No, this video does not show Volodymyr Zelensky belly dancing
Since the beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine, a lot of false information has been circulating on both sides. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself is often the target of fake news.
Like in this case: this video purportedly shows Zelensky dancing to belly dance beats in a skin-tight gold costume.
Research by DW shows: The video is a so-called "deepfake" in which the president's face is superimposed on the body of a dancer using computer technology.
No, Sweden does not organize a sex sports tournament
In July, the bizarre claim that Sweden has declared sex a sport and is organizing a sex tournament went around the world - and this was reported by numerous international media, including the Times of India, one of the most respected Indian newspapers. One report says that participants in the "tournament" had to have sex for six hours a day in order to determine the winner.
This claim is false, as DW research shows: Gothenburgs-Posten, one of Sweden's largest daily newspapers, reported that a Swedish owner of several strip clubs named Dragan Bratić requested that sex be classified. However, the Swedish sports federation rejected this application back in May, it was confirmed to DW.
No, the viral photo of used condoms being cleaned and sold as new is not from Kenya
One post shows dozens of photos of what appears to be a used condom. Several posts on Facebook at the beginning of the year said that six students from Kenya were arrested for cleaning used condoms and selling them as new ones.
The claim is false, as demonstrated by retroactive image search, a technique used to determine when and where a photo was first published. According to a 2020 report, nearly 324.000 used condoms were actually cleaned and resold in Vietnam. And that's what a small factory did.
No, the x-ray does not show a live cockroach in the chest
"At a government hospital in Kenya, a patient was x-rayed and told he had a live cockroach in his chest," various Facebook users wrote in May, posting the alleged X-ray image.
But the image was photoshopped, as a reverse image search shows. It shows that the original x-ray was published on a radiology website - and it doesn't show a cockroach.
No, Joe Biden was not wearing a diaper in this photo
American President Joe Biden is 81 years old - and again it is claimed that he is too old for his office. In June, an alleged photo of him kneeling on the floor with a diaper sticking out of his pants circulated in some countries.
But the image has been manipulated, as a search of the source of the images shows. In fact, Biden fell at a ceremony at the US Air Force Academy in June – but numerous videos and photos of the fall show he was not wearing a diaper. The material is mounted.
No, there is no evidence that an American plane lost in 1955 resurfaced after 37 years
The plane took off from New York in 1955, got lost — and landed 37 years later in Miami, Florida, according to a viral Facebook post. There is no evidence for this claim, according to research by France Presse.
There is no information from the US authorities that the plane that took off from New York in 1955 was subsequently lost. Additionally, the story was originally published by American tabloids known for publishing fictional content.
No, the Titan submarine was not found empty
This tragic event went around the world: on June 18, five people with the company "OceanGate" set off on a mini-submarine to visit the Titanic, which sank in 1912. But soon communication with the passengers was lost and rescue teams tried to find the submarine.
The whole world quickly reported on it, and numerous users on social networks also spoke out: The alleged CNN video has gone viral. "Missing submarine found empty," it said. But this was fake news, our research shows.
If you look closely at the clip of the alleged CNN article, you will notice that it does not have the current design of this news channel, but the old CNN layout in red, while the current design is black. In addition, the alleged cover photo of the fake article does not show the "Titan" submarine, but a submarine named "Cyclops 1".
No, Disney did not remove Cinderella's Castle
Fake news about Disney has been very popular for years. In November, an online site reported that the Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida, removed Cinderella's famous pink castle overnight. This claim was also shared in a video on TikTok and has been viewed more than a million times.
The article and the video are satire, which shows a view of the imprint of the online site. In addition, current photos from the amusement park show that the castle, a feature of the park, is still standing.
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