Claim: The helicopter of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was “shot out of [the] sky by a space laser”, killing him and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as well as other high-ranking officials. An accompanying image shows the aircraft ablaze over a mountainous area. Fact: There’s no evidence that Raisi’s helicopter was “shot out of […]
Claim: A picture shows Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama standing with a Palestinian official, in April 2024, to show support for Palestine in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Fact: The picture shows Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama receiving Italian ambassador to Nigeria in May 2022. On 14 April 2024, Threads […]
Claim: A video shows Dubai authorities destroying a temple — likely the BAPS Hindu Mandir — after heavy rains lashed the UAE in April 2024 over concerns that the place of worship led to the catastrophe. Fact: The viral clip does not show a temple in the UAE being destroyed; in fact, the video predates […]
Claim: Footage aired during Adil Shahzeb’s show shows Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel. Fact: The footage used is not connected to Iran’s 13 April attacks on Israel. The video is from the Turkish-Syria war in Idlib in 2020 when the conflict reached its peak. On 15 April, Adil Shahzeb’s show aired misleading footage […]
Claim: An image on X shows China’s recent military drills near Taiwan. Fact: The photograph is by Reuters’ photographer Carlos Garcia Rawlins, and it shows Taiwan’s navy conducting a drill as a display of power in January 2024. On 24 May 2024, X user @Osint613 posted (archived) posted, “…the drills with China surrounding Taiwan are […]
Claim: A video shows a news anchor crying while remembering the former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan during a live transmission. Fact: The video has been altered to include an image of Imran Khan and the former president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. It is actually from July 2019, and shows an Orient News […]
Claim: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi arrives safely in Tabriz amid news that his helicopter has crashed, according to an Iranian news agency. Fact: On 20 May Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead hours after his helicopter crashed in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. On 19 May, Threads user @starterpakistan claimed (archived) that “Mehr News Agency […]
Claim: A video on social media shows the late Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi’s chopper was shot down. Fact: The claim is false as the original video is from 2016, and shows a Turkish military helicopter shot down by Kurdish militants. On 21 May 2024, a Facebook user posted a video with the caption, ایران کے […]
Claim: Minouche Shafik said in an interview, over a decade ago, that terrorism “is a form of protesting”. Fact: Shafik’s remarks have been misrepresented. She does not say terrorism “is a form of protesting” but that it is “really troubling” that “there’s actually quite a broad base of society which has some sympathy for the […]
Claim: Columbia University has cut diplomatic ties with Israel. Fact: The Republic of Colombia has severed ties with Israel, not the Columbia University in New York, US. Reiterating his stance on the war in Gaza, the Republic’s president, Gustavo Petro, announced the decision to break diplomatic relations with Israel on 1 May 2024. On 1 […]
Claim: Russian President Vladimir Putin posted a video on X saying that countries would choose sides after World War III starts. Fact: The now-deleted X account was a Putin parody account. Further, the video with the post has been shared out of context. On 14 April, X user @Brics_Dolllar, a verified parody account of Putin […]
Claim: A video shows the aftermath of an assassination attempt on Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Fact: The video is from 16 March 2024 when a car caught fire due to an accident on King Salman Road, Riyadh. On 7 May 2024, X (formerly Twitter) user SANTINO (@MichaelSCollura) posted a video claiming that […]