Is Sombor a city in the Republic of Croatia? No, that's not true: Sombor is a city located in the northwestern Bačka district of the Vojvodina province in Serbia, close to the Serbia-Hungary border. During its history, Sombor has been part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, has belonged to the Habsburg Monarchy, the Austrian Empire, the Kingdom…

Was the referendum on the EU accession of the Republic of Croatia illegal? No, that's not true: The referendum conducted on January 22, 2012, that resulted in the Republic of Croatia joining the European Union, followed the Croatian Constitution and laws. The claim originated from a TikTok video (archived here) published on August 24, 2023, under the title: "A.P. THE…

Did the pop star Madonna predict the Hamas-Israel conflict four years before it began? No, that's not true: Madonna's 2019 Eurovision Song Contest performance made an apparent call for peace by showing embracing dancers wearing Israeli and Palestinian flags. It's not the first time that her controversial mid-show act has been linked to conspiracy theories. The claim appeared in a…

Did Kosovan and Albanian presidents say that Israel should keep on bombing "Palestine" and "hospitals in Palestine"? No, that's not true: Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani and Albanian President Bajram Begaj both expressed their support for Israel in the ongoing conflict with Hamas on October 7, 2023, but never called for violence. Lead Stories did not find any statements or reports…

Did an electric bus catch fire in Bradford, England, highlighting issues with lithium-ion batteries? No, that's not true: The fire started on a diesel bus, an email from the transport operator that owns the vehicle and a search of the U.K. government's vehicle tax records confirmed. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on October 13, 2023,…

Does drinking a mixture of apple cider vinegar and warm water cause healthy bacteria to spread in the vagina? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to prove the diluted acidic mix works, according to health care experts and a peer-reviewed study. The claim originated in a video (archived here) on TikTok on April 1, 2023, with the caption…

Is the HAARP Facility located in Petrova Gora in Croatia? No, that's not true: The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, a facility for studying the ionosphere is located near Gakona, Alaska, and it is the only facility of its kind in the world. A conspiracy theory about the Program and its intentions for climate control has circulated on the Internet…

Does listening to sound at a frequency of 280 Hz help you lose weight? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that sound at any frequency will help people shift unwanted kilos from their bodies according to health experts who spoke to Lead Stories. The claim reappeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok published on October 18, 2023,…

Did Pope Francis order priests to announce that Lucifer is the new God of the Catholic Church? No, that's not true: The leader of the Catholic Church has no authority to announce a new God and the post promotes known misinformation and conspiracy theories linking the World Economic Forum, its found Klaus Schwab, and a so-called New World Order. The…

Do PCR tests and COVID-19 vaccines contain the enzyme luciferase? No, that's not true: Luciferase, an enzyme that produces bioluminescence and is widely used in biotechnology, is not contained in PCR tests used to detect COVID-19 infection, nor in COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) on September 9, 2023. It opened…