Society Archives

Fact-check Malta: Does a proposed equality bill mean a ban on the crucifix in schools?

Fact Check, Health, Politics, Society, Uncategorized

September 14, 2026 A proposed human rights bill, promising to set up a new national human rights and equality commission, fell through in July, after failing to receive the required two-thirds parliamentary majority. The bill, which has been in the works for several years, promised to revolutionise Malta’s equality legislation, introducing new mechanisms for discrimination […]

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Fact-check Malta: Are pre-trial juror surveys ‘used across the world’?

Fact Check, Society

A survey commissioned by Yorgen Fenech’s uncle before his trial has sparked debate over the use of pre-trial polling

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Images of Moroccan couple abandoning wedding to enter Ceuta are fake

AI, Fact Check, Politics, Society

Tens of thousands of migrants flooded the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco late July 2026, but images widely claimed on social media to show a newlywed Moroccan couple ditching their wedding for the border are fake. AFP found no evidence to support the story and determined that the visuals were manipulated.

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Study does not prove vaccines increase dementia risk

Fact Check, Health, Science, Society

Research on dementia prevention has pointed to possible benefits from adult vaccination, but on social media, one study that failed to reaffirm those findings is being misrepresented to claim shots against influenza and pneumonia dramatically increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The paper’s lead author told AFP that despite its unexpected results, the study in no way proved a causal link between vaccination and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

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Fact-check: Is it ‘unrealistic’ for Malta’s population to reach 800,000 by 2040?

Fact Check, Politics, Society

Robert Abela brushed off the suggestion that Malta’s population could soon hit the 800,000 mark, but his own figures suggest otherwise

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Fact-check: How many young people use cocaine in Malta?

Fact Check, Health, Society

A new study shows that just 0.1% of young people consume cocaine, according to Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield

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Bananas impact some, but not all, health benefits from berries

Fact Check, Health, Society

Social media is filled with posts warning that blending bananas into smoothies with berries will negate the drinks’ nutritional benefits. But those claims are based on a small study that looked at the uptake of just one heart-healthy compound found in berries. Experts continue to recommend smoothies as a way to increase fruit consumption among Americans.

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Fact-check Malta: Footage claiming to be a US missile strike in Kuwait shows an explosion in Malta

Fact Check, Middle East, Society

June 3, 2026 Videos of an explosion posted by pro-Iranian accounts on X, supposedly showing a US missile strike on army bases in Kuwait, are of an explosion in Malta on Monday June 1, 2026. The videos show a spectacular series of explosions resulting in a large plume of black smoke rising into the air.

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Climate consensus remains despite revisions to far-end emission scenarios

Environment, Fact Check, Science, Society

Recent adjustments to the most extreme scenarios included in key UN climate reports are being misrepresented across social media, including by US President Donald Trump. These updates do not discredit the strong concensus in climate research showing human emissions are behind major environmental shifts and the changes were recommended by independent experts to reflect renewable energy implementation.

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He said, she said, AI said: Wall Street sex scandal rivets and confounds

Society, Technology, Uncategorized

May 21, 2026 A Wall Street banker’s explosive sexual harassment lawsuit against a female executive has triggered a torrent of salacious falsehoods muddying the waters — with AI-created deepfakes and memes fueling the frenzy. The social media storm erupted soon after the suit — packed with allegations of sexual abuse, coercion, and racial harassment —

He said, she said, AI said: Wall Street sex scandal rivets and confounds Read More »

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