WoR:"The Virus Of Disinformation: Echoes Of Past Bioweapons Accusations In Today’s Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories"

WoR:"The Virus Of Disinformation: Echoes Of Past Bioweapons Accusations In Today’s Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories"

September 08, 2022
WoR

Despite its moniker, the 1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic almost certainly did not originate in Spain. The belligerents of World War I suppressed reporting on the outbreak in order to avoid harming morale, while Spain, as a neutral country, had a media free to report openly on the extent of the disease. Since most media coverage of the outbreak came from Spain, so too did its origin story. The 1918 outbreak — frequently compared to the current COVID-19 pandemic in terms of public fear and response — could have begun in China, or the United States, or northern France.

"As bioweapons negotiators prepare to meet amid a pandemic and torrents of disinformation, can they accomplish anything?" Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

"As bioweapons negotiators prepare to meet amid a pandemic and torrents of disinformation, can they accomplish anything?" Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

September 03, 2022
Bulletin

One fall day in 2006, Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian defector who once worked in Moscow’s secret intelligence community and who became a prominent Kremlin critic in the United Kingdom, ate sushi for lunch before meeting with two former colleagues from his spy agency days at the Pine Bar in London’s Millennium Hotel. The anti-corruption crusader was reportedly set to travel to Spain to investigate the Russian mob there. But just a few short weeks later, Litvinenko was dead.

EER: "How Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent Exploits the Prophet Controversy in India"

August 20, 2022

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) — one of the most resilient regional affiliates of the transnational jihadist enterprise Al-Qaeda — issued multiple threats to carry out suicide bombings and other targeted attacks in India after controversial remarks about the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran were made by senior members of India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

ANIMESH ROUL

MLM: "The Elusive Indian Ideologue: Farhatullah Ghauri Resurfaces to Call for Jihad in India"

August 09, 2022

After years of hiding, Muhammed Farhatullah Ghauri, one of India's elusive yet most wanted Islamist ideologues, resurfaced with a series of audio-visual messages. Ghauri's sudden re-emergence on popular social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Telegram in early 2022 caught the attention of Indian security agencies. Since February, under the banner of Sawt-al-Haq (Voice of Truth), he has railed against the Hindu right-wing in India.

ANIMESH ROUL

DTE: "Tamil Nadu district climate change missions: Is it really decentralised governance?"

July 25, 2022

The Tamil Nadu government July 11, 2022, announced the institution of district climate change missions (DCCM) across 38 districts in the state.

There have been negligible discussions or reactions post the announcement among citizens, experts, non-profits and the media. It is thus important to consider DCCMs in the right perspective.     

There are a few pertinent concerns that must be addressed without doubting the intent behind the setting up of these missions:

Ferocious or Benevolent Lions? Discourse on the National Emblem

Emblem-OS

Whether the lions of Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka were ferocious or benevolent is one of the hottest political debates outside the Parliament by parliamentarians and representatives of political parties in India. It has already spilt over to the international arena as BBC carried the headline on July 12 that ‘National emblem: ferocious lions' statue on new parliament raises eyebrows’.

AVILASH ROUL

MLM: "A Profile of the Anti-India Secessionist and Pro-Khalilistan Demagogue: Gurpatwant Singh Pannu"

June 22, 2022

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, one of the founding leaders of the U.S-based pro- Khalistan separatist entity “Sikhs For Justice (SFJ),” is notorious for his incendiary speeches and threatening messages against Indian leaders and its democratic institutions. On May 10, Pannu claimed responsibility for the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at Punjab Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali, Punjab and for raising Khalistani flags at the Dharamshala Assembly complex in Himachal Pradesh.

ANIMESH ROUL
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