Tag Archives: Budapest

Did Israel sabotage B&H batteries to explode Hezbollah pagers?!

Did Israel sabotage B&H Photo batteries so that pagers used by Hezbollah in Lebanon would explode?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Israel sabotaged B&H batteries to explode Hezbollah pagers!

Right after news broke that pagers allegedly used by members of Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon, killing and injuring scores of people, there were claims that Israel intercepted a shipment of pager batteries from B&H Photo and inserted Kiska 3 explosives as part of Operation “Below the Belt“.

The Hawk Eye / GoaChronicle : GoaChronicle through its intelligence network has learned that Israeli intelligence successfully intercepted a shipment of pager batteries that had been ordered from B&H Photo. The order was placed from Lebanon. Acting on a confirmed tip, the intelligence agency seized the shipment and covertly modified the batteries. Small, undetectable explosives known as Kiska 3 were inserted into the battery casings and connected to the battery wires via a discreet chip. The pager model was Rugged Pager AR924 IP67. The operation code word was ‘Below the Belt’.

The modified batteries were programmed to heat up and detonate when triggered by the chip. This chip was remotely activated by sending a common message to all targeted pagers simultaneously, causing the explosions. This operation demonstrates a precise and strategic use of technology, further highlighting Israel’s sophisticated capabilities in cyber and intelligence warfare.

Defense News of INDIA : MOSSAD successfully intercepted a shipment of pager that had been ordered from B&H Photo. The order was placed from Lebanon. Acting on a confirmed tip, the intelligence agency seized the shipment and covertly modified the batteries. Small, undetectable explosives known as KISKA-3 were inserted into the battery casings and connected to the battery wires via a discreet chip. The pager model was Apollo Gold Rugged Pager AR924 IP67. The operation code word was ‘Below the Belt’.

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Truth : Israel did not sabotage B&H batteries to explode Hezbollah pagers!

This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating around the Hezbollah pager attack, and here are the reasons why…

B&H Photo claim was satire

It appears that stories about Hezbollah purchases pager batteries from B&H Photo appear to be based on satire posted by Dovi Safier on 17 September 2024.

Safier deleted his satirical post after it was picked up and posted as legitimate, but thanks to a cached X post on Google, we have a fragment of his post:

When @bhphoto received a large order from Lebanon, they tipped off the Mossad’s Eli Kopter, who planted the undetectable Kishka 3 explosive …

Frankly, even that short post fragment has two obvious jokes that screamed satire. It is truly hilarious that any serious media outlet / analyst would fall for such jokes.

Eli Kopter = Helicopter

Eli Kopter / Eli Copter (Eli Cobter in Arabic) is a play on the Hebrew word for helicopter. It went viral as an Israeli joke about Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash in May 2024.

Even French-Israeli TV presenter Daniel Haik fell for it, quoting a Telegram channel in saying that, “The pilot pilot was a Mossad agent with the name ‘Eli Copter’, it’s not currently clear whether this is true or not, but that’s the rumour going around.

Kishka is a type of sausage

There is no undetectable explosive known as Kishka-3 or Kishka 3. It appears to be a joke based on kishka – a traditional Jewish Ashkenazi food.

Kishka or kishke is a type of sausage filled with meat and grain or potato. In Jewish cuisine, it’s also known as stuffed derma, and traditionally made from flour or matzo meal, schmaltz and spices.

Below the Belt is an unlikely name for a Mossad operation

While not mentioned in the fragment, it appears that Dovi Safier joked that the name for the Mossad operation was called “Below the Belt“.

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Dovi Safier called his post a “parody”

Dovi Safier also explained that his post was a “parody“, and “not meant seriously“. He also stated that he was shocked that any news outlet would run it as fact.

Earlier I deleted a satirical post mentioning B&H photo. This was parody and not meant seriously. I’m shocked that any news outlet would run it as fact, but apparently in 2024, the idea of fact-checking is dead. Thank You.

B&H Photo denies selling Hezbollah pager batteries

There is also no evidence that Hezbollah ordered those pagers, or their batteries, from B&H Photo. In fact, GoaChronicle updated its article clarifying that B&H Photo denied supplying the batteries for those pagers:

In a phone call to GoaChronicle and an email by B&H Photo post the release of the article. A representative of the PR firm of the company has informed us that they have not supplied the batteries for the pager.

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B&H Photo does not sell pager batteries

Even though B&H Photo has stated that it did not sell the pager batteries to Hezbollah, it is likely that some people will still believe that they are lying, or in on the conspiracy too.

Anyone who bothers to check B&H Photo will quickly realise that it does not sell any pager battery. In fact, B&H Photo only sells lithium-ion battery for cameras, camcorders, notebooks and laptops.

The only rechargeable batteries available on its website are standard Ni-MH batteries in the AAA, AA, C, and D sizes. It also sells non-rechargeable alkaline and lithium batteries in the AAA size. However, none of them are used in the pagers used by Hezbollah.

B&H Photo does not sell pagers either

In addition, claims that Hezbollah ordered those pagers from B&H Photo also appears to be false – B&H Photo does not sell any pager at all! So it will be quite impossible for Hezbollah to order any pager from B&H Photo.

Hezbollah pagers were mostly Gold Apollo AR924

According to The New York Times, Israel intercepted and tampered with a new batch of Apollo Gold pages that were being shipped to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Most of the pagers were the Rugged Pager AR924 model (archive), but three other Gold Apollo models were also part of the same shipment.

Gold Apollo founder and chairperson Hsu Ching-kuang explained to reporters on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, that the Gold Apollo AR924 model was actually manufactured under licence by its European distributor – B.A.C. Consulting, which is based in Budapest, Hungary.

Explosives were planted next to the battery

The Rugged Pager AR924 lasts for up to 85 days using a replaceable lithium-ion battery. However, video footage of the explosions suggest that an explosive was used, and it was not just the battery.

According to The New York Times, the explosive material was not hidden in the pager battery. Rather, the explosive was implanted next to the battery in each pager, together with a switch that could be triggered remotely to detonate the explosive.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Why Did Johnny Depp Faint + Cancel Budapest Concert?!

Did Johnny Depp faint and cancel his Budapest concert because he was “overexcited” from last night’s party?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Johnny Depp Faint + Cancel Concert From Overexcitation!

People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that Johnny Depp fainted in his Budapest hotel, and cancelled the Hollywood Vampires concert that day, because of “overexcitation” from last night’s party!

Here is the viral Music Mundial article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

The cause of Johnny Depp’s fainting at a Budapest hotel has been found

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No Evidence Johnny Depp Fainted + Cancelled Concert From Overexcitation!

This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created by Music Mundial to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Hollywood Vampires Cancelled Concert At Last Minute

First, let me just give you a quick overview of what happened with Johnny Depp and his celebrity band, Hollywood Vampires, in Budapest.

On July 18, Hollywood Vampires announced that it was forced to cancel the concert just hours before it kicked off:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Vampires will be canceling tonight’s show in Budapest.

All tickets (General and VIP, including Meet & Greet) will be refunded in full.

We love and appreciate all of the fans who traveled from near and far to see us rise, and we’re truly sorry.

Sincere apologies, The Hollywood Vampires
Johnny, Alice, Joe, Tommy, Glen, Buck & Chris

Fact #2 : Johnny Depp Was Seen One Hour Before Cancellation

Approximately an hour before The Hollywood Vampires cancelled its concert in Budapest, Johnny Depp was seen walking in public, with a drink in his hand.

Obviously, Johnny Depp did not collapse and faint in his hotel after being “overexcited” from partying last night!

He may have been found unconscious in his room later – this rumour has not yet been confirmed. But if he fainted, it would have been because of some other cause – drinking, substance abuse, etc – after he returned to his hotel; and not because of last night’s excesses.

Ironically, Music Mundial posted the same photos showing Johnny Depp walking with a drink in his hand, essentially refuting its own claim!

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Fact #3 : No Evidence For Alice Cooper Quote

There is no evidence that Alice Cooper ever said that Johnny Depp was “overexcited” from a very agitated night of partying. I can find no reference to any such quote by Alice Cooper, but I found a single reference by a blog site euro ES Euro:

“What we heard was that he was overexcited and he couldn’t even leave the hotel. We also heard that they had called a doctor to see if something more serious had happened,” the Blikk tabloid quoted “a person with information about the case” as saying yesterday afternoon.

‘Everything was set, the stage was set. It didn’t even occur to us that there might be a problem, especially since the band members had also done a scheduled sound adjustment that afternoon.and. Nobody even thought about the fact that Johnny Depp would not participate, a colleague also installed his microphone, ”a source close to the band explained to the Hungarian medium.

However, that exact quote was never attributed to Alice Cooper. In fact, if Alice Cooper did indeed speak out about Johnny Depp, it would be odd for him to refer to his own band as “they”. He would have said, “we”.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Music Mundial Fake News

Needless to say – Music Mundial offered NO EVIDENCE to back up its claim that Johnny Depp was found unconscious in his hotel because he was “overexcited” from a night of partying.

This appears to be nothing more than yet another example of fake news posted by Music Mundial. Here are examples of Music Mundial fake news that I looked into recently:

Everything Music Mundial posts should be considered as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Is Hungary Prosecuting George Soros For Holocaust?!

Is Hungary preparing to prosecute George Soros for Holocaust atrocities?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Hungary Prepares To Prosecute George Soros For Holocaust Atrocities!

People are sharing a NewsPunch article that claims that the Hungary is preparing to prosecute “lifelong Nazi” George Soros for Holocaust atrocities!

Here is an excerpt from the very long article, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Hungary Prepares To Prosecute ‘Lifelong Nazi’ George Soros For Holocaust Atrocities

Hungarian prosecutors are preparing charges against 92-year-old Hungarian-American financier George Soros for aiding and abetting the murder of thousands of Hungarians during the Nazi occupation during World War II.

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Truth : Hungary Is Not Prosecuting George Soros For Holocaust Atrocities

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by NewsPunch, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : NewsPunch Is A Fake News Website

Like Real Raw News, NewPunch is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.

It was founded as Your News Wire in 2014, before being rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news spread on Facebook that year.

Their articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from NewsPunch. Here are some of their fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:

Fact #2 : No Evidence Hungary Is Prosecuting George Soros For Any Crime

There is ZERO EVIDENCE that Hungarian prosecutors are preparing to prosecute George Soros for any crime.

NewsPunch certainly offered no evidence to back up its claims that Hungarian prosecutors are preparing to prosecute George Soros for Holocaust atrocities.

The Hungarian government and media certainly made no mention of any legal action against George Soros, an American citizen who lives in New York.

Fact #3 : George Soros Was A Jewish Child During World War 2

The claim that George Soros is a lifelong Nazi who collaborated with them in World War 2 is laughably false.

George Soros (born György Schwarz on August 13, 1930) was only 9 years old when World War 2 broke out in Europe. On top of that, he was a Jew!

To protect themselves from antisemitism, his family changed their name from the German-Jewish name of Schwartz to Soros, which meant “next in line” in Hungarian. His family only survived the war by purchasing documents that declared them as “Christians”.

As a Jewish child, George Soros had to pose as the Christian godson of a Hungarian government official. He would personally witness the confiscation of Jewish property, calling it a very personal experience of evil.

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Fact #4 : Tivadar Soros Saved Other Hungarian Jews

It is also ridiculous to claim that George Soros collaborated with Nazis, when his father, Tivadar Soros, was notable for helping to save other Hungarian Jews.

When George Soros was 13 years old, the Jewish Council asked kids like him to hand out deportation notices. His father recognised the list for what it really was, and asked George to warn them.

The Jewish Council asked the little kids to hand out the deportation notices. I was told to go to the Jewish Council. And there I was given these small slips of paper … I took this piece of paper to my father. He instantly recognized it. This was a list of Hungarian Jewish lawyers. He said, ‘You deliver the slips of paper and tell the people that if they report they will be deported.’ I’m not sure to what extent he knew they were going to be gassed. I did what my father said.

George Soros would later call 1944 as “the happiest [year] of his life” because it gave him the opportunity to witness his father’s heroism.

Fact #5 : Nazi Germany Only Occupied Hungary In 1944

The claim that George Soros “knowingly and willfully” collaborated with Nazis, and aided and abetted the murder of Jewish Hungarians in Budapest from September 1942 to January 1943 is easily proven false.

Not only was he a child (as mentioned above), the Nazis only occupied Hungary in March 1944. So he could not possibly have aided the Nazis in killing Jews in Budapest 1-2 years earlier.

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Fact #6 : George Soros Is Vehemently Anti-Nazi

It is ludicrous for people to claim that George Soros is a lifelong Nazi, when he is a Jewish survivor of Nazi occupation of Hungary in World War 2, who personally witnessed other Jews getting taken away to be killed.

Since then, he has been a supporter of progressive and liberal political causes, which he supports through his Open Society Foundations. He has personally influenced the Fall of Communism In Eastern Europe.

He has donated billions on philanthropy promoting democracy and good governance, which makes him unpopular amongst nationalists and populists, who often create and/or spread conspiracy theories about him, including labelling him as a Nazi, amongst other things.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Tom Jones Collapse From Vaccine Side Effects?!

Did veteran singer Tom Jones postponed his Budapest show after he collapsed from vaccine side effects?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Tom Jones Collapsed From Vaccine Side Effects!

Right after news broke that Tom Jones postponed his show in Budapest, anti-vaccination activists started claiming that it was because he collapsed from vaccine side effects.

Sir Tom Jones collapses after taking jab in Budapest

Celebrity Tom Jones collapses after second dose of Covid-19 jab

and the latest victim of the jab…tonite Tom Jones has collapsed in Budapest

yes – vaccine development requires a trial period to elapse prior to rollout and apparently thats you.

How do you explain all the collapses? Tom Jones, Carlos Santana and Alan Carr – all this week alone.

Novak Djokovic is fine btw

Read more : Did Paul Ryder Die From Vaccine On Day Of Concert?!

 

Tom Jones Did NOT Collapse From Vaccine Side Effects!

It’s becoming a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths or injuries on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why… and the current facts that we know so far.

Fact #1 : Tom Jones Postponed His Budapest Concert

Tom Jones was scheduled to perform at a concert in Budapest on July 12, 2022, as part of his European and UK tour.

However, he cancelled it at the last minute, and rescheduled the concert of August 16, 2022.

It was that announcement that set off the “firestorm” of claims that he collapsed due for COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

Fact #2 : Tom Jones Had Viral Laryngitis, Not Vaccine Side Effects!

The truth is – Tom Jones did not collapse from vaccine side effects. He had to postpone his concert because he came down with viral laryngitis.

Tom Jones actually explained what really happened in a tweet on the early morning of the next day – Wednesday, July 13, 2022 :

Hello to all concerned: I travelled last night from the UK to Budapest and woke this morning with an uncomfortable throat.

A specialist came to visit and diagnosed ‘viral laryngitis’. He strongly advised postponing this evening’s show and prescribed medication and vocal rest.

I did NOT ‘collapse; anywhere at any time, that is pure rumour. Hopefully the inflammation will calm soon as I am looking forward to continuing my wonderful summer tour.

Unfortunately the show had to be cancelled at the last minute, and for that I am very sorry. However, the show in Budapest has been rescheduled and will take place on August 16. Thanks again for all your kind concern.

TJ

Read more : Did Jak Knight Die From Vaccine Side Effects?!

Fact #3 : Tom Jones Continued On His Tour Two Days Later

Tom Jones recovered from his viral laryngitis and resumed his tour, with a concert in Luxembourg on July 14, followed by Italy (July 16), and Croatia (July 18).

He will be performing in Germany on July 20, and then return to the UK for two concerts – in Carlisle on July 24 and Scarborough on July 26.

Despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim, Tom Jones is well enough to continue with his tour.

Fact #4 : Tom Jones Was Vaccinated In December 2020

Tom Jones was once of the first to get vaccinated in December 2020, when the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered.

He joked about it on the Jools’s Holland’s Annual Hootenanny Show on Thursday, 31 December 2020 :

I’ve had my jab already. That’s one good thing about being 80, you’re first in line for the jab.

It was fine, it was like getting the flu jab.

Fact #5 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days

Tom Jones was fully vaccinated in December 2020, and would have received his booster dose by the end of 2021 – more than 6 months earlier.

He cannot possibly collapse from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.

Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.

Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.

The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.

Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.

Read more : Did Pfizer Try To Hide 158K Vax Adverse Events For 75 Years?

Fact #6 : Deaths / Injuries From COVID-19 Vaccines Can Be Proven

Despite anti-vaccination activists chalking up celebrity deaths to the vaccine; death or injury from rare vaccine adverse effects like anaphylaxis, myocarditis and VITT can be proven.

Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) from Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines happens within minutes. That’s why people are asked to wait for 15-30 minutes after getting the vaccine. People who get an anaphylactic shock will require an epinephrine shot to quickly relieve it.

Vaccine-induced myocarditis has distinct histopathology findings that are different from typical myocarditis, so a pathologist will be able to determine if the myocarditis was caused by the vaccines or otherwise.

Vaccine-induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) is very specific to the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. It is also easily differentiated by its unique combination of blood clots in large veins of the brains, abdomen and lungs, together with low platelet counts leading to bleeding tendencies.

Fact #7 : COVID-19 Vaccines Proven Safe + Effective

COVID-19 vaccines underwent massive clinical trials, and were only approved after they were proven to be safe and effective.

In addition, they were constantly monitored after they received their approvals, which picked up rare side effects after they were administered to billions of people.

Anti-vaccination activists have often claimed that those who received the vaccine would die. Yet, the opposite was true – the vaccines are not only safe, they are effective in protecting people from getting hospitalised or dying from COVID-19.

Even prominent antivaxxer Steve Kirsch is healthy and well, despite being fully-vaccinated against COVID-19!

Read more : Antivax Steve Kirsch Admits He’s Fully-Vaccinated!

Fact #8 : Claims Of Celebrities Dying From COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance.

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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