International

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…

Does a genuine transcript show what Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said after Representative Jim Himes asked a question about retweeting "posts from individuals affiliated with Russian state media" using her personal account? No, that's not true: The fake transcript starts off with things that were actually said but then adds more questions from a "reporter" who wasn't actually…

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 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 former U.S. president Barack Obama caught "laundering money through the Cayman Islands" for private gain in March 2025, as a social media post claims? No, that's not true: The viral post misrepresented the words of a guest on the Joe Rogan podcast. That person was talking about U.S. government funding of a "Cuban Twitter", not about Obama's direct involvement…

Does a viral video showing wedding scenes where various little girls are being married to older men authentically show Muslim child marriages, as social media posts are claiming? No, that's not true: The viral footage originated on an Instagram account that posts AI generated videos. Several detection tools found evidence the video was generated using artificial intelligence. The video has…

Does a video confirm a March 2025 discovery of vertical structures that are just shy of 2,000 feet in depth and roughly 1.24 miles underneath Giza Pyramids? No, that's not true: The clip cited a paper that was three years old. It did not make the specific assertions the video host made. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

Was a man named Jerce Reyes Barrios, described as a soccer player from Venezuela on social media, deported from the U.S. to El Salvador? The story was reported by ABC News, citing the man's attorney. Filings in U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. spell out Barrios' account. Here is what we know so far. The story appeared in a post…

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 President Donald Trump order the Keystone pipeline system "to transport ONLY American Oil"? No, that's not true: The claim came from a site with a satire label that explicitly says "nothing on this page is real". Originating in Canada, the Keystone Pipeline System moves unrefined Canadian petroleum, and some from the U.S. to refineries in the United States. The…

Did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announce the release of something called the "Benghazi Files"? No, that's not true: The "news" about the announcement 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 article (archived here) that started the rumor was published by "The…

Does a picture show a destroyed star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that was dedicated to actress Gal Gadot? No, that's not true: The image shows the star for President Donald Trump shortly after it was destroyed in 2018. As of this writing, there have been no news reports about Gadot's recently unveiled star being destroyed. An example of…

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 the United States send three aircraft carriers to Iran on March 17, 2025? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for the U.S. Navy told Lead Stories that, as of March 18, 2025, there was just one U.S. military ship of this class deployed in the region. As of this writing, the U.S. Department of Defense issued no public statements…

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…

Was the X account of Celtic Punk band Dropkick Murphys suspended after they made comments about Elon Musk and MAGA hats during a concert in Boston on St. Patrick's Day, 2025? No, that's not true: The band's founder Ken Casey said they quit Twitter in 2022 after which their handle was taken over by someone pretending to be the band.…

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…

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 President Trump post on Truth Social that he was going to "annexe Alaska" after Greenland, in order to make it the "53rd State" and did he say "the people of Alaska don't want to be part of a backward nation in Canada?" No, that's not true: Viral screenshots of such a post are fake. Trump's actual Truth Social account…