BBC Verify Unpacks Global News And Disinformation
WATCH On air with the BBC News Channel
By Merlyn Thomas, BBC Verify senior reporter
Merlyn Thomas recently appeared on the BBC News Channel with Matthew Amroliwala to discuss a new investigation by BBC Verify that uncovered a previously unacknowledged Israeli strike in al-Mawasi, Gaza. Thomas highlighted the rarity of the Israeli army admitting to an “error,” particularly one described as having “deviated” from its intended “target” and “wrongfully hit” an area.
How the Glazer family cost Manchester United 1 2bn
By Wesley Stephenson, BBC Verify
As the 20th anniversary of the Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United Football Club approaches, BBC Verify has delved into the club's finances. The team calculated that nearly £1.2bn has been spent on debt interest, debt repayments, dividends, and fees to the family – expenses arguably avoidable without the Glazer takeover.
This analysis involved weeks of meticulous examination of the club’s accounts and bond offers from the past two decades. The club's acquisition was primarily funded by money borrowed from hedge funds, leading to over £600m in debt and substantial spending on interest and debt repayments. The Glazers have also personally benefited through dividend payments, payments to family-owned companies, and directors’ payments.
Despite these costs, the club has experienced benefits over the last 20 years. Commercial revenues have significantly increased, and more than £2bn has been spent on players.
How 12 seconds of footage confirms strikes on Ukraines Lutsk
By Fridon Kiria, Shruti Menon and Richard Irvine-Brown, BBC Monitoring Russian Team and BBC Verify
Following verification of footage of a large fire at a Russian fuel site, BBC Verify is now examining footage of strikes on the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk. Two verified videos show three projectiles striking the city within 12 seconds.
One video was filmed from a high-rise building looking north towards Lutsk's center. A second, street-level video shows projectiles flying overhead before exploding nearby. Both filming locations were confirmed using publicly available street-level panoramas on Google, Yandex, and other mapping sites.
A third video and a photograph depict damage to a tall building near a playground, which caused a fire and destroyed part of the roof.
Fact check Is Badenoch right about the UKs asylum grant rate
By Lucy Gilder and Tamara Kovacevic, BBC Verify
BBC Verify investigated a claim made by Kemi Badenoch regarding asylum applications. Badenoch stated, “in some years, our approval rate for asylum applications was above 80%. Last year Japan’s was 2%.”
The highest asylum grant rate for first decisions found by BBC Verify was 76% in 2022 under the Conservatives. Between 2001 and 2018, the average grant rate was 29%, according to the Home Office. For the year ending March 2025, the most recent data, the rate is 49%.
BBC Verify has asked the Conservative Party for clarification on their 80% figure. In Japan, in 2024, only 190 out of 12,373 asylum applicants were granted asylum, a rate of 1.5%, according to the Japanese government. While Badenoch is correct about Japan's low rate, this is unsurprising given the country’s restrictive immigration system.
Israeli strikes hit Lebanons capital Beirut overnight what can we say so far
By Thomas Spencer, Paul Brown & Shayan Sardarizadeh, BBC Verify senior journalists
Israel conducted air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight, claiming to target Hezbollah's drone production facilities. The Israeli military shared a post on X with a map and satellite images of the intended targets.
BBC Verify geolocated two of the four sites by cross-referencing this information with satellite imagery and social media footage. Both sites, located in the Hadath area of Lebanon’s southern Dahieh district, show entire buildings collapsed. A ceasefire has been in effect between Israel and Hezbollah for six months, though sporadic IDF strikes have occurred. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes as a “flagrant violation of an international accord,” noting their timing on the eve of Eid al-Adha.
For context: Dahieh is often described as a Hezbollah stronghold. This term, however, does not fully represent the densely packed residential area where other political parties operate and where support for Hezbollah is not universal, though the group maintains a strong influence.
Building up a picture of Ukraines Operation Spider Web
By Ros Atkins, BBC News analysis editor
Ukraine’s recent operation inside Russian territory, dubbed “Operation Spider Web,” has been under scrutiny. Initial drone footage indicated an unusual scale of attack. Throughout the week, more details emerged about these drone attacks on multiple Russian military locations.
Ukraine, including President Zelensky and the Ukrainian Secret Service, actively promoted the operation, releasing footage and stills. Russia, conversely, claimed to have repelled many attacks. BBC Verify has been analyzing Ukrainian drone footage, satellite images of targets, and other online videos. A report was published the day after the attacks, and the investigation continues. Open-source intelligence experts, graphics teams, and video editors are compiling a comprehensive picture of Sunday's events. A video explaining the current understanding of the attack is forthcoming.
Massive fire at Russian oil refinery after claims of Ukrainian strikes
By Richard Irvine-Brown, Paul Brown & Kumar Malhotra, BBC Verify senior journalists
BBC Verify continues to analyze footage related to reported strikes in both Ukraine and Russia. In Russia, investigations are focused on reports of a fuel storage facility serving a military airfield in Engels, Saratov region, being struck. Several online videos show thick, black smoke over Saratov.
Three videos have been verified, confirming the fire is within the fuel depot area:
- Video one: Filmed from a vehicle heading south, shows the fire behind trees, near a factory chimney north of the site.
- Video two: Filmed at dawn, shows two fire sources on the east and west sides of the depot.
- Video three: Taken in full daylight, shows the fire still burning in at least two spots on opposite sides of the site.
All three videos show smoke blowing southwards, consistent with reported wind direction. Reverse image searches confirm these videos were not publicly available before this morning.
Israeli army admits to strike in al Mawasi area in Gaza after BBC Verify report
By Merlyn Thomas, BBC Verify senior reporter
While investigating an incident near an aid distribution centre in Rafah where Palestinians were killed, BBC Verify discovered a video of a separate incident. This was geolocated to Khan Younis, 4.5km away, by matching a building in the footage to Google satellite imagery.
Upon being approached by BBC Verify, the Israeli army admitted to firing artillery towards a “target” which then “deviated” and “wrongfully hit the Mawasi area.” The IDF attributed the deviation to “technical and operational errors” but did not provide evidence. You can continue reading our report on the Israeli strike in al-Mawasi area in Gaza.
What is the Conservatives record on deporting foreign criminals
By Lucy Gilder, BBC Verify journalist
Following a speech by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on illegal immigration, where she criticized the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for hindering deportations of foreign criminals, BBC Verify examined the Conservatives' record. Badenoch is proposing a review into whether the UK should leave the ECHR.
The Conservatives aim to deport every foreign criminal. From 2010 to 2019, removals averaged 5,500 annually. These decreased sharply during the Covid pandemic and only started to recover in 2023. Government figures show that as of September 2023, about 11,800 foreign criminals subject to deportation were living in the community post-sentence. The latest figures show 5,154 removals in the year ending March 2025. While up from the same period last year, removals are still down by a fifth compared to the peak year of 2016.
What were looking into after multiple strikes reported in Ukraine and Russia
By Paul Brown, BBC Verify senior journalist
BBC Verify is currently sifting through extensive footage of the aftermath of reported strikes in both Ukraine and Russia.
In Ukraine:
- A building was hit in Kyiv, killing at least three people, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
- In Ternopil, further west, residents were reportedly advised to close windows after an industrial facility was struck overnight. Aftermath videos are under review.
In Russia:
- A fire at an oil refinery in Engels, Saratov region, has been confirmed. The city, home to an airbase and an ammunition storage area targeted in March, saw verified videos of a huge blast and fire at that time.
Our team is reviewing footage and comparing it with publicly available satellite imagery to pinpoint exact locations and will monitor new satellite images for damage assessment.
Debunking AI generated satellite images of Russian airbases
By Shayan Sardarizadeh, BBC Verify senior journalist
Satellite imagery is crucial for BBC Verify, providing visual evidence from inaccessible locations and helping monitor damage in war zones, as previously reported. Recently, high-resolution satellite images were used to analyze damage to multiple aircraft at Russian airbases by Ukrainian drones.
However, the rise of AI-generated satellite imagery presents a new misinformation challenge. An example shared online claiming to show damaged Russian aircraft was found to be fake, created using AI.
This can be established by zooming in to observe physical anomalies like asymmetrical wings and misaligned engines. BBC Verify has seen similar AI-generated misleading satellite images related to North Korea, Iran, and the Israel-Gaza war. Authenticating generative AI content is becoming harder, but zooming in for inconsistencies and verifying sources are good starting points.
Friday on BBC Verify
By Johanna Chisholm, BBC Verify Live editor
Welcome to the BBC Verify live feed, bringing you the latest in fact-checks, open-source intelligence gathering, disinformation debunking, and data journalism.
Today's key focuses for BBC Verify include:
- Analyzing AI-generated satellite imagery of Russian airbases shared online.
- Reviewing footage of multiple reported strikes in Russia and Ukraine overnight, including in Kyiv where at least three people were killed.
- Examining footage of last night's Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon, reportedly targeting Hezbollah's drone production.
Additionally, we will be monitoring Kemi Badenoch's speech, where the Conservative leader is expected to announce plans for a commission to examine UK withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
