Conflicting false statements, largely pushed by far-right activists, have exaggerated narratives about the Spanish government’s response to the migrant crisis in Ceuta. jrnl.ie/7118858

Be careful of fake news about Ceuta as Spanish enclave faces migrant crisis

Some of the claims misunderstood that Ceuta, while Spanish-run, is located in Africa.

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Gardaí said they were investigating an assault in an lane where small mosque has been the target of intimidation. jrnl.ie/7117910

Debunked: Video of Gardaí near a Dublin mosque cut to imply they came to arrest a man in a mobility scooter

Police investigated an assault in Dublin City reported on 24 July.

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A real-life incident in which a man was nearly sucked out the window of a Ryanair flight when it “detached” mid-air appears to have been the basis of a fake story featuring AI-generated images. jrnl.ie/7116350

Debunked: AI pic used to mis-tell story of a man almost sucked out a Ryanair plane window

The fake story about a Liverpool to Dublin flight mirrored a real-life event over Greece.

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Misleading maps and false stats are spread by the far-right to manufacture a crisis. They are intended to scare people into feeling that Ireland is changing so fast that they can’t keep up. jrnl.ie/7108860

How statistics can be twisted to push the Great Replacement conspiracy theory

Misleading maps manufacture a crisis that the data does not support.

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Post about a Medical Council hearing for Patrick Morrissey, a doctor who said that he prescribed unproven treatments for Covid patients during the pandemic, are filled with misinformation. jrnl.ie/7112282

Debunked: Doctor who promoted unproven Covid drugs isn't on trial for ‘questioning’ authorities

Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine have been studied extensively as treatments for Covid.

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False claims been shared online that Covid deaths were actually caused by drugs and mechanical ventilation. Although the claim has been spread by Irish people, these claims cite a "whistleblower" nurse who is American and did not work in Ireland jrnl.ie/7103685

Debunked: False ‘whistleblower’ claim says remdesivir and ventilators killed Covid patients

In one study, half the Covid patients who asked not to be intubated died.

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Claims that Russia had taken large swaths of ground in Ukraine are based on a mapping group’s analysis that actually came to the opposite conclusion. jrnl.ie/7101083

Debunked: Claims of Russian battlefield gains misuse report that finds greater Ukrainian advances

Ukraine’s advances have prompted some analysts to say the “tide has turned” in their favour

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The rhetoric around a European parliament vote to allow tech companies to monitor online chats in an effort to clamp down on child abuse has been so extreme that it’s not always clear that opposing sides are discussing the same thing. jrnl.ie/7097705

What is ‘chat control’, the EU's contentious plan to fight online child abuse?

Rhetoric around a recent EU vote has been so extreme that it’s not always clear the opposing sides are discussing the same thing.

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A video that appears to show former taoiseach Leo Varadkar complaining about immigrants uses real footage, but swaps out the audio and subtitles to deceive viewers into thinking he is saying something else. jrnl.ie/7096180

Debunked: 'Cheapfake' video shared online makes Leo Varadkar appear to complain about immigrants

The actual footage was taken from an interview looking back at Brexit.

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False claims that Irish political leaders had visited the island of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have circulated online in a faked document that purports to be official government correspondence. jrnl.ie/7095052

Debunked: A fake government memo claims Irish leaders visited Epstein's private island

Fake correspondence names 14 Irish leaders, though gets basic facts wrong.

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With Europe sweltering in a heatwave this summer, climate sceptics are trying to push the idea that the recent high temperatures are normal.

An anti-immigration activist has falsely suggested that Muslims are entitled to exclusive financial offers, and do not have to pay taxes on mortgages. buff.ly/2ampaCk

One of the study's author's told The Journal that their research had been misinterpreted, and reiterated that sunscreen reduces the risk of cancer. jrnl.ie/7087633

Debunked: A scientific study does not show that sunscreen increases the risk of skin cancer

Observational studies found the use of sunscreen was associated with skin cancer — but not for the reasons some people think.

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Starting this week, anyone ordering goods, including clothes, electronics and makeup, will be liable to charges of up to €3 per item, unless they come from another European Union country. jrnl.ie/7085312t

Explainer: How do the new charges on imports from non-EU countries work?

Unique items will be charged €3, but no extra charge applies to multiples of the same product.

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Images that appear to show the Israeli prime minister wearing an Argentina jersey at the World Cup in the United States are AI-generated. jrnl.ie/7081458

Debunked: Picture of Netanyahu supporting Argentina at the World Cup is AI-generated

The Israeli prime minister was in Jerusalem on the day of the match in Texas.

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A US government release about the existence of secret biological laboratories — or, at least, something that initially looks like that — was announced by the Director of National Intelligence. But the declassified information is likely to underwhelm anyone who reads it. jrnl.ie/7076056

The head of US intelligence has been pushing misinformation about Ukrainian 'biolabs'. What are they?

The Trump administration has a history of disappointing releases of confidential material: on aliens, Covid-19 and Jefferey Epstein.

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False claims that Georgians are the largest group of asylum seekers in Ireland have been shared online, along with claims that the EU Migration Pact is a “con-job”. jrnl.ie/7072283

Debunked: The government didn't engineer a crisis by bringing Georgian asylum seekers to Ireland

International protection applicants from Georgia dropped from 2,459 in 2022, to 638 by 2024.

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Two photos have been shared widely online, including by far-right influencers, falsely claiming to show Stephen Ogilvie, the victim of a knife attack in Belfast on Monday night. jrnl.ie/7069108

Debunked: Images of a heavily wounded man in hospital do not show the Belfast knife attack victim

The victim’s family have asked for privacy.

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A misleading visualisation of Ireland’s weather, posted by MMA coach John Kavanagh, was shared to suggest that Ireland’s climate is steady. It instead shows that four of the five hottest spring seasons on record here have occurred since 2023. jrnl.ie/7064300

Debunked: A misleading graph of the warmest springs on record actually reveals Ireland is getting hotter

A graph of temperatures looks almost flat… if you exclude the data that would make it jagged.

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Police in Northern Ireland have denied rumours that they were looking for a second suspect who took part in a knife attack on Monday night that left a man without an eye. jrnl.ie/7066832

Debunked: There is no ‘second suspect’ for the Belfast knife attack

The claim was shared ona livestream by an anti-immigratoin activist.

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A spirited radio debate last week left listeners befuddled as a doctor and the chair of the Sunbed Association contradicted each other on medical research. jrnl.ie/7059129

FactCheck: What the scientific studies say about the harms of sunbed use

Is all the data against sunbeds old and outdated?

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Footage showing party at a back garden in a Dublin suburb have been shared online along with misleading captions indicating that the government is building housing estates specifically for African migrants. jrnl.ie/7061859

A viral voice note claiming a woman in Co Derry had been drugged by touching a business card given to her by “foreign nationals” has been spread widely online. There is no evidence that the story is real, or even scientifically possible. jrnl.ie/7060367

Debunked: No evidence a woman was drugged with a doused business card in Co Derry

Urban legends about drugs that quickly knock people unconscious by skin contact are common, but implausible.

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A confrontation between security personnel hired by Bord na Móna and a man who was living and cutting turf on their land has been widely publicised online, with false claims that it shows foreigners taking over that man’s property. jrnl.ie/7053553

Debunked: Far-right figures spread untrue claim foreigners were taking over a farmer's land

The man claiming squatter’s rights had told the High Court that it did not exist.

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Genetically modified have been the subject of much debate, with some people portraying them as a Frankenstein-esque violation of the natural order. Are there stricter safety standards for food given to organic livestock than for human beings? jrnl.ie/7051051

FactCheck: Are there stricter limits on genetically modified foods for animals than for humans?

So-called “Frankenfoods” aren’t grown in Ireland, but they can be sold here.

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By the end of the year, many of your personal identity documents, such as your passport and driving licence, may live in a government-provided app on your phone. These plans have been met with claims of a totalitarian takeover in some conspiracy theory groups. jrnl.ie/7045802

The EU is bringing in Digital IDs for citizens – but what are they, and how will it affect you?

The app should allow users to verify their age without giving their date of birth.

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Ebola, hantavirus, Covid: viruses have hit the headlines since the pandemic despite, according to some adherents of alternative medicine, not existing at all — that is, if you ignore a wealth of evidence. jrnl.ie/7047783

Amid outbreaks an age-old theory is being resurrected online: viruses don’t exist

Forms of germ theory denial have been advocated by the United States secretary of health.

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The outbreak of Hantavirus on a cruise ship has presented conspiracy theorists with their latest opportunity to spread fear and disinformation.

Posts claiming Pope Leo XIV had spurned the Trump administration by honouring Iran’s ambassador misrepresent a standard ceremony that saw 13 diplomats honoured. jrnl.ie/7040703

Debunked: Posts misrepresent a routine honour given to the Iranian ambassador by the Vatican

Thirteen diplomats were given an award amid ongoing tensions between the Vatican and the White House.

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A screenshot what appears to be a bizarre news story has been shared widely around the internet, claiming that the government is offering free cheese to people who are first to take a hantavirus vaccine. The claim is false. jrnl.ie/7039499

Debunked: There is no government scheme offering free cheese to recipients of a hantavirus vaccine

There are no hantavirus vaccines licensed for use in Europe.

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