There are about 6.3 million people on the NHS England waiting list
Several Facebook posts have repeated the familiar claim that there are “seven and a half million people on NHS waiting lists”. Read
Fact checks
Sian Bayley
Senior News and Online Journalist
Sian joined Full Fact in April 2024 as senior news and online journalist. Prior to that she was news editor at The Bookseller magazine. She has previously worked for the Local Democracy Reporting Service and the Evening Standard.
America wasn’t ‘sold to five billionaires’ in 1927
The article was first shared by satirical news site The Onion in 2005. Read
Fact checks
Has the percentage of good or outstanding schools risen to 90% under the Conservatives?
It’s technically accurate that 90% of schools are rated good or outstanding, up from 68% under Labour, but changes to the way schools are inspected mean these figures should be treated with caution. Read
Fact checks
Conservative tweet about state pension increases combines new and basic rates
A tweet from the Conservative party incorrectly implies that this year’s pension increase is on top of a previous £3,700 rise. Read
Fact checks
No evidence Russian missile strike hit ‘NATO logistics hub’ in Ukraine
There is no evidence that a video shared in the aftermath of a Russian missile strike in Odessa, Ukraine, shows damage to a ‘NATO logistics hub’. Read
Fact checks
A ‘Guardian’ article about alien bacteria killed by bird flu on Mars is fake
Posts shared on social media show a fake screenshot of an article claiming the virus may have already killed undiscovered alien life. Read
Fact checks
Putin video discussing Russian ties with Yemen has fake subtitles
A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been altered to include an Arabic voiceover and English subtitles. Read
Fact checks
HAARP research facility was not behind recent UK Northern Lights sightings
A solar storm, not HAARP, created the intense auroral display seen in many parts of the world around 10 May. Read
Fact checks
Bill Gates is not planning to attack food supplies to create a market for bird flu vaccine
Mr Gates did not tweet “There really is no choice—bird flu jab, or die painfully”. Read
Fact checks
Image shows Russian military in Syria, not Niger
A widely shared image claiming to show Russian troops taking a US base in Niger actually shows Syria in 2020. Read
Fact checks