South Africa

Did today's Black Americans descend from Africans who inhabited North America before European colonizers arrived in the 15th century? No, that's not true: Paleontological, archaeological and genetic evidence all suggest that the original inhabitants of North America who were present on the continent when European explorers arrived were the ancestors of modern Indigenous people, an anthropologist told Lead Stories. Historical…

Do potential methane emissions expelled by wild bison populations compare with levels expelled by domestic cows in the U.S. and beyond? No, that's not true: Global populations of bison total less than half a million compared with 1.5 billion cows. An expert in biological systems engineering and agriculture told Lead Stories that the claim's comparison is arbitrary as it does…

Did illegal migrants in Germany evade deportation by breaking a window and jumping out of a bus moving slowly in traffic? No, that's not true: The details of this widely circulated video are not well documented, but the video was not filmed in Germany. All indications -- from the captions on the earliest copies of the video to the registration…

Does the idea that 1.4 percent of Americans owned slaves in 1860 represent the true extent of slavery at that time? No, that's not true: That statistic isn't meaningful. By 1860, slave ownership was concentrated in the southern U.S., making only the population in those states relevant to the issue of slave ownership. The population of the southern U.S. also…

Does a video show a mermaid found in Zimbabwe? No, that's not true: The video shows part of a 2015 festival performance staged by city officials and cultural organizations in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. The claim appeared in a post on Instagram on June 27, 2023. The post included a video of people in white hazmat suits carrying…

Does this photo show a human baby dubbed "The blackest South African baby in the world" or "the World's Tiniest, Darkest, and Most Resilient Baby"? No, that's not true: This photo doesn't show a human baby but a handcrafted doll by sculptor Lilah Pearson. It's a one-of-a-kind "Baby Gorilla Monkey" made of polymer clay. Photos of Pearson's creation have circulated…

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…

Are tetanus shots being used to sterilize people? No, that's not true: Such claims are "completely illogical and contrary to fact," a molecular biologist told Lead Stories. There is no substantive evidence that tetanus vaccines available as of June 2023 contain a hormone that would "attack" a pregnancy and cause a miscarriage. Numerous studies indicate that tetanus vaccines are safe…

Did a once powerful and technologically advanced "Tartarian Empire" exist before being washed away or buried in a great "mud flood" that reset society? No, that's not true: There is no proof to support this claim. While the assertion has been widely circulated in alternative history and conspiracy theory circles, there is no historical or scientific evidence to support it.…

Does a video shared on social media show Sudan Rapid Forces (SRF) troops in control of "Khartoum International Airport and Military base"? No, that's not true: The video appeared online three months before fighting broke in Sudan in mid-April 2023. Lead Stories geolocated the footage: It was recorded outside the airport in a park typically used for recreational purposes and…