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Truth or Fake

World

Trump promised 'no more wars'. His foreign policy tells another story

Donald Trump promised an “America First” foreign policy and pledged to keep the US out of foreign wars. But since returning to the White House, his administration has been deeply involved in conflicts around the world. From the war in Ukraine and threats to Greenland and Canada, to the US intervention in Venezuela, Trump's shifting approach to the Middle East and war with Iran, Vedika Bahl examines his foreign policy record since returning to office.

World

Protests in Europe: Fact-checking viral videos amid claims of 'chaos'

As young people protest poor school conditions and the rising cost of living across Europe, misleading videos are spreading online. Footage from Poland in 2017, military preparations in Portugal and a protest in Argentina have all been falsely presented as recent demonstrations in Europe, painting a misleading picture of unrest. Vedika Bahl fact-checks three viral videos to uncover what they really show and how old footage is recycled to spread misinformation and attract clicks.

Politics

Israel’s Ben-Gvir shares AI videos mocking Gazans as ‘donkeys’ and sending them to Paris

Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is using AI-generated videos to mock Palestinians and push political messages ahead of the country’s election, including videos magically transporting Gazans to Paris or calling them "donkeys" for choosing to stay. One video has sparked an online spat with France. AI is playing a growing role in the campaign, with parties using deepfakes, bots and AI-generated content, raising concerns about disinformation and the technology’s influence on voters.

Politics

Trump exploits France riots to push false immigration claims ahead of midterms

Donald Trump and his inner circle are using unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming the riots on immigration, even showing French protest footage at midterm rallies. But there is no evidence linking immigration to the unrest, and it's prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to accuse world leaders of making “stupid comments” at France’s expense. Trump’s focus comes as Republicans face mounting pressure ahead of the midterms and his approval rating hits a reported record low.

World

‘I’m alive’: Paris street medic isn’t dead, despite viral claims he was killed by police

A video showing French riot police violently beating a 26-year-old street medic in Paris has gone viral, with social media users falsely claiming he died from his injuries. But the street medic is alive, and spoke to FRANCE 24. The rumour was fuelled by confusion with a separate incident that same day: a man died of cardiac arrest in the same area, causing online users to conflate the two events. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

World

France riots: AI photos falsely depict elderly couple ‘stripped and robbed’

AI-generated photos falsely claiming to show an elderly couple being “stripped and robbed” during unrest in France have racked up millions of views. Amplified by far-right accounts, the images fuelled inflammatory claims about Muslims, Jews and the riots. The FRANCE 24 Observers traced one image to an AI photo montage published by a pro-Israel account. The images were created using OpenAI tools, and the alleged assault remains unverified, with no official reports confirming the attack.

World

Fake AI images of protester go viral after woman punched at Trump's Ohio rally

A protester who heckled Donald Trump at his midterm rally in Youngstown, Ohio, was physically assaulted and removed from the event, but fake AI-generated photos recreating the incident are going viral online. The images carry digital watermarks identifying them as AI-generated. While footage confirms the woman was punched, there is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that the protester was "paid" to disrupt his speech, as he mocked the protester's weight. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

World

Trump sparks outrage over AI tiger video after sharing footage of fatal UK attack

US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage after sharing the distressing footage of a 23-year-old man with mental illness being fatally mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the UK, captioned "Don't ever mess with nature!" This was followed hours later by an AI-generated video of himself taming a tiger. The posts have been condemned as disrespectful to the victim and his grieving family, who have urged people to stop sharing harrowing content of the attack. Vedika Bahl tells us more.

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World

Have Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centres hit Russian online disinformation?

After recent Ukrainian bombings of Russian data centres belonging to Yandex, internet users claim to have noticed a sharp reduction in pro-Russian and far-right populist social media content. They suggest the reduction is a direct result of the strikes cutting off Russian disinformation "bots". We examine the claim in this edition of Truth or Fake.

World

No, the French army did not deploy tanks against protesting students

France's student protests have sparked a wave of misleading content online. A viral TikTok falsely claimed the French army had deployed an armoured vehicle against protesters, when it was actually returning to a nearby military base. Other posts recycle 2023 footage of retirement protests as current events, while an AI-generated image was falsely presented as showing a police officer being attacked. Vedika Bahl examines how old, out-of-context and AI-generated content is fuelling misinformation.

Politics

White House promotes 'Trump TV' with an AI-altered photo

The White House has promoted “Trump TV” using an AI-altered photo of passengers apparently watching the president’s new streaming channel. But the image was originally posted online in February 2023, showing passengers watching the NFL Super Bowl, with one watching the film “Hitch”. The original photo was modified using AI to make it appear the passengers were watching Trump TV. The post did not disclose that the image had been altered. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

World

Russian lab worker’s death sparks plague fears as unverified claims spread online

The death of a 28-year-old Russian lab worker at Siberia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute has sparked online panic about a ‘plague’, despite the WHO assessing the public health risk in Russia as low. Unverified claims about how she became ill, including a laboratory accident involving a test tube, are circulating online. Misleading posts and out-of-context videos have also fuelled speculation and fear. Vedika Bahl goes through them, and what we know, in Truth or Fake.

World

‘France has fallen’: Far-right figures fuel Islamophobic claims with false student protest videos

France's student protests have become the target of a wave of false and misleading videos shared by far-right figures, including Alex Jones and Tommy Robinson. Old footage and unrelated videos have been shared to portray the demonstrations as evidence of an "anti-White" or Islamist uprising linked to uncontrolled immigration. But the protests are over school conditions, including large class sizes, teacher shortages and poor facilities, not immigration. Vedika Bahl fact-checks in Truth or Fake.

World

AI deepfake of BBC report falsely links Indians to FlyDubai hijacking attempt

False videos are circulating after the attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv. One fake "BBC" report falsely claims an Indian passenger was behind the incident and links him to the stabbed pilot, Smit Machchhar. The video though, is an AI-generated deepfake: the BBC never broadcast it, and its footage and audio were doctored. A second clip was also misrepresented and filmed in Dubai, not over where the incident occurred. Vedika Bahl fact-checks in Truth or Fake.

Politics

Meet 'America': Trump's AI chatbot changes answers after challenging his claims

Donald Trump has launched "America", an AI chatbot designed as a digital portal for US government information. But its responses appear to be changing. The chatbot initially challenged several of Trump's claims, including on the 2020 election and inflation, providing evidence and links. More recently, it has refused to answer some of the same questions. Other responses still contradict Trump, while some echo his views. Vedika Bahl tests the chatbot, and its varying answers in Truth or Fake.

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Politics

Public service announcement or Donald Trump propaganda?

The White House calls them public service announcements - like those used in past administrations. Almost everyone else doesn't agree, with three taxpayer-funded advertisements that glorify President Donald Trump drawing criticism from across the partisan divide. Legal experts say the ads violate federal laws on government propaganda, as France 24's Emerald Maxwell explains in this edition of Truth or Fake.

World

RAF Fairford: AI-enhanced photos of suspects fuel false claims about their religion

Five men arrested over a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford have been released on bail as investigations continue. Meanwhile, AI-enhanced images purporting to show their faces have gone viral, with some users claiming this "proves" the men are Muslim. SynthID confirms the sharpened images were created using OpenAI tools, meaning the AI has suggested different facial features. UK police have not disclosed any names or religion, only that the men are all British nationals. Vedika Bahl explains.

World

'Send in the Clowns': Viral video fuels claims Denmark trolled Trump and Rubio

A viral video claims Danish officials played Judy Collins’ “Send in the Clowns” as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived for a Greenland signing ceremony, sparking claims of Danish “trolling”. Our checks of separate livestreams confirm the song really played and the video was not manipulated. Denmark has denied choosing the music, while the UN says it did not organise the event. Whilst the song was real, there is no evidence Denmark selected it deliberately. Vedika Bahl fact-checks.

World

Fact-checking Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly

Donald Trump's UN address was packed with claims that are misleading, false or exaggerated. He said the US has more munitions than it could ever use, despite reports of depleting stocks. He also claimed the US and Venezuela hold 60 percent of the world's oil, despite the numbers not adding up, and he said he had ended the war in Gaza despite ongoing Israeli strikes and deaths since last year's ceasefire. Vedika Bahl fact-checks the speech in Truth or Fake.

Topic: Truth or Fake | RocksNews