International

Does a viral image authentically show a "1930 Russian/Soviet 'Tarantaika'"? No, that's not true: The picture was likely AI generated. The same picture was previously falsely claimed to have been a "restored 1875 chuckwagon" and Nicola Tesla's invention. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook on May 26, 2025. It opened: 1930 Russian/Soviet 'Tarantaika' (Boneshaker). The…

Does a social media video authentically show a flight attendant with a "ripped bloody shoulder" on the top platform of the airstair when French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife arrived at Hanoi International Airport on May 25, 2025? No, that's not true: Footage of that moment captured by credible news agencies showed a scarf or patch on her shoulder.…

Does ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's sell a flavor called "From the River" featuring a Palestinian flag on the packaging? No, that's not true: A viral image which also showed people with "Press" on their clothes carrying watermelons and cameras was generated using artificial intelligence. Ben & Jerry's website featured no such flavor or packaging. The viral image appeared…

Did Barron Trump, son of President Trump, get married to Spanish crown princess Leonor and was all of this documented in a lavish wedding video? No, that's not true: A youtube account named "Lovely Trump Family" put out several videos purporting to show such a dream wedding but they all carried disclaimers saying they were generated using artificial intelligence. In…

Did singer Bruce Springsteen cancel his "Atlantic City Summer Concert Series" over low ticket sales after "blowback" over his on-stage comments about President Trump? No, that's not true: That claim originated on a satirical Facebook page and no such concert series ever existed. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The…

Does a viral video authentically show a "Polish Pilot" landing a Boeing 737 on just one wheel? No, that's not true: The footage of the plane, which also featured a "Mentzen 2025" campaign ad and a "Polski Pilot" logo, was created in a video game. The TikTok channel that originally published it said it was created in the "X Plane…

Did an image shown to the public by U.S. President Donald Trump during a May 21, 2025 meeting with his South African counterpart in the Oval Office capture a mass burial of "white farmers" in that country? No, that's not true: The image was a screenshot of Reuters footage showing a different country. The recording captured humanitarian workers assisting with…

Was pro-Trump Cuban activist Hector Luis Valdes Cocho detained by ICE and held for possible deportation from the United States? Yes, that's true: Valdes Cocho, who was exiled from Cuba to the U.S. in 2022 because of his political activism, was initially arrested in November 2024, on state fraud and traffic charges in Florida. ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)…

Did a viral video really show Pope Leo XIV publicly criticizing JD Vance for his reaction to former President Joe Biden's cancer announcement? No, that's not true: The clip used AI-generated sound to make it appear the Pope scolded Vance for attacking Biden with "cold, calculated words" and lacking "human compassion". No actual news websites reported that the Pope publicly…

Does a photo shared on social media authentically show Houthis missiles targeting Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in May 2025? No, that's not true: The Houthis' attempt to target the airport on May 18, 2025, failed when Israel's air defenses intercepted the rockets. There was a Houthi missile that hit near the airport on May 4, but none since. The image…

Did the footage shown to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 21, 2025 in the Oval Office capture a mass grave of "over 1,000 of white farmers", as claimed by U.S. President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The video showed a 2020 temporary memorial, not a burial site. People who participated in the memorial demonstration did not refer…

Did the Venezuelan government donate $22.9 million for an apartment to be built on top of Barack Obama's Presidential Library? No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The meme appeared in a post…

Did the Pentagon in May of 2025 approve acquisition of a "Qatari-built jet" to be the next Air Force One? No, that's not true: There is no aircraft manufacturing industry in Qatar that could make a jet of that size. The Pentagon on May 21, 2025 announced it had approved President Trump's plan to accept a Boeing 747 as a…

Did the UN say that 14,000 babies would die if there is no aid to Gaza in 48 hours? Yes, the organization's representative did cite such a figure, but that figure appears to have been drawn from a UN prediction that covered roughly a year between April 2025 and March 2026, not a single day. Here is what we know…

Does this video authentically document the Israeli military bombing Gaza, as a social media post claimed? No, that's not true: The video originated on a TikTok account named "@everythingai97" with a bio that says: "DISCLAIMER: ALL VIDEOS I POST ARE AI GENERATED." Several elements of the video reveal digital artifacts of the kind often found in videos that are made…

Does a viral graph accurately represent the outcome of the 2025 Romanian presidential election? No, that's not true: The graph showed the odds of Nicușor Dan's victory, not the actual share of the votes he earned. The image originated from a betting website, not from the national election officials. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X where…

Does a video show China air-dropping humanitarian aid into Gaza in May 2025? No, that's not true: The video is from March 2024, when U.S. military planes dropped food and supplies onto a beach in Beit Lahiya, Gaza. Other videos posted at the time show the same scene, and news reports documented the event. There is no evidence that China…

Does a video show Chinese fighter jets escorting a Chinese cargo plane over Egypt's Giza pyramids en route to an air-drop of food and supplies to Gaza? No, that's not true: The video shows a May 4, 2025 joint training drill between China and Egypt's military called "Eagles of Civilization 2025," according to an official statement on China's military website.…

Does a viral video authentically show several cruise ships dumping raw sewage into the sea using huge pipes? No, that's not true: According to several AI detection tools the video was generated using artificial intelligence. It also contains several tell-tale signs of AI generation such as elements that blend into each other and bizarre features on the pipelines themselves. An…

Does a viral image confirm that the Ukrainian government issued new rules prohibiting taking pictures of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from certain angles? No, that's not true: Talking to Lead Stories, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States referred to the image as "fake". The "rules" were self-contradictory and lacked any specific identifying information tying it to…