Europe

Did actor Richard Gere leave the United States after Donald Trump became president and did he vow "never to return"? No, that's not true: The actor announced the move as far back as April 2024 when Joe Biden was still President and the national conventions still had to happen. The stated reason for the move was that Gere's wife is…

Are emails sent via the public.govdelivery.com email domain and claiming to be about an "unclaimed balance" at Bittrex legitimate? No, that's not true: They appear to be part of an email scam aimed at former users of the now defunct company Bittrex Global. The company itself warned users on its website only to trust emails coming from a limited set…

Did an authentic video show members of the Danish Parliament laughing heartily at a recording of March 2025 remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, outlining his intent to "get" Greenland, "one way or the other"? No, that's not true: The underlying video was recorded in 2019, and Trump's 2025 remarks were digitally superimposed. Rather, the members of parliament cracked up…

Did an authentic photo show protesters in Turkey in March 2025, dressed as The Joker, Batman, Pikachu and Spiderman? No, that's not true: the image was AI-generated and was first posted by an X user whose bio contained the disclaimer "All content generated by AI." The fake photo, and other similar ones posted by the same user, alluded to authentic…

Was a March 26, 2025, car crash in Berlin a premeditated act of terrorism? No, that's not true: The German police told Lead Stories that, as of this writing, there is no evidence to support that theory. The incident involved a teenager who, when stopped by police, attempted to drive away, injuring eight people. The claim appeared in a post…

Did Beyoncé publicly confirm she will move to Italy because she can't "breathe the same air as Elon Musk"? No, that's not true: An AI generated viral article reused a fake quote previously attributed to Oprah Winfrey in another false story. Neither credible media outlets nor the singer's official pages discussed the purported relocation as of March 26, 2025. The…

Did Vogue magazine publish an article on March 21, 2025, with the headline "Disney Confirms Russian Troll Farms At Heart of Bad Snow White Opening Weekend"? No, that's not true: a fake screenshot shared online was the result of digital manipulation, and used a different Vogue article as its basis. The fake screenshot attributed the invented headline to a non-existent…

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…

Was a French scientist denied entry to the U.S. in March 2025, due to the supposed discovery, on his phone, of messages critical of U.S. President Donald Trump? The story was first reported by French newspaper Le Monde and news service Agence France-Presse (AFP). But a Department of Homeland Security official said it was over "possession of confidential information on…

Does this viral video show scenes of protest in Istanbul with "tens of thousands" demonstrating against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan? No, that's not true: The footage dates back to 2024 and is related to a papal visit to East Timor. It has nothing to do with current events in Turkey. The claim about the video appeared in a post on…

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…

Did White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt argue with a reporter about the history of U.S. relations with France during a March 2025 press briefing? No, that's not true: A transcript posted online and filled with references to World War I and the Louisiana Purchase was fabricated. Authentic video of the press briefing shows that Leavitt briefly answered a question…

Did Serbian authorities use a type of sonic weapon against protesters in Belgrade, causing a man to have a heart attack and later die? Here's what we know: The claim that authorities fired an acoustic weapon during a moment of silence at a huge anti-government rally on March 15, 2025, could not be independently verified by Lead Stories. But an…

Was the story about about Rosie O'Donnell's application for residency in Ireland being denied by the Irish Department of Justice real news? No, that's not true: The story originated on a website with a clear satire disclaimer. It is run by a man known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made up content. The story appeared in an article…

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…

Did a video circulating on social media show Russian President Vladimir Putin making a public statement about Russia's terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine in March 2025? No, that's not true: The clip had been online for nine months. It showed Putin's remarks from June 2024. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on March 12,…

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 French President Macron demand "$150 trillion in interest" for funding US independence, also known as the American Revolution, claiming France's support was a loan? No, that's not true: A viral screenshot with that headline showing an image from Macron's March 5, 2025, speech did not offer any sources to back that up and the speech did not make any…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy buy the French bank Milleis in February 2025 using the offshore company Maltex? No, that's not true: No credible media organization reported this story, as of March 6, 2025. A viral video purporting to be a TV news report about it displayed a non-existent TV channel logo. And the video contained inauthentic, AI-generated audio, according…

Did a video clip shared to X authentically show a BBC reporter joking the February 28, 2025 Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump was " ... the second time that a U.S. president f***ed someone in the Oval Office." ? No, that's not true: The audio was generated using artificial intelligence. The original newscast…