https://www.scmp.com/rss/517563/feed Wasi is a production editor on the Post's digital desk. He was previously a digital verification reporter for AFP, writing about misinformation in Asia. He holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this series, SCMP Fact-Check, the South China Morning Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A video circulating online amid the US-Israel war on Iran falsely claims to show a downed American pilot captured alive by Iranians. “Iranians Captured F35 Pilot alive,” read the caption of a Facebook reel. The video appeared to show a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350286/video-iran-capturing-us-pilot-was-filmed-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350286/video-iran-capturing-us-pilot-was-filmed-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:20:07 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. “A firefighter holding a cat he saved from the Hong Kong fire,” reads the superimposed text of an Instagram post from November 29. The image in the post appears to show a Hong Kong firefighter clutching a cat wrapped in a towel. It circulated online... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335987/photo-firefighter-rescuing-cat-not-hong-kongs-tai-po-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335987/photo-firefighter-rescuing-cat-not-hong-kongs-tai-po-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 03:15:08 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A 16-second clip was shared on Facebook on Thursday and has amassed more than 200,000 views. “Firefighters’ first person perspective. A tribute to firefighters #HongKongFire #FireRescue #Firefighters,” the post’s Chinese caption reads. The video... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334324/video-firefighters-hong-kong-actually-shows-blaze-chile-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334324/video-firefighters-hong-kong-actually-shows-blaze-chile-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A daring daytime heist of jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris on October 19 made international headlines. During the heist, the thieves parked a truck with an extendable ladder under the museum’s Apollo Gallery, and used cutting equipment to get... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3333036/ai-generated-scenes-frances-2025-louvre-heist-circulate-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3333036/ai-generated-scenes-frances-2025-louvre-heist-circulate-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 06:52:44 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A Facebook reel was posted on September 24 – the day Super Typhoon Ragasa edged as close as 100km south of Hong Kong – and has since been shared at least 18,000 times. “Typhoon Ragasa hits Hong Kong with 240 mph winds today Sep 24, 2025 [sic],” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328329/video-does-not-show-hongkonger-knocked-over-during-super-typhoon-ragasa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328329/video-does-not-show-hongkonger-knocked-over-during-super-typhoon-ragasa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:23:23 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. As Hong Kong was battered by torrential rain in August, various clips circulated online misleadingly attributed to the extreme weather events. One was a Facebook reel, uploaded on August 5, 2025, that appeared to show the flooded interior of an MTR... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323134/videos-hong-kongs-2025-rainstorm-actually-show-downpour-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323134/videos-hong-kongs-2025-rainstorm-actually-show-downpour-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 06:36:18 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. “Air India flight AI-315 from Hong Kong sparked panic after a fire broke out in its auxiliary power unit,” a Facebook post’s caption reads in part. The 20-second clip, which shows a photo of smoke billowing from a plane, has garnered more than 132,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321054/photo-2022-shared-online-depicting-july-fire-air-india-plane-leaving-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321054/photo-2022-shared-online-depicting-july-fire-air-india-plane-leaving-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:33:47 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. “Typhoon Wipha Signal #10 Hits Hong Kong July 20,2025,” reads a Facebook post by a user with some 61,000 followers, shared on July 21. Viewed more than 7,000 times, it features a 26-second video showing people fighting back gusts of wind, with some... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3320207/video-people-struggling-typhoon-wipha-winds-filmed-zhuhai-not-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3320207/video-people-struggling-typhoon-wipha-winds-filmed-zhuhai-not-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:04:14 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. In the wake of the deadly crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad in June, a video that circulated online falsely claimed to show scenes from when the plane took off. The 36-second clip shot from inside a plane’s cabin racked up at least 100,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3315627/video-fatal-air-india-crash-june-actually-shows-hong-kong-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3315627/video-fatal-air-india-crash-june-actually-shows-hong-kong-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:45:08 +0000