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.

Please send us 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.

Qatar’s emir has not threatened to cut off gas supply

False claim: Social media users around the world have shared a seven-second video in which the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, allegedly appears, according to the posts, threatening to cut off the supply of natural gas to the world if Israel does not stop bombing Gaza.

Truth:

  • A reverse image search shows that the clip shared on social media is part of a speech by al-Thani during the opening of the Doha Forum in May 2017, therefore predating the current crisis between Israel and Gaza.
  • In the full speech, available on the Doha Forum's official YouTube page, it can be seen that al-Thani refers to the Palestinians when talking about the global refugee crisis.
  • There is no record of an alleged threat to cut off gas supply either on the official website of the Qatari government or on the website of the state-owned Qatar News Agency.
  • According to data published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration last March, Qatar has the third largest natural gas reserves in the world and is the second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Video does not show Putin warning US not to interfere in Israel-Hamas war

False claim: Social media users around the world have shared a video of a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside the claim that he was warning the United States not to interfere in the war between Israel and Palestine, otherwise he would openly help Palestine.

Truth:

  • A reverse image search shows that a full version of the video was published on December 8, 2022 on the USA Today YouTube page.
  • According to the description of the publication, the video was recorded during an annual meeting of the Russian Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. The subtitles indicate that Putin is talking about the conflict with Ukraine, pointing out that the risk of a nuclear war is growing.
  • During a meeting on October 10, 2023 with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al Sudani, Putin said that the conflict between Israel and Hamas illustrates “the failure” of U.S. policy in the Middle East and defended the need to create a Palestinian state.

Airport parking lot fire in England was not caused by electric car

False claim: Social media users in Europe have shared a video of a major fire in the parking lot of Luton airport in England, alongside the claim that the fire started in an electric car.

Truth:

  • In a post on its website on October 11, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, which fought the fire, said it could “confirm the initial vehicle involved in the fire was a diesel car” and that an investigation to determine the cause of the fire is underway.

Philippines did not install floating barriers in the disputed South China Sea

False claim: Social media users in the Philippines have shared the claim that the country's government has installed floating barriers in the South China Sea, in response to a similar recent action by China that triggered a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

The publications are accompanied by an alleged news report with images of the newly installed barriers.

Truth:

  • Speaking to the AFP on May 13, Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea, reported that the Philippine Coast Guard had installed “navigational buoys” in five areas of the region last May, which, unlike floating barriers, serve to aid navigation.
  • As for the images of the supposedly installed floating barriers that appear in the video shared on social media, reverse image searches show that they were taken from old videos and that they have no relation to the dispute in the South China Sea.
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