024, journalists working for independent media outlets N1 TV, Nova TV, and online platform Magločistač, as well as press freedom advocates, have received threats of physical violence and death.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Attila Mong/CPJ Europe Representative.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 3, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 3, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 03 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:39:56 +0000

In Gaza, more Palestinians reported killed at private aid hubNo end to Sudan crisis amid ongoing violence and mass displacementCondemnation for deadly new Russian attacks on Ukraine

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

UN modified resolution on Pahalgam? Kiran Bedi shares unverified, false claims ‘based on a shared post’

Kinjal — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:57:24 +0000

Days after terrorists shot dead 26 civilians in the picturesque Baisaran Valley, in Pahalgam, Kashmir, several claims regarding the United Nations condemning the terrorist attack have been doing the rounds on social media. One such claim, being widely shared as a message across social media platforms, says that in the UN’s condemnation resolution, Pakistan was able to get a clause inserted that terrorists did not kill civilians after asking about their religious identity. Pakistan reportedly showed X posts and videos from 12 of India’s Opposition leaders to China, including Congress’s chief spokesperson Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, among others to prove their point.

Following this, China, using its veto power in the UN, got the bit about terrorists killing people after enquiring about their faith removed from the condemnation resolution.

Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) posted this message on X on May 22, 2025. At the time of writing this, it had over a million views. (Archive)

Based on a shared post.

In the condemnation resolution presented by the United Nations on the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan was successful in getting a clause inserted that

“The terrorists did not kill after asking about religion…!”

To do this, Pakistan showed the tweets and…

— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) May 22, 2025

On May 2, 2025, X user ‘@mr_pathakshiv’ also shared this message.

Vivek Pandey, whose bio says he is the general secretary of Kisan Morcha Varanasi, BJP, blamed Opposition leaders. (Archive)

अखिलेश यादव,सुप्रिया श्रीनेत ,सिद्दारमैया के ट्वीट के कारण पाकिस्तान ने UN में पहलगाम हिंदु नरसंहार निंदा प्रस्ताव से ये हटाने में सफल रहा कि आतंकियों ने धर्म पूछकर कपड़े उतरवाकर गोली नहीं मारी ।

— Vivek Pandey (@INDVivekPandey_) May 3, 2025

The message was widely shared on X and Facebook. Alt News also received several requests to fact check this message on our WhatsApp helpline number (+91 76000 11160).

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News examined the United Nations’ condemnation resolution on the Pahalgam terror attack. However, we did not find anything in the press statement on the clause that Pakistan reportedly inserted regarding terrorists not killing civilians after asking about their faith. Alt News also checked the United Nations’ daily briefing, but there was no mention of it here either.

The viral post also claims that Pakistan was able to get the clause that “terrorists did not kill people by asking their religion” added by showing statements from 12 Opposition leaders. The message includes Congress chief spokespersons Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, among others.

In April, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said he was not in favour of war. His statement did not go down well with some camps and many news outlets called it contentious. Soon after this, another state leader, RB Timmapur, had claimed, “When they were carrying out the terrorist attack, I think they did not ask about religion. If they did, then politicising the issue based on religion by using his statement [Siddaramaiah’s] is madness”. (News reports 1, 2, 3)

Siddaramaiah had clarified that all he meant was that war should be a nation’s last resort. But opposition leaders from the BJP had called the statements by the two leaders insults to the victims’ families. Besides this controversy, Alt News found no news reports that corroborate that Khera, Shrinate, Yadav or Siddaramaiah said anything along similar lines. Thus, the claim that Opposition leaders made statements that “terrorists did not ask about religion before they killed” is also not true.

In fact, on May 23, Pawan Khera had even responded to Kiran Bedi’s X post, saying, “I expected better than this from you. If an educated person like you can fall prey to fake propaganda without verifying facts, how can we expect anything from those who have a degree in entire political science? Apologise and delete or be prepared to face legal action.”

I expected better than this from you. If an educated person like you can fall prey to fake propaganda without verifying facts, how can we expect anything from those who have a degree in entire political science?
Apologise and delete or be prepared to face legal action. https://t.co/eH2iohvdSM

— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) May 23, 2025

After Khera’s post, Bedi had also replied to her own tweet that someone mentioned in the viral message had informed her that the contents of the post were factually incorrect. She added that she urged him to counter the message, but did not delete her post.

I have been informed by someone mentioned in the above forward that the contents in the message are factually incorrect. Am happy to hear if it is. It’s a relief.
I have requested him to counter the message in all fairness, and tag me too for larger reach.

— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) May 23, 2025

Note that this is not the first time Kiran Bedi has posted unverified claims on social media ‘based on shared posts’. Alt News has documented this before. Read: Compilation of Kiran Bedi’s fake WhatsApp forwards

The post UN modified resolution on Pahalgam? Kiran Bedi shares unverified, false claims ‘based on a shared post’ appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

A beef over buff: Vigilantes in Aligarh assaulted Muslims over buffalo meat, booked them for cow slaughter

Shinjinee Majumder — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:08:57 +0000

A strange series events unfolded in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh in the last week of May. A mob with links to Hindutva groups brutally thrashed four Muslim men over suspicion of transporting cow meat. Horrific videos of the assault showed the victims in a bloodied state, stripped as they were beaten black and blue. Lab reports later found no trace of cow meat being transported. However, the police complaint filed by one of the assailants against the victims, invoking the state ban on cow slaughter, remains.

The incident raises several concerns. One, the unchecked rise of cow vigilantism in the country, which seems to be turning into an extortion racket. Two, the state of law and order in Uttar Pradesh. Three, the basic knowledge regarding different kinds of bovine meat and the legal implications of consuming or transporting them, which seems to evade many so-called cow protection activists or gau rakshaks. And lastly, just how easily cow protectionism can be used to target a community.

On May 24, a mob associated with a Hindutva group assaulted four Muslim men, Akeel, Kadeem, Akil and Arbaaj, near Aligarh’s Alhadadpur village for allegedly transporting beef. According to a first information report (FIR) filed by the victims, they were transporting meat from the Al Ammar Meat Factory in Aligarh to Atrauli town in a pickup truck as part of their daily routine.

The Assault

The complaint filed by the victims alleged that Ramkumar Arya, a resident of Harduaganj, and Arjun alias Bholu, allegedly conspired and sent several people as soon as their vehicle reached the road from Paneethi to Sadhu Ashram. These people stopped the vehicle, pulled out these four Muslim men and demanded a sum of Rs 50,000. When two of the men transporting the meat, Akeel and Arbaaj, refused to pay, two men—later identified as Ravindra alias Bunty and Luvkush—ordered the others to beat them up. This mob attacked the transporters with iron rods, sticks, batons, and sharp weapons, besides looting cash and mobile phones. Their vehicle was also set ablaze.

According to the FIR, the victims were in a critical, near-death condition while being held hostage. The assailants allegedly fled from the scene after the police arrived.

Note that the men were transporting meat from one of the factories of Al Ammar Frozen Foods Exports Pvt. Ltd, an Aligarh-based meat company authorised by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to transport and export buffalo meat. The FIR, filed by the father of one of the victims, also alleged that those accused in this case had similarly tried to stop a vehicle from the Al Ammar meat factory 15 days ago and tried to extort a sum of Rs 50,000 then too. At the time, the Akrabad police rescued the vehicle, it said.

Sections 3(5) (common intention), 109 (abetment of offences), 190 (liability of members of unlawful assembly), 191(2) (rioting), 191(3) (rioting with deadly weapons), 308(5) (extortion by threat of death or grievous hurt), and 310(2) (dacoity) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were invoked in the FIR filed on behalf of the victims at Harduaganj police station. Those named as accused in the case are Ramkumar Arya, Arjun (Arjun Singh Bholu), Chetan Lodhi, Shivam Hindu, Ravindra alias Bunty, Luvkush, Anuj Thakur Bhoora, Vijay, Girish Kumar Singh Pradhan, Ankit Mahmoodpur, Rana Ahladpur and Vijay Kumar Guma. There were about 20-25 unnamed assailants.

Update: FIR was registered against VHP leader Ramkumar Arya, BJP leader Arjun Singh, Shivam Hindu and many others for assaulting, looting cash and demanding extortion of Rs 50,000 from meat suppliers. pic.twitter.com/6wCDdjnqpg

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 25, 2025

Interestingly, an FIR was filed against the victims by a man named Vijay Bajrangi, accusing them under sections of the U.P. Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. In this FIR, Bajrangi said he received a tip-off regarding beef being transported on the morning of May 24. He then followed the vehicle on Panaithi Road, Alhadadpur village. Bajrangi alleged that the vehicle tried to crush his bike and he lost balance. Upon seeing this, local labourers and farmers ran towards the spot, and the four men attacked them. Bajrangi claimed he spotted seven decapitated cows in the vehicle. He alleged that the four men were smuggling cow meat after bribing the police with a sum of Rs 3 lakh. He also claimed the same vehicle was brought to the police’s attention 15 days ago for transporting beef.

Bajrangi was among the three people arrested in the case by the Aligarh police on May 26.

Not Cow, Buffalo Meat

On May 28, four days after the incident, Aligarh police revealed that meat from the vehicle was sent for testing and lab reports confirmed it was not cow meat. A Times of India report, citing the Food Science Laboratory’s report, said that the men were transporting buffalo meat. By then, the police had made one more arrest in the case.

थाना हरदुआगंज- अवगत कराना है कि दिनांक 24.05.25 को पनैठी साधु आश्रम मार्ग पर मीट व्यापारियों के साथ मारपीट की घटना कारित की गई, पुलिस टीम द्वारा तत्काल मौके पर पहुँचकर पीडितों को निकालकर अस्पताल में भर्ती कराया गया, दोनो ही पक्षों की तत्काल एफआईआर पंजीकृत की गई, मारपीट करने वाले… pic.twitter.com/454L86TJlz

— ALIGARH POLICE (@aligarhpolice) May 28, 2025

Under Section 5 of the U.P. Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, which was amended through Ordinance in 2020, selling, transporting or offering to sell or transport beef or beef products (beef here refers to cow meat or cow flesh) is banned in the state and is a punishable offence, unless for medicinal reasons. Meat can be imported in sealed containers under certain conditions.

Section 5A of the Act says nobody can transport or offer to transport or cause a cow, bull or bullock to be transported from anywhere within Uttar Pradesh to outside the state, except under a permit issued by an officer authorised by the state government through a notified order and only by the terms and conditions of such a permit. Penalty for breaking the law is punishable with imprisonment for three to 10 years and a fine between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

Note that the state has not banned the sale, transport, export or consumption of buffalo meat (buff) or carabeef. In fact, UP contributes significantly to buffalo meat exports from India. However, a crackdown by cow vigilantes, such as those in Aligarh, has threatened to disrupt business and law and order several times in the past. Armed by the sentiment around cow protectionism without realising the difference between different bovine meats, vigilantes have often attacked certain groups with impunity.

One of the videos of the Aligarh incident that surfaced online precisely illustrates this. The video showed that the vehicle was laden with skinned meat and bovine carcasses. Since these weren’t live animals, the vigilantes had no way of conclusively determining that it was cow meat. However, they still targeted the men transporting it and allegedly tried to extort money. This is not the first instance of cow vigilantes mistaking buffalo meat for beef and targeting a certain community without proof. Something similar happened in Maharashtra last year where an old Muslim man was attacked and threatened on a local train.

On May 31, the Indian Express reported that the Aligarh police would remove sections of cow slaughter from the FIR against the victims. “The provisions related to cow slaughter will be removed since the FSL report confirmed that it was buffalo meat. But if we find other lacunae in meat transportation, permission or under the Cruelty to Animals Act, the relevant sections will be added to the FIR,” Aligarh superintendent of police (rural) Amrit Jain told the publication.

The Assailants

Alt News found that at least two individuals among the assailants named in the FIR had links to the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

One of them is Ramkumar Arya. His Facebook profile bio says he is with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Harigarh. In 2023, a resolution to rename Aligarh as Harigarh was passed in the Municipal Corporation and sent to the state government for consideration.

Arya has another Facebook profile in which he has shared photos of him at events by the Bajrang Dal.

Another video of the Aligarh incident shows a man making a video of the spot where the victims were assaulted. He identifies himself as Chetan from the Bajrang Dal. In the video, towards the end, Chetan says that the carcasses of cows have been found. Referring to those caught as “mullon” (a derogatory term for Muslims), he said they weren’t admitting to their deeds.

After the Aligarh violence, Right-wing groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have distanced themselves from the incident. In a press conference held on May 26, VHP’s department minister Mukesh Rajput said the organisation had nothing to do with the incident. VHP Braj’s social media chief Pratik Raghuvanshi also condemned the allegations levelled against VHP and Bajrang Dal and demanded strict action against those defaming the organisation.

The post A beef over buff: Vigilantes in Aligarh assaulted Muslims over buffalo meat, booked them for cow slaughter appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 2, 2025

KPFA — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 2, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 02 June 2025

Daniel Johnson — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 17:29:14 +0000

UN chief condemns latest Gaza killings linked to private aid planGetting help to Ukraine’s frontline communities Digital platforms in spotlight at UN labour conference

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Republic used Indian creator’s satiric reel on prime time; claimed Pakistani civilians were slamming their country

Prantik Ali — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:11:23 +0000

Social media users are sharing a video of a man ridiculing Pakistan’s claims of victory in the recent four-day conflict with India, which was the most serious military crisis between the two neighbouring countries in decades.

The man in the video ridicules Pakistanis for celebrating an apparent ‘victory’ in the flare-up which saw intense cross-border missile strikes. He states that Pakistan has attained victory, not with regard to technological advances, but with their capacity to tell lies. He further lampoons Pakistan by calling out news agencies and their propensity to spread misinformation. The video is embedded with a caption which reads: “Pakistani influencer exposes Pakistani army and media with brutal satire, reveals ground reality.’

Verified X user Chota Don (@choga_don) posted the viral video, claiming that the man speaking on camera was from Pakistan. This tweet has gathered 10 Lakh views and more than 3,500 re-shares. (Archive)

Dheere dheere Pakistanio ko realise ho rha h, kya hua tha unke sath pic.twitter.com/5riyw82TcL

— Chota Don (@choga_don) May 25, 2025

The same claim was amplified by several other X users. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Click to view slideshow.

The official Instagram handle of the Rajasthan unit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also posted the viral video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RSS Rajasthan (@rssrajasthanorg)

Fact Check

We ran a reverse image search on one of the key-frames from the viral video, which led us to this Instagram reel, uploaded by comedian and model, Anil Singh, on May 19. This is the same video that went viral.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ANIL SINGH (@anil_singh_0009)

By going through his profile, we could discern that the original reel, which featured Singh performing a comic monologue in character, was part of a series of sketches that lampoon political rhetoric in the subcontinent. In this particular video, he plays the character of a Pakistani man.

A link provided in his Instagram bio led us to his YouTube channel, where it is mentioned that Anil Singh is from India.

So, to sum up, an Instagram reel uploaded by an Indian model and content creator by the name of Anil Singh, has gone viral, with users on social media claiming that he is a Pakistani civilian admitting to the deplorable state of affairs in Pakistan.

There is more, and this is where it gets interesting.

Republic TV Ran The Video as Confession of a Pakistani Man

In a blatant case of reporting without any verification, Republic Bharat aired this satirical reel, falsely presenting it as a real confession by a Pakistani civilian.

The clip, originally intended as a comedic skit, was stripped of its context, and repurposed as a confession during a prime-time broadcast, named ‘Yeh Bharat ki Baat Hai’, on May 23.

The comedian, Anil Singh, posted another Instagram reel on May 24, which showed footage of the Republic Bharat broadcast of May 23, which had been aired at 8:56 PM. The anchor, Syed Suhail, says: “Toh Pakistan yeh jashn isliye mana raha hai ki unke awaam ko bata sake – hum haare nahi hai, jeete hai. Lekin awaam unki sab janti hai. Suniye uni ke zubaani kya keh rahi hai – Pakistan jeeta hai ya haara.” (Translation: “Pakistan is celebrating in order to show its people that they didn’t lose, but won. However, their people know the truth. Listen to what they themselves are saying – did Pakistan win or lose?”)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ANIL SINGH (@anil_singh_0009)

Alt News was able to locate the timestamp of the episode where the satirical reel was broadcast, but the section has since been edited out (starting at the 3:40 timestamp).

Anil Singh uploaded another Instagram reel on May 26 which called attention to a corrigendum issued by Republic Bharat, on the May 24 broadcast of the same show. The anchor, Syed Suhail, clarifies that the man shown on the Instagram reel was no Pakistani, and asserts that the show had made no insinuation towards the testimony being that of a Pakistani’s. This is, however, a false claim. The anchor clearly said what he was going to show was a statement from “पाकिस्तान की अवाम” (the common people of Pakistan).

He then ends by issuing an apology, considering that audiences might have leapt to false ideas about that person’s nationality.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ANIL SINGH (@anil_singh_0009)

The post Republic used Indian creator’s satiric reel on prime time; claimed Pakistani civilians were slamming their country appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Assam Police beating up ‘pro-Pakistan Bangladeshis’? Old video from Bengal shared with misleading communal claims

Pawan Kumar — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 07:57:48 +0000

On May 12, 2025, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that three more people had been arrested in his state on charges of sedition, bringing the tally to a total of 56 arrests in Assam since the Pahalgam attack on April 22.

Against this backdrop, a video went viral on social media in which policemen could be seen lathi-charging some people even as they tried to flee. Users shared this video and claimed that Assam Police was teaching a lesson to Bangladeshis who supported Pakistan.

BJP supporter and X user Dilip Dhanraj Gupta shared the video and called it a big breaking news story, writing sarcastically, “The Assam Police is serving Bangladeshis who support Pakistan.” (Archived link)

BIG BREAKING NEWS

Assam Police servicing Pro Pakistani Bangladeshis.#NuclearLeak #OperationSindoor pic.twitter.com/oaur8ICaeO

— DILIP D GUPTA दिलीप धनराज गुप्ता (@dilipguptamp) May 17, 2025

The handle @VoiceOfAxom, followed by PM Narendra Modi, and X user @SaffronSunanda, both of which have been found sharing communal propaganda and misinformation on several occasions, made similar claims while sharing the video. (Archived link 1, link 2)

Click to view slideshow.

Many X users, including KV Iyyer and Chandan Singh, made the same claim. (Archived link 1, link 2)

Fact Check

Alt News took a closer look at the viral video. We found that both the motorcycles seen in the video had license plates that began with the letters ‘WB’, i.e. ‘West Bengal’.

Further on in the video, we also noticed a green house which had ‘Gopalpur Satsang Club’ written on it in Bangla. Gopalpur is a town in Nadia district of the Indian state of West Bengal. This incident is likely to have taken place in Gopalpur, Nadia, West Bengal.

We performed a reverse image search using some frames taken from the video. We found the same video uploaded on a Facebook page called Kokborok Memes on September 7, 2020. However, there is no specific information attached to the video, as to what the matter was.

Wansa rok bujakmani…
Miya
Swi kobor parawo…

Posted by Kokborok memes on Monday 7 September 2020

The same video was shared in 2021 on the YouTube channel Sayem Nabatati as footage of a “police chase during lockdown”. It is worth noting that the policemen seen in the video are seen wearing masks.

Alt News cannot confirm the incident the video relates to, however it has been circulating on social media since at least September 2020. Furthermore, our investigation revealed that this could be an incident from Gopalpur in West Bengal’s Nadia district.

To sum it up, social media users made misleading claims about the Assam Police beating Pakistan supporters by sharing a five-year-old video and falsely stating it was from Assam.

The post Assam Police beating up ‘pro-Pakistan Bangladeshis’? Old video from Bengal shared with misleading communal claims appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Dhaka women’s ‘friendship march’ video falsely shared as West Bengal, inviting filthy comments

Kinjal — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 06:42:33 +0000

A video clip of a group of women raising slogans on the roadside has been gathering a lot of traction on social media. The women in the video are seen holding placards and chanting in Bengali, “চেয়েছিলাম হিসসা, হয়ে গেলাম বেশ্যা’ (We asked for our rights, but we were called prostitutes).

Indian social media users have shared the video with the caption, “Guess which state”, obliquely implying that the clip is from West Bengal. Among them is the X handle of propaganda account Kreately Media. (Archived link)

Guess the state pic.twitter.com/lfxkBTYTZQ

— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) May 24, 2025

Quote-tweeting this post, a number of users directly claimed that the visuals were from West Bengal. One user also suggested that they could tell this was West Bengal without even opening the video. (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3)

Click to view slideshow.

Right-wing user Amitabh Chaudhary, who shares disinformation and propaganda on a regular basis, also posted this clip with the same caption of ‘Guess the state’. In comments, users have made filthy remarks targeting women of West Bengal. (Archived link)

X user @satyaagrahindia also promoted this video. (Archived version)

Fact Check

Alt News performed a reverse image search using frames taken from the video on YouTube. We discovered that Bangladeshi news channel ‘Voice24NEWS’ had posted this video on May 17, 2025. The words ‘নারীর ডাকে মৈত্রী যাত্রা’ (Friendship March convened by Women) are embedded on the clip. The caption also says the same.

The march was held along Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka, a major thoroughfare on the south boundary of the national parliament house Complex. Several media reports covered the event held on May 16 of this year to demand equality for women. (Link 1, Link 2)

Here is a screengrab from BBC Bangla’s video report covering the march:

Bangladeshi newspaper ‘আজকের প্রতিদিন’ also posted a video about the initiative on Facebook. This video report also contains the video clip in question.

নারীর ডাকে মৈত্রী যাত্রা

চেয়েছিলো হিস্যা হয়ে গেলো বে”শ্যা, নারীর ডাকে মৈত্রী যাত্রা
#news #viralvideo #womensmovement #womensrights

Posted by আজকের প্রতিদিন on Thursday 22 May 2025

To sum up, social media users falsely claimed that a clip of a demonstration led by women in Bangladesh was from West Bengal, India.

The post Dhaka women’s ‘friendship march’ video falsely shared as West Bengal, inviting filthy comments appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

Dhaka women’s ‘friendship march’ video falsely shared as West Bengal, inviting filthy comments

Kinjal — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 06:42:33 +0000

Guess the state pic.twitter.com/lfxkBTYTZQ

— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) May 24, 2025

Click to view slideshow.

X user @satyaagrahindia also promoted this video. (Archived version)

Fact Check

Here is a screengrab from BBC Bangla’s video report covering the march:

Bangladeshi newspaper ‘আজকের প্রতিদিন’ also posted a video about the initiative on Facebook. This video report also contains the video clip in question.

নারীর ডাকে মৈত্রী যাত্রা

চেয়েছিলো হিস্যা হয়ে গেলো বে”শ্যা, নারীর ডাকে মৈত্রী যাত্রা
#news #viralvideo #womensmovement #womensrights

Posted by আজকের প্রতিদিন on Thursday 22 May 2025

To sum up, social media users falsely claimed that a clip of a demonstration led by women in Bangladesh was from West Bengal, India.

The post Dhaka women’s ‘friendship march’ video falsely shared as West Bengal, inviting filthy comments appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

Republic, Times, TV9 et al amplified morphed video of Preity Zinta hugging Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Pawan Kumar — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 06:38:36 +0000

Amid military tensions between India and Pakistan, the managers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 9 announced the postponement of the 18th season of the IPL for a week. The first match after the break was played between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 18, in which Punjab Kings won by 10 runs.

Right after this, some media channels ran visuals of Bollywood actress and Punjab Kings owner Preity Zinta embracing Rajasthan Royals’ 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had played an explosive cameo of 40 runs from 15 balls in the match.

In an article on its website, Republic Bharat stated, ‘After the match, Preity Zinta came to meet Vaibhav Suryavanshi and during this time she shook hands with Vaibhav and hugged him’. The channel also shared it on its official X handle @Republic_Bharat. The outlet has now deleted this article.

Click to view slideshow.

The Times of India’s Maharashtra Times, TV9 Gujarati, and Jagbani Punjab Kesari also published news reports making similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

The photos are widespread on Instagram, Facebook, and X with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News noticed that Preity Zinta had replied to Republic Bharat’s post taking umbrage at the outlet amplifying a ‘fake news’ and a ‘morphed photo’. She wrote, “I am surprised that now news channels are also using morphed images and featuring them as news items.”

To crosscheck the actor’s claim, we looked for the post-match video uploaded on May 19 on the official X handle of Rajasthan Royals, @rajasthanroyals. In it, Preity Zinta and Vaibhav Suryavanshi are seen shaking hands and talking. However, the two are not seen hugging each other in the video.

We found a longer video on the YouTube channel of one of the staff working for IPL 2025. In the video, Zinta is seen going up to Vaibhav Suryavanshi, shaking hands with and talking to him, after which she is seen going back to members of her own team to greet them.

Alt News examined the viral images.

We found that Vaibhav Suryavanshi is often seen with a black thread tied on his right hand and a watch on his left hand, while the viral photos show the exact opposite.
Apart from this, the brand logo of Tata IPL 2025 and Jio is also inverted (mirrored).
We compared it with the Rajasthan Royals team jersey. We found that the team jersey has the Jio and Tata IPL 2025 logo on the right sleeve and the Red Bull logo on the left sleeve.
In the viral photos, the Jio and Tata IPL logos are seen in inverted letters on the left hand.

To sum up, the viral photos are morphed. Edited and distorted images were circulated to claim Preity Zinta hugged Vaibhav Suryavanshi. A number of prominent media houses shared it as ‘news’ without any verification. There are clear signs in the viral image of it being morphed, and they are hard to miss, yet it was used by these outlets.

Editor’s Note: While one may question what is newsworthy in the image of two persons hugging, and what is the need to sensationalize it, we understand that it remains a matter of editorial choice. Running a morphed image involving a minor (Vaibhav is 14), however, is lousy and unjustifiable.

The post Republic, Times, TV9 et al amplified morphed video of Preity Zinta hugging Vaibhav Suryavanshi appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Op Sindoor: As Indian media made false, outrageous claims, PIB looked the other way

Shinjinee Majumder — Sat, 31 May 2025 11:43:32 +0000

The second week of May was a busy time for fact-checkers at Union government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) as it put out 68 fact-checks related to Operation Sindoor. While examining the tweets on PIB Fact Check’s official X handle between May 7 and May 16, Alt News noticed a distinct pattern in their selection of who to fact check and who not. One category that was conspicuous in its almost total absence in PIB’s body of work in this crucial period was falsehoods amplified by the Indian mainstream media.

India announced the launch of Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Tensions escalated quickly into intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, leading to deaths of at least 21 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in four days. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an understanding of ceasefire and agreed to stop all firing and military action.

The Indian mainstream newsrooms, where hyper-nationalistic rhetoric bordering on jingoism has been the norm for quite some now, went absolutely berserk in these four days of armed conflict. Anchors and self-proclaimed defence experts made outrageous claims such as the destruction of the Karachi port by the Indian Navy, India attacking Islamabad, and even Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif surrendering to Indian forces. On innumerable occasions, they showed unrelated, old visuals in adrenaline-driven prime-time shows, falsely linking them to the ongoing conflict, without any verification.

A detailed study of PIB fact checks from this period by Alt News shows that it chose not to call out media outlets for making false, baseless and misleading claims regarding Operation Sindoor. Out of 68 fact checks shared on its official X handle, only two concerned media outlets.

The PIB fact-check unit was set up in 2019 following the then Vice-President of India, Venkaiah Naidu, expressing concern over the spread of ‘fake news’. The official website does not mention the methodology or scope of PIB’s fact-checking work. The Facebook page states that it debunks misinformation related to government policies and schemes.

The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) on January 17, 2019, uploaded a new draft of amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which proposed that information identified as ‘fake or false’ by the PIB or any other agency authorized by the Union government be taken down by ‘intermediaries’.

At the time, Alt News had reported on the glaring gaps in PIB’s work in the domain of fact-checking. For instance, we noticed that while PIB had fact-checked misinformation by Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and activist-turned-TMC MP Saket Gokhale several times, not once did they fact-check a claim by any BJP leader. We also documented how PIB had flagged multiple YouTube channels and videos which were anti-BJP in nature.

Alt News noted a similar pattern during the post-Operation Sindoor India-Pakistan conflict.

The graphic below shows that during the flare-up PIB skipped fact-checking false claims by media houses, while independent outlets (Alt News, Boom Live and WebQoof by The Quint) did debunk misreports by these houses. The yellow column shows whether the media house in question has been fact-checked at least once by either Alt News, Boom Live, or WebQoof. The white column shows whether the media house in question has been fact-checked by PIB.

As readers can see, PIB fact-checked media outlets all but twice.

One of the two was a fact-check of claims about the “temporary closure of services on the Delhi-Mumbai airline route.” The accompanying tweet featured a screenshot from an NDTV news bulletin carrying the same claim, stamped with the word “Fake.”

It is being claimed that there is a temporary closure of services on Delhi-Mumbai airline route.#PIBFactCheck

This claim is #FAKE

The Airports Authority of India has extended the temporary closure of 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi &… pic.twitter.com/jdC630a1BA

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 9, 2025

The second was a quote-tweet of a post by the official handle of the district collector and magistrate of Jaipur, debunking a video shared by Times Now. The channel had claimed that explosions were heard at Jaipur airport. The collector clarified that the claim was false, and PIB amplified the statement.

Jaipur Airport is Safe

Claims are circulating that explosions were heard at #Jaipur Airport.#PIBFactCheck

These claims are FAKE

Here is the clarification from the District Collector & Magistrate, Jaipur

https://t.co/qqbbFgGZ7x pic.twitter.com/rijeLipwhY

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 9, 2025

To Name or Not to Name, That is the Question

We also noticed something interesting in a tweet by PIB fact check on May 15, in which they pointed out that Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar had been misquoted by “several news channels and social media posts” regarding claims that Chinese satellites had been aiding Pakistan. The tweet included a screengrab of a India Today bulletin, but the channel’s name and logo had been blurred out.

Several news channels and social media posts have claimed that External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar stated Chinese satellites helped Pakistan.#PIBFactCheck:

EAM is being misquoted and he has not made this statement

Remain vigilant and avoid falling for deceptive… pic.twitter.com/qc5pUn98Wi

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 15, 2025

Several X users urged the agency to reveal the name of the outlet. The comparison below clearly establishes that it was India Today. We found several similar graphics, with the same header saying ‘Operation Sindoor’, the same font of text and the same red background on India Today’s YouTube channel.

In contrast, PIB explicitly named the international media outlet Al Jazeera in two recent fact checks. On May 12, it debunked Al Jazeera’s claim that an Indian female pilot was in Pakistani custody. Earlier, on May 10, it called out the outlet again for reporting that 10 explosions had occurred near Srinagar airport following a ceasefire announcement.

Another glaring example of PIB’s selective fact-checking was its focus on viral gaming footage shared as visuals from the war, while ignoring similar misreports by mainstream media. In a thread, PIB asked its readers to be vigilant and not “fall prey to such propaganda posts” of gaming footage being circulated as visuals of war. At the same time, Aaj Tak aired gaming footage claiming it showed missiles being fired from India, which was not fact-checked by PIB.

A Glimpse of What PIB Chose not to Fact-check

On May 9, several mainstream Indian news channels dramatically reported that the Indian Navy had destroyed Karachi port. The coverage was presented as exclusive breaking news, replete with sirens, distant artillery sounds, and dramatic visuals.

Aaj Tak’s Anjana Om Kashyap said on air, “…Karachi par bhi Bharatiya navsena ki bhishan hamla. Yeh saaf bata rahaa ki chaari taraf se-ab hum sagar ke bhi taraf se gherna mein kamyaab ho rahe hai…” (Translation: Shweta, there has been a fierce attack by the Indian Navy on Karachi as well. This clearly shows that we are now succeeding in surrounding them from all sides, including from the sea.) Two visuals were shown on Aaj Tak as the attack on Karachi, and both videos were found by Alt News to be old, unrelated footage.

A similar tone of reporting was adopted by Zee News anchor Ram Mohan Sharma, who said “breaking news” just came in that Karachi port had been destroyed. “Is waqt ek bohot badi khabar mil rahi hai, samundar se Pakistan par ek bada action liya gaya hai… Is waqt ki bohot badi khabar, badi jaanakari iss waqt ki Karachi port tabah kar diya gaya hai! Navsena ne, Navy ne Karachi port ko tabah kar diya hai…” (Translation: We’re getting a major update at this moment. A significant action has been taken against Pakistan from the sea. Breaking news right now, important information coming in… The Karachi port has been destroyed. The Navy, the Indian Navy, has destroyed the Karachi port.)

The Karachi port had been ‘destroyed’ in several other newsrooms on the night of May 9, including India Today, TV9 Bharatvarsh and ABP News. The following morning, around 8:40 am, the Karachi Port Trust issued an official statement calling the Indian media reports “completely false and baseless,” and confirmed that the port was “operating normally and securely.”

The Karachi port claim is only the tip of the iceberg, as far as media misreports go. For instance, Zee News, News18, News18 Bihar Jharkhand, OneIndia and propaganda outlet Sudarshan News all claimed that Islamabad was under attack by the Indian armed forces, which soon turned to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s house being under attack. Zee News even claimed that Sharif had surrendered. However, there is not a single credible source from either country confirming the attacks on Sharif’s house. Nor is there any report or credible information on PM Sharif surrendering.

Several mainstream media outlets, including Republic, CNN News18, ABP News, and Zee News, reported that a Lashkar terrorist named Qari Mohammad Iqbal had been killed during Operation Sindoor. The reports went to the extent of claiming that Iqbal was in hiding in Kotli, Pakistan, one of the locations targeted by the Indian armed forces in the operation. However, Alt News found that Iqbal, a resident of Poonch in Kashmir, was one of the civilians killed during the cross-border shelling by Pakistan. He was a teacher at a local high school in Poonch. Iqbal’s family also issued a statement condemning the blatant misinformation that was amplified by media channels. Our detailed report can be read here.

Click to view slideshow.

News outlets Mathrubhumi, DNA, OneIndia and Great Andhra published articles claiming Asim Munir, chief of the army staff, Pakistan, had resigned and was to be replaced by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. Like the aforementioned examples, there was not a single credible source that affirmed this. Fact-checking outlet BoomLive spoke to Pakistani news outlet Dawn’s deputy editor Zahrah Mazhar who said that there was no indication of Munir’s resignation.

ALSO READ: Mass resignations in Pakistan army after Pahalgam attack? Media outlets’ reportage based on fabricated letter

Media outlets Firstpost, NDTV, Free Press Journal and The Statesman also reported on a deepfake video showing Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director general of inter-services public relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan armed forces, admitting to losing two fighter jets amidst an escalating military conflict as a real statement.

Alongside these, several unverified videos and images were aired by mainstream media outlets. For example, a four-year-old video of Israel’s air defence system, the Iron Dome, was played by news channels with varied claims. Zee News, Times Now Navbharat and others aired the video linking it to the purported Karachi port destruction, while some others, like Aaj Tak, aired the clip claiming it to be visuals from the attack on Jaisalmer.

Again, a video broadcast by ABP Ananda and TV9 Bangla, among others, purportedly showing the situation in Pakistan after a strike by the Indian armed forces turned out to be three-month-old footage from a jet crash site in Philadelphia.

For reasons unknown, PIB Fact Check chose not to debunk any of these, though these falsehoods were consumed by crores of Indian television viewers. When one considers that most of these channels run pro-government propaganda in the name of news round the year, one begins to wonder if there was a method in the madness.

Even as the Indian mainstream channels drew flak from the international media for incessantly putting out false information during the conflict, BJP platformed Sushant Sinha, the consulting editor of Times Now NavBharat, to justify the blatant lies. In a video tweeted from the official X handle of BJP, Sinha slammed the ‘propaganda’ by those who called out misreports by the mainstream media. The falsehoods should be acceptable in national interest, Sinha observed, repeatedly referring to those who exposed outrageous falsehoods peddled by the media as a ‘two-rupee ecosystem’. With each passing minute in the 9-minute monologue, Sinha’s desperate defence of fake news, though fervent, became more and more bizarre. The ‘consulting editor’ went to the length of saying that when a ‘breaking news’ would come in, if the anchor would be live on air, he would have no time to verify it. Even if it turned out to be false, asking counter questions was an ‘anti-national’ agenda’, he declared.

ALSO READ: The fictional strikes on the Karachi port and what it says about Indian media

The post Op Sindoor: As Indian media made false, outrageous claims, PIB looked the other way appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

News outlets first publish, then delete reports based on fake video of Pak’s Ahmed Sharif ‘confirming’ loss of jets

Ankita Mahalanobish — Sat, 31 May 2025 08:34:12 +0000

In a viral video, Pakistan’s lieutenant general Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, who is the director general (DG) of the inter-services public relations (ISPR) for the country’s armed forces, admitted that two JF-17 aircraft belonging to Pakistan were lost in combat after India launched Operation Sindoor.

In the video, Sharif addresses the press as saying, “Thank you for being with us today, following the developments of Operation Sindoor, we find it’s important to offer transparency and reaffirm our enduring commitment to regional stability. The operation saw intense engagement along the Eastern corridor. We regret to confirm that two JF-17 aircraft were lost during active duty. Yeh ruksaan hamare liye sirf numbers nahi ek jazbaati dhakka hai. (This loss is not just about numbers for us—it’s an emotional blow). We also suffered damage to civilian infrastructure and casualties among our brave service members. Shaheedo ke gharwaalon ke liye hamari duaen hai. (Our prayers are with the families of the martyrs). Their sacrifice will always be honoured. In the Pahalgam axis, significant tactical shifts were observed. The situation is still developing and we are monitoring it closely. Strategic consequence saamne aa rahe hai (are coming to light) and we are prepared to respond accordingly. Let me say this clearly, Pakistan does not believe in war. Humne har dafa sabr se kaam liya hai, (We have always exercised patience) despite serious provocation. Our aim has never been escalation but stability and peace. Sovereignty ka tahafoos hamari zimmedaari hai (Protecting sovereignty is our responsibility). But so is our role in ensuring a peaceful future for our region. We urge our counterparts to choose dialogue over aggression. Jang ka bojh sirf sipahi nahi, har ghar uthaata hai. (The burden of war is not borne by the soldier alone—but their whole family). Pakistan stands for regional peace, mutual dignity and the principles of international conduct. Aman ka rasta mushkil zaroor hai lekin zaroor. (The path to peace is certainly difficult — but necessary)…”

On May 8, News18 Bangla shared a portion of this clip on their broadcast, stating that Pakistan officials confirmed the loss of two JF-17 aircraft. The video has now been taken down.

The same day, Times of India also published a report titled “Pakistan admits India shot down 2 of its JK-17 jets”. However, since then, the news outlet has tweaked the report’s headline and content. The URL, which was generated from the old headline, remains the same. Screenshots below of archived versions suggest that ToI first published and then modified the headline and content of the story entirely.

Click to view slideshow.

Another news outlet, The Statesman, also published an article with a title, “India downs Pak’s two JF-17, DG ISPR admits to the loss”. The story seems to have been taken down because the URL redirects to the Statesman’s homepage now. Similarly, the Free Press Journal published a piece titled “Ek jasbati dhakka hai: Pakistan army admits India shot down 2 JF-17 Jets (WATCH)”. This story, too, has been taken down now. Below are screenshots of archived versions (Statesman archive, FPJ archive).

Several social media users, including X users Gaurav Singh (@Gaurav_Shade), Sudhir (@seriousfunnyguy), Ocean Jain (@ocjain4) shared versions of the video with similar claims. On YouTube, channel TheJaipurDialogues also shared it. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

Pak agree to two JF17 lost#Jammu #DroneAttack pic.twitter.com/BkGYJe9Cqs

— Gaurav Singh (@Gaurav_Shade) May 8, 2025

It is to inform our readers that Ocean Jain has been fact-checked several times by Alt News for spreading misinformation on social media platforms.

A Facebook page, The Trident: Military and Space, also uploaded a 1:37-minute video and echoing similar claims. (archive)

Breaking News

पाकिस्तान के दो एफ-16 लड़ाकू विमान मार गिराए गए

पाकिस्तान को अब तक कुल नुकसान

1. 2 चीनी JF 17
2. 1 F16
3. 8-10 पाक मिसाइलें
4. 30+ ड्रोन pic.twitter.com/nnXwVInwRC

— Ocean Jain (@ocjain4) May 8, 2025

Several others also shared his video with similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We examined the full 1:37-minute video and noticed several discrepancies in the lip sync while Sharif was speaking. This raised concerns that the video may potentially be manipulated. We conducted a reverse image search on several key frames to verify the video’s authenticity. This led us to a Facebook live video by a Pakistani news outlet “News Alert” from December 27, 2024.

ڈی جی آئی ایس پی آر لیفٹیننٹ جنرل احمد شریف چودھری کی اہم پریس کانفرنس

ڈی جی آئی ایس پی آر لیفٹیننٹ جنرل احمد شریف چودھری کی اہم پریس کانفرنس

Posted by News Alert on Friday 27 December 2024

We then found the same video on the YouTube channel of the ISPR. On December 27, 2024, Ahmed Sharif had addressed the media during a press conference focused on key national security and regional developments.

On looking closely, we were able to confirm that this was the original video that has been manipulated and is being circulated after Operation Sindoor was launched.

At the 0:39-minute mark of the 1:37-minute version of the viral video, several journalists can be seen taking notes. We compared this frame with a similar one from the December 27, 2024 video and found striking similarities: the same group of journalists, wearing identical outfits and seated in the same order. The comparison below outlines this:

We then used Hive Moderation, an AI-detection tool, to analyse the video. The result revealed that the audio in the video was 99% AI-generated, whereas the visuals were likely to be 3% AI-generated and mostly real.

Click to view slideshow.

To sum up, the viral video of lieutenant general Ahmed Sharif, Pakistan’s DG-ISPR, “confirming” the loss of two of their JK-17 aircraft during active duty is fake and doctored. The visuals in the video are sourced from a press conference held by the ISPR in December, 2024 and the audio is most likely AI-generated, our findings show. Several news outlets first reported based on this fake video and later took them down.

The post News outlets first publish, then delete reports based on fake video of Pak’s Ahmed Sharif ‘confirming’ loss of jets appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 30, 2025

KPFA — Fri, 30 May 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 30, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Kyrgyz authorities raid homes, offices of Kloop news staff, arrest 8

CPJ Staff — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:47:07 +0000

New York, May 30, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kyrgyz authorities to end the legal persecution of eight former and current Kloop news website staffers arrested this week—including journalists Aleksandr Aleksandrov and Joomart Duulatov, who on Friday were remanded into pretrial detention until July 21 on charges of calling for mass unrest.

“Following Kloop’s forced shutdown last year, the arrest of eight current and former Kloop staffers and incitement charges against journalists Aleksandr Aleksandrov and Joomart Duulatov is a grave escalation of Kyrgyz authorities’ vendetta against Kloop for its critical coverage of government corruption,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director. “All press members swept up in these targeted raids must be released without delay.”

Between Wednesday and Friday, officers with Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS) raided Kloop’s offices and the homes of journalists and staffers in the capital of Bishkek and the southern city of Osh, seizing electronic devices, before taking them to SCNS offices for questioning, according to multiple reports.

Kloop founder Rinat Tuhvatshin called the arrests “abductions,” stating that the SCNS conducted searches and questioned the journalists without lawyers present and did not allow them to make any phone calls.

In a May 30 statement, the SCNS accused Kloop of continuing to work despite the liquidation of its legal entity and said its “illegal work” was “aimed at provoking public discontent … for the subsequent organization of mass unrest.”

With Aleksandrov and Duulatov, an unnamed Kloop accountant detained Friday also remained in SCNS custody. If found guilty on the incitement charges, Aleksandrov and Duulatov could face up to eight years in prison.

A local partner in the global investigative network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Kloop regularly reports on alleged corruption and abuses by government officials. The outlet’s website has been blocked in Kyrgyzstan since 2023.

The charges against Aleksandrov and Duulatov echo those brought last year against 11 current and former staffers of investigative outlet Temirov Live.

CPJ’s email to SCNS for comment did not immediately receive a reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

UN News Today 30 May 2025

Dianne Penn — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:11:57 +0000

Gaza ‘hungriest place on earth’ as Israel blocks aid: UN humanitarians WHO urges countries to ban flavoured tobacco and nicotine products DR Congo: Violence in Ituri pushes more children out of school

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dianne Penn.

AI-generated video of Donald Trump ‘roasting’ Indian Air Force goes viral

Ankita Mahalanobish — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:15:06 +0000

A YouTube short in which United States President Donald Trump is taking a swipe at Indian Air Force pilots over reports of Rafale jets being struck down by Pakistan in the latest conflict is being widely circulated on social media. In the video, Trump quotes French officials as saying, “It’s not the jets, it’s the pilots.” He then adds it may be time for India to take some “flying lessons or at least read the manual”. “You don’t win wars with price tags, you win with skill and leadership,” he says.

His remarks came after the latest flare-up between India and Pakistan. Days after a terror group with alleged links to Pakistan killed 26 civilians in Kashmir’s Pahalgam India launched military strikes targeting several terror bases in the neighbouring country. Following the Indian strike on May 7, labelled Operation Sindoor, Pakistan retaliated with heavy shelling. Conflict between the two countries escalated in the next few days before a ceasefire was announced on May 10. Amid the skirmishes, there were some reports that Pakistan had struck down Indian fighter jets and that some wreckage was found in border areas. Manufactured by France‘s Dassault Aviation, Rafales are key combat aircraft deployed by the Indian Air Force, among other fighter jets.

In the viral video, titled ‘Trump Roasts Indian Air Force: Rafales Got Smoked – France Blames the Pilots!’ the US President claims that Pakistan took down these aircraft with ease, comparing the scene with the video game Call of Duty. Note that the Indian defence forces did say they suffered some damage to equipment and facilities, but neither confirmed nor denied reports that they lost Rafale jets.

On May 28, veteran journalist Tavleen Singh shared the video on X. She said that if the video was not fake, Trump’s stance on Operation Sindoor was worth taking note of. (Archive)

If this is not a fake we should be clear that Trump is not impressed with Operation Sindoor.
Trump Roasts Indian Air Force: ‘Rafales Got Smoked – France Blames the P… https://t.co/Dr1YPygWm8 via @YouTube

— Tavleen Singh (@tavleen_singh) May 28, 2025

At the time of writing this, the post garnered 250,000 views.

Another X user, BaconEinstein (@PhotonFiasco), also shared the YouTube video with a caption suggesting that Trump’s stance was not like an ally’s. (Archive)

This Mf #Trump is a friend of India or the biggest enemy?! At least his recent series of activities suggest so!

Trump Roasts Indian Air Force: ‘Rafales Got Smoked – France Blames the P… https://t.co/jY1V4l9SIV via @YouTube

— BaconEinstein (@PhotonFiasco) May 24, 2025

Facebook user Bhagwan Jotwani shared the video on May 17, alleging that Trump keeps changing his position, calling him “unpredictable”. (Archive)

Several other social media users also shared the video, making similar claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We first looked for news reports using keywords from Trump’s statements, but this did not yield any credible results.

We then carefully looked at the video and noticed that Trump appears only in the first four seconds. We also found evident discrepancies in the lip sync.

Next, we checked the description of the video. Here, it clearly says that the video is generated using artificial intelligence and for entertainment.

We then looked at other videos on the channel, EZ Money, and found several ones where Trump is making controversial remarks on India and Pakistan.

Click to view slideshow.

The description of the YouTube channel explicitly says that it makes videos of imagined speeches, “where famous voices speak the words the world wants to hear”.

To sum up, the video is AI generated and does not depict a real instance. Donald Trump did not make any such statement publicly, at least till this article was published. Also, although renowned columnist Tavleen Singh did add a disclaimer saying, “If this is not a fake…” she still shared it, which may have resulted in many believing it or several others amplifying it.

The post AI-generated video of Donald Trump ‘roasting’ Indian Air Force goes viral appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Egyptian journalist Rasha Qandeel charged with spreading ‘false news’ after political reports.

CPJ Staff — Thu, 29 May 2025 20:45:53 +0000

Washington, D.C., May 29, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to end the prosecution of journalist Rasha Qandeel, who was summoned May 25, interrogated, and charged with “spreading and broadcasting false news inside and outside the country” after her reports on Egypt’s social, political and economic developments for the independent media platform Sotour.

The Supreme State Security Prosecution released Qandeel the same day on bail of 50,000 Egyptian pounds (about US$1,004).

“Accusing Qandeel after questioning her journalistic integrity is another example of Egypt’s legal harassment and use of vague charges to silence independent voices,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “We urge Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against her and stop targeting independent journalism.”

Qandeel, a well-known former BBC Arabic presenter, said she has faced increased verbal attacks from pro-regime Egyptian media presenters after publishing articles last month criticizing the Egyptian army’s arms purchases amid the country’s economic hardships.

If convicted, Qandeel could face up to five years in prison, a fine up to half a million Egyptian pounds, or both, under Article 80(d) of the Penal Code—a provision that raises penalties for spreading “false news” abroad.

Qandeel told Cairo-based news outlet Al-Manassa that the charges followed 31 citizen complaints filed over two weeks in May—all related to investigative reports she published last year.

Egypt ranked as the sixth-worst country globally for press freedom last year, with 17 journalists behind bars.

CPJ’s request for comment from the Egyptian Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding Qandeel’s case did not receive an immediate response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

The dark side of Texas’s #crypto boom…

The Real News Network — Thu, 29 May 2025 19:35:56 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 29, 2025

KPFA — Thu, 29 May 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 29, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

UN News Today 29 May 2025

Matt Wells — Thu, 29 May 2025 17:25:54 +0000

WFP food warehouse stormed by desperate civilians, as starvation loomsThe UN honours the service and sacrifice of peacekeepersA new $15 million initiative to boost sustainable development in the Congo Basin

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Matt Wells.

Not a pro-Pakistan rally in Kerala, these videos are of Indian Union Muslim League’s protests against Waqf Act

Ankita Mahalanobish — Thu, 29 May 2025 17:15:59 +0000

A video of men in green jerseys sloganeering in Malayalam is being dubbed as pro-Pakistan activism in Kerala by social media users. In the video, the men are waving green flags that have a crescent moon and a star.

X user Anoop Antony Joseph (@AnoopKaippalli), former national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), BJP’s youth wing, shared the video on April 19, 2025, with a snide comment on secularism in the state. (Archive)

‘Secular Kerala!’ pic.twitter.com/4C8kirSuOy

— Anoop Antony Joseph (@AnoopKaippalli) April 19, 2025

The post had garnered 145,000 views at the time of writing this.

Pro-Right X user, Raushan Sinha (@MrSinha_), also shared the video, urging people to notice the jersey, flags, and the Islamic slogans. “No this isn’t Pakistan, or Bangladesh but Kerala…. Yes an Indian state…We are doomed,” he wrote. (Archive)

Look at their clothes, flags, Islamic slogans….
No this isn’t Pakistan, or Bangladesh but Kerala…. Yes an Indian state…

We are doomed…pic.twitter.com/HyO98HvvwW

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) April 19, 2025

The post had racked up over 800,000 views at the time of writing this.

Note that Alt News has fact-checked misinformation shared by this user on multiple occasions.

Another X account, Rocket Scientist (@Rockumon), shared the purported video and alleged that the men in the video wore wearing Pakistan-linked jerseys, waved Pakistani flags, and yet Kerala is called secular. (Archive)

The dress is Pakistani, the flag is Pakistani, the soul and voice echo Pakistan — all in the name of religion. Yet they still call it secular Kerala. pic.twitter.com/GDqrutlCIT

— Rocket Scientist (@Rockumon) April 19, 2025

Pakistan-based X user @lmrankhanISP1, whose account is currently withheld in India, shared a similar video on April 25, claiming that Kerala stood with Pakistan. The slogans used by demonstrators in this video were slightly different from the ones above. (Archive)

Alt News received several requests to fact check the video and claims on WhatsApp (+91 7600011160).

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We first asked someone familiar with the language to translate what the sloganeering was referring to.

It roughly translates to:

“We are raised in green
Let us say it clearly
We are CH’s blood
We are CH’s kids
We are the kids from/of Panakkad
Green indeed, we are green
We are raised in green
Let us say it clearly
We are CH’s kids
We are CH’s blood
Muslim League… Muslim League…”

The person who translated this also told us that CH here refers to C H Mohammed Koya, former leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Slogans in the second video shared by the Pakistan-based account translate to:

“The star of Panakkad that god created for this community
Ya Sayyad Sadiq Ali Thangal, you
Lead us with courage…”

Sayyad Sadiq Ali Thangal is the leader of IUML in Panakkad. Thus slogans used by the demonstrators in both videos have no mention of Pakistan.

Second, we took a close look at the jerseys in the two videos and found “Arangadi” written on them. This is a village in the Kanhangad municipality of Kasaragod district in Kerala. So, the jerseys don’t have a Pakistan link.

Thirdly, the green flags in the demonstrations were of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and not Pakistan. The Pakistan flag, while also green and bearing the crescent moon and star, has a white band on the left.

Fourthly, to understand what the demonstration in the videos was about, we did a reverse-image search on some key frames. This led us to an Instagram account @arangadi_official_page that had uploaded a video on April 16, 2025, with the caption ‘Kozhikode’. Note that this is the official page of the IUML Arandagi and the video was identical to the one shared by the Pakistan-based account.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ARANGADI (@arangadi_official_page)

While going through this Instagram page, we also found a video shared on April 25 where the same people in the viral clip are seen from a different angle. The caption translates to, “It’s sad to see so many idiots who don’t even know which (is the) league’s flag (and which) is Pakistan’s. Try to comment only after you understand what this demonstration is for. The idiots are misleading you, be careful ”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ARANGADI (@arangadi_official_page)

We compared the viral clip and the one on this page for clarity below:

We also found a poster shared by the same account on April 15, 2025, asking people to join a rally against the amendment of the Waqf Act the following day (April 16).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ARANGADI (@arangadi_official_page)

To corroborate that the demonstration was related to the passage of the Waqf Bill (now Act), we looked for news reports from around that time. A Times of India report said that on April 16, the IUML staged a major Waqf protection rally in Kozhikode. Note that there were nationwide protests against the Waqf Amendment Bill around that period. On April 16, Maktoob Media also reported that many people joined the IUML protest against the new Waqf law in Kozhikode.

So, the rally or demonstration was related to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, that was approved by the Parliament in the first week of April. It had nothing to do with Pakistan.

To sum up, the two viral clips showing men in green jerseys and waving green flags sloganeering are not of a pro-Pakistan demonstration in Kerala but of protests by members of the Indian Union Muslim League, Arangadi. The protests were regarding the amendments to the Waqf Board and Council that was approved by the Parliament. Also, the flags in the footage are IUML flags, not Pakistan and the jerseys, too, are unrelated to the neighbouring country.

The post Not a pro-Pakistan rally in Kerala, these videos are of Indian Union Muslim League’s protests against Waqf Act appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

ICE, Asylum, and Why the Border Crisis Isn’t What You Think | Shane Smith Has Questions | Vice News

VICE News — Thu, 29 May 2025 16:02:32 +0000

This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

Wailing woman in viral clip is not the one in the Manohar Lal Dhakad sex video

Prantik Ali — Thu, 29 May 2025 07:30:31 +0000

Days after the video of Manohar Lal Dhakad’s middle-of-the-road sexual act went viral, another video of a wailing woman is being widely shared on social media. She narrates how she has been mistreated by the police. The woman also adds that her entire family is under threat, and implores viewers to protect them.

The video comes with an embedded text which connects it to the controversy surrounding Manohar Lal Dhakad, a political figure with BJP links from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district. Dhakad’s video, in which he was seen engaging in sexual acts with a woman on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, began circulating online around May 22. The incident had occurred on May 13, and was captured by CCTV cameras installed along the expressway. Dhakad was arrested on May 25.

Users on social media have suggested that the woman seen wailing in the video is named Lubna Qureshi, and she is the same woman who is seen in the viral video with Dhakad.

A verified X user, @riddle4uforever, posted the viral video. At the time of this article being written, the post has managed to gather around 2.75 Lakh views, and has been re-tweeted almost 350 times. (Archive)

यही हैं वो मनोहरलाल धाकड़ के साथ हाईवे वाली लुबना कुरैशी अब रो रही हैं
ये पहले सोचना चाहिए था रोड़ शो करने से पहले!#लुबना_कुरैशी pic.twitter.com/4QqeKjyWmq

— AK (@riddle4uforever) May 27, 2025

Another verified X user, @Ra_Bies, shared the viral video with the same claim. (Archive)

I feel bad for this woman. Iss bechari ki kya galti hai
pic.twitter.com/JHfjH4HsXa

— Ra_Bies 3.0 (@Ra_Bies) May 27, 2025

The same video was shared with similar claims by other users as well. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We ran a reverse image search on one of the key-frames from the viral video, and were led to an Instagram post from August 22, 2024 by a user named bikaner_ki_sherni_sonu. This post has the same video that is now viral. The user has over 1 million followers.

Here is a screenshot of the post:

Here is the video. The viral part begins from the 00.28-minute mark.

We probed further to find out more about the woman in the clip, and came across this news report, published by the Rajasthan unit of Zee News , on August 22, 2024. It states that the woman, whose real name is Monika Rajpurohit, was apprehended by police for promoting narcotics by making reels with opium on social media platforms. Bikaner Police also carried out a raid on Monica Rajpurohit’s house on suspicion of drug smuggling, following which around 200 grams of poppy husk was discovered at her house.

We came across several other reports, from NewsTak, The Lallantop, and Aaj Tak, that corroborated our findings.

Click to view slideshow.

Moreover, the official X handle of Bikaner Police (@Bikaner_Police) had also tweeted about the arrest, on August 21, 2024.

सोशल मीडिया पर अफीम का प्रचार करना पड़ा महंगा,
– 200 ग्राम डोडा पोस्त सहित गिरफ्तार
– jnvc पुलिस ने की कार्यवाही
#social_media_पर_बीकानेर_पुलिस_की_#पैनी_नजर #Rajasthanpolice #Bikanerpolice #Tejaswanigautam pic.twitter.com/FqB5JLmGSW

— Bikaner Police (@Bikaner_Police) August 21, 2024

Readers should also note the identity of the woman seen in the video with Manohar Lal Dhakad has not been ascertained yet, according to publicly available information. A Times of India report says that the authorities were yet to identify the woman. It adds that the police, despite interrogating Dhakad for a few hours, were unable to get any details on who he was with that night.

To conclude, a video, showing a woman breaking down, and entreating viewers to help protect her family, is falsely viral in the context of the Manoharlal Dhakad controversy. Users on social media have suggested that the woman is named Lubna Qureshi, and was involved in the sexual act with Dhakad, footage of which went viral around May 22, 2025. However, in reality, the video dates back to August 2024, and shows a social media content creator named Monica Rajpurohit who was implicated on charges of possession of opium, after a reel showing her consuming opium went viral on the internet.

The post Wailing woman in viral clip is not the one in the Manohar Lal Dhakad sex video appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Allegations that same person posed as porter on one occasion and DU student on another with Rahul Gandhi baseless

Prantik Ali — Thu, 29 May 2025 06:32:36 +0000

In a veiled attack on Congress, several social media users implied that party leader Rahul Gandhi was giving the false impression of interacting with different sets of people. Comparing his interactions from two separate occasions, they said the same person could be seen sitting with Gandhi, once dressed as a coolie or railway porter and then appearing as a student of Delhi University.

Verified X user (@BeingPolitical1) shared the images of his interactions side-by-side, alleging that the same person was doubling as a porter and a student on different days. At the time of this article being written, the post racked up nearly 800,000 views and was reshared 5,000 times. (Archive)

Rahul Gandhi Drama Company

Ek din Coolie
Ek din Du ka student pic.twitter.com/u1hyGX5Xln

— Being Political (@BeingPolitical1) May 27, 2025

The pro-Right X handle, Hindutva Knight (@HPhobiaWatch), also shared the images with a similar claim. Alt News has previously called out this user for amplifying communal misinformation. (Archive)

US Polo shirt wearing DU student on odd days
Adidas shoe wearing Coolie on even days

This is how India became 4th largest economy under Modi Govt pic.twitter.com/rOiesqt9hm

— Hindutva Knight (@HPhobiaWatch) May 27, 2025

Another X user, Jitendra Pratap Singh (@jpsin1), also posted the comparison images with the same claim. (Archive)

वही कभी कुली बन जाते हैं वही कभी डियू के स्टूडेंट बन जाते हैं।

साला इसमें भी घोटाला
pic.twitter.com/8UQPQDg9ua

— Jitendra pratap singh (@jpsin1) May 27, 2025

Other X users, such as @rahuldev2, @BesuraTaansane and @ChandanSharmaG also amplified these allegations. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

To verify the authenticity of the claims, we first looked for the source images used in the comparison.

On March 1, 2025, Rahul Gandhi shared some images from his meeting with porters at the New Delhi Railway Station. The Congress leader was thanking them for their service following the stampede that took place at the station on February 15, when the Maha Kumbh Mela was underway, in which at least 18 died, and many were injured.

अक्सर सबसे अंधकार भरे समय में ही इंसानियत की रोशनी सबसे ज़्यादा चमकती है।

नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन पर भगदड़ के दौरान कुली भाइयों ने इंसानियत की मिसाल पेश करते हुए कई यात्रियों की जान बचाई थी। इसके लिए मैंने देशवासियों की ओर से आज उनका धन्यवाद किया।

लेकिन ऐसे हादसों से सीख लेना… pic.twitter.com/w4DHfrGEdH

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 1, 2025

We also found a video of this interaction uploaded on Rahul Gandhi’s official YouTube channel on March 5.

The other picture, which allegedly shows the same person appearing to be a student, has been taken from a meeting between Rahul Gandhi and the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU). The official X handle of the Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) had posted about this meeting on May 27.

LoP Shri @RahulGandhi interacted with DUSU students and united in the fight against BJP/RSS’s anti-reservation agenda.

“Not Found Suitable” (NFS) is the new face of Manuvad , a deliberate tool to exclude SC/ST/OBC candidates from education and leadership roles.

At Delhi… pic.twitter.com/o6zHdFSDu1

— Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) May 27, 2025

A video of this interaction was also shared on Gandhi’s YouTube channel on May 27.

Based on these images and videos, we closely examined the two people that social media users claimed were the same person. The comparison below clearly shows that these allegations do not hold water.

Alt News was also able to confirm the identity of the person highlighted in the DUSU meeting. He is Lokesh Choudhary, the joint-secretary of the student body (@Lokeshnsui9). On May 28, Choudhary also responded to the viral claims, calling them claims spread out of fear by Right-wing social media users and the BJP.

Thus, claims implying that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress employed ‘actors’ to pose as different people for their interactions are baseless. Alt News was able to verify that the two people social media users claimed were the same are, indeed, two different individuals, with one of them being Delhi University student body secretary Lokesh Choudhary.

The post Allegations that same person posed as porter on one occasion and DU student on another with Rahul Gandhi baseless appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Gaza’s message to campus protestors facing repression

The Real News Network — Wed, 28 May 2025 18:31:18 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

Rally at SF immigration court condemns ICE arrests at courts; Report describes conflation of sex work with terrorism to justify expanded surveillance and criminalization – May 28, 2025

KPFA — Wed, 28 May 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Rally at SF immigration court condemns ICE arrests at court
“Prostitution as Terrorism” report describes conflation of sex work with terrorism to justify expanded surveillance and criminalization
Sen. Cory Booker to expand record-breaking Senate speech into book “Stand”
RFK Jr says will ban government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals, will create in-house HHS journal
Justice Dept official vows “massive lawsuits” against Univ of CA system, says must “bring these universities to their knees”

The post Rally at SF immigration court condemns ICE arrests at courts; Report describes conflation of sex work with terrorism to justify expanded surveillance and criminalization – May 28, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

‘Don’t Be a Dumbass’: Man Arrested for Knowing His Rights #policeaccountability

The Real News Network — Wed, 28 May 2025 15:27:51 +0000

This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

UN News Today 28 May 2025

Daniel Johnson — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:08:41 +0000

Climate change: World likely to breach 1.5°C limit in next five yearsGaza: 50,000 children killed in less than 600 days warns UNICEFEssential supplies reach Sudanese hospital: WHO

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Shashi Tharoor’s scathing remarks on Trump: 2024 video falsely linked to Op Sindoor global outreach

Shinjinee Majumder — Wed, 28 May 2025 11:20:01 +0000

Soon after the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation of MPs had reached the United States on May 24 as part of India’s global outreach on Operation Sindoor, a 1.20-minute clip of Tharoor ‘taking on’ Donald Trump went viral on social media. In the video, the Congress MP comments that Trump’s ‘personal manner’ is not entirely ‘agreeable or pleasant’ for a distinguished American statesman. He also mentions that Trump lacks the class, political heft, statesman-like gravitas and intellectual quality found in former US presidents.

While Trump claimed a stake in India and Pakistan reaching a ceasefire agreement after the flare-up earlier this month, India made it clear that the decision was bilateral and denied the USA’s role in de-escalating tensions.

Media outlet NewsX aired the purported clip of Tharoor against the backdrop of the all-party delegation’s visit to the US. The anchor is heard saying, “Let’s also shift our focus to more developments. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and his team members of the all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor are in the United States. On the US soil, Tharoor has made a statement on Donald Trump. In fact, that has been going viral on social media. Let’s take a look”, before playing the clip.

The same clip was reported as recent by Hindi media outlet Prabhat Khabar. (Archive)

Verified X handle @mohitlaws shared the video and remarked that this was “how you take on a bully like Donald Trump.” The tweet has garnered close to 4 Lakh views. (Archive)

This is how you take on a bully like Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/1bGn3anEC9

— Mohit Chauhan (@mohitlaws) May 25, 2025

Verified X user @nkk_123 tweeted the viral clip and said “…This is how we expect laser eyed JJ to take on Trump and respond to the bully…”. Here, JJ is a sarcastic jibe at Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was the first to take this dig at Jaishankar. (Archive)

Shashi Tharoor taking on Donald Trump in USA.

This is how we expect laser eyed JJ to take on Trump and respond to the bully.
RT if you want JJ to take tutions from ⁦@ShashiTharoor⁩ on how to handle Foriegn affairs. pic.twitter.com/wF5ZQqJXAs

— ηᎥ†Ꭵղ (@nkk_123) May 24, 2025

Another handle, @ragiiing_bull, also tweeted the video, praising Tharoor and suggesting that this was why he had been entrusted with a prominent diplomatic role representing India in the US. The tweet garnered close to a million views. (Archive)

Several other users on X, including INC aligned handle @AshishSinghKiJi, Far-Right propaganda account @KreatelyMedia, pro-Pakistani propaganda account, @IntelPk_, amplified the video. (Archives- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We noticed that several tweets containing the viral video were seemingly a screen-recording of an Instagram video, collaboratively posted by @asiasociety and @shashitharoor. Alt News found that the video had been originally posted by the official Instagram handle of the Asia Society Museum on September 24, 2024, months before Operation Sindoor and the armed conflict between the two countries.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Asia Society Museum (@asiasociety)

According to the caption, the Congress MP was speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival. Taking a cue from this, we looked for the full video of Tharoor’s interview at the JLF. We found it on the YouTube channel of the Jaipur literature Festival.

Tharoor made the now-viral remarks on September 10, 2024, in New York, in a conversation with the chairman and editor-in-chief of the India Today Group, Aroon Purie. The viral portion of the interview appears around the 12:36-minute mark in the clip below.

It is pertinent to note that Donald Trump was sworn in as the President of the United States for the second time on January 20, 2025. At the time of Tharoor’s interview, Joe Biden was the president of the United States.

Besides, Alt News could not find a single credible report wherein Tharoor is seen passing such ‘scathing remarks’ on Trump during his recent US visit.

While speaking at a public interaction at the Indian Consulate in New York on May 24, the Thiruvananthapuram MP specified how India’s calibrated military strikes during Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, sent a clear and precise message to the perpetrators of Pahalgam attack and their backers. Tharoor also stated that the time had come to set a “new bottom line” in India’s dealings with Pakistan. “We have tried everything – international dossiers, complaints, everything has been tried,” he added. He said that Pakistan had remained in denial, with “no convictions, no serious criminal prosecutions, and no genuine attempt to dismantle” its terror infrastructure. “The persistence of safe havens…you (Pakistan) do this, you are going to get this back,” he remarked.

To sum up, the viral video of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor critiquing US President Donald Trump is not recent and it is not connected to the Tharoor-led team of MPs’ visit to the US post Operation Sindoor. The video is from September 2024, and from a talk show which was part of a Jaipur Literature Festival session in New York.

The post Shashi Tharoor’s scathing remarks on Trump: 2024 video falsely linked to Op Sindoor global outreach appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

After Manohar Dhakad’s arrest for obscenity on highway, unrelated video of woman in hijab goes viral

Ankita Mahalanobish — Wed, 28 May 2025 11:01:22 +0000

After the arrest of Manohar Lal Dhakad, who was caught on camera indulging in sexual activities on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, a clip of a woman in a hijab has gone viral. In the 17-second long video, full of expletives, the woman tells a man holding a mic, “Mera jism, meri marzi” (my body, my choice).

Dhakad, who has links to the BJP and is national secretary of the Dhakad Mahasabha registered in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, was arrested by the state’s Mandsaur Police on May 26, 2025. The viral video of Dhakad in a compromising position with a woman on a public highway was captured on May 13; soon after it went viral, several cases were registered against him and the woman at Bhanpura police station.

Those sharing the video of the hijab-clad woman on social media after his arrest claimed that she was the one seen in the CCTV footage with Dhakad that night and identified her as Lubna Qureshi.

X user Jitendra Pratap Singh (@jpsin1), who counts Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his followers, shared the clip of the woman on May 27 and quipped, “If the hero of the film is arrested, why is the heroine released?” (Archive)

धाकड़ के हाईवे की फिल्म की हीरोइन लुबना कुरैशी

ये कह रही है मेरा जिस्म मेरी मर्जी चाहे मैं हाईवे पर या ओयो में

तुम कौन होते हो मुझे रोकने वाले

पुलिस को इसको भी अश्लीलता फैलाने की जुर्म में गिरफ्तार करना चाहिए था

फिल्म के हीरो को गिरफ्तार कर लिया तो हीरोइन को क्यों छोड़… pic.twitter.com/5BHTb71VjV

— Jitendra pratap singh (@jpsin1) May 27, 2025

At the time of writing this, the post had garnered 550,000 views.

X user Ocean Jain (@ocjain4) also shared the video, referring to the woman as “highway heroine”. (Archive)

मेरा जिस्म मेरी मर्जी, मै धन्दा करू तुम्हें क्या ?

लुबना कुरेशी हाइवे फिल्म की हीरोइन pic.twitter.com/ymosPZeQ3z

— Ocean Jain (@ocjain4) May 27, 2025

At the time of writing this, the user’s post had racked up over 800,000 views.

Similarly, another X user, Deepak Sharma (@SonOfBharat7), also shared the video, claiming ‘Lubna Qureshi’, Dhakad’s partner on the highway that night, was publicly acknowledging what she did. The user also snuck in a snide communal remark: “This hijab clad woman is very open-minded”. (Archive)

Readers should note that Ocean Jain, Jitendra Pratap Singh, and Deepak Sharma are notorious for amplifying false and misleading information. Alt News has fact checked posts by the three users several times in the past.

Besides these three, other social media users also shared the video and amplified the claims.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

We broke down the video of the hijab-clad woman into key frames and ran a reverse image search. This led us to a TikTok account @ghdvcvjfe5u, which uploaded three similar videos of the woman’s interaction on May 21, 2025.

The TikTok videos can be seen below.

We tried more reverse image searches from key frames in these videos and found a longer video from the same incident uploaded on August 8, 2023—nearly two years before the expressway incident.

Note that the long YouTube version also began and ended abruptly and did not have the 17-second clip that was viral. However, on close examination of the visuals and based on the context from the TikTok videos, we were able to determine that it was indeed the same woman and the same incident. The comparison below makes it amply clear.

Thus, we were able to ascertain that the viral video is at least two years old.

To be sure, we also looked up several news reports on the Dhakad case but nowhere was the religious identity of the woman divulged. A Times of India report said that the authorities had yet to identify the woman seen in the video. It added that the police, despite interrogating Dhakad for a few hours, were unable to get any details on who he was with that night.

To sum up, the viral video is unrelated and we found longer, similar footage of the woman from almost two years before the expressway incident. The claims made by social media users that the woman in the video is the same one seen with Dhakad in the viral CCTV clip are false and misleading.

The post After Manohar Dhakad’s arrest for obscenity on highway, unrelated video of woman in hijab goes viral appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

Manchester Airport Four Sentenced to Prison | BBC News North West | 27 May 2025 | Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil — Tue, 27 May 2025 18:46:43 +0000

This content originally appeared on Just Stop Oil and was authored by Just Stop Oil.

The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 27, 2025

KPFA — Tue, 27 May 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 27, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Not Operation Bunyan Marsoos, image held by Pakistan PM, army chief Asim Munir shows old Chinese military drill

Oishani Bhattacharya — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:47:56 +0000

On May 24, Pakistan’s chief of army staff, Syed Asim Munir, hosted a dinner party “to honour the political leadership, steadfast commitment of the Armed Forces” during Operation Bunyan Marsoos, the offensive launched by Pakistan to counter India’s Operation Sindoor. One of the images from that party shows Munir and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif holding a framed picture of artillery in action. A metal badge attached to the frame says, “OP BUNYAN-UM-MARSOOS; Geljed Maki Launch Rocket Regiment of Pakistan Artillery”.

It wasn’t clear who was presenting the image to whom but it was certainly linked to the latest India-Pakistan conflict. Pakistan’s operation, launched on May 10, targeted at least six Indian military bases. Meanwhile, the Indian armed forces have maintained that their strikes, launched on May 7, targeted only terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

News outlets such as the Times of Karachi, Daily The Spokesman, Khabar Kada, Pakistan Today, and Daily Pakistan carried the image. The public relations wing of the armed forces, the Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan, also used the image in its press release

Click to view slideshow.

Besides PM Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari was also present along with the Pakistan’s deputy PM and foreign minister. Others in attendance included the national assembly speaker, ministers, governors, chief ministers, chiefs of air force and navy, senior political leaders, high-ranking government officials, and senior officers from the armed forces.

Images from the party were also shared by X handle Pakistan Armed Forces News (@PakistanFauj). (Archives 1, 2)

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Several social media users pointed out on X that the framed image of artillery action was old and not related to Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan Marsoos. Some even pointed out that the image was of a Chinese military drill.

Click to view slideshow.

To verify this, we ran a reverse image search of the framed picture and found a report by Indian Aerospace Defence News (IADN) that featured an image very similar to the one Pakistan’s army chief and PM Sharif were holding. The four-year-old report was titled: “China deploys long-range rocket launcher as deterrent to India”. A watermark on the image said “China Military”.

The report also mentioned that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had deployed an advanced long-range rocket launcher to the Himalayas to strengthen border defences and deter India.

Taking a cue from the above, we ran a relevant keyword search, which led us to a 2019 blog post by China’s Ministry of Defence where the same image was used. The post made it clear that the image was from August 18, 2019.

We then compared the framed image that Pakistan’s army chief Munir and PM Sharif were holding with the one issued by the Chinese milutart and noticed several similarities, such as the smoke pattern and the angle of the launcher. We highlighted the comparison below:

Our findings indicate that the image on the left was most likely edited with two more launchers added to the original image. The angles of the three launchers on the left image and how they emit fire is identical and seem duplicated.

Hence, the framed image that Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and PM Sharif were holding was edited and had nothing to do with Operation Bunyan Marsoos. It is five years old and completely unrelated to the recent India-Pakistan conflict.

The post Not Operation Bunyan Marsoos, image held by Pakistan PM, army chief Asim Munir shows old Chinese military drill appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

UN News Today 27 May 2025

Daniel Johnson — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:35:18 +0000

Gaza: UN agencies call for an aid ‘surge’ as Israeli distribution plan beginsUkraine’s battered communities face ongoing deadly Russian attacksSudan’s health system is on the brink of collapse, warns the WHO

This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.

Prominent Pakistani journalist Latif Baloch shot dead in Balochistan province

Committee to Protect Journalists — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:33:20 +0000

New York, May 27, 2025—Pakistani authorities must immediately investigate the May 24 killing of journalist Latif Baloch in the southwestern province of Balochistan and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

In the morning, unidentified gunmen broke into Baloch’s home in the Mashkay Tehsil subdivision of Awaran district and shot him dead, according to the local nonprofit Rural Media Network Pakistan. Baloch was struck by four bullets, according to a BBC report, and the four attackers used AK-47 rifles in the assault.

Local police informed the media that an investigation into the killing was underway. The motive remains unclear.

“Pakistani authorities must immediately investigate the reasons behind Latif Baloch’s killing and determine whether it was linked to his work as a journalist,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia regional director. “Journalists in Pakistan face growing violence and intimidation from both state and non-state actors. The government must ensure the safety and freedom of journalists in Balochistan and across the country.”

Baloch was affiliated with major media outlets, including Daily Intekhab, AAJ News, and ARY News, covering the volatile province.

The Balochistan police Inspector General, Moazzam Jah Ansari, did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment via messaging app.

Pakistan remains a dangerous environment for journalists, with heightened risks for those reporting critically on militancy, powerful entities, the military establishment, public corruption, and crime.

CPJ has documented 75 journalists and media workers who have been killed in Pakistan in connection with their work since 1992. Pakistan ranked 12th on CPJ’s 2024 Global Impunity Index, which highlights countries where members of the press are targeted for murder and the perpetrators go unpunished.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

India is not the fourth-largest or a $4-trillion economy yet; NITI Aayog CEO’s claim citing IMF data misleading

Diti Pujara — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:40:34 +0000

“We are the fourth-largest economy as I speak. We are a $4 trillion economy, and this is not my data—it’s IMF data,” Niti Aayog’s chief executive officer BVR Subrahmanyam said during a press briefing on May 24, 2025.

He was addressing reporters after the 10th governing council meeting of the Niti Aayog, a government think tank. The theme for this meeting, Subrahmanyam said, was ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat’ which meant states must present their own growth visions in order for India to be a developed economy.

“It is only US, China, Germany, which are larger than India and if we stick to what is being planned and what is being thought through, in 2.5-3 years, we will be the third largest economy,” he added.

Subrahmanyam’s statements created a wave of euphoria. On May 27, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the achievement, emphasising how India moved from being the 11th-ranked economy to the 4th-ranked economy during his tenure.

#WATCH | Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says “On 26th May 2014, I took the oath as the Prime Minister for the first time. At that time, India’s economy was at the 11th position…Today, India has become the world’s fourth-largest economy. It is a matter of pride for… pic.twitter.com/OFNMPEKXvq

— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2025

Some prominent personalities who reiterated Subrahmanyam’s claims on social media include Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, Mahindra Group chairperson Anand Mahindra, RPG Group chairperson Harsh Goenka, tech entrepreneur Kunal Bahl who has appeared on Shark Tank India and Mamaearth CEO Ghazal Alagh. Several BJP leaders, or politicians associated with BJP allies and some journalists also parroted the statements, celebrating India’s growth trajectory. Note that most social media posts on this also shared a graphic where the source was IMF’s World Economic Outlook Report, April 2025.

Click to view slideshow.

Fact Check

Alt News first thoroughly looked at International Monetary Fund’s latest publication, the World Economic Outlook Report, that was released on on April 22, 2025. Nowhere in that report does it say that India is the fourth-largest economy or that it has surpassed Japan.

We also found no statistical chart in the 190-page report that ranked countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) as indicated in the social media posts. Note that GDP is the sum total of the value of goods and services produced by a country annually and is often used to refer to the size of an economy.

However, the World Economic Outlook (WEO) section allows downloading economic database by country. Alt News downloaded the database for gross domestic product (at current prices expressed in US dollars) for all countries. The excel sheet mentioned the countries alphabetically and gave us the GDP (in US$) for all countries between 2022 and 2029. However, for India, the GDP figures after 2024 were estimates.

Also, note that for India, the year 2025 refers to the financial year 2025-26 or FY26 (April 2025 to March 2026), for which GDP numbers are estimates because we’re barely two months into this financial year. It does not refer to the calendar year 2025 (January to December). This is clarified in the report and in the statistical index.

Click to view slideshow.

So, in 2024 or financial year 2024-25 (FY25), India’s GDP was $3.91 trillion, going by IMF’s World Economic Outlook data. According to the same IMF data, India is estimated to reach $4.187 trillion at the end of FY26.

We compared the data with Japan. Even for Japan, data after 2024 are all estimates. In the calendar year 2024, Japan’s GDP was $4.03 trillion. At the end of 2025, Japan’s GDP is estimated to reach $4.186 trillion.

A close reading of International Monetary Fund’s data clearly shows that India has not yet surpassed Japan, in terms of gross domestic product. According to estimates, it may overtake Japan at the end of financial year 2025-26 or FY26. Again, these are estimates and even then, the difference in the GDP of the two is fairly narrow. Currently, India remains in the fifth position

According to IMF’s WEO data, based on official GDP figures for 2024 (which we sorted in descending order; IMF gives data alphabetically), countries with the highest GDP are (1) the United States of America, (2) China, (3) Germany, (4) Japan, (5) India and the (6) United Kingdom (in that order). Rows 1-5 in the screenshot below are not rankings but appear on top owing to lack of data (denoted by n/a).

It’s strange then that Niti Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam, an Indian Administrative Service officer since 1987, who has served in several government positions, including at the PMO, and had a stint at the World Bank, used projections to refer to current rankings. We say this because other members of the policy think tank, such as Arvind Virmani, were careful to say that India would become the fourth-largest economy only by the end of 2025.

“India is in the process of becoming the fourth largest economy, and I am personally confident that will happen by the end of 2025 because we need (data) of all 12 months GDP to say that, you know, to assert that. So to say till then, it remains a forecast,” Virmani told news agency PTI. On Niti CEO BVR Subrahmanyam’s remark that India is already there, he said: “…I really do not know what the words anybody has used. Perhaps there was some word which was missed or something.”

Note that the IMF presents data from government figures and estimates and makes projections based on these. It does not collect or gather data on its own.

Also, even if we do surpass Japan in terms of GDP, experts have warned against reading too much into it or using that data as the marker of a country’s progress. That’s because a roaring GDP does not guarantee an overall high per capita income, nor does it take a holistic view of income inequalities and unemployment. That, however, is a much longer discussion.

To sum up, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam’s claim that India is currently the fourth-largest and a $4-trillion economy, citing IMF data, is misleading. India is currently the fifth-largest in terms of GDP. Projected estimates suggest that it could surpass Japan by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal.

The post India is not the fourth-largest or a $4-trillion economy yet; NITI Aayog CEO’s claim citing IMF data misleading appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Diti Pujara.

Akhilesh with arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra? No, it’s an edited image

Pawan Kumar — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:34:29 +0000

Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was recently arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan and sharing sensitive information. Meanwhile, a photo of Jyoti Malhotra with former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is going viral on social media.

X user Arun Yadav took a dig at Samajwadi Party for being Muslim supporters and wrote, “What is this traitor Jyoti doing with Samajwadi Party supremo, friends?” (Archived link)

In another tweet, Arun Yadav again made a similar claim by quoting a tweet from Samajwadi Party. (Archived link)

BJP supporter Dilip Kumar Singh also amplified the image. (Archived link)

This photo is being widely shared on X and Facebook with the same claims.

Fact Check

We performed a reverse image search of the viral photo and came across news reports from NDTV and Indian Express dated January 22, 2017. Among them was a picture that looked similar to the viral picture, but the woman seen next to Akhilesh Yadav is not Jyoti Malhotra, but Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh’s wife.

According to the report, this picture is from on January 22, 2017, when Samajwadi Party released its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Thhe same photo is also included in a report in The Times of India, which has several images from the event.

We also found several pictures of this programme on the website of gettyimages. The captions state that on January 22, 2017, during a press conference at the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav was seen releasing the Samajwadi Party manifesto along with his wife and Lok Sabha member Dimple Yadav.

Comparing the viral picture and the actual original picture, it is clear that Jyoti Malhotra’s face has been superimposed on Dimple Yadav’s.

To sum up, Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav released Samajwadi Party’s state election manifesto in 2017. The photo taken during that time was edited and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s face was added to it. And it is being shared with misleading claims.

The post Akhilesh with arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra? No, it’s an edited image appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra in BJP, AAP election caps? Fake photos viral

Pawan Kumar — Tue, 27 May 2025 07:47:39 +0000

Recently, Jyoti Malhotra, a YouTuber from Hisar, Haryana, was arrested by the NIA on charges of spying for Pakistan and sharing sensitive information. Meanwhile, two pictures of Malhotra wearing BJP and Aam Aadmi Party election caps and scarves are viral on social media. The pictures also have the logo of Aaj Tak news channel. Many users are sharing it on social media believing it to be true.

X user @Shizu____4evr shared a picture of Jyoti Malhotra wearing a cap and scarf with the BJP symbol and wrote, “Jyoti you are a traitor.. the BJP stands with you..” (Archived link)

ज्योति तुम गद्दारी करो..
बीजेपी तुम्हारे साथ है..!!#JyotiMalhotraArrested pic.twitter.com/s4hqnNdrkz

— ✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒁𝒖 ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼ (@Shizu____4evr) May 17, 2025

Several ex-handles @kachaaalloo, @bamboo_cell, @SCR4India and Samajwadi Party national spokesperson IP Singh also shared this viral picture.

Sakshi Gupta, who claims to be the district president of AAP Mahila wing Delhi on X, also shared a picture of Jyoti Malhotra wearing a BJP cap, in response to which some users shared a picture of Jyoti Malhotra allegedly wearing an AAP cap and scarf.

आतंकियों की बहन तो ज्योति मल्होत्रा निकली।
सोफिया कुरैशी तो भारतीयों की बहन है जनाब pic.twitter.com/6LVo2nkPUm

— Sakshi Gupta AAP (@SakshiGupta_AAP) May 18, 2025

X handles @arpit637163, @ChamkeeleChuze, and @Deepak25189 also shared another picture of Jyoti wearing an Aam Aadmi cap and scarf.

Fact Check

Alt News scoured all social media platforms of Aaj Tak News to fact-check the viral images. We found news reports related to YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s arrest and alleged spying for Pakistan. But we did not find the viral images anywhere.

We compared the viral image with other pictures (templates) posted on Aaj Tak’s social media handle. We noticed a significant difference between them, in terms of layout and style.

Besides, the lighting seen in the viral photos seem unnatural, and the design of the cap and scarf worn by Jyoti Malhotra is different from that of the election caps and scarves used by the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party.

We uploaded the first viral photo on the AI detector tool sightengine.com. According to the results obtained from this, there was a 99% chance of this photo being AI generated.

The AI detector tool sightengine.com said that there was a 99% chance of the second photo being created with the help of AI as well.

To sum up, both the viral photos of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra which are being shared on social media targeting the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP are fake and AI generated.

The post Arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra in BJP, AAP election caps? Fake photos viral appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

Motarilavoa Hilda Lini – strong, passionate fighter for decolonisation, nuclear-free Pacific

Pacific Media Watch — Mon, 26 May 2025 22:10:00 +0000

By Stanley Simpson in Suva

I am saddened by the death of one of the most inspirational Pacific women and leaders I have worked with — Motarilavoa Hilda Lini of Vanuatu.

She was one of the strongest, most committed passionate fighter I know for self-determination, decolonisation, independence, indigenous rights, customary systems and a nuclear-free Pacific.

Hilda coordinated the executive committee of the women’s wing of the Vanuatu Liberation Movement prior to independence and became the first woman Member of Parliament in Vanuatu in 1987.

Hilda became director of the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC) in Suva in 2000. She took over from another Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) giant Lopeti Senituli, who returned to Tonga to help the late ‘Akilisi Poviha with the pro-democracy movement.

I was editor of the PCRC newsletter Pacific News Bulletin at the time. There was no social media then so the newsletter spread information to activists and groups across the Pacific on issues such as the struggle in West Papua, East Timor’s fight for independence, decolonisation in Tahiti and New Caledonia, demilitarisation, indigenous movements, anti-nuclear issues, and sustainable development.

On all these issues — Hilda Lini was a willing and fearless chief taking on any government, corporation or entity that undermined the rights or interests of Pacific peoples.

Hilda was uncompromising on issues close to her heart. There are very few Pacific leaders like her left today. Leaders who did not hold back from challenging the norm or disrupting the status quo, even if that meant being an outsider.

Banned over activism
She was banned from entering French Pacific territories in the 1990s for her activism against their colonial rule and nuclear testing.

She was fierce but also strategic and effective.

“Hilda Lini was a willing and fearless chief taking on any government, corporation or entity that undermined the rights or interests of Pacific peoples.” Image: Stanley Simpson/PCRC

We brought Jose Ramos Horta to speak and lobby in Fiji as East Timor fought for independence from Indonesia, Oscar Temaru before he became President of French Polynesia, West Papua’s Otto Ondawame, and organised Flotilla protests against shipments of Japanese plutonium across the Pacific, among the many other actions to stir awareness and action.

On top of her bold activism, Hilda was also a mother to us. She was kind and caring and always pushed the importance of family and indigenous values.

Our Pacific connections were strong and before our eldest son Mitchell was born in 2002 — she asked me if she could give him a middle name.

She gave him the name Hadye after her brother — Father Walter Hadye Lini who was the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu. Mitchell’s full name is Mitchell Julian Hadye Simpson.

Pushed strongly for ideas
We would cross paths several times even after I moved to start the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) but she finished from PCRC in 2004 and returned to Vanuatu.

She often pushed ideas on indigenous rights and systems that some found uncomfortable but stood strong on what she believed in.

Hilda had mana, spoke with authority and truly embodied the spirit and heart of a Melanesian and Pacific leader and chief.

Thank you Hilda for being the Pacific champion that you were.

Stanley Simpson is director of Fiji’s Mai Television and general secretary of the Fijian Media Association. Father Walter Hadye Lini wrote the foreword to Asia Pacific Media editor David Robie’s 1986 book Eyes Of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior.