Are two Israeli teenagers, who recounted their experience of the Hamas attack on their kibbutz, paid actors? No, that's not true: Israeli-American teen Rotem Mathias is shown recounting the Hamas attack that left his parents dead while his sister, standing beside him, is trying to hold back tears, not laughing. The two were interviewed by ABC News for a report…

Was the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the absence of an official document, making the declaration illegal? No, that's not true: WHO is the sole authority empowered to declare a pandemic, and the justification for this declaration did not solely rely on press briefings by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Other supporting documents were also considered.…

Este adevărat că autoritățile din România pulverizează virusul Covid-19 sau un agent de război biologic în orașe în timpul nopții? Nu, nu e adevărat: un videoclip care pretinde că arată vehicule pulverizând substanțe pentru a îmbolnăvi oamenii face parte dintr-o operațiune planificată de dezinsecție a Primăriei Timișoara. Vehiculul pulverizează soluții de combatere a țânțarilor și a altor dăunători. Videoclipuri ulterioare…

Does a video in which a crowd of people can be seen lying on a field in sleeping bags show Palestinian civilians at the Gaza-Egypt border, in the context of evacuations related to the Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023? No, that's not true: The same video was posted on social media in August 2023, thus predating the ongoing conflict. Its…

Has the Romanian government announced a policy where Romanian citizens living abroad risk having remittances exceeding 2,000 euros confiscated if they fail to provide the required documentation? No, that's not true: Romania has treaties with many countries to avoid double taxation. Although a draft law was proposed for public discussion in 2018 to monitor remittances as a measure against money…

Does a video that purports to show Israeli soldiers refusing to fight against Hamas prove that the media is manipulating people about the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict? No, that's not true: The video, dated September 2023, allegedly shows riots at an Israeli military base during a training course, over the Israeli government's judicial overhaul plan. This predates the Hamas attacks by…

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…

Did a Romanian doctor and member of a far-right party reveal data showing that mRNA vaccines are dangerous and contain foreign DNA, meaning they should be banned? No, that's not true: Lead Stories has consistently debunked similar theories, while the vaccines have proven to be safe and effective. The claim originated from a video (archived here) published on TikTok by…

Are the protests in Warsaw, Poland aimed at the World Economic Forum (WEF) government secretly running the country? No, that's not true: the protests were organized by the opposition party to rally support against the leading conservative Law and Justice (PiS) Party and to build momentum for the upcoming Polish elections. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published…

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…