copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Wearing Masks Will Increase Mortality !! (Social Media Users, 2023-03-09)
Evidence (2021-06-01): Use of face masks among agents began at 0 and increased at a constant rate to 70% when face masks were mandated statewide in June. Masks were assumed to reduce exposure to infection and infectivity among susceptible agents by 50% each.31,32 Because schools closed in March and moved to remote instruction, there were no kindergarten through grade 12 school interactions until August 24, when schools were allowed to open under a hybrid policy that limited the total number of students to ensure distancing. After August 24, agents were split into 2 equal groups, with one group attending school on even dates and the other on odd dates. [...] JL. High-quality masks can reduce infections and deaths in the US.
Claim: Wearing Masks Will Increase Mortality !! (Social Media Users, 2023-03-09)
Evidence (2024-08-09): However, high levels of mask wearing could reduce forecasted deaths by nearly 33,060 [...] The forecast shows 179,106 deaths (with a range of 159,497 to 213,715). Those numbers drop to 146,047 (with a range of 140,849 to 153,438), if at least 95 percent of people wear masks in public. [...] IHME’s new projections include the re-imposition of strong social distancing mandates when deaths per day reach a level of 8 per one million people, but currently only Texas and Florida reach this level of resurgence before October 1. Mask wearing at current reported rates is included in the model.
Claim: Wearing Masks Will Increase Mortality !! (Social Media Users, 2023-03-09)
Evidence (2021-11-18): Data synthesis DerSimonian Laird random effects meta-analysis was performed to investigate the effect of mask wearing, handwashing, and physical distancing measures on incidence of covid-19. Pooled effect estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed, and heterogeneity among studies was assessed using Cochran’s Q test and the I2 metrics, with two tailed P values. [...] Mask wearing and covid-19 incidence—Six studies with a total of 2627 people with covid-19 and 389 228 participants were included in the analysis examining the effect of mask wearing on incidence of covid-19 (table 1).364357606366 Overall pooled analysis showed a 53% reduction in covid-19 incidence (0.47, 0.29 to 0.75), although heterogeneity between studies was substantial (I2=84%) (fig 5). Risk of bias across the six studies ranged from moderate36576066 to serious or critical4363 (fig 2). Mask wearing and transmission of SARS-CoV-2, covid-19 incidence, and covid-19 mortality—The results of additional studies that assessed mask wearing (not included in the meta-analysis because of substantial differences in the assessed outcomes) indicate a reduction in covid-19 incidence, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and covid-19 mortality. Specifically, a natural experiment across 200 countries showed 45.7% fewer covid-19 related mortality in countries where mask wearing was mandatory (table 1).49 Another natural experiment study in the US reported a 29% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission (measured as the time varying reproductive number Rt) (risk ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.75) in states where mask wearing was mandatory.58
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-12): The viral video circulating on social media falsely portrays Sajith Premadasa as avoiding a crucial question about his decision not to accept the presidency in 2022. The original, unedited footage reveals that Premadasa responded directly, explaining his stance on leadership and the need for a democratic mandate. The viral post's use of an out-of-context clip from another event is misleading and designed to misinform viewers.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-10-07): 2022 Sri Lankan political crisis and indirect presidential election [edit]Premadasa refused the invitation of President Gotabaya Rajapakshe to accept the premiership during the 2022 Sri Lankan political crisis.[27] Following the resignation of Rajapakshe, he initially announced to run for the indirect presidential election.[28] However, the day before, he withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Dullas Alahapperuma.[29] [...] - ^ "Sajith declines President's invitation to be PM". Newswire. 8 May 2022. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2024. [...] - ^ "Sajith Premadasa withdraws his candidacy from Sri Lanka presidential election". The Indian Express. 19 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-20): Mr Premadasa, 57, is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa. He leads the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party or SJB, that separated from Ranil Wickremesinghe's party - United National Party or UNP in 2020. [...] Mr Premadasa favours a mix of interventionist and free-market economic policies, and has promised subsidies and has been accused of promising freebies too at his election rallies. But he says he has a different vision for Sri Lanka and has a plan for how he will achieve them. Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Mr Premadasa spoke about how his vision is different from the current regime, how he plans to revive the economy differently from how the current President is doing, how he views the India-Sri Lanka relationship and how he plans to tackle China.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2022-07-16): In an interview with The Associated Press from his office in the capital, Sajith Premadasa said that if he wins the election in Parliament, he would ensure that "an elective dictatorship never, ever occurs" in Sri Lanka. [...] Premadasa said the current Parliament is at odds with how Sri Lankans feel now. [...] Premadasa said it’s critical for leaders not to interpret their mandate as "some sort of an assurance of permanent domination."
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2022-07-13): Sajith Premadasa, the son of Lanka's former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, spoke exclusively to India Today TV on the way forward, the massive trust deficit of the people in the nation's political leadership, what went wrong and several other issues. [...] Sajith Premadasa, the son of Lanka’s former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, spoke exclusively to India Today TV on the way forward, the massive trust deficit of the people in the nation’s political leadership, what went wrong and several other issues. [...] "Basically, I did not refuse the premiership. I based my acceptance of the premiership on a few conditions that would dilute the powers of the executive presidency - greater transparency, greater democracy, greater accountability, greater democratisation of the process, to which the President/ex-President did not agree," he argued.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2022-07-12): Sri Lanka's main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has told the BBC he intends to run for president, once Gotabaya Rajapaksa steps down. [...] Mr Premadasa told the BBC that his party and allies agreed he should be "putting my nomination for the position of presidency, if a vacancy occurs". [...] Mr Premadasa said he was ready to take part in an all-party interim government.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2014-11-04): Sajith Premadasa, the son of former Sri Lankan President R. Premadasa, was awarded a degree certificate by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) as a Bachelor of Science (Economics) in International Relations after sitting only his first year examinations while his father was the President of Sri Lanka, the Colombo Telegraph can reveal today. [...] Speaking to Colombo Telegraph last week, Sajith Premadasa maintained that he completed his degree and that he obtained his degree from the LSE. When questioned in detail, Sajith Premadasa acknowledged that he had only sat for his first year examinations at LSE because he had been sick with measles and then a paralysis of his legs, which prevented him from sitting for further exams. [...] Sajith Premadasa has recently expressed his own future presidential ambitions, and in this context, he has also claimed that he entered a masters course in Maryland, but even if he was able to do so with aegrotat degree, how was he able to travel to the US and begin another course of study if he was too sick to properly complete his first degree? "All these issues need to be investigated" an academic told Colombo Telegraph on the condition of anonymity.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2022-07-16): In an interview with The Associated Press from his office in the capital, Sajith Premadasa said that if he wins the election in parliament, he would ensure that "an elective dictatorship never, ever occurs" in Sri Lanka. [...] Premadasa said the current Parliament is at odds with how Sri Lankans feel now. [...] Premadasa said it's critical for leaders not to interpret their mandate as "some sort of an assurance of permanent domination." "The mandate is a temporary mandate. Never try to think that you are the freehold owners of the country. Think of yourself as being a guardian, being a trustee of the wishes of the people."
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2022-11-25): Sajith Premadasa said that the Former President repeatedly requested him to accept the post of Prime Minister, and four conditions were put forward to Rajapaksa for the establishment of an interim short-term government. [...] Sajith Premadasa said he wrote to then-President Rajapaksa citing these four conditions to accept the post of Prime Minister, and did not request or apply for the post of Prime Minister. Sajith Premadasa was responding to a comment made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on Thursday (24).
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-19): This absurdity is not a philosophical abstraction but a lived reality for millions. Promises of change often dissolve into disillusionment, and political leaders, regardless of their intentions, find themselves ensnared in an endless cycle of reform and failure. As Sajith Premadasa prepares to assume the presidency, he faces a nation weary of broken promises—where each attempt at reform has risked becoming another Sisyphean struggle. His task, however, is not just to push the boulder uphill but to break free from this futile cycle, offering a vision of governance that transcends the absurdity and brings genuine stability to a beleaguered nation. [...] As the presidential election draws near, Sajith Premadasa stands at a critical juncture, not just as the son of R. Premadasa but as a leader capable of navigating Sri Lanka’s turbulent waters. His journey, marked by resilience in the face of adversity and his ability to rise above entrenched obstacles, positions him as a beacon of hope. For Sri Lankan voters, the choice is between remaining trapped in a cycle of disillusionment or embracing a leader who offers a genuine path to renewal. Sajith Premadasa’s leadership embodies a rare combination of experience, integrity, and a deep understanding of the nation’s struggles. His challenge is to transform this potential into tangible progress, breaking free from the cycles of failure and steering Sri Lanka toward a more hopeful and stable future.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-06-15): In the write-up published in the Daily FT on 4 June 2024 (last Tuesday) entitled "Sajith Premadasa’s leadership qualities: A critique" he says, the leader of the opposition and the leader of the opposition Mr. Sajith Premadasa uses the pronoun ‘I’ when he addresses the masses. [...] If Sajith is incapable of leading the nation as suggested by SJ, why do many other politicians desert their party under which they returned to Parliament in 2020 to join the SJB accepting Sajith’s leadership? Why do hundreds of thousands of people rally round him when he meets people and addresses public meetings at various parts of the country. Why have other political parties failed to attract politicians and voters from the SJB to their fold if Sajith is a weak leader? [...] However, late President Premadasa or his son Sajith have never ever declared that they are the greatest, most important or influential politicians in this country at any stage or at any time.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-10-01): Why find fault with Premadasa? Why not Wickremesinghe? Because after stabilising the economy that was in free fall, Ranil Wickremesinghe has a greater and justifiable claim to be the candidate for the presidency than Sajith Premasada. A little gratitude and commonsense could have averted the mutually assured destruction of Premasada and Wickremesinghe and could also have made Premadasa the prime minister. But he put his oversized ego before the country. [...] A common sense approach would be to build an alliance, defend the majority vote polled in the presidential election, and potentially form a government. But again, Premadasa has put his ego before the party and, perhaps, the country.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-08-22): During a special address in Parliament, Thalatha Athukorala, who entered Parliament in 2004 after the untimely passing of her brother, United National Party (UNP) stalwart Gamini Athukorala, questioned Sajith Premadasa’s leadership qualities and his suitability to lead the country at this critical time. [...] She emphasised that she held no personal grudge against Premadasa but questioned whether his refusal to collaborate stemmed from a desire to become President too quickly. Athukorala implied that Premadasa lacked the maturity needed for leadership and seemed indifferent to public criticism. She noted that there appeared to be no self-reflection on whether the timing was right, the potential detrimental effects, or whether he possessed the qualities necessary for leadership at this time. Instead, she suggested that Premadasa was driven solely by the ambition to become Sri Lanka’s leader.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-19): Wickremesinghe pursues a multi-aligned approach with the foreign powers, he continues to be pro-West despite his closeness to India in the past two years after the uprising—thanks to India’s interventions in terms of credit lines to advocate economic reforms, Indian investments and security aspect. Wickremesinghe has also got investments from Japan with regard to the light railway, and expanding the international airport in Colombo. "Ranil’s neo-liberal approach might seem beneficial. But it hasn’t liberated the people from the economic crisis. People's desperation is coming from the bottom because of their inability to make ends meet. There were three million people who were below poverty before 2022 and it has increased to seven million people now. It is almost a third of this country's total population," Harsha Desilva, a senior leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which is headed by Sajith Premadasa, told THE WEEK.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-12): A video circulating on social media suggests that opposition leader Sajith Premadasa avoided answering a critical question posed by a young girl during a recent event. The viral clip shows a girl questioning Premadasa about his decision not to accept the presidency when the country was in an economic crisis in 2022. She asks if Sajith would flee from responsibility if faced with a similar situation in the future as the president. [...] In his response, Premadasa explained that he declined the presidency in 2022 because he did not have the people's mandate to lead the country during that crisis. He emphasised that accepting the presidency without such a mandate would have been undemocratic. [...] The viral video circulating on social media falsely portrays Sajith Premadasa as avoiding a crucial question about his decision not to accept the presidency in 2022. The original, unedited footage reveals that Premadasa responded directly, explaining his stance on leadership and the need for a democratic mandate. The viral post's use of an out-of-context clip from another event is misleading and designed to misinform viewers.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-17): [4] Many believe that Rajapaksa was on the verge of resigning and would have done so had Wickremesinghe not accepted the job. The president had earlier offered the position of prime minister to several other senior politicians. All refused unless he agreed to step down as part of an agreed sequence that would see an interim government leading to elections and a referendum to end the strongly presidential system of government and return to a Westminster parliamentary model. Crisis Group interviews, politicians, journalists and activists, Colombo, March 2023. [...] Thirdly, Wickremesinghe has sought to avoid major reform of Sri Lanka’s system of governance and declined to demand judicial or electoral accountability from the nation’s leaders. Part of the reason is the political constraints upon him: retaining the support of the Rajapaksa-led SLPP and its majority in parliament depends on foiling aragalaya demands that the executive presidency’s powers be trimmed and that state officials be held accountable for misuse of office. Instead, the Wickremesinghe government secured a largely ineffectual amendment of the constitution that restored a modicum of independence to oversight commissions for the police, human rights and other issues.[8] Wickremesinghe’s reliance on SLPP support has also inhibited investigations into alleged cases of corruption involving the Rajapaksa family or the economic mismanagement that led to the 2022 crisis.[9]
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-07-27): When the government’s election phobia became public, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa spearheaded the resistance both inside and outside parliament. As the government took various steps to delay the elections, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and its legal team filed fundamental rights petitions against these measures in the Supreme Court. As a result, when petitions and rumours aimed at preventing the presidential election emerged, civil organizations, including SJB, successfully defeated them in court. [...] As we revealed, confirmed news was reported last week that the results of this opinion poll will be accepted internationally. This is due to the fact that the International Monetary Fund has invited Mr. Sajith Premadasa and Mr. Harasa de Silva, for a very confidential discussion. Normally, the IMF rarely invites representatives from a country’s opposition to this type of discussion. Especially when a presidential election season has been announced, such an invitation is hardly made. But this time, going beyond all those theories, it has been learned that the International Monetary Fund has invited the opposition leader and Harsha to the discussion, even though it is a presidential election season, to discuss how to deal with them in the future. Accordingly, it is also news that Sajaba has accepted this invitation.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-22): Outgoing President Wickremesinghe in a video statement congratulated Dissanayake and said he hoped he will carry forward the economic recovery efforts successfully. The election was a virtual referendum on Wickremesinghe’s leadership, including restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout after it defaulted in 2022. [...] Under Wickremesinghe, inflation has dropped and foreign reserves and the local currency have strengthened. A 2% economic growth is predicted this year after a 7% contraction in 2022. But Sri Lankans are still struggling with high taxes and living costs. [...] He said Dissanayake represented the spirit of the 2022 uprising during which angry Sri Lankans ousted then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and called for a "system change" and "new faces in politics."
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-09-15): He has also reminded the people of a ‘deal’ reached between Wickremesinghe and former President GR in 2019. It is no secret that Premadasa blamed Wickremesinghe for his defeat at the last Presidential Election, claiming that he (Wickremesinghe) had not put his full weight behind the campaign. [...] However, Premadasa had listened and not said anything. [...] Handunnetti’s statement, albeit controversial, is something that was carried out during 2022. Following Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation from the post of prime minister in April 2022, the Cabinet stood dissolved and then President GR carried out governance work with the ministry secretaries. This mechanism played out until Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister and a new Cabinet was formed under him.
Claim: When Sajith Premadasa Was Questioned Why He Did Not Accept Invitation to Become President in 2022, He Skipped from Giving Answers !! (Social Media Users, 2024-09-12)
Evidence (2024-08-25): The President further claimed that Premadasa and AKD must withdraw from the Presidential Election and support him if they were unable to respond to some key questions. "I would like to question where Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake were when the price of a gas cylinder climbed to Rs. 6,800. Why did they not take action at that time? We will continue to ask this question at every stage. They must provide answers; if they cannot, they should refrain from running in the election. I invite both Sajith and Anura to join us on either side of this stage," he added. [...] Premadasa had also informed his inner circle that consists of confidant Fonseka, Madduma Bandara, Marikkar, and Sujeewa Senasinghe that the SJB needed to be careful when accepting new members, especially those with corruption allegations.