Your hourly fact checks

All English Fact Checks

False: The journey from Coimbatore to Thrissur can now be completed in 10 minutes due to the opening of a new tunnel. The video has gained over a million views on Twitter and is being widely shared on the platform.(Archives of similar claims can be seen here, here, and here.)What is the truth?: The claim is misleading. The tunnel seen in the picture is the Kuthiran tunnel in Kerala, which is aro (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

Does the Western Cap...: Does the Western Cape province account for 98% of all new employment in South Africa? Why the DA's jobs claim is misleading (and outdated) According to the data, employment across South Africa increased by 169,000 between October and December compared to the last quarter and in the Western Cape this was 167,000 – roughly 98.8% of the national total. Experts say that comparing growth quarter-to-quarter rather than ye (Source: Africa Check)

Community diagnostic...: Community diagnostic centres are cutting waiting lists. Community diagnostic centres are cutting waiting lists and have now delivered over 4 million tests, checks and scans. Will Quince MP, 9 June 2023 . CDCs have delivered over 4 million checks, tests and scans for patients across the country since July 2021, cutting waiting lists an (Source: Full Fact)

False: When the Covid-19 vaccines were released, they were not tested. A video on Facebook shared nearly 1,000 times makes several false claims about the Covid-19 vaccines, including that they were not tested, that they've done nothing but harm, and that they make people more likely to catch and die from Covid. None of this is true. We've seen many  (Source: Full Fact)

False: The Covid-19 vaccines have caused nothing but harm. A video on Facebook shared nearly 1,000 times makes several false claims about the Covid-19 vaccines, including that they were not tested, that they've done nothing but harm, and that they make people more likely to catch and die from Covid. None of this is true. We've seen many  (Source: Full Fact)

False: Vaccination against Covid-19 increases your chance of getting and spreading the disease and means you have a higher risk of hospitalisation and death. A video on Facebook shared nearly 1,000 times makes several false claims about the Covid-19 vaccines, including that they were not tested, that they've done nothing but harm, and that they make people more likely to catch and die from Covid. None of this is true. We've seen many  (Source: Full Fact)

False: 15 minute cities mean digital IDs will be introduced. This will involve tracking your spending and movements, which will be limited if you exceed government regulations. A post on Facebook incorrectly claims that "15 minute cities" will create digital IDs, spell the end of camping holidays and family visits, and mean people's money, shopping and carbon footprints will be tracked. It also claims that Oxford is already trialling a system that will  (Source: Full Fact)

False: 15 minute cities are divided into districts and you will be fined for exceeding your annual 100 day leave quota. It is already being trialled in Oxford. A post on Facebook incorrectly claims that "15 minute cities" will create digital IDs, spell the end of camping holidays and family visits, and mean people's money, shopping and carbon footprints will be tracked. It also claims that Oxford is already trialling a system that will  (Source: Full Fact)

False: Over 100 local councils have signed up to the '15 minute city agenda'. A post on Facebook incorrectly claims that "15 minute cities" will create digital IDs, spell the end of camping holidays and family visits, and mean people's money, shopping and carbon footprints will be tracked. It also claims that Oxford is already trialling a system that will  (Source: Full Fact)

False: “The day before 9/11 the Pentagon reported $2.3 trillion missing.” The Pentagon did not report $2.3 trillion missing on Sept. 10, 2001. Accounting entries totaling that amount that lacked adequate audit trails were detailed in government records, news reports and an official’s testimonies long before 9/11. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: Kevin McCarthy “announces impeachment proceeding for Biden regime.” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy threatened to begin an impeachment proceeding against Attorney General Merrick Garland. McCarthy did not initiate those proceedings. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: Video shows Titan submarine debris Footage of an underwater expedition to the Titanic in 2021 has circulated in posts falsely claiming it shows debris from the Titan sub that suffered a catastrophic implosion in June 2023. The video, which has been viewed millions of times in false posts, was previously uploaded on the Facebook account of the operator of the ill-fated sub on a previous trip. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Altered Image: Photo of India's Narendra Modi and Rihanna during his US visit in June 2023 Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the United States in June 2023, social media users have repeatedly shared a doctored image purportedly showing him sitting next to Barbadian singer and businesswoman Rihanna. AFP found the image combines photos of the two from different past events. There are no photos or records of the Indian leader meeting the celebrity. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Man who insulted Buddhism was jailed for 60 years under Thai blasphemy laws A photo of a handcuffed person being led away by police has been shared in multiple social media posts in Sri Lanka that falsely claim it shows a man in Thailand who was jailed for 60 years for insulting Buddhism. While people who insult Buddhism can be imprisoned in Thailand, the photo in fact shows someone who was jailed in 2015 under the country's strict royal defamation laws for insulting the king's dog. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: The World Economic Forum called for an AI-written Bible to create new, 'actually correct' religions “WEF Calls for AI to Rewrite Bible, Create ‘Religions That Are Actually Correct,’” reads the headline. "The World Economic Forum never called for AI to rewrite the Bible," said Yann Zopf, a spokesperson for the WEF. "These are false claims to discredit the important work that the World Economic Forum does on serious global challenges." The claim draws primarily from a May 19 interview Harari gave in Lisbon, Portugal. In the interview, Harari discusses the possibility of AI being used to write religious texts. (Source: USA Today)

COVID-19 vaccines ac...: COVID-19 vaccines accelerate coronary artery disease. The claim COVID-19 vaccines accelerate coronary artery disease is false. Heart disease experts told AAP FactCheck there is no evidence to support the claim and no known studies establishing a causal link or correlation. In addition, a 2023 study found no increase in cardiac arrests following the vaccine rollout. (Source: Australian Associated Press - AAP)

Fake: A photograph that spread online in June 2023 showed a real mango tree. About this rating In June 2023, an image began to spread on social media platforms claiming to show a mango tree. "Mango tree in Yemen," various Twitter usersposted on June 26, 2023. Attached to the posts was a photo that claimed to show a mango tree full of the fruit. (@Atphausa (Source: Snopes)

Miscaptioned: Graphic video of man assaulting woman was filmed in China, not Spain Content warning: graphic footage in social media links A video circulating online that shows a man assaulting a woman in the Chinese city of Dalian has been miscaptioned by some social media users, who falsely claim that it shows a migrant carrying out an attack in Spain. One Fac (Source: Reuters)

False: Charlie Hebdo magazine cover with Zelenskiy and Titan not genuine A cover of French magazine Charlie Hebdo dated June 23 is circulating online featuring a caricature of Zelenskiy, but it is fabricated. The alleged special issue number 1614 of the satirical magazine also has a reference to the Titan submersible. But there is no record of such a  (Source: Reuters)

False: Audio meme based on horror video game shared as Titanic sub recording An audio clip shared online as sounds coming from inside the Titanic submersible that imploded in June 2023 is taken from a fan-made clip, based on a horror video game, that became a popular meme in 2021. “Michael, don’t leave me here” and “help me” can be heard in recent social  (Source: Reuters)

All German Fact Checks

Falsch: EU-Politiker und EU-Beamte wollten sich das eigene Gehalt um 15 Prozent erhöhen. EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen bekäme dann rund 5.000 Euro mehr pro Monat. Mitglieder des EU-Parlaments bekämen statt bisher 10.495 Euro künftig 12.069 Euro. „Plus 15 Prozent! Von der Leyen will ihr EU-Monatsgehalt auf 35.957 Euro erhöhen“, titelteder österreichischeExxpressam 12. Juni. Nicht nur die EU-Kommissionspräsidentin, sondern 50.000 EU-Mitarbeiter wollen sich laut dem Artikel „eine 15-prozentige Erhöhung ihrer Monatsbezüge gö (Source: Correctiv)