social media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to denounce New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, drawing immediate reaction on social media and among political commentators. The remarks put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the center of the annual gathering and fuel ongoing debate over Mamdani's positions on Israel.

An investigation has revealed that social media accounts linked to Iran created fake Israeli identities in an effort to influence an election. The operation involved impersonating Israelis online, apparently to shape political discourse or spread divisive content. The finding adds to ongoing concerns about foreign interference campaigns targeting elections through covert influence networks.

A jury has found Facebook liable for deceiving its users in the long-running Cambridge Analytica case, stemming from the scandal in which data from millions of profiles was harvested without consent for political targeting. The verdict marks a significant legal reckoning for Meta years after the 2018 revelations, and observers are weighing what damages and precedent it could set for social media data practices.

Student protests at Lovely Professional University in Punjab, northern India, turned violent after social media claims spread that a female student was raped by a worker at a girls' hostel. The university has denied the allegations, calling them rumours, while police have opened an investigation into the incident. Demonstrations and clashes have drawn widespread attention online.

A Guardian report describes UN aid workers in Gaza digging through rubble and ruins to recover dead bodies, underlining the scale of destruction and loss after two years of war. The item is being shared widely on social media with hashtags referencing Gaza, Israel and Palestine, as attention focuses on humanitarian conditions and the recovery effort on the ground.

Russia fired a large wave of drones at Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions overnight, causing deaths and damage, according to the headline making the rounds on social media. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly reported such attacks targeting the capital and regional infrastructure in recent weeks, drawing condemnation and fresh calls for stronger air defences from Ukraine's allies.

Scientists are warning that extreme temperatures driven by the ongoing 'super' El Niño could cause nearly half a million deaths by February. The warning links the intensified El Niño pattern to dangerous heat extremes, and the figure is drawing attention online as people share and discuss the scale of the projected human toll.

Russia may be preparing a drone operation against European targets, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports. According to the report, the CIA warned Spain, France and Italy about a possible attack scenario in which drones would be hidden inside ordinary shipping containers on merchant vessels and launched from the sea. The alleged plan draws comparisons to Ukraine's 'Operation Spiderweb', and the story is spreading rapidly across Spanish, French and Italian social media.

Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber and older brother of model Kaia Gerber, has died at the age of 27. News of his death broke on Wednesday, prompting an outpouring of tributes and condolences across social media. No cause of death has been confirmed by the family, who are said to be requesting privacy as they grieve.

News that professional wrestler Pac, the British star known for his work in AEW and on the independent circuit, has died is spreading across social media, drawing tributes from fans and figures in the wrestling world. Details about his age and cause of death have not been widely confirmed yet, and followers are sharing memories of his matches and career.

Discord is facing criticism after moving to introduce age verification for its users. Many users are pushing back, citing privacy concerns and distrust over handing identity documents to the platform. Critics argue the measures could expose sensitive personal data, while supporters say platforms must do more to protect minors online. The debate reflects a wider argument over age checks spreading across social media and gaming services.

Andrew Yang said in a heated debate that artificial intelligence will eliminate millions of American jobs, reviving the automation warning that defined his 2020 presidential campaign. The former candidate argued that displacement is arriving faster than policy responses, prompting sharp pushback from opponents and renewed debate on social media about universal basic income and how the US should prepare its workforce for AI-driven change.

Social media users are mockingly repeating the phrase 'only democracy in the Middle East', a long-standing description of Israel, to challenge it. The post attaches hashtags accusing Israel of genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and settler colonialism, and calls for a halt to Israeli actions and support for BDS and a free Palestine. No independent facts or new events are given beyond the rhetorical claim itself.

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has been subjected to a wave of online abuse after he called for Franco Colapinto to be banned following their collision at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The British driver's comments, made after the incident during the sprint race, provoked a hostile backlash from sections of the online F1 fanbase, renewing concerns about toxicity and abuse directed at drivers on social media.

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russian state broadcaster RT, has publicly called for stricter censorship, drawing criticism on social media. Commenters in Ukrainian and international circles are sharing a video of her remarks, framing the demand as further evidence of Moscow's tightening control over media and information amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Mental health diagnoses among young people are rising sharply, according to a report highlighting the trend. Growing rates of conditions such as anxiety and depression in children and adolescents are prompting debate among clinicians, parents and policymakers about causes — including social media, post-pandemic pressures and greater awareness — and about whether more young people genuinely need treatment or are simply being diagnosed more readily.