My name is melissa chan, thanks for joining us. We take a closer look at india today and the state of the countrys information eco system. First, we have traditional Media Journalists and news rooms. And these institutions are under attack by Prime Minister and a random moody and his government. They do not like criticism. Neither does any government, but india is meant to be the Worlds Largest democracy and a place that is supposed to welcome freedom of the press. Yet, most recently police, which was of journalists working for news, click a Popular Online news website. The reports on the failures and shortcomings of the moody government officers confiscated computers and phones and said the rates are part of an anti terror investigation. A journalist from across the political spectrum have come together and denounced the governments action a. So that is the state of the main stream media. The other half of india as information eco system is about what happens on social media. On line. A recent investigation by the Washington Post exam and tell him, do nationalists under moody, has been using social media to advance their 80 ology and cement their power. Writing quote. They have perfected the spread of inflammatory off and false and bigoted material on an industrial scale, earning both n b and condemnation beyond indias borders. For more, joining us in the studio is d w s michelle stockman. Michelle, can you tell us out more about this Washington Post investigation . What do they mean when they talk about social media being harnessed by the government . Well, right now, the Indian Government is led by the ruling b j. B party, which is a hindu nationalist party, which basically wants to make and get into a hindu for state, even though one paper, its a secular democracy. And so its using social media to promote that agenda. And what that looks like is basically just information thats sent out saying im talking about politics of fear that basically a india is in do majority is in danger and will be saved or if theres a b, p, lead government in office. And also that this information is largely targeting muslims and other minorities and people who are critical of the government, like journalists or Civil Society members. And whats up is a major platform that is used to spread this information. And i spoke to the Washington Post to leave a bureau chief j c. And he spoke to me about what this operation looks like on whats up to get this this information out. And he spoke about one state election where the b p had just a 150000. I shouldnt say just it had a 150000 people on just whats up. And also they are working with 3rd parties, quietly tools that might be creating the stance information, but to understand how this can be spread so far and so fast. But lets hear what he has to say and there were audio problems with it. So i put some titles on, but uh sorry, jerry, but here you go. Lets listen to what you have to say to the, the inside of the party. Tell me that when they send out a message into, lets say, and 20 different whats happened. Theyre almost instant are there are people inside of the copy and paste it forwarded to another sort of 10. 203040 can sit there. And so very quickly based whatever methods they put to be able to reach hundreds of thousands. And there has been ongoing effort to automate the process because you know how much easier it would be if you could just with one sort of quick spread any message in the private sort of encrypted channel. There is no accountability. There are no factors that to call you know, oh is this right . Is this wrong . Just this is its an appropriate i just within a few clicks, you can start any method. And so if thats the case is big tech, doing anything about this . You would think so, but india is a huge market for them. 500000000 whatsapp users. There are more facebook users in india than the entire population of united states. And so the Indian Government has a lot of leverage to pressure these us down the social Media Companies to either take down content that they dont like or to keep up content like can you give us a specific example . Because i think were talking patterns and abstract here, but give us a specific example of, of what youre talking about. One thing that the Washington Post brought up was this phenomenon of cal vigilante streamers. And so the cow is secret in hinduism. And so there are groups of young men, sometimes wanting to ad hoc groups that go around and try and find dr. Are transporting cattle, which they think is disrespectful to the animal and they will uh, stream these hunts, basically on platforms like facebook and youtube. And these become and have become violent and this is live stream. Its really action packed. And actually youtube awarded, one of these called vigilante streamers. A silver award, which means he got a 100000 subscribers and really had a lot of violent contacts. And in fact, one instance where someone, a muslim man who in largely are these cattle transporters. He died the day after he was attacked by this group from internal entry. So its a rewarding, actually, these social Media Companies are rewarding violent content. So, you know, these social media is Companies Like meta, they make a big deal about how theyre trying to tackle this information. It doesnt look like theyre doing so in india. Now its, its a big question and the washing post also talked about. And another example where and kashmir and mr. Kashmir, there were a stake accounts that were created that were distributing this information and also praising the Indian Government 1st correct on there. And also target and customary journalist, a separate test and enforced edition. And so there are actually isnt unit inside meta, which owns facebook, and they are searching for propaganda. And they found this unit in india they into tonight at they said we, we dont think this is a group. It should be on the platform. They notified meta indian executives in india, who said no, were not touching us, we are not taking it down because this is affiliated with the government and we could even be implicated for treatments. So theres internal divisions with in facebook about how to handle this. And also, um, i mean metal has said that it, it denies that it has about depression from the Indian Government. But in 2019 a did commission an independent investigation about its human rights record after they were whistleblower testimonies and negative media attention. They found that there were, in fact, cases where a facebook did not act when there was a speech or cost action before violent, communal violence in india that turned deadly. But what does happen to that report . Thats still a question i actually spoke to the senior counsel of a Digital Rights organization who told me what happened to that report. So lets listen to what he had to say or even sudden you get this list that reports data. Do you have actively set the data they will meet the board . Probably even the you should have board for resolutions asking for this human rights or board to be the developers that us getting that is use the same. Do you believe the findings of this are stopping the address and the use of the black . You just used to not make the information available. So the dont know, even the mistakes my type stuff is committed, which ignores about what sort of actors started speaking. And in fact, you seem to be seeing the dies literally trying to do what do i its, its useful checks and balances or make the business method that individuals have to protect human rights in the nation. That seems to indicate the product as a Government Relations as political future in the minds of the executives, the protecting individuals, protecting the communities independent human rights. Whats really tricky about this situation is that usually if big tech is problem, maddox, a government might step in to try to regulate it or try to make it accountable. But here you have a situation where the government is the problem, right . The government is showing that it wants to be in charge of the conversation. It wants to direct the social media agenda and also wants to be control of your should be silenced. And its, theres examples, you know, in 2021. The Government Read it, mobilly police rated twitters office there over a treat that was labeled as manipulative, media and, and that was freed up by a b, j, p. Politician. So individuals need to be aware we all knocked us in here. We all need to be aware of whats coming at us and washing post is doing more. So watch out for more of the series to come. Michelle stockman, thank you so much for joining us. Youre welcome. Bangladesh is worst ever done. A fever outbreak is threatening to overwhelm its health system. The country is dealing with more than 200000 cases of the mosquito borne disease, including a Record Number of deaths to find that actually as well used to dealing with the fever. But this year is Something Else at this hospital in the capsule dot com. The now treating around a 1000 patients unexplored, undergone a few 100 beds. It doesnt have room for them all. In some cases, this outbreak is his entire families, including many young children. And shes just a 6 year old child, but hasnt taken any food except fluid for 15 days. Shes become weak. My parents are suffering and i feel really bad to see this level of to the test of my doctor friend with dingy nephew when the doctor couldnt save himself, excuse me, even more modern admission. God forbid, if something happens to me at this age. Where will my family and children go to the meals . The fear is much greater. Now let me actually be the this hospital is now at the center of the response to this reco breaking outbreak. When that is already claims more than a 1000 lives, including more than a 100 children a total almost 4 times higher than last year, with doctors increasingly worried about how quickly some patients are becoming severely you. For this is Daniel Saltzman was seeing the dinky shots injury mostly c disclose usually classic deputies to follow a certain cost. C, bro, face critical phase, and then control, suffice to the lesser to overlapping a patient is going from a short history of fever to shocks, enjoying the following day. Right . That means when someone is getting infected for the single 3rd time, they arent going through the classic phases. Well, emetics have really wants and need now is a vaccine. The isnt one widely available yet that could help relieve this emergency. But there is some hope for the future after the world health organization, davids backing to in the vaccine from japan. One thats pretty bull than 80 percent effective in trials, preventing people being admitted to the hospital for the programs. Thanks for watching. The people in trucks inject, when trying to free the city center, the straight screen, the around the world, more than 130000000 people us we of mine because no one should have to make up your own mind. Dw, may 4 mines the, the europes gas alternative to russia under scrutiny. You will lawmakers want to impose sanctions on as a by john to support our media. But the blogs need for other by johns gas puts it in the quandary will get an express opinions. Also coming up, the World Trade Organization has its estimate for exports, growth around the world, and says the decades long principle of trade fostering cooperation and peace is on the front and with food prices on the rise in south africa. Urban agriculture projects are teaching locals and you had as for how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Im 1st cobra. Welcome to the program. You parliamentarians are demanding the block and post sanctions on as a by john the resolution adopted on thursday as a response to the nar garner current by conflict with our media after a military intervention, more than 100000 armenians have left the region which is nationally recognized as part of as a bi job and the uses the situation there amounts to ethnic cleansing the european parliament. The resolution is now raising questions about other by johns gas deliveries to the you, which turn to the gas producer and inspector, russian gas and ports. And made the war and ukraine. Now last year as or by john exported 22300000000 cubic meters of natural gas to the u, which is an 18 percent increase compared to 2021. The trends looks like it is set to continue this year