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All English Fact Checks

False: Five million people are suspected to have been harmed by Covid-19 vaccines The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends Covid-19 vaccines amid carefully monitoring the safety of the jabs, but posts claim its database shows more than five million people have been harmed by the shots. This is false; the figure includes all reported adverse events following vaccination -- including those that are unverified or detail minor reactions -- and are not necessarily caused by the injections. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Video shows war between Ethiopia and Eritrea A Facebook post claims to show a video from an emerging conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea in May 2023. However, this is false: a voiceover in the clip, which shows images of both countries’ leaders, discusses the deteriorating relations between the neighbours. It also features an audio translation of an article by international media exploring whether Ethiopia and Eritrea could be drawn into a war in Sudan. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: South African broadcaster introduces 'car radio' licence fee Fabricated statement (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Duke, UNC and ECU are "transitioning toddlers" An article from an American conservative group claims three major health care providers in the state of North Carolina are "transitioning toddlers." This is false; the university networks mentioned in the story offer mental health services for children with gender dysphoria, but their policies don't allow transition surgery on minors. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Image shows Neanderthal giant A picture has been shared multiple times on social media in Nigeria alongside a claim that it shows the “last Neanderthal giant” -- an extinct species of ancient humans. The claim is false: the image was created using Midjourney, an artificial intelligence (AI) program that generates images based on text prompts entered by users. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Misleading: Kevin McCarthy has called for Adam Schiff's expulsion from Congress Posts shared thousands of times across social media platforms say US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has called for the "immediate expulsion and possible prosecution" of Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff. This is false; the claims misconstrue the Republican leader's comments, which criticized Schiff for alleging former president Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 campaign. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Washington law allows the state to hide children seeking gender transition A Washington law that aims to protect children seeking reproductive or gender-affirming care has been targeted by claims that it permits "state-sanctioned kidnapping." This is false; while the measure expands cases in which shelters may contact the US state's Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in lieu of parents, it does not address custody or remove notification requirements. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Burqa-clad man from far-right RSS arrested in India's Karnataka state. A video of a man in Muslim dress has been shared hundreds of times in social media posts that falsely claim he is a far-right Hindu nationalist who disguised himself and pelted police with stones in the southern Indian state of Karnataka in May 2023. But the video -- which has circulated online since at least August 2020 -- actually shows an incident in which several people were arrested for smuggling alcohol in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, according to police and local reports. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Philippine physician Dr Willie Ong promotes a mixed nuts brand as meal replacement Two Filipino doctors and a local celebrity had not promoted a brand of mixed nuts that can replace regular meals, contrary to false Facebook posts that have shared their fabricated endorsements. While different types of nuts have various health benefits, experts say they do not provide adequate nutrition to substitute for daily meals. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)