Claim: A video claims to show snowfall on the main grounds of the Kaaba, or the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia, for the first time in history. Fact: Saudi authorities have refuted the claim, saying the video is doctored. On 1 January 2023, a video surfaced on social media claiming that the Kaaba in Makkah’s […]
Claim: A social media post claims that “condoms cannot prevent HIV” amid reports of a rise in HIV-positive cases in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Fact: Condoms are the most effective method to prevent HIV when used properly and consistently, according to multiple reputable public health organisations around the world, including the UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, CDC, NHS, […]
Claim: Pfizer executive Janine Small confessed in a recent revelation that Pfizer was never tested for its impact on preventing disease transmission. Fact: Pfizer and German vaccine maker BioNTech published a study on the vaccine in 2020 for its approval from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which did not include any data on transmission impact […]
Claim: Multiple news content websites published clickbait headlines claiming white rice is as bad as candy, according to a new Iranian study. Fact: The study did not claim that white rice is as bad as candy. The lead author stated that consuming a diet with high amounts of unhealthy and refined grains can be considered […]
Claim: A video shows a bird breathing fire from its mouth. Fact: The video is the work of Brazilian special effects artist Fabricio Rabachim, who posted it on his YouTube channel in 2020. On 24 August 2022, the Facebook page ‘Amazing World’ shared a video with the claim, “A bird that breathes fire from its […]
Claim: Manufactured potato crisps, which have dark-coloured spots and appear burnt, contain throat mold, which can be harmful. Fact: There is no type of mold called “throat mold”. The darkened parts of potato crisps are caused by over frying. On 19 September 2022, a social media influencer with 74,900 followers on Instagram shared an image […]
Claim: A picture of a woman and a minor boy is shared with a caption that implies they are affected by the recent devastating floods in Pakistan. Fact: The woman and child are Rohingya refugees, who were photographed by Mohammad Ponir Hossain on 1 October 2017. On 31 August 2022, a Twitter user posted an […]
Claim: A screenshot of Afghan cricket player Farid Malik apologising after for a recent on-field feud with Pakistan’s Asif Ali was widely shared on social media Fact: The Twitter account purportedly representing Farid Malik is fake, and neither player has issued an apology for the verbal spat, which turned violent. Pakistan’s cricket team faced off […]
Claim: A photo apparently shows Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites visible in the sky from Pakistan. Fact: The image is, in fact, two years old and has no link to Pakistan. It was taken as a screenshot from a video posted by a Kosovo-based software developer. On 8 September 2022, Facebook user Umar Farooq posted in […]
Claim: A picture of a minor girl is shared with a caption that implies she is an affectee of the recent devastating floods in Pakistan. Fact: The child is a Rohingya refugee, who was photographed by Paula Bronstein on 29 October 2017. On 25 August 2022, Pakistani actress and model Neelam Muneer Khan posted on […]
Claim: According to British journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, extreme weather events are not increasing worldwide Fact: Extreme weather events are increasing across the globe, especially in North America, Europe and Asia, according to the Summary for Policymakers report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). On 2 September 2022, Talk TV, a recently launched British […]
Claim: A video shows darkness suddenly engulfing a market in Dera Ismail Khan, making people run and drivers turn on their headlights. Fact: The video is, in fact, not from the summer 2022 monsoon season in Pakistan, nor is it from Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but Balochistan. It was originally uploaded online in March […]