Claim: A satellite video shows the destruction wrought by the November 2022 earthquake in West Java, Indonesia. Fact: The video is, in fact, from the 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit Indonesia on 28 September 2018. On 30 November 2022, Express News posted a clip on its verified Facebook page showing what it claimed was […]
Claim: American actor Morgan Freeman has converted to Islam. He has also said that Qatar’s culture made him “love Islam more”, that he “will spread what happened” to him among his close ones, and that “God gave [him] a vision of the right path”. Fact: Freeman has not converted to Islam. A representative for the […]
Claim: Any US dollar notes below year 2021 will not be acceptable from January 2023. Fact: The US is not discontinuing the use of US dollar bills printed before 2021 from January 2023 onwards. On 5 November 2022, Observer Times shared an article with the given claim. It read, “Sequel to the just concluded extraordinary […]
Claim: Pakistan won the World Polo Championship 2022 by beating Mexico in the Final 11-8. Fact: Spain won the World Polo Championship 2022. The Pakistan team defeated Mexico in a match 11-8, placing it in 5th position in the world cup rankings. On 9 November 2022, a Twitter handle called @CPEC_UPDATE claimed that Pakistan had […]
Claim: Social media post claims that during the FIFA World Cup, football players’ suddenly paused the match after the azan sounded around the stadium. Fact: The claim is false. The video is from 2018 in Saudi Arabia. The video actually shows a match between football clubs Al Feiha and Al-Fateh, during which Former English Premier […]
Claim: According to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the Daily Mail UK has not been able to prove the allegations its journalist David Rose leveled against Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law. She also stated that the Sharif’s have “already won the case on the stage of presentation”, and the British publication deliberately delayed the defamation case. […]
Claim: A UK court has announced its verdict against Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a defamation case about a story published by the British tabloid, Daily Mail, about alleged corruption by Sharif. Fact: The High Court has not ruled against Pakistan’s incumbent prime minister. Justice Sir Matthew Nicklin of the High Court King’s Bench […]
Claim: A video shared on social media apparently shows a Quran recital at the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup at the Al Bayt Stadium. Fact: The claim is false. The video is from 2021 from the official inauguration ceremony of the Al Thumama World Cup Stadium in Qatar. On 21 November 2022, a […]
Claim: The Iranian parliament sentenced 15,000 prisoners to death penalty for their involvement in protests. Fact: The Iranian parliament did not pronounce a sentence on any prisoners. An overwhelming majority of lawmakers did sign a letter calling for harsh punishments for those involved in the recent protests. Over the past two months, Iran has been […]
Claim: Multiple images are being shared on social media, claiming that scientists at universities have created models of what Adam and other Abrahamic prophets looked like. The models resemble contemporary celebrities. Fact: Scientists did not create 3D models of how the prophets looked. The images are part of a funny trend on social media. The […]
Claim: Billionaire Elon Musk tweeted his support for Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan, praised his character, and that he was “surprised” to see the crowd at the Haqeeqi Azadi March. Fact: The tweet is doctored. Elon Musk did not voice his support for Imran Khan, nor did he mention the Haqeeqi Azadi March in […]
Claim: A photo shows slain journalist Arshad Sharif’s family gathered around his coffin to mourn his loss. Fact: The photo does not show Arshad Sharif’s coffin. The image began circulating on social media in August 2022, a month before Sharif’s death. Fact or Fiction? On 26 October 2022, Twitter user Rana Usman Parvaiz (@UsmanRana05) shared […]