Did the Afghan Taliban ask Arab states for free passage to reach Israel and fight alongside Hamas against Israeli forces? No, that's not true: The head of the Taliban's political office in Doha, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, told a group of journalists that the news was inaccurate. The claim originated from a video (archived here) on TikTok by user @alfaomeganews on…

Este un proiect de lege care urmărește introducerea cursurilor obligatorii de prim ajutor pentru elevii români un „vicleșug legislativ" pentru a impune vaccinarea copiilor în școli? Nu, nu e adevărat: proiectul propus ar modifica un articol despre asistența medicală preventivă dintr-o lege existentă. Textul nu menționează vaccinarea forțată a elevilor, nici nu deschide calea spre introducerea ei. Afirmația a apărut…

Does a state lose its sovereign rights and its constitution when it joins the European Union and/or NATO? No, that's not true: the European Union (EU) can only act in those areas of common interest where member countries have authorized it to do so, by authority of EU treaties. Member states maintain sovereign rights, and Romania's constitution remains the supreme…

Was Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, ordered by Ursula von der Leyen and Volodymyr Zelensky, to approve the import of Ukrainian grains onto Romanian territory? No, that's not true: The three met in New York, at the UN General Assembly, to discuss the transit of Ukrainian grains through Romania. The President does not have the executive power to instate such measures,…

Este o broșură cu standarde recomandate pentru educația sexuală manualul propus pentru educație sexuală în România? Nu, nu este adevărat: nu există un astfel de manual aprobat sau propus în România, deoarece educația sexuală nu este o materie de sine stătătoare în programa de învățământ. Acest document, care datează din 2010, este un cadru dezvoltat de Biroul Regional pentru Europa…

Are several large containers filmed in the yard of Bucharest's Maria Rosetti middle school meant to serve as vaccination centers for the students there? No, that's not true: a schoolmistress confirmed for Lead Stories that they were recently set up to serve as additional classrooms for the increasing number of students. The claim originated from this video posted on TikTok…

Este adevărat că România tocmai a anunțat că 62% dintre țintele agendei pentru marea resetare au fost îndeplinite? Nu, nu este adevărat: în discursul său la Adunarea Generală a Națiunilor Unite din 20 septembrie 2023, președintele României Klaus Iohannis a spus că România și-a atins 62% din obiectivele naționale pentru 2030, parte a Agendei 2030 a ONU pentru dezvoltare durabilă.…

Did the World Health Organization reach a deal for the fight against future pandemics, signed by all member-states, giving the WHO the power to shut countries down and vaccinate people at will? No, that's not true: while negotiations among WHO member states for a deal on pandemic prevention and response are underway, the agreement is not meant to strip countries…

Did the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, refer to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he said "Ukraine is a crime scene. The perpetrator is sitting right in this room" during a UN Security Council meeting in New York? No, that's not true: Michel's full speech and reports from the event show that he actually meant the opposite, referring…

Does a video show African citizens joyfully dancing with NGO workers upon their arrival on the Italian island of Lampedusa during the September 2023 migrant surge, raising questions about the role of NGOs in large-scale migrations? No, that's not true: the images, which do show migrants dancing with NGO workers, were not captured in Italy and predate September 2023. In…

Did the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hold a debate on September 13, 2023 and asked member states' politicians to do "everything it takes" to vaccinate all people, even by using coercion? No, that's not true: while von der Leyen did hold the annual State of the European Union address that day, she focused on her…

Did the World Economic Forum (WEF) leader's "right hand" announce "the end of humankind", as aliens being created in the WEF's laboratories will invade and rule the world? No, that's not true: The man described as Klaus Schwab's "right hand", professor Yuval Noah Harari, does not work for WEF or Schwab and was comparing artificial intelligence (AI) with aliens in…

Is Romania's Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, talking as of September 16, 2023, about imposing new restrictions and a mask mandate for COVID? No, that's not true: Rafila announced recently that while COVID-19 cases are rising, restrictions will not be imposed. Wearing masks is still recommended, but not mandatory, for those who have contracted the virus or are experiencing symptoms, when…

A fost România privată de 2 miliarde de euro din Planul Național de Redresare și Reziliență (PNRR) din cauza refuzului oficialilor de a renunța la pensiile speciale? Nu, nu este adevărat: fondurile PNRR nu au nicio legătură cu sistemul de pensii. România nu a ratat fondurile; a devenit ineligibilă să le primească de la UE din cauza creșterii economice neprevăzute…

Este adevărat că Uniunea Europeană tocmai a impus o campanie de vaccinare pentru un nou vaccin Pfizer împotriva COVID-19? Nu, nu este adevărat: Comisia Europeană a autorizat recent vaccinul adaptat împotriva COVID-19 care vizează subvarianta Omicron XBB.1.5, dezvoltat de Pfizer. Vaccinarea cu el nu este obligatorie, deoarece UE nu poate impune acest lucru statelor membre independente ale Uniunii. Afirmația a…

Au percheziționat procurorii anticorupție biroul lui Raed Arafat, șeful Departamentului pentru Situații de Urgență? Nu, nu este adevărat: procurorii de la Direcția Națională Anticorupție (DNA) au declanșat două anchete privind modul în care o stație GPL din județul Dâmbovița a putut funcționa fără licență de la serviciile de urgență, ceea ce a dus la patru explozii mortale pe 26 august…

Is the recent approval of lab-made meat by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to a recent study by two universities stating that the next pandemic might originate in the United States? No, that's not true: The video discussing this is misleading. Even though the speaker does not directly link the two events, her framing of it leads…

Did the Mpox (monkeypox) vaccine appear 'suddenly' during A 2022 outbreak of the disease, showing it was part of a plan to sow fear and promote vaccines? No, that's not true: while there's no specific vaccine for the disease, a smallpox vaccine proven to be the most effective at reducing the risk of Mpox has been authorized in the EU…

Are Romanian reservists receiving orders by mail meant to mobilize them for war? No, that's not true: the claim is from a 2022 news report and this kind of notice is part of Romania's military standard routines, as every year reservists are called for updates on their military status. The claim originated in a video (archived here) published on TikTok…

Does a video show people being scanned in Bucharest to check whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, as a way to control the population? No, that's not true: the news report's footage, which dates from April 2020, shows a temperature scan meant to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, and Lead Stories has previously debunked claims that vaccines turn…