Anisa Shabir

Anisa Shabir is a fact-checker at Soch Fact Check. She was previously an investigative reporter at the Arizona State University’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. She has been recognized for best community service project/reporting in the 2023 EPPY Awards and won the A-Mark Prize for Reporting on Misinformation and Disinformation. Her work has been featured in the Associated Press, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting (AZCIR), Cronkite News, and Dawn. She holds an MA in investigative journalism from Cronkite School on the Fulbright Scholarship Award.

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Claim: Heather Swanson, a transgender cartoon character from the South Park animated series, is comparable to real-life Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Fact: There is no connection between the cartoon character and real-life events surrounding Imane Khelif. Some publications called out the show for its transphobic content in 2019 for the episode in which a transgender […]

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Claim: Arab citizens and singers released a song celebrating Israel’s recent pager attacks in Lebanon. Fact: The album ‘Pager’ by a Saudi Arabian singer Saleh Khayri, was released in 1995. The song has nothing to do with the recent wave of deadly pager attacks in Lebanon. On 17 September, X user @EYakoby posted (archive) a […]

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Claim: A video shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy belly dancing. Fact: The video is altered, perhaps using AI. The clip originally shows Pablo Acosta, a belly dancer from Argentina.  On 23 September, X user @TaraBull808 posted a video (archive) which shows the Ukrainian President belly dancing. “Zelensky pulling out all the stops to get the […]

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Claim: Video shows state of the art train transporting children directly into their homes in China. Fact: The video was likely created using artificial intelligence or special effects,  and it has no connection to reality. On 6 August, an Instagram user “molly_____travel” posted a video (archive) apparently showing an advanced bullet train, transporting a child […]

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Claim: Video shows Hezbollah’s missile attack on Israel amid the recent escalation of conflict between the two countries. Fact: The video is unrelated and shows an explosion at a gas station in Aden, Yemen in August 2024. On 22 September, X user @GNMadani shared a video (archive) apparently showing Hezbollah’s missile attacks on Israel. “Breaking […]

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Claim: Image shows an elephant killed in Zimbabwe after the government approved the killing of 200 elephants this month to feed the hunger-stricken families in the country. Fact: The image is, in fact, from Bangladesh, and appeared on the internet as early as 2021. On 22 September, X user @Lebona_cabonena shared an image (archive) apparently […]

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Claim: Kamala Harris owns a Haitian restaurant that uses domestic animals for food. Fact: The image showing Harris standing in front of a Haitian restaurant is fake, and is likely AI-generated. On 10 September, X user @KimsterPablo posted (archive) a picture apparently showing Kamala Harris standing outside her restaurant called “Kamala’s Haitian Grill: Featuring cats, […]

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Claim: Akhtar Mengal said that Imran Khan told him he was “on the wrong side of history and couldn’t do anything” for the Baloch people after his resignation. Fact: Mengal mentioned Mahmood Khan Achakzai in his resignation press conference, not Imran Khan. The BNP leader did not say that Imran Khan influenced his decision, nor […]

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Claim: A video shows scenes from the 2024 Notting Hill Carnival where eight people were stabbed. Fact: The video is from September 2022 when hundreds of people were caught in a crush on Ladbroke Grove during the Notting Hill Carnival of that year. On 26 August, X user @visegrad24 posted (archive) a video apparently showing […]

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Claim: An image shows a Greek-flagged cargo ship attacked by Houthi rebels on 22 August. Fact: The image shows an attack by Houthi rebels on Chios Lion, the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker, that was carried out in July 2024. On 24 August, X (formerly Twitter) user @aforizmrus posted a picture (archive) apparently showing a Greek-flagged […]

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Claim: An image shows a temple submerged in Bangladesh amid floods that were caused after India opened its dam gates. Fact: The claim is false as the image does not show a temple in Bangladesh. The photo depicts the Kapil Muni Temple, located in the Indian State of West Bengal, which shares a border with […]

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Claim: A viral video shows a large crowd gathered on Mount Everest for Kamala Harris’ rally. Fact: The video is AI-generated. On 15 August, X (formerly Twitter) user @Alphafox78 shared a video (archive) showing a huge crowd, some holding banners, apparently at a rally on Mount Everest that was hosted by Harris. The caption added, […]

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