Your weekly fact-checks
#Elections2025
This week's election: 2025 Hong Kong legislative election
South Morning China Post
Election Date: 30/12/2025
Hong Kong’s 2025 Legislative Council election on 7 December 2025 will fill all 90 seats under the post-2021 “patriots-only” system, with only 20 seats directly elected and the rest chosen via the Election Committee and functional constituencies—an arrangement widely criticised as neither free nor fair. Ahead of the vote, a major retirement wave saw all 12 lawmakers aged 70 or older (including LegCo president Andrew Leung and several party leaders) step down amid reports of an unofficial age limit, alongside controversy over governance, legislative performance, and a withdrawn but optional “smart ballot box” proposal.
#TrumpCheck
DW - Deutsche Welle
False: "The last administration let in 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world", Donald Trump stated in his remarks.
While immigration increased significantly under Biden, Trump's claim of 20 million migrants is false. Data shows approximately 5.8 million migrants were paroled or allowed entry to pursue asylum from 2021-24, and the unauthorized immigrant population grew by 3.5 million during Biden's first two years, reaching 14 million in 2023—figures that don't come close to Trump's exaggerated total even when combined.
DW - Deutsche Welle
False: Trump stated that Minnesota, where hundreds of thousands of Somalians are ripping off our country and ripping apart that once-great state.
Neither Trump's claim about the number of Somali migrants nor his accusation that they are exploiting the US is supported by facts.
#Politics
DW - Deutsche Welle
False: Stolen Louvre jewels were found during a Ukrainian anti-corruption raid on a billionaire linked to Zelensky.
Journalists fact-checked the video, and NABU immediately confirmed it was fake pro-Kremlin propaganda. Analysis revealed unnatural speech patterns and mispronunciations, with an AI detection tool showing a 71.3% probability the voiceover was artificially generated.
Africa Check
False: The US is shutting its borders entirely, TikTok videos claim.
Some TikTok videos claim that under an executive order by president Donald Trump, the United States will “completely shut its borders” from 1 November 2025, denying entry even to visa-holders and legal residents. But there is no evidence to support this claim.
Africa Check
False: Tanzania's president Samia Suluhu Hassan 'praised' Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo after a report on killings of protesters in Tanzania.
A manipulated video falsely shows Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan praising CNN journalist Larry Madowo and offering him her daughter in marriage, supposedly in response to his report on election violence. The video combines authentic 2021 footage of Hassan addressing the UN General Assembly with AI-generated audio, making claims that are entirely fabricated.
#Technology
Agence France-Presse - AFP
False: Japan's truck-sized nuclear reactors spark envy in Australia.
While Japan has ambitions for nuclear energy to power about 20 percent of its electricity needs by 2030, it does not have truck-sized reactors keeping the lights on in its northern island of Hokkaido. According to false posts on several social media platforms, the East Asian country is testing "a tiny, box-sized nuclear power plant" built by Japan's National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) that has the capacity to electrify a small town. But the agency told journalists that no such technology exists.
#Healthcare
Africa Check
False: Foot reflexology is a complementary treatment for pain, insomnia and impaired vision.
A Facebook post claims that massaging pressure points under your feet can cure various medical conditions such as visual impairment and back and joint pain, but there is not enough research to prove this and delaying treatment of underlying causes can worsen your health.
#Economy
PolitiFact
False: “This Thanksgiving, turkey prices are at their lowest point since 2000.”
An American Farm Bureau report said turkeys account for a lower share of the total meal’s cost than they have in 25 years. But that’s largely because other foods have gotten more expensive due to tariffs and inflation. Retail turkey prices are not the lowest since 2000, according to the bureau’s report.
#Conflicts
StopFake
False: More than 300 Colombian and Ukrainian soldiers were captured by the Russian army in November 2025.
Russia is conducting disinformation campaigns, particularly targeting Colombia, to discourage foreign volunteers from joining Ukraine's forces by spreading false narratives about massive Ukrainian casualties and using decontextualised images. The Kremlin also attempts to undermine Ukraine's credibility by falsely claiming forced mobilisations and unpaid compensation to victims' families.
Africa Check
False: The Nigerian government plans to send 400 soldiers to the Gambia lacks evidence.
As Nigeria grapples with insecurity, some Facebook users claim that the country will deploy 400 soldiers on a peacekeeping mission to the Gambia. But there is no evidence to support the claim.
Newschecker
False: Videos show Indian Army soldiers crying, saying they are afraid to fight the Pakistani Army and begging to return home.
The clips are AI-generated videos and do not depict a real incident.
#Nordics
Tjekdet
Falsk: Du sparer meget, når du handler på Black Friday i Danmark.
Danske butikker overtræder forbrugerbeskyttelsesretningslinjerne ved at forhøje de »normale priser« under Black Friday-udsalget, så rabatterne ser større ud, end de faktisk er. En undersøgelse viste, at mange af de annoncerede tilbud hos store detailhandlere som Salling, Matas og Kop & Kande faktisk er priser, som varerne blev solgt til tidligere på måneden, hvilket er i strid med reglerne om, at produkterne skal have den normale pris i 30 på hinanden følgende dage, før de kan sælges med rabat.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
#WTF?! What The Fact of the week
Snopes
True: Stiletto Crocs were a real thing.
Balenciaga confirmed that stiletto Crocs were part of its Spring 2022 collection, marking the second collaboration between the luxury fashion brand and Crocs following a 2018 platform version. The new collection featured Crocs reimagined as pumps, knee-high boots, and platformed pool slides in various colours.
Use Factiverse to extract crucial insights in real-time to strengthen your reporting
Factiverse helps media organisations and government teams monitor and analyse real-time reporting, identifying false narratives in elections before they spread. Reach out for a consultation to see how our tools can strengthen your reporting strategy