Plus: The âMaya Trainâ splitting communities, and the race to reduce emissions from cow burps
| | | | | | | Hello. We’re finishing the week with an investigation from my BBC Verify colleagues on a network of Russian TikTok accounts pushing disinformation on Ukraine. I’m also bringing you more updates on the Middle East and a deep dive on Mexican trains. And those of you baking holiday treats might want to read our piece on new sugar alternatives. |
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| | | | Get up to speed | | • | The Israeli military says it mistakenly shot and killed three hostages during its campaign in Gaza, after misidentifying them as a "threat". More on our live page. | | • | A British teen who was found on the side of a road in France after missing for six years has told authorities he left his mother’s itinerant community because she wanted to move to Finland. | | • | Danish shipping company Maersk is pausing all of its journeys through the Red Sea following a series of attacks on cargo vessels from Houthi rebels in Yemen. Here’s more context from our security correspondent Frank Gardner. |
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| | Questions Answered | | How fake TikTok profiles pushed Russian war lies | | | | Some of the fake TikTok accounts identified by the BBC used the same stolen profile picture with different names. Credit: BBC |
| | The BBC has uncovered a Russian propaganda campaign involving thousands of fake TikTok accounts spreading disinformation about the war in Ukraine. Its videos routinely attract millions of views and have the apparent aim of undermining Western support. | | | | Olga Robinson, Adam Robinson & Shayan Sardarizadeh, BBC Verify |
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| | What is the nature of these videos? | | The videos contain false claims that senior Ukrainian officials and their relatives bought luxury cars or villas abroad after Russia's invasion in February 2022. They avoided direct allegations of wrongdoing, but implied politicians had bought luxury property or goods during a time of war - claims that, when checked, always turned out to be false. | | What do we know about their origin? | | We found consistent, circumstantial evidence pointing to a possible Russian origin of the network. This included linguistic mistakes typical of Russian speakers, including some Russian phrases that are not used in other languages. Also, many of the videos contained links to a website previously exposed by Meta as part of a Russian-linked network impersonating legitimate Western news websites. | | What is TikTok saying? | | TikTok said it was already investigating the issue and says it has taken down more than 12,000 fake accounts originating in Russia. The company is still investigating who is behind the network and has found fake videos in two additional languages - Italian and English. | | | | • | In Ukraine: A village councillor in western Ukraine has thrown grenades on to the floor of a council meeting, wounding 26 people, police say. | | • | In case you missed it: Hungary has blocked €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in EU aid for Ukraine. Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe examines Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s fraught relationship with Kyiv. |
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| AT THE SCENE | Yucatán, Mexico | | The ‘Maya train’ splitting communities | | | | Mexico's president calls the Tren Maya "the greatest construction project in the world". Credit: AFP | | The Tren Maya - or “Maya Train” - made its maiden voyage this Friday. The massive railway project traversing Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula has split opinion over its environmental impact and its repercussions on indigenous communities. | | | | Will Grant, Mexico correspondent |
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| To the ancient Maya, the cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula were sacred as they believed them to be portals to the gods of the underworld. These underground caves are also one of the most unspoiled freshwater ecosystems in Latin America. Their tranquillity contrasts with the recent noise and construction unfolding directly above them.
The final columns and tracks are being laid for the Mexican president's pet infrastructure project: a partially-elevated rail link called the Tren Maya (Maya Train). The network will stretch for 1,500km (930 miles) in a vast arc from Chiapas state to the border with Belize - bringing, its supporters say, tourism and development to the jungle. The Tren Maya has overcome numerous obstacles before its inaugural journey. It cost around $28.5bn (£22.5bn), running an estimated three times over budget. With characteristic bravado, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has called it "the greatest construction project in the world". Environmentalists, however, are horrified. |
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| | The big picture | | Sweet nothings | | | | As well as sweetness, sugar adds to texture and shelf-life. Credit: PA |
| | Start-ups are trying their hardest to find alternatives to sugar with less of an impact on health. Some have been here for a long time, like aspartame. Newer options, like stevia, have also gone mainstream. But some companies believe they can get closer to the real thing, in terms of aftertaste and texture. Zoe Corbyn reports on their quest. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | Methane migraine | | New Zealand races to reduce emission from cow burps. | | |
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| | And finally... in Scotland | | Callum Grubb has never really got the memo. I even doubt he uses the phrase “getting the memo”, which would probably feel too modern for him. That’s because Mr Grubb, from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, has chosen to remain in the 1940s. No seatbelt in his vintage car, no smartphone in his wool trousers. There’s just one thing: he is 19. Here he is. |
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| | | | | | | | Future Earth Newsletter | | Essential climate news and hopeful developments, in your inbox every Tuesday. | | |
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