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All English Fact Checks

False: Video of Muslim boy praying in street is from Karanataka in May 2023 A video of a Muslim boy praying in the middle of a busy street has been shared on social media with a false claim that it took place in the Indian state of Karnataka after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost to the opposition Congress party in local elections held in May 2023. The uploader of the video told AFP it was in fact filmed in the United Arab Emirates in January 2023. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Museveni's has died Days after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19 on June 7, 2023, online posts circulated claiming his health had quickly deteriorated and that he was admitted to hospital where he died from coronavirus complications. But the 78-year-old, who was in self-isolation for more than a week, had not died; this soon became evident when he addressed the Ugandan parliament on June 15, 2023. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Misleading: Humphrey Nwosu declared MKO Abiola as the winner of 1993 election Nigeria's 1993 election is widely regarded as the country’s freest and fairest poll since its independence. Online claims now allege that the chairman of the electoral commission at the time declared opposition candidate Moshood Abiola as the winner. This is misleading: the electoral body was only able to declare partial results before a court order blocked any further announcements and the election was annulled. The commission’s chairman, Humphrey Nwosu, was thus unable to officially declare any winner. Years later, however, he said in an interview that Abiola “was the winner”. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Thailand signed WHO pandemic treaty that strips the kingdom of sovereignty Social media posts that have circulated in May falsely claim Thailand "just signed" a World Health Organization pandemic accord that strips the kingdom of its power to deal with national health crises. Legal experts told AFP the draft accord aiming to help countries deal with pandemics after Covid-19 actually guarantees state sovereignty. The WHO and Thailand's disease control agency separately said negotiations are continuing until 2024. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Public Health Fakes:  Ukrainian television reported on the work of “black transplant specialists”. Issue #36 Russian media once again spread horror stories about the activities of “black transplantologists” in Ukraine. Now they claim that journalists from “TSN” told the “truth” and showed how people are “harvested for organs” and others make money from it during the war. We also debunke (Source: Vox Ukraine)

False: Policies to be enacted if Indigenous voice to parliament approved. A screenshot appearing to show a list of policies has been shared hundreds of times in Australian social media posts that falsely claim it shows measures that will come into force if the country votes to grant Indigenous people a voice in parliament. But the list is unrelated to the 'voice' referendum, and in fact shows ideas that were floated during meetings with Indigenous Australians to discuss constitutional recognition. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Clove-spiked limes will keep dengue-carrying mosquitoes away. As Sri Lankan officials warned of an increase in the number of cases of dengue, posts circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp that falsely claimed limes spiked with cloves would repel the mosquitoes that carry the viral infection. Although the "natural repellent" claim has spread online for years, health experts and an entomologist told AFP the home remedy should not be promoted as a way to prevent dengue. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Partly False: If you call 999 but aren't able to speak, press 55. This means emergency services will be able to trace your location through new technology. A post on Facebook , shared more than 38,000 times, wrongly claims that "new technology" means people who are unable to speak on a 999 call can press 55 and the operator will be able to locate them. The post says: "If you ever find yourself dialling 999 and you can't speak press  (Source: Full Fact)

False: “Arma que EE.UU. le dio a Ucrania es vista en manos de cártel”. La presentadora hispanohablante de Milenio TV no dijo que una arma que EE.UU. envió a Ucrania acabó en manos de un cártel mexicano. No encontramos pruebas de que un cártel mexicano obtuviera armas estadounidenses destinadas a Ucrania.Los expertos también dicen que un video muestra al supuesto miembro del cártel llevando un AT4, no un Javelin. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: Former Attorney General Bill Barr “says Donald Trump is a spy.” A conservative commentator mischaracterized the remarks of Bill Barr, who served as attorney general under former President Donald Trump. Barr did not call Trump a spy. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: because the photo comes from a blog post published in September 2022. A post on Facebook claiming that a dog has been injured in a hit-and-run incident is a hoax. The photo used in the post comes from an unrelated online blog post. The post, which appeared in a community group for Brierley Hill in Dudley, West Midlands, and has more than 750 shares (Source: Full Fact)

False: Anyone who shares or comments on a Facebook post about Wetherspoons is entitled to receive a free meal for two. A Facebook post with more than 10,000 shares claims that everyone who shares and comments on it, and follows a link to submit an application, will receive a free meal for two at Wetherspoons. But this is not a real offer. The post says: "Hello everyone! I'm Tim Martin, founder of (Source: Full Fact)

False: A Facebook user is looking for their missing grandma with dementia in various locations around the UK. Multiple posts on Facebook are claiming to be someone searching for their missing grandma with dementia. But the posts are hoaxes. One of the posts , which appears in a community group for Kidderminster, Worcestershire, and has over 250 shares, says: "Help!!!- MISSING!! #kiddermi (Source: Full Fact)

Barely-True: Científicos descubren que al “consumir 3 tazas de leche diaria, las personas tienen más riesgos de desarrollar cáncer de mama”. La publicación dice que su fuente es un estudio de Noruega. Pero ese estudio contradice la publicación.Los científicos encontraron que las mujeres que tomaban más de 3 vasos de leche al día en su adultez tuvieron menos incidentes de cáncer de mama que las mujeres que no tomaban leche. Otros estudios han encontrado un posible riesgo de cáncer de mama al consumir leche. Pero expertos dicen que es necesario hacer más investigaciones antes de llegar a una conclusión como lo hace la publicación en Facebook. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: Wells Fargo is rationing cash due to emergency conditions Social media posts are sharing an image of a purported Wells Fargo notice that says it is limiting cash withdrawals to $1,000 due to "emergency conditions." This is false; the US banking giant said no such limitations are in place and customers have full access to their deposits. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Misleading: Recent video of Nigerian oil boss at illegal pipeline site A Facebook post featuring a video of the head of Nigeria’s national oil company at the site of an illegal pipeline claims that his visit was in response to President Bola Tinubu’s promise to deal with oil theft. But this is misleading: the clip dates back to 2022, when former president Muhammadu Buhari was Nigeria’s leader — not Tinubu, who was sworn in on May 29, 2023. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: VIA Rail offers yearly passes for $1 Widely shared Facebook posts claim Canada's largest passenger rail operator is offering annual passes for a dollar. This is not a genuine offer; VIA Rail confirmed it had no such promotion and has alerted customers about scams that collect fees for fake fare deals. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: A picture that went viral in June 2023 authentically showed an extremely steep hill in San Francisco. About this rating The image is a digitally created composite, combining a photograph of a real California Street in San Francisco with an aerial drone shot. Apicturesharedby various social media accounts in mid-June 2023 allegedly showed an extremely steep hill in San Francisco.  (Source: Snopes)

False: Una iglesia fue “quemada por un rayo en Boston, EE. UU. durante una ceremonia de boda gay. Este 5 de mayo de 2023, sin sobrevivientes entre los participantes”. La First Congregational Church en Spencer, Massachusetts se quemó el 2 de junio tras ser golpeada por un rayo. Pero el incendio no comenzo durante el matrimonio de una pareja del mismo sexo, ni tampoco fueron reportados heridos. El bombero jefe de la ciudad le dijo a PolitiFact que el edificio estaba vacío y cerrado cuando comenzó el incendio. (Source: PolitiFact)

False: Particulate matter, found in wildfire smoke, has “no effect” on human health and is “total junk science.” ​The health effects linked to particulate pollution exposure have been studied and documented for decades. These effects include respiratory and cardiovascular health problems and premature death.The Environmental Protection Agency’s assessment of particulate matter shows clear evidence that exposure to particulate matter affects health. (Source: PolitiFact)

Miscaptioned: Video does not show Mexican army vehicles near U.S. border in June 2023 Footage of military vehicles parked in a street in Mexico City, which has been circulating since at least May 16, does not depict military activity near the U.S. southern border in June 2023, contrary to social media posts. “Strange movement in Mexico. Filmed, allegedly near the  (Source: Reuters)

All German Fact Checks

Frei Erfunden: Denner verlose Gutscheine in Höhe von 500 Franken für die ersten 500 Personen, die auf einem Bild eine andere Zahl als die 803 erkennen. Mehrere Facebook-Seiten, die den Namen „Denner Fans“ verwenden, werben für ein angebliches Gewinnspiel des Schweizer Lebensmittelhändlers Denner. In Beiträgen dieser Seiten heißt es zum Beispiel: „Das @Denner-Team verlost 500 CHF-Gutscheine an die ersten 500 Personen, die eine an (Source: Correctiv)