United Kingdom

Was Adolf Hitler nominated as a serious candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1939? No, that is missing context: The Nobel websites state that the nomination was not meant to be taken seriously and was withdrawn five days after it was made. According to the nominator, a Swedish anti-fascist, the nomination was intended as irony "to shame" Hitler "as…

Did Donald Trump call British protesters to join a march on the U.K. parliament in October 2024? No, that's not true: A video that purported to have narration by Trump showed signs that it was not authentic, according to several AI detectors. Lead Stories found no credible sources confirming that Trump ever said the words attributed to him. The claim…

Is it illegal for foreign nationals to volunteer for political campaigns in the United States? No, that's not true: The Federal Election Commission says foreign nationals can take part in campaign activities as unpaid volunteers. However, federal law prohibits them from giving money, making donations, spending funds or being involved in decisions about election-related activities at any level -- federal,…

Did presidential candidate Kamala Harris lie about having a Black grandmother, because the woman she identifies in her autobiography as her grandmother died four years before Harris was born? No, that's not true: Two women -- one of whom would become Harris' grandmother -- with similar first names were born in the same district of Jamaica around the same time.…

Did the Kamala Harris campaign release a video ad depicting a boy in makeup, necklace and dress trashing his home as part of the campaign's efforts to push abortion rights? No, that's not true: The video was produced three years ago for a U.K. home-insurance company's marketing campaign and has nothing to do with Kamala Harris or abortion. The company…

Does a viral video authentically capture a heated phone exchange between the mother of a 14-year-old transgender girl and her child's teacher who insists on using an incorrect pronoun to address the student? No, that's not true: The woman in the video is a professional actress. An earlier version of the same footage contained a disclaimer saying it is "a…

Is Starbucks going cashless in the U.K. on October 1, 2024? No, that's not true: A spokesperson told Lead Stories that Starbucks does not have a cashless policy in that country. This appears to be a reincarnation of a recycled 2022 rumor that baselessly speculated about the same cash ban going into effect in October of that year. The claim…

Are social media posts about a teenager named "Seven Whiteman," who supposedly went missing in several locations simultaneously, authentic? No, that's not true: This bait-and-switch post flips to a real estate ad. While the teen in the post's photos is a real girl who went missing, she was found on August 28, 2024, and was missing only in Tennessee. The…

Does the plan to address prison overcrowding in England and Wales cut short sentences for sexual offenses? No, that's not true: Under current law many inmates typically serve 50% of their sentence in prison, followed by a probation period. A new plan would reduce that to 40% but with exceptions for certain convictions like sexual or violent offenses. Offenders with…

Does a viral picture of U.K. police officers appearing to kneel to a group of men in traditional Islamic clothes portray a real-life scene? No, that's not true: Three AI detectors said the image was generated using AI. The image showed classic indicators of that such as missing body parts and unnaturally positioned limbs. The image reappeared in a post…

Was Irish teacher Enoch Burke arrested on September 2, 2024, for "refusing to endorse and affirm transgender ideology"? No, that's not true: Burke was arrested for contempt of court after repeatedly showing up to teach at a school where he was suspended and told not to return. His arrest by police was due to his noncompliance with a court order,…

Did police in the United Kingdom arrest an 11-year-old child in August 2024 for posting "mean tweets"? No, that's not true: Authorities in Cleveland, England, told Lead Stories, "We haven't arrested an 11-year-old for sending mean tweets." One 11-year-old suspect was taken into custody for arson, while another was detained for "violent disorder." The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did the United Kingdom and France issue a "Secret International Arrest Warrant" for Elon Musk? No, that's not true: No news organizations reported anything about the supposedly existing "secret" arrest warrant for Musk approved within jurisdictions of the U.K. or France. The International Criminal Court that issues international arrest warrants denied there is one for the owner of the X…

Was a U.K. man sentenced to over two years behind bars for "waving an English flag"? No, that's not true: The man pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated harassment, having an article with intent to destroy or damage property and obstructing or resisting a constable. Social media posts omitted information about the actual charges in this case, which had nothing to…

Did police in Merseyside, England, single out far-right Southport rioters by publishing their addresses online? No, that's not true: Merseyside police routinely release information on people charged with a variety of crimes, their X account shows. The force only releases the names of arrestees when they are charged, a Merseyside police spokeswoman told Lead Stories. A police news release showed…

Does a 2017 paper on resveratrol suggest it could be used to stop or treat monkeypox as part of the public health emergency declared in August 2024? No, that's not true: An author of the paper told Lead Stories that resveratrol was never tested on humans or animals in their research, and it's "unclear if it suppresses poxvirus replication." An…

Did the World Health Organization order governments to "Prepare for 'Mega Lockdowns' Due to 'Deadly Monkeypox' Strain"? No, that's not true: WHO responded to a Lead Stories inquiry about the report of orders for lockdown preparation with "It is false." Preparations for or even the suggestion of major lockdowns because of the monkeypox virus would be major news worldwide, yet…

Does a social media video show police apprehending a elderly man on a scooter who was involved in a "far-right" riot in the United Kingdom in 2024? No, that's not true: At least two media organizations have reported that this video shows a police incident in Amsterdam in 2022. This video footage does not show a participant in one of…

Did The Daily Telegraph publish an article by Fiona Parker reporting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering "emergency detainment camps" on the Falkland Islands? No, that's not true: The publication said, "No such article has ever been published by the Telegraph." There is no publicly available information showing Starmer is planning such camps. The claim appeared in a…

Did a man with a darker skin tone and Arabic-sounding name get away with the rape of a 12-year-old girl in the U.K. with a sentence of only community service while two men convicted of anti-immigrant or racist activities got jail time? No, that's not true: The man pictured in the rape case was a 15-year-old member of a gang…