When announcing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool had been drained again, US President Donald Trump doubled down on his vandalism claims, but his latest account raises fresh questions. Online, Trump said the alleged "slashes" stretched for 300 yards, after previously describing them as 250, 300 and 350 feet. This comes as photos and video of the empty pool don't appear to show any obvious signs of the massive gash he described in the pool's liner.

Following weeks of speculation over his health after he hadn’t been seen in weeks, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell shared a "proof of life" photo showing himself alive and well in an apparent bid to silence the rumours. Instead, it fuelled a fresh wave of conspiracy theories. 

Viral claims with millions of views falsely claim the European Parliament has launched a probe into FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. In reality, 72 MEPs penned a letter to EU football associations, urging them to seek a formal FIFA review into the controversial Balogun red card reversal. No probe has been opened, but the episode adds to growing scrutiny around FIFA’s president. 

AI-generated fake videos, viral hoaxes and real racism are colliding at the FIFA World Cup. From a fabricated Ronald Koeman rant and false claims targeting Algerian fans to the racist abuse of Kylian Mbappé and FIFA investigations, misinformation is spreading alongside genuine discrimination. Vedika Bahl fact-checks the biggest World Cup racism claims, debunks the false ones, and separates AI-generated deception from real incidents of racist abuse on and off the pitch.

Egypt has filed a formal complaint with FIFA after its controversial World Cup exit to Argentina, accusing officials of “double standards” and demanding the removal of the referee and his team. Egypt led 2-0 before Argentina staged a dramatic comeback, with controversy centred on a VAR decision that ruled out a crucial Egyptian goal. The defeat has since fuelled viral claims on social media of Argentina receiving preferential treatment, with some users alleging the World Cup has been “rigged” in favour of Lionel Messi’s side.

International news agencies documented huge crowds at former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral procession in Tehran. But alongside genuine images of mourners, AI-generated videos and photos falsely claiming to show the event have spread widely online. Some exaggerate the size of the crowds, while others feature tell-tale AI errors and fabricated landmarks designed to generate clicks and engagement.

On the eve of a key NATO summit, US Presient Donald Trump reignited his feud with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by sharing a doctored image on Truth Social, captioned “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The altered image is based on genuine G7 footage but changes Meloni's facial expression to make her appear enamoured with Trump. This new jab follows weeks of bitter public clashes between the two leaders, following Trump’s claims she "begged" him for a photo.

Austria and Algeria's dramatic 3-3 World Cup draw sparked online claims that the match was fixed to send both teams into the knockout stage at Iran's expense. Conspiracy theories, misleading videos and fake FIFA notices have fuelled the speculation, with some dubbing it the "Disgrace of Kansas City" in a nod to the infamous 1982 "Disgrace of Gijón". But is there any evidence the game was engineered?

The US Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, ruling that children born in the US are citizens under the Constitution regardless of their parents' immigration status. The decision also casts fresh scrutiny on Trump's repeated claims about the policy, including that the US is the only country with birthright citizenship and that it's driving widespread abuse. 

Ahead of America's 250th anniversary, US President Donald Trump shared what appears to be an AI-generated image of a giant golden eagle mounted on the White House's Truman Balcony. Google detected a SynthID watermark, while photos taken after the post showed no eagle in place. Reposted by official White House accounts, the image sparked widespread mockery online with critics calling it "tacky" and "cheap", while pointing out that the White House isn't 250 years old.