We are monitoring social media, national and international media, and fact-checking websites in order to share the Fake News making the rounds each week. Don't be fooled!

The world of news is complex – and false stories and images are often widely shared on social media. Blasting News’s editorial team spots the most popular hoaxes and misleading information every week to help you discern truth from falsehood. Here is some of the most popular Fake News of the week from around the world.

Please send us fake news tips or claims to check at this email: factcheck@blastingnews.com or at this X/Twitter account @BNFactCheck. Read this page to better understand our submission guidelines.

1. No, this photo is not showing Iran preparing its army to attack Israel

False news: A photo circulating on social media alleges to depict Iran's military mobilization, suggesting preparation for an assault on Israel.

Truth:

  • A reverse image search led to the original source of the photo, confirming that the image has been misappropriated and falsely contextualized to exacerbate the tensions between Iran and Israel.

  • CNN news media published an identical photo on April 26, 2017, stating that it depicted North Korea's military drills conducted in April 2017.

  • The image was previously circulated in August 2022 during the visit of then US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. At that time, numerous social media profiles shared the photo, insinuating an impending attack by China against Taiwan.

2. The quote of the former Italian health minister about vaccines is not a scoop

False News: A false narrative about the adverse effects of vaccinations is circulating in Italy on several websites of the far-right and anti-VAX movement.

The articles affirmed that the former Italian Health minister Roberto Speranza was aware the 20% of the adverse effects of COVID vaccinations was “very serious."

Truth:

  • The false narrative spread by far-right websites is not a scoop. Italian citizens can consult the database with the suspected adverse reactions to vaccines from 2021.



  • Out of over 140 million doses given in Italy, only 139,548 resulted in suspected adverse reactions, making up just 0.1% of doses administered. And only 18-19% of those were classified as serious, meaning that just 0.02% - around 28,000 - of doses led to a suspected serious reaction.



  • It's crucial to note that the definition of serious adverse reactions includes symptoms like high fever.

3. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson didn’t say he regrets voting for Joe Biden in 2020

False news: Recent reports circulating online suggest that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has voiced remorse for endorsing Joe Biden during the 2020 U.S.

presidential campaign. However, a careful examination of reputable sources reveals significant inaccuracies in this claim.

Truth:

  • According to a fact-check conducted by USA Today, the claim of Johnson expressing regret for his endorsement lacks credible evidence. The Guardian also reported on the matter, stating that Dwayne Johnson has made no statement indicating regret over his endorsement of Joe Biden.
  • While Dwayne Johnson has been vocal about his political views in the past and has expressed a willingness to engage in political discourse, there is no verifiable evidence to support the assertion that he regrets his endorsement of Joe Biden.

  • In a recent interview with Fox News 'The Rock' declares he won't reiterate his endorsement of Joe Biden. The wrestler and actor, who backed the president and Kamala Harris in 2020, states that he will "keep my politics to myself" for the 2024 election.

4.

Zelensky didn’t buy the mansion of King Charles in Gloucester

False claim: Content disseminated by Russian websites and delegations alleges that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has purchased a house belonging to King Charles III of England.

Truth:

  • Upon scrutiny, it becomes evident that this assertion lacks credibility. Both the UK Foreign Office and the Commonwealth of Nations have clarified to the Spanish fact-checking media Maldita.es that the house in question remains part of the Duchy of Cornwall and is not owned by President Zelensky.
  • The source of this misinformation, The London Crier website, fails to provide any supporting evidence for its claims.

AI and Elections

5.

The Simpson didn’t predict the eclipse nor the Baltimore bridge collapse, the videos are AI generated

False news: "The Simpsons" predicted recent events including the 8th April total solar eclipse and the Baltimore bridge collapse.

Truth:

  • A fact-check by USA Today debunks the claim that "The Simpsons" accurately forecasted a solar eclipse. The video in question is not authentic predictions but rather products of artificial intelligence.

  • The source of the misinformation stems from a Facebook video, which falsely attributes these events to "The Simpsons." However, IMDb records show that neither the eclipse nor the bridge collapse were predicted in any episodes of the show, including "Marge vs. the Monorail" and "Gone Maggie Gone."

  • Further scrutiny by Reuters confirms that the claim of "The Simpsons" predicting the Baltimore bridge collapse is false.

  • The video featuring a Simpsons character presenting the news originates from the TikTok channel Brokman_News, explicitly labeling its content as AI-generated in its bio. The channel utilizes the likeness of Kent Brockman, a news anchor from "The Simpsons," to report on real-life events.
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