X users shared a video on April 3, 2026, allegedly showing Iranian officials taking a U.S. Air Force pilot from a downed fighter jet into custody. The brief clip — which takes place in a large field — features a person training a gun on another person putting his or her hands in the air.

The claim: A video authentically shows a U.S. Air Force pilot of a downed fighter jet being taken into custody in Iran on April 3, 2026.

The posts read, “The American pilot is in the custody of the Sons of Haidar al-Karrar.” The posts did not further describe who or what “the Sons of Haidar al-Karrar” referenced.

In short, the posts miscaptioned the video, meaning users shared a genuine image or video with inaccurate descriptions.

The video — while real and displaying no signs of artificial intelligence — first appeared online many months before the U.S. and Israel started a war with Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. The clip did not show one of the pilots of a reported downed American aircraft in Iran.

BBC Verify senior journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh reported on X, “The claim that this video shows a US pilot being captured by Iranians after the downing of an F-15 fighter jet is false.”

The claim circulated after The Associated Press, Reuters and other news media outlets reported the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran on April 3. One of the two aircraft’s crew members was rescued, with searches still underway for the remaining pilot, per reports.

A reverse image search located posts containing longer versions of the same video. Those posts — including a May 9, 2025, Facebook post — mentioned ongoing conflicts between India and Pakistan.

The India-based fact-checking website BOOM Bangladesh later reported the clip showed a paraglider from Bangladesh named Riyad who accidentally landed at a closed airport in Pakistan. The Bengali-language article, when translated to English, read as follows:

We also contacted the person seen in the video who identified himself as Riyad. Riyad told BOOM Bangladesh that he is a Bangladeshi citizen and is currently in Pakistan to take up paragliding training. Narrating the events of the video, Riyad said that during his regular training in Chitral, local pilots informed him that the Chitral airport was closed. Therefore, he planned to land near the airport, which has permission.

“While preparing for landing, I saw a grassy field with cows grazing, which I thought was safe for landing. But as I descended, I noticed the perimeter of the airport. Since paragliding is a non-motorized sport, there is no possibility of changing course or altitude once the landing begins.”

Riyad also said that after landing, airport security guards initially detained him, but later checked his documents and released him.

We didn’t independently verify the details BOOM Bangladesh published.

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On March 17, 2026, better known by many as St. Patrick’s Day, a rumor spread online that the city of San Francisco celebrates the holiday by dyeing human excrement on the city’s streets and sidewalks green.

The claim: The city of San Francisco celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by dyeing poop on the sidewalk green.

For example, one X post read, “San Francisco Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day By Adding Green Dye To Sidewalk Poop.” Some users apparently believe the claim. Don’t step in this claim.

San Francisco Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day By Adding Green Dye To Sidewalk Poop https://t.co/vP2KlAkmou pic.twitter.com/ChTv907B8W

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) March 17, 2026

In short, the rumor is fictional. It originated from The Babylon Bee, a website and network of social media pages that describes its content as satirical in nature.

Its X account describes the outlet as, “Fake news you can trust,” while the website’s about page states the following:

The Babylon Bee is the world’s best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims. We write satire about Christian stuff, political stuff, and everyday life.

Despite the claim originating from a known satire source, we also checked multiple search engines including Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo to search for evidence suggesting the rumor was true, just in case. If it were, local news media outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle would have likely reported on it, and those search inquiries would have uncovered that evidence. No such local reporting exists.   

*Let us note here: Whether you agree with something being described as satire or parody is a matter of opinion. We label these rumors based on creators’ description of them. Your call on whether you agree.

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In modern China, the so-called 996 work culture, working six days a week from 9am to 9pm, has become a major point of contention.

While some advocate for the gruelling schedule as a fast track to success, others decry it as “modern slavery”, pointing to cases where excessive work hours have led to severe health problems or even death.

The debate was first ignited in 2019, when an anonymous protest on GitHub, a global developer platform owned by Microsoft, drew attention to how the 996 culture threatens the well-being of technology workers.

Image shows that in ancient times, merchants awoke before dawn and worked late into the night, often deprived of a good night’s sleep, and exerted themselves far more than their modern counterparts.

The schedule breaches China’s labour law, which limits work to eight hours a day and 44 hours a week.

However, the phenomenon of overwork is far from new.

Long before tech giants emerged, Chinese workers had endured similar pressures for centuries.

During the Warring States period (475-221 BC), official Dong He worked tirelessly day and night while negotiating with a rival kingdom, one of the earliest records of overtime.

In the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), officials had to leave home by 4 or 5am due to poor transport and often worked until 7pm.

Farmers laboured from sunrise to sunset, while merchants slept fewer than four hours to run their businesses.

The illustration depicts farmers labouring on their farmland before sunrise and continuing well into the evening.

Attending the morning meeting was essential in ancient times, which strictly enforced punctuality and early hours.

In the Tang dynasty (618-907), officials received 20 lashes in punishment for a single day of absence; 35 days of absence resulted in a year-long sentence. Latecomers were also punished by being struck.

A Ming dynasty (1368-1644) official, terrified of the consequences for tardiness, rushed through the palace in a panic, only to slip and drown in a river.

Alongside the pressures of regular work and attendance, ancient civil servants also had to manage shift duties, which often came at the expense of their personal time and family life.

In addition to regular work and attendance pressures, ancient civil servants also faced the burden of shift duties, sacrificing personal time and family life.

The Tang dynasty introduced a night-duty system, requiring some officials to work three to four shifts within 10 days to handle both routine documents and urgent matters.

Ancient officials did not receive overtime pay, but their diligence could earn them the emperor’s favour.

During the Eastern Han period (25-220), an official named Huang Xiang frequently covered for his colleagues.

When the emperor found him working off duty, he was impressed by his dedication and promoted him.

Even emperors were no strangers to hard work.

Ming dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang reviewed 1,660 memorials in just eight days and required his ministers to process over 200 documents daily.

Qing dynasty (1644-1912), Emperor Yongzheng, a renowned workaholic, slept only four hours a night and wrote over 10 million words in

The Han dynasty introduced a “rest and bath day,” allowing officials one day off every five days, while the Tang and Song dynasties, known for their economic prosperity, provided relatively more rest for labourers

He granted himself only three holidays a year: the Spring Festival, Winter Solstice and his birthday.

Emperor Yongzheng was also passionate about reading and working at night, avoiding entertainment like imperial hunts or summer retreats.

Reports suggest he owned 35 pairs of glasses, kept throughout the palace for easy access.

Despite the heavy workload, rest was still valued in ancient society.

The Han dynasty (206 BC-220) introduced a “rest and bath day,” giving officials one day off every five days.

The Tang and Song dynasties, marked by economic prosperity, offered relatively more respite for labourers.

Tang officials rested one day every 10 days, with additional breaks for festivals and visiting elderly parents, with marriage leave lasting up to nine months.

A hardworking office in today’s China. The debate over so-called “996” work schedules continues to rage.

In the Song dynasty (960-1279), officials could enjoy up to 98 rest days annually.

From renowned figures to ordinary citizens, complaints about endless labour are woven throughout Chinese history.

Around 1,800 years ago, ancient workers carved grievances such as “I am too tired” and “no overtime pay” into stone bricks, which are now displayed in a museum in Anhui province, central China, and still resonate with visitors today.

The Tang poet Bai Juyi spent most of his time working long hours.

He captured his early departures and late returns in poetry, expressing his disdain for official duties and asking: “When will I be able to leave office and regain my freedom?”

Even after his hair turned white, Ming dynasty painter Wen Zhengming still had to do night duties.

In his poetry, he described himself as “weary in spirit, like someone ill” while working.

The struggle to balance work and life has been a persistent theme through the ages.

Confucian classics lauded hard work as a moral virtue, warning that laziness would lead to failure.

Today, the reverence for diligence persists, with make-up work days compensating for long national holidays, highlighting the ongoing tension between work and rest in China’s modern labour landscape.

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