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Did a picture on social media capturing what looked like a group of armed people riding a police van portray France in early July 2023? No, that's not true: It was a screenshot from a fictional movie released in 2022. The claim appeared in a post published on Facebook on July 2, 2023. The caption said: France. 2023. This is…

Do the people of the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan never get cancer because they consume apricot seeds? No, that's not true: There are recorded cases of cancer among the people of the Hunza Valley that date back several decades and there is no evidence that apricot seeds prevent cancer. In fact, the seeds can actually be harmful. The claim…

Is Canada implementing a digital ID in order for their provinces to access health care and funding for citizens? No, that's not true: On February 7, 2023, the provincial premiers accepted a proposal to further fund and improve the way health care data is stored, collected, and shared. The press release on the increase of funds did not mention digital…

Does a video shared to social media authentically show a Canadian government helicopter setting fire to a forested area in order to ignite a dangerous wildfire? No, that's not true: While the video is authentic, it depicts a controlled burn conducted by the British Columbia Wildfire Services (BCWS) in June 2023. An agency spokesperson confirmed to Lead Stories that such…

Is the French monument known as the Arc de Triomphe decorated with a giant rainbow for Pride Month? No, that's not true: This is work done by an artist who works in the medium of videos. Video artist Ian Padgham used three-dimensional animation processes and "lots of hand-edited details" to create this artwork. There are no credible news outlets reporting…

Does a video on Mexico's Milenio Television channel show a Mexican cartel member carrying a U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missile? No, that's not true: Raytheon Technologies, which makes the Javelin, told Lead Stories that the video shows another type of shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon. The claim appeared in a post on Twitter (archived here) by Mexican journalist Azucena Uresti on May 31,…

Does a viral video prove the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine in May 2023? No, that's not true: The footage, predating the Russian invasion of Ukraine, shows Afghanistan. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok on May 10, 2023. The text overlay said: Is World war 3 already startin 💔 it like a dream 😭 It continued: Nato…

Does this photo show the aftermath of a bio lab intentionally attacked in Sudan? No, that's not true: The photograph is a screengrab from a video taken by a global news agency on April 20, 2023 days after internal conflict in Sudan's capital began. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed to Lead Stories that the National Public Health Laboratory in…

Did a special April 2023 (issue 337) of The New European (TNE) feature on its cover a cartoon of a scowling Rishi Sunak, U.K. prime minister, looking at Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy sitting on the lap of the Dalai Lama, who has stuck his tongue out -- with Zelenskyy saying, "I'll suck it if you pay me!"? No, that's not…

Does a social media video prove that the advent of radio wave and mobile phone technology ushered in flu, COVID and other viral outbreaks from the 1900s on? No, that's not true: The emergence of these viruses is a natural process and not caused by technology itself. In addition, the timeline provided in the social media video doesn't establish cause…