Claim: A bird that can breathe fire or shoot fire from its eyes caused the Los Angeles wildfires, according to a video. Fact: No such fire-breathing bird exists. The accompanying video is actually the work of a VFX artist who created the clip back in 2020 using CGI and compositing technique. On 23 January 2025, […]
Claim: A video shows the first stage of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, in which “fire [started] falling from the sky” when a celestial object was struck by unidentified objects and erupted into flames. Fact: The video is not only unrelated to the Los Angeles wildfires but was digitally created and originally posted back […]
Claim: Donald Trump defended the burqa after being “impressed” by Imran Khan’s remarks about Muslim women’s veils in the past, particularly when the latter said that “girls use hijab as a weapon”. The US president also stated, “Veiling is more appropriate than wearing make-up. If I were a woman, I would also wear the veil.” […]
Claim: YouTuber Luke Damant, who was missing for days, has been found dead in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, three weeks after entering the country via Pakistan. Fact: Damant is alive and has refuted the claim through his social media accounts. On 5 January 2024, Facebook page ‘Crick Zone’ posted (archive) a picture of Australian YouTuber and travel […]
Claim: A video shows a firefighting plane crashing shortly after takeoff while attempting to douse a fire in Los Angeles in January 2025. Fact: The video actually shows a firefighting plane that crashed in January 2024 in Chile. It has no connection to the January 2025 Los Angeles fires. On 11 January 2025, Threads user […]
Claim: A viral video includes two clips from Pakistani TV dramas where the actors are kissing. Fact: The video features content doctored, possibly through artificial intelligence (AI). The actual footage taken from existing dramas does not show any of the actors kissing. On 21 December 2024, Facebook user ‘Parveen Baig’ posted (archive) a video showing […]
Claim: Donald Trump said, “I’ve learnt a lot from Imran Khan, his Islamic style, and his independent policy. He is not only the leader of Pakistanis but he is also my leader.” Fact: Trump has never made any such remarks. On 11 November 2024, Facebook page ‘تحریک انصاف’ posted (archive) a reel with the following […]
Claim: Five students at the University of Texas lost their scholarships for kneeling during the American national anthem. Fact: The claim is false and has been debunked multiple times before. On 23 December 2024, Threads user @amos.0954 posted (archive) a visual depicting women athletes kneeling in a stadium, alongside the following caption: “5 students who […]
Claim: Singapore has declared COVID-19 to be “a global hoax” after doctors there performed the first autopsy going against the WHO’s guidelines. The disease is not a virus but “a bacteria that has been exposed to radiation and causes human death by clotting in the blood”. The country’s health ministry “immediately changed the Covid-19 treatment […]
Claim: Netanyahu is seen being “attacked and beaten up” by members of the Israeli parliament in a video. Fact: The video is old and unrelated; it actually shows an assassination attempt on Bulgarian politician Ahmed Dogan in 2013. On 29 November 2024, Facebook user ‘Syed Waqar Hussain Shah’ posted (archive) a video that initially shows […]
Claim: Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir got up from his seat to touch the knees of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman out of respect, according to a viral video Fact: The video is AI-generated and a real picture was likely animated to create the clip. AI and manipulation detection tools also indicated the […]
Claim: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defines the term ceasefire as an incident when someone “sees a fire”, which “could be a big fire or a small fire, a bonfire or even a candle flame”. Fact: The video is not authentic. A snippet from AOC’s real October 2023 livestream on Instagram has been doctored using altered audio. On […]