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Not The Same: Judge Aileen Cannon, who was assigned to the Donald Trump documents case, appeared at a September 3, 2022, political rally for the former president in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Not The SameDid Judge Aileen Cannon, who was assigned to the Donald Trump documents case, appear at a September 3, 2022, political rally for the former president in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: There's no evidence to suggest she was at the event but a glib cap (Source: Lead Stories)
Only Platforms: Bill C-11, Online Streaming Act will censor social media users Only PlatformsHas Canada's Bill C-11 caused Canadians' social media posts to be censored, including posts about Canadian wildfires? No, that's not true: Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, became law in Canada in April 2023. It requires that online streaming platfo (Source: Lead Stories)
False: Easter celebration in Saudi Arabia in 2023 A video of a parade featuring an image of Jesus Christ carrying the cross has been viewed thousands of times on Facebook and YouTube in posts that falsely claim it shows an Easter celebration in Saudi Arabia in 2023. The clip was actually taken during a Palm Sunday procession in Guatemala in early April 2023. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: South Africa to get new R500 note? No, old claim from 2009 resurfaces IN SHORT : South Africa's highest value banknote is R200. But after the Reserve Bank announced it would be issuing redesigned currency, a rumour about a new R500 note started circulating on social media. But the rumour is false, and has been for 14 years. On 3 May 2023, the South (Source: Africa Check)
Fake: Broadcaster NTV Kenya didn't report that Machakos governor Wavinya Ndeti sought deputy president's protection. Ignore fake graphic IN SHORT: As a land dispute rages in the Machakos county of Kenya, claims that a major TV station reported the governor as seeking protection from deputy president Rigathi Gachagua are false. A graphic posted on a public Facebook group claims that governor of Kenya's Machakos cou (Source: Africa Check)
Scam: Beware fake Facebook account misusing name of Kenya's first lady Rachel Ruto IN SHORT: Africa Check has exposed several Facebook accounts falsely claiming to offer cash and loans in the name of Kenya's first lady, Rachel Ruto. This is yet another. A Facebook account called Hon Rerrchel Chebet Ruttoh claims to be offering Kenyans money for their school fee (Source: Africa Check)
Scam: It's a scam! Beware of fake Unilever learnership and job ads doing the rounds on social media in South Africa IN SHORT: Unilever is once again warning social media users not to fall for a job scam using its name. The ads claim the company is recruiting people for learnerships and job opportunities. This is not true. Unilever is looking for over 8,000 people older than 18 to take part in (Source: Africa Check)
Incorrect: "Nigeria is the largest producer of corn in Africa …" The latest publicly available reliable data shows South Africa has grown more corn than Nigeria in the last three years. There is scant evidence that corn leaves can provide respite for respiratory diseases and even less, that the liquid from boiled corn kernels improves digestiv (Source: Africa Check)
Unproven: "Respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis can be treated by boiling the leaves [of corn] and inhaling the steam." The latest publicly available reliable data shows South Africa has grown more corn than Nigeria in the last three years. There is scant evidence that corn leaves can provide respite for respiratory diseases and even less, that the liquid from boiled corn kernels improves digestiv (Source: Africa Check)
Unproven: "In traditional medicine the most common use of corn is to boil the kernels and drink the liquid to treat various digestive disorders." The latest publicly available reliable data shows South Africa has grown more corn than Nigeria in the last three years. There is scant evidence that corn leaves can provide respite for respiratory diseases and even less, that the liquid from boiled corn kernels improves digestiv (Source: Africa Check)
Unproven: "Corn can also treat skin conditions and wounds by grinding the kernels into a paste to apply topically." The latest publicly available reliable data shows South Africa has grown more corn than Nigeria in the last three years. There is scant evidence that corn leaves can provide respite for respiratory diseases and even less, that the liquid from boiled corn kernels improves digestiv (Source: Africa Check)
False: No, sex has not been declared an official sport in Sweden IN SHORT: A claim that sex has been declared a sport in Sweden has been circulating online and reported by news outlets. But this is not true. Numerous social media posts circulating in South Africa and Nigeria in June 2023 claim Sweden has declared sexual intercourse an official (Source: Africa Check)
False: Sweden declares sex as a sport Viral claims about Sweden’s sports authorities approving sex as a national sport hogged global headlines on social media in June. However, the reports are false: the Swedish Sports Confederation confirmed rejecting an application for official recognition of sex as a sport. A "sex contest" hosted by SSF gave rise to the claims. The event was not endorsed by the national sports body. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Muslim man responsible for Odisha train crash After India's worst train disaster in decades killed at least 288 people, social media posts fanning the conspiracy theory that Muslims were responsible for the crash shared a photo of a man they identified as "Mohammed Sharif Ahmed", the manager of a railway station near the crash site. The posts racked up thousands of shares, but an Indian Railways spokesperson told AFP the man in the picture was in fact a railway employee with a different name and working in another part of the country. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Video shows execution at Debre Elias Monastery Online users have shared a graphic video of uniformed men shooting two people in the back of the head, claiming it was filmed in May 2023 at a monastery in northern Ethiopia where the military said it carried out an attack on militants. But the killing actually occurred in a different place: exclusive footage obtained by AFP Fact Check proves the clip shows an execution in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region, which has seen recurring violence linked to ethnic tensions. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission confirmed the location of what it described as an "extrajudicial execution". Local reports and sources indicate the incident took place in early 2022. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Ninety-three per cent of children who change their gender end up regretting it. The claim 93 per cent of children who undergo gender transition later regret it is false. Studies assessing levels of regret among transgender people mostly put the figure at about one per cent or lower. (Source: Australian Associated Press - AAP)
False: Video shows Senator Orji Kalu vowing support for IPOB The secessionist movements in Nigeria’s southeast region have spun many false claims on social media, including one that a video shows Senator Orji Uzor Kalu from Abia state vowing to push for a referendum on the region's independence. But the claim is false: in the video, Kalu talks about the need for unity in Nigeria. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Vehicles seized from Nigeria’s suspended central bank governor Nigerian social media users are sharing a video with claims that it shows a fleet of luxury vehicles found at the home of the country’s suspended central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele. But this is false: the video was taken during a raid on the residence of Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara state in northwest Nigeria, where authorities seized dozens of high-end government-owned vehicles. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Satire: No evidence of Donald Trump Truth Social post saying he secretly pardoned himself There is no evidence that former U.S. President Donald Trump published a Truth Social post claiming that he plans to issue himself a “secret pardon” after prosecutors unsealed an indictment against him on June 9. The screenshot appears to show a post published via Donald Trump’s (Source: Reuters)
False: Donald Trump was charged with espionage Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunksOur rating: FalseLegal experts said Trump was not charged with espionage in the classified documents probe. He was charged with the willful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act for allegedly possessing documents related to national security. Experts said the Espionage Act encompasses crimes other than espionage itself. The Espionage Act encompasses multiple issues involving national defense information independent of actual spying or espionage, Moss said. Kevin Bishop, Graham’s spokesperson, told USA TODAY in an email that 31 of the 37 charges reference the Espionage Act. (Source: USA Today)