Category Faked news reports

‘Stamp of approval’: Twitter’s Musk amplifies misinformation

Elon Musk promised to make Twitter the "most accurate source of information about the world," but he has repeatedly used his own account to amplify false claims from some of the most notorious disinformers on the internet, according to an AFP analysis of his online activity.

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Fake: Ukrainian Minister Urges to Forbid Russian and Belarusian Tennis Players to Win Matches…

Dmytro Kuleba never made such statements. In his comment to Express media, Kuleba noted that the Russian and Belarusian tennis player being admitted to Wimbledon will be a victory for Russian propaganda and a sign of collapsing West.

Read MoreFake: Ukrainian Minister Urges to Forbid Russian and Belarusian Tennis Players to Win Matches…

Fake: Photo and Video Recording to Be Banned At Ukrainian Cemeteries

There is no such law draft on the Ukrainian parliament's website, nor is there any information about this initiative. The screenshot of the Ukrinform website is fake, as the informational agency did not publish this news either.

Read MoreFake: Photo and Video Recording to Be Banned At Ukrainian Cemeteries

A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has been accompanied by a ferocious battle of disinformation, waged in particular by pro-Russian agitators seeking to distort and shift the blame for many atrocities on the ground. They have sought to depict the Ukrainian side as Nazis or suggest that Western support for Kyiv is evaporating. Here are some of the main narratives, false or misleading, that have been fact-checked over the past year by AFP's digital verification teams.

Read MoreA year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check

The war in Ukraine has been accompanied by a ferocious battle of disinformation, waged in particular by pro-Russian agitators seeking to distort and shift the blame for many atrocities on the ground. They have sought to depict the Ukrainian side as Nazis or suggest that Western support for Kyiv is evaporating. Here are some of the main narratives, false or misleading, that have been fact-checked over the past year by AFP's digital verification teams.

Read MoreA year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check

Fake: US Unlikely to Hand over Abrams Tanks to Ukraine’ – Financial Times

The Financial Times article cited in this latest Russian fake claiming the
US is unlikely to actually send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, features several
experts, some of whom said that Ukraine may face difficulties using the
Abrams tanks. However, neither the author of the article nor the experts
featured in the story ever said that the United States could "refuse to
transfer Abrams tanks to Ukraine because of the technically complex process
of maintaining their combat readiness."

Read MoreFake: US Unlikely to Hand over Abrams Tanks to Ukraine’ – Financial Times

Fake: US Colonizes Ukraine for its Titanium Deposits

A recent Russian fake cites a Newsweek article which allegedly claims that the US is colonizing Ukraine for its titanium reserves. The Newsweek article however does not contain a single word about any such colonization. On the contrary, the article claims that Russia could launch large scale military operations against Ukraine also with the aim of seizing the country's mineral deposits.

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Mexico: Visa requirements for Russians haven’t been eliminated | AP News

CLAIM: Mexico is planning to soon eliminate visa requirements for Russian nationals seeking to enter the country.

AP'S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. Mexico's ambassador to Russia says discussions between the two nations about mutually dropping visa requirements have been ongoing for years, but no agreement has been finalized. Eduardo Villegas Megías, Mexico's ambassador to Russia, says there's been no movement in the talks as Mexico remains neutral in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Read MoreMexico: Visa requirements for Russians haven’t been eliminated | AP News

Fake: The West Not Only Sending Weapons to Ukraine, But Also Manpower

The Washington Post has not written that the West is sending soldiers to
Ukraine. On the contrary, the article Russian media refer to focuses on
International Legion foreign fighters who voluntarily go to war - each for
his own reasons. None of the countries that are currently providing
military aid to Ukraine have expressed readiness to send troops to
participate in hostilities, nor has Ukraine ever asked that they do.

Read MoreFake: The West Not Only Sending Weapons to Ukraine, But Also Manpower