Claim: A viral image claims to depict Pakistani businessman Seth Abid with the Ruler of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the President of UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Fact: The image is doctored. The original photograph of Seth Abid does not include either of the UAE officials. On 24 September a […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Claim: A serving army general of Sweden, the richest country in the world, was photographed travelling home on a train. Fact: The picture does not show a Swedish military officer, as confirmed by the Swedish Armed Forces. He is not a military officer of the rank of a general either but a Czech Army officer, […]
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, […]
Claim: Saudi Arabia banned Pakistani women and children from performing Hajj in 2025. Fact: Saudi Arabia issued specific guidelines for pilgrims heading for Hajj in 2025. People with advanced kidney or heart failure, chronic lung diseases, advanced liver cirrhosis, severe neurological and psychological conditions, and active infectious diseases, as well as cancer patients, elderly individuals […]
Claim: Two images show Chinese military tanks entering India. Fact: The first image shows Russian military personnel conducting adaptive training for a joint military drill with Chinese forces in August 2021, while the second image shows the Chinese military disengaging from the India-China border in Ladakh in February 2021. Images of military tanks entering India […]
Claim: An image shows men praying while standing in water up to their chests as Bangladesh experienced floods in August 2024. Fact: The image is from 2021 and, therefore, unrelated to the 2024 floods in Bangladesh. Taken by photographer Sharwar Hussain Apo, it was aimed at highlighting the impact of climate change. On 24 August […]
Claim: A group of statues in Bangladesh’s Mujibnagar Memorial Complex, commemorating the signing of the Instrument of Surrender between India and Pakistan in 1971, was “demolished” during the 2024 protests. Fact: The statues in question were not “demolished” but just slightly damaged, according to evidence from news and video reports. A fact-checker in Bangladesh also […]