Iran allegedly airs 97 ‘coercive confessions’ amid record-breaking North Korea-style internet blackout
The Iranian regime has allegedly broadcast at least 97 “coercive confessions” from detained protesters on state television in just over two weeks, human rights groups say, as residents endure the longest internet blackout on record.
The videos reportedly feature handcuffed detainees with blurred faces showing remorse for their actions since the protests began Dec. 28, according to a rights group tracking the videos.
It said ominous music can be heard, and edited footage shows attacks on security forces, according to reporting by The Associated Press and data from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Other rights groups also claim the confession videos are coerced and obtained under duress, with protesters “dragged before cameras under the threat of torture and execution.”
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“The regime’s broadcast of so-called confessions by detained protesters is a threadbare and worn tactic,” Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.
“Time and time again, the henchmen drag arrested demonstrators before cameras under the threat of torture and execution, coercing them to recant their beliefs or invent absurd stories.”
The broadcasts come amid nationwide protests sparked by public anger over political repression, economic collapse and alleged abuses by security forces.
Demonstrations have spread across major cities despite mass arrests, lethal force and sweeping restrictions on communication.
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Safavi said the confessions serve a dual purpose.
“First, they are meant to justify the mass slaughter of protesters, no fewer than 3,000, which NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi has stated constitute manifest crimes against humanity,” he said.
“These forced confessions are designed to demoralize the Iranian people and sow fear and doubt.”
But he said any mass executions or staged confessions “won’t achieve that because no amount of televised coercion or repression will break the protesters’ resolve.”
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U.S.-based HRANA has warned that forced confessions in Iran frequently follow psychological or physical torture and can carry severe consequences, including death sentences.
“These rights violations compound on top of each other and lead to horrific outcomes,” Skylar Thompson, HRANA group’s deputy director, told The Associated Press, adding that the scale of broadcasts is unprecedented.
The confession campaign coincides with a sweeping internet shutdown that has effectively cut the public off from independent information.
According to NetBlocks, Iran’s internet blackout has surpassed 144 consecutive hours, making it one of the longest disruptions ever recorded.
“The shutdown is still ongoing, making it one of the longest blackouts on record,” Isik Mater, NetBlocks’ director of research, told Fox News Digital.
“State TV continues to operate normally via satellite transmission, which does not depend on the public internet, which means households can still watch Iranian state channels even during a near-total shutdown.”
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Mater said the blackout magnifies the impact of state propaganda because “while the public is cut off, the state relies on broadcast media and its domestic National Information Network to control what people see,” she said, likening Iran’s information strategy to that of North Korea.
“A useful comparison is North Korea where the vast majority of citizens there have little to no access to the global internet, yet the state TV and radio broadcast regime propaganda 24/7,” she said.
“Information flows through closed systems, like North Korea’s domestic intranet Kwangmyong and not the open internet.”
Mater added that shutdowns are highly selective, with senior officials and state institutions retaining connectivity through “whitelisted networks.”
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“Senior officials and state institutions retain connectivity via whitelisted government networks and private links,” Mater said.
“This is why Ali Khamenei and other government officials continue posting on global social media platforms during the blackout, enabling the regime to shape the narrative internationally while citizens are unable to document events or even respond.”
Nigeria named epicenter of global killings of Christians over faith in 2025, report says
JOHANNESBURG: A staggering and growing wave of persecution against Christians across sub-Saharan Africa has been laid bare in the latest Open Doors’ World Watch List for 2025. The report says three out of four Christians murdered worldwide are killed in Nigeria.
Fourteen of the top 50 countries worldwide where verified deaths could be reasonably linked to victims’ Christian faith are in sub-Saharan Africa. Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.
The organization states that one in seven Christians in the world face high levels of persecution. But that figure rises to one in five in Africa.
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Nigeria
Africa’s most populous nation is also ranked as the seventh worst in the world for persecution in all its forms. According to Open Doors, out of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith globally in the year up to the end of Sept. 2025, 3,490 of these were murdered in Nigeria — 72% of the total.
Muslims have also been killed in Nigeria. But the latest data from the report shows Christians have been “disproportionately targeted.” These are four of the affected states — there are others:
In Benue State in north-central Nigeria, 1,310 Christians were killed compared with 29 Muslims.
In Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, 546 Christians were killed compared with 48 Muslims.
In Taraba State in northeast Nigeria, 73 Christians were killed compared with 12 Muslims.
In north-western Kaduna State, 1,116 Christians were abducted in 2025, compared with 101 Muslims.
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“The latest figures should leave us in no doubt: there is a clear religious element to this horrific violence,” Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors U.K. told Fox News Digital.
Blyth added, “For many thousands of Christians, this will come as no surprise. Those who witnessed their families being killed, and their homes razed to the ground by Islamist Fulani militants report being told by their attackers that ‘we will destroy all Christians.’”
“It’s surely time to dismiss the idea that this violence is somehow ‘random,’” Blyth stated. “If we don’t recognize the clear religious element to the violence, it won’t be possible to properly address this tragic situation.”
Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister of Information and national orientation, responded to Fox News Digital to the Open Doors report Wednesday, saying, “I want to speak directly to the international community because there is a narrative being built about Nigeria that simply does not match the reality we are living on the ground.”
The Minister continued, “When a church is attacked, it is a Nigerian tragedy. When a mosque is raided, it is a Nigerian tragedy. We do not categorize our grief by religion.”
“The Open Doors report is heart-breaking – no one is more aware than we are of the suffering caused by the security challenges impacting our people. But labeling this a ‘religious war’ is fundamentally wrong. It is exactly the narrative the terrorists want you to believe. What we are actually fighting,” the minister said, “is a brutal mix of bandits and ISIS-linked militants. These people don’t have a faith; they have a price tag,” he said.
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“We are working hand-in-hand with our international partners – including the recent joint efforts with U.S. intelligence to strike ISIS enclaves – to ensure these ‘hounds of death’ are removed from our soil.”
The minister concluded, “Nigeria is a nation of believers. We are proud to be home to one of Africa’s largest Christian populations. But we are also a nation under attack by thugs. We ask our partners to see the real fight: it’s not neighbor against neighbor; it’s all of us against the terrorists.”
Sudan
Some 150,000 are estimated to have died in the civil war that has engulfed this nation since 2023. Open Doors reports, “the situation for the nation’s 2 million Christians is especially grim.”
“We are considered as the enemy by both (opposing) factions, who accuse us of being allied with the other side,” Rafat Samir, general secretary for the Sudan Evangelical Alliance, told Fox News Digital. We are told ‘you don’t belong here’ and driven from our homes. To make matters worse, Christians are often excluded when aid is distributed.” A particular pattern can be seen across sub-Saharan Africa, Open Doors states. The report claims, “Islamist militants enter the vacuums in law and order left by a weak junta and civil conflicts. It means they can operate with impunity across parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Niger and Mozambique. Their stated aim is to create ‘Sharia states’ operating under their deadly interpretation of Islamic law.”
Elsewhere in the world, North Korea remains top of the list for having the world’s worst persecution of Christians, with Open Doors stating, “If Christians are discovered, they and their families are deported to labor camps or executed.”
A huge spike in reported violence against Christians in Syria has followed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency in Dec. 2024, and has led the country to jump to number six on the list. China is number 17, with churches driven underground by surveillance and heavy regulation.
The reporting period for the World Watch List ended some two months before President Trump ordered U.S. forces to bomb Muslim militants in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day to try to stop the killing of Christians.
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Jo Newhouse from Open Doors sub-Saharan Africa, told Fox News Digital, “The U.S. airstrikes (against Jihadi groups in Nigeria) have thrown many of the militant groups in the area into a state of panic. They have been scattering and attacking civilians as they come across soft targets, hoping that they can rebuild their resources through looting and kidnapping.”
“Many Christians across the northern states are in a state of flux, unable to find any safety or stability. They bear the scars of living under the perpetual risk of death, destruction and displacement,” Newhouse said.
Watchdog highlights nations where Christians face persecution around the globe
While Christians in America enjoy religious freedom, many Christians around the world suffer persecution, and some are even martyred for their faith.
Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026 discusses the anti-Christian persecution in dozens of nations around the globe.
The list includes 50 countries — here’s a closer look at several of them:
North Korea
North Korea, a notoriously autocratic country ruled by Kim Jong Un, is one of the nation’s included in the list.
“If you are found to be a Christian in North Korea, you and your family could be immediately executed or sent to a terrible labor camp – forever,” Open Doors notes.
“North Koreans may only pay homage to the Kim regime, not God. Christian gatherings must be completely secret; a neighbor could inform on you with devastating results.”
Somalia
Somalia, a nation located in the Horn of Africa, is also included on the list.
“Anybody becoming a Christian in Somalia faces danger on all sides: from the authorities, from your clan and from anti-Christian extremists,” the report notes. “It’s illegal for a Muslim to become a Christian. Christians have no legal protection and can be harassed and intimidated by the authorities. Leaving Islam is also seen as seriously dishonoring your family and clan: they may disown, attack or even kill you.”
Al-Shabaab — which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. — has grown “more dominant in certain areas,” Open Doors notes, explaining that the group seeks “to eradicate Christianity, openly executing suspected believers.”
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Yemen
Yemen, a nation in the Middle East, comes next on the list.
Most Christians there have “converted from Islam,” according to the list, which says they “must practice their faith in absolute secrecy or risk a death sentence.”
“Last year, Western airstrikes were framed by the Houthis as ‘Christian aggression,’ pushing believers further underground,” Open Doors says.
The report highlighted the personal story of Aweis, whose own father told him that if he became a Christian, he would kill him.
“Aweis knew the dangers of following Jesus in Somalia the moment he showed his father a New Testament, which he obtained after becoming curious about Christianity,” Open Doors explains.
“I cannot stop you from reading your Bible,” his father noted, according to the report. “But if you become a Christian, I’ll be the one to kill you.”
The report adds, “Aweis later gave his life to Jesus.”
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Sudan
A civil war in Sudan has caused the globe’s “largest humanitarian crisis,” the list says. “The Christian community is hungry, on the run and facing strong persecution at the same time.”
Sudan is located in Africa.
“Sudan’s brief period of religious freedom has been rowed back, and oppressive ‘morality policies’ are back in force. Christians can face physical punishment to convert to Islam, with church leaders arrested. Many church buildings have been closed, bombed or taken over by militia groups,” according to Open Doors. “New Christians face rejection from their families and violence from Islamic extremist groups. In a lawless vacuum, they have no protection.”
Iran regime opened fire with live ammunition on protesters, doctor says: ‘Shoot-to-kill’
Iranian security forces escalated from pellet guns to live ammunition during protests, sharply increasing casualties, a doctor who treated wounded demonstrators told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
Speaking after fleeing the country, the doctor told CHRI the use of live fire increased the death toll days after protests erupted Dec. 28.
“Law enforcement forces were firing pellet shotguns that scatter pellets. During those days, I received five or six calls per day about people who had been hit by two pellets in the back or pellets to the head or scalp,” the doctor claimed.
The doctor said he noticed the situation shifted on Jan. 8, when authorities imposed internet blackouts and cut off communication nationwide.
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“From about 8:10 to 8:20 pm, the sound of bullets, gunfire, screams, and sporadic explosions could be heard. I was called to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw that the nature of the injuries and the number of gunshot wounds had changed completely,” the doctor said of the days around the blackout.
“The situation was totally different. Shots from close range, injuries leading to death.”
Human rights groups say thousands have been killed as security forces moved to suppress the demonstrations, with some estimates placing the death toll above 3,000, Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Tuesday.
The protests were fueled by anger over economic hardship, rising prices and inflation before expanding into broader anti-government demonstrations.
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“The calls I received on my home phone for medical advice were no longer about pellet wounds,” the doctor said. “People were saying they had been shot, with bullets entering one side of the body and exiting the other. Live ammunition.”
Describing scenes in Isfahan, which is a major protest hub, the doctor said streets were stained with blood as security forces deployed heavier weapons.
“A large amount of blood, about a liter, had pooled in the gutter and blood trails extended for several meters,” the doctor claimed.
“The level and intensity of violence increased step by step,” he said before describing a change in aggression on Jan. 9.
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“On Friday night, I heard automatic gunfire. I am familiar with weapons and can distinguish their sounds. I heard DShK heavy machine guns. I heard PK machine guns.
“These weapons are in the possession of IRGC units — DShKs, PK machine guns, and Kalashnikovs,” the doctor said. “The trauma cases I saw were brutal, shoot-to-kill.”
Victims ranged from teenagers to elderly men, the doctor said. Some injuries were so severe that bodies were unrecognizable.
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“One colleague said that during a night shift, eight bodies were brought in with gunshot wounds to the face; their faces were unrecognizable. Many bodies are not identifiable at all,” he added.
The account comes as President Donald Trump publicly voiced support for Iranian protesters.
On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to “take over” their institutions, saying he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the crackdown ends.
Iranian student shot in head at close range amid protests, body buried along roadside
A 23-year-old student was shot in the head at close range during protests in Iran, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, as the regime continues its violent crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.
Rubina Aminian, a student of textile and fashion design at Shariati Technical and Vocational College for Girls in Tehran, was killed Jan. 8 after leaving college and joining the protests in the capital, according to Iran Human Rights.
She is among the few victims of the recent unrest whose identity has been publicly confirmed.
“Sources close to Rubina’s family, citing eyewitnesses, told Iran Human Rights that the young Kurdish woman from Marivan was shot from close range from behind, with the bullet striking her head,” the group said in a statement.
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Following her death, Aminian’s family traveled from their home in Kermanshah, western Iran, to Tehran to identify her body.
According to sources cited by Iran Human Rights, the family was taken to a location near the college where they saw the bodies of hundreds of young people allegedly killed during the protests.
“Most of the victims were young people between 18 and 22 years old, who had been shot at close range in the head and neck by government forces,” a source close to the family said.
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The family was reportedly initially barred from identifying Aminian’s body and later prevented from taking her remains, the group said.
After extensive efforts, relatives were eventually allowed to retrieve her body and return to Kermanshah.
When they got there, intelligence forces reportedly surrounded the family home and would not allow a burial to take place.
According to Iran Human Rights, the family was forced to bury Aminian’s body along the roadside between Kermanshah and the nearby city of Kamyaran.
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The family has also not been permitted to hold mourning ceremonies, and several mosques in Marivan were reportedly disallowed from hosting memorial services.
Iran’s spiraling anti-government protests have been driven by widespread anger over political repression and economic hardship, including rising inflation.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated Tuesday that over 16,700 people have been detained.
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Other rights groups have reported extremely high death tolls, with some estimates exceeding 3,000, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
Iran Human Rights described Aminian in a statement as “a young woman full of joy for life and passionate about fashion and clothing design, whose dreams were buried by the violent repression of the Islamic Republic.”
Pope denounces abortion, warns against surrogacy as exploitation of mothers and children
Pope Leo XIV denounced abortion and called surrogacy a violation of the dignity of both mother and child during remarks to members of the diplomatic corps on Friday.
“In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development,” Pope Leo said.
“Among these is abortion, which cuts short a growing life and refuses to welcome the gift of life,” the pope said. “In this regard, the Holy See expresses deep concern about projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility for the purpose of accessing the so-called ‘right to safe abortion.’”
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Pope Leo also criticized the use of public funds to “suppress life.”
“It also considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life, rather than being invested to support mothers and families,” Pope Leo said. “The primary objective must remain the protection of every unborn child and the effective and concrete support of every woman so that she is able to welcome life.”
Pope Leo also condemned surrogacy, saying the practice of a woman carrying a baby for another person or couple violates the dignity of both the mother and the child.
“Likewise, there is the practice of surrogacy,” he said. “By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”
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According to The Business Research Company, the global surrogacy market reached $16.01 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $37.31 billion by 2029.
Before addressing surrogacy, Pope Leo also reiterated Church teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman and that children should be brought into such a union.
“The vocation to love and to life, which manifests itself in an important way in the exclusive and indissoluble union between a woman and a man, implies a fundamental ethical imperative for enabling families to welcome and fully care for unborn life,” Pope Leo said. “This is increasingly a priority, especially in those countries that are experiencing a dramatic decline in birth rates. Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service.”
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Pope Leo XIV calls out jihadist violence, warns ‘Orwellian-style’ ideology is eroding free speech in the West
During an address to members of the diplomatic corps on Friday, Pope Leo XIV warned that “Orwellian-style” ideology is taking root in the West and undermining free speech.
“It is painful to see how, especially in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking,” Pope Leo said. “At the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fueling it.”
The pope said freedom of conscience is also increasingly under attack.
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”At this moment in history, freedom of conscience seems increasingly to be questioned by States, even those that claim to be based on democracy and human rights,” Pope Leo said. “This freedom, however, establishes a balance between the collective interest and individual dignity. It also emphasizes that a truly free society does not impose uniformity but protects the diversity of consciences, preventing authoritarian tendencies and promoting an ethical dialogue that enriches the social fabric.”
The Pope also condemned “jihadist violence,” and addressed the persecution of Christians, calling it “one of the most widespread human rights crises today, affecting over 380 million believers worldwide.”
“Here, I would especially call to mind the many victims of violence, including religiously motivated violence in Bangladesh, in the Sahel region and in Nigeria, as well as those of the serious terrorist attack last June on the parish of Saint Elias in Damascus,” he said. “Nor do I forget the victims of jihadist violence in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.”
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In August, Fox News reported that international observers witnessed ISIS-aligned soldiers were beheading Christians and burning churches and homes in central and Southern Africa, with some of the most brutal attacks happening in the nation of Mozambique.
It is estimated that more than 16 million Christians have been displaced from their homes in sub-Saharan Africa, facing threats of persecution, kidnapping, sexual violence and, in some cases, death from Islamist radicals.
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Iran’s ‘distinctive’ drone deployment sees death toll soar amid violent protests
Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests continued Sunday, with reports of mass killings as demonstrations spread across the country amid warnings of drone surveillance.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran claimed a “massacre was unfolding,” while the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported “surveillance drones flying overhead and movements by security forces around protest locations, indicating ongoing monitoring and security control.”
“Drones are indispensable reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence tools,” military drone expert Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital. “They have given the Iranian government a distinctive upper hand in combating the protests.”
“I doubt there will be any use of drones for direct strikes at this point,” Chell said. “But I would not be surprised if, beyond surveillance, they were using drones to help position snipers and shock protesters.”
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“It does indicate the level of seriousness the government is applying towards the situation.”
The full scale of the violence has been difficult to verify due to a near-total internet blackout. Iran’s connectivity to the outside world remained at roughly 1% of normal levels, according to NetBlocks.
The most conservative estimates indicate at least 2,000 people may have been killed across Iran over the past 48 hours, Iran International reported.
The deaths of 544 people involved in the protests have been confirmed, with dozens of additional cases under review, according to HRANA.
HRANA said more than 10,681 individuals have been arrested and transferred to prisons. Protests have been recorded at 585 locations in 186 cities across all 31 provinces, the agency reported.
Witnesses told Iran International that security forces appeared “overstretched in some areas,” relying on intimidation, warning shots and force.
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In other locations, particularly in southeastern Iran, rights groups said security forces fired directly at protesters in Zahedan after prayers, wounding several people.
Ali Safavi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told Fox News Digital that drones were observed over Ferdow Boulevard in Tehran-sar.
“The regime, in fear of the people, deployed drones to monitor and control the demonstrations,” Safavi said. “In other areas there were clashes and assaults from the suppressive forces.”
Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, claimed more danger was imminent given Iran’s sudden use of drones.
“Iran would not be unique or advanced by western standards in using drones, but they are advanced in their tactical understanding and effectiveness using them,” he said. “This drone deployment 100% signals more danger as if, for no other reason, it enables the regime to know when and where to deploy resources.”
“It helps track specific people or groups who flee protest sites,” Chell continued. “They could also be using cells for tracking and listening so they could track protesters’ cell phones who were at the protest sites.”
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Chell said Iran relies largely on small, domestically produced systems.
“They would have the Bina, which has a smaller reconnaissance drone with a shorter operational range of up to 40 km,” he said. “These are typically lightweight, equipped with optical/infrared cameras, used to monitor movement and relay imagery back to ground stations. These are the ones most likely to be adapted for crowd monitoring throughout cities.”
Protests that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s economic collapse have evolved into the largest anti-regime demonstrations in years, according to analysts and opposition groups.
“We could see an escalation in the use of intimidation/force multiplier effect of drones and/or the use of tear gas or smoke to help create crowd disbursement,” Chell said.
President Donald Trump renewed warnings to Tehran, saying the U.S. stands ready to support protesters and cautioned Iranian authorities against the use of lethal force.
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“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also said that protesters appear to be gaining ground in some cities and warned Iranian leaders not to begin shooting demonstrators, saying, “we’ll start shooting too.”
DR MARC SIEGEL: Medical miracle or modern science? Both can be signs of God at work
Is what you are experiencing really a medical miracle, or is it simply medical technology advancing at just the right speed to swoop in and save your life, or the life of someone who really matters to you?
Or does it really matter which of these it is? For me, medicine and advancing technologies are the “hands of God,” and so the coincidence of a miracle recovery occurring just as a technology emerging is God’s presence.
I remember when my cousin Howard, a retired physician, was in the hospital for a raging lymphoma back in 2002, and he responded well to a standard chemotherapy regimen called CHOP that had been used to effectively treat many lymphomas since the 1960s.
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At the end, his hematologist said to me, and to Howard, that though he was now in remission, he felt the chances of recurrence over the next 15 years were close to 100%. But, then he said there was a new drug we could try that was just emerging, a targeted monoclonal antibody that was showing increasing promise against lymphoma.
Howard received it and has never had a recurrence, and the combination therapy, known as RCHOP, is now standard.
In 1995, Melvin Mann, was a 37-year-old Army major when he was diagnosed with a deadly blood cancer, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). He lost weight, became severely fatigued and was in a downhill spiral when, three years later, he was among the first to receive a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor in a clinical trial (CML patients make too much of the enzyme tyrosine kinase, which leads to an overproduction of white blood cells). Soon his energy returned, and he put on weight and less than a year later, he ran a marathon.
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This is not to say that all new and emerging medical treatments are automatically miracle cures. We need to be very wary of snake oil salesmen. As Dr. Scott Rodeo, head team physician for the New York Giants, pointed out recently, “regenerative medicine isn’t there yet. The science is promising, but the marketing is sprinting too far ahead.”
For me, medicine and advancing technologies are the “hands of God,” and so the coincidence of a miracle recovery occurring just as a technology emerging is God’s presence.
He wrote that stem cell treatments promoted in offshore clinics in Panama, Colombia and other countries are unproven and unregulated, “which makes it impossible for me, or any physician, to give objective medical advice about them.”
Rodeo also warned about devastating potential complications including blindness, tumor formation and severe infection. And that the effectiveness is “symptom-modifying at best.”
Speaking of snake oil salesmen who promote hype that preys on people’s thirst for medical miracles, in Kenya there are literally miracle workers who profess to cure deadly diseases with magical waves of hands. These are preachers, prophets and magicians who claim they can provide cures by casting spells. And there are even medical professionals in Africa who claim that magic spells work. The problem has gotten so pervasive that the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council has raised concerns about public health safety and professional ethics surrounding these claims.
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Medical miracles are real, we experience them every day, as I wrote in my book, “The Miracles Among Us.” These miracles have many definitions and are unexpected and frequently overlooked. They are uplifting and provide us with hope in the New Year.
At the same time, we need to be wary of those who offer us free miracles to make a buck or otherwise control us.
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Iran flips ‘kill switch’ to hide alleged crimes as death toll rises amid protests
The Iranian regime triggered an internet “kill switch” in an apparent effort to hide alleged abuses by security forces as protests against it surged nationwide, a cybersecurity expert has claimed.
The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amnesty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.
“This is Iran’s war against its own population using digital means,” NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital.
“This was a piecemeal measure that eventually encompassed the entire country, with the government willing to use this kind of measure for an extended period of time,” he said.
“There would be an attempt by the regime to cover up crimes that it may have committed, so this blackout could potentially last for days or weeks,” Toker added.
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At least 65 people have been killed in the protests, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran, which said late Friday that the death toll had more than doubled since earlier in the week.
The group also reported that more than 2,300 people have been arrested and that demonstrations have spread to at least 180 cities nationwide. Most of those killed were protesters, the group said.
“People in Iran daring to express their anger at decades of repression and demand fundamental change are once again being met with a deadly pattern of security forces unlawfully firing at, chasing, arresting and beating protesters,” Amnesty International also said in a statement Thursday.
“The single kill switch is the censorship mechanism that is centrally controlled by the regime, so there are no legal procedures or mechanisms for people to push back,” Toker said.
“We know now that they’ve centralized all of this into a one-step operation,” he explained, calling it “very much a top-down mechanism.”
“It’s been in development since the Cold War, and it means they are able to triangulate the ground terminal in satellite transmissions. Some governments implement this kind of kill switch in their cyber operations rooms,” he said.
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“We know that in 2019, for example, it used to be a painstaking measure when the government had to switch off businesses one by one, city by city.”
NetBlocks said the current blackout is among the most severe it has ever recorded in Iran.
“We are tracking near-total disconnection of internet service across Iran right now, and connectivity is below 2% of ordinary levels,” Toker said.
“This is a nationwide disruption that is impacting almost all services, all connectivity and all avenues of life, extending beyond just mobile phones and computers,” he said.
“It’s impacting banks, essential services, and there’s very little communication within the country, so people are unable to reach the outside world and nobody has the ability to communicate.”
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Despite the sweeping restrictions, some limited communication channels remain available, Toker revealed.
“There are a few gaps, so it’s possible to communicate with those close to the borders through Wi-Fi or mobile service that crosses borders,” he said.
“It’s also occasionally possible to find a part in the service, in a fixed-line service, where they can tunnel through all those, but that is increasingly rare and no longer an option.
“Another mechanism we’ve seen is access via satellite internet, namely the Starlink network, but the equipment is banned by the Iranian regime.”
“The technology that the Iranian regime uses to trace links is essentially anti-espionage technology,” he said.
“These measures are typically imposed by the most authoritarian regimes, the most controlling governments that seek to silence and oppress their own populations,” Toker said.
“NetBlocks tracked very similar multi-week disruption in 2019, during which thousands were killed, and this was also done in 2022 when people were protesting the killing of Mahsa Amini.”
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“In past incidents, we did observe that the government attempted to keep a baseline of service available.
“In this recent case, they pulled the plug, so there’s a far more extreme measure in place here, which suggests that the regime is scared and isn’t taking risks when it comes to the possibility of information reaching the outside world.”
President Donald Trump warned Iran’s leaders Friday against using force on protesters.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, he warned Iran was in “big trouble.”
“I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that’s a very dangerous place right now,” Trump said. “You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too.”
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“The U.S. has encouraged democracy in Iran, and that’s a positive thing at this point,” Toker said.
“There’s very little that can be done from the outside, but it’s important to continue to support positive efforts.
“A free and open internet in Iran, and indeed in other countries, can encourage democracy and support basic liberties,” he added.