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All English Fact Checks

False: Chewing the roots of an elephant apple tree can cure rabies Health experts have warned there is no cure for rabies once symptoms of the infection appear, contradicting false posts in Myanmar that advise people not to go to the hospital and instead cure themselves by chewing on the root of an elephant apple tree. Experts say rabies -- usually spread through a bite or scratch from an infected animal -- is nearly always fatal once clinical signs appear but its onset can be prevented with immediate medical care. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Image shows a North Korean national identity card issued to South Korean lawmaker An image has been repeatedly shared in social media posts that falsely claim it shows a North Korean national identity card issued to a South Korean lawmaker and accusing him of holding public office while bearing citizenship from the North. In fact, the image shows a North Korean visa issued to the lawmaker, a son of a former South Korean president who pursued an engagement policy towards the North. He posted the photo of the visa on Facebook in July 2018 when he visited Pyongyang. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Video of a bridge submerged by waves caused by Cyclone Biparjoy. Footage of waves pummelling what appears to be a bridge have been shared hundreds of times in social media posts that falsely claim it shows the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy on the coastline of a state in northwestern India in June 2023. While Biparjoy -- which means "disaster" in Bengali -- did hammer coastal communities with powerful winds, storm surges and lashing rain, the video in fact shows a jetty during high tide on an island off India's southwestern coast almost six years earlier. The person who shot the video told AFP it was filmed on the island of Minicoy in August 2017 and such sights are a common occurrence there. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: There is no cure for endometriosis – claims about a home remedy drink are false IN SHORT: While endometriosis affects about 190 million women of reproductive age across the world, this home remedy is not the cure. Seek medical attention should you experience any of the symptoms in this report. You can cure endometriosis naturally, according to posts doing th (Source: Africa Check)

False: No, Nollywood actor Annie Idibia doesn't have cancer IN SHORT: Nigerian actor Annie Idibia went bald for a cancer awareness campaign. Images from that campaign have been circulating online, with claims that she has cancer. This is not true. A post on Facebook quotes legendary Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, also known as Tuface, s (Source: Africa Check)

False: Despite persistent claims otherwise, there's plenty of evidence that HIV exists and is sexually transmitted IN SHORT: The existence of HIV and the link between HIV and Aids has been established by scientists for decades. But false claims disputing these connections are still repeated and are dangerous. A tweet claiming that "There is no evidence that HIV is sexually transmitted (or tha (Source: Africa Check)

False: No, United Nations not united on gay rights – didn't replace member country flags with pride flag IN SHORT : The United Nations is yet to be unanimous on gay rights. So why would it replace all of its 193 member states' flags with the rainbow pride flag? The short answer is it didn't. In June 2023 a claim went viral on social media that to mark Pride Month, the United Nations (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: It's a scam! This Facebook account is using an illegal investment platform and the name of the Nigerian TV authority to scam IN SHORT: This Facebook account impersonating broadcaster NTA is out to take money from Nigerians using an illegal investment platform. It claims the platform is registered and can double your money in an hour, but this is not true. "Jamalife Global Helpers is a new enlisted plat (Source: Africa Check)

False: South Africa's new R10 banknote is still green, not blue – but you should always check your change IN SHORT: False claims have been doing the rounds on social media since South Africa's reserve bank announced changes to the country's currency. In this case, it is not true that the colour of the R10 note has changed. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) announced in May 2023 t (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Nigerians, beware of Facebook accounts using defunct ponzi scheme's name to scam you IN SHORT: It was a scam then and it's a scam now. These Facebook accounts are using the name of Chymall Investment, an old ponzi scheme that no longer exists. "Don't let the fear of losing greater than than the chances of winning, Payment duration is 45minutes to 2 hours irrespec (Source: Africa Check)

False: No evidence banana, egg, milk and baking soda mixture can help women get pregnant – see qualified gynaecologists IN SHORT: A Facebook post circulating in Nigeria claims that a combination of ripe banana, raw egg and milk can be used to help women conceive. We have found no scientific evidence to support this. A video posted on Facebook in Nigeria claims that drinking a mixture of ripe banan (Source: Africa Check)

False: The picture is recent and shows a real incident from France. An image showing several people inside a police van is going viral on the internet with users linking it to the recent violence that has broken out in France.While one person can be seen with a gun in the picture, another can be seen holding the national flag of France on the top (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

False: video of violance in France After a thorough investigation, Vishvas News found that the video of cars falling from a building is not related to the France violence, but is from a movie.New Delhi (Vishvas News): A video circulating on social media shows cars falling from a building and exploding, with a clai (Source: Vishvasnews)

Public Health Fakes:  in European countries, the number of HIV cases has sharply increased due to refugees from Ukraine. Issue #39 Russian Telegram channels continue to discredit Ukrainian refugees abroad. Propagandists claim a “sharp” increase in HIV/AIDS cases in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. In publications, they add that Ukraine has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection. Therefore, th (Source: Vox Ukraine)

False: Video shows jets bombing the area near Eiffel Tower in Paris. A video of jets flying over Paris and bombing the city, including the area near the Eiffel Tower is viral online amid the ongoing unrest in France. BOOM found that the video is old and not real, and has been created using computer graphics by the Ukraine government to link it to  (Source: BOOM Live)

The NHS England chie...: The NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, earns £86,000. Dreadful BBC interview with CEO of the NHS Amanda Pritchard. She herself earns £86,000 but refuses to support decent wages for doctors and nurses. Diane Abbott MP, 2 July 2023 . The independent MP Diane Abbott tweeted on Sunday 2 July that the NHS England chief executive earns £8 (Source: Full Fact)

False: Video shows Gujarat IPS Officer Kajal Hindusthani warning Hindu girls about about 'love-jihad'. A video showing a woman asking the parents and girls from the Hindu community to stay alert and away from boys from the Muslim community while warning them about 'love jihad' is going viral on the internet.The claim states that the video shows Kajal Shingala, an Indian Police Ser (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

Debunked: 'Cloud fac...: Debunked: 'Cloud factory' clip released on 1 April doesn't show that humans control the weather (Source: TheJournal.ie)