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All English Fact Checks
False: Video shows protesters in Russia holding anti-Putin banner in May 2023 A video has surfaced in social media posts that falsely claim it shows protesters rallying against Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in May 2023. While Russians have genuinely protested against Putin's war in Ukraine, the footage shows an anti-Kremlin protest in May 2013. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Misleading: Russian tank toppled over at 2023 Moscow parade, avoids Ukraine war An old video of a Russian tank toppling over at a military parade has been viewed tens of thousands of times in posts that misleadingly claim the driver who overturned the vehicle subsequently avoided being sent to the front line in the war against Ukraine. The clip -- which recirculated shortly after a military parade in Moscow in May 2023 -- corresponds with media reports from 2018 about an accident at another event in the western Russian city of Kursk. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Misleading: Video shows staff pre-filling voters' ballots in Thai elections. Ahead of a general election in Thailand, a video was viewed thousands of times in posts that misleadingly claimed Thai Election Commission staff were caught filling in voters' ballot papers. But the footage -- taken from a security camera on May 10 -- shows staff carrying out administrative duties ahead of the vote, not filling in the ballots, according to a poll monitoring group and the election commission. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Missing Context: Arson committed in Alberta to rig election results The raging wildfires in Alberta in the run-up to the Canadian province's election have fueled claims across social media that the blazes were set intentionally to disrupt the voting process or for other political purposes. This is unproven; officials say ongoing investigations have not found evidence suggesting widespread arson, that weather conditions are a major factor and that accommodations are being made for voters displaced by the fires. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: OLA spokesman posts about Ethiopian peace talks A Facebook page purportedly belonging to the spokesman of the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) claims to share key negotiating points in the ongoing talks between the regional militia and the Ethiopian government. However, the page does not belong to OLA spokesman Odaa Tarbii and the group's press office confirmed that the page was a hoax. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Altered: Kenyan cult leader’s shirt branded with logo Raila Odinga-led party Online posts have shared an image of Kenyan cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie wearing an orange T-shirt purportedly featuring the logo of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s political party. They claim Mackenzie – accused of inciting and possibly forcing his followers to starve themselves to death – is a member of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Party (ODM). But this is false: the image was altered by adding the ODM logo to Mackenzie’s shirt and Odinga's spokesman has denied any connection between the party and Mackenzie. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Photos show Move Forward Party candidate in lingerie False posts in Thailand have passed off photos of a freelance model wearing lingerie as images of a young politician from the Move Forward Party. Rukchanok Srinork -- whose party would claim victory in national elections in May 2023 -- said she had filed a complaint with the police. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Satire: X-ray images of crypto device hidden by Do Kwon Multiple posts on forums and social media have shared X-ray images they falsely claim show a physical cryptocurrency wallet hidden inside fugitive South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon. The posts claimed the wallet was found inside Kwon after he was arrested in Montenegro in March 2023. The images, however, were used in an article published in a medical journal a decade before Kwon's detention and resurfaced in satirical tweets mocking his arrest. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Treat cancer by cutting sugar, and consuming lemon water and coconut oil Cancer specialists say there is no credible evidence that cutting sugar from your diet, consuming coconut oil and drinking hot water with lemon will keep cancer at bay, contradicting posts circulating in Sri Lanka that falsely claim these steps help to prevent or slow the spread of the disease. The president of the Sri Lanka College of Oncology told AFP that cancer patients should undertake prescribed treatments and that following unsupported claims could have "fatal consequences". (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
All German Fact Checks
Falscher Kontext: Am 29. April 2023 habe es einen „Mega-Stau“ auf der Krim-Brücke in Richtung Russland gegeben – an dem Tag wurde ein Treibstofflager auf der Krim angegriffen. Das belege ein Video. Am 29. April setzte eine Drohne ein Treibstofflager in Sewastopol in Brand. Sewastopol ist die größte Stadt auf dervon Russland annektiertenukrainischen Halbinsel Krim. Nach diesem Angriff, so wird in Sozialen Netzwerken behauptet oder angedeutet, soll es einen großen Stau auf de (Source: Correctiv)