{"id":"1793382826592-news-segment","slug":"brics-illness-rumors-denied-by-india","title":"BRICS illness rumors denied by India","summary":"Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, is attempting to recover $6.3 billion stolen in a cyber-attack it describes as the largest ever of its kind. The company has linked the hack to North Korea, whose state-sponsored hacking groups—most notably the Lazarus Group—have been responsible for a string of major crypto thefts in recent years, with stolen funds used to support the country's weapons programs.\n\nNorth Korean hackers have increasingly targeted cryptocurrency platforms because crypto theft offers a way to generate hard currency despite heavy international sanctions. The scale of this theft—$6.3 billion—would dwarf previous record crypto hacks, such as the $1.5 billion Bybit hack in early 2025, also attributed to North Korea.\n\nSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa did withdraw from public engagements due to ill health after returning from the BRICS summit in New Delhi, but his office did not link it to the summit. India's Ministry of External Affairs called claims that multiple world leaders fell ill after the summit \"fake\" and \"misleading,\" and no other leader is reported to have fallen ill. Claims about Xi Jinping fainting or suffering a stroke are unconfirmed and were denied by Indian officials.\n\nBinance is attempting to recover $6.3 billion stolen in a cyber-attack it describes as the largest ever of its kind, which it links to North Korea. This is consistent with a long pattern of North Korean state-sponsored hacking of crypto platforms.\n\nThe G20 \"family photo\" was cancelled at the Atlanta summit after European foreign ministers refused to be pictured with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reflecting ongoing Western isolation of Russia over the Ukraine war.\n\nChrista Pike, a Tennessee death row inmate, survived a lethal injection attempt in September and has now made her first public statement, saying she woke up \"confused and in pain.\"\n\nCanada has ended a 55-year-old avalanche dog rescue program in the Rocky Mountains as part of gover","publishedAt":"2026-10-30T17:53:46.592Z","channel":{"id":"news","name":"Oncast News","language":"en"},"show":"The World","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"MISLEADING: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa did withdraw from public engagements due to ill health after returning from the BRICS summit in New Delhi, but his office did not link it to the summit. India's Ministry of External Affairs called claims that multiple world leaders fell ill after the summit \"fake\" and \"misleading,\" and no other leader is reported to have fallen ill. Claims about Xi Jinping fainting or suffering a stroke are unconfirmed and were denied by Indian officials.\nSource: [dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-new-delhi-denies-claims-world-leaders-fell-ill-after-brics-summit/live-79300604), [hindustantimes.com](https://www.hin (https://x.com/KwandeZN/status/2113716178225168682)\n\nTRUE: Binance is attempting to recover $6.3 billion stolen in a cyber-attack it describes as the largest ever of its kind, which it links to North Korea. This is consistent with a long pattern of North Korean state-sponsored hacking of crypto platforms.\nSource: [bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwe8lp7zy07zo) NAMES: Binance = the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwe8lp7zy07zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)\n\nTRUE: The G20 \"family photo\" was cancelled at the Atlanta summit after European foreign ministers refused to be pictured with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reflecting ongoing Western isolation of Russia over the Ukraine war.\nSource: [bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmd6dp2y576do) NAMES: G20 = Group of 20 major economies; Sergei Lavrov = Russia's long-serving foreign minister (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmd6dp2y576do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)\n\nTRUE: Christa Pike, a Tennessee death row inmate, survived a lethal injection attempt in September and has now made her first public statement, saying she woke up \"confused and in pain.\"\nSource: [bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck62ydn7dj9eo) NAMES: Christa Pike = Tennessee death row inmate, convicted of a 1995 murder (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck62ydn7dj9eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)\n\nTRUE: Canada has ended a 55-year-old avalanche dog rescue program in the Rocky Mountains as part of government budget cuts, prompting public outrage.\nSource: [bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwdd8q8e9e9yo) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwdd8q8e9e9yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)","claims":[{"verdict":"MISLEADING","summary":"South African President Cyril Ramaphosa did withdraw from public engagements due to ill health after returning from the BRICS summit in New Delhi, but his office did not link it to the summit. India's Ministry of External Affairs called claims that multiple world leaders fell ill after the summit \"fake\" and \"misleading,\" and no other leader is reported to have fallen ill. Claims about Xi Jinping fainting or suffering a stroke are unconfirmed and were denied by Indian officials.","sourceName":"[dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-new-delhi-denies-claims-world-leaders-fell-ill-after-brics-summit/live-79300604), [hindustantimes.com](https://www.hin","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/KwandeZN/status/2113716178225168682","claim":"I believe you the World Leaders recently went India I think G20 Meeting some come back SICK even China President 🇨🇳and South Africa President 🇿🇦 https://t.co/5U0DDdULF3","author":"GLOCK 19 (@KwandeZN)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Binance is attempting to recover $6.3 billion stolen in a cyber-attack it describes as the largest ever of its kind, which it links to North Korea. This is consistent with a long pattern of North Korean state-sponsored hacking of crypto platforms.","sourceName":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwe8lp7zy07zo) NAMES: Binance = the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwe8lp7zy07zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"Crypto giant Binance attempting to recover $6.3bn stolen in hack linked to North Korea - The cyber-attack, which the company describes as complex, is believed to be the largest ever of its kind.","author":"the BBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The G20 \"family photo\" was cancelled at the Atlanta summit after European foreign ministers refused to be pictured with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reflecting ongoing Western isolation of Russia over the Ukraine war.","sourceName":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmd6dp2y576do) NAMES: G20 = Group of 20 major economies; Sergei Lavrov = Russia's long-serving foreign minister","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmd6dp2y576do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"G20 'family photo' cancelled after protests over presence of Russian minister - European foreign ministers refused to be pictured with Sergei Lavrov at the summit being held in Atlanta.","author":"the BBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Christa Pike, a Tennessee death row inmate, survived a lethal injection attempt in September and has now made her first public statement, saying she woke up \"confused and in pain.\"","sourceName":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck62ydn7dj9eo) NAMES: Christa Pike = Tennessee death row inmate, convicted of a 1995 murder","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck62ydn7dj9eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"US inmate Christa Pike says she woke up 'confused and in pain' after failed execution - It is Pike's first public statement since she survived an execution attempt by lethal injection in September.","author":"the BBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Canada has ended a 55-year-old avalanche dog rescue program in the Rocky Mountains as part of government budget cuts, prompting public outrage.","sourceName":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwdd8q8e9e9yo)","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwdd8q8e9e9yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"Canada stops using 'avalanche dogs' for rescues in Rocky Mountains, stirring outrage - A 55-year-old dog rescue programme that has found missing hikers and children in the Canadian wilderness was axed as part of government budget cuts.","author":"the BBC"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/KwandeZN/status/2113716178225168682","name":"[dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-new-delhi-denies-claims-world-leaders-fell-ill-after-brics-summit/live-79300604), [hindustantimes.com](https://www.hin","kind":"x","verdict":"MISLEADING","author":"GLOCK 19 (@KwandeZN)"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwe8lp7zy07zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwe8lp7zy07zo) NAMES: Binance = the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmd6dp2y576do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmd6dp2y576do) NAMES: G20 = Group of 20 major economies; Sergei Lavrov = Russia's long-serving foreign minister","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck62ydn7dj9eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck62ydn7dj9eo) NAMES: Christa Pike = Tennessee death row inmate, convicted of a 1995 murder","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwdd8q8e9e9yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwdd8q8e9e9yo)","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793382826592-news-segment-brics-illness-rumors-denied-by-india","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/news","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793382826592-news-segment-brics-illness-rumors-denied-by-india","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793382826592-news-segment-brics-illness-rumors-denied-by-india and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Bella","text":"The rumor is already outrunning the facts: world leaders went to New Delhi for BRICS and came back sick."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I saw the post. It names Xi Jinping and Ramaphosa and says 'some come back sick.' That's the entire evidence."},{"host":"Bella","text":"One correction before anything else: the post calls it a G20 meeting. It wasn't. It was BRICS."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Right—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. Not the G20."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Cyril Ramaphosa did withdraw from public events after the summit. His office said ill health."},{"host":"Brian","text":"But they never linked it to the summit. That's the piece people leave out."},{"host":"Bella","text":"India's foreign ministry called the whole claim fake and misleading. That's a direct quote."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So one leader, one illness, zero connection—and now it's a global poisoning plot."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's what gets me. It didn't need to become a conspiracy. A 72-year-old man got sick."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It always becomes a conspiracy with BRICS. Russia, China, India, South Africa in one room—people are primed to see intrigue."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's not a reason to spread it. The account behind this had almost no following."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And yet it broke out. That's the actual story: a tiny account's fever dream became a talking point."},{"host":"Bella","text":"So why give it airtime at all?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Because ignoring it doesn't work. The lie spreads whether we cover it or not. The antidote is the fact-check."},{"host":"Bella","text":"No, no—by covering it, we're amplifying it. That's the paradox."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's a cop-out. People are hearing the rumor elsewhere. We can correct it or let it stand."},{"host":"Bella","text":"India corrected it. The denial was fast. It still didn't stop the rumor."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Exactly my point! Denials are fuel now. The more officials say 'fake,' the more people think it's a cover-up."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Oh, come on. So no denial ever works? That's ridiculous."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I'm not saying it never works. I'm saying the official word travels slower than the lie."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Then what? You let it run?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"No, you correct it clearly, like we just did, and you explain why it spread."},{"host":"Bella","text":"I'll give you this: the summit itself is the real story. BRICS keeps growing, and the West treats it like a rival bloc."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Exactly. That's why a simple illness becomes a thriller. Every BRICS story now gets read through a Cold War lens."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And that's dangerous. If something real happens in that bloc, nobody will know what to believe."},{"host":"Brian","text":"The trust is already broken."},{"host":"Bella","text":"It is. People say they 'believe' world leaders came back sick, not that they know it. Belief is replacing evidence."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's the modern information war. The first casualty is the boring truth."},{"host":"Bella","text":"The post also claims Xi Jinping came back sick. Indian officials denied that too."},{"host":"Brian","text":"They called it fake, right? Not just unverified."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Their words were 'fake' and 'misleading.' That's about as blunt as a government gets."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That is blunt. Usually governments tiptoe around these things."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Exactly. Xi fainting or having a stroke? No confirmation. It's all from these posts."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So the most powerful man in China supposedly collapsed, and the only sources are anonymous accounts."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That should have been the end of it. It wasn't."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It never is. Once it's in the group chats, the correction is background noise."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Because a natural illness is boring, so the internet invents a thriller."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's basically the tagline for the entire misinformation economy."},{"host":"Bella","text":"But I wonder if India was quick because it's embarrassed. A big summit, and suddenly leaders are sick? Bad look."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's a motive, but the denial matched the facts. Ramaphosa's office said ill health, not the summit."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Fair. But you can see why it looked bad."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I can. If you already distrust these summits, anything after looks like cause and effect."},{"host":"Bella","text":"It's a bias machine."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And let's be honest, the official silence from China didn't help. Beijing said nothing for a while."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Beijing rarely comments on rumors about Xi. That's their pattern."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Which leaves a vacuum. And the internet fills it with poison."},{"host":"Bella","text":"So I'm less worried about the post and more worried about how fast it became accepted."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Exactly. The speed is the story."}]}