'We, as patriotic Americans, are hungering for a future where the power is back in the hands of ‘We the People,' the Founder of PublicSq claimed

Economic woes put the Chinese leader in a more vulnerable negotiating position on this visit.

More than 400 wildfires are raging across Canada, and misinformation about the blazes is spreading as well, particularly on TikTok. As Media Matters for America (MMFA) noted in a recent analysis, videos on TikTok claiming the fires were started intentionally by helicopters, arsonists, and “directed energy weapons” have garnered millions of views this month, with the false ideas in these videos then spreading to other social media platforms. Only a few of the most viral false videos have been taken down, the analysis notes. Further scrutiny of such claims provides easy evidence to the contrary, with Canadian officials attributing the fires to a combination of lightning strikes, human accidents, and dry, climate crisis-fueled conditions across the country. “We are already seeing one of the worst wildfire seasons on record,” Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said in a statement earlier this month. “We must prepare for a long summer.” Other videos about the fires featured clips from a controlled burn by fire officials, as well as what was actually a 2015 wildfire, MMFA found. The Independent has contacted TikTok for comment. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes including large numbers in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Hundreds of firefighters have arrived from countries like Australia, New Zealand, the US, South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica and France to assist the exhausted Canadian crews. As The Independent has previously reported, misinformation spreads quickly on TikTok during ongoing disasters, thanks in part to public distrust of government officials and an increasingly anti-science bent in US politics. “Social media can be helpful. It alerts people to a situation. It’s a way for widespread dissemination,” Dr Erin Haynes, professor of preventive medicine and environmental health at the University of Kentucky told The Independent in March in the wake of the Ohio train derailment disaster. “But because of that it allows widespread dissemination of false information, so it can go both ways. You have to be very cautious when using social media. Fact-check, find the source of that information.” Read More Canadian wildfire smoke gives Minnesota city the worst air in the US Satellites capture Canadian wildfire smoke pouring into US Midwest Wildfire smoke from Canada might be a problem ‘all summer’

Mika Brzezinski shared glimpses of her summer in Maine with Joe Scarborough, her pets, and family

Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies has reported its profit inched higher in the first three quarters of this year despite persisting U.S. sanctions that have hindered both its sales and its purchases of advanced technology

The North Carolina legislature's Republican supermajority voted to override vetoes from the state's Democratic governor on a slew of bills Wednesday evening, including a trio of measures that target transgender youth.

Toxic gray smog has sickened tens of thousands of people in Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore, forcing authorities to shut schools, markets and parks for four days

By Nick Carey Lotus unveiled a fully-electric grand tourer (GT) sports car in New York on Thursday, the

By Leika Kihara TOKYO Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Wednesday volatile currency moves were among

British novelist Martin Amis, who brought a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility to his stories and lifestyle, has died

Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced on Wednesday they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power...

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with Galatasaray over the potential sale of two first-team players, while Bournemouth are set to make another shrewd signing. Lazio are also set to confirm the free transfer of Daichi Kamada.