AAP FactCheck Articles

The 2019 novel coronavirus not more deadly than Ebola or HIV

A Facebook post claims that the current 2019 novel coronavirus is more deadly than HIV or Ebola but the statistics for these diseases say otherwise.

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Post makes false claims about coronavirus in foods, at train stations

As authorities work to contain the potentially fatal coronavirus in Australia, misinformation about the outbreak of disease that originated in Wuhan, China has spread quickly across social media.

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Greens and Labor did not sign 'Forest Protection Act' cutting rangers

Australia's brutal bushfire season might be easing but efforts to assign blame for the disaster continue to blaze on social media.

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Dutton's McKenzie defence fails audit test

Did deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie fund programs that were recommended for funding?

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The 2019 coronavirus is not a man-made combination of HIV and SARS viruses

The novel coronavirus has triggered multiple false and misleading claims about the origins of the disease outbreak across social media. A new claim is that the infection is a “man-made” combination of the HIV-1 virus and the SARS virus.

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No carbon contest between emissions-heavy humans and volcanoes

The claim that human-caused carbon emissions are a drop in the bucket compared to greenhouse gases from volcanoes has been making its way around the internet and social media for years.

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Dettol effective against known strains, not 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Social media users are questioning the origins of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus as it continues to spread after discovering that some Dettol cleaning products “kill” the human coronavirus.

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The WHO has not labelled coronavirus a plague and the virus has not killed 75,000 people

As cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus increase, information on the number of people infected and the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) response to the outbreak continues to spread on social media.

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Research does not say half of Australia's bushfires are deliberately lit

Australia's 2019/20 bushfire crisis has sparked many online arguments about the causes of the fires, including claims arsonists are behind many or a majority of the blazes.

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Did wombats shepherd other animals into their burrows during the bushfires?

With the Australian bushfire crisis still making global headlines, a number of social media posts have told of "reports" of wombats saving fellow wildlife by shepherding them into their burrows.

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Are arson figures on social media a bushfire beat-up?

A meme on social media suggests firebugs are more to blame for the blazes than the climate.

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A picture of the Australian bushfires or a sunset from a plane?

An image that purports to show the Australian bushfires from above the clouds has been shared on Facebook alongside a claim that it is “not a sunrise or sunset photo”.

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The burning truth about the Greens’ bushfire risk policy

As bushfires continue to rage across Australia, a Facebook post claims the Greens changed their policy on back-burning in November 2019.

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Burning Three Sisters photo is not from 2019 NSW bushfires

With devastating bushfires burning across NSW, a widely-shared Facebook post shows the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, engulfed in smoke as a fire burns through the national park.

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What London’s mayor really said about terror attacks and big cities

A Facebook post highlights a quote by London Mayor Sadiq Khan on terror attacks being “part and parcel of living in a big city” and makes a comparison with the Japanese capital Tokyo.

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Is Australia’s last frozen vegetable company close to closing?

The future of Australian-grown frozen vegetables is attracting significant social media attention, with a Facebook post claiming the only Australian company producing these goods is “not far from closing”.

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Quote on voting doesn’t tally as Mark Twain

In the aftermath of the United Kingdom's election some disillusioned voters have sought solace with a purported quote by US author and humourist Mark Twain.

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This is how many dams have really been built in Australia since 1984

With Australia in the grip of a severe drought, a Facebook post ponders why water supplies are low and claims the nation’s last dam was built in 1984.

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Iceland and Philippines volcanic eruptions didn’t produce more CO2 than humans

A Facebook post claims carbon emitted from volcanic eruptions have undone all human reduction strategies.

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Woolworths has not stopped buying Australian fruit

AAP FactCheck examined a Facebook post from December 4, 2019, by an Australian page: Tony Abbott: Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. The post’s text reads: “Woolworths have to (sic) decided to source your fruit from overseas and will stop buying Australian fruits from SPC & Ardmona (sic). Let’s send them a message about putting Australians first Vote with your feet.”

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