Sunday 25 October 2026 · Edition of the day

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The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
3
Average plausibility
75%
How to read the score
It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
RegionAllGlobalAfricaNorth AmericaSouth AmericaAsia-PacificEuropeMiddle East
TopicAllPoliticsConflict & SecurityBusinessScienceHealth
01ScienceAsia-Pacific

Typhoon Champi leaves one dead and more than 500 injured in Taiwan

The Guardian and DW report matching casualty totals as the storm heads toward China.

Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan, killing one person and injuring more than 500, according to the Guardian and DW. The Guardian reported uprooted trees, power disruption, flight cancellations and widespread closures, including in Taipei. Both outlets said the storm was heading toward China.

What holds up

  • ✓Both outlets report one death and more than 500 injuries in Taiwan.
  • ✓Both describe major disruption and the storm's movement toward China.

What doesn't yet

  • ?The supplied summaries do not identify the authority behind the casualty totals or their reporting cutoff.
  • ?The Guardian's description of weakening conditions is not independently detailed in the DW item.

Ask before you share

  • →Which authority issued the casualty figures, and when were they updated?
  • →What do the latest official warnings say about the storm's path and remaining hazards?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]The Guardian · Published 24 Oct 2026 · theguardian.com
  2. [2]DW · Published 24 Oct 2026 · dw.com
02ScienceAsia-Pacific

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha brace for possible severe cyclonic storm

DW reports a weather department warning that a Bay of Bengal depression could intensify before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast.

DW reported that Andhra Pradesh and Odisha were preparing for a severe storm. The weather department warned that a depression over the Bay of Bengal could become a very severe cyclonic storm before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast, with winds reaching 140 km/h.

What holds up

  • ✓DW attributes the intensification warning to the weather department.
  • ✓The item identifies the Bay of Bengal depression and the Andhra Pradesh coast as the forecast system and crossing area.

What doesn't yet

  • ?Intensification and winds reaching 140 km/h are forecasts, not reported observations.
  • ?The summary supplies no forecast issue time, expected crossing time or uncertainty range.

Ask before you share

  • →Has the weather department revised the storm's intensity or track forecast?
  • →What location-specific warnings and protective measures are in effect?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]DW · Published 24 Oct 2026 · dw.com
03ScienceAsia-Pacific

Guardian analysis challenges criticism of Australia's temperature dataset

A commentary disputes an audit's allegation of widespread errors, but the feed excerpt does not supply the underlying evidence.

A Guardian Temperature Check analysis described an audit alleging widespread errors in the Bureau of Meteorology's main dataset for measuring climate change. The analysis rejected that criticism, saying it did not stand up to scrutiny. The supplied excerpt includes neither the audit's methods nor the analysis supporting the rebuttal.

What holds up

  • ✓The Guardian item identifies the Bureau of Meteorology's climate-change dataset as the subject of the dispute.
  • ✓The excerpt clearly distinguishes the audit's error allegation from the analysis's rejection of it.

What doesn't yet

  • ?Neither the alleged errors nor the rebuttal can be assessed from the supplied excerpt.
  • ?The audit's authors, methods and numerical findings are not included.

Ask before you share

  • →Are the audit's data and methods available for independent examination?
  • →What specific evidence supports the rebuttal, and has the Bureau responded?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]The Guardian · Published 24 Oct 2026 · theguardian.com