Claim: A video shows Iranian protesters, emboldened by US President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, setting fire to billboards of Ayatollah Khamenei in dissent. Fact: The viral video is from protests in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police. On 22 May 2024, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted […]
Claim: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been hospitalised in Tel Aviv after suffering from serious health issues. Fact: Netanyahu has not been ill nor hospitalised. On 18 November 2024, a user on X posted an image (archive) of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lying unconscious in the hospital with an oxygen mask on. The […]
Claim: A video shows thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters marching towards Islamabad. Fact: The video actually shows supporters of Pope Francis welcoming him to East Timor. On 25 November 2024, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted a video (archive) of a convoy of protesters heading towards Islamabad. The post is captioned, “BREAKING: #PakistanArmy […]
Claim: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees or UNRWA added a black ribbon on their social media banner images to mourn the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Fact: The UNRWA added the black ribbon before the death of Sinwar in memory of UNRWA members who have been killed in the […]
Claim: Angola has banned Islam considering it an attack on the country’s culture and has destroyed mosques in the country. Fact: The Angolan government denies banning Islam and only tore down mosques that they say were built without permission. On 25 October 2024, a user on X posted an image (archive) of a destroyed mosque. […]
Claim: Hamas bombed and sank the American naval ship the USS Liberty killing 34 American crew members and wounding 171. Fact: The USS Liberty was attacked in 1967 by Israel, 20 years prior to the founding of Hamas. On 22 October 2024, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted (archive) about Hamas attacking the US […]
Claim: President Putin introduced a new BRICS currency to replace the US dollar in international trading. Fact: The currency note shown in the images in the claim was simply a mock-up presented to President Putin as a gift at the 16th BRICS Summit 2024. No such currency has been officially introduced. On 23 October 2024, […]
Claim: The Maronite bishop of Haifa, Yosef Yacoub, stated that Christians are loyal citizens of Israel and are grateful that they don’t share a country with Hezbollah while calling them “troglodytes stuck in the 7th century.” Fact: The claim is false on two accounts: Firstly, Yousef Yakoub is not a Maronite bishop of Haifa. Secondly, […]
Claim: A Sharia council in Pakistan determined a rapist’s sister should be raped by the victim’s brother in front of 40 witnesses. This is known as ‘revenge rape’ in Sharia law. Fact: While this incident occurred, the decision followed tribal customs and was not determined by a Sharia council. Sharia law does not allow for […]
Claim: Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan has confirmed he is divorcing his wife actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and that his daughter will no longer reside with the Bachchan family. Fact: There have been no confirmations from either actor regarding a divorce or living arrangements for their daughter. On 24 August 2024, the Facebook Famous Pulse posted […]
Claim: The Democratic National Convention had a low turnout and scattered crowds on night one. Fact: The clip showed the start of the convention when people were still arriving and the crowd was still filling in. Clips from later that night show a full arena. On 19 August 2024, X (formerly Twitter) account Clandestine posted […]
Claim: During the Democratic National Convention, presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s home state of California passed instead of voting to confirm her as the party’s official nominee for the presidential election. Fact: It is tradition for home states to pass their turn and instead vote to confirm at the end of the roll call. Additionally, Harris […]