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Ceuta is a territory of Morocco | Ceuta is a small city on the coast of Morocco. Despite seemingly being a part of Morocco, it actually belongs to Spain. Its main characteristics are: duty-free port, military way-point, strong economy, modern facilities, and beneficial tax laws. Its total area is about 17 square kilometres. [...] Ceuta has about 45,000 residents. Close to 60% of the residents are Spanish, with much of the rest being Moroccan while residents of Indian descent comprise about 1% of the population. Most of the Spanish residents adhere to the Roman Catholic faith while most of the Moroccans are Muslim. Both Spanish and Moroccan are widely spoken. However, Spanish is the official language of business and government. [...] Ceuta does not have an airport. There is, however, a regular helicopter service from Ceuta Heliport linking it to Málaga Airport. All other access to and from Ceuta is by ferry or land. | refutes |
Claims "Dumber and Dumber" actor Jim Carrey said, "Society is collapsing." | A celebrity did say this, but it was actually British comedian Russell Brand. | refutes |
Gilgit-Baltistan is a territory of Pakistan | Gilgit-Baltistan (/ˌɡɪlɡɪt ˌbɔːltɪˈstɑːn, -stæn/; Urdu: گِلْگِت بَلْتِسْتان [12] )[a], formerly known as the Northern Areas,[13] is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959.[1] It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China to the east and northeast, and the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast. | refutes |
Chiengi is a territory of Zambia | Chiengi or Chienge was a historic colonial boma of the British Empire in central Africa and today is a settlement in the Luapula Province of Zambia, and headquarters of Chiengi District. Chiengi is in the north-east corner of Lake Mweru, and at the foot of wooded hills dividing that lake from Lake Mweru Wantipa, and overlooking a dambo (marshy plain) stretching northwards from the lake, where the Chiengi rivulet (the origin of the name) flows down from the hills.[1] [...] Chiengi was restored as a sub-administrative administrative centre under Nchelenge District of independent Zambia in the 1970s and as a full administrative District in the 1990s. The area has been affected by conflict in the Congo several times, most recently in the Second Congo War, when tens of thousands of refugees arrived and were settled in UNHCR camps in Kawambwa and Mporokoso Districts. Most of these have been repatriated since the end of that war.[3] Reports have also been made of Congolese soldiers harassing Zambians at the border and inside Zambian territory.[4] Chiengi is reached by a gravel road, frequently impassable in the rainy season, from Nchelenge and Kashikishi 100 km south (the same journey can be done by boat). From Chiengi a dirt track runs along the flat northern lake shore to Pweto in DR Congo. A new gravel road has been constructed north-east to the border, around the Chipani Swamp and east to Kasongola from where (in the dry season) tracks connect to Kaputa in Zambia's Northern Province.[5] | supports |
“Mike Tyson says he’s willing to box Olympic DUDE with all proceeds to go to a battered women’s charity.” | Message re: Mike Tyson says he's willing to box Olympic Troon | insufficient-neutral |
Scarborough Shoal is a territory of Republic of China | Scarborough Shoal, also known as Panacot, Bajo de Masinloc ("Masinloc Shoal" in Spanish),[3][4] Huangyan Island (Mandarin Chinese: 黄岩岛; pinyin: Huáng Yán Dǎo; lit. 'yellow rock island'),[5] Minzhu Jiao (Mandarin Chinese: 民主礁; lit. 'Democracy Reef'), and Panatag Shoal (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Panatag, lit. 'serene sandbank'),[6] are two skerries located between Macclesfield Bank to the west and Luzon to the east. Luzon is 220 kilometres (119 nmi) away and the nearest landmass.[7] The atoll is a disputed territory claimed by the Republic of the Philippines through the Treaty of Washington in 1900 via the 1734 Velarde map, as well as the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan). The atoll's status is often discussed in conjunction with other territorial disputes in the South China Sea, such as those involving the Spratly Islands, and the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff. In 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitration against China under UNCLOS. In 2016, the tribunal ruled that China's historic title within the nine-dash line was invalid but did not rule on sovereignty.[8][9] [...] China published a map including Scarborough Shoal as its territory in April 1935.[27]: 15 | insufficient-contradictory |
The SDLP manifesto for the 2022 Assembly election claims: “The £20 Universal Credit cut marked the largest overnight welfare cut since World War II.” | In the lead up to the 2022 Assembly election, party leader Colum Eastwood played down the partnership stating, "The SDLP stands on its own two feet."[72] This led people to commentate that the partnership is no longer active, with comments from as early as 2020 determining that it had been "quietly forgotten".[73][74][75] The partnership officially ended on 28 September 2022.[76] [...] In the 2022 Assembly election, the SDLP slipped to the 5th largest party with only eight seats in the Assembly.[107] [...] - ^ "SDLP launches 'Give it Back' campaign to retain £20 Universal Credit uplift". Social Democratic and Labour Party. Retrieved 22 December 2021. | insufficient-neutral |
Says he is the ‘ranking member’ of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. | Rep. Jim Banks is not the ranking member of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In fact, he isn’t on the committee at all. | refutes |
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a law that would “take children away from their parents if the parents don’t want to consent to sex changes.” | Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed Minnesota House File 146 — called the "Trans Refuge" bill — into law in April 2023. It amended the law governing which court would have jurisdiction over child custody cases involving more than one state. The law now gives Minnesota courts temporary jurisdiction to hear child custody cases when a child is in the state with a parent to seek gender-affirming care. It does not authorize the government to take custody of children whose parents don’t consent to them getting gender-affirming care. Courts will not automatically rule against a parent who doesn’t consent to a child receiving gender-affirming care. Courts seek to determine parental custody based on evidence about what is in children’s best interests. | refutes |
Florida has “the highest” homeowners insurance in the nation. | Trump is correct that Florida has highest home insurance rate in the United States [...] Trump is correct that Florida has the nation’s costliest highest homeowners insurance. [...] Trump said that Florida has "the highest" homeowners insurance in the nation. | supports |
JANSIO Threanic Triple-Spin Ring would help in substantial weight loss | Jansio Ring is a a triple fidget ring that claims to reduces panic attacks makes your nerves calm. It is made with premium titanium and embed with natural selenite stone, which effectively release powerful mineral elements to your body. Jansio Threanic Triple Fidget Ring is using a new-technology, a Japanese medical device. This ring is entirely magnetized by 55mT at 10-mm pitches in the Alternating North-South Polarity Orientation. This allows TitaniumION force from the whole neck loop to spread its effects across a wide surface, leading to an increase and improved blood circulation, improves metabolism, and enhance masculine energy. [...] - JANSIO Threanic Triple-Spin Ring is gentle on all skin-types. It does not bend or break easily and can be worn for a long years of use without tarnishing. The beads can be moved and spin smoothly for a perfect relief. [...] Pros Of Jansio Ring - It is easy to use - Suitable for both male and female - It claims to help in weigh loss - It is eco friendly - It does not contain any chemical | insufficient-neutral |
Golan Heights is a territory of Syria | The Golan Heights belongs to Syria [...] Now, it recognizes Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights, which is part of Syria and the Arab world. Thus, Trump will frustrate the Arab public even further. These unilateral moves have pushed the U.S. down to the same level of the Israeli state. [...] The Golan Heights is Syrian territory, and nothing can change this reality. Therefore, Trump's decision cannot legitimize its illegal Israeli occupation. While this move can bring political benefits for both Trump and Netanyahu, it will not bring peace and stability. This decision and the previous Jerusalem decision will only increase regional tension and damage the peace process, if there is any. For sure, the recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory will endanger Trump's own peace plan as well. | refutes |
41% of those living with HIV in Northern Ireland are heterosexual. | Northern Ireland has had the largest proportional increase in new cases of HIV in the UK since 2000. [...] Of the new diagnoses of HIV in Northern Ireland in 2013, 57% occurred in men who have sex with men. Seven hundred and forty-nine HIV-infected residents of Northern Ireland received care for the virus during 2013. | insufficient-supports |
The United Nations have a New World Order Website | Fact check: UN has not made a 'New World Order' website, despite video's claim [...] A March 7 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a website with a header that reads, "United Nations New World Order." "Well, I was just informed that the United Nations has a new world order website," says a narrator, who continues by reading from the website's "About" section. "The United Nations New World Order Project is a global, high-level initiative founded in 2008." | refutes |
A Phoenix TV station aired the election results more than a week early. | Claim: Two television stations aired 2012 election "results" early. [...] Even so, it will be interesting to compare the "results" broadcast over two weeks earlier with the actual 2012 returns. [...] Schortgen, Kenneth Jr. "Television Stations in Ohio and Arizona Announce Obama Victory Before Election." Examiner.com. 22 October 2012. The Daily Caller. "CBS News Affiliate Calls 2012 Presidential Race For Obama Weeks Ahead of Election." 21 October 2012. | insufficient-neutral |
In Pompano Beach, Florida, Somali immigrants illegally in the U.S. were in line to get driver’s licenses and “all you need to vote is a driver's license.” | Florida does not allow immigrants in the U.S. illegally to obtain driver’s licenses. Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles office pictured in this video was the subject of a news report about long wait times. | refutes |
“This year, it's going to be over $1.5 trillion (that we’ve) reduced the debt." | But we’ve chosen a different path: forward, the future, unity, hope, and optimism. (Applause.) I mean it sincerely. We choose to build a better America. [...] We’ve done all this, but then our critics say "inflation." You mean the global inflation caused by the worldwide pandemic and Putin’s war in Ukraine? [...] Well, guess what we did?. We’ve reduced the deficit. (Applause.) The Inflation Reduction Act lowers the deficit by $300 billion over the next 10 years. (Applause.) And that’s on top of the $350 billion I reduced the deficit last year and the $1.5 trillion dollars reducing it this year. (Applause.) | supports |
Since independence, we had 75 operational airports, UDAN added 25 airports just since December 2016. | The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), a government-backed initiative to improve infrastructure and connectivity in India, especially in remote and underserved regions, completes six years. It is a vital component of India's National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on October 21, 2016, with a 10-year vision. [...] - UDAN 1.0: 5 airlines companies were awarded 128 flight routes to 70 airports (including 36 newly made operational airports) [...] From Mundra (Gujarat) to Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh to Hubli in Karnataka, RCS-UDAN is connecting 30 States/ UTs across the length and breadth of the country. A total of 75 airports have been operationalized under UDAN. Eight airports have been operationalized in the Northeast region. Many airports that were operationalized under UDAN such as Darbhanga, Hubli, Kannur, Mysuru, etc. have become sustainable with many non-RCS commercial flights operating from these airports. | insufficient-refutes |
Bousignies-sur-Roc is a territory of France | Bousignies-sur-Roc (Bousignies-sur-Roc) is a populated place (class P - Populated Place) in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (Europe) with the region font code of Americas/Western Europe. It is located at an elevation of 164 meters above sea level. Bousignies-sur-Roc is also known as Bousignies, Bousignies-sur-Roc. [...] Weather Bousignies-sur-Roc (Cloud cover, Temperature, Wind speed and Precipitation mm probab.) | insufficient-refutes |
Says his Jan. 6, 2021, speech on the White House Ellipse drew the “same number of people,” as the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. | The House select committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, estimated 53,000 people attended President Donald Trump’s speech at the White House Ellipse. The National Archives says 250,000 people attended Martin Luther King's Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. | refutes |
“The state of Washington has already sent out their ballots” for the 2024 presidential election. | The Presidential election is coming up on November 5, 2024. Stay informed with the latest voting information, key dates, primary results and more for Washington. [...] How Washington Voted in Past Presidential Elections [...] * The Decision Desk pre-election race ratings characterize the competitiveness of all U.S. House and Senate seats up in 2024, all gubernatorial elections in 2024, and the states and districts that comprise the 538 electoral votes in the presidential election. Several factors are taken into consideration in determining ratings, including various combinations of the analysis of historical electoral results, election polling, analysis of voter file registration data and early voting (when applicable), political advertising data as well as qualitative assessments of the specific candidates. | insufficient-neutral |
The current solar minimum could last for more than three decades which could lead to temperatures plummeting across the globe, scientists have warned. | Why did Earth’s surface temperature stop rising in the past decade? [...] During the last decade, a longer than usual solar minimum cycle, several volcanic eruptions, and relatively low amounts of water vapor in the stratosphere may have helped cool the atmosphere temporarily. But recent research suggests that the Earth’s natural climate variability—natural, short-term fluctuations in the climate system that occur on a year-to-year basis or longer—may have played the most pivotal role of all by transferring excess heat from the Earth’s surface into the deep ocean. [...] Kosaka Y., and S-P. Xie (2013) Recent global-warming hiatus tied to equatorial Pacific surface cooling. Nature, 501, 403-407, doi: 10.1038/nature12534 | insufficient-supports |
one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughters sits on the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | The Daily Caller didn’t find any evidence that any of Pelosi’s four daughters sit on the board of the Kennedy Center. A spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center confirmed that Pelosi’s children have no affiliation with the institution. | refutes |
Human-produced carbon might be one of the factors [of climate change], but there’s simply no evidence that it is a significant one. | Natural factors have certainly caused climate changes in the past, but that does not mean human factors are not responsible for climate change now. Observations clearly show that incoming solar radiation and the effects of volcanic eruptions have not changed in a way that could explain global warming. Instead, research has shown that human activities are the cause. | refutes |
More than 3000 stores of affordable medicines with PM bharatiya janaushadi kendras. | New Delhi, Feb 10 () The government is committed to end domination of 'medicine mafia' in many parts of the country for which it will push for opening 3,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra by March to provide quality drugs at affordable prices, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar said today.New Delhi, Feb 10 () The government is committed to end domination of 'medicine mafia' in many parts of the country for which it will push for opening 3,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra by March to provide quality drugs at affordable prices, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar said today. Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, a scheme launched in 2008, the government has so far opened 777 Jan Aushadhi stores where more than 600 medicines and 150 medical devices are sold. The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the nodal implementation agency for this programme. [...] The minister noted that the price of generic medicines sold in the Janaushadhi Kendras is significantly lower than the rates of branded medicines and the quality of medicines is 'WHO compliant'. | insufficient-neutral |
“Netflix loses 6 million subscribers within hours of donation announcement.” | SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix suffered its first subscriber loss in more than a decade, causing its shares to plunge 25 percent in extended trading amid concerns that the pioneering streaming service may have already seen its best days. The company’s customer base fell by 200,000 subscribers during the January-March period, according to its quarterly earnings report released Tuesday. It’s the first time that Netflix’s subscribers have fallen since the streaming service became available throughout most of the world outside of China six years ago. The drop this year stemmed in part from Netflix’s decision to withdraw from Russia to protest the war against Ukraine, resulting in a loss of 700,000 subscribers. READ MORE: Netflix tests a possible password-sharing crackdown Netflix acknowledged its problems are deep rooted by projecting a loss of another 2 million subscribers during the April-June period. If the stock drop extends into Wednesday’s regular trading session, Netflix shares will have lost more than half of their value so far this year — wiping out about $150 billion in shareholder wealth in less than four months. | insufficient-neutral |
Joe Biden cut the federal deficit by 1.7 trillion | President Joe Biden claimed he cut the federal debt by $1.7 trillion within his first two years in office during remarks delivered on Aug. 16, the anniversary of the Inflation Act. [...] Biden claimed during a speech on Aug. 16 that he cut the federal deficit by $1.7 trillion before saying he cut the debt by $1.7 trillion. Biden said,"Unlike the last president, in my first two years in office, we actually cut the federal debt, the deficit, by $1.7 trillion. The first two years — we cut the debt by $1.7 trillion." [...] The claim that Biden decreased the deficit is also misleading. While the deficit for fiscal year 2022 is $1.6 trillion, down from $2.77 trillion in 2021 according to Fiscal Data, the cut was mainly due a decrease in spending from the COVID-19 pandemic. | insufficient-refutes |
“Prices have increased over 17% in the last two years.” | Americans are still struggling under the weight of inflation. Americans are paying more for just about everything—groceries, rent, gas, energy. [...] Over the last two years, total inflation has increased by over 17 percent. | supports |
Says since he took office, the City of Milwaukee has seen the creation of 7,000 new affordable housing units. | Mayor Tom Barrett said the city has created 7,000 new housing units since he took office in 2004. Data from Milwaukee’s Department of City Development shows that as of October 2019, a total of 7,261 affordable housing units had been developed since Barrett took office. Barrett has faced criticism about focusing on apartment units instead of single-family homes or duplexes. The federal grants the city has used apply only to apartment developments. | supports |
Bernie Sanders has “never taken corporate lobbyist money in his *entire political career.*" | Sanders is well known for eschewing campaign contributions from big-business interests. But there have been instances where lobbyists representing corporations or industry groups have donated to his presidential and Senate campaigns. | refutes |
Limbang District is a territory of Brunei | Limbang, Brunei's exclave, is a small district located in the northern part of Borneo. It's separated from the main territory of Brunei by a strip of land belonging to Sarawak, a Malaysian state. This peculiar arrangement has its roots in historical events and political developments. [...] After World War II, both Brunei and Sarawak gained independence. While Brunei remained a sultanate, Sarawak became a state within Malaysia. Despite the political changes, the territorial boundaries remained intact, leaving Limbang as an exclave of Brunei. The existence of Limbang has significant implications for Brunei. It provides the sultanate with access to the South China Sea, which is important for trade and transportation. Limbang also contributes to Brunei's economy through its agricultural and forestry resources. | refutes |
purports to show a mom remove an LGBTQ+ pride flag from a classroom | The school’s principal was ordered to remove the flags last month at the direction of administrators over Alpine School District — the largest school district in Utah — hoping to avoid becoming the focus of the latest cultural firestorm surrounding teachers. Recent outcry from conservative parents across the state and the country have labeled educators who support the LGBTQ+ community with rainbow flags as "groomers" and "pedophiles," suggesting the symbols are sexual and don’t belong in schools. [...] As soon as the parent pointed out the pride flag, the picture was removed. It was reposted by the school shortly later, cropped to remove the flag. It was deleted again when more parents commented that it still showed nine smaller pride flags — representing identities and intersections within the LGBTQ+ community — sitting in a neat line above the day’s lesson plan. Cutting those out wouldn’t be possible without also cropping the teacher and student. The photo wasn’t reposted. [...] But Brown said she and other students weren’t satisfied. Even the pride flags that had been in the classroom of the teacher who led the school’s gay-straight alliance club were removed. Some questioned how those weren’t considered educational, as they were directly related to a school-approved group, which 40 to 50 kids at Skyridge participate in. | insufficient-neutral |
“New York is one of only 12 states where the average gallon of gas costs more than $2.00.” | A quiet city on the edge of the Ozarks is the only town in the entire country where the average price of gas is less than $2 a gallon. [...] The national average stands a $2.45 a gallon, the lowest since 2009. As of Friday, half of all states had at least one station selling gas for less than $2, twice as many as on Monday. And Alaska and Hawaii are the only two states with an average gas price above $3 a gallon. | insufficient-neutral |
“Vitamin D3 is radiated sheep’s wool mixed with chloroform”, “Vitamin D3 IS RAT POISON !!”, “D levels are low because of lack of light and high vitamin A diets.” | Vitamin D is important for building and maintaining strong bones, as well as regulating calcium and phosphate ion levels in the body. People can obtain vitamin D from food and sun exposure. However, vitamin D supplements may be recommended for people who have difficulty meeting their needs through natural sources. Two groups at high risk of vitamin D deficiency are breastfed infants, as human milk doesn’t contain enough vitamin D, as well as the elderly, because the body’s ability to store and make vitamin D diminishes with age. | insufficient-neutral |
Claims American writer Henry David Thoreau said, "Be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else's idea of yourself should be." | This page contains quotations either misquoted or erroneously attributed to Henry D. Thoreau [...] The second half of this quotation is misattributed to Thoreau and may be a misquotation or misremembering of Oliver Wendell Holmes’ (1809-1894) "The Voiceless": [...] Be yourself, not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be. – This quotation is spoken by the character of Thoreau in the 1970 play, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, by Robert Edwin Lee and Jerome Lawrence, but does not appear in any of Thoreau’s writings. | refutes |
“The idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of.” | And he said he had ordered an independent review of how security was handled at the political rally in Pennsylvania and would be speaking to the nation Sunday night. The White House said his address from the Oval Office would be at 8 p.m. ET. [...] "There's no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick. It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country," he said. "... the idea that there's political violence or violence in America like this, is just unheard of, it's just not appropriate. We - everybody, everybody must condemn it," he said. | insufficient-supports |
Due to U.S. Senate rules, Democrats need "more than a majority ... to codify Roe vs. Wade." | Yes, Democrats do need ‘more than a majority ... to codify Roe vs. Wade’ [...] "Because the U.S. Senate is a minority institution, meaning you don't have to get the most votes and still control the chamber, we need to have more than a majority of Democrats in control to codify Roe v. Wade," state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said May 8, 2022, on "Capital City Sunday." [...] "So, even if Democrats had 50 or even 59 votes to codify Roe v. Wade, so long as the filibuster rule remains as is, unified Republican opposition can block the bill," Ornstein said. "Right now, all Republicans are opposed. The Democrats could find a way to alter the rule, as was done for confirmations, by majority, but right now at least two of their own won't agree." | insufficient-supports |
A Turning Point USA meme claims a quote about socialized medicine is attributable to Vladimir Lenin | Turning Point USA, a group for young conservatives, has used a fake quote to distort an actual quote. [...] But the Turning Point USA meme plucked out only eight words, which is misleading on its own. Putting that truncated, out-of-context quote next to a fake quote that suggests she was talking about her own work on the Supreme Court is deceptive. | insufficient-contradictory |
Northern Ireland has the highest rate of femicide in Western Europe | The death of 21-year-old Salomé has been recorded as the 100th case of femicide this year. [...] In 2018, the ministry of the interior had recorded 121 femicides. On Sunday, the 101st case was recorded, that of a 92-year-old woman killed by her 94-year-old husband in southern France. In western Europe, France is said to be among the countries with the highest rate of women killed by their partner, with 0.18 victims per 100,000 women, according to 2017 Eurostat figures. | insufficient-neutral |
“Caitlin Clark rejects $400 million deal from Nike” saying “not with that Kaepernick clown.’” | "BREAKING: Caitlin Clark Rejects $400 Million Deal From Nike, 'Not With That Kaepernick Clown,’' read a June 21 Facebook post. It included an image of Clark and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. [...] News, "Caitlin Clark Rejects $400 Million Deal From Nike, ‘Not With That Kaepernick, (archived), June 21, 2024 SpaceXMania, "Breaking: Caitlin Clark Turns Down Massive Nike Endorsement Worth $400 Million, "Never In A Million Years With That Kaepernick Clown" (archived), June 19, 2024 | insufficient-neutral |
Claims that Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." | The quote "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" is popular, being widely attributed to Einstein (probably incorrectly). Unfortunately it's often used to support a common and dangerous fallacy: that if you're trying something and it's not working, you must not be using the best strategy and you must try something else. It's easy to see the fallacy using a thought experiment. Imagine you must regularly play a lottery which offers red tickets and black tickets, and red tickets have twice the probability of winning compared to black tickets. So you choose red tickets, but you don't win. Would Einstein tell you to start choosing black tickets instead? Hopefully not! [...] Of course, one must also avoid stubbornly sticking to a strategy which is not the best available. | insufficient-refutes |
Moderna was already producing COVID-19 vaccines before the beginning of the pandemic | An article published on the website News Punch on Feb. 10 said, "Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel has been caught admitting to his friends at the World Economic Forum that his company produced 100,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine doses in 2019 – before the pandemic started." [...] An article and Instagram posts claim Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company produced 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before the pandemic. [...] Health Feedback, Moderna didn’t already produce COVID-19 mRNA vaccines before the pandemic; statement by CEO of Moderna misinterpreted, Feb. 14, 2023 | insufficient-refutes |
Ventilators, not COVID, killed hospitalized COVID patients | Ventilators were commonly deployed for critically ill COVID-19 patients who developed trouble breathing. The way ventilators were used initially during the pandemic was based on doctors’ experiences of treating other, known types of pneumonia. Over time, as doctors gained a better understanding of COVID-19, their approach to ventilator use also evolved. While it is probable that ventilators were used on some patients who might not have needed it in the end, the claim that ventilators, not COVID-19, were responsible for killing the majority of COVID-19 patients isn’t substantiated by evidence. [...] On the podcast, Rogan stated "80% of people they put on ventilators died". Musk, who has no training in medicine, then followed up by claiming that putting people on ventilators is "what is damaging the lungs, not Covid. It’s the treatment, the cure is worse than the disease".He alleged that he received this information from doctors in Wuhan that he called. Taken as a response to Rogan’s statement, Musk’s remarks can be interpreted to mean that it was ventilators that had killed COVID-19 patients, rather than COVID-19. [...] In an article for MedPage Today, Rohin Francis, a cardiologist and science communicator, also refuted the claim that ventilators were what killed COVID-19 patients, citing "breathless articles in the news stating that 80% of patients placed on ventilators die": | refutes |
Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar | Bassas da India [key], uninhabited atoll, 0.1 sq mi (0.2 sq km), in the S Mozambique Channel, W Indian Ocean, about midway between Madagascar and Mozambique, part of the Scattered Islands district in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. The atoll's rocky islets, which emerge from a circular reef, sometimes present a maritime hazard since they are normally under water at high tide and are protected by bristling reefs. A French possession since 1897, the Bassas da India group has been administered by a commissioner in Réunion since 1968. The group is also claimed by Madagascar. | supports |
claims that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer once stated, "It’s racist to only allow citizens to vote." | No, Chuck Schumer didn't say it is racist to only allow citizens to vote [...] "Chuck Schumer slams President Trump: ‘it’s racist to only allow citizens to vote," said an April 3 headline on Federer Now, a right-wing blog. [...] Viral News Political, "Chuck Schumer SLAMS President Trump : "It’s Racist To Only Allow Citizens To Vote," Feb. 15, 2018 | refutes |
James Shoal is a territory of Malaysia | Malaysia owns James Shoal, a submerged feature that is within its continental shelf. Being one thousand nautical miles from Hainan, James Shoal is outside the continental shelf of China; it is also outside the continental shelf of Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia. [...] James Shoal is 500 nm from Pagasa Island in the Spratlys that the Philippines has occupied since 1971. The Shoal is more than 400 nm from Itu Aba, an island that Taiwan has occupied since 1956. James Shoal is also outside Brunei’s extended maritime zone which the 2009 Letter of Exchange Brunei had with Malaysia attested to. In 1969, Malaysia and Indonesia signed a Treaty on the continental shelf, off Tanjung Datu, Sarawak, which has placed James Shoal on the Malaysian side. [...] Although the feature is nearer to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur’s ownership of James Shoal is not premised on geographical contiguity but on customary international law. In the Island of Palmas (or Miangas) (United States v. The Netherlands), Arbitral Award, 1928 Judge Huber stated, "it is impossible to show the existence of a rule of positive international law" on contiguity to "the effect that islands situated outside territorial waters should belong to the state". | supports |
Media outlets, such as the Telegraph and the Independent, reported that an artificial intelligence (AI) controlled drone killed its operator in a simulation. | 46 Phillip Sherwell, "U.S. Drone Pilot Haunted by Horrors of Remote Killings; Operator Sickened by Death Count," London Daily Telegraph, October 25, 2013, available at <https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10403313/Confessions-of-a-US-drone-operator-I-watched-him-die.-It-took-a-long-time.html>. [...] 48 Christian Enemark, Armed Drones and the Ethics of War (London: Routledge, 2014), 22. [...] 51 Enemark, Armed Drones and the Ethics of War, 25. | insufficient-neutral |
Northern Ireland has the highest rate of femicide in Western Europe | According to Jayne Brady, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, "The gender playing field is far from level." Brady highlighted that women are still underrepresented in the science and technology sectors, and that Northern Ireland currently holds one of the highest rates of femicide in Western Europe. | supports |
Not Sonam Kapoor’s Performance At King Charles’ Coronation ! | No, This not Sonam Kapoor's performance at King Charles' coronation [...] The caption states "Sonam Kapoor "performing" at the Coronation Ceremony of King Charles This is how we take revenge on Brits" #KingCharlesIII #KingCharlesIIICoronation #Coronation [...] Title:No, This not Sonam Kapoor's performance at King Charles' coronation | refutes |
Drinking bottled water with an acidic pH is bad for your health | Acidic water is synergistic, which means that a combination of a low pH and an increased concentration of certain substances is far more harmful than the sum of the parts. For example, aluminium, lead and mercury are potentially dangerous substances, but when the pH of the water source is already low, these substances can have extremely detrimental consequences for aquatic life. Acidic water can also cause problems for human consumption. While slightly acidic water is not dangerous, on its own, it can be quite dangerous when combined with other compounds. Water with a pH that is less than 6.5 can leach metal ions, including iron, manganese, copper, lead and zinc from plumbing fixtures and pipes. This, in return, can be quite dangerous. On the other end of the pH scale, water that has a pH greater than 8.0 can be difficult to disinfect. The World Health Organization recommends that the pH of the water be less than 8.0, because basic water does not allow for effective chlorination. [...] Like TDS, pH is given an aesthetic objective in Canada. The Canadian Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality suggest that the pH of drinking water should be between 7.0 and 10.5. The Saskatchewan Drinking Water Standards and Objectives recommend that the pH of drinking water be between 6.5 and 9.0. | supports |
It is not mandatory for a woman to submit her marriage certificate or divorce decree while applying for passport | The provision for retaining the maiden name in passport always existed. While the PM was referring to the rule about single parents, the media understood it as the maiden name. | insufficient-contradictory |
Three-quarters of non-voters in Northern Ireland are pro-Union. | This article was updated on 16 November 2021. A section that compared the percentage of non-voters identified across four different organisations’ polls was removed. We made this simplification after further discussions with polling organisations. This clarification did not affect FactCheckNI’s original conclusion about the claim. | insufficient-neutral |
Bio-toilets are introduced in train coaches only after 2014 | One Lakh Twenty Five Thousands Bio-Toilets Installed in Trains Coaches [...] Beginning with the introduction of 57 bio-toilets in one train i.e. Gwalior-Varanasi Bundelkhand Express in January 2011, Indian Railways has provided about 1,25,000 bio-toilets in its coaches till March 2018. This covers about 60% of coaching fleet of Indian Railways. During 2017-18, IR has installed highest ever bio-toilets in coaches which is 40% higher than the set target of 40,000 bio-toilets and 64% higher than the fitment of 34134 bio-toilets in 2016-17. [...] "Bio-Toilet project" of Indian Railways is an innovative & indigenous development of technology. This technology is first of its kind being used by any railroad in the world for On-board accelerated digestion of human waste. These bio-toilets are fitted underneath the lavatories and the human waste discharged into them is acted upon by a colony of anaerobic bacteria that convert human waste mainly into water and small amount of bio-gases. The gases escape into atmosphere and waste water is discharged after chlorination onto the track. Human waste, thus, does not fall on the railway tracks thus improving cleanliness and hygiene at platforms, and facilitate track and coaches maintenance staff to perform their work more efficiently. The Bio-toilet project is very much aligned with ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’, launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. | refutes |
C-sections are coded as abortions in hospitals. | No, US hospitals do not code C-sections as abortions [...] In response to a June 27 Threads post about the rarity of nine-month abortions, one user wrote that, "Technically there is. It’s called a cesarean section, also know(n) as a c-section. Coded in hospitals as an abortion. Remember abortion means termination/ending of a pregnancy and not murdering a child." [...] A Threads post said C-sections are coded as "abortions" in hospitals. | refutes |
plazas de soberanía is a territory of Morocco | The plazas de soberanía (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈplaθas ðe soβeɾaˈni.a], lit. "strongholds of sovereignty")[3] is a term describing a series of Spanish overseas minor territories scattered along the Mediterranean coast bordering Morocco or that are closer to Africa than Europe. This term is used for those territories that have been a part of Spain since the formation of the modern country (1492–1556), as opposed to African territories acquired by Spain during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Scramble for Africa. [...] - ↑ Mariñas Otero, Eugenio (1998). "Las Plazas Menores de soberanía española en África". MILITARIA. Revista de Cultura Militar. (in Spanish). No. 12. Madrid: UCM. Retrieved 25 March 2020. | insufficient-refutes |
claims the words "Hail Satan" printed on the bottom of an In-N-Out Burger soda cup | It has been digitally altered to replace the words “John 3:16” with the words “Hail Satan” on the bottom of the cup. | refutes |
Donald Trump Claimed to not know who gave Fauci the commendation | Trump issues commendations to Operation Warp Speed members, including Fauci, Birx [...] A few names on the list of commendations stood out, particularly Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, both of whom were key members of the White House coronavirus task force in its early days, before having their public-facing roles diminished when the task force ceased providing regular briefings. Despite his sometimes public clashes with Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Trump’s list included the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Apart from his work on the coronavirus task force, Fauci worked tirelessly to inform Americans of the science concerning the novel coronavirus, urging the public to choose facts over conspiracy theories and speculation. | insufficient-neutral |
Under the UPA II, the average annual MSP growth rate was 19.3%, under the NDA government; this has fallen to 3.6% | Home / Economy / News / NDA govt's growth rate lower than UPA's 10-year average: Chidambaram NDA govt's growth rate lower than UPA's 10-year average: Chidambaram [...] Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday took a swipe at the NDA government for claiming that the growth rate was better in its rule, saying it was lower than UPA's 10 years average and was going downward. | insufficient-supports |
Childhood vaccines contain “mixed up toxins” including formaldehyde, aluminum, aborted fetal DNA, fetal bovine serum, monkey kidney cells, mercury, pig circoviruses | "There is no vaccine that includes everything on this list," Dr. Kawsar R. Talaat, associate professor of international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told us in a phone interview. "I think that they have gathered these ingredients and use different names for them in order to scare people as much as possible." [...] Anyone can check the Johns Hopkins database or consult the package inserts to see that none of the current flu vaccines contains ethanol, aluminum dye or aluminum, any type of acetone, "monkey kidney cells" or Vero cells, "fetal cow serum" or bovine serum, barium, E. coli, "cow muscle tissue," "DNA from pig circoviruses (PCV)", "embryonic guinea pig cells," human albumin (a protein naturally made in the liver), "Mueller’s media (containing cow extracts)," or dextrose (a type of sugar), as the meme incorrectly claims. [...] Vaccines may also contain some leftover products from the manufacturing process. As explained by CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center, since the ingredients of the vaccine come from biological systems, it’s sometimes impossible to completely remove substances used during the process. Although most of the time the amounts that remain in the vials are insignificant, the substances still need to be listed. | refutes |
“those who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with mRNA shots will lose 25 years of their life” | Another claim that has emerged to support this narrative is that vaccinated people will increase their risk of mortality by 7% for every dose received and so "those who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with mRNA shots will lose 25 years of their life", which appeared in early April 2023 on websites like The Exposé and Slay News. However, this claim is inaccurate. We explain why below. Firstly, the claim that vaccinated people will experience a 25-year loss in life expectancy is an extrapolation of a previous claim by insurance analyst Josh Stirling that "each additional vaccine dose increased mortality by 7%". Health Feedback previously debunked Stirling’s claim in detail here. [...] Overall, the foundation of this claim—that there is a 7% mortality increase due to COVID-19 vaccination—isn’t actually supported by data and any reasoning built on that estimate is fallacious. The claim that vaccinated people have their life expectancy reduced by 25 years takes Stirling’s erroneous 7% figure and further compounds it with an invalid extrapolation to stoke fear over COVID-19 vaccines. | refutes |
One in five school staff in Northern Ireland are assaulted at least once a week. | More than a quarter of education staff in Northern Ireland have been physically assaulted by pupils, a union claimed today. [...] ATL branch president in Northern Ireland Andy Brown said: "It is totally unacceptable that poor pupil behaviour continues to be such a widespread problem in schools and colleges, and shocking that over a third of staff have experienced aggression from students’ parents or guardians. [...] Incidents of physical attacks were far more prevalent in primary schools with 48 per cent of staff reporting pupils being physically aggressive, compared with 20 per cent working at secondary level. | insufficient-contradictory |
claims Henry Ford once said, "If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." | That "Henry Ford" Quote… "If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said, ‘A faster horse.’" — Henry Ford? While there’s doubt that Ford ever said this, it’s something he might have said. Designers tend to hear this when we suggest doing User Research to determine needs and pain points. "If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse is what Henry Ford said and he was extremely successful so it’s a waste of time" Please read this article from HBR about why his initial success was predicated on price reduction and the implementation (smartly) of the assembly line (something he didn’t invent) because it discusses his initial success with the first mass produced car, but also points out that General Motors ate his lunch in the 20’s. [...] So imagine you’re sitting in a conference room and you suggest that doing User Research will help advance the product and someone says: "If I’d have asked customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse"… | insufficient-contradictory |
the new coronavirus has HIV proteins that indicate it was genetically modified in a laboratory. | The theory that the COVID-19 pandemic was triggered by the Sars-CoV-2 virus being leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China was recently given new life following an explosive article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in which the authors claimed "the most compelling reason to favour the lab leak hypothesis is firmly based in science". But does the science really support the claim that the virus was engineered in a laboratory? [...] An important way scientists can determine the origin of a virus is by looking at its genome. In the WSJ article, the authors, Prof Richard Muller, an astrophysicist, and Dr Steven Quay, physician and chief executive of Atossa Therapeutics, claim Sars-CoV-2 has "genetic fingerprints" of a lab-origin virus. They say that the presence of a particular genetic sequence (CGG-CGG) is a sign that the virus originated in a lab. [...] Disappointingly, many other media articles appear to have accepted and repeated the claims from the WSJ piece. The origin of Sars-CoV-2 may remain unresolved, but there is no evidence presented in the WSJ piece that scientifically supports the concept of a lab leak of a genetically engineered virus. | refutes |
claims that George Eliot said, "It's never too late to be what you might have been." | "I’ve always assumed it was apocryphal," she wrote. "It shows up nowhere in full text searches of G.E.’s work. What’s strange is not that the attribution is so persistent but that it starts very early." She sent me a link to an article in a New York periodical called The Literary News, published in 1881, less than a year after George Eliot’s death. There, the quotation—"It is never too late to be what you might have been"—is one of seventy-one winning entries in a readers’ competition to nominate "Gems from George Eliot." The terms of the competition were outlined in an issue of the journal from a couple of months earlier: readers were asked to "quote the most striking passage known to you from George Eliot’s writings: not to exceed thirty words." The quotation is No. 23 on the list, between a line from "Middlemarch" ("A woman’s choice usually means taking the only man she can get") and one from "Adam Bede" ("I’m not denyin’ the women are foolish: God Almighty made ’em to match the men"). But there was no reference to the source. Had the competition entrant come across the quotation in a review? Misremembered it? | insufficient-contradictory |
Translink spoke about their hope that the Glider would reduce journey times on public transport by 25%. | "The Glider service will encourage more people to use public transport which in turn helps ease congestion and improve air quality," she said. [...] Translink CEO Chris Conway said the new buses will transform public transport in Belfast. [...] Translink hope the new network will see a reduction in public transport journey times by 25%. | supports |
Government has provided for integrated development and management of fisheries with an outlay of Rs. 3000 crores. | The restructured Plan Scheme on Blue Revolution3 – Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries has been approved at a total central outlay of Rs 3000 crore for implementation during a period of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20)4. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries has restructured the scheme by merging all the ongoing schemes under an umbrella of Blue Revolution. The restructured scheme provides focused development and management of fisheries, covering inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep sea fishing, mariculture and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). [...] 4 Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries – a Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution. 22 Dec 2015 5 The term "ocean grabbing" has been used to describe actions, policies or initiatives that deprive small- scale fishers of resources, dispossess vulnerable populations of coastal lands, and/or undermine historical access to areas of the sea. Rights and access to marine resources and spaces are frequently reallocated through government or private sector initiatives to achieve conservation, management or development objectives with a variety of outcomes for different sectors of society. For a reallocation to be considered ocean grabbing, it must: (1) occur by means of inadequate governance, and (2) be implemented using actions that undermine human security and livelihoods, or (3) produce impacts that reduce social- ecological well-being. | supports |
Claims that Jimmy Carter said, "If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor – then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't." | In 2016, a social media post went viral with an alleged quote from Jimmy Carter: "The novelty of electing a woman president should not outweigh the duty of electing an honest president." However, there’s no evidence Carter actually said this. [...] Jimmy Carter is no stranger to fake internet quotes, including this one: "If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying that you want a country based on Christian values. While that sounds like a sentiment that Carter might endorse, it’s easy to prove that he didn’t actually say those words – because we know who did! The quote comes from comedian John Fugelsang, who said it on a 2013 episode of the TV show "Viewpoint." | refutes |
India with 5288 tops the list of countries with most universities | A social media post that claims that India tops the list of countries with the most universities is being widely circulated. The post puts India on top of the list with 5288 universities, followed by USA & Indonesia. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post. [...] This list categorizes universities in a country based on their world rankings. With 56 universities in the top 100, the USA tops the list. Though India did not find any mention under the top 500 universities, as per the list, the total number of universities in the country stands at 5288. Most likely, the viral list of countries with the most universities could have been from this list. Because, according to these rankings, the total number of universities in India stands at 5288, followed by the USA (3216) & Indonesia (2595). | supports |
Over half of the residents in Fermanagh & Omagh District Council are living in poverty. | Live Updates 27 per cent of people in FODC living in relative poverty in last four year : vimarsana.com 27 per cent of people in FODC living in 'relative poverty' in last four year Data from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council suggests that 27 per cent of people in the district live in relative poverty, in comparison to 17 per… [...] Anti Poverty Strategy , | refutes |
Highly infectious HIV 'VB' variant makes people ill twice as quickly | Researchers identified a new variant of HIV, named VB variant, which is characterized by a large number of mutations. Infections with this variant were associated with a higher viral load and a faster decline of the level of white blood cells. This means that patients infected by this variant could develop AIDS faster. Encouragingly, current HIV treatments appear to remain effective against this variant. | insufficient-supports |
A British Army veteran who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles is 54 times more likely than a Republican or Loyalist paramilitary to be prosecuted for alleged offences pre-dating the 1998 Belfast Agreement. | The issue of prosecuting former British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland during the [...] Most recently, in February 2024, the PPS announced that four British Army veterans would be prosecuted for murder or attempted murder in two incidents that occurred in Belfast in May 1972. [...] Crisp, "Four More Troubles Veterans Prosecuted as Cases ‘Rushed Through’ Before Amnesty Deadline," Telegraph, | insufficient-neutral |
Highest ever participation of women in 2016-17 at 56% | Over the past 70 years, womenâs participation in labor force activities has greatly expanded. Immediately following World War II, less than one-third of women were in the labor force. However, women soon began to participate in greater numbers, and their labor force participation rose rapidly from the 1960s through the 1980s before slowing in the 1990s. Women reached the peak of their labor force participation in 1999, with a rate of 60.0 percent. Since then, labor force participation among women has declined, to 56.7 percent in 2015. In addition, a large share of women work full time and year-round. Over time, women have increasingly attained higher levels of education: among women ages 25 to 64 who are in the labor force, the proportion with a college degree more than tripled from 1970 to 2015, increasing from 11 percent to 41 percent. Womenâs earnings as a proportion of menâs earnings also have grown over time. In 1979, women working full time earned 62 percent of what men earned; in 2015, womenâs earnings were 81 percent of menâs. [...] Womenâs labor force participation was 56.7 percent in 2015, down from 57.0 percent in 2014. Menâs labor force participation, which always has been much higher than that for women, was little changed at 69.1 percent in 2015. (See table 2.) | refutes |
Sastavci is a territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sastavci (Serbian Cyrillic: Саставци) is a village in the Serbian municipality of Priboj, in Zlatibor District. It lies immediately east of the village of Međurečje, which is an exclave of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are no border controls in or around the village. [...] Rafting Tarom 23.07.2016. rafting klub BODO Sastavci - Mrežnica - Sastavci i Ključ | supports |
Claims Venezuelan people threw money in the streets to protest health conditions. | This scenario is one of the millions of equally tragic scenes unfolding right now in Venezuela. People are dying from lack of basic needs or being killed for speaking out against their poor living conditions. There are no operational medical facilities. For many, there is no medicine, there are no doctors, with scarce clean water leaving disease to fill the void. | insufficient-neutral |
Khao Phra Wihan is a territory of Thailand | Khao Phra Wihan National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติเขาพระวิหาร) is a protected natural area in Sisaket Province, Thailand, that contains numerous ruins of the 11th century Khmer Empire. The park lies 98 km (61 mi) south of the town of Sisaket, at the end of Thai highway 221. Sited on a red stone cliff that is part of the Dangrek mountain range on the southern edge of the Khorat Plateau, it abuts the international border between Thailand's Sisaket Province and Cambodia's Preah Vihear Province. The name of the cliff in the Royal Thai General System of Transcription is Pha Mo I Daeng (ผามออีแดง). The park was established on 20 March 1998,[1] with an area of 81,250 rai ~ 130 square kilometres (50 sq mi).[2] | insufficient-supports |
Congress Party is celebrating after China blocked India’s bid to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist in the UN Security Council. | Pictures in the post are old images which correspond to the Congress party‘s celebrations after its victory on different occasions. Hence the claim mentioned in the post is FALSE. | refutes |
Lake Constance is a territory of Germany | If you are within the lower Bavaria and Bad Wurttemberg, recommend you drop anchor at Lake Konstanz. Lake Konstanz is very popular during summer for families on a long vacation looking for relaxation. It is also surrounded by beautiful villages with unique old town squares, churches, museum, and gardens as well as a rich history. This series of post will take you to Island Mainau, Meersburg, Constance (the town), Lindau, Bregenz, the Rhein Fall , Stein Am Rhine and a side trip to Liechtenstein. Lake Constance is bordered by Germany, Austria and Switzerland and one of the biggest cities is located in the German territory, Konstanz. This city is the center of this lake region and it is a good base if you are interested in night life and shopping, some of the cities like Lindau, Bregenz and Meersburg are good to base in too. [...] To experience Konstanz you need a day and a half, if interested in shopping, add the time you are required to shop. Recommend you book early if planning a family vacation, the Lake is very popular during summer weather. Konstanz is expensive due to the city proximity to Switzerland. To visit the cities around the lake take either the auto ferries or the passenger boat. To access close by villages take a train or rent a bike and enjoy the biking path around the lake. | insufficient-contradictory |
“Antifa is warning that tonight they're moving out of the cities - and into residential areas to 'take what's ours.'” | Who Are Antifa, and Are They a Threat? [...] To add to the confusion, there was significant disinformation and a proliferation of fake accounts on social media platforms. For example, Twitter shut down several accounts that it said were operated by a white supremacist group called Identity Evropa, which was posing as Antifa. In one fake account with the Twitter handle @Antifa_US, Identity Evropa members allegedly called for violence in white suburban areas in the name of Black Lives Matters. "Tonight’s the night, Comrades," one tweet noted with a brown raised fist emoji. "Tonight we say ‘F--- The City’ and we move into the residential areas... the white hoods.... and we take what's ours …" As Twitter explained, "This account violated our platform manipulation and spam policy, specifically the creation of fake accounts. We took action after the account sent a Tweet inciting violence and broke the Twitter Rules." More broadly, extremists flooded social media with disinformation, conspiracy theories, and incitements to violence—swamping Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. | refutes |
Provided for penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities (PwDs) | Constitutional Provisions on Disability - Article 41 of the Constitution of India declares that the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provisions for securing the right to work to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want. [...] - Penalties for offences: Provides for penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities and violation of provisions of the new law. [...] A central sector scheme under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD). | supports |
"A third of Antarctic ice shelf risks collapse as our planet warms" | Long-term thinning from surface and basal melting preconditions the ice shelf to collapse. Negative mass balances on tributary glaciers can lead to thinning of the glaciers and ice shelves. The highest rates of thinning are where relatively warm ocean currents can access the base of ice shelves through deep troughs[9,10]. Ice-shelf structure seems to be important, with sutures between tributary glaciers resulting in weaker areas of thinner ice, which are susceptible to rifting[11]. [...] Increased atmospheric temperatures lead to surface melting and ponding on the ice surface. Catastrophic ice-shelf collapsed tend to occur after a relatively warm summer season, with increased surface melting[12]. Based on the seasonality of ice shelf break up, and the geographic distribution of ice shelf collapse near the southerly-progressing -9°C isotherm, it appears that surface ponding is necessary for ice-shelf collapse[12]. This meltwater melts downwards into the ice shelf, causing fractures and leading to rapid ice-berg calving[5, 12]. Increased surface meltwater also leads to snow saturation, filling crevasses with water and increasing hydrostatic pressures. Brine infiltration can also cause crack over deepening. [...] With glaciers thinning, accelerating and receding in response to ice shelf collapse[20, 21], more ice is directly transported into the oceans, making a direct contribution to sea level rise. Sea level rise due to ice shelf collapse is as yet limited, but large ice shelves surrounding some of the major Antarctic glaciers could be at risk, and their collapse would result in a significant sea level rise contribution[22]. See Marine Ice Sheet Instability for more information. | insufficient-supports |
“Autism is nothing more than mercury toxicity“; vaccine ingredients are toxic | Even as Dr. Wakefield's reported findings were being evaluated and repudiated, another stream of concern entered the public consciousness. The vaccine given to children whom Wakefield studied did not contain mercury, but some vaccines in the United States were preserved with a mercury-containing compound called thimerosal. An emerging public health concern about effects of mercury exposure coincided with Dr. Wakefield's publication. Because certain forms of mercury are toxic to humans in sufficient quantity, some parents and clinicians feared that thimerosal might be a cause of autism. Although this association has been refuted by scientific evidence, many people continue to believe that the two are related. [...] - Baker JP. Mercury, vaccines, and autism: one controversy, three histories. Am J Pub Health 2008;98(2):2-11. [...] - Stehr-Green, P., Tull, P., Stellfeld, M., Mortenson, P., Simpson, D. Autism and thimerosal-containing vaccines: lack of consistent evidence for an association. Am J Prev Med 2003;25:101–106. | refutes |
Salt and corn gluten meal are used to kill mice, they are hazardous to humans | Some rodenticides contain sodium chloride—table salt—and corn gluten meal. This combination forms a thick plug that physically obstructs the airway of rodents. Because rodents are anatomically unable to vomit, this leads to suffocation and death. These rodenticides aren’t hazardous to other animals and humans, who are physiologically different from rodents. Humans can safely eat processed food containing sodium chloride and corn-derived products, as long as they are part of a balanced diet. | refutes |
Says Sen. Lindsey Graham said a newly elected Donald Trump “will round up and deport LEGAL immigrants.” | All right. Senator, let's – let’s move on to immigration. If reelected, Donald Trump has said he's willing to build migrant detention camps and deploy the U.S. military to deport the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country. It would be the largest deportation operation in American history. Do you support that plan? [...] Senator, here's what you said about Donald Trump's mass deportation proposals in 2016. Take a look. I don't think it's reasonable to say you're going to round up and deport 11 million people. I don't think it's a plan that works. I don't think that's a realistic policy. | insufficient-neutral |
Human additions of CO2 are in the margin of error of current measurements and the gradual increase in CO2 is mainly from oceans degassing as the planet slowly emerges from the last ice age. | ['Global warming is driving polar bears toward extinction', 'The sun has gone into 'lockdown' which could cause freezing weather, earthquakes and famine, say scientists', 'The polar bear population has been growing.', "Ironic' study finds more CO2 has slightly cooled the planet", 'Human additions of CO2 are in the margin of error of current measurements and the gradual increase in CO2 is mainly from oceans degassing as the planet slowly emerges from the last ice age.'] [...] [[{'id': '449467966088806767', 'distance': 7.698919773101807, 'entity': {'text': 'Over the coming 25 or 30 years, scientists say, the climate is likely to gradually warm. However, researchers also say that this phenomenon can be stopped if human emissions are reduced to zero.'}}]] [[{'id': '449467966088806767', 'distance': 16.795665740966797, 'entity': {'text': 'Over the coming 25 or 30 years, scientists say, the climate is likely to gradually warm. However, researchers also say that this phenomenon can be stopped if human emissions are reduced to zero.'}}]] | supports |
Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. | FACT CHECK: Biden Claims 21 Million Americans Are Covered By ACA, A 9 Million Increase Since Taking Office President Joe Biden said in April 3 remarks that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), an increase of 9 million since he took office. [...] During the same remarks, Biden claimed 21 million Americans are now covered through the Affordable Care Act, a 9 million increase since he took office in 2021. "Today, 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, 9 million more than when I took office," he said. | supports |
In Pompano Beach, Florida, Somali immigrants illegally in the U.S. were in line to get driver’s licenses and “all you need to vote is a driver's license.” | "BREAKING! 100s of illegal migrants in line to get drivers licenses???" read a screengrab of an X post that overlaid the video on Instagram. "Isn’t that all you need to be able to vote? 1955 N Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL." [...] Florida doesn’t issue driver’s licenses to immigrants in the U.S. illegally, unlike some states. And people must be U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections. A small number of Democratic-led cities let certain noncitizens vote in municipal elections, but cities in Florida are not among them. Nothing in the video proved that the people in line were Somalis or immigrants illegally in the U.S. [...] A video shared on social media claimed to show Somali immigrants in line to get driver’s licenses in Pompano Beach and said, "All you need to vote is a driver’s license." | insufficient-refutes |
Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island is a territory of Russia | In August 2023, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources released a new edition of its "standard map." According to defenseanalysts, it showed Bolshoy Ussuriysky, the Russian part of the island, as Chinese territory. Moscow’s response came three days later. "The Russian and Chinese sides adhere to the common position that the border issue between our countries has been finally resolved," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. [...] Heixiazi/Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island has been a source of Chinese-Russian tension dating back to the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, under which Russia vastly expanded its Far Eastern territories at China’s expense. From the Chinese perspective, the Aigun pact is counted among the humiliating "unequal treaties" that the imperial government at the time was compelled to sign, granting technologically superior Western powers, including Britain, the United States, France and Russia, broad economic and territorial concessions. [...] The case of Bolshoy Ussuriysky is more complex than it seems. "The island is, in some ways, a strategic beachhead because it gives greater access to Khabarovsk," Wishnick said. That city is the headquarters of the Eastern Military District, and an aviation regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces is based there. | supports |
Sweetgum balls contain the same active ingredient that Tamiflu contains, which is shikimic acid; It kills viruses including SARS-CoV-2 | The TikTok video was correct in saying that sweetgum seeds contain shikimic acid[1]. However, this is at even lower levels than star anise and is not a commercial source for Tamiflu manufacturing. The video claimed that cutting the gum balls and soaking them in vodka would release "nature’s cure". Given that a critical industrial purification process struggles to extract enough shikimic acid from these sources, it seems unlikely that this method would be effective. The video also makes reference to using sweetgum balls to treat COVID-19. However, as mentioned previously, Tamiflu works by targeting a specific protein in the flu virus. There is no equivalent of the neuraminidase protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, so the drug cannot act in the same way that it does with flu[4]. To claim that shikimic acid can help treat COVID-19 would need evidence from research. In summary, shikimic acid is not the active ingredient in Tamiflu. Shikimic acid is chemically altered to produce Tamiflu and will not have the same effect. The amount of shikimic acid in sweetgum balls is very low and it is difficult to extract. | refutes |
MLAs were paid “nearly £2.2 million” in salaries up to 3rd September 2017. | Progressive Politics NI claimed that MLAs were paid "nearly £2.2 million" in salaries up to 3rd September 2017. Is this accurate? [...] FactCheckNI asked PPNI to explain how it calculated its estimate of "nearly £2.2 million"; it replied that it was based on MLAs earning a salary of £48,000 p.a. For the period of 13/3/2017-13/9/2017 (6 months), this equates to £2,160,000 (£4,000/month X 6 months X 90 MLAs). [...] This claim is broadly accurate: for the first six months of the new Assembly term, elected MLAs (and 3 non-returned office holders) received an estimated £2,333,188 in salaries (greater than claimed "nearly" £2.2 million). MLAs who signed the roll of membership at the Northern Ireland Assembly are receiving an annual salary of £49,500, regardless of whether the Assembly sits for business or not. (Eligible office holders are receiving a higher salary rate.) | insufficient-supports |
Based on the increase of solar activity during the twentieth century, it should account for between half to two-thirds of all climate change | Averaged over the complete solar cycle, there’s been minimal long-term change in the Sun’s overall brightness since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Records of sunspots show increased solar activity during the first 7 decades of the 20th century, likely tied to the peak of the last 100-year Gleissberg Cycle. Following that peak around 1960, solar activity declined. In fact, activity during the most recent solar cycle is among the lowest in a century. Meanwhile, the rate of global warming has accelerated over the past few decades. [...] Taken together, the increasing solar activity of the first half of the 20th century and the decreasing activity since then have largely canceled each other out in terms of their influence on global temperature. In the Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, experts concluded that the best estimate for the influence of the Sun on climate between the pre-industrial (1850-1900) and the present (2010-2019) was that it added 0.01 Watts per square meter to the global energy imbalance causing global warming. Such a small energy imbalance (scientists call it a radiative forcing) is likely to be responsible for no more than 0.01 degrees Celsius of warming over that period. That’s 100 times smaller than the overall warming that’s occurred on Earth over the industrial period, which the IPCC estimates as 0.95–1.2 degrees Celsius in 2011–2020 versus 1850–1900. | refutes |
Claims that author Kurt Vonnegut said, "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness." | This passage was actually written by Iain Thomas in 2007 and later published in his poetry collection “I Wrote This For You.” | refutes |
Bajo Nuevo Bank is a territory of United States | Bajo Nuevo Bank, also known as Petrel Islands (Spanish: Bajo Nuevo, Islas Petrel), is a group of uninhabited coral reefs and small islands inside the western Caribbean Sea. It is currently below the jurisdiction of the San Andrés and Providencia Department of Colombia, although Jamaica, Nicaragua, and the US additionally declare sovereignty over the place. [...] Territorial Dispute of Bajo Nuevo Bank - Five international locations assert sovereignty claims over Bajo Nuevo Bank: Jamaica, Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras, and the USA. - On November 22, 1869, the United States introduced the disputed "Guano Islands Act." To this present day, the U.S. Nevertheless considers Bajo Nuevo Bank as an "unorganized, unincorporated U.S. Territory." | insufficient-refutes |
“Myocarditis and pericarditis only occur after vaccination and not after COVID-19 infection.” | Myocarditis and Pericarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination: Practical Considerations for Care Providers - PMID: 34375696 - PMCID: PMC8349442 - DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2021.08.001 Myocarditis and Pericarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination: Practical Considerations for Care Providers [...] Pericarditis and myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in a nationwide setting.Ann Acad Med Singap. 2022 Feb;51(2):96-100. doi: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2021425. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2022. PMID: 35224605 - | insufficient-neutral |
Says Sen. Lindsey Graham said a newly elected Donald Trump “will round up and deport LEGAL immigrants.” | Juneau County Wisconsin Republicans . stated on June 25, 2024 in Facebook post: "Planes full of unvetted ‘refugees’ are being accepted at the Milw. & Madison airports!" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on June 27, 2024 in an X livestream: Border Patrol agents take migrants "to the Yuma airport, put them on a plane to any destination they want. ... And they pay their ticket. And then they get reimbursement from FEMA." Donald Trump stated on June 6, 2024 in a campaign rally: Joe Biden’s immigration order limiting asylum is "pro-child trafficking." Donald Trump stated on May 31, 2024 in remarks to reporters: "Congo, Africa, just released a lot of people, a lot of people from their prisons and jails and brought them into the United States of America." Marco Rubio stated on May 19, 2024 in an interview: The number of people in the U.S. illegally is "upwards of 20, 25, maybe 30 million." Eric Swalwell stated on June 9, 2024 in a post on X: Says Sen. Lindsey Graham said a newly elected Donald Trump "will round up and deport LEGAL immigrants." [...] Lindsey Graham stated on August 6, 2024 in an X post: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed "legislation giving free college … to illegal immigrants." [...] Eric Swalwell stated on June 9, 2024 in a post on X: Says Sen. Lindsey Graham said a newly elected Donald Trump "will round up and deport LEGAL immigrants." | insufficient-neutral |
Socotra Archipelago is a territory of Yemen | It seems quite unlikely that the TCS coup could have taken place without the prior approval of Riyadh. Did the Emirates make a deal with their allies whereby the separatists could take over Socotra? In any case, this is the belief of the Committee elected by the peaceful sit-in on the Socotra Archipelago, assembling the island’s tribal dignitaries. The movement held a meeting on 25 March 2021 at Halaa Deedom in a cave in the range of coastal mountains. Huge rugs were laid on the ground for the event. Elders and younger men greeted one another rubbing noses. In whispers they spoke of "the occupation, outside interferences and the militias." A banner was unfurled: "Socotra is part of Yemen and will be forever". On the beach below, kettles of cooking meat attracted a sky full of big vultures. Ali Saad finally arrived, wearing his red turban. The engineer got a warm welcome. After making the rounds of the guests, he stood up and gazed at the horizon with a worried look on his face. Several men in fatigues, carrying Kalashnikovs, were coming towards the cave. Down below, several police pick-ups were waiting. | insufficient-contradictory |
The Red Cross is refusing blood donations from anyone who has received a vaccination for COVID. | The Red Cross is following FDA blood donation eligibility guidance for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Deferral times for donations may vary depending on which brand of vaccine you received. If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate. In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation. If you have further eligibility questions, please call 1-800-RED CROSS. Regardless, of the type of vaccine an individual receives, all donors must be symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation. If an individual is experiencing any symptoms from the COVID-19 vaccine, the Red Cross asks that they postpone their donation until they are feeling better. [...] The Red Cross is committed to the safety of donors, staff, and volunteers. We only collect blood from donors who are healthy and symptom-free. No matter which COVID-19 vaccine you receive, please do not present to donate unless you are symptom-free and feeling well. Mild side effects can occur after the administration of vaccines of any type, although they usually disappear within a few days. If you experience any side effects, please wait to donate until you are feeling well. | refutes |
That one little burp by Mt. Etna has already put more than 10,000 times the CO2 into the atmosphere than mankind has in our entire time on the Earth | The claim: One eruption of Mt. Etna in Italy released 10,000 times more CO2 than humans ever have [...] Etna has already put more than 10,000 times the CO2 into the atmosphere than mankind has in our entire time on Earth," reads text accompanying a picture of Mt. Etna in a June 6 Facebook post. [...] Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that one eruption of Mt. Etna in Italy released 10,000 times more CO2 than humans ever have. The 2015 eruption in question released less CO2 than what humans did just that year. Combined, volcanoes release less than one gigaton of CO2 per year, whereas humans release dozens of gigatons per year. | refutes |
Amartya Sen was involved in gross irregularities and land grab during his tenure at visva-Bharati university in West Bengal | Kolkata: Amid the controversy over Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's family being in "illegal" possession of land in Visva-Bharati campus, the central university on Saturday demanded that the West Bengal government measure the plot to resolve the issue. [...] A controversy had erupted on December 24 last year, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the centenary celebrations of Visva-Bharati, when media reported that the university has written to the West Bengal government alleging dozens of land parcels owned by it were wrongfully recorded in the names of private parties including Mr Sen. [...] Stating that the Visva-Bharati authorities had never complained to him or his family about any irregularity in holding the land, Mr Sen has accused the VC of acting at the behest of the Centre "with its growing control over Bengal". | insufficient-refutes |
VAERS data are “crystal clear”: “the COVID vaccines are killing people” | A blog post shared on Facebook claimed that COVID-19 vaccines have killed some 676,000 people in the U.S. [...] "VAERS data is crystal clear," the headline read. "The COVID vaccines are killing an estimated 1 person per 1,000 doses (676,000 dead Americans)." [...] There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines have killed people in the U.S. in large numbers, let alone 676,000. We rate the claim Pants on Fire! | refutes |
Prevlaka is a territory of Croatia | Prevlaka (Croatian pronunciation: [prɛ̂ʋlaka]) is a small peninsula in southern Croatia, near the border with Montenegro, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor on the eastern Adriatic coast. [...] In 1918, after the end of World War I and collapse of Austria-Hungary, Prevlaka became part of the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. By 1922, once the new state determined its internal administrative subdivisions, dividing its territory into 33 oblasts, the peninsula got included in kingdom's Dubrovnik Oblast. In 1929, as Kingdom of SCS transformed into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia along with its internal administrative subdivisions being reconfigured into 9 banovinas, Prevlaka was included into Zeta Banovina together with Dubrovnik. During the 1930s, Royal Yugoslav Army further fortified Prevlaka.[2] In 1939, the area was assigned to the newly created Banovina of Croatia subdivision of the Yugoslav kingdom.[4] [...] As World War II dragged on, in summer 1943, in response to the Allied advances in their Italian campaign, Nazi Germany took over the administration of the Bay of Kotor including Prevlaka.[4] On 22 December 1944, the Yugoslav Partisans took control of the region, and after the war Prevlaka became part of the newly proclaimed FPR Yugoslavia, specifically its constituent unit the People's Republic of Croatia.[4] | refutes |
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