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EuroVerify

Is the UK’s child poverty rate 10 times that of the Nordic countries?

A widely-seen social media post claims that child poverty in the UK is significantly higher than in the Nordic countries. However, the numbers don't appear to tell the truth.

EuroVerify

Is irregular migration to the EU really on the rise?

It’s a common claim bandied about by far-right MEPs as the immigration debate grows ever more toxic. But do the figures match the rhetoric?

EuroVerify

Fact check: Can MEPs skip the line at airports?

Members of the European Parliament are entitled to several allowances, but there’s often criticism and confusion over what the so-called “Brussels gravy train” entails. EuroVerify takes a look.

Europe Decoded

Vast disinformation networks hit Europe ahead of EU elections

There was a large coordinated attempt on social media to peddle pro-Russian, anti-vaccine and anti-LGBT narratives as the June European vote approached, a new report says “with absolute certainty”.

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Europe Decoded

Did parties field fake candidates in the UK general election?

Rumours have been rampant on social media that a candidate for the right-wing populist party Reform in the recent UK election wasn’t real.

Europe Decoded

Fact-check: Italian football commentator is not Trump shooter

Social media users have wrongly identified Donald Trump's would-be assassin as an Italian sports writer after the former US president was shot at during a campaign rally on Saturday.

Europe Decoded

Did Zelenskyy’s wife spend €4 million in aid money on a Bugatti?

Social media users are accusing Olena Zelenska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wife, of using millions in taxpayers’ money to purchase a hypercar not yet released to the market. The Cube takes a look.

Europe Decoded

Euro 2024-linked misinformation takes aim at minorities

The UEFA European Championship is entering its final stages, but what should be a celebration of European football has been clouded by false claims online designed to stir up hatred against marginalised groups.

Europe Decoded

TikTok ‘promoted misogyny’ in run-up to European elections

A new study has found that TikTok’s search suggestions contained toxic language towards women and minorities in Finland.

Europe Decoded

Fake news batters UK and France ahead of elections

Both sets of votes are expected to shake up each country's political direction, but as usual, there’s plenty of disinformation making the rounds, particularly targeting individual politicians.

Europe Decoded

Did Albania’s PM call the US ‘one of the three evils in the world’?

A video circulating on social media claims to show Prime Minister Edi Rama labelling the US, Soviet Union and Israel as the world’s three “evils”.

Germany

Did German police tell Euro fans to smoke weed over drinking alcohol?

German police have denied claims that they advised fans travelling to the country for the Euro 2024 championship to consume cannabis instead of alcohol, after news reports emerged stating the contrary.

Europe Decoded

False claims about Biden’s mental health flooding social media again

As the US presidential election draws closer, swathes of posts ridiculing President Joe Biden’s fitness to serve another term are being shared widely, but the pictures are usually either manipulated or taken out of context.

Europe Decoded

Operation Overload: Pro-Russians flooding newsrooms with fake news

A new report says that the scheme also seeks to amplify certain fake narratives by having reporters publish their debunks and share them far and wide.

Europe Decoded

No, 97% of people on Spain’s minimum basic income are not migrants

Ahead of the EU and UK elections, commentators and social media users are making factually incorrect claims about immigration in Europe.

Europe Decoded

No, an oversized cross won’t void your ballot in Germany

Rumours on German social media are spreading false claims about ways you can supposedly invalidate your vote in the European elections by accident.

Europe Decoded

Fact-check: Is the EU setting up a European army?

Critics of the EU have long claimed that the bloc has created a joint army or soon will, citing calls from pro-European voices who want an ever-closer union. The Cube unpacks the myth.

Europe Decoded

No, this video doesn't show turbulent Singapore Airlines flight

The video is being shared widely on social media and even in news reports in the context of the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence and left one man dead, but the footage has been misattributed.

Europe Decoded

Why is Central Europe prone to fake news ahead of European elections?

Recent statistics show that at least half of the population in countries such as Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic are exposed to misinformation online.

Europe Decoded

Fake news on the rise as the European elections draw near

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico and new EU anti-money laundering rules have all been the target of misinformation recently.