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 Why the DA's jobs claim is misleading (and outdated) According to the data, employment across South Africa increased by 169,000 between October and December compared to the last quarter and in the Western Cape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)

False: The video shows a naked woman chasing down police personnel in Manipur. (Content Warning: Nudity. Viewer discretion is advised.)A video of a person holding a stick and threatening to hit a policeman with it is being widely shared on social media platforms as a recent incident from Manipur.What have users claimed?: While sharing the video, people said (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

False: Priyank Kharge is promoting cow slaughter. "The law is very clear. All transportation of livestock, whether it is within city limits or in rural areas, if they have permission or documents, stop the harassment. And you will give your work to them (cow vigilantes) and you will sit in the station? They had started a new har (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

False: A San Francisco based newspaper published this article questioning Rahul Gandhi's nationality. (Archives of similar claims can be found here, here and here.)What is the truth?: The news clipping in the claim is translated to English from an original Hindi article. (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

False: No, billionaire Elon Musk has not launched an AI-powered trading platform in South Africa IN SHORT: Posts claiming Elon Musk has launched a new AI-powered trading platform in South Africa, with guaranteed returns, are false. The posts link to suspicious websites. A May 2023 Facebook post circulating in South Africa announces the launch of a "new AI-Powered Trading Pla (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Don't be scammed by Facebook page advertising airport worker jobs in Kenya IN SHORT: Jobs at the country's main airport would be much sought after, but a Facebook page advertising them to thousands of followers is not an official one. The Facebook page International airport's jobs claims to advertise work opportunities at the Jomo Kenyatta International (Source: Africa Check)

Fake: Did lawyer Miguna call for the reshuffling of Kenyan president Ruto's cabinet? No, ignore doctored tweet IN SHORT: Controversial Kenyan lawyer Muguna Miguna has denied lashing out at the president through the cabinet secretary on Twitter. The altered screenshot of a tweet in his name should be ignored. "It's so embarrassing that Moses Kuria, a CS of trade can utter such toxic words  (Source: Africa Check)

False: No, Namibia has not dropped visa requirement for all African countries IN SHORT: Africans still need a visa to enter Namibia, despite social media posts claiming otherwise. A number of posts on Twitter and Facebook claim that Namibia has become the first African country to abolish travel visas for all countries on the continent. "Namibia has become  (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Kenyans beware, this Facebook page running promotions is trying to scam you IN SHORT: News anchor Lulu Hassan does not have a Facebook page dedicated to promotions and promising people money. This page using her photos is run by scammers. The Facebook page Betty Betty frequently posts promotions on a Facebook group in Kenya with over 578,000 members. The (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Kenyan politician Anab Gure offering free cash, motorbikes? No, imposter Facebook account is a scam IN SHORT: Freebies are attractive and often expected from Kenyan politicians. But this fake Facebook page is out to defraud. The Facebook account Cas Anab Gure Sabwow claims to be giving free money to Kenyans from the governing United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. The only req (Source: Africa Check)

False: Viral video is old, online since 2022, and unrelated to school massacre in Uganda IN SHORT: A video of armed men walking uphill through the bush has been circulating with the claim it shows rebels who carried out a massacre at a Ugandan school. However, the video is old; it was posted online at least a year before the attack. On 16 June 2023, suspected rebels  (Source: Africa Check)

Miscaptioned: Clip of migrants deported from Libya miscaptioned as ‘army’ bound for Italy A video showing the deportation of mostly Egyptian migrants by Eastern Libyan Forces in early June 2023 has been miscaptioned online as showing an “army of 500,000 men ready to invade Italy.” Examples of users sharing the clip on June 23 with the suggestion that the men shown wer (Source: Reuters)

Missing Context: Hole drilled through Georgia Guidestones does not prove flat Earth theory Seeing the North Star year-round through a hole drilled at eye level in the now-destroyed Georgia Guidestones monument in the United States is not proof that the Earth is flat, even though a video online has made that claim. Polaris, the North Star, is so close to the Earth’s rot (Source: Reuters)

Satire: Image of Garth Brooks performing in ‘empty arena’ was satire A graphic purporting to show Garth Brooks playing to a nearly empty arena has its origins in a satirical article but the image is circulating online without that context, prompting comments suggesting that the event really happened. Examples of the satirical headline and image sh (Source: Reuters)

False: Atlantic headline about man flashing a child at NYC Pride is fake The Atlantic did not publish a headline about a man flashing a 6-year-old child at the New York City Pride parade, a spokesperson for the media outlet confirmed. A screenshot of a purported article on The Atlantic with the headline, "At this weekend's Pride parade a man exposed h (Source: Reuters)

Miscaptioned: Photo of Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainians dates from 2022 A photograph captioned as showing seven Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainians near the village of Neskuchne in the Donetsk region in 2023 in fact dates from least September 2022, when it was released by the Ukrainian military. A June 11, 2023 tweet with nearly 9,000 “likes” sha (Source: Reuters)

False: NASA warns of “internet apocalypse,” which “means they can execute the Great Reset in silence without anyone knowing it.” In 2018, NASA launched the Parker Space Probe to study the sun and space weather, which could disrupt Earth’s power grid and throw satellites off course. But NASA has not used the phrase "internet apocalypse."There’s no evidence this Parker Space Probe mission is paving the way for "the Great Reset." This is a widely debunked conspiracy theory. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: Video suggests COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for breast cancer deaths in women under age 45 rising from 26,000 in 2021 to 297,000 in 2023. An Instagram video misstates what an American Cancer Society report shows, mistaking projected cases for deaths and confusing age group categories.The statistics the video cites are not listed in the American Cancer Society report as numbers of deaths; they are projected cases of cancer. And the largest figure the video mentions was projected cases from all age groups, not just 45 and younger. (Source: PolitiFact)

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)

False: Canadians can earn thousands with an AI investment tool from Elon Musk Facebook videos advertise an artificial intelligence (AI) investment opportunity for Canadians, including testimonials from news anchors and billionaire Elon Musk. But these are not real offers; the clips use manipulated footage from newscasts and speeches about other topics, and the posts do not link to trading websites. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Altered: An image shows Joe Biden with a third hand An image that appears to show three hands gripping a podium as Joe Biden speaks is fueling online claims that the US president uses a green screen or computer-generated imagery (CGI) to fake his public appearances. But the picture is altered; only two hands are visible in genuine footage of the address. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: At a campaign stop in Texas, an audience member called Ron DeSantis "just another establishment little bitch." About this rating On June 28, 2023, a TikTok user posted a video appearing to show Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is also a candidate for the U.S. presidency, being heckled and handling it poorly. The video has since been reshared on several social media platforms, including Twit (Source: Snopes)

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)

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)