LONDON: The best and worst of social media were on show in the aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Manchester, England on Monday night.
At least 22 people were killed in the attack, with many more missing and dozens injured.
Desperate parents and friends posted heart-wrenching messages and pictures on social media in the search for their loved ones on Tuesday, after the suicide bomb at a concert by US singer Ariana Grande.
In the hours after the blast, picture montages of smiling faces were being circulated of teens still unaccounted for after the concert.
Yet not all of those posting images online were genuine.
One image, by a Twitter user who goes by the name ‘Caroline’, contained a montage of photos of people, implying that they were all missing.
But as fellow users observed, several of the people in the image were not at the concert or indeed on the same continent.
The Mexico-based journalist Andrea Noel, whose image was included in the montage, turned to Twitter to correct the misconception: “Dude, this photo is fake. I’m not missing,” she wrote.
More disturbingly, the montage also included an image of 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson, who was murdered four years ago.
Parkinson’s mother Samantha Shrewsbury tweeted the photo, saying she was not happy that her daughter’s picture had been used.
“My murdered daughter’s picture used she was killed almost 4 years ago not last night,” she wrote.
Shrewsbury told the BBC that her phone has not stopped ringing since the appearance of her daughter’s photo in the collage.
“People keep telling me that Jayden’s picture was being circulated as one of the Manchester attack victims. It is horrible to see her picture being used in this way,” she said. “I feel sorry for the genuine parents of missing children.”
Many other social-media users posted “fake news” items about the Manchester bombings. The true motives are not known, but some speculate that the retweets and exposure gained could be behind it: Caroline’s tweet with the misleading photo montage was retweeted more than 14,000 times.
Another Twitter user shared an image of his “little brother Frank” saying he was missing after the concert. But some who commented on the post said it was taken several years ago, and was of a young boy who modeled for a fashion line for people with Down Syndrome, according to the BBC.
Fake reports also circulated about a man with a gun outside a nearby hospital. But that reportedly originated from a single Facebook post that had been shared more than 13,000 times.
The post reportedly read: “DO NOT COME to Oldham Hospital I’m currently inside… Man outside with GUN.”
Several mainstream media outlets regurgitated the fake news story, but local police and authorities refuted the claims.
Other posts also purported to show Ariana Grande backstage after the explosion — but the image apparently dated to a filmset back in 2015.
Wave of ‘fake news’ spreads online after UK terror attack
Wave of ‘fake news’ spreads online after UK terror attack
Stars and royals gather for the BAFTA film awards, with ‘One Battle’ and ‘Sinners’ leading the race
- William is due to present an award in his role as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
- Among the biggest receptions from gathered fans was for Paddington, the puppet bear who stars in a musical stage adaption of the beloved children’s classic
LONDON: Hollywood stars and British celebrities, from Paddington Bear to the Princess of Wales, gathered Sunday for the British Academy Film Awards, where politically charged thriller “One Battle After Another” and blues-steeped epic “Sinners” led the field of nominees.
The two films snagged early prizes, with Wunmi Mosaku taking the supporting actress award for “Sinners,” and Sean Penn winning the supporting actor trophy for “One Battle After Another.”
Oddsmakers suggest Shakespearean family tragedy “Hamnet” could beat the front-runners to best picture if British film industry voters respond to the emotionally rich story, earthy English setting and intense performances in Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel.
Stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and Ethan Hawke were among those walking the red carpet outside London’s Royal Festival Hall before a black-tie ceremony hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales also attended, three days after William’s uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by police and held for 11 hours over allegations he sent sensitive government information to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The scandal has rocked the royal family led by King Charles III, though William and Kate remain popular standard-bearers for the monarchy. William is due to present an award in his role as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Among the biggest receptions from gathered fans was for Paddington, the puppet bear who stars in a musical stage adaption of the beloved children’s classic.
Oscars bellwether
“One Battle” has 14 nominations, including best picture and acting nods for five of its cast. “Sinners” is just behind with 13, while “Hamnet” and the ping-pong odyssey “Marty Supreme” each have 11 nominations.
Guillermo del Toro’s reimagining of “Frankenstein” and Norwegian family drama ” Sentimental Value” each got eight nominations.
The British prizes, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, often provide hints about who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held this year on March 15. In the Oscar nominations, “Sinners” leads the race with a record 16 nominations, followed by “One Battle After Another” with 13.
Cumming told the audience that it had been a strong year for cinema, if not a cheerful one, with nominated films tackling themes including child death, racism and political violence:
“Watching the films this year was like taking part in a collective nervous breakdown,” he said. “It’s almost as though there are events going on in the real world that are influencing filmmakers.”
The BAFTA best film nominees are “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners” and “Sentimental Value.” The BAFTAs also have a distinctly British accent, with a separate category for best British film. Its 10 nominees include “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” “Pillion,” “I Swear” and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”
Directing contenders are Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle,” Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme,” Ryan Coogler for “Sinners,” Yorgos Lanthimos for dystopian tragicomedy “Bugonia,” Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value” and Zhao for “Hamnet.” Zhao will be the first female director to win two BAFTAs if she takes the prize. She won the directing award in 2021 for “Nomadland.”
Best leading actor nominees are bookies’ favorite Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for Broadway biopic “Blue Moon,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners,” Jesse Plemons for “Bugonia” and Robert Aramayo for playing an advocate for people with Tourette’s syndrome in biographical drama “I Swear.”
The leading actress category includes the strongly favored Jessie Buckley for her performance as Agnes Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, in “Hamnet.” She’s up against Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue,” Chase Infiniti for “One Battle After Another,” Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value” and Emma Stone for “Bugonia.”
“One Battle” actors Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn are all nominated for supporting performances.
AP gets documentary nod
The Associated Press was recognized in the best documentary category with a nomination for Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Ukraine war portrait “2000 Meters to Andriivka, ” co-produced by the AP and Frontline PBS.
Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,500 members of the UK academy of industry professionals. Contenders for the Rising Star award — the only prize decided by public vote and a reliable picker of future A-listers — are Infiniti, Aramayo, “Sinners” star Miles Caton and British actors Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.
Donna Langley, the UK-born chairwoman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, will be awarded the British Academy’s highest honor, the BAFTA fellowship.
The ceremony airs on BBC in the United Kingdom starting at 7 p.m. (1900 GMT) and on E! in the US at 8 p.m. EST.
