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 are some of the most shared false claims of this week, of which none are legit.

World

It is false that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom was arrested by Interpol

False claim: Social media users around the world have shared the claim that World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was allegedly arrested by Interpol for genocide and crimes against humanity during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Truth:

  • A reverse image search shows that the claim was originally published on July 24, 2022 in an article on the Vancouver Times website, which describes itself in its “about us” section as “the most trusted source of satire on the West Coast.”
  • In a statement to Reuters, the WHO said that the claim circulating on social media is false.
  • Three days after the story was published on the Vancouver Times website, Tedros Adhanom attended a WHO press conference to talk about monkeypox.

USA

Supreme Court did not sign verdict to impeach Nancy Pelosi

False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared the claim that the U.S.

Supreme Court has “signed a verdict” to impeach House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The posts are accompanied by a 10-minute video with clips of opposition politicians criticizing Pelosi.

Truth:

  • According to Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, “each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.”
  • The Supreme Court, therefore, does not have the prerogative to initiate impeachment proceedings against any member of the U.S. Congress.

Europe

Former Nazi concentration camp in Germany is not taking Ukrainian refugees

False claim: Social media users in Europe have shared the claim that the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial is offering housing to Ukrainian refugees.

The posts are accompanied by a screenshot of an alleged post from the memorial's official Instagram account with the offer.

Truth:

  • In a post on its official Twitter account, the Sachsenhausen Memorial said that the screenshot circulating on social media is false and that the institution has never offered shelter to Ukrainian refugees.
  • A reverse image search shows that the picture illustrating the fake Sachsenhausen Memorial post was originally published on March 29, 2019 on the Vive Berlin Tours website, which offers guided tours of the former concentration camp.
  • The original picture also does not contain the banners in the colors of the Ukrainian flag (blue and yellow) with the inscription in German “Welcome Home,” which was digitally added to the original image.

Italy

Image does not show a selfie taken by Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti from space

False claim: Social media users in Italy have shared an alleged picture of an astronaut floating in space outside the International Space Station (ISS), with planet Earth in the background, alongside the following caption: “The best selfie of all was taken from space by our Samantha Cristoforetti.”

Truth:

  • A reverse image search shows that the astronaut selfie was originally posted on September 18, 2012 by Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.
  • In the original image, the planet Earth does not appear in the background, but rather the Sun.
  • The digitally manipulated image, with the inclusion of the earth in the background, has been circulating on the web since 2014, when it was created by digital artist Robert Jahns and shared to his Instagram account @Nois7 to celebrate Earth Day.

Latin America

United States has not confirmed a “military intervention” in Venezuela

False claim: Social media users in Latin America have shared a video that claims the United States has reportedly confirmed a “military intervention” in Venezuela.

“The United States Forces has already confirmed that an elite group is already carrying out intelligence operations to capture Mr. Nicolás Maduro. That is why large deployments of troops and equipment have been seen in the territories of Colombia and Brazil. Everything is ready for the intervention to overthrow the dictatorship,” says the voice-over.

Truth:

  • First, there is no record of the alleged announcement of a “military intervention” in either the U.S. press or any media outlet in Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil.
  • There is also no official statement posted on the websites of the White House or the U.S. Department of Defense.
  • Another point that indicates that the claim is false are the images used in the 3-minute video shared on social media – all were already circulating on the web before 2022.
  • A reverse image search shows that one of the clips, featuring Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and former Colombian President Ivan Duque, was published in a CNN report from January 23, 2019.
  • Another clip, in which members of the U.S. Armed Forces appear making the supposed announcement, was shared by the media in March 2020, on the occasion of the signing of a military cooperation agreement between the U.S. and Brazil.