Four days ago, CNN were patting themselves on the back for their “remarkable” scoop, gushing over their discovery of a “Syrian prisoner freed from Assad’s forced detention.” The story, breathlessly fronted by the network’s chief international correspondent, Claire Ward, racked up over a million views on YouTube, and CNN was awash with praise for Ward’s incredible reporting. According to CNN, she had unearthed a man who had been left “alone and unaware the Assad regime was no more”…
Unfortunately for CNN, it turns out the “freed prisoner” was actually a “regime torturer” named Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant in Syrian air force intelligence. According to the fact-checking organisation Verify-Sy, Salama is accused of killing civilians and torturing young men on trumped-up charges. No wonder CNN found him cowering under a blanket. Giving even BBC Verify a run for their money…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”