Verify News Around the World
Manipulated image of Donald Trump bowing to Xi Jinping in China appears online
Claims that Donald Trump bowed to Xi Jinping following his official visit to China have been verified as false. The image is “edited” rather than AI-generated. In reality, the two leaders engaged in a routine handshake.
May 18, 2026 | Around the World
Video of giant UFO discovery in U.S. is AI‑generated
Thai PBS Verify has investigated a viral post, claiming to show U.S. soldiers’ discovery of a giant UFO. The video is also linked to the release of more than 160 declassified UFO documents by the U.S. government. However, after the examination, the team has found that the clip was highly likely AI-generated and does not appear in any official records.
May 14, 2026 | Around the World
2019 video recycled to allege U.S. destroyer fleeing Iranian boats
Thai PBS Verify has found that a video claiming a U.S. destroyer fled Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz is old footage from 2019. It was filmed during the time of tension between Iran and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, claims about the U.S. F-35 broadcasting an emergency signal over the Gulf of Oman and the UAE have been tracked back to emergency landing reports in Chinese media.
May 13, 2026 | Around the World
Video of Iranian strike on UAE found to be footage from 2023 fire in France
Thai PBS Verify has identified a viral Threads post, featuring a video of an urban fire, falsely claiming to show an Iranian drone and missile attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Upon investigation, the footage was found to be derived from a 2023 shopping center fire during riots in France. The clip has been taken out of context and bears no connection to current events in the Middle East.
May 8, 2026 | Around the World
Distorted WHO briefing falsely claims 149 Hantavirus infections
Thai PBS Verify has debunked a claim of 149 new Hantavirus cases confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The team concludes that the viral clip’s messages were manipulated; the WHO actually reported only 8 confirmed cases and 3 fatalities.
May 8, 2026 | Around the World
Russia-Ukraine war footage distorted as recent Iranian strikes on UAE and Bahrain oil refineries
Recently watched over 1.4 million times, a video from the Russia-Ukraine war decontextualized and shown as Iranian strikes on UAE and Bahrain oil refineries during the ongoing Middle East crisis.
May 8, 2026 | Around the World
2016 military exercise video distorted as recent Iranian-U.S. clash in Strait of Hormuz
A social media page has shared a video, claiming the Iranian Navy launched an attack on US ships in the Strait of Hormuz during the 2026 Middle East crisis. Thai PBS Verify has examined the footage and has found it to be an old clip from 2016. The original video depicts a naval exercise to sink a decommissioned vessel off the coast of Hawaii—not an actual current event.
May 6, 2026 | Around the World
Dubai hotel attack in February 2026 reappears out of context
Thai PBS Verify has examined a post, showing smoke billowing above a luxury hotel, Fairmont The Palm, in Dubai. Although the post is labelled as a “breaking” incident, the video depicts the fire incident in February 2026. At present, the hotel is operating normally, and there has been no repeated attack.
May 6, 2026 | Around the World
Video of Giorgia Meloni slapping Benjamin Netanyahu found to be AI-generated
Thai PBS Verify has examined a viral video on X. It claims that during a UN meeting, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni slapped the Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the Palestinian flag issue. However, the team has found that this was fake news. The footage was found to have been created by AI. Several noticeable flaws in the images, including non-seamless visuals, have been pointed out.
May 1, 2026 | Around the World
