Govt 'busts' 8 YouTube channels for spreading fake news
New Delhi (PTI): The government on Tuesday said it has "busted" eight YouTube channels, with a cumulative subscriber count of nearly 23 million, for spreading fake news such as declaration of early Lok Sabha polls and banning electronic voting machines.
Officials said videos on these YouTube channels - Yahan Sach Dekho, Capital TV, KPS News, Sarkari Vlog, Earn Tech India, SPN9 News, Educational Dost and World Best News -- were fact-checked by the Press Information Bureau for spreading false news.
World Best News, a Youtube channel with over 1.7 million subscribers and more than 18 crore views, was found to be misrepresenting the Indian Army, officials said.
They said the channel Educational Dost, with over 3.43 million subscribers and 23 crore views, was spreading false information about government schemes, while SPN9 news with over 4.8 million subscribers and 189 crore views was propagating fake news pertaining to the president, prime minister and several central ministers.
The channel Sarkari Vlog with over 4.5 million subscribers and over 9.4 crore views was found to be spreading fake news about government schemes, officials said.
They said Channel 'KPS News' which has over one million subscribers and over 13 crore views is spreading fake news regarding schemes, orders and decisions related to the government such as availability of cooking gas cylinders at Rs 20 and petrol at Rs 15 per litre.
The channel 'Capital TV' with over 3.5 million subscribers and over 160 crore views was also propagating fake news about the prime minister, the government and orders related to promulgation of President's rule in West Bengal.
YouTube channel 'Yahan Sach Dekho' with over 3 million subscribers and over 100 million views was peddling fake news about the Election Commission and the Chief Justice of India.
'Earn India Tech' with over 31,000 subscribers and 3.6 million views was found to be propagating fake news related to Aadhar card, PAN card and others.
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5 schoolchildren among 7 killed in blast in southwest Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): At least seven people, including five schoolchildren and a policeman, were killed on Friday in a remote-controlled blast in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, according to media reports.
The blast occurred at 8.35 am near a school at the Civil Hospital Chowk of the Mastung district of the province, Dawn newspaper reported.
“It appears that an IED (improvised explosive device) attached to a motorcycle was detonated near a police mobile,” Kalat Division Commissioner Naeem Bazai was quoted as saying in the report.
“So far, seven individuals have been killed, including five school students,” Bazai said. At least 22 people were injured in the attack.
Most of those injured were schoolchildren, Geo News reported, adding that they were shifted to a nearby hospital.
A police van and several auto-rickshaws were damaged in the explosion, according to the report.
An emergency was declared across all Quetta hospitals after the blast, the report said quoting the provincial health department spokesperson, adding that all doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses and other medical staff were summoned.
