United Kingdom

Did the U.K. make Islam the "main study" in schools on March 26, 2025? No, that's not true: No credible media outlet reported such a policy. Religious education covering different religions has been part of the national curriculum for decades, and students can opt out of attending those classes. The story appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook…

Did King Charles III give official notice that he has revoked U.S. independence, effective immediately, will reign as monarch and that "The nincompoop you've elected as President will go to gaol", as social media posts claim? No, that's not true: There was no official statement to that effect from the British monarch. No such statement appeared on Buckingham Palace social…

Did a CIA document in the unsealed JFK assassination files name British actress Penelope Keith as the lone killer? No, that's not true: The purported investigative document naming Keith as the "lone shooter" cites her work in the BBC TV comedy series "The Good Life," which did not start airing until 1975, at least 10 years after the investigation ended.…

Are people in various communities in the United States and England being warned about an 18-year-old known as Russell Robinson or Dycorrian Wayne Lofton knocking on doors and attacking people after he gains their trust? No, that's not true: Facebook posts calling on readers to be vigilant and lock their doors used mugshots of unrelated people. The posts are part…

Did President Donald Trump order the Federal Reserve to mint quarters without ridges, as was claimed in a social media post? No, that's not true: The proof the post offered was a counterfeit CNN.com screenshot. CNN, as of the date this was published, had reported no such order by Trump. Searches of the White House and Treasury websites showed no…

Did the BBC publish an article about King Charles III being in "critical condition" on March 18, 2025? No, that's not true: Neither live nor archived versions of the BBC website contained that report. Buckingham Palace did not make the purported announcement on that day. The claim was spread on X by a self-described "troll account". The claim appeared in…

Does a viral image authentically show European leaders taking off their suit coats in support of Ukraine during a group picture? No, that's not true: The image is likely a screenshot from a video that was digitally edited, possibly using AI. Actual footage of the moment the group picture was taken did not show anyone taking off their suit and…

Are Muslim immigrants the reason why there are piles of garbage in the neighborhoods of Birmingham, England? No, that's not true: Refuse workers in Birmingham, England, are "taking all out indefinite strike action" starting on March 11, 2025. They began striking in January over job cuts, and for better pay. The garbage piles up because it is not being hauled…

Did ICE detain British national Becky Burke on the Canadian border? Yes, that's true: A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, asked by Lead Stories specifically about Burke, confirmed a "British national" was being detained in the United States. The tourist had spent at least 10 days in detention as of March 9, 2025, according to her…

Did Donald Trump admit in an Oval Office ceremony on March 7, 2025, that the 2024 election was rigged so that he could become president again? No, that's not true: President Trump was claiming the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden was rigged, not the 2024 election. If he had won in 2020, he would not be president when…

Does a video show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying "fuck him" after a reporter asked him about Donald Trump as Zelenskyy entered a meeting with U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer? No, that's not true: The video uses a tone to cover a supposed obscenity by Zelenskyy, and the post obscures the word with "F* him" in the caption, but the…

Did BBC News report that "Elon Musk is wasting everyone's time and money, and serves no real purpose"? No, that's not true: A search of the BBC News website on February 27, 2025, yielded no such report or headline. The broadcaster also did not post about the fake report on its social media accounts. The claim appeared in a X…

Is British singer Sam Smith "self-partnered," meaning that they are not single but in a relationship with themselves? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a satirical Facebook page with a clear disclaimer. There is no evidence that Smith ever made that declaration about their dating status, as of this writing. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

Does a genuine photo show protesters in London holding up signs that say "Rapists Welcome" and "Stand Up For Rapists"? No, that's not true: Digital forensics tools show the photo has been digitally altered. Photos showing similar, non-edited signs show "Refugees Welcome" and "Stand Up To Racism" slogans. The photo appeared in a post on X (archived here) where it…

Have British prime ministers attended U.S. presidential inaugurations on four occasions in the past 100 years? No, that's not true: A presidential historian told Lead Stories that no prime ministers from the U.K. attended a U.S. inauguration in the 20th century. Official records from the Department of State, Office of the Historian do not include any leaders from the United…

Does a list show the names of U.K. members of Parliament who voted against deporting "foreign rapists"? No, that's not true: The names on the list do belong to MPs, but it's not a voting list about legislation to deport rapists. Instead, they are cross-party signatories to a 2020 letter raising concerns about Home Office plans to deport 50 people…

Did the Welsh Refugee Council create a video involving schoolgirls to "entice migrant men to come to Wales"? No, that's not true: The group said, "We did not create or commission the video currently being circulated." The Welsh government explained that the video was made by a group of students to show their school as a welcoming place. The claim…

Is it unusual that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was not invited to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration? No, that's missing context: A social media post's assertion that usually the British prime minister "would be the first name on the list" is untrue. Traditionally, foreign leaders were not invited to U.S. presidential inaugurations, a presidential historian told Lead Stories. The claim…

Is it true that there was no Alzheimer's disease until 1979 -- after the vegetable oils used in margarine were incorporated widely in modern diets? No, that's not true: In 1906 the "unusual disease of the cerebral cortex" was discovered by pathologist Alois Alzheimer. The abnormal brain atrophy he had identified was named after him four years later. An expert…

Does an authentic video show U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing complaints of predatory sexual behavior against Jimmy Savile as "frivolous"? No, that's not true: According to multiple AI video and audio detection tools, the video was fake and created with artificial intelligence. Starmer, who served as the director of public prosecutions for England and Wales from 2008 to 2013,…