Fact-checking PM’s claim courts to blame for killer’s prison leave
Robert Abela made the claim about George Degiorgio’s leave. It’s only half the story.
Fact-checking PM’s claim courts to blame for killer’s prison leave Read More »
Fact Check
This artefact does not come from Sparta and the technology behind it has been explained
False claims that a Roman chalice actually hails from ancient Greece and boasts mysterious colour-changing properties returned to social media in January 2023, following the latest talks over the British Museum’s possible return of the Parthenon sculptures to Athens. In reality, the ancient cup has been dated back to Roman times in the 4th century AD, is known as the “Lycurgus Cup” and has been proven by scientists to change colour in different lighting thanks to traces of silver-gold alloy in its glass front.
This artefact does not come from Sparta and the technology behind it has been explained Read More »
Greek digital artwork shared as a real photo from Turkey quake
February 20, 2023 A digitally created image showing a Greek firefighter holding a girl has been widely shared on social media in Greece following the devastating February 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Many users believed it was a photograph taken from the disaster zone and showed a Greek fireman rescuing a Turkish girl. But
Greek digital artwork shared as a real photo from Turkey quake Read More »
Fact-check: A heart-shaped pothole is not in Malta
A photo of a Valentine’s Day-themed pothole was widely shared on social media.
Fact-check: A heart-shaped pothole is not in Malta Read More »
Rainforest Alliance seal signifies sustainability standards, not genetically-modified food
February 13, 2023 A circular seal showing a green frog under the words “Rainforest Alliance” indicates that a food product comes from sources that have been certified as meeting sustainable agricultural and supply chain standards. The symbol does not indicate that a product’s raw materials are “transgenic” — i.e. genetically altered — as social media
Fact-check Malta: Żebbuġ LIDL will be on ODZ land
A statement issued by the Economy Ministry said otherwise
Fact-check Malta: Żebbuġ LIDL will be on ODZ land Read More »
Fact-check: Single bed capsule for €330 per month rent in Ħamrun
A listing posted on Facebook showed 12 capsules stacked in a room
Fact-check: Single bed capsule for €330 per month rent in Ħamrun Read More »
No, Frontex has not warned that 330,000 migrants will arrive in the European Union in 2023
Online articles and social media posts widely shared in Greek at the end of January 2023 claimed the EU border agency Frontex had warned that 330,000 migrants would enter Europe over 2023 after the same number had arrived the previous year. These posts are wrong. The agency said in a news release that it had counted 330,000 irregular entries into the EU over the 2022. It made no projections for 2023. Frontex’s figures include people who cross borders several times and so are counted several times, which has caused confusion before. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates 188,000 people entered Europe illegally in 2022, which researchers say is a more reliable figure.
Product codes starting with the number eight do not identify genetically modified produce
Fruit and vegetables labelled with a five-digit product code starting with “8” have not been genetically modified, contrary to what has been claimed in posts shared hundreds of times on Facebook since December. While it is true that the prefix “8” was initially intended to label transgenic produce, the International Federation of Produce Standards (IFPS) – which is responsible for establishing Price Look Up (PLU) codes for fruit and vegetables – has never used it in this way. Product codes beginning with 8 will be used to designate new products in the near future. Under Greek law, products containing genetically modified organisms – or “GMOs” – must be clearly labelled as such at the point of sale.
Fact-check: Will energy from the Turkey earthquake spread to Malta?
This claim has been widely shared on social media
Fact-check: Will energy from the Turkey earthquake spread to Malta? Read More »
