Your hourly fact checks
All English Fact Checks
False: Activists of PTI clashing with Pakistani police in Islamabad A video of a mob clashing with police on a road has been viewed tens of thousands of times on Twitter and Facebook with a false claim that it shows supporters of Imran Khan on the Kashmir Highway in May 2023 to protest the former Pakistani prime minister's arrest in a graft case. But the video in fact shows Central American migrants trying to force their way through a line of Guatemalan police as they attempt to continue their journey towards the United States in January 2021. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: AFP published photo series titled 'Dawn of Empire' Posts circulating on Chinese social media falsely claim AFP published a photo series featuring Chinese soldiers titled "Dawn of Empire" that discredits China's army. But there is no such photo series in the agency's archives. Moreover, reverse image searches found one of the pictures in the posts had in fact been taken by a New York Times photographer while the other photos were shot by multiple AFP journalists during different events across several years. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: This video was shot in Bangladesh during Cyclone Mocha in 2023. A video has been viewed hundreds of times in social media posts that falsely claim it shows a man in Bangladesh who was swept into the sea by waves during Cyclone Mocha, which battered the country in May 2023. But the video has circulated since August 2022 in posts and news reports about a man being rescued from the sea off Digha, a resort town in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Altered Image: Photo of Indian wrestlers smiling after being detained by Delhi police A doctored image has circulated in social media posts that falsely claim it shows Indian wrestlers smiling despite being detained by police following their month-long protest to demand the arrest of the country's wrestling federation chief for alleged sexual harassment. The posts suggest the athletes did not take the protests seriously. In fact, the original photo shows the two women with neutral faces rather than smiling. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Partly False: Pair filmed having sex in UN car in Africa A 17-second clip showing a couple getting intimate inside a United Nations–branded vehicle is circulating online alongside claims it was filmed in Africa. But the claim is misleading; while the incident did happen, the video was shot in Tel Aviv, Israel. The UN confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the matter was “reviewed and corrective action” taken against the staff involved. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Half-Flip: On exceptions to Wisconsin's abortion ban Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden had previously opposed any access to abortions, even cases involving rape and incest.In an interview in early 2023, Van Orden called on Wisconsin lawmakers to pass exceptions to abortion ban and consider a 15-week law. (Source: PolitiFact)
False: Ingesting cayenne pepper will stop a heart attack. The claim cayenne pepper can stop a heart attack is false. Cardiology experts told AAP FactCheck the cayenne cure is a persistent myth and there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. AAP FactCheck sourced the claim to herbalists and naturopaths who provide no medical research to back up their claims. (Source: Australian Associated Press - AAP)
No Correlation: The "most vaccinated countries in the world" have the "worst-case fatality rates" for COVID-19 In addition, the vaccines failed to save lives. No CorrelationDid the "most vaccinated countries in the world" have the "worst case fatality rates" for COVID-19? In addition, did the vaccines fail to save lives? No, that's not true: These claims are not supported by current scientific evidence. Numerous studies have shown that (Source: Lead Stories)
False: Dwayne Johnson dressed as a Hindu priest performs ‘Aarti.’ Authors Shubham Singh An enthusiastic journalist, researcher and fact-checker, Shubham believes in maintaining the sanctity of facts and wants to create awareness about misinformation and its perils. Shubham has studied Mathematics at the Banaras Hindu University and holds a dipl (Source: Newschecker)
False: Pop-Tarts and other foods “have antifreeze in them.” Some foods and drinks contain a small amount of propylene glycol, a food additive that helps maintain moisture and structure.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined propylene glycol is safe to consume in small quantities.Propylene glycol, like many substances, can also be found in nonfood products, such as antifreeze. That does not mean that foods that contain propylene glycol also contain antifreeze. (Source: PolitiFact)
False: 30 tons of lost ammonium nitrate on a California-bound train suggest an orchestrated conspiracy. About 30 tons of ammonium nitrate disappeared from a rail car on a train traveling to California in April.The chemical compound is used in fertilizers and explosives and can be dangerous to store. Dyno Nobel Ltd., an explosives company, and the Union Pacific Railroad are still investigating the incident, but each said foul play is not suspected and that a leak in the rail car was likely the cause. (Source: PolitiFact)
Partly False: You can be jailed for failing to pay for your TV licence. A widely seen Tweet , which has also been shared on Facebook , wrongly claims that if you are too poor to pay for a TV licence, you can be sent to prison. It also wrongly suggests that public funds are used to pay for motoring offences committed by members of parliament. The post (Source: Full Fact)
Partly False: Conservative MPs have had their speeding tickets paid from public funds. A widely seen Tweet , which has also been shared on Facebook , wrongly claims that if you are too poor to pay for a TV licence, you can be sent to prison. It also wrongly suggests that public funds are used to pay for motoring offences committed by members of parliament. The post (Source: Full Fact)
False: La guanábana “es considerada como la quimioterapia natural”. Estudios en animales y vía tubos de ensayo sugieren que extractos de la rama de guanábana pueden destruir células de cáncer. Pero eso no ha sido comprobado en humanos.La Sociedad Americana Contra el Cáncer advierte que el usar terapias alternativas puede retrasar el efecto de tratamientos tradicionales, como la quimioterapia, y hacer que el cáncer crezca y se expanda a otras partes del cuerpo. (Source: PolitiFact)
Misleading: New York will track meat purchases, limit consumption Social media posts and articles claim New York City will soon begin to track household food purchases and limit meat served in public facilities as part of its initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is misleading; a survey will collect anonymized, aggregated data -- and a plan dating to 2022 reduces beef servings only at municipal institutions. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: A picture shows an autistic boy called Brandon Smith who has been missing for eight hours with the family dog Hank. Posts on Facebook claiming that a social media user's autistic son is missing with their family dog, along with a photo apparently of the boy looking distressed with the pet, are hoaxes. The posts say: "My son Brandon Smith took off this morning with our dog hank. He is autistic (Source: Full Fact)
False: SKYCovion vaccine is not sprayed from aircraft A South Korean COVID-19 vaccine recently authorised in Britain is administered by injection, not sprayed into the sky from aircraft, as social media posts falsely claim. The SKYCovion vaccine, developed by South Korean biotech company SK bioscience and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was (Source: Reuters)
False: Photo shows 'Modi No Entry' billboard in Rajasthan during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit. An old photo showing a billboard in Andhra Pradesh with the text "Modi No Entry" is being shared with a false claim that it is from Rajasthan during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state.The prime minister was in Rajasthan on May 31, 2023, where he addressed a rally i (Source: BOOM Live)
False: Fabricated Rachel Notley tweet on gender affirming surgeries in Alberta shared online Alberta’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Rachel Notley did not tweet stating children in Alberta would have access to gender affirming surgeries without parental consent, a spokesperson for Notley said in an email to Reuters. A screenshot of a purported tweet by Notley, with s (Source: Reuters)
True: Ford created a truck called the "Very Gay Raptor." About this rating The "Very Gay Raptor" is a real truck created by Ford in 2021. The comapny reportedly created the car in response to a social media post that referred to the "Performance Blue" color option on Ranger Raptors as "very gay." We found no evidence that the truck has (Source: Snopes)
False: Arizona state legislature banned electronic voting machines for all future federal elections (Dec. 6) APThe claim: Arizona state legislature banned electronic voting machines for all future federal electionsA May 24 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claimed a key battleground state is making a major change to its election protocol. “The Arizona state legislature banned electronic voting machines for all future federal elections,” reads the post. There's no precedent allowing the legislature to unilaterally ban electronic voting in this manner. Arizona law allows for electronic voting systems, concurrent resolution doesn't change thatThe post in question is from Convention of States, a Facebook page and website with a history of publishing misleading posts. Arizona state law allows electronic voting systems to be used in federal and other elections. (Source: USA Today)
Partly False: Nassau County glitch turned every registered voter Democrat (May 28) APThe claim: Nassau County glitch turned every registered voter DemocratA May 24 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) makes a claim about an incident in Nassau County, New York. "A couple of years ago, Nassau County voters decided they finally had enough of Democrats and they elected Republicans down the ballot. But just recently, some kind of glitch just turned every single registered voter in Nassau to Democrat just before the upcoming primary elections. “The voters party affiliation may have been incorrect on the first mailing, however, polling site information is correct,” the statement says. This is an isolated event, but we apologize for our mistake, especially to Nassau County officials, who bear no responsibility for this problem. (Source: USA Today)
False: Chick-fil-A "just hired" an executive for diversity, equity and inclusion Conservative social media users are claiming Chick-fil-A recently hired an executive to spearhead its efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion, fueling scattered calls to boycott the fast-food chain. This is false; Erick McReynolds has been in his role for years, company records show. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Arizona election officials illegally tampered with voting machines in 2022 Democrat Katie Hobbs was sworn in as governor of Arizona in January 2023, but her opponent Kari Lake and other right-wing figures claim officials in the US state's largest county swung the vote by "illegally breaking into sealed election machines" during the 2022 midterms. This is false; authorities say the video shared as purported evidence shows routine election preparation, and allegations of meddling failed in court. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Video shows boxes of books removed from a middle school library that were “banned by the DeSantis regime in Florida.” The books at a Florida middle school were not banned. The school was "weeding" out the books because they were out of date. (Source: PolitiFact)
Barely-True: "Every study has shown” that when work requirements are tied to federal safety-net programs, “it puts more people to work.” • Some studies, especially those of 1990s-era welfare-to-work programs, did show employment gains from work requirements, though they were often modest and temporary.• More recent studies show much less evidence of employment gains. A majority of studies on work requirements for food stamps and Medicaid coverage show little or no gain in employment.• Experts say this claim overlooks the bureaucratic requirements that can result in beneficiaries being stripped of their benefits even if they are working. (Source: PolitiFact)
False: Photos show “Elon Musk and his company are in the final stages of making a Robot Wife.” The images of Twitter owner Elon Musk kissing robots were generated by artificial intelligence. There is no evidence that he is making a "robot wife." (Source: PolitiFact)
False: The U.S. "takes 87% of all the prescription medications in the world." Experts said there is no reason to believe that the U.S., which accounts for about 4% of the world’s population, consumes the vast majority of all prescription medications. (Source: PolitiFact)
False: "The European Union is now warning pregnant women not to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to the possibility of infertility and miscarriage.” The European Union has not warned pregnant women to avoid COVID-19 vaccines because of fertility and miscarriage risks.The European Medicines Agency, which regulates drug safety in the EU, said on its website that studies have shown the vaccines do not cause increased risks of pregnancy complications, such as miscarriages.An agency task force said in October 2022 that there’s no evidence that heavy menstrual bleeding, a possible side effect of the vaccines, have any impact on reproduction and fertility. (Source: PolitiFact)
False: Audio clip of Lakshmi Mittal, executive chairman ArcelorMittal hails ‘one nation, one religion’ ClaimA male voice endorsing 'one nation, one religion', hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and criticising India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for declaring the country as a secular state—in an audio clip, has been revived on social media. The video contain (Source: BOOM Live)
Misleading: Recent video of women protesting against Shivraj Singh Chouhan by taking out his mock funeral A video of a mock funeral is doing the rounds on social media claiming that several women protested against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by taking out his mock funeral.The Facebook caption read, "मामा नहीं कसाई है, कंस का जुड़वा भाई है"(Translation: Shivraj (Source: News Mobile)
False: Image shows Yogi Adityanatha paying tribute to TIpu Sultan. (Archives of similar claims can be seen here and here.)What's the truth?: This is a digitally altered image. (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)