Misleading: Photo in Malaysia was used to illustrate Swatch craze in Hong Kong
Hundreds of people indeed waited outside the stores across the city, but the photo shows a long queue at a shopping mall in Malaysia.
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annie lab
@HKU Journalism | IFCN Signatory
Fact check
Misleading: ‘Shirtless Putin on a panda’ image was not used by the Economist
The image is one of the mock-up designs explored by the magazine. The published cover features only Putin’s face overlapping the face of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Misleading: WHO asked Ukraine to destroy pathogens in public health labs, not bioweapons
WHO routinely collaborates with member states on the safety and security of labs. Bioweapon allegations have been debunked by scientists.
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Misleading: This video shows a climate protest, not corpses in Ukraine
The video shows a demonstration held by climate activists against Vienna’s climate policy on Feb. 4, not casualties in the recent conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
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False: Putin was not holding a picture of the late King Bhumibol of Thailand
The image is manipulated. The original shows Putin holding his father’s portrait in 2015.
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Misleading: Photo of dog disposal not related to Beijing Olympics
The photo shows a dog cull in Yunnan Province in April 2006.
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Misleading: Video shows missile drill in China; not Russian attack on Ukraine
The GIF is a clip from a 2017 CCTV video about China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force.
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Misleading: People handcuffed outside hospital are suspected illegal immigrants
The police told Annie Lab that seven men and 15 women were taken to the Pok Oi Hospital for COVID-19 nucleic acid testing recently.
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Misleading: This discussion on ‘China’s plot to weaken US troops with vaccines’ is not organized by the Communist Party but by US website
The video is from a live broadcast of GTV, an online platform known for its anti-Communist Party stance and push for misinformation and conspiracy theories.
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False: Image of white man with ‘Black Lives Matter’ flag standing on the back of two Black people is digitally manipulated
The “Black Lives Matter” flag is taken from another photo and was added to what appears to be an older tourist image.
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False: This video does not show Chinese police ‘kidnapping’ a Uyghur girl in Xinjiang
It actually shows an officer trying to protect the girl from a bike coming at her. The video was taken in Suining, Sichuan, not in Xinjiang.
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Just in case: ‘Vaccination robot’ in this video is 3D computer graphics :)
The CGI video was originally posted on May 30, 2021, by a TikTok creator specializing in visual effects.
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False: ‘Falling dust,’ mobile phones and haircut do not prove Chinese astronauts are not in space
An expert said dust particles may appear in space due to ambient air activity. Mobile phones can also work as internet access in space is made possible through satellite communication.
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False: Image of US Army general receiving a Huawei phone from a Chinese general is manipulated
The image is a composite of multiple pictures. Each person, the flags, and the gift box are all taken from different photos.
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False: This video does not show a man vandalizing ‘vaccine passport verification’ machines
The video was taken in 2017. It shows an intoxicated man thrashing self check-in machines at the Incheon International Airport, according to a news report.
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Verified: This video shows protestors dancing at an anti-COVID restrictions demonstration in Netherlands
The viral video shows people dancing to club music on the streets who were protesting against the social distancing restrictions and nightlife ban on Sept. 11.
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Misleading: White House was not illuminated in red for China’s National Day or QAnon’s ‘Red October’
The official residence of the President of the United States was lit up in pink to celebrate the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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