2023-12-26 00:16:14
There were many fake news in 2023 on emotional events such as wars, crisis and also about breaking news. We show you some of those fake viral news, which DW’s fact-checking team investigated.
No, the video does not show Volodymyr Zelensky’s belly dancing
Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022, a lot of false information has circulated about both countries. The Ukrainian president himself, Volodymyr Zelensky, is often the target of smear campaigns. In one video, Zelensky can allegedly be seen dancing to belly dance rhythms in a tight-fitting, shiny gold suit. The video is fake, as DW demonstrated. The president’s face was superimposed on the body of a dancer.
No, Sweden does not organize any sexual sports tournaments
In July, the strange claim went around the world that Sweden had declared sex a sport and was organizing a sex tournament. Many international media also reported on the issue. The participants had to sleep together for up to six hours a day to determine who was the best.
This claim is false, as DW demonstrated. The newspaper Gothenburg Post reported that the Swedish owner of several strip clubs, named Dragan Bratic, had requested that sex be classified as a sport. However, the Swedish Sports Association rejected this request in May.
No, the viral photo of used condoms that were washed and sold as new is not from Kenya
One photo shows dozens of photos of what appear to be used condoms. Several posts on Facebook earlier this year said that six Kenyan students were arrested because they washed used condoms and sold them as new ones.
The claim is false, as DW demonstrated. In fact, according to a 2020 news report, nearly 324,000 used condoms were washed and resold, not in Kenya, but in Vietnam. And not by six students, but in a small factory in Vietnam.
No, chia seeds cannot cure diabetes
Since this year, more and more people have easy access to artificial intelligence (AI). Therefore, there are also more videos in which AI-generated “doctors” give health advice, such as the one in which it was stated that chia seeds would help control diabetes. The video went viral.
Not only is the doctor false, but the claim is also false, as DW demonstrated.
No, Joe Biden was not wearing diapers in this photo from June 2023
US President Joe Biden is 81 years old and it is repeatedly claimed that he is too old to hold office. In June 2023, an alleged photo of him, kneeling on the floor, with a diaper sticking out of his pants, circulated in some countries. The image is manipulated. Biden did indeed fall at a ceremony at the US Air Force Academy in June 2023, but numerous videos and photographs show that he was not wearing a diaper.
No, there is no evidence that an American plane lost in 1955 resurfaced after 37 years
A plane took off from New York in 1955, got lost and landed again 37 years later in Miami, Florida, according to a viral Facebook post. There is no evidence to support this claim, as an investigation by fact-checking organization Agence France Presse showed. There is no information from US authorities that a plane took off from New York in 1955 and disappeared. Additionally, the story was published by an American tabloid known for publishing fictional content.
This supposed CNN article is false.Image: DW
No, the Titan submersible was not found empty
This tragic event went around the world: on June 18, five people from the OceanGate company left in a mini-submarine to visit the Titanic, which sank in 1912. But shortly after, connection with the occupants and the crews was lost. rescue tried to find him. An alleged screenshot from CNN went viral. “The missing OceanGate submersible was found empty,” he said. But it was fake news, as the DW team demonstrated.
The screenshot of the supposed CNN article did not have the current design of the news channel, but rather an older one in red. In addition, the photo showed a submersible called “Cyclops 1” on the cover.
No, Disney World did not remove Cinderella’s castle
Fake news about Disney has been very popular for years. In November, a website reported that the Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida, United States, had removed Cinderella’s famous pink castle in one night. This statement was also shared in a video on TikTok and was viewed over a million times.
The article and video are satire. Furthermore, current photographs of the amusement park show that the castle, the park’s symbol, is still standing.
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