Anisa Shabir

Anisa Shabir is a senior fact-checker and open-source reporter at Soch Media. She also volunteers as an open-source researcher with Bellingcat's Global Authentication Project and previously worked as an investigative reporter at the Arizona State University’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. She was recognized for best community service project/reporting in the 2023 EPPY Awards and won the A-Mark Prize for Reporting on Misinformation and Disinformation. Her work has been featured in the Associated Press, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting (AZCIR), Cronkite News, and Dawn. She holds an MA in investigative journalism from Cronkite School on the Fulbright Scholarship Award.

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Claim: A clip shows a building coming down amid the earthquake that struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026. Fact: The footage is unrelated to the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. It appeared online in October 2023 and shows a building demolition in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. On 26 June, a Facebook user posted a clip apparently showing a […]

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Claim: A montage of clips shows volcanic eruptions in the Philippines in 2026.  Fact: These visuals are unrelated to the volcanic activity in the Philippines in 2026. Some are from other regions whereas others are old and hence not connected to any recent volcanic activity in the region. On 18 June, a Facebook user posted […]

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Claim: A video shows buildings collapsing during the deadly earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June 2026. Fact: The video does not show scenes of destruction from the earthquakes that hit Venezuela. The clip is old and likely fake as it may be from a gaming simulation. Soon after deadly earthquakes were reported in Venezuela last […]

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Claim: A video montage shows a US Air Force B-52 bomber taking off and crashing in June 2026. Fact: While some of the footage in the compilation are authentic, two clips are old and entirely unrelated to the recent crash.  On 16 June, a Pakistani user posted a video on Facebook purportedly showing various scenes […]

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Claim: A video shows Pakistani police being chased by protesters in Kashmir in June 2026. Fact: The video is old, and appeared online as early as May 2024. It is unrelated to the June 2026 clashes in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, also referred to as Pakistan-administered Kashmir. On 7 June, an X user posted a […]

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Claim: A video shows Iranian strikes on Israel’s energy infrastructure in June 2026. Fact:  The clip is old, from August 2020, and likely shows a market on fire in Ajman, UAE. It is not related to the recent Iranian strikes on Israel. Several social media users recently posted a video, claiming it shows Iran’s latest […]

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Claim: A video shows a BLA attack on a train in Quetta, Balochistan, on 24 May 2026. Fact: The video is old, having appeared online as early as April 2022, and likely shows a BLA attack on a train in January 2022; therefore, it is not linked to the recent incident. Soon after a deadly […]

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Claim: A video shows Hezbollah’s attack on a secret Israeli headquarters in May 2026. Fact: The video appeared online in December 2025 and shows a fire that engulfed a market in St. Petersburg, Russia. On 23 May, multiple users posted a video apparently showing a building on fire after Hezbollah’s attack on Israel’s secret base. […]

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Claim: A video shows Iran striking a US aircraft carrier early in March 2026. Fact: The video is old and appeared online as early as June 2025; it is not linked to the recent war. Furthermore, fact-checking publications like AFP and Lead Stories concluded that the video is likely not real. Early in March 2026, […]

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Claim: A video shows Israeli strikes on Lebanon in April 2026. Fact: The clip is old and appeared online as early as November 2023. Multiple users posted a clip apparently showing Israel bombing Lebanon in April 2026. One such Facebook post’s caption claims: “Israel is destroying Lebanon just like it was destroying Gaza…” The clip […]

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Claim: A video shows Iran’s strikes on Tel Aviv during the recent US-Israel war with Iran. Fact: The video is old and appeared online as early as November 2025; therefore, it is not linked to the recent war. Moreover, social media posts and some Spanish-language publications linked the footage to an explosion near the Argentinian […]

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Claim: A video shows an explosion carried out by Israel near Jerusalem in May 2026. Fact: The video is old and appeared online as early as January 2025. Social media users and credible news organisations have linked it to a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian oil refinery in the city of Ryazan at the […]

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