No, the UK is not rejoining the EU
Several TikTok videos have made the claim in recent days, but there are currently no plans for the UK to rejoin the EU. Read
Fact checks
Europe
We do fact checks and explain news from Europe and the UK's links with it, so you can understand the big stories.
Environment
Video of pilot ‘fired for refusing to spray chemtrails’ is German satirical skit
A joke video is being shared on social media with claims it shows a real legal case in Germany of a commercial pilot who lost his job over his refusal to spray “chemtrails”. Read
Fact checks
HAARP facility unrelated to floods in Spain
The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska cannot control the weather and has nothing to do with recent flooding. Read
Fact checks
McDonald’s did not close in Iceland because of a boycott
Posts shared on Facebook suggest the closure of McDonald’s in Iceland was due to a boycott, but the branches closed in 2009 because of the country’s financial crisis. Read
Fact checks
Miscaptioned video showing ‘Muslim immigrants’ attack in France performed by stunt group
A video is being shared with misleading captions claiming it depicts a real attack, when it was a choreographed scene. Read
Fact checks
Video claimed to show Iran coverage of Paris Olympics is satirical clip from 2013
A clip is being shared with false claims it is of Iranian censorship of Olympic events at Paris. Read
Fact checks
Europe
No, the Paris Olympics is not ‘cashless’
A claim being widely shared on social media that cash is not accepted at the 2024 Olympic Games is not true. Read
Fact checks
Image does not show tractors ‘blocking boats’ at Dover
A picture is being shared widely online with a misleading claim it depicts farmers at a beach in Dover attempting to stop small boats. Read
Fact checks
Europe
‘French government’ has not called for 90% income tax
A claim being shared online says that the new French government has proposed a 90% tax rate on income over €400,000 —but there is currently no ‘French government’ as such, following recent elections. Read
Fact checks
No evidence French politician promised Arabic would be an official language
Jean-Luc Mélenchon has not promised that Arabic “will be an official language in France” after the country’s election. Read
Fact checks
