Israel is reportedly on high alert amid concerns of aerial threats as Israeli and Arab partners along with US secretary of state Antony Blinken convened for a two-day historic diplomatic summit in the country.

Israel is on high alert amid concerns of aerial threats

It's a crucial day for Pakistan's PM Imran Khan's political carrier as he's facing a no-confidence vote in the parliament, the motion is expected to be tabled today. For more on this, we are joined by Imtiaz Gul, an Islamabad-based journalist.

No confidence motion against Pakistan PM Imran Khan to be tabled today | Imtiaz Gul exclusive on WION

Israel puts air defence on high alert during historic Israel-Arab summit

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has tested positive for COVID-19 days ahead of his scheduled trip to India later this week. Israel announced that Bennett had tested positive after he met US secretary of state Antony Blinken.

Israeli PM Naftali Bennett tests Covid-19 positive ahead of India trip

WION, the global news channel from India, was recently blocked by YouTube, in yet another example of Western tech giants' monopoly over information systems.

For several months, WION has been the most popular news channel on YouTube, globally. This demonstrates the channel's popularity on the platform owned by Alphabet Inc.

WION is known for delivering news that is objective, unbiased, and accurate.

Since the commencement of the Ukraine invasion, WION has been providing &nbsp;objective news and analysis of the events in Russia-Ukraine conflict.

WION has criticised the Ukraine invasion while also ensuring that its reporting remains impartial and that both sides of the story are told and heard.

Yet, WION was blocked by YouTube on March 22, preventing millions of users from watching its coverage.

The specifics can be found at this link. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/youtube-blocks-wion-for-reporting-russian-statement-465552">(</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/youtube-blocks-wion-for-reporting-russian-statement-465552">YOUTUBE BLOCKS WION FOR REPORTING RUSSIAN STATEMENT</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/youtube-blocks-wion-for-reporting-russian-statement-465552">)</a>

The block was lifted after an unprecedented, massive, user-led campaign.

But the larger question here is: how long can news and information providers from countries like India depend on the gate-keeping by these tech monopolies who claim to be impartial platforms but are far from unbiased?

Is there a way for Indian software professionals, who practically lead most of the tech world, drive a revolution to end the grip of these companies on global content?

The way Indians and people all over the world consume and distribute information has evolved dramatically in the last 10 to 15 years.

People no longer read the morning paper or the nightly news.

Instead, the average individual spends hours each day online, looking at news or entertainment websites, accessing social media, and consuming a wide range of information, thanks to smartphones and other digital devices.

This new digital way of information demand and supply system has made it simple for anyone to share their opinions with the rest of the globe.

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<h5>There has never been a better time to take on the US IT giants than now, when the talent pool is abundant, the government encourages entrepreneurship, and India's global prominence is expanding.</h5>
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Social media platforms are crucial in this regard.

Currently, over 4.62 billion individuals use some type of social media around the world, accounting for roughly 58.4 per cent of the worldwide population.

Despite the fact that social media has a large and diverse audience, only a handful of companies control the majority of the world's most popular social media platforms.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 439px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">Social media platforms</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">Country of origin</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">Monthly users</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">Instagram (owned by Meta)</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">US</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">1.3 billion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">YouTube (owned by&nbsp;Alphabet Inc.)</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">US</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">2.3 billion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">Facebook&nbsp;(owned by Meta)</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">US</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">2.9 billion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">Twitter</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">US</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">463 million</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">TikTok</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">China</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">1 billion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">Pinterest</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">US</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">454 million</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="width: 218px;">Snapchat</td>
			<td style="width: 105px;">US</td>
			<td style="width: 97px;">538 million</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

(*Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta and formerly known as Facebook.)

(*Alphabet Inc was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google.)

What do they all have in common?

Although none of the companies are Indian (With the exception of Koo), &nbsp;most of them include multiple Indian professionals on important design teams.

Social media platforms are becoming an important tool for delivering news to individuals.

The news is linked with all kinds of activity on the social media feed, which is made up of a blend of private and public postings.

What people are exposed to is partly determined by their fellow networkers' actions.

Furthermore, it is dependent on the platform providers' will.

Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, or Google are all companies that have the ability to prevent anyone from sharing information at any time.

This demonstrates that these technology behemoths have complete control over the information eco system.

In India, both rural and urban locations, the number of internet users has risen over time.

The digital India policies, along with low data pricing, enabling a large number of individuals in India to actively use the internet.

Around 448 million of them were active social media users.

As of January 2021, YouTube and Facebook have the highest penetration, with over 89 percent and 76 percent, respectively.

Now comes the question: Shouldn't Indian companies create their own effective social media platforms, given our large user base and tremendous talent and entrepreneurial spirit?

Why should we let Western IT behemoths impose their ludicrous restrictions on us?

The significance of building our own indigenous technology is what we Indians may do to prevent incidents like YouTube's shutdown of WION, in future.

The United States has the power to weaponise its technologies for nefarious ends.

Because news generates information, which generates opinions, and opinions shape our thoughts, actions, and attitudes.

As a result, anyone who has authority over the information in this digital realm has influence over the entire world.

The WION banning is an example of how technological self-reliance can be postponed only at great risk to us.

The key to expressing Indian viewpoints must be in the hands of Indians.

There has never been a better time to take on the US IT giants than now, when the talent pool is abundant, the government encourages entrepreneurship, and India's global prominence is expanding.

WION, the global news channel from India, was recently blocked by YouTube, in yet another example of Western tech giants' monopoly over information systems. For several months, WION has been the most popular news channel on YouTube, globally.

WION, the global news channel from India, was recently blocked by YouTube, in yet another example of Western tech giants' monopoly over information systems. For several months, WION has been the most popular news channel on YouTube, globally. This demonstrates the channel's popularity on the platform owned by Alphabet Inc. WION is known for delivering news that is objective, unbiased, and accurate. Since the commencement of the Ukraine invasion, WION has been providing objective news and analysis of the events in Russia-Ukraine conflict. WION has criticised the Ukraine invasion while also ensuring that its reporting remains impartial and that both sides of the story are told and heard. Yet, WION was blocked by YouTube on March 22, preventing millions of users from watching its coverage. The specifics can be found at this link. (YOUTUBE BLOCKS WION FOR REPORTING RUSSIAN STATEMENT) The block was lifted after an unprecedented, massive, user-led campaign. But the larger question here is: how long can news and information providers from countries like India depend on the gate-keeping by these tech monopolies who claim to be impartial platforms but are far from unbiased? Is there a way for Indian software professionals, who practically lead most of the tech world, drive a revolution to end the grip of these companies on global content? The way Indians and people all over the world consume and distribute information has evolved dramatically in the last 10 to 15 years. People no longer read the morning paper or the nightly news. Instead, the average individual spends hours each day online, looking at news or entertainment websites, accessing social media, and consuming a wide range of information, thanks to smartphones and other digital devices. This new digital way of information demand and supply system has made it simple for anyone to share their opinions with the rest of the globe. There has never been a better time to take on the US IT giants than now, when the talent pool is abundant, the government encourages entrepreneurship, and India's global prominence is expanding. × Social media platforms are crucial in this regard. Currently, over 4.62 billion individuals use some type of social media around the world, accounting for roughly 58.4 per cent of the worldwide population. Despite the fact that social media has a large and diverse audience, only a handful of companies control the majority of the world's most popular social media platforms. Social media platforms Country of origin Monthly users Instagram (owned by Meta) US 1.3 billion YouTube (owned by Alphabet Inc.) US 2.3 billion Facebook (owned by Meta) US 2.9 billion Twitter US 463 million TikTok China 1 billion Pinterest US 454 million Snapchat US 538 million (*Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta and formerly known as Facebook.) (*Alphabet Inc was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google.) What do they all have in common? Although none of the companies are Indian (With the exception of Koo), most of them include multiple Indian professionals on important design teams. Social media platforms are becoming an important tool for delivering news to individuals. The news is linked with all kinds of activity on the social media feed, which is made up of a blend of private and public postings. What people are exposed to is partly determined by their fellow networkers' actions. Furthermore, it is dependent on the platform providers' will. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, or Google are all companies that have the ability to prevent anyone from sharing information at any time. This demonstrates that these technology behemoths have complete control over the information eco system. In India, both rural and urban locations, the number of internet users has risen over time. The digital India policies, along with low data pricing, enabling a large number of individuals in India to actively use the internet. Around 448 million of them were active social media users. As of January 2021, YouTube and Facebook have the highest penetration, with over 89 percent and 76 percent, respectively. Now comes the question: Shouldn't Indian companies create their own effective social media platforms, given our large user base and tremendous talent and entrepreneurial spirit? Why should we let Western IT behemoths impose their ludicrous restrictions on us? The significance of building our own indigenous technology is what we Indians may do to prevent incidents like YouTube's shutdown of WION, in future. The United States has the power to weaponise its technologies for nefarious ends. Because news generates information, which generates opinions, and opinions shape our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. As a result, anyone who has authority over the information in this digital realm has influence over the entire world. The WION banning is an example of how technological self-reliance can be postponed only at great risk to us. The key to expressing Indian viewpoints must be in the hands of Indians. There has never been a better time to take on the US IT giants than now, when the talent pool is abundant, the government encourages entrepreneurship, and India's global prominence is expanding.

YouTube blocking WION: High time for Indian tech minds to beat tech giants

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme. It was the 87th episode of the monthly radio programme of the prime minister.

Indian PM Modi addresses 87th edition of monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'

On the second day of Poland's trip, Joe Biden has delivered remarks from Warsaw. He said that, "this war is not worthy, Putin can and must end it".

Joe Biden delivers remarks from Warsaw, says Putin is strangling democracy & World order

Opposition is growing against Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and parties will hold more demonstrations on Monday.

The final showdown in Islamabad: Show of strength ahead of Parliament battle

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel at present for attending 'landmark' talks. Iran Nuclear deal is also on the agenda.

Historic Israeli-Arab summit: Antony Blinken attempts to pacify miffed allies

Pakistani PM Imran Khan is facing an internal revolt, with several members leaving the party. In a recent development in Pak political crisis, supporters of Imran Khan gathered to show strength ahead of parliament battle.

Islamabad remains on edge as political battle heats up

Pakistan PM Imran Khan holds key meets with ally parties

Pakistani PM Imran Khan is facing an internal revolt, with several members leaving the PTI and joining the opposition. As per the recent report, 50 PTI ministers are missing.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan holds key meets with ally parties amid political crisis

A China Eastern passenger jet crashed in Southwest China a few days ago. All 132 passengers are reportedly dead. Rescue teams combed the hillside but couldn't find any survivors. Now, the search crew says the second black box was found.

Boeing plane crash in China: Search crew says second black box found

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is on a 2-day visit to neighbouring country Maldives. Jaishankar is going to visit Sri Lanka next.

India-Maldives sign peering agreement: S Jaishankar & Ibrahim Solih to unveil project in Addu

Pakistan PM Imran Khan to hold a rally in Islamabad today amid political crisis

It is day 32 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine. Now, powerful explosions rocked the city of Lviv.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Smoke engulfs Lviv after powerful explosions rock the city

Political storm brews in Pakistan: PM Imran Khan says he is ready with a trump card

U.S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken met Israeli PM Naftali Bennett and issued a joint statement over the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Naftali Bennett said, "Israel stands with the people of Ukraine."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israeli PM Naftali Bennett

Historic Israel-Arab summit: Antony Blinken attempts to pacify miffed allies

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlights Israel's role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Pakistan: Imran Khan supporters chant slogans in support amid political crisis

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement on Arab-Israeli relations

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for 'landmark' talks

India-Maldives ink key agreements during S Jaishankar's Maldives visit

China is searching for a new pandemic strategy to avert economic distress due to rising COVID-19 cases. In the latest, Shanghai will not undergo full lockdown.

Shanghai will not undergo full lockdown as China searches for a new pandemic strategy

Various countries from around the world have observed Earth hour to draw attention to climate change.

The world observes Earth hour to draw attention to climate change

Since the beginning of this invasion, WION has been trying to deliver an objective view of the situation in Ukraine.

WION has condemned the invasion and at the same time, has made sure that its reportage remains balanced and tells you both sides of the story.

WION makes sure that the reportage reaches every corner of the world, that it should be easily accessible to all and that it should inform your opinion.

And every day, WION tries its best to do that. But it seems YouTube does not approve of this.

On March 22, WION was blocked. No new uploads, no videos, total block.

A lot of our viewers noticed this and in fact have even written to us, asking “Why isn't WION posting videos anymore?”

YouTube, apparently, had a problem with one of WION’s videos, dating back to March 10.

In that clip, we showed two live speeches—One by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, and the second by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Days went by, and nothing happened. On March 22, WION got a message from YouTube, saying that it is blocking us to post any videos. They said it violated YouTube's community guidelines.

Then the next day, WION made an appeal to YouTube, but it was rejected.

So naturally, WION wrote to them, demanding an explanation.

And this is what they said in their reply.

"Our community guidelines prohibit content denying, minimizing, or trivializing well-documented violent events, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

“Under this policy, we have removed content, for example, denying that Russia invaded Ukraine or alleging that Ukrainian victims are crisis actors."

So just to be sure, we went back to check the video, and this is what we found in Sergei Lavrov's speech.

"As for your question about whether we are planning to attack other countries. We are not planning to attack other countries. We did not attack Ukraine either. We explained on numerous occasions that there was a situation that posed a direct threat to the security of the Russian Federation," Lavrov said on March 10.

These were spoken by the Russian foreign minister, not WION. And neither did WION endorse it.

WION simply broadcast the Russian foreign minister's statement, just like the Ukrainian Minister's statement was played.

Does that mean WION is denying the war?&nbsp;If so, then YouTube must explain these videos.

WION neither believes in censorship nor in telling half the story. Apparently, that's what YouTube wants.

Block out everything Russia says, promote everything the West says. WION does not subscribe to that sort of journalism. Its objective is to remain balanced.

Does that mean WION is supporting Russia? Of course&nbsp;not.

Anyone who watches WION channel will tell you that.&nbsp; And for the record, this treatment was reserved only for WION—a channel from India. Not for western channels.

Two important things should be noted. One, who made the big tech our media watchdog?

YouTube cannot be a platform and act as an editor and a censor all at the same time. That's called rigging the game.

So, here's what we say to YouTube.

“Silencing Russia will not end this war. Silencing us will not stop our journalism. We want people to know the truth—To hear and reject the lies, to form their own opinion and not be fed and programmed.”

And we don't want to limit this to our channel. This must be a larger campaign. We request our viewers to write to us using this hashtag #YouTubeUnblockWION.

We are already seeing great engagement. A lot of you have started using this hashtag.

<img alt="Tremendous support for WION" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="df4e1701-c38e-4399-a2be-b831f198ee1f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-03-25%20at%2010.30.33%20PM.jpeg" />

Your support, your concern, we appreciate all of it. Hopefully, our collective voice will reach the bigwigs at YouTube.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: YouTube blocks WION for reporting Russian statement

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-youtube-blocks-wion-for-reporting-russian-statement-465572/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Since the beginning of this invasion, WION has been trying to deliver an objective view of the situation in Ukraine. WION has condemned the invasion and at the same time, has made sure that its reportage remains balanced and tells you both sides of the story.

Since the beginning of this invasion, WION has been trying to deliver an objective view of the situation in Ukraine. WION has condemned the invasion and at the same time, has made sure that its reportage remains balanced and tells you both sides of the story. WION makes sure that the reportage reaches every corner of the world, that it should be easily accessible to all and that it should inform your opinion. And every day, WION tries its best to do that. But it seems YouTube does not approve of this. On March 22, WION was blocked. No new uploads, no videos, total block. A lot of our viewers noticed this and in fact have even written to us, asking “Why isn't WION posting videos anymore?” YouTube, apparently, had a problem with one of WION’s videos, dating back to March 10. In that clip, we showed two live speeches—One by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, and the second by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Days went by, and nothing happened. On March 22, WION got a message from YouTube, saying that it is blocking us to post any videos. They said it violated YouTube's community guidelines. Then the next day, WION made an appeal to YouTube, but it was rejected. So naturally, WION wrote to them, demanding an explanation. And this is what they said in their reply. "Our community guidelines prohibit content denying, minimizing, or trivializing well-documented violent events, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” “Under this policy, we have removed content, for example, denying that Russia invaded Ukraine or alleging that Ukrainian victims are crisis actors." So just to be sure, we went back to check the video, and this is what we found in Sergei Lavrov's speech. "As for your question about whether we are planning to attack other countries. We are not planning to attack other countries. We did not attack Ukraine either. We explained on numerous occasions that there was a situation that posed a direct threat to the security of the Russian Federation," Lavrov said on March 10. These were spoken by the Russian foreign minister, not WION. And neither did WION endorse it. WION simply broadcast the Russian foreign minister's statement, just like the Ukrainian Minister's statement was played. Does that mean WION is denying the war? If so, then YouTube must explain these videos. WION neither believes in censorship nor in telling half the story. Apparently, that's what YouTube wants. Block out everything Russia says, promote everything the West says. WION does not subscribe to that sort of journalism. Its objective is to remain balanced. Does that mean WION is supporting Russia? Of course not. Anyone who watches WION channel will tell you that. And for the record, this treatment was reserved only for WION—a channel from India. Not for western channels. Two important things should be noted. One, who made the big tech our media watchdog? YouTube cannot be a platform and act as an editor and a censor all at the same time. That's called rigging the game. So, here's what we say to YouTube. “Silencing Russia will not end this war. Silencing us will not stop our journalism. We want people to know the truth—To hear and reject the lies, to form their own opinion and not be fed and programmed.” And we don't want to limit this to our channel. This must be a larger campaign. We request our viewers to write to us using this hashtag #YouTubeUnblockWION. We are already seeing great engagement. A lot of you have started using this hashtag. Your support, your concern, we appreciate all of it. Hopefully, our collective voice will reach the bigwigs at YouTube. Watch | Gravitas: YouTube blocks WION for reporting Russian statement

YouTube blocks WION for reporting Russian statement

Amid the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in China, Beijing has Autoshow postponed reportedly.

Reports: Beijing Autoshow postponed due to covid surge in China

The ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka is worsening day by day. Lanka's forex reserves have hit rock bottom. 2 Lankan dailies were forced to suspend editions due to paper shortage.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis deepens with forex reserves hitting rock bottom

Amid the growing political crisis in Pakistan, PM Imran Khan will hold a rally in Islamabad on March 28th. Imran Khan is facing his biggest political challenge right now, and this rally could be a 'Do or Die' situation for him.

Pakistan political crisis: Will Imran Khan be able to survive the trust vote?

Uncertainty over Pak political alliances, report says 50 PTI ministers missing

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