Your weekly fact-checks
#Elections2024
This week's election: Ghanian General Election
BBC
Election Date: 07/12/2024
Ghana's upcoming general election on 7 December will see nearly 18.8 million registered voters choose a new president and parliament in the country's ninth multiparty poll since the 1990s. The leading candidates are Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, aiming to become Ghana's first Muslim president, and former President John Mahama, seeking a comeback amidst economic challenges. Key issues include high inflation, unemployment, illegal gold mining, and environmental concerns. Ghana's elections are known for being tightly contested but peaceful, with results expected by 10 December.
#Politics
PolitiFact
False: “Texas just gifted Trump 355,000 acres for deportation camps.”
A Texas official did offer land to the Trump administration to assist with its deportation efforts, but the tract offered is much smaller than 355,000 acres. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham offered 1,402 acres in Starr County, Texas, "to be used to construct deportation facilities."
PolitiFact
False: Abortion clinics warn they’ll go bankrupt if Democrat ‘sex strike’ continues.
A South Korean feminist movement that calls for eschewing sex gained traction among some young women on social media after President-elect Donald Trump’s reelection. This claim is unfounded and originated on a website that has previously published fabricated headlines.
Africa Check
False: No evidence for claim that Nigerian minister Wike was banned from presidential villa during Indian prime minister's visit.
Nigerian cabinet minister Nyesom Wike welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his state visit. However, Wike’s aide denied claims that he was banned from the presidential villa for inappropriate behaviour during Modi’s visit.
Full Fact
Mostly false: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said her party wouldn’t reverse the recent increase in National Insurance.
That doesn’t seem to be quite what she said. Speaking on Monday, Ms Badenoch didn’t appear to say definitively whether she would or would not reverse the increase. She did say “one of the first things that we’re going to be doing when we start our policy platform” is “look again” at the increase.
#Conflicts
Lead Stories
False: Italian Prime Minister Meloni says Italy does not support US President Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia with US missiles.
There is no publicly available recording or transcript of Meloni expressing Italian opposition to the change. During the Group of 20 summit on November 18 and 19, 2024, shortly after Biden's policy reversal was made public, Meloni told reporters on camera she is committed to maintaining a united front against Russia's aggression.
StopFake
False: France, Portugal and other European countries are sending troops to the frontline to support Ukraine.
France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs denied this and labelled it a “disinformation campaign“. The hoax has been circulated in countries such as Spain, Georgia and Portugal. In Lithuania, it was claimed that its president, Gitanas Nausėda, was willing to send soldiers to the front. However, there is no evidence of such statements, but he expressed his support for discussions on the possible sending of foreign troops to Ukraine for training. EUvsDisinfo already warned about this disinformation strategy in May 2024.
StopFake
False: The Pentagon declares Ukraine one of the most corrupt countries.
A report by the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General does indeed highlight some of the challenges Ukraine faces in its anti-corruption reforms. Overall, however, the document praises Ukraine’s efforts to reform its defence institutions. Russia took this report and communicated criticism but omitted other steps that Ukraine had taken.
#Science
Snopes
False: Fossils of 600-million-year-old "tiny humanoids" were discovered in Antarctica.
This is a story perpetuated in some social media circles and fringe websites claiming that 600 million-year-old fossils belonging to tiny humanoids have been found in Antarctica. This is an internet hoax that has been rated as unsubstantiated by the scientific community.
#Climate
Full Fact
Mostly false: The UK government is to fund “Bill Gates’ geoengineering experiments” to explore combatting global warming by cooling the earth.
This isn’t quite right. The Advanced Research and Intervention Agency (ARIA), a non-departmental public body which funds scientific or technological research, has confirmed Bill Gates is not involved in funding or developing the programme.
#Economy
India Today
False: The Modi government has declared that senior citizens who are above 75 years of age will not have to pay any income tax from now on.
A message being shared on social media claims that senior citizens above 75 years of age would not have to pay income tax any more. The Centre has not given any tax relief to all senior citizens who are above 75 years of age. The Centre recently stated that no proposals are being considered by the government regarding tax relief for senior citizens.
#Nordics
Faktisk
Sant: Hvis man legger sammen alle landenes samlede klimamål, er det ikke nok til å nå 1,5-gradersmålet.
Det er riktig, ifølge ledende forskere. Det er ulike måter å tolke resultatene av klimaløftene på, men alle viser mer enn 1,5 graders oppvarming.
#WTF?! What The Fact of the week
Snopes
True: Astronaut Scott Kelly's Heart Shrink From Space Travel.
A study published in Circulation in March 2021 found that astronaut Scott Kelly's heart mass decreased by 27% during his nearly year-long space mission, mirroring a similar reduction observed in endurance swimmer Benoît Lecomte during a 159-day swim across the Pacific. Led by Dr. Benjamin Levine, the research analyzed the left ventricle (LV) of both men, noting a weekly reduction of approximately 0.74 grams in heart mass despite regular exercise. This adaptation to reduced gravity and extreme conditions did not impair heart function, highlighting the impact of environmental stressors on cardiovascular health.
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