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All English Fact Checks

False: No, this herbal recipe won't 'cleanse' the uterus – consult doctors instead IN SHORT: A Facebook post claims its recommended recipe will "cleanse" the uterus. But experts say there is no evidence of this. "This recipe helps cleanse your uterus as well as your accumulated bad blocked tubes responsible for some infertility," reads a post on Facebook . The  (Source: Africa Check)

False: No, infusion of eggplant leaves can't 'wash' kidneys – see a doctor instead IN SHORT: A Facebook post circulating in Nigeria claims that the leaves of the garden egg plant, or aubergine, can be used to "wash" the kidneys. Experts say this isn't true. In a video posted on Facebook in Nigeria, a person is seen speaking in a mixture of Yoruba and English, e (Source: Africa Check)

False: The European Parliament has declared that COVID-19 is a fraud at a recent conference. The claim that the European Parliament has declared COVID-19 a fraud is false. A video from a conference held in a parliamentary building is used to support the claim. The event was hosted by a group of MEPs and featured speakers with a history of spreading COVID misinformation. A European Parliament representative told AAP FactCheck it was not an official event and the European Union’s legislative body does not support its views. (Source: Australian Associated Press - AAP)

Following pandemic s...: Following pandemic school closures 100,000 children have disappeared off school rolls. To come on to the next scandal, our schools were shut. That is a disaster that has stalled educational improvement, and 100,000 kids—ghost kids—have disappeared off the rolls. Bob Seely MP, 19 June 2023 . During a debate in Parliament on 19 June regarding the Privileges Committee (Source: Full Fact)

Miscaptioned: WNBA Championship parade video miscaptioned as 2023 NBA Championship parade A video showing aerial views of the WNBA Championship victory parade in Chicago in 2021 has been mislabeled in online posts mocking sparse turnout for the 2023 NBA Championship victory parade for the Denver Nuggets. “Nobody showed up to the Denver Nuggets championship parade,” re (Source: Reuters)

False: Photograph from the wedding of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's daughter. Vishvas News investigation determined that the viral claim is false. The picture does not depict Nirmala Sitharaman's daughter but rather captures the marriage ceremony of the renowned Indian cricketer Prasidh Krishna. In the image, Rachna, the wife of Krishna, is seated on her f (Source: Vishvasnews)

False: Video of Lionel Messi saying he would play in a friendly against Indonesia A video of Lionel Messi has been viewed millions of times in Indonesian-language posts that falsely claim it shows the Argentine football player saying he would participate in a friendly match between Argentina and Indonesia on June 19, 2023. But the Indonesian subtitles are not an accurate translation of Messi's words, which were taken from a press interview he gave that was unrelated to the friendly match. The match between the two countries took place without him. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

False: Video shows PM Modi staring inappropriately at Rihanna. An edited image purporting to show PM Modi and pop star Rihanna sitting besides each other while Modi stares at her inappropriately is viral online. BOOM found that the image has been photoshopped and the two have never been photographed together publicly.PM Modi is currently on  (Source: BOOM Live)

False: Viral video showing plane landing on dusty airstrip not from Kenya IN SHORT: Renegade Air has successfully launched a new route in Kenya but false claims around that achievement have also flown on social media. Its first flight to Homa Bay county did not land on a dusty airstrip. On 12 June 2023, Kenyan airline Renegade Air launched a new route, (Source: Africa Check)

False: President Bola Tinubu debunks claim that Nigerian government has approved 114% salary increase for president, governors and other public officeholders IN SHORT: There have been widespread reports in Nigeria in both traditional and social media that a staggering 114% salary increase for public officeholders, including the president and his deputy, has been approved. But this has been denounced by the presidency and the revenue c (Source: Africa Check)

Mcontext: South Africa's home affairs department 'giving jobs to Zimbabweans?' No, waivers for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders misunderstood IN SHORT: South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has clarified that their approval of waiver applications are meant to allow Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders in the country to apply for other visas. A tweet circulating in South Africa in June 2023 claims that the country's ho (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Beware of scammers impersonating lottery platform Zoom Lifestyle on Facebook IN SHORT: Africa Check has investigated many fake money-making schemes. This Facebook account impersonating popular Nigerian musician Peter Okoye's lottery platform is yet another scam. "WELCOME TO ZOOMLIFESTYLE Everyday is Winning day once you are okoye Peter fans," reads a post (Source: Africa Check)

False: No, this TikTok video does not show 'hidden' photos from the Kenyan starvation cult IN SHORT: A video on TikTok claims to reveal never-seen-before photos of starving people in Kenya's Shakahola forest, the site of mass starvation deaths allegedly encouraged by a self-declared pastor. But the photos shown are old and not from Kenya. A video posted on TikTok on 2  (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Kenyans beware, these Facebook pages offering big discounts on water tanks are trying to scam you IN SHORT: "Kentank", a brand name used by one of Kenya's major water tank manufacturers, is being used by at least two fake accounts on Facebook to scam the public. Don't fall for their up to 40% discounts. Facebook pages Kentanks and Kentank plastics are advertising water tanks  (Source: Africa Check)

Scam: Nigeria's corruption agency distances itself from social media posts advertising exam 'past questions and answers' IN SHORT: The ICPC says it has not published any past recruitment exams with answers. The documents circulating online may be aimed at scamming people. A post circulating on Facebook in June 2023 claims that Nigeria's Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commiss (Source: Africa Check)

False: Video shows Md Sharif, the station master at Balasore during the Odisha train accident, who was caught hiding in a madarsa in West Bengal. A graphic video showing a naked and tied-up man being beaten with a wooden paddle has gone viral on social media.The claim: Social media users are sharing the video, claiming that it shows Bahanaga's station master Mohammed Sharif – the "primary accused" in Odisha's train acciden (Source: WebQoof - The Quint)

Missing Context: Greta Thunberg said in 2018 that the world would end in five years' time. A tweet shared by Greta Thunberg in 2018 did not warn that the world would end in five years, as some on social media have implied. False or misleading claims online have the potential to harm individuals, groups and democratic processes and institutions. Online claims can spread (Source: Full Fact)

False: Images show debris of the OceanGate submersible that went missing during an expedition to the Titanic wreckage. Hundreds of people have shared a Facebook post with the caption "Here are images of the Debris found of the Titanic Submarine" alongside a picture of a pair of shoes and a sea creature on the ocean floor and other pictures of what appears to be a wrecked vessel on the seabed. The (Source: Full Fact)

False: A video of a huge explosion shows a recent incident in Paris, France. A video allegedly showing a huge explosion in Paris has been shared on social media in the wake of a major incident in the French capital on 21 June. Versions of the video, which have been published on both Twitter and Facebook , show a huge fireball rising into the sky above a w (Source: Full Fact)

Almost 100,000 extra...: Almost 100,000 extra people have died of heart attacks and strokes in England because NHS care standards have collapsed since the pandemic. An article in the print edition of the Daily Mirror misreported research about excess deaths from the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The article, which was published on 22 June, said: "More people are dying of heart attacks and strokes because NHS care standards have collapsed s (Source: Full Fact)

False: Earth risks cataclysmic magnetic pole reversal Videos viewed millions of times on social media claim Earth's magnetic poles are set to reverse and cause widespread disaster, which may help explain global warming. This is false; while the poles can switch, scientists have refuted the so-called "Adam and Eve theory," saying no change is imminent and that it would not be cataclysmic. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)

Partially False: Bordeaux street attack suspect was born in France A man suspected of assaulting a 73-year-old woman and her 7-year-old granddaughter on a street in Bordeaux on June 19 was born in France, contrary to claims being made online that he is an African migrant. The incident happened at around 5:30pm on Cours de la Martinique, accordin (Source: Reuters)

Miscaptioned: Video of people surrounding ambulance is not related to Illinois 2023 shooting A video of people surrounding an Alameda County Emergency Medical Services ambulance and leaning against it while they dance is from the aftermath of a shooting at a Juneteenth celebration in California in 2021, not the shooting incident in Willowbrook, Illinois, outside Chicago  (Source: Reuters)

False: Fictional New Mexico emergency broadcast circulates online A video circulating online that purports to show an Emergency Alert System broadcast warning of an emergency at a New Mexico research facility is fabricated, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security said. The clip has been online since at least 2015, uplo (Source: Reuters)

Miscaptioned: Image of boots on seabed shows Titanic wreckage, not Titan submersible debris An image showing boots partly buried in a sandy seabed was captured in 2004 and shows items from the wreckage of the Titanic in 1912. The photograph was not taken following the search for the Titan submersible in June 2023. The image shows the bottom part of two boots protruding  (Source: Reuters)

False: Video shows U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, telling U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., that he is “not even an expert” and shutting him up. The video does not show this. (Source: PolitiFact)

This Article Was Produced By The Reuters Fact Check Team: Claims that Garth Brooks cancelled bar opening began on satirical website Claims that country singer Garth Brooks cancelled the opening of his new bar in Nashville, Tennessee, originated as satire, though some social media posts are missing that context. Posts online (here) shared an article by satirical website The Dunning-Kruger Times with the headli (Source: Reuters)

False: Titanic tourist sub was not found intact after 55 hours The Titan submersible was destroyed in a “catastrophic implosion” and all five people aboard the vessel have been confirmed dead, contrary to online claims and images suggesting that the sub was found in one piece with the crew still alive. Two photographs circulating with the cl (Source: Reuters)

False: Al Jazeera-branded report on Ukrainians complaining about Titan submersible victims is a fake An online video carrying Al Jazeera’s logo and reporting that Ukrainians are complaining about the Titan submersible’s crew wasting money is a fake report, according to a spokesperson for the Qatari state-owned broadcaster. The 90-second clip, seen by more than a hundred thousand (Source: Reuters)

False: Elon Musk did not tweet that phrases like ‘Grimes left you’ are a slur A screenshot of a purported Twitter post by Elon Musk saying phrases such as “Grimes left you” are slurs and are banned from Twitter is in fact fabricated, although it has fooled some users. The fake tweet is dated June 21 and reads: “Repeated, targeted harassment against any acc (Source: Reuters)

Altered: Profanity digitally added to Joe Biden’s ‘take your child to work day’ speech (Warning: this article contains profanity in paragraph 5 that some readers may find offensive) A clip of U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech at the take-your-child-to-work event at the White House in April 2023 has been digitally altered to include audio of a child yelling profanit (Source: Reuters)

Mostly True: You can pay for a bus ticket in Romania by doing 20 squats. About this rating In Cluj-Napoca, Romania, a so-called "health ticket" was introduced that allowed individuals to use public transportation for free by completing 20 squats. However, the organizers only implemented it in one city for a limited time. As of this writing, it's unkno (Source: Snopes)

False: Aliens abducted 30 children in Ohio Las Vegas 'UFO' 911 call erroneously linked to missing Ohio children | Fact checkShow Caption Hide Caption Thousands in Quebec evacuated from wildfires Authorities say more than 400 wildfires burned in Canada on Thursday. "8-9 foot beings abduct 30 children in Ohio while orange smoke covers NYC," reads on-screen text in the video. Las Vegas police found no evidence of aliens when they investigated the incident mentioned in the broadcast. Local news report came from Las Vegas, not ClevelandThe video shows part of a broadcast from 8 News Now, a TV station in Las Vegas. Majoy, though, said there is no link between the wildfire smoke and reports of missing children. (Source: USA Today)

Hunter Biden isplead...: Hunter Biden ispleading guiltyto the same gun charge as Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, but the two rappers faced prison sentences while the president’s son does not. Biden entered into a plea agreement on tax charges in a deal that would allow him to potentially avert the gun charge. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm by a drug addict while Lil Wayne was charged with illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and Kodak Black was charged with making false statements to purchase multiple firearms. The crimes carry the same maximum sentence under federal law, but legal experts note that the two rappers’ prior criminal records would have factored into their sentences whereas Biden is a first time offender. Social media users are comparing the cases to argue that Hunter Biden was given a pass for his most recent legal transgressions. “Feds wanted to send Lil Wayne to prison for 10 years for the same crime that Hunter Biden is getting a slap on the wrist for,” wrote one user on Twitter who shared a screenshot juxtaposing news headlines of the two separate cases. “2 tiers of justice?” wrote Bradford Cohen, Kodak Black’s lawyer, in an Instagram post. “Kodak was charged for the same crime. Got over 3 years.” Federal prosecutorsannounced Tuesdaythat Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay federal income taxes. Aspart of the plea deal, the 53-year-old also agreed to complete a pretrial drug counseling program in exchange for prosecutors dropping a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. Meanwhile Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter,pleaded guiltyin 2020 to a federal charge that he unlawfully possessed a weapon despite being a convicted felon. The 38-year-old rapperadmitted topossessing a .45 caliber, gold-plated handgun found in his luggage in 2019. And Kodak Black, whose legal name is Bill Kapri, was sentenced to three years in prison for falsifying documents used to purchase weapons at a Miami gun store in 2019. Former President Donald Trump granted Carter a full pardon just days before he was to be sentenced, and commuted Kapri’s sentence as part of aflurry of clemenciesshortly before leaving office in January 2021. “It’s really not a fair comparison, since plea deals turn on way more than the actual charge,” Bennett Capers, a former federal prosecutor who now heads the Center on Race, Law, and Justice at Fordham Law, wrote in an email. “A federal prosecutor looks at a person’s prior arrests, a person’s prior convictions, and also looks at what else the defendant can be charged with.” Capers and other experts noted that Carter had already been sentenced to eight months in prison more than a decade prior for another felony gun charge. Convicted felons are barred under federal law from possessing firearms. And Kapri’s lengthy rap sheet at the time of his 2019 arrest included a variety of felonies, including a one-year prison sentence in New York after being found with weapons and drugs at the U.S.-Canada border. Biden, on the other hand, is a first time offender; he was charged with possessing a handgun for 11 days in 2018 despite knowing he was a drug user. “The comparison with Kodak Black’s case in Florida is a red herring,” Cheryl Bader, a former federal prosecutor who now runs the Criminal Defense Clinic at Fordham Law, wrote in an email. Jeffrey Kirchmeier, professor at the City University of New York School of Law, acknowledged all three were technically charged under the same federal statute —18 U.S.C. Sec. 922— dealing with various firearms violations. The difference, he explained in an email, is the subsection of the law each was charged. Kirchmeier added that the three charges, while distinct, also carry the same maximum penalty, as do all violations under the federal firearms statute. But, like the other legal experts, he stressed the maximum penalty is just the highest punishment allowable under the law. The U.S. Attorney for Delaware’s office, which is prosecuting Biden, declined to comment while the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which prosecuted Carter and Kapri, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. Still, Kapri’s lawyer maintains the lack of prison time in Biden’s plea deal is “highly unusual,” even for a first time offender. “In Kodak’s case, he was charged with lying on a form, essentially, the same thing Mr. Biden did,” Cohen argued in an email to The Associated Press. “Yet, they decided to charge him under a different subsection, thus lowering his potential exposure on the crime.” Biden’s lawyer Christopher Clark, however, dismissed comparisons to either rapper’s crimes as “baseless” and “wildly misleading.” In an email, he cited “the premise, the statutory basis, and the fundamental understanding of statutory maximum penalties as opposed to actual sentences, among other things,” but declined to elaborate further. (Source: Associated Press - AP News)

All German Fact Checks

Unbelegt: Arne Burkhardt zeige in einer Präsentation, dass bei gegen Covid-19 geimpften Männern die Spermien fast vollständig durch das Spike-Protein ersetzt worden seien. Seit Beginn der Corona-Pandemie hält sich dasunbelegteGerücht, die Covid-19-Impfung mache unfruchtbar, hartnäckig. Behauptungen bezogen sich dabei oft auf vermeintliche Folgen für Frauen, aber nicht nur. „Sperma weg, nur noch Spike-Proteine da!“, heißt es aktuell online./n/nBezog (Source: Correctiv)